Runaway Peacocks

Saw these peacocks walking down the sidewalk in a nearby neighborhood; I wonder if they had a day pass from the Arboretum....

Golf Ball on the Side of the Road

I don't know why this tickled me so. It's just a golf ball in the gravel by the side of the road, 10 miles from the nearest golf course. But I'm glad I have the opportunity to walk instead of always driving, so that a golf ball on the side of the road can make happy for a moment.

Prize machines

When I was a little kid

I LOVED THESE MACHINES

and the promise that maybe I'd get lucky

and win some incredible prize.

Like kids playing the lottery.

The prize was never worth it,

but the potential was.

(by the way, these machines are now 75¢ instead of just 25¢

I guess inflation has even affected dreams...)

Cubicle Guardian

This little guy stands on a book shelf behind my desk chair; I guess you could say he's got my back. Besides serving as unofficial cubicle guardian, he also serves as a reliver of stress; my little multi-tasker.

Flares & cones in front of theaters

I went to a show tonight in midtown.

They had flares set up right beside orange safety cones.

I thought something must have happened.

But I'm told that's a "new thing"

A way to clear the area in front of the theater

And I noticed cabs utilized that space to drop off patrons

Strange

And frightening.

Things That Squeak

I can hear high pitched noises that other people can't. I don't like being in a group of people because their cell phones - in their pockets, purses, and backpacks - are screaming at me. And it's not just cell phones. At best it is annoying, at worst I become borderline psychotic. I've had security guards follow me out of buildings. I've acted irrationally to more salespeople than I'd like to admit.

I've learned to avoid and adjust.

But I also hear colors. Intense, saturated colors make a sound. They screech a horrible high-pitched squeak. Well, they do to me, anyway.

Most people would love this:

A front yard completely covered in bougainvillea

I love it too. Really, I do. I just can't look at it.

Car Wash

An insider's view of the drive-thru car wash. Weird, spooky fun.

                                                                       

A feather and its meaning

Walking to the store this evening,

I came upon this feather.

One of my friends believes a feather is an omen of "good things to come."

Another, whose mother has passed away, sees it as a sign that her mother loves her.

I like those ideas a lot more than

"This feather probably fell off of a diseased bird."

Balloon Trash

I came home very late last night, tired and more than a little frustrated from my life drawing class.  Opening the lid of the kitchen trash can, up popped this greeting.  Balloon animals. Gotta love 'em. Wherever you happen to find them.

Thirty Years Together

Looking through some old photos I started to see some similarities over the years. I guess I do lean on him more than I realized (in pictures and in real life). But . . . why do I always stand to his left?

Sweet Farewell

Cupcakes that were made for the farewell party of a co-worker. I was impressed by the details that captured her love of books (she is a librarian) and dragonflies. I was touched by the time and effort it took to make these special treats.

Tree mushrooms

Tree mushrooms remind me of giant clams.

I don't know why, but they fascinate me.

Tug of War

The mystery of the sock holes is solved......

Spring is coming! Spring is coming!

It's true! Spring is really just around the corner!

How do I know?

Just look at this store's window display!

Nothing says SPRING like headless male mannequins

with alabaster skin

dressed in tight black t-shirts

tiny black shorts

and heavy black combat boots.

Ah...

The look of spring in NYC.

On Your Way Out



"Please read every label before you leave"

The inside of our front door looks like this.

If, on any random day, you asked me what our front door looks like, I wouldn't describe anything like this. Not because I wouldn't want you to know that the inside of our door is covered, top to bottom, with misspelled nonsense. No, it would be simply because I hardly see these crazy labels anymore.

But whenever I do happen to stop and notice, they make me happy. My favorite label: i'm every thing

Appliance speak

I don't cook in our microwave but I do use it to reheat left overs and mostly to make popcorn. Last night, for the first time, I noticed that the microwave gave me a send off upon finishing the popcorn; I was so taken aback and thought I imagined it that I had to make another bag to verify I wasn't imagining it and there it was telling me to enjoy my movie night popcorn;  kinda creepy, kinda cool.

Canine Fashionista

We were out walking today and came upon this dog

A TRUE fashionista

Her sunglasses were also goggles.

I wondered if she was sporting the goggles because she needed eye protection

of if she was just wearing them to be cool.

And then it dawned on me:

WHO CARES! IT'S A DOG WEARING PINK GOGGLE SUNGLASSES!

So cool.

Dear Photograph

Dear Photograph,
You may be twice as tall, twice as old, but still you are thoughtful and sweet.

Love,
Mom

Picnic Area

I've lived on the same street for over 45 years and I pass this post several times a day without any notice but as I was walking past it the other day, I remembered how when I was younger my mom would pack me a "picnic" lunch and I was allowed to walk to this post, down the street but still in sight of our house, along with my next door neighbor friend and we would sit there and picnic and enjoy the view and think we were so independent and cool.

O'Keefe & Merritt

"O'Keefe & Merritt"

We've lived in this house for more than 26 years. About a month ago I noticed this sign in my kitchen under the stove top. It was like I had never, ever seen it before.

"O'Keefe & Merritt"

Had I really never seen it before? That made no sense, but it sure felt that way. I wasn't even sure what it was for, what it was doing there. Then I remembered the stove top that we replaced long ago.