Summer Reading

The public library's summer reading program has ended, and I got some prizes! Yay (yes, I am an eight-year-old!).

When I was a kid, I LOVED the library's summer reading program. My mom will tell you that I never won because I was reading "chapter books" rather than picture books, so I didn't read 57 like some of the other kids, but it didn't matter because it was FUN!

To this day I still keep a notebook and write down everything I read, month by month. It's nice to look back over the year and see what all you've read.

Tallulah-Palooza Friday

 Dog in car.

Dog in car. Fly in car. Dog in car looking at fly in car.

This short poem has been brought to you by Tallulah Mae and an anonymous insect.

Happy and Sad

Happy Birthday to my sweet mommy who I love so very much.

Vivi Sue, have a big old piece of cake with lots of frosting roses on top, and wash it all down with a margarita! We're celebrating with you in spirit.

And a farewell and rest in peace to my wonderful father-in-law, who passed away two days ago at the age of 90. He was a gentle, dignified, erudite man who loved his family fiercely in his own quiet way and thoroughly enjoyed life. I am so happy to have known him.

He also enjoyed a good toast, both the "Cheers" sort and the bread sort. So "Cheers," Scotty...you will be missed by so many.

What the Heck?! Updated

...is wrong with Blogger? It won't let me upload any photos, boo!

I will attempt to do so tomorrow (today?). Sorry!

Update: Apparently it is a Chrome problem, so blergh. Here is a random photo, just because!

Sweet Weed

Weedy sweetness! (Not my yard...this is someone who still has a lawn here in drought-stricken California.)

Why Not?

Why NOT have iced coffee and a Reese's peanut butter cup for an afternoon snack? Why not, I ask you? So I did! And it was yum.

Tallulah-Palooza Friday

This girl...I have no words. At the vet the other day, someone who was not acquainted with Miss Mae took a picture of her "wonderful old lady face." It IS a wonderful face!

Um....

...I sat down to have coffee the other morning--at 6:30, early for me--and I was startled to see a zebra in the front yard.

I was relieved to see that it was painted on the side of a U-Haul truck parked across the street.

Beefy

A bull on wheels. He looks quite serious, and well he might: he is in the parking lot of a store/deli that sells many beef products. Roll away, Mr. Bull, roll away!

A Perfectly Lovely Saturday

B. and I went to the Mingei Museum to see a fantastic outsider art exhibition, "Self-Taught Genius: Treasures from the American Folk Art Museum." Works in every genre, from incredible needlework to drawings made with saliva and spit, to carved carousel animals and much much more. The last two photos above are from another exhibition of carved walking sticks, completely amazing!!!

Then we had a beer at Benchmark Brewing Company (not pictured, but yum).

 A delicious banh mi at Saigon Sandwiches and Deli.

 (These brooms were at the market next door.)

 Topped off by some salted caramel frozen yogurt.

A nap (not pictured) then ensued. Lovely, perfect, perfectly lovely!

Random Heart

Shaving cream (or soap) on the bathroom faucet...this has since been cleaned, lest anyone wonder!

Tallulah-Palooza Friday

Tallulah would like a refill, please.

Pressing

So in love with old-fashioned metal type and letterpress printing. Such a connection to the past--hello Herr Gutenberg!

Caterpillar Rescue Squad

Anyone who reads my blog--thank you, all dozen of you!--knows I have been obsessed with monarch butterflies and their caterpillars. Remember this?

I checked on my milkweed plant yesterday afternoon and discovered that it was COMPLETELY denuded--not one leaf there (see it in the middle up there?). At first I thought, oh no, has it died from lack of water? And then I saw the big fatty up there, clinging on to a bare stalk. Hmm, I thought--that's still weird, that one caterpillar would strip a plant in two days. And then: caterpillar on the wall. Caterpillar on the bag of soil. Caterpillar walking down the walkway. Smashed (boo!) caterpillar on the sidewalk (one of our workmen must have accidentally trod on it). In all, seven hungry hungry caterpillars. Ack!

I got in my car and SPED over to the local nursery to buy 2 more plants. I raced back and relocated all of them--from the wall, from the sidewalk, etc.--onto the new plants. Happy to report that they are all still on there today, munching (and pooping!) away.

Doing my bit for the monarchs!

Travelogue Tuesday: Europe 2015: Florence, Capitolo Quattro: Street Things

 Please note: this pharmacy has been here since 1561...um, yeah.

Because Florence is such a pedestrian city--cars are mostly banned from the historic center--there is much on display in windows, on corners...really, most everywhere you look. You could walk for days and still see something new every time you round a corner. It's magical.