Sometimes I could swear that the guy who draws this cartoon is a fly on the wall of our house! The cardinal in yesterday's post was back for more this morning. I was in too big of a hurry to take another photo.

Mr. kenju had an early appointment with a new doc (whom we both loved) and then the car had to be seen about. Unfortunately, it was yet another bundle of moolah, as well as two lost hours. I told the owner of the repair shop that we simply had to stop meeting like this - my credit card can't take much more. I'm trying to find the silver lining in this, but it is hard.

Toons for Elders

'Toons on Saturday

I think the guy who writes this one spies on me and mr. kenju.

Did you ever have a boss like this? Luckily, I can say I never did.  

It's almost true (but not quite,) however, I will have human interaction tonight since my book club is meeting here later. See you tomorrow!

Did you ever know someone like this?

Or this?

Getting Through + Maxine

"In the case of good books, the point is not how many of them you can get through, but rather how many can get through to you."

Mortimer J. Adler, philosopher, educator and author (1902-2001)

There are book memes going around; the kind where people ask you to list the top 10/25/100 books that you've read. I can never do it. My problem is not the lack of reading good books - it is remembering the titles and authors of those books. I've learned over the years that  the books whose titles I remember are the ones that "got through to me" in some fashion. It is doubtful I can remember what I liked about it or how it got through to me - but no doubt it did.

It is the same for lists of movies and when asked, I can only name one:  Dr. Zhivago.

However, if I see your lists - I will be heard to say..."Oh, yes, I remember that one....or I loved it.... or hated it.....or wished it had ended differently." Why I can't remember them without prompting, I'll never know - but it makes me feel sort of dumb that I can't rattle them off easily. What about you?

Recently, I was asked to list the songs on my iPod. I have no iPod and I don't want one. The older I get, the more I prize silence. That doesn't mean that I don't listen to music - I do - especially in the car. I have tapes, CDs and old LPs. None of them gets heard as often as I might like, but definitely when I like - and not directly in my ears. Judging from the numbers of people I see with wires hanging out of their ears, I am in the minority!

                                                   *****

This Maxine cartoon is ME! Gray hair, in a Snuggie, with a bowl of popcorn. The only thing she needs is two black cats on her lap!

Amen!

Does this remind you of anyone?

Present company excepted, of course.
LOL!

Click to enlarge.

For Ladies of a Certain Age....

You know someone like this, I bet. They should be banned, don't you think?

Pre-Valentine's Day Humor (PG13)

When I was a teenager, I had the habit of cutting out quotes and jokes from books and magazines to add to photo albums of my friends. Had my mom known what I was doing, she would have stopped me when I cut her books apart, but she didn't know. I found a book called "Boners" - meaning jokes and funny sayings - and it had some lines that were perfect for what I was doing. I happily scanned the book, cutting out various jokes, words and lines to apply to my albums. Yesterday, I found that book on my shelves, as I was searching for my copy of "Catcher in the Rye" to re-read. I didn't find that, but I did find two other books by Salinger, which I will happily read again as soon as I finish my current novel.

At the moment I found "Boners" again, I could have slapped myself silly. It was illustrated by Dr. Seuss himself!! And of course, in my teenage silliness, I cut through several of his illustrations. This book, published in 1931, might have been worth something had I not mutilated it. At the very least, I would have enjoyed re-reading it, which is nearly impossible now. The subtitle is: " Being a Collection of Schoolboy Wisdom, or Knowledge as It Is Sometimes Written, Complied from Classrooms and Examination Papers by Alexander Abingdon, and Illustrated by Dr. Seuss." If you ever see anyone cutting into the pages of a hardback book again, slap them for me, please! Here are two pages that remain intact, no thanks to me. :-/

See edit below!!



















Thanks to Granny Annie for this site recommendation - further information on the book!

Could You Just Pretend.....

that this cartoon caption says Happy New Year instead of White Christmas?

Actually, for me it is the other way around. I drink red until it runs out and then I may try the white, but I doubt it.

I won't say that 2009 has been a banner year for us and in fact, I'll be very glad to see it go. One thing I can say, though, and it's that Blog and Facebook friends have kept me going when the going was rough. You bring me such laughter, compassion, energy and learning! I can't imagine what I did before you came along. I am frequently amazed at the strength of the bonds forged here and eternally grateful for them. I hope that the new year will bring you peace and contentment, and the knowledge that you are appreciated more than you know. Here's hoping that 2010 starts the best decade we've ever had!!

Observations

Click to enlarge.

I don't dare, that's for sure! I need to do everything in my power to slow the aging process and if eating chocolate can do it - I'm there!!

No comment.......lol

***

Having said I wouldn't be caught dead in a store today, I went shopping. I had to go to the pharmacy and the camera shop, where I got good news. Apparently, I had opened a menu in the camera and clicked the wrong setting, which set the camera to operate at 1.5 pixels instead of 4. No wonder my photos were dark and grainy for the last month. Pooh on me. I hope I can resist the urge to do that again, since I haven't a clue how to correct it.

After going to the P.O. and grabbing a bite to eat, the SRI shoe outlet called my name. Hush up. I heard it- I really did!! I had assumed there would be hordes of pushy people there today, but it wasn't bad at all. It only took me an hour to try on every last pair in the place that was my size. Naturally, the shoes I liked the best were not available in 8 1/2, but I found an acceptable pair of Clark's in brown. I need something in black too, but I didn't want to buy two pair of the same style. I left that outlet and made my way to DSW, which was quite a bit busier since they were having a sale. I left there empty-handed, in spite of trying on everything they had to offer too. I'll try again next week.

Shopping has lost its appeal for me. I used to spend hours and hours in the malls, sorting through racks and shelves for bargains and good deals. I won't step foot in a mall now unless it's unavoidable and most of the time I manage to stay away from them but for once or twice a year. I never thought I'd ever get to that point, but I have.

Click to enlarge. I feel round today. Do you?

We do our traditional family gathering on Christmas Eve, so that our children can be home with their children for Santa Claus and the bedlam that is Christmas morning in homes across the world. This year we went to our son and daughter-in-law's home, where there were sixteen of us for dinner. A ham with all the trimmings, desserts ranging from apple pie to pineapple upside-down cake and some chocolate cake from Brazil, the gift of a family friend. A satisfied smile covered all the faces after the repast, even the kids who usually can't be bothered to eat more than a bite of anything. Although those smiles may have been in evidence because they knew opening presents came next!

Kids really rack up at Christmas, don't they? Especially those who have more than 2 grandmothers, thanks to previous marriages. We had kids with new pajama pants (very big around our house) and make-up kits, which were immediately put into use. Our youngest granddaughter modeled her new eye-makeup, applied with unpracticed hands and coming out looking like a tart, but a very sweet one at that.

My camera has been acting up recently and I have no idea at this point whether the photos I took yesterday will turn out. I have yet to upload them to the computer, but I'll do that next. My camera will go into the shop next week and I really hope that what is wrong is an easy fix.

My wish for each of you is that you had a wonderful Christmas and piled up sweet memories to nourish you in your old age. We did!

Underground Seuss

I do, I do, I do like beer too !! - but I'm seldom slammed! LOL

I wonder if Horton liked his job? I am assuming he didn't hire the ho for himself, but someone else. A book I am currently reading , about Bobby and Jackie Kennedy, talks about Jack Kennedy's campaign in 1960. There was a man who worked for the JFK's campaign, whose sole purpose was to obtain female companionship *wink, wink* for Jack Kennedy, each and every night (and often more than one at a time). Now THERE'S a book I might enjoy reading. I bet that guy had many, many interesting stories to tell. It makes me wonder who he lined up for Jack when he was in my home town. I met Jack in 1960, but I can assure you I was not one of *the chosen*. I was going to say "chosen few", but apparently "few" was not a concept in Jack's mind - at least not where women were concerned!

Have you ever had the urge to do that? Next time, give that person a badge like I had on the post last Thursday . It's easier than cleaning your shoe.....LOL

Halloween + More Maxine

EDIT: If you get an email from me asking you to join a group called jhoos - don't open it. I got an email from them, opened it and now they are sending requests in my name to many others. It is a scam! Please don't open any email you get with that name.

Not sure how the fox figures into Halloween, but he's too cute to move - so I'm letting him share the table with my papier mache cat, a ceramic pumpkin, the pumpkin/tree stump candle holder, a frog (which you can't see) and our 44 year old Halloween card (sent to my son when he was a baby). Nothing fancy, but it sets the mood.

A man named Tom Clark started making gnomes many years ago. I first saw him at a Christmas show here in Raleigh in the 70's and bought a small statuette known as Patrick. Somewhere along the way, I acquired Wizard. His froggy sits in front and there's a mushroom on the back (you can see it peeking out on the right).

Witchipoo is papier mache also, and proudly rides her broom. I think she stole those red shoes from Dorothy!

Witch Hazel is another of Tom Clark's creations. I just love her face; she looks too pleasant to be a witch, doesn't she? Mr. kenju would probably say they can fool you!

Here's Wizard in his place, along with some pumpkins, gourds, pears and Indian corn. I suppose I should change those candles and put orange ones there.

And now for some more Maxine cartoons. We can't get enough of her, can we?