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COPYRIGHT INFORMATION
All pictures (and blogposts) are copyrighted and may not be reproduced/used in any manner without my PRIOR approval. Thank you for respecting my hard work.

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

ONLY ONE day left PEOPLE!!

If everything pre-publishes the way it is supposed to,
this blogpsot
will publish on August 31st, very early in the morning...
and
you
know
what
THAT
means?!!

You have until MIDNIGHT TONIGHT
to send me your gorgeous sunrise/sunset picture
to be entered into
the
FREE MONTHLY PHOTO CONTEST for August.

Any photo of a sunrise or sunset will do...

If I can do it,
YOU
can do it!!

Here are some of mine:


This is at dusk by Manistique, Michigan:







Sunrise at our dock on the lake:






Sunset over our little town:






Sunset at Madeira Beach, Florida:






Sunset over my little town and lake, taken from our boat on the lake:






Lady walking the beach at sunset at Madeira Beach, Florida:






Orange sunset over the Atlantic Ocean:






Sunset with Benefits (sunrays!):
There!

Now, get out those archived vacation pictures...
I bet you have a knockout sunrise
or sunset photo in there somewhere!
If not,
wait until the sun sets tonight!
Who knows?

Maybe it will be one of the prettiest sunsets
EVER!!

Send in your photos before midnight,
following
except I changed one rule...you CAN send me a photo you have already posted
on your blog (if you have a blog).

Monday, August 30, 2010

84 Things about ME


One of my favorite Bloggers, Cathy from "YOOPER YARNS   ",
did a fun blogpost
where she was challenged
to list
84 things about her
that we didn't know...


So, now, I am going to list MY
84 Things you may not know about me....
and
I challenge all of my readers to do the same.


I think it is a great way to learn more about each other.

So, here goes!:


1. I hate the taste of mint. This is problematic for toothpaste, so I usually get cinnamon flavored or orange-flavored toothpaste.

2. I love to have my feet rubbed.  Luckily, my husband massages me all the time when we watch TV. He rubs my feet, or neck or head when I am sitting next to him or on a pillow with my head on his lap. Am I lucky, or what?

3. I love to fish, especially along the shore of our lake in a boat. And, I am pretty good at it. I tease my kids that I am the "bass master". 

4. I hate any kind of nuts, including peanuts or peanut butter. People will make desserts and say there are no nuts in something or no peanut butter, and when I taste it, I can immediately tell and call them on it...then they admit they put "just a little" nuts in it.

5. I love the smell of newborn babies. I practically inhale them.

6. I used to be very shy as a child.

7. I am an Air Force brat. My dad was in the USAF for almost 30 years and we moved a lot. He didn't retire until I was a senior in high school. 

8. When I was a sophomore in high school, my dad got orders to go to Vietnam. We lived a year without him. Luckily, he came home in one piece.

9.  I am not a smoker and hate the smell of cigarette smoke intensely. I can smell it on anyone.

10. Worse than cigarette smoke is the smell of cigars.  If one is smoked near me, it immediately triggers a headache and nausea for  me.

11. I have two lovely daughters.  One is 35 and lives in Kenosha, Wisconsin and one is 32 and lives in Florida.

12. I have three grandchildren. Nathan in 8 years old, his sister Miranda is 3 and Nicholas is 4 months old.  I miss them terribly because we don't get to see them very often.

13. I get HUGE welts from any type of bug bites and itch for weeks after being bitten.

14. I have met Loretta Swit from MASH, have had dinner with her, have e-mailed back and forth and she gave me her personal cellphone number.

15. I recently realized I have been wearing too narrow of shoes, and should be wearing a wide width when I buy new shoes.

16. I used to be in choir when I was in school, but haven't been in another choir for years now.

17. I love the ocean.

18.  I have no pets at present, but I miss them.

19.  I didn't learn how to drive a stick shift car until I was married, and got in a fight with my hubby because he stopped in the middle of highway and wouldn't drive home, making me try the stick shift to get us home....that was the only way I learned because I refused to do it before then.

20. A week after I learned to drive a stick shift, we had a little two seater red Triumph convertable car and I was at a 4 way stop by myself in it. A policeman pulled up at one stop sign and waved me through. I got so nervous I accidentally popped the clutch and laid a HUGE, loud patch when pulling out of the intersection. He just laughed and shook his head. (Whew!)  

21. I love decorating houses and rooms of houses.  Especially organizing them.  My dream job would be to be paid to come in and clear everything out of a room and start fresh organizing and decorating it for someone.

22.  I had back surgery over 15 years ago. It helped for while, but I still have back pain now.

23.  My mom came to my home when she had inoperable cancer and we cared for her until she died a few months later.

24. My mom, my dad and my husband's mom and dad have all passed away, and I had the honor of holding each one of their hands as they passed away.

25. We once lived in haunted house where the entity made noises and moved furniture.

26. I met my husband on the 4th of July.
27. I am afraid of heights, but not flying in a big airplane.

28. I used to lift weights as exercise at a gym.

29.  I went back to college when my youngest child went into kindergarten and got a degree in nursing.

30. Right after high school, I went to college to become a teacher. There were no jobs in our area then, so I quit and got married and worked instead, not going back until my kids went to school.
31. I learned to drive in high school when I lived in Kansas, but didn't drive again until I got married.

32. I will never get a permanent in my hair again. Never. Too many bad perms experience.

33. I began to turn gray at around the age of 21. My brother's hair turned white by the time he was in his early 30's . Thus, I dye my hair and have done so since college.

34. I loved and excelled at creative writing in high school, and my English teacher encouraged me to become a writer.

35. I have had radial kerotonomy surgery on both eyes.

36. My first baby was over a month premature and weighed only 4 pounds when she was born. She is a healthy young lady now with two kids of her own.

37. I once lived in  Canada for a year as a child.
38. I played the Virgin Mary in a school play when I was in first grade.

39. I was the narrator in a school  play when I was in the fourth grade.

40. I cry at all sad movies and sad TV shows.

41. I have been a bridesmaid in over 4 weddings.

42. I made all the silk flower arrangements and bouquets for a friend's wedding.

43. I was the first woman President of our local Rotary club.

44. I received the "Woman of the Year" award from the local Zonta club one year.
45. I received the "Citizen of the Year" award from the local Chamber of Commerce one year.

46. At one time in my career, I was on over 14 Boards and community clubs.

47. I worked as a maid on Mackinac Island one summer while I was in high school.

48.  When my dad passed away, I saw a mist rise from his body, and rise to the corner of the room like a twister and then disappear.

49. My hair hardly grows anymore than an inch a year.

50.  I hate any movies with violence in it.  I love comedies.

51. One of my favorite books growing up was "Catcher in the Rye".

52. I LOVE jewelry.

53. I love raspberry pie, it is my favorite.

54. I cannot make meringue that turns out good for the life of me.

55. I only drink one-half a cup a coffee at a time. As soon as it gets semi-hot, I don't like it.  Normally, I have a half a cup of coffee (and that is all) every morning.

56. I love carbs.

57. I love hairy chests on men.  Not super hairy, but some hair.

58. I have a small tattoo on  my right ankle. It is a wreath of flowers.  I got it when I turned 50 to celebrate turning a half a century.

59. I plan on getting another small tattoo when I turn 60 to celebrate.

60.  My husband's parents knew my parents before I knew my husband.

61. My father spoke and wrote Finnish, and I regret never learning it from him.

62. My worse subject in school was history. I still  hate it and cannot remember dates  or historical events.

63. I once left a job because one of the Doctors I worked with treated all the nurses (including me)  so horribly.  Years later, we became friends and when he was dying of cancer, he called me to help him.

64. I have left three other jobs because the CEO's or Adminstrators were either unethical or treated people so horribly that I could not work for them any longer.  Each time I did this, I landed jobs that were better paid and/or better jobs.

65. There are very few pain pills that don't give me horrible side effects.

66. I find humorous people are the best people in the world to have as friends.

67. I have fibromyalagia and sometimes my pain can be pretty bad.

68. I am very romantic and like to hold hands and snuggle with my hubby a lot. Luckily, he likes to do the same.

69. Discovering photography and blogging has enriched my retirement life more than I could ever imagine it would.

70. I love chocolate milkshakes and banana milkshakes, but don't have them very often due to their high calories and the fact that I think I might be a little lactose intolerant.

71. I get sad every time we take our pontoon out of the lake each fall, because I know it is a sign of a long winter ahead of me.

72. I have never learned to ski, despite the fact that I live so far north and have so much snow here.

73. I made fun of the Twilight books and movies, and then read one and got hooked. I have now read all of the books and have seen the first movie.
74. I love American Idol but only watch it when they get down to the last 20 contestants. I do not like to watch the tryouts where people embarrass themselves.

75. I love all TV shows about the paranormal or UFO's.

76. I have never hitchhiked in my life.

77. I once tried hair extensions and didn't like them. I kept them only for one week.

78.  I have only had one pedicure in my life.  I will definitely have more in the future.

79.  I only have one sibling, a brother who is 3 1/2 years older than me.  One of my biggest fears is that I will outlive him and be the only one left in my family.  I have a premonition that this will occur.

80.  My biggest fear ever is to outlive my husband.  I really can't imagine life without him by my side.

81. My favorite color is red.
82. My favorite flower scent is lilacs. I deeply inhale them every spring.

83. I love the taste of champagne.

84. I hate beer and almost all alcoholic drinks except some that don't taste like alcohol (except Champagne) so if we go out I will order Amaretto and sour or Tom Collins or some fruity, girlie drinks and even then rarely can drink more than one or two glasses.

There!!

Probably more than you ever wanted to know about me...

NOW???

It's YOUR TURN!!


What 84 things can you tell me about YOU???

I really want to KNOW!!!

Saturday, August 28, 2010

More Dumb State Laws: Kentucky & Louisiana

Yessireeee!
Time again for 
MORE
DUMB STATE LAWS
along with
MY COMMENTS
in
bold italics.

(For those of you new to my blog, I wander away from photography now and then
to do some regular humor).

These are REAL state laws 
on these state's books
(probably from years ago, but still, they were/are REAL laws in these states!).

I have been going alphabetically.

So, what state is next?
Why, the wonderful state of KENTUCKY 
of course!

And...believe it or not... there weren't enough dumb laws in KENTUCKY,
so I am also going to do LOUISIANA!!


Ready?

Here goes!:
Let's do Kentucky first, okay?:
1. Throwing eggs at a public speaker could result in up to one year in prison. (Repealed, 1975)
Well, dang. There goes all my fun at the next political rally then.  I will just have to bring tomatoes to Kentucky I guess.  Although, maybe it would be worth it...it's only 365 days, that's not so bad!


2. One may not dye a duckling blue and offer it for sale unless more than six are for sale at once.
 Let me get this straight.  You CAN dye a duckling blue if you dye six or more of his friends and sell them in a group. Maybe THAT is how the Blue Group got on Broadway?  There ARE more than six of them, aren't there? Don't you wonder HOW on earth this law got passed and why?  Maybe it is best we don't investigate this annnnnny further.  Moving on.....

3. It is illegal to fish with a bow and arrow in Kentucky.
Well, shucks! Gee,  maybe that is why Darrell (and my other brother Darrell) never brought home any fish from Kentucky...they were illegally shooting at them with a bow and arrow. Sure hope they weren't dangling worms from the arrows. That would get a bit messy.  I wonder if it is illegal to shoot pheasant with a rod and reel there too?


 4. In  Fort Thomas: Dogs may not molest cars. 
Ummm..yeah..try and get THAT visual out of your brain right now. 
First of all, HOW could a dog molest a car? Use the tailpipe? EEEE-ewwwwww...let's not picture that, okay. Oh, it's too late?? Well, I figured if I have to suffer thinking that visual, everybody else reading this has to suffer TOO!!! 

5. In Owensboro: A woman may not buy a hat without her husband’s permission.
At first I thought, "wow, that Owensboro must be one redneck awful place where no woman gets rights"..but then on second thought, it is probably a GOOD law. I mean, almost NO woman except maybe Julia Roberts, and let's face it, she'd look good in a paper bag! looks good in a hat....they were just doing a service to all women so that they do not humiliate themselves. That Owensboro!!, it's such a before-trend fashion-police town!


 Now, for Louisiana:


1. Spectators at a boxing match may not mock one of the contestants.
Well, again...that would be as fun as saying you can't go to a Polka festival and fart polka, now wouldn't it?  Wait a minute. Maybe I can throw eggs HERE instead of at the public speaker in Kentucky? A woman's gotta have fun somewhere, right?




2. Persons could land in jail for up to ten years for stealing an alligator.
I say, if they have the balls courage to wrestle and alligator, and capture him...let them keep it!! 







3. It is a $500 fine to instruct a pizza delivery man to deliver a pizza to your friend without them knowing.
Boy, I would have been a prison inmate in college for SURE. But $500 for a fine seems a little steep to me. Better off to steal an alligator and leave the pizza guy deliver THAT instead!



4. It is illegal to rob a bank and then shoot at the bank teller with a water pistol.
I better hide my super soaker if I cross the Louisiana state line then. Wonder if it is legal to rob a bank there as long as I DON'T shoot the bank teller with a water pistol then?  Wonder if they had to make this a law because some idiot really did this somewhere in Louisiana?  I would LOVE to interview them to figure out their train of thought on this one.....


5. Biting someone with your natural teeth is “simple assault,” while biting someone with your false teeth is “aggravated assault.
I don't know about YOU, but they BOTH seem pretty much like an aggravated assault to ME....I don't think anyone's choppers should be biting anyone else. Who is with me on this one???




 6. It is illegal to gargle in public places.
Well, thank goodness!!! I don't want to be at some Cajun restaurant and have some fool gargling beside me, do YOU??? I say, I hope they KEPT this law around yet today!


7.  It is illegal to steal a “movable” even if it classified as an “immovable”.
Does anyone else wonder WHAT in the HECK this law means??  Maybe they are talking about those stupid-ass   pens at the bank that are chained to the counter?? I mean it's not supposed to be removed from the counter (thus an "immovable"), but if  the chain is broken and then you take it with you, (thinking it is a movable) you are gonna get arrested???
 


8.  Rituals that involve the ingestion of blood, urine, or fecal matter are not allowed.
Did you tell the witches?  Or the drunken college students getting initiated into those ridiculous sororities and fraternities?


9. In Jefferson parish: One could land in jail for up to a year for making a false promise.
Oh boy! There are several men in Louisiana exaggerating bragging about their man parts that better watch out...Do they know about this law??  .and several used car salespeople and stock brokers who better go into hiding about now....
 



10. In New Orleans: One may not host a game of marbles at Lafayette Square unless he or she first obtains a written permit from the parkway and park commission.
I have my steelies ready and say WHAT? I gotta get a PERMIT before I can play with them in the Square? Gheesh! It's about the money people, it's ALWAYS about the money..poor little kids gotta pay for a permit to play marbles in the park.  What is next? Charges for jump roping? Or how about hide-and-seek?Are they going to charge per hide? 


11.  Also in New Orleans: Chasing fish in a city park is against the law.
I don't know WHO was sloshed working in City Hall the day they made THIS law, but I hate to tell them this, but here goes anyway.  Hey, New Orleans:  fish usually are found IN THE WATER, not sitting around city park. Furthermore, they CAN'T RUN AWAY if chased...they swim. (Good Lord, why do I have to be the one to inform them of this?)





12.  In N.O.: “Mardi Gras Beads may not be thrown from a third story window. 
Evidently, they don't know very many  old ladies senior citizen women....because honestly...if they let their boobs down to flash others, they are gonna HAVE to be up on the third floor so they have room to let them "swing free" under their beads. Gheesh! What do you want them to do, roll them up and stay on the ground floor? They could get all tangled in the beads then and SOMEBODY is gonna get HURT!! (Try to get THAT graphic out of your heads!)


 
13.  In N.O.: City commission members may not drink during a public meeting or risk a $50 fine.
Too late!!!! ...because evidently no one remembered the stupid law the drunks the members already passed concerning chasing fish in a park. 


 

14.  In N.O.: It is illegal to practice voodoo in the city limits.
Because if they let them do this, there would be a lot of City Commissioners and politicians with sudden, sharp pains with no explanation at City Hall.  Meet you guys outside the city limits...we are going to have some FUN--BYOP party (rather than a BYOB party). What IS a BYOP party, you ask? Why, it's a "bring your own pins" party, silly!



 
15.  In N.O.: Condoms may not be thrown from parade floats during Mardi Gras.
They are probably afraid of the old ladies on the third floor.  
Actually, I think they SHOULD throw out condoms during the Mardi Gras parade. It would be very helpful. Have you been there during Mardi Gras??  WOW!!! If any place needs condoms, I'd say that would be a great place to start. 



16. In  N.O.: You may not tie an alligator to a fire hydrant.
This law is probably related to the "no stealing an alligator law" (see above). But really, if they didn't have this law and you were allowed to tie your alligator to a fire hydrant, you probably wouldn't have that  many people trying to steal it, now would you?  Of course if a fire occurred and the fireman had to get to the hydrant, this could prove problematic.  Maybe that is why they always show fireman with those hatchets....?


17. In N.O.: It illegal for a woman to drive a car unless her husband is waving a flag in front of it.
You mean like the guys with the flashlights directing the jumbo jets on the tarmac? Let's just put it this way, ladies....if YOUR husband got in front of your car when you getting ready to start driving and waved a flag in front of it, what would be your first instinct??? yep, I thought so....
No wonder there is a shortage of men in Louisiana.............




18. In Port Allen: No person may predict another’s future.
Must not be too many psychics there with their crystal ball to tell fortunes. For that matter, probably not too many preachers (telling everyone they are going to HELL) then either.









19.  In Sulphur: Drive-thru liquor stores are outlawed.
Well, imagine THAT.  You can't drive drunk up to a drive-thru liquor store to continue driving drunk ??? 

 








20.  Also in Sulphur: It is illegal to have sex with a cow.
That one really mooooo-ved me. (Sorry, I udderly couldn't help that remark). What if they just wanted to make-out or maybe do some PETTING. Would that be illegal? 



 


21. Also: It is illegal to be an alcoholic.
FINALLY! A law that MAKES sense. Why hasn't the rest of the nation caught on to this law? It's so simple! Just make it ILLEGAL to be an alcoholic..then voila! No more alcoholics in the world.  Who needs A.A.?? Just make it illegal, people!

 



22.  Also: Saying obscene things on the telephone is illegal.
So much for phone sex. Ah, heck... 
then after I drive thru to pick up my liquor,  I might as well  just tie my alligator to the fire hydrant, then go upstairs and  call a cow (while I stick needles in my voodoo doll) , and  tell the cow their predictions for  the  future, (whilst I throw out my Mardi Gras beads from the third floor along with the condoms ).



*****************************************************************
You are running out of time!!

Don't forget to enter the FREE MONTHLY PHOTO CONTEST
August's theme is:

SUNRISES or SUNSETS

Send in your photo following THESE RULES
by
midnight, on August 31st!!


Thursday, August 26, 2010

Birds, Blooms and More Blueberries!

I am continuing today
with more photos
of the garden blooms,
one of my favorite birds
and
Blueberries!!!


Coneflowers are fun to photograph because of their shape and texture!:





Their centers remind me of exploding fireworks:






They are great to snip off and bring into the house for a centerpiece:


We have several Flicker birds
in our neighborhood.

We hear them all the time..
but they are very shy here...

I have chased after them with my camera more than once,
only to have them fly away before I even get within zoom range.

One day,
I was weeding my garden and heard their familiar call....
and realized one must be
very
close...
Sure enough..at the end of my driveway, sitting
in the grass...
was a Flicker!!!

I ran into the house and grabbed my camera,
figuring it would be gone before I got back out...

But to my surprise, it was still there in the grass, forging for food and not noticing me.

One of the things that I love most
about them
is their little red patch on the back of their heads:





They have long yellow tail feathers, but unfortunately, I could not capture this in the photos:

I think this was a young Flicker....
so he hadn't learned to be afraid of humans yet.





But--he was GORGEOUS!:






One of my garden flowers:






And the rewards of going into the woods for a ride:

By the way, if you think my hand is rather masculine..
well,

I DO ALOT OF GARDENING, people!!!

Who has time for a manicure????

(Just kidding....
this is my HUSBAND's hand...but I had you going there for a moment, didn't I?)

*************************************************************
You DO REALIZE that you only have THREE DAYS LEFT
to enter into the August FREE PHOTO CONTEST,
don't you????

The theme is:

Sunrises or Sunsets

So, get going RIGHT now and send in your winning photo
to me by midnight, August 31st following THESE RULES!!!

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Blooms, Blueberries and a Bunny!

Today I have a "B" theme...

Blooms, Blueberries and a Bunny!

Photos I have taken over the last few weeks,
especially for YOU!



Wild blueberries are about the sweetest, most wonderful find in the woods.
And let's not even TALK about how good the pies are!:







This year, they were particularly bountiful and big in size:








This is what they look like on the bushes in the woods:






A Brown-eyed Susan in my garden:










I love the splash of their color in the late summer garden:








We saw this handsome fellow on the wood's road when we were driving out one day:









A wild clover...I love the purple, wild explosion of their shape:







One of my garden Coneflowers:

I'm trying to get out and get some blooms on camera,
because I am all too aware
that before we know it,
they will be but a memory.........

REMINDER: All photographs on this blog are COPYRIGHTED.

REMINDER: All photographs on this blog are COPYRIGHTED.
Please do not copy any of my photographs (or narratives) without my permission! All pictures will be tracked for copyright violations.

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About Me

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I retired in June 2008 and started my blog in November 2008. I worked at several jobs as a Registered Nurse prior to retirement. I LOVE being retired! Blogging has offered me a whole new venue to start writing again and to share new hobbies such as gardening, birdwatching and sharing my nature photography. If you like my blog, PLEASE click on "follow this blog". Having a lot of followers reading my blog gives me incentive to continue to do photography and to continue to write. I also LOVE comments, so I encourage you to leave me a comment after you read my posts. Thanks everyone, for taking the time to read me!!

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