*******



It's a beautiful mornin' ahhh
I think I'll go outside a while
An jus' smile

~the rascals







*****



Yes. It was a morning very much like this morning.
Twenty- six years ago.
When my perfect boy arrived.

The day was crisp and bright.
It was a Monday; Memorial day.
And it was Chicago.

All my hopes were wrapped up in this red-headed angel.

He was all I needed....for the rest of my life....for ever and ever.

It was love.

I sang to him and read to him and nursed him and bounced him.

I wasn't sure I could love another.

But I could. Easily and heartily.



And that's the joy of motherhood.
That immense love.
That all encompassing, never wavering, heart breaking love.

And heart breaking is part of the deal, I've found.

When they go away,
when they don't believe in themselves
when they struggle
when they learn....

It's the hard part.

But this mother's heart is full and strong and resilient.

It has to be.

Because motherhood is not for the faint of heart.


Happy Birthday, birthday boy.

I believe in you.

Be always coming home.


With love,
Mom


*****
Ursula K. LeGuin
Love doesn't just sit there, like a stone; it has to be made, like bread, remade all the time, made new.


Willa Cather
Where there is great love there are always miracles.

Mother Teresa
It is not how much you do, but how much Love you put into the doing that matters.




Love one another,
Donna

Lost

In which I predict how the whole show will come to an end.

Do not read this if you do not want to hear any spoilers.


The Feast is still on Va-cay....so I will need to think up something as soon as I
tell you my brilliant plan for Lost.


First off. Benjamin only, only, only cares about himself.
So when Benjamin told Jack that all six of them and Locke must return, together to the
island, I as fuming. Why would Jack do anything that Benjamin told him to do?
Seriously!

(Lynn was not quite as bothered by this as I was.
She does however, laugh heartily at all of the great one liners.
And she brought coffee ice cream. :o) Thanks Lynn!)

But back to the struggling castaways.

Even tho, Benjamin needs the Six to return to the island, it is not for the same reason that the Six need to return.


As I lay in bed last night, it came to me.

They will go back. AND they will go back to BEFORE the Island moved and BEFORE the ship blew up.

Who knows, they may even be able to bring Charlie home.

AND Locke......He needs to come along...so he can come back to life.

And in the end, they will all climb out of the rabbit hole....

The End.

I just thought of something. Benjamin wants them to go back and get his daughter, too.

Or he is just an evil mutha.


How's that for some sugar-induced reasoning?

And Lynn, you forgot your Twizzlers!



********


Travel, trouble, music, art, A kiss, a frock, a rhyme - I never said they feed my heart, But still they pass my time.
~Dorothy Parker


********


Blast from the Past



Do you recognize this salad?

It was super popular in the .....when was it popular? The 70's, the 80's?

I have too many decades to keep track of.

Anyway....

It's the ever popular and easy Seven Layer Salad.

It is yummy and has lots of good things in it.

And it is easy to make.


Seven Layer Salad

Lettuce-cut not torn
Celery-dice enough to make a little layer on top of lettuce
Onions-dice and layer also
Bacon-more than 1/2 a pound and less than a whole pound
Peas-scant layer; frozen
Cheddar Cheese-shred about eight ounces
Hellman's Mayo-spread one to two cups over the cheese layer
Sugar-sprinkle over the mayo
Parmesan cheese-sprinkle over mayo and sugar

Refrigerate.
Enjoy.



********


Stepping into Summer: Questions

1. Tell us about your summer footwear?
2. What have you planted in your garden?
3. Who mows the lawn?
4. What is your brand of suntan lotion?
5. What is your favorite summer drink?


Do you remember the commercial for Bain de Soleil........ for the San Tropez tan?
There was white cream....and there was orange grease.
Remember that stuff?

We used Coppertone growing up.
I like the way Hawaiian Tropic smells.
So that's what I buy.

But one sniff of Coppertone really takes me back.

I think the Lost writers should incorporate smell and music into their time travel.
Cause those two things really do it for me.



Encourage one another,
Donna

"God's Favorite Color is Green."

Knitting Tammy just informed us of this wonderful fact.
And it made me laugh. She said it doesn't really state this fact anywhere in the Bible....
but it's obvious by looking around :o)

Which got me to thinking.....

What would God answer if he did one of our Memes.


I sure hope this is not offensive to anyone. I'm going for light and funny, not disrespectful.

And I happen to think.....

God has a sense of humor.



Two-Word Meme

1. Where is your cell phone? Don't have one.
2. Where is your significant other? We're one.
3. Your hair? white, long (Katie says short and black)
4. Your mother? motherless
5. Your father? fatherless
6. Your favorite thing? your souls
7. Your dream last night? I don't sleep
8. Your favorite drink? Dr. Pepper
9. Your dream/goal? your souls
11. Your hobby? miracles, gardening, bowling
12. Your fear? No Fear. Perfect love casts out all fear.
13. Where you want to be in 6 years? right here
14. Where were you last night? right here
15. What you're not? hateful, distant
16. Muffins? bran muffins
17. One of your wish list items? I wish you would love one another.
18. Where you grew up? heaven, earth
19. Favorite Song? How Great Thou Art.
20. What are you wearing? linen, robe
21. Your TV? Lost
22. Your pets? So many.
23. Your computer? Mac Air
24. Your life? beautiful, full
25. Your mood? serious, hopeful
26. Missing someone? always, always
27. Your car? no car
28. Something you're not wearing? Crocs
29. Favorite store? I shop on line.
30. Your summer? looks busy
31. Like someone? every one
32. Your favorite color? green, blue
33. When is the last time you laughed? today
34. Last time you cried? No tears in heaven



PSALMS 126:2 Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: they said they among the heathen, The Lord hath done great things for them.

PROVERBS 15:13 A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance: but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.


If you can think if better, funnier answers, be sure to tell me in the comments.
These were off the top of my head, and I know there are funnier answers.


But one more thing.....

Does God have a body or is He just a formless entity?

I think I was taught that we are created in His image,
which could mean that He has a form.

What do you think?



*******

The finale to Lost is on tonight.

Don't miss it!!!

*****


Thank you all for sharing your songs and memories with us.
What a variety of artists....and songs.
Some I have never heard of before!
I really loved hearing your stories.



Music is the art which is most nigh to tears and memory. ~Oscar Wilde

Music is the shorthand of emotion. ~Leo Tolstoy

Music, when soft voices die
Vibrates in the memory -
~Percy Bysshe Shelley

Country music is three chords and the truth. ~Harlan Howard


[An intellectual] is someone who can listen to the "William Tell Overture" without thinking of the Lone Ranger. ~John Chesson


Encourage one another,
Donna

Ree has got me thinking about music today.

She is giving away a Zune. (Which, I know it's unbelieveable, I have never heard of before today.)

And she has been uploading songs by the truck load.

And here is the thing I find interesting about the whole situation.

Every time Ree would mention a song.

My brain would say stuff to me like,

Remember how John Denver died a few weeks after Princess Diana and Mother Teresa.

Remember the costumes the Fifth Dimension wore when they sang Aquarius...

Remember when I jumped on Cindy in the room at the Shearton Maui and sang "I'm an Indian, too" from "Annie Get your Gun."

Remember when John Travolta was on American Bandstand.

Remember how Grandma Hansen listened to jazz on her radio in the kitchen while sitting at the table with metal legs and the hutch with the peppermints....and the jello.


I could go on and on and on with the memories. Besides music triggering memories, I can usually guess at the date almost exactly. The radio is always on when I drive....and every day I say something like....I was in fourth grade when this song was popular.....I was your age when this song was popular.....this is a remake, I liked the original much better.


Our parents loved music and I remember our father bringing home 45's and when I was sick I would sit in the basement and rock in the green vinyl rocking chair and listen to music on the record player.

I especially liked a record by Mantovani. It was an instrumental recording of great movie themes like the theme from Exodus and the theme from Carousel and Lara's theme.

Mantovani -Exodus-Movie Themes


And Earth, Wind and Fire is a frat house at Hillsdale.

And Wildfire is Stephens College.

And "Broken Wings" is little Patrick Jr.

And "Desperado" is Patrick Sr.

And "I remember when" by Greg Brown is Emma.

And Matthew is "I've had the time of my life" from Dirty Dancing.

And Katie is "God Bless America." (911, you know)


Music and memories go together like love and marriage and a horse and carriage.

And even that is a song.


I told Ree I liked Al Green best. There is something so fabulous about Al Green but really it is so hard to choose.



Feel free to get up and dance with your kids or your honey or with yourself.....


And here is one that came to me from Ally McBeal.



Katie and I LOVE this song and sing it at the top of our lungs in the car, cause I have the CD :o)

I wasn't able to watch Ally McBeal when it first came out because the children were awake and the material was too mature for them...so I got a late start and watched in re-runs at night or in the morning. Can you believe they do not have a DVD set of Ally McBeal? I wish they did. They had a lot of fun with music on that show. And seriously, what a cast!

But anyway,

why not share on of your favorite music memories with us!

You won't win a prize, but I would love to know if music and dates and memories are totally linked in your mind like they are in mine.

I can't remember to get the toothpaste, but I can tell you about the time I missed my exit while driving to Missouri because I was singing and distracted by Bobby Brown singing "My Prerogative". (Now that one. That's embarrassing.)


What songs trigger memories for you?


Encourage one another,
Donna

UPDATE: bummer about the comments beind broken....hopefully they will be working again soon.
I have been really enjoying your comments!!

Swimming in Wisconsin

You must be determined, hearty and desperate to swim in Wisconsin.

My memories are dotted with teeth-chattering, breath-removing dips into icy waters.

Sue and I took swimming lessons and earned our Red Cross cards for swimmings lessons in Elmhust Ill.
Our lessons were in the morning and very early in the season and I remember dreading the cold.

But, it was just God's way of preparing me for summer camp in Eagle River, Wisconsin. I went to Honeyrock camp one summer.
Diving into that lake for swimming class just about made me drown; my limbs and lungs rebelled.

I would never do a Polar Plunge. Ever.

But here is the other thing about Wisconsin.
You must make the most of every single warm sunny day, because you just don't know
when it will ever be warm and sunny again.

For example, it is currently 42 degrees outside and we have a high of fifty-seven predicted.
Our outdoor activity for today will most likely be bike riding with sweatshirts and jackets.





By the way. I got a new bike.
It is a sweet, comfy ride and I love it.



We do have a rule of thumb about going to the pool. It must be 77 degrees and we MUST stay one hour.
I am not leaving in under one hour when I just paid nine dollars for two of us. No way! We have got to get our money's worth!
Lounging, wrapped up in a blanket is allowed.
One snack is allowed.

I sure wish they heated the pool.


*******


I had two photoshoots over the weekend. I am waiting for permission to show my session with the two little boys.
Not sure if I will be allowed. Which I completely respect....but man, I am happy with these pictures and wish I could share them :o)

And last night I ran out at twilight to take some pictures of buildings for Benn. Benn is a photographer AND he works with Patrick Sr.
He has been incredibly encouraging. Benn was hired by an architect to take pictures of his buildings.
Benn offered me a piece of the action. Really! How nice is that?


Benn @ wittworx.net

Here are a few of the shots I took last night.



These have not been edited. They need some straightening and perspective work. But the this building IS curved to start with :o)









Now, I don't know if these are use-able. But it was fun to try.


****

I watched '27 Dresses'. It was a little depressing. I almost cried....it was suppose to be a comedy.

We went to 'Indiana Jones'. It was too scary for Katie. And it was made so cheaply. And weird. And it was just preposterous.

*snap* Hated it.


Did you go see Indiana?

You are welcome to like it. :o) I was just under-whelmed.


I think I need a good summer read to take to the pool.

What book should I put in my beach bag?


Encourage one another,
Donna

Memorial Day









"A girl without freckles is like a night without stars."




Guess what we did today?

Farmer's Market
0n the Square
















Heading down State Street.







Mom says, take the bus home.





West Wash church garden.


I love taking my camera to this sort of event.
I can find such beauty....
otherwise, I would be freaking out about the crowds.

I'm in my own little world behind the camera.

It's quieter and prettier ;o)


Love,
Donna

I like Etsy.

Do you?

Etsy is a 'place to buy and sell all things handmade'.

ETSY



Here is what came in the mail for me this week.

I have had my eye on these camera straps since I saw them linked at Tara Whitney's blog.
I have never used my yellow and black Nikon strap. I took it off on day one and put on my old skinny strap from my college camera. (a Minolta) But I have seen these pretty colorful straps around many photogoraphers necks....and
I wanted to be just like them :o)



No, I don't go buy shoes or eye make-up or jewerly to be in style.

I buy a camera strap.

I'm a gonner.


Here is the link for the camera straps. AND Em has new fabrics already.....
I love her new fabrics!!!

emfalconbridge.etsy.com


********


How about a sweet apron with fabulous fabrics?



A long-time blog-sistah, Randi, creates these beauties.
I check her Etsy every once in a while to see if something jumps out at me....


And this jumped right into the 'checkout cart'.

That darling VW camper fabric is by one of my favorite fabric designers, Heather Ross.

Simple Things

I love it, Randi!

Randi also has a great blog with sewing tutorials and lots of home-style goodness.

I have to say



******

For some strange reason, I love gift tags.

Etsy has a huge variety of gift tags. I happened upon Belleandboo over a year ago and fell for these sweet pretties.

Belle and Boo @ Etsy


*****

If you have a favorite Etsy page or even have your own Etsy page. please
leave a link in the comments and I will be sure to come and visit!

Thanks!


We are, for sure, going to the Farmers Market.
I don't have anything I would like to buy.
I just want to take pictures!!!

It's so sunny today....I can't wait.



Vive ut Vivas!!!



Encourage one another,
Donna

The Feast is taking a break.....




Two-Word Meme

1. Where is your cell phone? on counter
2. Where is your significant other? at work
3. Your hair? thick, unruly
4. Your mother? loving, funny
5. Your father? devoted, tease
6. Your favorite thing?
7. Your dream last night? no dream
8. Your favorite drink? diet dr. pepper
9. Your dream/goal? family near
11. Your hobby? blogging, photography
12. Your fear? poor choices
13. Where you want to be in 6 years? successful photographer
14. Where were you last night? Sensoria party
15. What you're not? thin, decorator
16. Muffins? top, please
17. One of your wish list items? Paris, Maui
18. Where you grew up? Elmhurst, Wheaton
20. What are you wearing? flimsey jammies
21. Your TV? my friend
22. Your pets? Sassy Cat
23. Your computer? pretty Mac
24. Your life? beautiful, blessing
25. Your mood? positive, hopeful
26. Missing someone? always, always
27. Your car? Volvo wagon
28. Something you're not wearing? teeny bikini
29. Favorite store? Whole Foods
30. Your summer? blank slate
31. Like someone? every one
32. Your favorite color? pink, green
33. When is the last time you laughed? last night
34. Last time you cried? relating House


I spotted this meme at Dana's and thought it would be fun.
Now I know this many questions scares you away...so do the ones that you find interesting and easy, okay?


******


Ugly Betty. Please choose Gio.

I love the Betty and Gio story line.

Have I said that already?


********

Grey's Finale.

I was gone and will watch it shortly.

Was it good?


*******

House Finale.

Cried and Cried.

And then told Emma the story in the car.

And cried again.


Katie says from the back seat, "It's not real. It's just tv."
Emma replies to Katie, "Sometimes tv reminds you of something real."


********




Katie wants to get a hair cut.

I think we will do that this weekend....somehow. I have been waiting for my Heather to return to work....
but I don't think Katie can wait.

We have absolutely NOTHING planned for this weekend.

We will not be taking a country drive.

Gas nearing $4.00.


Can you think of another product that we use that has had such a huge price
jump? So big of an increase that your pocketbook and life has been changed?

I can't think of one. But, perhaps I am missing something from my childhood.

Did you hear about the man who drilled for oil on his land in Indiana?

He is producing 3 barrels a day!

And that's the point I want to make.

Come on Americans! We can do it.

Innovate. Create. Put on your thinking caps.

This can be solved.

This is what we do. We invent and capitalize on stuff.

Go! inventors. Go! great minds.

We are depending on you.



Are you doing something special this weekend?

I'd love to hear about it.


Encourage one another,
Donna

When I talked with Matthew about our visit he asked me what we would be doing.
I really didn't know.

I knew we would eat.
Twice.
But, where would we crash for the entire afternoon?

I wasn't interested in going to a mall.
And the zoo was not too appealing.

And then it came to me.
The boys could golf and we could ride along in carts and cheer them on,
just like old times.

We all decided that this was an excellent idea.

You see, this is how we spent the better part of their childhood.

The boys golfing with me or with their dad.

Me being the cheerleader. Which they hated.
And the cart driver. Which I loved.

I can golf a little bit, but I am not in the same league with the boys...and they make fun of me.

So I would drive along with all the bags and Emma....and lots of times, Patrick Sr. would hop on while the boys
walked to their next shot.

This was our family time. On the golf course.

Owning a bakery took nearly every single minute of Patrick's time when the children were young.
But when he was not working, he and the boys were golfing or watching the Packers.

It took us two tries to find a course that would allow us (the non-golfing, cart-driving, spectators) to tag along.

The young man just asked that we didn't hang off the cart. And we didn't.
It was a challenge for Katie a few times. But she remained dignified.


This is a beautiful sight. My big boys.



This is Shelby. She is Patrick's girlfriend.
Isn't she pretty. She has perfect teeth ;o)


Katie and Emma were there.
They have nice teeth too.



Golfing. A beautiful walk spoiled. Not.



Matthew hit this shot into the creek over the pond. As he and Patrick looked for their balls, a
red wing blackbird first attacked Matthew and then Patrick. It was funny....and a little scary.




Melinda wasn't able to get off of work. We missed her.
But she was able to meet us for dinner.
She's a doll. And has lovely teeth, too.


The light was glowing as we left the restaurant....
and so was Emma.

We went back to Matthew and Melinda's apartment for a few hours of visiting and Wii.

It was so nice to be together.
We wished Patrick Sr. could have been with us.
He would have loved it.

We will not see Patrick Jr. for a long time now as he heads back to Washington.

A piece of my heart goes with him.



*******

I've run out of time!


Just wanted to say, I agree that the Idol show was and hour and 45 minutes too long....

but David Cook was wonderful. His momma must be so proud of him.

He was a gentleman and considerate and was always thinking of others.

I like that so much.

I hope he does well!


Gotta dash. Hope there are not too many mistakes as I don't have time to proof...


Encourage one another,
Donna

Hi Every-body!

We are home. I am exhausted.

We had a wonderful time.

I will write more about our visit tomorrow...

but in the mean-time.....


This is not the Christmas Card.





Neither is this one :o)





I think I have a few to choose from tho!

Who is going to win tonight?

I have not seen the show (American Idol) yet.

Want to guess?


See you in the comments!
Good to be home.
Looking forward to sleeping more than four hours tonight.


Encourage one another,
Donna

Thank you very much for the wonderful birding advice in the comments over the weekend!
If you haven't read them, they are great tips.

Thank you all.

And a funny thing, last night I peeked in to see how the seeds (cheap-o wild brid seed from the grocery store) was doing
and my shy birdies, the little brown ones, have eaten it all up!

So they are finding the feeder and chowing down on what I do have....
I am excited to spruce things up for them and see what happens.

They will be happy and I will be happy.

Yay :o)


*****


Other than that, the weekend just flew by.

Tomorrow, we are heading for Omaha for a very quick visit. Patrick Jr. is in Omaha for a week and we want
to see him! Emma has one day off of work...and we are making a mad dash to Nebraska.

Mathew and Melinda will host us again. They are so sweet to welcome us. I hear they have a Wii now,
and Katie is out of the world excited about that!

Hey! I tried the Wii/Guitar Hero at Circut City the other day. THAT was fun.

My husband loves watching me do Dance, Dance Revolution and Guitar Hero.

You see, I'm pretty dang, young at heart....but it doesn't always show in the day to day ;o)



But, back to Patrick, it's been almost a year and I can't wait to give him a hug!

AND I am taking our Christmas picture! It's gonna be the oldest Christmas picture ever....
but everyone will be there!!!

I never felt right about last years Christmas card minus the boys and our new daughter.....in law.


********




Katie and I went shopping for Birkenstocks. Mine have worn out.
I like the thin two strappy style. And imagine this....they didn't have them.

I know I can find them on the internet.....but I want to buy local.
There is one more store I can try on State St.


Something I noticed right away, the bottom of the sandal felt like hard icky plastic.

It's been a good ten years since I bought new Birkenstocks. Is this sole change new?
Do you have a pair? How do you like the "new" soles?




I love this picture of Katie.
Her little legs look so cute and skinny.



Because this is the most boring entry ever....I will share with you one of my favorite Chicken Salads from Whole Foods.


Sonoma Chicken Salad


Dressing
1 cup mayonnaise
4 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
5 teaspoons honey
2 teaspoons poppy seeds
sea salt, to taste
ground pepper, to taste


Salad
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3/4 cup pecan pieces, toasted
2 cups red seedless grapes
3 stalks celery, thinly sliced
Prepare the dressing by thoroughly mixing together all dressing ingredients in a bowl. Refrigerate until ready to dress the salad. (Can be prepared up to 2 days ahead.)

Preheat oven to 375°F. Place the chicken breasts in one layer in a baking dish with 1/2 cup water. Cover with foil and bake 25 minutes until completely cooked through. Remove cooked chicken breasts from baking pan, cool at room temperature for 10 minutes, then cover and refrigerate.

When the breasts are completely chilled (at least 2 hours refrigerated), dice into bite-sized pieces and transfer to a large bowl. Stir in pecans, grapes, celery and dressing.



It's a good one.

Perhaps not as good as....Popeye's Honey Pecan Chicken Salad

But the grapes add such a nice flavor to the Sonoma chicken salad.

And I never eat grapes.


I love chicken salad.

Do you?



Encourage one another,
Donna

This morning I come to you with a plea for help.

I would like your expert advice on two things;

How to attract birdies to our yard

How to take their pictures once they come


*******


As you can probably remember the hummingbirds have a hard time remembering that I have a bird feeder.

So they have not come yet this spring. But gosh, I wish they would.


Some little brown birds have already stopped by and munched on some seed at my new feeder....
but they are shy and fly away when I try to get a peek at what kind of bird they are.


Over at Mental multivitamin, MFS listed the birds they saw in one day at their little house on the edge of the prairie.
It is a wonderfully long list with great variety. How do they do it?

Mental multivitamin

Looking at MFS's birding resources, I see some binoculars listed.

I imagine those are key!


So please, all of you bird lovers, how do you do it?

Of course, I could go online and look for the answers, I could go to the library or to the book store, but I'd rather ask you first....


Thanks!



******



Early Bird

Oh, if you're a bird, be an early bird
And catch the worm for your breakfast plate.
If you're a bird, be an early early bird-
But if you're a worm, sleep late.

by Shel Silverstein


Peckin'

The saddest thing I ever did see
Was a woodpecker peckin' at a plastic tree.
He looks at me, and "Friend," says he,
"Things ain't as sweet as they used to be."

by Shel Silverstein




The wonderful Charley Harper















Happy Weekend!!

Encourage one another,
Donna

I have decided not to do the Feast today.

Instead, Iet's pretend we are so famous American Express wants to do an ad about YOU.

Have you see those ads? Questions are posed and the celeb fills in the answers.


My name:

childhood ambition:

fondest memory:

wildest dream:

proudest moment:

biggest challenge:

perfect day:

indulgence:

last purchase:

inspiration:

My life:

My card: American Express




I will answer in the comments!



********

Last night while I was watching Ugly Betty, ( Yes, there is a go-to show now that Survivor has concluded.)
Katie came to the screen door with a dandelion. The light was shining on the fuzzy plant, which by the way did not come from out yard, and of course, I grabbed my camera and ran. The back yard was shadow-filled so I went in search of that light.
I didn't have to go far. In the front yard the sun was filtering thru the trees as it was sweetly setting.







Ya gotta goof around a little when you are eight.




Can I tell you how much I love my camera and the lenses I have.

I love them so much.

Look at the hair on Katie's arm and the hair on her upper lip.

And the light and the color.

I love my camera.





This one needed a go at black and white.

The light on her face and on the dandelion is glorious.

*****


"Oh dandelion, yellow as gold,
What do you do all day?"
"I just wait here in the tall green grass
Till the children come out to play."

Oh dandelion, yellow as gold,
What do you do all night?"
"I wait and wait til the cold dews fall
And my hair grows long and white."

"And what do you do when your hair is white
And the children come out to play?"
"They take me up in their dimpled hands
And blow my hair away."

~Rod and Staff Publishers




********


LOST

I just want to know why they are not telling the truth about the island.
That's all.

And how funny was that line,

"Jesus Christ is not a weapon."


I really have to catch up on the other seasons.

Any thoughts?

On anything?

Don't forget to Answer the American Express questions!


Encourage one another,
Donna

I am thankful that our neighbors have a lilac bush.

I am thankful for the way lilacs smell.

I am thankful for that airport purchased t-shirt because it means Patrick is safely home from his biz trip.

I am thankful that Katie writes us love notes daily.

I am thankful for how spectacularly gorgeous it is outside. My eyes and my heart can not get enough of the green.

and one last thing

I am thankful that the birdies have already found my new bird feeder and that my mother's day flowers have bloomed
so perfectly.





What are you thankful for?


Encourage one another,
Donna

Let's talk hats, shall we?


Is this a beautiful creation worthy of high style regard?

Or is it the Emperors New Clothes?


The attention grabbing hat was made by Phillip Treacy and was worn for a movie premiere.

Philip Treacy is famous for his hats.

He made both of the hats Camilla wore when she married Charles.
I wonder if he made Diana hats. If he did, I'm sure they were perfection.

What do you think? Should she have worn the hat or not?






And what a refreshing treat.






This girl could have had the most spectacular wedding of the decade.

But look at her.

She chose a wedding in the country with a simple Oscar de la Renta dress.

Her twin sister was her maid of honor and only 200 people attended.

To me. This is class and style.

In a day and age when weddings have gotten crazy expensive,
I just love that Jenna choose to get married in this quiet, elegant way.


*******

American Idol


Okay my peeps....

Who will go home tonight?

I would be shocked if anyone other than Syesha goes home.

But that is not what I want, it is what I think will happen.

To me, David Cook is just so much more exciting and with it than the other two....
I can't see him losing.

I only liked one of Syesha's songs. The Alicia Keyes song was super.

David A sang two good songs. But his Billy Joel song was just like Billy and the judges didn't rag on him.

And he looks like Eddie Munster. I have realized. That's it. Eddie Munster.

I liked every song David Cook sang. I like him a lot. He has it all and is a star.

Syesha just doesn't get it, I'm afraid. Why would she sing Fever.

And David A is just too unpolished and not ready. He is just not ready.

BTW, I voted once for David C. and once for Syesha.

It was difficult to get thru or I would have voted more often for David C.


So that is how I see it.

What do you think?



Encourage one another,
Donna

I Meant To Do My Work Today
by Richard LeGallienne

I meant to do my work today,
But a brown bird sang in the apple tree,
And a butterfly flitted across the field,
And all the leaves were calling me.
And the wind went sighing over the land,
Tossing the grasses to and fro,
And a rainbow held out its shining hand,
So what could I do but laugh and go?








If I can make photography my work, if it is what is meant to be....
'So what could I do but laugh and go?'



If I could be a television critic.....

No. I don't want that job.

I just like to watch.


On DWTS, my favorite part was when Len visited all of the pairs and gave his pointers. I like that guy.
If I can't dance with Maksim, I want to dance with Len ;o)

Again the judges were too hard on Kristi Yummygoochi.

I am sure Marisa will go.


******

House.

I didn't care for House at all last night...until the very end.

And how many times did you yell Amber at the television before House got it?

******

I am going to confess something....I watched the finale of The Bachelor.

And the bachelor picked the girl I wanted him to pick....and that made me happy.

There was even a real engagement with a real ring.

I hope they are still together. I hope they get married.

I am a kook.

*******


Patrick and I watched Now, Voyager on Saturday Night.

Now there is a classic.


"Oh Jerry, don't let's ask for the moon. We have the stars."


What a great last line.




Any opinions on last night's television fare?

And why don't you share you favorite black and white classic with all of us?

That should be fun!



Encourage one another,
Donna