Once again, since I've been staying home for the most part to stay out of the heat and getting caught in heavy rainstorms most mornings recently, I have made do with playing on the phone [a jigsaw puzzle app], watering plants on the patio, reading, and drawing some. The other day when I was out checking my flower crops, I noticed the incredible clouds that were storm clouds brewing...the higher up in the sky they go, the more moisture will fall...somewhere! I had my cellphone in my pocket so I snapped some photos. Also, once again, I took photos of some flowers blooming in the yard [and bushes]. When I got back indoors I thought I'd attempt getting a very short video of the newest 'gift' I bought for our daughter, Irene. She collects pigs [she has a hutch in her home filled with pigs, pigs, pigs!] This one I couldn't resist. In fact, I've been tempted to keep it for myself...but, I won't. I have enough collections going as it is!! Need to get it to UPS so they can package it and ship it to her!! In the meantime...this is just a few seconds long:
here is a still in case the video doesn't load and 'bobble'...
The morning sky:
Recently, after I uploaded and installed a new puzzle app on my phone...when it starts to get too hot outdoors, I come in to cool down and I usually end up reading my book [a new one I found on Olivia de Havilland -Melanie on Gone With the Wind from 1939] She recently passed away at the age of 104. Speaking of collections, I have tried to find over the last 30 years or so, biographies on all the main characters from that movie...I have Clark Gable, Vivien Leigh, Hattie McDaniels, and have been searching for a couple of good ones...one on Olivia and another on Leslie Howard [Ashley]. I finally found Olivia's Biography-Autobiography published just after her death. It's a good book. Full of Hollywood gossip and tidbits of her early acting career at the age of 16.
Okay, where was I? Oh ya, puzzles. Our puzzle table was torn down and stored for when Erik came to Corpus in May. We probably won't put it back up in the library until all our yard work is done. So, with this app I can get my 'puzzle fix' and I can choose the grade of difficulty. I choose 275 pieces. It's a VERY GOOD app. Many, MANY free puzzles to choose. Altho, it eats up a lot of battery! Maybe 3 to 4 puzzles before the phone's battery is near exhausted. Here are screenshots from the phone's app...
Okay, where was I? Oh ya, puzzles. Our puzzle table was torn down and stored for when Erik came to Corpus in May. We probably won't put it back up in the library until all our yard work is done. So, with this app I can get my 'puzzle fix' and I can choose the grade of difficulty. I choose 275 pieces. It's a VERY GOOD app. Many, MANY free puzzles to choose. Altho, it eats up a lot of battery! Maybe 3 to 4 puzzles before the phone's battery is near exhausted. Here are screenshots from the phone's app...
Same ol' flowers, different days from the last time I posted:
To close off for the day, I have to mention that we decided to do some electrical work ourselves. Luckily Bud did this kinda stuff in the Navy aboard ship. But, that was 60 some years ago!! Give or take a few years. A lot has changed. Arthritic hands and knees, eyesight not so good, etc. etc. But, we conquered the job and saved ourselves over $300. We [mostly Bud] tore our fluorescent kitchen light apart and replaced the ballast behind the bulb casing!!! An hour's job for a professional electrician, it took us 3 hours of up and down the ladder, trips to Lowes in the rainstorms, sore neck breaks often...etc. etc. But, it's now done. I haven't put the light fixture's cover back on yet as I need to get back to Lowes for a new light tube. One's very weak and needs replaced before I put the cover up...why put it all together when another job will come all too quickly!!...and to continue showcasing my Trolls...
↓ My 18th Troll Share ↓
Holiday Themed Mr. and Mrs. Christmas LARGE Soft Scuplture  |
Staying indoors lately 'cause of the nasty cold outdoors, Bud and I purchased two DVDs to watch. The Lone Ranger and Captain Phillips - Respectively, I liked 'em both. The cute story of the Lone Ranger - movie critics practically condemned this flick...for reasons I can't understand...of course it helps to have grown up in the "Lone Ranger" era I imagine. To me it's a combination of Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid, Little Big Man, and of course TV's Lone Ranger. Then the grueling, sit on the edge of your seat Captain Phillips which is so intense after about the first 20 minutes until the end. Captain Phillips is played by Tom Hanks. Both the movie and Mr. Hanks are nominated for Academy awards [movie and leading actor]...and may I add, the United States Navy is depicted here in a good, protective, style. The government may be in need of an overhaul in this country, but the Navy Seals are tops. We ended up watching both a 2nd time this week.
Speaking of movies and movie stars, I read from cover to cover the recently released TV Guide Magazine on the 75 years of Gone With the Wind. Did you know that Vivien Leigh's pay was $25K? And, Scarlet was nearly in every scene...she even had to get up and make-up done at 2 a.m. to do the "As God as my witness, I'll never go hungry again" at sunrise. So, once again, I did some calculating and out to Google I went. Today's wage, comparing to 1939, is equivalent to ---get this: a little over $410K. Seeing the exorbitant pay some leading actors/actresses get in today's time...even in comparison, Ms. Leigh was way underpaid!! By a great margin! By the way, some real life romance for Valentine's Day, another little tidbit from the magazine--Laurence Olivier proposed to her, and she said 'yes' to his marriage proposal on the plane from Europe to America before beginning the making of the movie. For us GWTW movie buffs, there is a lot of unknown information in this publication.
Yesterday, after listening to the song I chose for the week on Themesong, and, if you've been following my blog for several years, you know I have a strong 'fixation' with this particular entertainer!! I told Bud: "Too bad he can't live forever and we can all, for generations to come, continue to hear his wonderful voice". Bud agreed. We were lucky enough to see him in concert, live, while living in Tucson. I was just so amazed at the man's musical talents. Anyway, while talking about him, we both wondered if he retired since we haven't heard many of his songs lately. Of course, it would help if we listened to the radio or kept track of his career. LOL As I was reading his short biographical page on 
