Five On Friday: August 29, 2014

Lordalmighty, this is the last Friday in August. Now I'm not one to weep and gnash my teeth about the end of summer. I don't like hot. I don't like humid. I'm not going back to school or work, tyvm. However, it does remind me that a season is almost over. A season of my life. I've had a lot of seasons over the years, but it's taken me a lot of years to appreciate them. Summer 2014, you've been pretty darn good.

1. Couture clothing, designer duds. Not my style nor my price range. However, I do love what this company is doing and it makes me want to go on a road trip down south. Alabama Chanin.



2. Tomatoes. I haven't eaten enough this season nor have they ripened as early as they usually do. I hope that gives me a chance to pick up a big box of canning tomatoes this weekend. Have you canned stuff this year?

3. Don't you love it when you find words you've never seen and just fall in love with the uniqueness of them? Mine was 'chamfered corners" from an Apartment Therapy post.  I'm not sure it's going to go into any of my conversations but again, you never know.

4. I am so so glad to see Ali Edwards' new site and to see that she is back to regular blog posts. That makes me so happy!

5.My most recent tv watch, mini binge, has been Happy Valley on Netflix.  Don't worry about the title, Happy Valley has little happiness in it. Only 6 episodes, but the word is that it's been renewed. So, do we see that in late 2015 or 2016??? Whatever, I really enjoyed it.

Sarah Lancashire has been showing up in a lot of BBC productions, now that The North is the new South. Eeee by gum lad, t'weren't like that when I were up thar. But it's good to see images, gritty and bucolic, of my old home area. Took some time.

TBT: 1976 Children in Pattaya

In addition to my daughter, my one of my sons is in this photo with a friend. Our life was such that we were able to rent a beach house in addition to our regular home in Bangkok. While the drive to Pattaya could be hectic and dangerous, the 5 of us plus our maid and her husband made this trek every month. My husband could sit back and let our maid's husband drive as he was skilled in driving and taking care of our Peugeot 504. It was a win-win situation for all of us.

Pattaya still had areas that were quiet and family oriented. It was also still a place where Thai families went. As much as I still love the beach, these years cured me of a desire to go to the beach in the summer. Hot and humid and I do not play well together. Furthermore, I still have various bits of skin damage from those days, the days before sunblock. We didn't know what we didn't know.

Wordless Wednesday: August 27, 2014

too hot to anyway...

Travel With Me Tuesday: The Torino Trip-A Snow Day

I haven't done a regular Day 1, Day 2 etc of our trip to Milan and Turin back in March of this year but every once in a while I'll do a page. This was one I just did.

This trip was planned in the heat of the 2013 summer. I said "I want to go somewhere that has snow on the ground." In my head I was wishing for Switzerland in late November but in reality the Italians are a lot more fun than the Swiss, the exchange rate is better and the food...well, I'm not sure I've had a bad Italian meal. Swiss food was good but again, I'd be counting the cost of each morsel going in. That's not fun. So Turin, in the shadow of the Alps, in March it was.

Who would know that after the winter of 2013-14 I would be so sick of cold and snow... who knew.

AAM Monday; PL Week 29

I wasn't much in the mood to do these recent weeks as not a lot happened, I didn't take many photos, and actually that was a good way to spend a lot of July and August. If I had a summer bucket list it might have Do Nothing at the top of the list. That's where I am in life and I believe it suits me.

Stories Matter

#craftthestory

Five on Friday: August 22, 2014

It's been a while since I did this one so you would think I have a lot of thoughts. Not quite since I've spent a lot of quiet time. Not thinking. Just being.

1. Is there a reason someone 'likes' a Pin on Pinterest but doesn't Pin it?  Is that supposed to make the original pinner happy or get a large score or what?

2. My dh and eldest grandaughter are coming home today from almost a week in Alaska fishing. I believe there is also fish coming back with them!

one of his halibut

a small cod of hers

3. Tuesday was one of those 'heavy' days where the humidity and warm weather just seemed to hang. The kind of day that feels like it wants to rain. I was at my volunteer job and the teenage girls were acting up, no one was on time and everything seemed to be in confusion. I suspect the weather unsettled people and was to blame.

4. Smoked string cheese! I found it at Wegmans and oh I love it. I could eat the whole package I fear.

5. Today I had my first visit back at the chiropractor for a while. My neck was getting pretty stiff from both the strange angle it's at in the water aerobics with the flotation device as well as straining to see some things on the computer. You'd think it would balance out but it didn't.  Feels good now!

I hope you have a wonderful weekend and I'll see you again on Monday.

TBT - My Boys in Britain 1972

My two boys in England, back in 1972.  The younger one was born in January 1972 so I suspect this shot may have been done for the older one's birthday in August. Big brother is happy to look at whatever the cameraman was holding but younger one is happier to explore his toes. A great shot of both boys and one that always makes me smile.

I decided to use this image this week because the older boy is having a birthday next week.  Happy Birthday to my firstborn!

Wordless Wednesday: August 20, 2014

can't disagree here

Travel With Me Tuesday: The End Finally Cometh

I tended to wonder if this album would ever be completed and then it was. I had sent almost all the layouts to be printed, got them back and put them in the album. Then I realized I had not done the very last day. It was a very special day for me and one that kind of summed up everything about Portugal that I liked.

Mama's In School Today

No "5 on Friday" this week, as I'm taking a 3 day JinShinJyutsu course. I've taken many in the past but this one concentrates on teaching self-help.

I hope I find a way to share this wonderful way to help others help themselves. There's no cost to help yourself, and it's non-invasive. Just a gentle way to get your own body to smile again.

Have a great weekend!

TBT: San Angelo TX 1967

Long ago I was newly married and living in San Angelo Texas. It was truly a culture shock for this East Coast girl. I say girl despite the fact I was 22 and pregnant with my first child. I thought I knew it all but it's only in looking back that I see how unprepared I was for so much of my life.

But I was very happy to be having this baby, the morning sickness was now gone, and it was not too hot yet in San Angelo. I loved this dress that my mother had made me though I have no recollection of the particular day or who took the photo. I suspect it was our friend Carl who had driven down from Maryland with us. He and my husband were finishing up their time in the Air Force. 

Most days my husband wore his fatigues to work so this had to be a special day or just dressed for Sunday Mass. Yes, we dressed up back then. 1967 is a world away in more ways than time.

btw, that baby will be turning 47 later this month. I still love him dearly.

Wordless Wednesday: August 13, 2014

damn, it was good

Travel With Me Tuesday: Final Day in Lisbon

This truly has been the largest travel album I've made. It was a great trip and a lot of fun making the pages. The true godsend to that process was the blogposts I made each night. I've neglected doing that for a lot of trips or even making a journal type entry. However, it makes the later album a snap to make. Just sayin'.

Just one more post to come and then I'll have to start another album, won't I???

AAM Monday: August 11, 2014

Back from my week of dogsitting,  I accomplished a few things.

I was able to - get a fairly good handle on PSE11 after balking about starting to use this version for quite a while. I still find a few things wonky but I managed to make a few layouts in this version.

 

I was able to - enjoy time with the not so happy dog and adjust to his schedule and his ways. I did come home, however, with black and blue marks on my leg and stomach from his jumping up now and then. His family can handle that. I can't.

I was able to - manage to eat fairly well considering I didn't do much that didn't involve sitting at the computer or sitting watch tv.

I was able to - finally learn how to use the Verizon DVR and watch shows and concerts that I'd never managed to see before. Where have I been all these years???

I was able to - survive on one, just one,  Trader Jo's special chocolate bar during the week. Chocolate is not junk food.

I was able to - get to the Farmers Market and get luscious peaches, tomatoes and some lima beans. The latter came home with me for my dh.

It was a darn good week.

ByE ByE FRIDAY: August 1, 2014

Where am I? not home for a week. A week all by myself. A week where there's a bit of a net break again. A happy healthy week. See you soon!