oil cloth

Found this tablecloth while cleaning the garage; perfect fit for my outdoor cafe table; great timing too!

My Classroom (Part 2)

weeds

Noticed the weeds were taller than me-time for some serious weeding...

Sasquatch Was Here

Sasquatch was here?

Greasers

Beauty School Drop Out- entry in costume contest for Grease at the Hollywood Bowl.

My Classroom

catch all

My bedroom has become a catch all and there is a growing mountain of stuff blocking my closet; how did a blender box end up here?

squirrel

This little rascal caused quite a stir with one of our dogs but he didn't get frazzled; held on to his treat and even posed proudly for the camera.

Old Linen/New Fashion

After taking the Fashion on the Fly class (using only tablecloths, old drapes, scissors and staplers to create fabulous new garments), I now look at my linen closet in a whole new way. Where's my stapler . . . ?

tour bus

Didn't know TMZ had their own tour bus.

summertime fun

A good and fun way to beat the heat.

street performer

I admire those who put their talent out there.

Cucumber Aliens

Yesterday we watched the movie "Signs."

Today I cut a cucumber from my garden and sliced up some cucumber aliens.

Wrinkled

"I can make a peach pit with my chin" - look - and I rub softly at the wrinkled knob. "And I can do THIS with my tongue." Reid imitates the clover leaf tongue trick and we gaze at our images in the big mirror across from the dining room table. "Listen" he yells, and we quiet down expectantly, young and old, my dad with his comb poised in mid stroke, Pam pulling her long hair into a loose pony tail, Heather with a spoon hanging, balanced, from the end of her perfect nose. "Listen and he opens his mouth wide and knocks a tune out by rapping his knuckles on the top of his head.  Laughter, squeals, oohs and ahhs.  "Look what I can do" we all seem to yell at once and we all in turn, or more often together and overlapping, show off our silly talents as our dad watches and our mother giggles and we believe the look in his eyes and the smile on her face. We believe them, that we are the most wonderful, the most talented. The next day I will show the group of people at school my wonderful new-found talents, and somehow they won't care; it won't be fun.  But even when I realize I'm not the most wonderful, I still know I am the most lucky.

(This was an 8 minute, Lynda Barryesque writing from the word prompt "wrinkled.")

Promo

Promo for Iris Cirque du Soleil- found the film reels cool.

Banner

Banner outside a home welcoming home their son.

Still the 4th?

I'm not sure that I actually enjoy 4th of July anymore. We spent at least as long cleaning up as we did watching the sparks fly. And please, would someone tell my neighborhood that the holiday is over - I'm tired of being woken up every night by the loud booom of illegal fireworks.

seeds

My sweet peas have finished their blooming season but left behind many seeds in anticipation of next seasons blooms.

Mockingbirds are My Favorite

The other day, I was wasting some time, casually flipping through a book "Attracting Birds to Your Backyard." The page that caught my eye was "What to do if you find a baby bird." The book told me not to worry that a mother bird might reject a nest that smells like human - it's just an old wive's tale. If it's obviously too young to be out the nest, it said, pick that bird up and put it back in.

Wouldn't you know it, today I found a baby bird in my back yard. The purplish kind, with no real feathers, tightly shut eyes, and wide open mouth. I thought it was dead, laying in the sun under our avocado tree. I looked closer and it was breathing. What to do?! What to do?! Then I remembered the common-sense advice: "Look around for a nest." And there it was, about 10 feet up in the avocado tree. I picked up that little bird, climbed a ladder, and tucked it back into the nest next to his sleeping baby brother.

I couldn't even tell what kind of bird it was. But when I came back with my camera, I saw a grown-up mockingbird with a bright red berry in its mouth swoop into the tree, then heard two little peeping voices.

Computer Blues

We went out of town to the in-laws for a few days to celebrate the 4th. Seven different households all hanging out under one roof - a million kids running around. I brought my camera and I've got pictures to share. The kids are getting along wonderfully, but I can't make the various electronics play nice together. I'll be back posting on Friday!