Unanswered Questions

The baby has nothing to do with the post - I just like the photo!

Why isn't the number 11 pronounced onety-one?

If 4 out of 5 people SUFFER from diarrhea...does that mean that one out of five enjoys it?


Why do croutons come in airtight packages? Aren't they just stale bread to begin with?

If people from Poland are called Poles, then why aren't people from Holland called Holes?

If a pig loses its voice, is it disgruntled?

Why is a person who plays the piano called a pianist, but a person who drives a racecar is not called a racist?

If it's true that we are here to help others, then what exactly are the others here for?

If lawyers are disbarred and clergymen defrocked, then doesn't it follow that electricians can be delighted, musicians denoted, cowboys deranged, models deposed, tree surgeons debarked, and dry cleaners depressed?

If Fed Ex and UPS were to merge, would they call it Fed UP? ?


Do Lipton Tea employees take 'coffee breaks?'

What hair color do they put on the driver's licenses of bald men?


I thought about how mothers feed their babies with tiny little spoons and forks, so I wondered what do Chinese mothers use. Toothpicks?

Why do they put pictures of criminals up in the Post Office? What are we supposed to do, write to them? Why don't they just put their pictures on the postage stamps so the mailmen can look for them while they deliver the mail?

Is it true that you never really learn to swear until you learn to drive?

If a cow laughed, would milk come out of her nose?

Whatever happened to Preparations A through G?


As income tax time approaches, did you ever notice: When you put the two words 'The' and 'IRS' together, it spells 'THEIRS'?

And This Little Piggy....

I think we have all seen animals who would mother orphaned babies of other species, but this is one of the cutest and oddest I've seen. This mother dachshund took in the baby pig as if he were one of hers. Isn't that sweet?!

These photos came from a good email buddy, but he didn't say where he got them.

I was surprised to see how much fuzzy hair was on that piggy. My mom used to tell me stories of life on the farm when she was a girl, and she always had a favorite baby pig and lamb in each season. She told me she had to give it up because it hurt too badly when the animals were slaughtered. I don't think I could handle that either.

*********

Thanks to all who offered opinions and advice about painting the kitchen. I have decided to patch the holes and apply primer to the walls first, and then paint some more choices to look at for a while, in all shades of daylight and at night. I am in no hurry, since it took me about 10 years to decide to remove the wallpaper - I guess I can handle a few more weeks!

Riddle Me This, Batman!

Same wall, same camera, same settings, same ambient lighting, same everything - except the photos were taken about 30 seconds apart, at 7 pm. One was taken up close and one was zoomed. Why do they look so different in color???

The bottom photo is more near to the actual colors. These walls were never painted before. When I put up the wallpaper 25 years ago, I stripped off the old paper and I painted the walls with a quick release stuff so that the paper would come off easily when I wanted to remove it. The wall board has darkened over the years and maybe the quick release stuff darkened them too. I know that after I have patched all the nail holes (and if you remember seeing my kitchen, you know there were many of them) and sanded, the walls will look a lot better, even without paint! LOL

The area I painted on the wall this morning (right side) is a Benjamin Moore sample called Dill Pickle. I like it, but I am afraid it will be too dark in the late afternoons and at night. The kitchen faces north, and so it is bright and sunny in the mornings, but not so much later on in the day. The lighting isn't really sufficient in there, and I want to remedy that soon. Of course, once the ceiling is painted white again, it will be better.

The two paint squares on the left are Behr paint from Home Depot. I have thought I was partial to either of the colors on the bottom, especially the one on the right. It has just the right amount of yellow for me, but I know it will look darker on the walls. I think I will buy a quart of that and paint a larger patch and see what happens. What do you think?

I Guess You Can Tell......

...that I don't have many ideas for blog posts this week.....LOL I can, however, do what the sign says above. I have another new coffee pot - believe it or not. This time, it's a Bunn. I have a feeling this one will last a while. It makes a full pot of coffee in 3 minutes! Considering how many pots I make a day, that's a real plus for me! This is my first pot in a long time that doesn't have a clock or a timer. I wonder how long it will take me to stop looking at the coffee pot to see what time it is? LOL

Many of my emails are similar to the one above, and I don't mind at all. They make me smile.

I think I'll send the one above to my oldest grandson. He's about to turn 14 and his mother says that he is sullen, grouchy, distant and dismissive. I said......"Ah, yes, I remember it well!"

I feel a bit like Herman's partner up there, since I have re-gained all the weight I lost when mr. kenju was in the hospital. I haven't gotten dismayed enough to go on a diet, though.....LOL

Would YOU put your nose in my fuzzy slippers? I didn't think so.

***********

Language is the apparel in which your thoughts parade in public. Never clothe them in vulgar and shoddy attire.

George W. Crane

Something for everyone?

My kitchen, after wallpaper removal. I've been at it for 3 days, and I'm almost done. Next I have to choose the paint color, and since decisions are not my strong suit nowadays, wish me luck! I'm thinking celery green, or light sage.


My neighbor's roses, last summer. I thought you might need something to look forward to this summer!


A glasswing butterfly. I got this one in email. I've never seen a butterfly like that before.

One more old gas station. I wonder why they built it in the shape of a teapot? It is bedecked with Christmas lights, too.....LOL.

These last two are for Rosemary. I understand she loves violets. I found this one yesterday in my flower bed - or what passes for a flower bed around here. It is pitiful at the moment, but I hope to rectify that come spring.

More Odds and Ends + Caption This!

No comment!







That would probably happen to me......LOL

I didn't know pigs could swim!

Do you have a hard time remembering all your passwords? I keep mine in a notebook, otherwise I'd get nowhere fast!

Caption this, please. What do you think the parrot is saying to the Yorkie?

Odds and Ends

A crate of seashells. Click to embiggen (I hope).

Talk about your specialty wood carvers! I stole this from somewhere. Hope they don't mind.

This ever happen to you?

Moo Shu Pork

The kenju's in the 80's. Taken in Richmond, VA

Are two heads better than one?
I don't know if this is real or not, but if it's real, it points out some of what's wrong with our environment. Poor little guy(s).

How stupid!! Sort of funny anyway.

We had a great lunch with the "Cornflake King" and his wife; a creamed and pureed vegetable soup named "Garden Gold", home-made chicken salad on rosemary olive oil bread, a fruit plate consisting of juicy cantaloupe, blackberries and green seedless grapes and for dessert we had lemon cake and banana bread with coffee. The problem was I ate the whole time I was preparing it and then ate a full lunch too. We sat around and talked for 4 (count 'em) 4 hours and by then it was almost time to leave for dinner with our neighbors.

I got Nina's Restaurant's eggplant dish name wrong yesterday; it was eggplant saltiletto (not saltimbocca). It is made with mozzarella cheese and prosciutto ham, and it is to die for! I also had Caesar salad, but I am sorry that I didn't have calimari. My friend did, and I ate 3 pieces of hers. It was excellent, and now I know what I will order when we go back there. Is it any wonder that I can't lose weight? LOL

Some of you left comments about us having a friendship with the guy who was mr. kenju's hospital roommate when they were in therapy. It is true that most hospital roommates wouldn't merit a second thought, let alone visits and lunches. But this guy is different. He is a wonderful man and we like his wife as well. They were perfect foils for each other and I do credit this guy with helping mr. kenju recover quickly from his stroke - just as he credits mr. kenju with helping him recover from his heart attack. As hospital roomies go, neither of them could have been more lucky, and we are grateful for that.

Quotes of Note

I feel like Edna today, after making vegetable soup and chicken salad for tomorrow's luncheon with mr. kenju's former hospital roommate. Do you remember reading about the Cornflake King? He and his wife are coming for lunch tomorrow, and it is the first time we have seen them since the middle of December. It is long overdue. We always enjoy their company.

Tomorrow evening we will go with our neighbors to a great local Northern Italian place here - Nina's - and I will probably have eggplant saltimbocca, with which they do an excellent job. I can't wait. Of course, we are both supposed to be watching our weight, and I, for one, am watching mine climb. I have to get serious soon, since my 50th class reunion is in August, and I'd like to look about the same as I did in 2003......LOL......if not better.

Chancy asked about C*stco for hearing aids. My appointment is next week, and I'll let you know what happens. The main thing I'm concerned about is being able to afford the best units for my type of hearing loss and not making a mistake. My dad had trouble finding a hearing aid he could wear easily and he had to buy several before he found what he needed. I'd like to make the best choice first!

Quotes

A belief which leaves no place for doubt is not a belief; it is a superstition.

Jose Bergamin, author (1895-1983)

&&&&&&&

The reason a dog has so many friends is that he wags his tail instead of his tongue. -Anonymous

There is no psychiatrist in the world like a puppy licking your face.-Ben Williams

A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than he loves himself.-Josh Billings

The average dog is a nicer person than the average person.-Andy Rooney

Anybody who doesn't know what soap tastes like never washed a dog.-Franklin P. Jones

If your dog is fat, you aren't getting enough exercise -Unknown

Women and cats will do as they please, and men and dogs should relax and get used to the idea.-Robert A. Heinlein

If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous, he will not bite you; that is the principal difference between a dog and a man.-Mark Twain

Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole.-Roger Caras

If you think dogs can't count, try putting three dog biscuits in your pocket and then give him only two of them. -Phil Pastoret

I'm not really sure I caught mine yet.....LOL.

Today was appointment day (away from the house) and errand day and chasing rabbits day. I started at the doctor's office, then tried to get my ears/hearing examined but can you imagine needing an appointment for that at C*stco? I'll have to call and go in later in the week, I guess. I'm in search of a new coffee pot, since my old one takes 15 minutes or more to drip a pot, even though I have cleaned it with white vinegar just as the directions say to do. Mr. kenju has asked for a pot that will deliver a cup into his hands much more quickly than that. Our friends have a B*nn that can have 10-12 cups ready in 4-5 minutes. That's what I want, but so far, I can't locate a store around here that carries them. The way I drink coffee, I should probably get a commercial unit! I suppose I should let my fingers do the walking, especially since gas is hovering at $3+ per gallon.

After stopping at my old favorite Bojangles (tsk....tsk) for a quickie lunch in the car (which gave me indigestion), I went to Big Lots. It's always fun to comb their aisles and see what treasures can be had for a fraction of the usual cost. I found a package of 275 sheets of multi-colored tissue paper for $5! YAY! Later I saw almost the same package at C*stco for over $7. Added to my bargains were four 160 sheet boxes of Sc*ttie's tissues for $1 per box, and toothbrushes for $1.50 that sell for over $2 elsewhere.

I went to the P.O. to mail my daughter's bathing suits to her, since she is going to FL next week on a company R&R. She claims that she forgot to take them with her because I put them in her closet last time she was here. Imagine that! I guess everything ought to be left out on the bed or floor so that she can see it and it won't be left behind. (Pooh!) She takes after mr. kenju in that respect; not that he leaves stuff in the floor, but on top of the bureau and his desk, etc. If he puts it in a drawer, he says he forgets it is there. Pooh, again.

A final stop at the pharmacy for another prescription refill (something I seem to do on an almost weekly basis since mr. kenju's stroke) and I am finally home. There's dinner to make and laundry to do and I have to get ready for an appointment with a bride here tomorrow. Maybe I'll finally catch my tail around 10pm. Want to place bets?

THANKS to all the nice people who sent suggestions for how to get this into my sidebar. As you can see, I was successful! Thanks to Mar, Rauf, Dave and all!
(links are in the comments below)

Dance, Eye Shadow and a Birthday

The reason for this photo will become clear in the third paragraph.

I watched the finale of "Dance Wars" last night; what a waste of two hours that was. Filled with flashbacks from the first 4-5 episodes, plus interviews with Carrie Ann and Bruno which proved to be embarrassingly repetitive (and boring). To top it off, the wrong team won, IMO.

During the show, they announced the new contestants on the next series of "Dancing With the Stars", and my reaction to the list was "ho-hum". The only 2 worth mentioning are Marlee Matlin and Kristi Yamaguchi. Kristi, married to a Hurricanes Hockey player, lives near us and has been seen shopping at stores around here. Mr. kenju saw her at a local restaurant recently, but I've never had the pleasure. She was a favorite of mine in the skating world and I am sure to root for her in the dance show as well. At least she will look good in the outfits. Also in the show is Priscilla Presley, age 62. Can she keep up with the younger ones? Kenny was heard to wonder if she will object to wearing skimpy costumes.....LOL. We will see.

This question came to me during the show....."Who in the world thought it was a good idea to put blue eye shadow on Kenny Mayne?" He looked surreal! And another thing....."Why does Lisa Rinna think her lips need to be the size of a grouper (see photo above) before she stops adding collagen?"

Note to Blogger: You would do us all a big favor if you would enable click and drag for photos, so they could be placed exactly where we want them to be in the post!!

*********

Exactly 42 years ago today I gave birth to our first child; our son, our joy, who made us burst with pride and pleasure. I remember it as if it were today - a cold, rainy night....a quick trip to the hospital (mr. kenju ran red lights and drove faster than he should have). I cannot believe it has been 42 years, and I wouldn't take a trillion dollars for him. Happy Birthday, Sonny Boy!

The (great) Pretenders

Meme ~ Me ~ Meme ~ Me ~ Meme

Bobbie tagged me with a meme!

We start by giving you the rules we're playing by, so here goes:

Link to the person who tagged you.
1. Post the rules on your blog.
2. Share six non-important things/habits/quirks about yourself.
3. Tag six random people at the end of your post, by linking to their blogs.

4. Let each random person know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their website.

5. Let your tagger know when your entry is up.

Since I have done this meme before, but I can't find it in the archives, I'll take a stab at it again:

1. I cannot abide stickers on book covers or magazines, nor inserts in magazines. They go right in the trash!

2. I cannot help collecting "things", but I am trying to control the tendency and also trying to get to a point where I can let go of some of the collections.

3. Mr. kenju says I am a know-it-all. My mom said it too, so maybe it is true.....LOL. I don't suffer fools easily, I do know THAT!

4. I enjoy driving my car, and I have enjoyed it since I learned to drive at 16. I didn't get my license until I was 17, however, since I couldn't master stick shift. I waited until my dad bought an automatic transmission before I took the exam.

5. I enjoy meeting new people, but I find it hard to introduce myself and I usually wait until someone speaks to me first.

6. I wish I had followed my first love and become an architect.

There you are, Bobbie. Nothing terribly interesting there. Since I did this before, I won't tag anyone now, but if you feel like doing this one - have at it - and let me know when it is up.

Can You Take a Few More Boxes?

Mr. kenju's corner on the bar area in our den. A wooden tobacco box, which I suspect was fabricated sometime in the last 25 years for sale at an antique show, and thus not really an antique. That didn't bother me, so I bought it anyway, and it holds some tobacco and matches (as well as the books stacked on top).

This is not specifically a box, but since it is an enclosed, wooden container, I think it qualifies. My mom picked this up somewhere; probably a re-sale shop or antique show.

This is an old dresser box. It used to be a part of a dresser; the boxes were beside the mirror and used to hold small items. I bought 2 of them at a junk shop, painted and antiqued them and decoupaged the design on top. It sits on my desk in the kitchen and holds junk of no consequence.....LOL

An old shipping/packing box. I keep it under the table between our TV chairs to hold magazines and crossword puzzle books.

Now.....would you believe this is not all the boxes I have? There are at least 3 more I haven't shown you, plus all the cardboard and plastic ones I have in the garage. So at this point, I probably classify as a real oddball, right?

Yet More Boxes!

Another set of mr. kenju's tobacco tins.

Box o' flowers! (silks, of course)

A flower-covered hexagon box; sometimes used to hold playing cards and small toys for my grandchildren. It is empty now, and I stood it up in the bookshelves in the den just to brighten up that area.

A tobacco humidor with a hand-made, inlaid wood horse head. I really admire the craft of inlaid wood, and I bought this at a silent auction fund-raiser ball for a children's advocacy group here in our area.

**********

I have been really lazy today. After working nearly 38 hours in 4 days, I was worn out, plus I have picked up either an intestinal flu bug or food poisoning. It could be the quality (or lack thereof) of the foods I ate all week: Monday lunch was a chicken parmesan pita wrap, and while it was tasty, it was full of fat. The accompanying zucchini strips; breaded and deep-fried, were wonderful, but sinfully rich. Tuesday: a grilled chicken sandwich from Mickey D's - only because it was near the flower shop. Wednesday: the flower shop provided chicken tenders from Chick Fil A, along with a veggie tray of celery, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, tomatoes and cukes. I ate plenty of everything. Wednesday evening, they ordered pizza, which I ought never to eat, but did, with relish. Thursday, it was (someone's) homemade chili at the shop, of which I only ate a small bowl - thank Heaven for that. Either that did the dirty trick or it was a combination of everything else that did it. I also drank 3 diet cokes with caffeine; something which I seldom do and that may have added to the trauma.....LOL

It seems to be under control now, and I have had plenty of liquids today to offset the losses. Tomorrow brings a hot stone massage, to which I am treating myself for working so hard this week. I think I deserve it!

*********

I had already posted, but I forgot something I wanted to tell you. Yesterday at the flower shop, I was told to make an arrangement of 12 sunflowers. I searched for the perfect container, and found a golden glass pitcher. So I did the arrangement, with the sunflowers, yellow solidago as filler and some yellow acacia spilling out over the rim of the vase. I told my co-workers that they should title that one..."You Are the Sunshine of My Life". I didn't think it would sell, since most men want (or think their women do) red roses and babies breath (gag). But about 6pm on Valentine's Day, a man chose it to take home to his wife. I approached him and asked if he'd like to know what I called it. Of course, he had to say yes, if only to be polite. I told him, and he got a big smile on his face and said "That's perfect and I know my wife will love it. " Don't you know it made all those hard hours on my feet worth every minute?!

An Art Project Plus Quotes of Note

Anna posted one of her daughter's art projects and it reminded me of one I did in high school (1957). Mine is much simpler than Sadie's, but I like it - even though it is faded and has old scotch tape stickum on it. I had it framed a few years ago.

********

The door of a bigoted mind opens outwards so that the only result of the pressure of facts upon it is to close it more snugly.

Ogden Nash, author(1902-1971)

^^^^^^^^^

“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”

Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968), American civil rights leader

<<<<<<<<<

One must be drenched in words, literally soaked in them, to have the right ones form themselves into the proper patterns at the right moment.

Hart Crane, poet (1899-1932)

*********

Evil is like a shadow - it has no real substance of its own, it is simply a lack of light. You cannot cause a shadow to disappear by trying to fight it, stamp on it, by railing against it, or any other form of emotional or physical resistance. In order to cause a shadow to disappear, you must shine light on it.

Shakti Gawain, teacher and author (b. 1948)