My Weekend in Pictures

Okay, so not the whole weekend, just a glimpse. We went to KC on Friday. It poured most of the day, so we didn't get to do what we intended. Soooo, what's two girls to do? Shop.

Thursday night we went out to Aunt Karen's to see her flowers. The rain has really taken a toll on her flowers. They were not quite the same as last year. She showed us a nest of bunnies beside her home. The nest was practically in the middle of the yard. This one tried to escape. Isn't he handsome?

One of her many, many roses. I thought this one was exceptionally pretty.

I planted 5 containers of tomatoes. Hubby picked them out and so far we are doing well. He planted some smaller than cherry tomatoes. I can't remember the name, but this is the first ripe one. He picked it 2 days after I took this picture. He's gonna have quite a few. Notice the surpise petunias that popped up to the left. I must of had those in that pot last year. I sure don't remember them!

We usually like to go to St. Louis to watch the Cardinals and attend Fair St. Louis over the fourth. This year hubby didn't really want to go since the Cards were out of town. This I did not understand. Why on earth would they schedule the Cards to be out of town during this time. It kinda defunct our tradition.

So this year, he grille me and mom steaks. The we hung around with little to do because of the rain. We waited just long enough before they started the big firework show south of town. We pulled up to see the last 10 minutes. I got a couple of pics. The last one is my favorite. It makes me feel like I'm floating in space. The 4th of July always makes me a little sentimental. It was my dad's favorite holiday. We used to celebrate really, really big when I was growing up.

While I was at Aunt Karen's on Thursday I found a 4 leaf clover in her yard and I gave it to her. Tonight hubby and I were outside and found these. Actually he spotted at least one of them a couple of weeks ago. We hoped they'd get bigger but they hadn't. He suggested we pick them before we lost them.

I added them to my cookbook collection. You'll have to check my number on my sidebar to see what my new total count says.

Hopefully I'll be a better blogger this week and have something to blog about. I see things on the horizon, just not immediately. Don't give up on me. I'm still here and I'm still visiting all my favorite places.

Have a great week everyone!!

Happy 4th of July!!

"It behooves you, therefore, to think and act for yourself and your people. The great principles of right and wrong are legible to every reader; to pursue them requires not the aid of many counselors. The whole art of government consists in the art of being honest. Only aim to do your duty, and mankind will give you credit where you fail." Thomas Jefferson, preparing the Declaration of Independence.

"All men are created equal and have the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." Thomas Jefferson, In the Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776

Imaginary Friend

When I was a little girl I had an imaginary friend. What I would give to be able to see to him again.

And I Thought...

I went to the beach on Sunday planning to start a new book. The weather was amazing and my eyes loved to people watch. Something I guess I do, but not like I did on Sunday. While I was letting my mind wander, I thought of Blase' and his lists. So I jotted down some of my thoughts as I lounged in the sand listening to a whiney kid scream uncontrollably for entirely too long.

1. Why do people bring babies to the beach?

2. Diet limeade leaves an awful after taste.

3. Beautiful bodies should not have ink.

4. Less than beautiful bodies should not have ink.

5. I wish I could find a job that enhances my creative side.

6. Cancer is a bitch.

7. She's being stood up, I wonder if she knows.

8. That volleyball is gonna hit me in the head I just know it.

9. That new Camaro is sweet.

10. Will they let Farrah's son out of jail for her funeral? I bet if he was a child molester he'd have been out on bond by now.

11. I should really start this book, I bought it 2 months ago.

12. If I could just move to the beach on my terms.

13. I love hearing my husband chuckle.

14. I wish I had learned to play the violin and the piano.

15. Maybe I should try writing that book, I'd probably never finish it like everything else I start.

16. I remember when John Wayne died, my grandpa said, "All of the good people are gone now."

17. Why is it that people who can show skin don't and people who shouldn't do?

18. Mowing the grass would be a great surprise for my husband, then again, he'd never vacuum to surprise me.

19. Two wrongs don't make a right.

20. Definitely gotta pee.

Happy 4th Anniversary!

Today we celebrate our 4th Anniversary. We are not doing anything special. Hubby is preparing for a golf tournament tomorrow by practicing today. And I am practicing doing laundry. However, I may grab a book I've been wanting to read and head to the lake for a little sun and relaxation.



Hubby was up early contemplating whether or not to golf. Then he gave me a play by play as to what we were doing 4 years ago today at 9am. No doubt in my mind we were standing in line at the courthouse in Las Vegas to get our marriage license. Then we perused through several chapels to find the right one. We chose Wee Kirk 0' the Heather. Supposedly the oldest one in Vegas. It was the only chapel that wasn't too cheesy on the inside. The resolution of the pictures aren't the best, but you get the idea.

Photo Hunt - Flag

Sandi at Whistlestop Cafe always hosts Photo Hunt Saturday. Today's theme is flag. Nothing is more striking than Old Glory. I have a mini or two of Old Glory in my two containers out front.
However...

I had to post Hubby's flag I keep in my Casablanca lily garden. Mom gave him this last year for dog sitting Lacey Littlefeet while we scooted away for a long weekend.

Happy Saturday everyone!!

A Sidekick, A Siren, and A Singer

Let alone regular people like us, plus celebrities have been keeping the Pearly Gates busy this week.

The Side Kick

The Siren

The Singer

This week has been quite the week for celebrity deaths. I've read so much and heard so much in the past 24 hours that I wasn't going to bite. Just so you know, I've changed my mind.

Now, I didn't keep up on Ed McMahon much. After hearing rumors about bankrupty and financial failure my heart went out to him. Whenever I hear his name I automatically think of him as Carson's sidekick. Oh, and not to forget, the guy who ends up in everyone's mailbox for a chance to win a million. Right now I am visualizing Johnnie Carson and Ed reuniting and catching up. Wouldn't you love to be sitting at that table?

Farrah, one of Charlie's Angels. A childhood friend would jump at the chance to be "Jill" when we played Charlie's Angels. I succumbed to being a Kate or Jaclyn Smith (cannot remember screen names), but I loved those girls too, plus I'm a brunette so it was all good. Burning Bed was the first real acting gig I can recall Farrah performing aside from Charlie's Angels. The movie made me think about abuse situations and made me realize, at quite a young age, this woman could act. Really act. Just something about her, natural, poised, and classy. We seemed to forget her age, as she aged. She was so very much like that beautiful sexy poster every young man had in his room during the 70s. Kudos to Ryan O'Neal for following through on his promise to take care of her and being with her during this difficult time. As Jaclyn Smith reported this morning, Farrah is with the real Angels now.

On to Michael. Michael has had quite the life hasn't he? No one said he's perfect. Although he came close. Then he fell. Unfortunately for many that's the Michael they will remember. I choose not to. I choose to remember how great his music was while I was growing up. Thriller was his number one album, but I loved him before that. Remember the Jackson 5 and all those shows they performed on television? His album Off the Wall rocked my world until I received Thriller for Christmas from my parents.

In the early 1980s, MJ set the tone for music of the future. My favorite memory of him was performing on the Motown 25th Anniversary Special. He sang Billie Jean. He moonwalked. He moonwalked for the first time bringing tons of people to their feet. My dad was laying on the floor while we watched it on TV. I couldn't help but yell, "HOW DID HE DO THAT?" Dad chuckled, "I have NO idea." A moment I will never, ever forget. MJ was so exciting to watch. His dance moves were electrifying. Young people copied his moves for years to come. There is no denying it!

My neighbor told me last night, his daughter, Brooke, loves MJ. In fact last week they were watching some of his videos on YouTube together. We both agreed no matter how freakish MJ had become, he had some of the best dance music ever. My neighbor said, "you know Lisa, MJ was the Elvis of our time." THAT, he was, I had to agree. This makes me think of a comment I saw this morning. A "friend" made the comment MJ was such a pervert and we should regard Jesus as our hero and not MJ. Maybe so. But I don't think she was thinking of Jesus when I saw her at a high school dance many years ago. As I recall she was shaking her booty and batting her eyelashes like the rest of us. Maybe it's not important to her now. Maybe she doesn't cherish those memories like I do. Maybe she sees the greater good in everyone except perverts. My guess is, there is a pervert sharing her pew at church on Sunday. He/she's smiling like everyone else. And, they may be dancing naked to Thriller in the privacy of their own home. The last I knew, Jesus loves everyone, no matter the circumstances. (Just a side note, I know pervs are pervs. But let me tell ya folks, pervs are EVERYWHERE!! They are NOT just celebrities!!)

I wish MJ could have ended on a note like he did on Motown's 25th Anniversary Show. He deserved that. Personal choices and greed appeared to drown him in years to come. As fans, we judged him and wanted him to be as wonderful as he was once. Human nature watches people fail and we make it very difficult to allow people to prove their way back. Maybe he was on his way. Maybe things didn't really happen like we saw in the media. Maybe money really is the root of all evil.

MJ's concert in London already sold out. That speaks volumes.

May you rest in peace MJ!

Coconut

Have you had the pleasure? Shear heaven I tell ya!! I LOVE coconut, just about everyone in my immediate family circle LOVES coconut. Mom spied these at a store recently. The owner of the store really bought them for his staff but set them out to sell too. The worker told us to get them at Sam's. So mom did! Coconut and dark chocolate ROCK!!! It's only a limited edition, so be careful, be very very careful....

Guilt and Vegetables

I have been dealing with guilt this evening. Fully intending (remember how I hate the word "INTEND"? It tends to get people in trouble.) to make my walk in the dreaded heat tonight while listening to my favorite tunes, a weird little storm blew up out of no where. My goal was to be at the dam by 8:15pm and be done by 9pm. I just figured a little later, maybe a little cooler, maybe a little more peaceful. I was looking forward to it. Thank goodness I didn't go any sooner. The sky turned black and a huge gust of wind whipped by my window. The heat had been almost unbearable as the air just wasn't moving. The weather reminds me of last year when the rain pelted all summer. I feel like I'm in the movie Groundhog Day or something. It's as if this is a continuation from last year. I wake up everyday and it rains. It's like a nightmare. Once I begin my walks across the dam in the summer, I feel guilty if I miss an evening.

So, since I'm missing my walk I'll tell you about a little recipe I found in a Mexican Recipe Book this weekend. I wish I had pictures but I don't. Didn't even think about taking any as I wasn't sure it would be as wonderful as it actually turned out. Mom told me tonight she really liked those vegetables I fixed the other night. Ironically I finished off the veggies today at lunch thinking they almost taste better today than the other evening. It made me crave more. I've been thinking about them since our conversation.

Anyhoo, I took a half a head of cauliflower, a stalk of broccoli, and 2 large carrots. I cut apart the cauliflower and broccoli and sliced the carrots into large thin pieces. Then I steamed them to make them perfect. In a saucepan I melted 2 tablespoons of butter, then added 1 small clove of garlic (chopped as tiny as I could get it) and a BIG squeeze of lime. Boiled these ingredients for less than a minute. Poured it over the veggies and YUUUUMMMMEEEE!! Next time I'm going to add zucchini or yellow squash. This was the first time I used fresh garlic. Now let me tell you I love garlic, but this was the bomb!!! The bomb I tell ya. It gave a wonderful flavor along with the fresh lime juice. If you like these kinds of things, trust me, you'll love this!!

Oh the Heat!

I started to watch John and Kate Plus 8 tonight. Why? I hate that show. Guess it's like a good car wreck, I just wanted to see. Then I got mad at myself for helping give this family good ratings so I went for a walk instead. Walking across the dam is about one mile from a particular point A to particular point B. The heat was radiating, the lake was beautiful and the music was hot. I think I could've made a couple of more trips. This one walk reminded me of why I absolutely love summer.

Once I got into my car to head home, I took the long route just to listen to the radio. I find myself taking the longer routes lately since I have XM Radio for free (temporarily). Sincerely, I wish I could buy one for the house. It's need like a new hole the head.

After I got home I got to see the ending to John and Kate. Maybe I'm relishing in the fact that's what people get for making money off their children, but that's really not fair. Those kids didn't get to choose their parents. But dear Lord, please help Kate not be so ignorant. I have a feeling she'll be in the December issue of Playboy. Oh, the heat...

Our A/C quit working yesterday. The fixitman said there's a leak. An unlikely leak since the unit is so new. He didn't have time to work on it today, but thawed it out and recharged it. Not sure how this will be tomorrow. It better get fixed. I can stand the heat if I want, but if I don't want, oh, watch out...