§ Weekend Funnies...

With all the tragedies that have happened with Turkey/Syria this past week [I cried for joy when I saw the newborn infant being rescued even tho her mother perished in the rubble]. I thought a little humor could be in store...At least for a moment or two, these can bring a smile to those in need, and we can pause for a bit of laughter:

...and my favorite---

§ To Blog or Not to Blog...

Let me begin with a bit of humor!
I need it!!!

I haven't been blogging for a while. Nor much of anything. A bit of winter depression has set in over the last week, and being outdoors seeing all the winter kill of our 'tropical' plants just sets me in a foul mood! And I have been trying to avoid the Chinese Spy Balloon news...wondering if this was really legit...so many questions arose while reading news online from several sources. Why on earth, if it was a spy balloon, did it take so long for the USA to shoot it down?!! Another thougt came across my mind was that China owns a lot of land in Montana...did they actually launch it from THERE or was it really a weather balloon. Waiting forever to blow it out of the sky while all along China is collecting info through the onboard computer?!!? I just can't get myself to trust our OWN government any more.

I've actually taken my word of not doing any interior painting for the past week or so. I am still recouping from back pain and kinks in my neck. LOL That's my excuse and I'm sticking by it!

This past week, little, disruptive of a day, tasks were in order:

pulling weeds

getting my driver's license renewed since it expires on my birthday, the 9th of February, it's good until 2031!

making a pot of baked beans from scratch [a day's job]

grocery shopping for the month

reading

a little decorating around the house for Valentine's Day

catching up on laundry

walking in the park

online jigsaw puzzles

dusting, vacuuming, scrubbing, etc.

watching the series 1883

...things like that!

I have gone, and did a small limited time of, walking. It finally warmed up on Sunday, near 80 degrees [F] as it should be here...but another wintry cold snap is predicted. Went around the flower beds and even in the lawn and pulled thistle Sunday enjoying the sunshine. Tried to watch the Pro Bowl Flag Football...what a waste of time money and effort televising THAT!

Went to the bookstore and picked up my ordered book [cheaper going through the bookstore than ordering from amazon!] This book I've been searching the shelves at the store for some time now, and not finding it...finally ordered it....the book? Well, a memoir of a Holocaust survivor and her CAT!!! I've only read about 6 chapters, but it will, I think, become a page turner. What can go wrong with an added guardian angel feline?!!!

The incredible true story of a young girl who navigated dangerous forests, outwitted Nazi soldiers, and survived against all odds with the companionship of a stray cat. Growing up in the Polish village of Tarnogrod on the fringes of a deep pine forest, Mala Szorer had the happiest childhood she could have hoped for. But at the age of twelve, as the German invasion begins...
read more of the synopsis HERE

PS...at the park, looking for birds, I spied the very first Texas Bluebonnet for the season!!!

Be like a flower waiting to bloom despite winds and storms.
~Anne Nolette Andre

§ Miscellany....

Blogger is not cooperating for me this time around. So, just photos posted for today...

Humor:



Heart shape:



Dolphins:



Park Bench at birding center:

§ Weekend Funnies....

§ April Fools Day

Some of you know I am a die-hard baseball fan! And as I sat at my computer this morning [April Fool's Day -My daughter's 53 birthday], I was thinking this poor guy with the same name as the actor who committed a faux pas during the 94th Oscar telecast [shame] must be getting all kinds of harassment [all in fun I hope] because of his name! Will Smith!! When he walked out on the field he was BOOed! Was it because of the day in the year, can people be that naïve to think it was the one and the same? I don't know, but I pity both the ball player and the actor. I know it was wrong what he did with Chris Rock, and I know all actors have an ego that tops all...but, I can only say, I've not lived in his shoes [nor his wife's]. So, I can't judge either on their actions alone. Now...let the Baseball Season Begin!!!!!! Hopefully, this new season will have some good things, take my mind off of the Russian/Ukraine War, the price gouging at the stores, online, autos, gas, etc. And be a good, healthy deterrent of what is/what was.  And one more thing, when I texted my daughter to wish her a happy birthday at 4:34 AM, I told her that about now, 53 years ago, I was being cleaned up from birthing, and she was being slapped silly!!  Of course her comeback was "Glad the doctor channeled his inner Will Smith that morning"!!

A few asked in my recent comment section to share a photo of the new kitchen faucet. Why? I dunno. But since inquiring minds wanna know, here it is...

The brand is a Mohen [is that how it's spelled?]

I took a short drive to Packery Channel to see what the traffic was like. Not bad. Saw a very pretty sunrise over the causeway. But, I didn't stay away from home long as I had a promise to keep at home...

Then, I was out helping Bud trim all the crepe myrtle bushes in our front yard to get rid of the seed pods from last Fall. So, I took my cellphone and snapped a couple of photos of some bushes that are blooming now in our yard. So many [mainly the hibiscus] got frozen again this winter...two years in a row. And they were just coming out of the shock this past autumn, froze again, and I don't know if they'll come back. My hybrid hibiscus [the mini blossom, varigated leaves] has a lot of new spring growth. For which I am very happy. And the Tombstone Rose [Lady Banks] is beginning to bloom profusely...I'll get a photo of that too in a bit. For now, two I share...the gardenia's first blossom for the season, and the plant called "Mexican Fire Bush"...

My newest book to read is a twist on the assassination of the Lincoln conspiracy; a subject that has held my interest for decades. The author claims to be a distant relative of JWB, and he is proposing that perhaps John Wilkes Booth was NOT the one captured outside of Washington D C, but an accomplice. And that Booth lived under an assumed name. I am interested in how this comes about, the author's facts, the perhaps new evidence that could possibly be feasible. I doubt it, but I guess anything is possible. Especially if you consider today's times and how our government "covers up" many events to appease the American people. I will tell you want I think when I finish the book. Truth or "Fake News"?

To make a long story, short, for weeks I've been looking for Isaiah's favorite toy. The "tail" has long been chewed off and thrown away, but the ears still remain. He has played with this from day one when we brought him home after adopting him. But it disappeared. For good, I thought. Then, dusting the venitian blinds behind the entertainment center...there it was!! Trust me it's as small as it looks! Perhaps an inch and a half...two inches tops. I was pleased to find it, but not as much as El Diablo [aka Isaiah].

After quite a bit of yard work and picking up around the house, indoors, I was ready for a nice hot shower and a quiet evening with TV on and watching a new FBI on CBS. But first, hot BBQ pork sandwiches, home made potato salad, tossed salad and carrot cake for desert. By now, all clean and spiffy and ready for an hour or two of reading after watching TV, I will don my sleep shirt...

I don't give a rat's A$$
It's just how I feel these days.

§ Signs of the Times...

It's been cold, gloomy, gray, wet, and rainy for the last few days. Still. I've cleaned house, baked a bit, sat and listened to the rain fall, read my book, and seemed to get more bored as the hours slowly passed by. I thought I'd find some humor to share for the day. I have photos I could work on to make a blog, but just don't have my heart in it these days...I need to get outside. Most of all, I need to see the sun! It's still up there isn't it?

So, a bit of some humor to lighten the mood....

snopes:. false claim

§ Whizzzzzzin'....

My son texted me this and I really had to laugh. Literally LOL Watch closely!!! It's best to view at full screen. The smaller version may not show the 'treat' clearly enough to enjoy.

I hope it works



And this reminded me of a comment several days ago I read in my blog. Here too, I had a good chuckle from the typo. And, I'm not pointing fingers to anyone. It just hit my funny bone! It was an usual "great photos, etc. Anni" But at the end salutation there was a letter left off...it stated "Have a good wee." I can't find it now. I don't know how far back the comment was.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/cJCo16qUrsk
Just in case the video doesn't load, use the above link.

§ Friday Funnies -FIVE...

...and this one is a photo from my cellphone. Y'all know how I "love"* Walmart [what a rip-off store & this proves my point.]

*yes, I'm being sarcastic!!!

§ A Philosophical Question....

From Nicholas, that turned into a hurricane and made landfall near Freeport, Texas just south of Houston, here in Corpus we only got wet. "He" stayed clear of our home. No flooding in our neck of the woods. I'm not sure about other parts of the city, or what happened on the islands with the extreme low-lying areas and the water/storm surge. I understand, by the local news coverage, power outages were minimal; we weren't affected. The winds were gusty at times. In fact, by mid afternoon, we actually saw patches of blue sky...but it soon disappeared and the clouds built up heavily again, but non-threatening. We fared pretty well, thank you.  My biggest concern is our son in Houston.  Am waiting to hear from him.  Now, since we freeze water in bottles for our coolers [ice is very hard to find in stores during the days BEFORE a storm...so we improvise and make our own.  In fact the larger iced bottles of water stay frozen much longer than bagged ice cubes!!] to keep food stuffs cold during loss of power, and Bud kept busy reassembling our BBQ'r to heat drinking water for his French coffee press and my daily oatmeal breakfast.  Today, once I know Erik is okay, we will be taking things out of the freezer [water bottles] and Bud will pack away the small cooker for next time so it isn't cumbersome and in the way in our garage.  The ice goes out on plants in the yard, and we will begin saving more of the bottles for the use in the future if need be.  In case you're concerned with heating water as we do, we use our covered front porch because so many lives have been lost with using such devices indoors and dying because of carbon monoxide poisoning.  Just common sense.  Now, maybe it's too early, but perhaps later...are you ready for a smoothie?----

tomato and bloody mary graphic borrowed from Google Search

§ Define Apathy...

It's not depression, but I may have a 'case of apathy' these days. What with the evacuation news on TV and the internet, the Covid numbers [mostly the Delta variant] rising drastically in my county, the inferno [yesterday heat index was 115°], the west coast fires, the hurricanes [one front we're watching here along the coast of Texas is predicted to go into the Bay of Campeche in a day or two] ...and flooding up north, the Saharan dust storms blanketing my city and it's predicted to stick around until after Labor Day. The days drag on, I feel trapped indoors and easily become bored with it all. It's like a trigger is there, but no one is pulling it to get anything done...so routine. Yep, apathy. Here, but not here. Y'know the feeling? I am definitely happiest when I'm outdoors; not cooped up inside. Sure, I go shopping for a few hours to pass time, but even shopping has become boring. I should get to the blood lab for a lipid test, but I can't get myself motivated for that either...I think about being in the lab with dozens of unmasked people just spreading their germs -coughing, sneezing, without a care in the world...a petrie dish! I choose to wait for the virus to slow down in spreading. I just can't afford to catch anything with my heart condition. Speaking of my heart...I haven't even registered for the 5K heart walk yet. And, it's next month! Last year it was cancelled, and I haven't heard if it will 'run' this year or not. Should check on it. At least THAT is outdoors!! Today I think I'll give myself a manicure and pedicure to break up the monotony.

We had Mexican for dinner last night cheese and chicken enchiladas, refried beans and Spanish rice. I wanted a beer to go with it. Icy cold beer!! So, I opted for the non-alcoholic kind. We have "Texas Select" in the fridge. [Coors for regular; good beer!] I just assumed it was brewed in the state of Texas. WRONG!! What was I thinking? That's not the 'case'. Check out the back 'label' on the can...

Texans can't even get THAT right?!!! Misleading...but, no where on the can does it say brewed in Texas by Texans. Shoulda mixed up a margarita instead! lol

Oh, and this was a bit on the lacking common sense issues I've mentioned a lot here of late! I decided to work a bit on decorating for Halloween, and brought in the stored box that holds the black tree for the holiday to assemble it and get it readied for decorating. Now mind you, it's been sealed with the shipping tape since the day I brought it home from At Home last year. Never opened until a few days ago. Once I got the tape cut, and opened the box to take out the pieces-parts, guess what was in the BOTTOM of the box? UNDER all the branches?!! The instructions for assembly. Note Step ONE!!

I swear, the whole 'dam' human race is doomed!!

Okay, enough of trying to bring everyone down with me, to lighten the mood a bit, I will share this. I do love practical jokes...playing them and having them played on me. This one, I think tops it for ingenuity. I'd give it a 'brilliant' rating. Ready?

§ Start the Week with a Bit of Humor!!

None of these images are mine. No copyright infringement intended. Shared from my email account from family members. My favorite is the play on words of the last one...just a "mere" cat!

§ Replacing Plants - Fun Signs - Wall Photos

Allrighty then...Monday I went to pick up 4 bird photos of mine that I had printed out to frame and add to my bird sanctuary [dining room]. It's a triplet frame from Walmart. These are my three latest "new birds" seen in South Texas. The hawk is over a year old. It's been sitting in my computer folder because the photo store hasn't been printing photos for customers because of Covid, but began this month. The other two, the cuckoo and the oriole are this Spring.
...Ferruginous Hawk, Bullock's Oriole, Black billed Cuckoo...

_ _ _

After lunch I went out to drain all the standing water in flower pots from our heavy rainstorm on Sunday. If water sits in the pots that have no drainage, the plants rot. I just recently purchased three to begin replacing some dead ones we've been digging out. Three hibiscus...two red and one yellow multi-colored. The one in the middle is a Lantana that is coming back from the root system. We will eventually buy more to replace those lost, but we wish to plant a few/buy a few...slow and steady wins the race. I don't wanna get hasty 'cause we'd buy something we may not like eventually:

_ _ _

Then, for fun, a bit of sign humor. These are not mine, I found them while reading my phone's news feed. All are found in Austin, and these at this establishment has brought on a 'sign war'. Humor is everywhere these days in Texas along the roads. Which, in my opinion, we so desperately need! I took a screen shot of a few to share:

↓ My 2nd Troll Share ↓

TROLL DOLL COLLECTION Troll Babies* *Pink one is about the size of my thumb c: late 60s