1. Our main computer is now resting in peace, so we had to buy a new one. This means I had to download GIMP again, and I have to say this newer version is taking some getting used to.
2. Since we now have a new computer, I've vowed not to save lots of photos and video on it. I'll never have to 'Spring Clean' my computer so-to-speak since it'll always be free of clutter.
3. My brother visited us a couple weekends back, for the first time since his divorce. We were worried about how Abby would react at seeing her Daddy again.
To our relief, Abby did really well with his visit. She loved seeing him, but at the end of the day she still would go up to Mom to be cuddled. Also, when Lance was leaving the next day Abby thought for an instant that she was to go with him. It was clear to everyone that she did NOT want to leave with him to get in the car. Lol! We took that as another good sign.
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4. Since Netflix is intent on torturing me by not adding Season 2 of Downton Abbey to their Instant Watch Playlist, I've become obsessed with the 1970's tv series Upstairs Downstairs. Ever seen it?
I've watched a few episodes from Season 1, all of Season 2 and now I'm watching Season 3.
5. I'm afraid I've spoiled Abby. She can't ever entertain herself. I feel like I'm the mother of a toddler.
6. I only had close to $7 left on my B&N gift card, so I bought this cute Jane Austen address book complete with quotes.
Each person must post 11 things about themselves.
Answer the questions the tagger has set for you.
Create 11 questions for the people you have tagged to answer.
Choose 11 people and link them in your post.
Go to their page and tell them.
No tag backs.
11 things about me:
1. I feel very out of place in this century, and quite possibly even the planet.
2. When a kid, I had a speech impediment so I had to take Speech therapy all through elementary. In my family, only my older sister could really understand me.
3. I'm afraid of hummingbird moths. To me they are really freaky things. They give me the heebie-jeevies.
4. The older I'm getting, the more superstitious I'm becoming.
5. I had a small hand at closing down a pet store that was neglecting their animals.
6. When I was young, I insisted that my name was "Tina." (Tina was my sister's best friend, and I guess saying her name was easier than my own).
7. Last week my mother discovered that we're related to Princess Diana by blood. (Albeit thin blood). Her 9th great-grandfather is ours too. I'm pretty sure it's the ancestor pictured below, Sir Arthur Denny. I'll have to ask my mother to make certain. She and my uncle are the genealogists in the family.
8. When I was 7 years old I saw a ghost spirit. He was fixing the covers at the end of the bed, and when he looked up and saw that I could see him his eyes glowed a bright white light. Scared me to death! (Confused me, too, as he looked so strange to me. Years later was when I discovered that his 'girly' hair - pageboy - and fancy clothes were of the Renaissance era). I have a blog all about him.
9. My mother, niece and nephew are the loves of my life!
10. My dream home would be something like this:
11. I've written a few books but have only tried getting one of them published. I'm obsessive about editing. I have a love/hate relationship with the written word.
My Answers:
Since it's too hot for Disney World, perhaps Tennessee? I've always wished to see the Smoky Mountains.
Oh, wow. This is weird. I just typed about Tennessee, and downstairs Mom just started talking about Tennessee.
My nightly cup of cappuccino!
I re-watched "Thor" on Netflix a few weeks ago.
Most definitely Scotland or Ireland.
The retired series, Northern Exposure! No tv series will ever top NX. Truly, I mean this from the heart. It was such an entertaining show with great characters and storylines.
And I still blubber like a baby when watching that last scene!
I'm not really into them.
I had to take Spanish for 2 years in HS, and then a semester in college. Years later I wanted to learn some Italian-o, so I purposely did my best to forget all that Spanish since I was confusing the two.
The result? I now know no foreign languages.
I haven't read a book that was interesting per say, but I've seen a lot of documentaries which are.
Funny pet videos, Disney World and music.
I'm in the minority here, because I'm really not into the oldies. My favorite 'oldies' are the 80's.
Alas, no. It does look beautiful though.
My Questions for you:
(Some of these I asked when tagged several months back. What can I say? I'm into recycling pretty much everything).
1. If you could have lunch with anyone, deceased or living, who would it be?
2. If your life were made into a movie, what would be the title?
3. Supposing a fairy godmother just Poof-ed herself into your living room one day, what ONE wish would you ask for yourself?
4. If your pet could talk, it would say _____________ ?
5. Have you ever crossed paths with a person you think has the makings of a great character for a book or movie? Describe them.
6. Do you keep a journal of any kind?
7. Is it important to you to keep a record of your family's history? (Not just the usual information - DOB, etc - but your relatives personalities... interesting experiences they've had... and so forth).
8. If you had one super power, what would it be?
9. Have you ever been to Disney World or Disneyland? (Come on, I HAD to ask that ).
10. What talent do you wish you possessed?
11. What is your dream job?
~♥~♥~♥~♥~♥~♥~♥~♥~♥~
My 11 Blog Picks:
Erhm... the blogs I've thought of choosing are award free, so any volunteers?
"Last night, I dreamt I went to Manderley again. It seemed to me I stood by the iron gate leading to the drive, and for a while I could not enter for the way was barred to me. Then, like all dreamers, I was possessed of a sudden with supernatural powers and passed like a spirit through the barrier before me. The drive wound away in front of me, twisting and turning as it had always done. But as I advanced, I was aware that a change had come upon it. Nature had come into her own again, and little by little had encroached upon the drive with long tenacious fingers, on and on while the poor thread that had once been our drive. And finally, there was Manderley - Manderley - secretive and silent. Time could not mar the perfect symmetry of those walls. Moonlight can play odd tricks upon the fancy, and suddenly it seemed to me that light came from the windows. And then a cloud came upon the moon and hovered an instant like a dark hand before a face. The illusion went with it. I looked upon a desolate shell, with no whisper of a past about its staring walls. We can never go back to Manderley again. That much is certain."
~ "Rebecca" by Daphne du Maurier
~♥~♥~♥~♥~♥~♥~♥~♥~♥~
Oh no. The passage above means I've added to my endlessly growing book collection.
I certainly wasn't feeling very festive this 4th of July, and it was one SCORCHER of a day I tell ya! (And not b/c of a heat wave. These temps are the norm around here). Still, we headed over to the antique mall for a "Spectacular" sale which turned out to be a dud. I only bought two books, and those I originally put back on the shelf. ("Rebecca" I've read before, but never owned a copy, and the anthology I bought only because it included Diana Gabaldon). I do wish I had bought this one other book, but at the time I couldn't remember the author and it was getting really hot inside that mall since they have no air conditioning.
After that, we ate at Long John Silvers and then stopped by a few shops in Old Town Spring. Most of our favorite shops were closed for the holiday, and it was VERY hot so we headed back home.
This neighborhood has been popping fireworks for days before the 4th, and even last night they were still at it. I didn't bother watching them, but before bed I finally managed to make myself try out our new HD video camera. (My brother gave it to us recently). Unfortunately, I didn't get to film a thing. The camera was never in focus.
The good thing about the fireworks was that the dogs were used to it. Maddie no longer fears them, Abby quickly accepted them, and Izzy just fussed at them from time to time.
Just a few photos I snapped the other day. The camera kept fogging up, due to the humidity that was a killer that day, so they aren't that great.
And here's video of Wendy enjoying the outdoors a few weeks ago:
And that terrible hail storm with really high winds that almost got us, but didn't do much here thank goodness:
I used our new HD video camera, but for some reason it's uploading the videos very choppy. It shouldn't be doing that, but... I haven't even read the online users guide yet. This is a very high quality camera, so I'm sure I'm doing something wrong and my brother will clue me in on it.
By the way, I almost forgot to mention that our baby bluebirds have flown the nest! On the morning of the 4th of July, we discovered that they were gone.
We now have yet another new baby cardinal though. It's just now learning how to fly, so we're having to really watch the dogs when it's in our backyard. They've been really good about leaving it alone when we tell them to.
Here are some videos I found of the 4th of July at Disney World!
Magic Kingdom
Nice Rainshower!
Hollywood Studios
EPCOT
Donald, Goofy, Mickey, Chip and Dale
Lovin' the Grand Finale! I've never seen the fireworks at EPCOT in person before, but they do go all out on their finales for the 4th and NYE.
I FINALLY decided to do something with my other blog.
I know... like I need ANOTHER one which hardly anyone will look at. (Which is fine by me. Less pressure ). That doesn't matter much though, since I really am just doing it for myself. I have it listed in the sidebar now, but you can also just click on the link below.
The background wallpaper that I wanted to use soooo baaad wasn't available as a 2- column, so what's up there right now is my second choice. I also keep going back and forth on the headers that I made, but... whatever. I really am just going to post interesting articles that I find about the paranormal, spirituality, archaeology, astronomy, physics, personal experiences, etc.
And FYI, the name of that blog was inspired by a Hallmark movie called "The Love Letter." (Not to be confused with the other movie with the same title). It was a little hokey in parts, but I've always loved it. It's based on the short story by Jack Finney.
After my aunt and her family returned home from vacation earlier than planned, they then decided to drive down to Mackinac Island. Here's one of her photos:
I've always wanted to visit Mackinac, ever since I saw "Somewhere in Time." My sister and her family went about a year ago; either in the summer or spring. They loved it, but said it was freezing.
Well, I guess I'll get back to cleaning the house now. (Poor Abby wants so badly to play outside, but no way! It's 98 degrees out there and I'm worried about mosquitoes). My brother is spending the night this weekend. I really hope Abby will be okay after he goes back home on Sunday.
He and my parents are going to the new dinosaur exhibit at the museum. I'm just not really sure that I want to go. If I did, it'd be to buy some pretty crystals/stones at the gift shop and to see one section of their new dinosaur display. It's fossilized dinosaur skin that you can touch! It was found in someone's backyard in North Dakota.
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In the last video, look at the skin at around 1:33 mark. AMAZING!
Hahaha! I've been seeing this little poster everywhere.
I couldn't find the original source, so I just added "Owl" to one of them. It sounds like something he'd say.
The sweet furkid pictured above is my aunt's dog, Katie, and she had quite the little scare this past week.
So my aunt and her family were at Disney World this week, and after they said their sad farewell's to Mickey and Company, they drove down to their last vacation stop at the beach in Tampa. When they arrived, they whetted their appetites with some yummy seafood, and before my aunt even had time to stick one toe into Florida's waters.... she got a distressing call.
Katie-lass had run away. The pet sitter couldn't find the poor dog anywhere.
Frantic, and with the whole family in tears, they immediately changed their flight home. Finding Katie was more important than enjoying their last day of vacation.
So they fly home early, petrified of what might be happening to their little girl. When they get home, they find her! They didn't find her on the streets, but instead in one of the bedrooms.
Insert a chorus ofand huge sighs of relief.
I don't know the details, but for whatever reason I guess the pet sitter never thought of looking under the beds. She had been inside that room, and Katie must have followed her in without her knowing it. When she shut the door, she had no clue little Katie was in there.
So for close to 2 days that poor dog was locked inside that bedroom with no food or water. When my aunt and her family got home, and was so shocked when they found her, that dog was sure happy to see them... and vice versa, naturally.
Another happy ending!
I never did tell this story. I simply HAVE to share it because it's so incredibly bizarre.
A few weeks ago, when my Mom was in New Braunfels with my sister and niece, they stopped in Gruene for some ice cream. While they sat on a bench outside, with ice cream running down their arms before they even reached said-bench, my sister got a call from her hubby. She was told that Luke (their son/my nephew) kept getting these rude calls on his cell phone from a guitar center. They told him he had a guitar there that simply had to be paid for and picked up. They told him it'd been sitting there for repairs for 20 years!
20 years, they said. My nephew told them that they're terribly mistaken. He's only 17 years old, and he's never even been to their shop. Still, they insisted he come. They asked if his name was Luke _____, did he live at _______ address, and wasn't ______ his phone number?
Um.... yes. All that is correct, but again... he's only 17 years old so how on earth could he have visited that shop 20 years ago?! As far as we know, time travel is science fiction so erhm... stop calling!
Well, they would not let it drop. They told him he had no choice but to come into the store, pay for the guitar, and take it home. Tired of being harassed, either he or his Dad asked how much they were asking for this guitar which is NOT theirs. They answered that it was something like $31 dollars.
They go to this shop, and once my nephew sees this guitar that's been causing so much trouble, his mouth probably dropped down to his feet. My nephew has a rather large collection of guitars at home, but staring back at him is only THE guitar he's always wanted. It's an antique that's selling for $2,000 these days. It's from the 1980's, and with the guitar was a playlist of all the songs this band has played for all those years.
A $2,000 guitar... one he's always dreamed of owning.... and fate/what-have-you handed it to him for the meager price of just 3 ten dollar bills.
But wait, because there's more.
As my mother, back in New Braunfels with my sister and niece, was paying for their ice cream cones.... there, on a stool next to her and the cash register... is a guitar pick. Not just any guitar pic, but the ONLY brand of guitar pick that my nephew uses.
Strange, huh?
How can this be mere coincidence? What are the odds of everything coming into play like that? Actually, this seems more like synchronicity to me. They got all this correct: his first name, last name, address, cell phone number... and then it's for a guitar he's only been dreaming of owning his whole life. (And no one else knew about it, save his parents). And then, several miles away and right after my sister received the call about the guitar, my mother finds that guitar pick just sitting there on a stool right next to her.
Anyway, here are a couple videos I took of my nephew a couple years ago:
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We finally received rain this weekend, and the birds seemed to really enjoy it. They feasted like kings and queens.
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I think it's so cute how that one baby cardinal hops around with it's wings spread out, ready to fly at a moment's notice. Adorable!
In that last video, it looks like those birds are meditating. I think I envy them.
(Artwork by Angela Staehling)
Just a couple vids of Abby from a few weeks ago. The vids are short of course, since the camera batteries croaked on me again.
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Are my eyes deceiving me?
Are those HALLOWEEN decorations on sale already?
These pics I found on Thad's Facebook page. This is hands down my favorite store in Old Town Spring, and Halloween is my favorite holiday, but come on.... it's only July!
(Confused me, too, as he looked so strange to me. Years later was when I discovered that his 'girly' hair - pageboy - and fancy clothes were of the Renaissance era). I have a blog all about him.
).
