Flora

Something pretty to look at; a rose, a peony and a gardenia.

See the haze up ahead?  That is smoke from the forest fires that are burning in eastern North Carolina. As we returned to Raleigh from Myrtle Beach, SC last week, this is what we saw for many miles of the trip.

Odds & Ends

Stolen from a friend.

The bat I took out of the pool skimmer last week. Mr. kenju wanted to know what happened to his radar?  lol

Weddings on June 25th, 2011

This photo is supposed to be at the bottom!! The cake topper was too heavy for the cake, and so it had to be placed on the corner of the base tier. Had the bride told her baker that she had a heavy topper, the baker would have placed dowels in the cake to hold the weight. I think it is a really cute topper, though.

At Highgrove in Fuquay Varina, NC

The bride's mom provided these pretty lanterns.

Check out this fancy cloth on the Sweetheart Table! The empty vase will receive the bridal bouquet after the ceremony.

At Brier Creek Country Club in Raleigh. 

Click to enlarge all photos. I didn't do any of this work; Mel did it all.

Snakes Ahead (Fair Warning!!)

I have no idea what kind of snake this is. I have never seen a black one with these greyish-white markings. Since his head is triangular, I assume he is poisonous. He was very aggressive, and slithered toward my van with no apprehension at all. I zoomed the last shot and then cropped it some (so you could see the detail) but he was only 3 feet from my car door when I snapped this - and moving rapidly. As soon as I took the second shot, I raised my window as fast as I could. It will be fine if I never see him or his ilk again!!

On the way to work Friday morning, I saw  something in the road that I thought was a brown snake. As I got closer, I could see that it was a small tree branch. I drove on another block and saw something else on the road in the distance; thinking it must be a branch too. But as I got closer to it, it began to move in a sinuous manner.......a long black snake with white markings and a triangular-shaped head (which usually signifies a poison snake). 

I stopped the car and grabbed my camera, and the snake obligingly stopped and posed for me, but as I snapped that photo, he began to move again, getting very close to my car. I pondered closing the window - thinking he might be able to spring up toward me, but since he wasn't coiled, I chanced another shot - after zooming the lens as much as I could. He's an ugly sight - trust me. I'd show you, but I left my camera at work (I hope that's where it is). Photos to come over the weekend. Have a good one.

Signs

There is a plumber here in this area whose truck reads:

"Head Pottyologist"

R.I.P.  Born 1997, Died 6-17-11 

Her ear infection spread, and it was too enmeshed in her body to be cured. The poor baby lost 2-3 pounds in about 3 weeks and began to stagger and wobble, due to the middle ear infection.  I am so sad to have lost her, especially so soon after her sister died from a kidney problem.

 

 

 

Quiet

I suppose you have noticed that it's been quiet around here lately. I've been at a loss for words (which happens almost never - as some of you know.) Work and play have commanded my attention and both of those make me happy. 

Myrtle Beach was alive and well, and hot as Hades (which I like). The temperatures hovered in the high 90's, but the light breezes and warm water tempered that, and made it not only bearable, but wonderful. The pool water was perfect for me (82* or above) and even the ocean was warm enough for me to go in. That is unusual for June. I don't want to go in the ocean until August most of the time. The Marriott Grande Dunes never disappoints, and this time was no exception. I think that place is the best resort in this section of the Atlantic coastline, including most places on Hilton Head. Their breakfast buffet is among the best (and most extensive) I've seen, and it resembles those we saw in Europe, as they cater to a foreign clientele as well as Americans.

The three days we spent there were made even better by a short visit with a friend from high school, who lives nearby. We were not fast friends back then, but we have become more acquainted at each reunion, and I wish I had known her better when we were in school. Thanks for the drink, Pat!

Now that our vacation is almost over, life, work and family intervenes and playtime is over. The wedding season is in high gear; providing me with all kinds of opportunities to work. The flower shop I worked in last weekend had five weddings plus a large photo shoot for a magazine. It was hectic around there, but also exciting. I only had time to take a few photos, but I'll post them soon. How has your week been?

If Only.....

you could sit on my deck with me and catch the heavenly aroma wafting on the breeze of my gardenia bush that is chock full of blooms!! I took this photo two days ago, and there are about 10-15 more blooms on it this morning. Is there anything so pristine as a new gardenia bloom?

Would it Break Your Face if You Smiled?

A creature of habit, I am, and freely admit it.

I once ate a bowl of Life cereal (sometimes two) every day for ten years before I stopped. Nowadays, I am in the habit of eating in the same drive-through restaurant at least 3-4 times a week. The clerk who takes my money  (I think she must work 24/7 - she is always there) smiled at me once, I believe. The people who hand my food out the window never smile, including the owner/manager of the place. I think I might know why. I order from the "special value" menu, for two reasons. One:  I am cheap, and this meal only costs $3.23. Two: it is just the right amount of food for me;  if I order from the regular menu I am too full (I can't leave a crumb behind, can I?)

Do you think if I ordered from the regular menu I'd get a smile? I may try that one day soon (I'll leave off the fries.)

I ate at another branch of the same restaurant this week and the woman who gave me my food smiled bigger than I've ever seen anyone do it and gave me a resounding "Thank you!"  She made me want to go back there again, even though it is much further from my house than the other place. I almost parked the car and went inside to tell her manager, but I didn't. I should have, and I may do it yet.

Do you have an easy reply for people who show you no smiles? 

Well, I might not have much to say, but.....

this woman does, and it will make you laugh your socks off!!

Go here to read an extremely funny post!!

Nothing New

Ever get to the point where you have nothing to say?  I'm there.  (Never thought that would happen.)

Be back soon.

The following questions were in last year's GED examination.  These are genuine answers (from 16 year olds. We are in serious trouble!!) Q. Name the four seasons A. Salt, pepper, mustard and ketchup. Q. Explain one of the processes by which water can be made safe to drink A. Flirtation makes water safe to drink because it removes large pollutants  like grit, sand, dead sheep and canoeists Q. How is dew formed? A. The sun shines down on the leaves and makes them perspire. Q. What causes the tides in the oceans? A. The tides are a fight between the earth and the moon. All water tends to flow towards the moon, because there is no water on the moon, and nature abhors a vacuum. I forget where the sun joins the fight. Q. What guarantees may a mortgage company insist on? A. If you are buying a house they will insist that you are well endowed. Q. In a democratic society, how important are elections? A. Very important. Sex can only happen when a male gets an election. Q. What are steroids? A. Things for keeping carpets still on the stairs.              Q. What happens to your body as you age A. When you get old, so do your bowels and you get intercontinental. Q. What happens to a boy when he reaches puberty? A. He says goodbye to his boyhood and looks forward to his adultery .        Q. Name a major disease associated with cancer.  A. Premature death. Q. How are the main 20 parts of the body categorised (e.g. The abdomen)

Pun Alert. This is a pun alert. If you ignore this alert, too bad.

 USEFUL TABLE FOR CONVERTING UNITS

 1. Ratio of an igloo's circumference to its diameter = Eskimo Pi

2. 2000 pounds of Chinese soup = Won ton

 3. 1 millionth of a mouthwash = 1 microscope

 4. Time between slipping on peel & smacking pavement = 1 bananosecond

 5. Weight an evangelist carries with God = 1 billigram

 6. Time it takes to sail 220 yards at 1 nautical mile per hour =  
 Knotfurlong

 7. 16.5 feet in the Twilight Zone = 1 Rod Serling

 8. Half of a large intestine = 1 semicolon

 9. 1,000,000 aches = 1 megahurtz

 10. Basic unit of laryngitis = 1 hoarsepower

 11. Shortest distance between two jokes = A straight line

12. 453.6 graham crackers = 1 pound cake

 13. 1 million-million microphones = 1 megaphone

14. 2 million bicycles = 2 megacycles

 15. 365.25 days = 1 unicycle

 16. 2000 mockingbirds = 2 kilomockingbirds

 17. 52 cards = 1 decacards

 18. 1 kilogram of falling figs = 1 FigNewton

> 19. 1000 milliliters of wet socks = 1 literhosen

 20. 1 millionth of a fish = 1 microfiche

 21. 1 trillion pins = 1 terrapin

 22. 10 rations = 1 decoration

 23. 100 rations = 1 C-ration

 24. 2 monograms = 1 diagram

 25. 4 nickels = 2 paradigms

 26. 2.4 statute miles of intravenous surgical tubing at Yale  
 University
 Hospital = 1 IV League

June 11, 2011

A calla boutonniere (gorgeous color).

Mel's Centerpieces

A "Circus" rose

Mel made this one and the one below.

More Odds & Ends

A third trip to the veterinarian yesterday revealed that Eclipse has pseudomonas bacteria in her ear. So now we have yet another expensive medication to be placed into her ear once each day. At least this med doesn't have to be refrigerated. Can you imagine how much a cat might hate ear drops that, in addition to being scary and annoying, are also frigidly cold?! The previous medication was not doing the trick against pseudomonas, obviously, and the two antibacterial shots she was given only served to pause the infection, not cure it. 

When I asked how my cat could have possibly caught that infection since she has not been around any other animals and doesn't go outside, he said that bacterium lives everywhere on any surface, so it would be impossible to determine. I'm thinking that she might have had it on her foot and scratched her head near her ear. The poor baby has really shown the signs of an ear infection in the last few days; whenever she jumped down off my lap, she staggered. She was so nonplussed by it that she stood still afterward, as if in a daze.

The vet was nice enough to remove the evidence of the drainage (matted hair) and clean out her ear as much as possible. I was amazed at how docilely she sat there for him. I guess she was too scared to move - because for me - she would have scratched, kicked, howled and managed to jump off the table.We are hoping that this last medication will cure the problem in short order!

Odds and Ends

 A license plate I saw recently:        WSHUWRME

My answer:    not really.....lol

*****

In our area of NC, we are at twelve straight days  (maybe more) with temperatures above 90*. "This is August weather, Mother Nature, and we don't appreciate being this hot this early in the year, especially when we haven't had rain in at least 10 days. "

*****

I'm working this weekend, so I might not get around to see all of you. 

Question:  Do you trust your computer if it tells you that you have a virus? I clicked on a favorite web-site (Jeff Kay's) a few minutes ago and got a page that said I had five viruses and  that I should click something on that page in order to get rid of them. I have read that sometimes tracking sites will mimic computer security in order to get you to click on something that doesn't remove anything - but ads a virus to your hard-drive. How can you tell when they are legitimate?   (This one purported to be Windows Defender)

Neighborhood Doings

Last night we had our bi-monthly book club meeting. The book we read and discussed was "Raney" by Clyde Edgerton, which some found hilarious and others merely curiously written. Edgerton has written several other books as well, and if you are not familiar with his work, I suggest you give him a try. His books are perfect for summer reading; which is not to say they are lightweight, but the subject matter is not too serious (at least on the surface.) This book, his first, led to his being relieved of his teaching job at a nearby university. I read that a subsequent book was written which is about that very school. I have not read that one - but you can bet I will get to it soon!

It is quite an interesting education to get a mixture of opinions on the book during the discussion, as you discover some aspect of it that you didn't catch while reading - or a thought that another had that is perhaps opposite your opinion. We have now read five books and I hope we continue forever; it is entirely different to read and then discuss with others than it is to read alone without discussion.I heartily recommend it!

Today, four of us took lunch to my next-door neighbor, who is facing surgery on Friday. We had mushroom quiche, marinated carrots, tossed salad and fruit salad, with ice-cream-topped brownies for dessert. We stayed for three hours altogether, enjoying the company and conversation. I am indeed fortunate to have such nice neighbors. Our next get-together is a pot-luck dinner at one home, for which we will each cook a recipe from the June issue of Southern Living Magazine. It all sounds delicious (as I am a recipient of the RSVP's, I know what everyone is bringing.) My contribution will be shrimp salad served on leaves of endive. I ought to make a test recipe of it before the date of that event, but I have waited too late and don't have time now. Here's hoping it turns out well!

Did You Know?

Seeing eye dogs are trained to stop at all intersections, regardless of traffic lights. The dog is unaware of the lights and is focused only on finding the curb or other obstacles that might be in his master's path. If the handler gives a "forward" command and the dog sees or hears a car coming at them, the dig disobeys the "forward" command. The dog focuses only on the cars, not on traffic lights.

During the time of peter the Great, any Russian who wore a beard was required to pay a special tax. 


One of the most dangerous insects in the world is the common housefly. They carry and transmit more diseases than any other animal in the world.

 'Goodbye" came from "God bye" which came from God be with you."

Baby whales grow at a rate of ten pounds per hour.

In the movie Babe, the piglet was played by over 30 different piglets because they outgrew the part so quickly during production.

A person who is lost in the woods and starving can obtain nourishment by hewing on his shoes. Apparently, leather has enough nutritional value to sustain  life for a short time.  (Bring good BBQ sauce if you plan on eating your shoes, and watch where you step.)

Recent Weddings

While all the arranging was going on, I was making 44 boutonnieres, 23 corsages (20 of them wristlets), 1 halo (head piece) and 1 kissing ball!  Three weddings are a lot of work.

I made the pew markers and bows.

Chester was caught drinking out of the pitcher, and from the position of his ears I can see that he was not happy about being interrupted. He's saying  "Yep, I drank out of it - what of it?"

   CONFUCIUS did NOT say...

   Man, who wants pretty nurse, must be patient.

   Passionate kiss, like spider web, leads to undoing of fly.

   Lady who goes camping must beware of evil intent.

   Squirrel who runs up woman's leg will not find nuts.

   Man who leaps off cliff jumps to conclusion.

   Man who runs in front of car gets tired; man who runs behind car gets exhausted.

   Man who eats many prunes get good run for money.

   War does not determine who is right, it determines who is left.

   Man who fight with wife all day get no piece at night.

   It takes many nails to build a crib, but one screw to fill it.

   Man who drives like hell is bound to get there.

   Man who stands on toilet is high on pot.

   Man who live in glass house should change clothes in basement.

Worst Analogies Ever!!

(From the Washington Post contest, in which high 

 school teachers sent in the worst analogies they'd encountered in 

grading their students' papers over the years.)

 1.  Her eyes were like two brown circles with big black dots in the 

 center.

 2.  He was as tall as a 6' 3" tree.

 3.  Her face was a perfect oval, like a circle that had its two 

 sides gently compressed by a Thigh Master.

4.  From the attic came an unearthly howl. The whole scene had an 

 eerie, surreal quality, like when you're on vacation in another city 

 and Jeopardy comes on at 7:00 p.m. instead of 7:30.

 5.  John and Mary had never met. They were like two hummingbirds who 

 had also never met.

 6.  She had a deep, throaty, genuine laugh, like that sound a dog 

 makes just before it throws up.

 7.  The ballerina rose gracefully en pointe and extended one slender 

 leg behind her, like a dog at a fire hydrant.

 8.  He was as lame as a duck. Not the metaphorical lame duck, 

 either, but a real duck that was actually lame. Maybe from stepping 

 on a land mine or something.

 9.  Her vocabulary was as bad as, like, whatever.

 10. She grew on him like she was a colony of E. coli and he was room

 temperature Canadian beef.

 11. The revelation that his marriage of 30 years had disintegrated 

 because of his wife's infidelity came as a rude shock, like a 

surcharge at a formerly surcharge-free ATM.

 12. The lamp just sat there, like an inanimate object.

 13. McBride fell 12 stories, hitting the pavement like a Hefty bag 

 filled with vegetable soup.

 14. His thoughts tumbled in his head, making and breaking alliances 

 like underpants in a dryer without Cling Free.

 15. He spoke with the wisdom that can only come from experience, 

 like a guy who went blind because he looked at a solar eclipse 

 without one of those boxes with a pinhole in it and now goes around 

 the country speaking at high schools about the dangers of looking at 

 a solar eclipse without one of those boxes with a pinhole in it.>

 16. Long separated by cruel fate, the star-crossed lovers raced 

 across the grassy field toward each other like two freight trains, 

 one having left Cleveland at 6:36 p.m. traveling at 55 mph, the 

 other from Topeka at 4:19 p.m. at a speed of 35 mph.

 17. Shots rang out, as shots are wont to do.

 18. The little boat gently drifted across the pond exactly the way a 

 bowling ball wouldn't.

 19. Her hair glistened in the rain like a nose hair after a sneeze.

 20. The hailstones leaped from the pavement, just like maggots when 

 you fry them in hot grease.

 21. They lived in a typical suburban neighborhood with picket fences 

 that resembled Nancy Kerrigan's teeth.

 22. He fell for her like his heart was a mob informant and she was 

 the East River.

 23. Even in his last years, Grandpappy had a mind like a steel trap, 

 only one that had been left out so long it had rusted shut.

 24. He felt like he was being hunted down like a dog, in a place 

 that hunts dogs, I suppose.

 25. She was as easy as the TV Guide crossword.

26. She walked into my office like a centipede with 98 missing legs.

 27. The plan was simple, like my brother-in-law Phil.  But unlike 

 Phil, this plan just might work.

 28. The young fighter had a hungry look, the kind you get from not 

 eating for a while.

 29. "Oh, Jason, take me!" she panted, her breasts heaving like a 

 college freshman on $1-a-beer night.

 30. It hurt the way your tongue hurts after you accidentally staple 

 it to the wall.

 31.  It was an American tradition, like fathers chasing kids around 

 with power tools.

32.  He was deeply in love. When she spoke, he thought he heard 

 bells, as if she were a garbage truck backing up.

 33.  The politician was gone but unnoticed, like the period after 

 the Dr. on a Dr Pepper can.

 34.  Her eyes were like limpid pools, only they had forgotten to put 

 in any pH cleanser

 35.  Her date was pleasant enough, but she knew that if her life was 

 a movie this guy would be buried in the credits as something like 

 "Second Tall Man."

 36.  The thunder was ominous-sounding, much like the sound of a thin 

 sheet of metal being shaken backstage during the storm scene in a 

 play.

 37.  The red brick wall was the color of a brick-red Crayola crayon.

 38.  She caught your eye like one of those pointy hook latches that 

 used to dangle from screen doors and would fly up whenever you 

 banged the door open again.

 39.  Her pants fit her like a glove, well, maybe more like a mitten, 

 actually.

 40.  Fishing is like waiting for something that does not happen very 

 often.

 41.  They were as good friends as the people on "Friends."

 42.  Oooo, he smells bad, she thought, as bad as Calvin Klein's 

 Obsession would smell if it were called Enema and was made from 

spoiled Spamburgers instead of natural floral fragrances.

 43.  The knife was as sharp as the tone used by Rep. Sheila Jackson 

 Lee (D-Tex.) in her first several points of parliamentary procedure 

 made to Rep. Henry Hyde (R-Ill.) in the House Judiciary Committee 

 hearings on the impeachment of President William Jefferson Clinton.

 44.  He was as bald as one of the Three Stooges, either Curly or 

 Larry, you know, the one who goes "woo woo woo."

 45.  The sardines were packed as tight as the coach section of a 747

 46.  Her eyes were shining like two marbles that someone dropped in 

 mucus and then held up to catch the light.

 47.  The baseball player stepped out of the box and spit like a 

 fountain statue of a Greek god that scratches itself a lot and spits 

 brown, rusty tobacco water and refuses to sign autographs for all 

 the little Greek kids unless they pay him lots of drachmas.

 48.  I felt a nameless dread. Well, there probably is a long German 

 name for it, like Geschpooklichkeit or something, but I don't speak 

 German. Anyway, it's a dread that nobody knows the name for, like 

 those little square plastic gizmos that close your bread bags. I 

 don't know the name for those either.

 49.  She was as unhappy as when someone puts your cake out in the 

 rain, and all the sweet green icing flows down and then you lose the 

 recipe, and on top of that you can't sing worth a damn.

 50. Her artistic sense was exquisitely refined, like someone who can

 tell butter from I Can't Believe It's Not Butter.

 51. It came down the stairs looking very much like something no one 

 had ever seen before.

 52. Bob was as perplexed as a hacker who means to access 

 T:flw.quid55328.com\aaakk/ch@ung but gets T:\flw.quidaaakk/ch@ung by 

 mistake.

 53. You know how in "Rocky" he prepares for the fight by punching 

 sides of raw beef?  Well, yesterday it was as cold as that meat 

 locker he was in.

 54. The dandelion swayed in the gentle breeze like an oscillating 

 electric fan set on medium.

55. Her lips were red and full, like tubes of blood drawn by an 

 inattentive phlebotomist.

 56. The sunset displayed rich, spectacular hues like a .jpeg file at 

 10 percent cyan, 10 percent magenta, 60 percent yellow and 10 

 percent black.