§ Trump Would Probably Want Birth Certificate Proof?

Is this politically correct any more?   Hmmmm, let me think on this and I'll get back to you. In the meantime, they're still violets...AFRICAN violets to be exact, and the few I have on the windowsills are all in bloom!  Trust me, they are American born. 

I'm thinking I need one more plant, to make it an even half dozen. Maybe a deep violet/burgandy? Or white? 

§ ...and After the Rain Came

After Bud and I went to lunch at Jason's Deli, returning home in the rain, the aftermath of the drenching dictated to me that I go out in the yard with my cellphone camera primed, and get the raindrops on flowers. That 'raindrops on flowers' makes me feel like singing along with Julie Andrews on a bit of my favorite things...

§ I Wasn't Doing Much SINGING in the Rain this time!!!

...the storm

The morning started out with overcast skies. I left to walk a bit. The humidity was high, the surf was up. I knew a storm was brewin' out in the west. Before I returned to the car to get on my way back home, I received a text weather alert from *806319 [emergency alerts]. It told me that a goodly chance of severe weather was about to happen in my county, thunderstorms, high winds at 60MPH plus, and heavy rainfall. Yet, I lingered outdoors. I sat by the car along Packery Channel and watched the herons watching a fishermen pull in his catch. Once in the car, heading out from the channel's parking lot, I turned toward the causeway and put the pedal to the metal to get over the bridge before the rain....the clouds were ominous, and blackened. I figured I was in for a bumpy ride!!! By the time I got off the causeway bridge and dropping down into the suburb of Flour Bluff, I was driving in flooding rains. I pulled off and stopped in Walmart to sit this storm out. I bought something I've been thinking of doing for months. Some project that I haven't done in probably 55-60 years. [more on this in a bit] I had plenty of time to browse all the aisles. lol I texted Bud and told him I was waiting out the storm [I hydroplaned once already I didn't want to do it again and lose control of the car before arriving home, safely]. Once the storm subsided enough for me to drive slowly, I got home...opened the garage door with the remote, got out of the car, walked out the opening, and took photos of my Easter Lilies in the front yard, closed the garage door and BAM....the power went off. No electricity for two hours Hot and miserable inside.

So...during all the heavy, street flooding rains for a couple of days, we kept busy indoors. Besides reading and movies on our TV we did some of this and that...



Rain drenched Lilies...


...we finished a jigsaw puzzle

Since I had plenty of time in Walmart, I walked over to the craft/sewing aisles. Picked out some stuff, and went through the iron-on transfers. OWLS. The other stuff was a yard each of light brown, off white, and olive green material. And some EMBROIDERY THREAD. I am going to attempt to embroidery the owls on 12"x12" squares [without the days of the weeks...that will be cut off before transferring them to the cloth] - if all goes well, I will make a quilt. I even may buy some alphabet transfers and write Hootin' Anni at the bottom strip. That remains to be seen tho. Oh....btw, I have to find my embroidery hoops [I have metal myself, but I know I still have my mother's also. Her's is antique..wooden.]

By mid afternoon, the storm passed us and was on its way to Houston and Louisiana. The sun came out, the power was restored. I finished my afternoon by making Butter Pecan cupcakes with pecan-coconut icing. Painted the birdbath and admired another blooming amaryllis.

before - - - after

§ PBJ = Plants, Books, and Joy[?}

I can tell you right now, I am ready for Spring!! At least we, down here in South Texas, would have some blue sky once in a while! Ever since September of 2018 we have had so much rain, and days on end without sunshine. I'm really tired of it. Gray sky, barren trees. soppy and muddy ground [the water table just has to be at the ground surface]. Okay, 'nough of me being of the crabby genes, it's time to move on.

First, I promised Ms. G at Connections More that I would update her about a Christmas cactus slip her friend sent me. The first photo is the day the slips arrived. I planted them in potting soil right after I opened the package. The second photo was taken just about a week ago. It's going strong! And thriving. Mostly, it's outdoors, unless the temp drops below 50 degrees. Then, I bring it in until it warms up during the day [if it does]....

When it blooms, it will have the reddest blossoms I've ever seen.  I can't find the photo she shared of her friend's plant 'cause I couldn't find her blog's table of contents.  Maybe she'll find it and share it with us in the comments here.  [nookworm]

ADDENDUM:  Here is the link

- - - -

Then the book I recently finished....it's a good one.  Trust me, it's FICTION, but the characters are real people.  And is it hilarious?  Yes, it is.  It's written in first person [Biden is telling the story throughout - but don't be confused, he is NOT the author], and naturally it takes no imagination to picture Biden and Obama on a murder mystery caper that takes you deep into the unknowns of Delaware with its citizens; and America's boundaries.  The book has been labeled a Bromantic.   Also, yes, as I said, it's quite funny but there are subliminal gestures you catch throughout...like friendship, retirement, old age with a bit of senility added in for humor, aches and pains, golf, memory lane like the 'good ol' days'. security, and more.  Which I found comical 'cause I've experienced a lot of the old age scenarios.  All this is mixed in perfectly with the two solving a murder like Dr. Watson and Sherlock Holmes.The subjects may not be to the liking of some, but the book is really entertaining.  No matter which side of the political fence you're on, keep and open mind and enjoy the story as intended....  I enjoyed it a lot. HOPE NEVER DIES by Andrew Shaffer.

From the website: 

Vice President Joe Biden is fresh out of the Obama White House and feeling adrift when his favorite railroad conductor dies in a suspicious accident, leaving behind an ailing wife and a trail of clues. To unravel the mystery, “Amtrak Joe” re-teams with the only man he’s ever fully trusted—the 44th president of the United States. Together they’ll plumb the darkest corners of Delaware, traveling from cheap motels to biker bars and beyond,

Now to the book I just received through Amazon...

The Ravenmaster.

I'm about half way through it already. It too is a good read. It's about the Tower of London's Ravens that reside in the Tower and are protected. There is a myth about the Tower's Ravens....if they die or cease to exist, the city of London and tower will fall. Speaking of London, as I am reading, legend has it that the name LONDON could possibly be derived [there are many theories] from the word, Lugdunum [page39]; Celtic, meaning the city of ravens. I don't know how true this is, but I find it kinda eerie in context with the subject[s] of the book.

Anyway, so far I've read about the recent ravens, have been introduced to each one and given their personalities and more. I've learned what the Ravenmaster's position and job details are along with background and history of the animal menagerie throughout the centuries. Some descriptions of the surrounding walls, age, construction and lots of interesting things. The current Ravenmaster, the author of the book, gives the reader a first hand experience of what it's like to look after and keep the ravens alive and well, and regales his Army experiences dealing with the ravens in the Tower, which will guarantee the Tower will remain for ages to come [or so folklore tells us].

The book is quite expensive, but I think it'll be worth the price eventually as I keep all books about birds.  lol 

Trying to take a long walk today at a park, the light mist turned into a downpour, I had to turn around, head back home and be stuck indoors longer than I wanted to be...so, lastly today...some bright flowers to lighten up the dreary day I'm having.  From our backyard on January 18th, 2019...

§ How Cold is It?

Okay, on Wednesday this week, I checked weather bug app and we were sitting in a warm tropical zone compared to where my sister lives in Colorado and where our daughter lives in Missouri. Why, even the Sonoran Desert [where we lived for a decade after retiring]; in Tucson....they got snow!!!! But, shiver me timbers, it was bone chillin' cold on the western slope of the Rockies. MINUS nine with the windchill MINUS TWENTY-TWO!!!! I'd be movin' out. There's a reason the app shows an igloo graphic!!! lol Here in Corpus, it's been damp and cold too [mid 40s to high 30s at night], but nothing I would compare to the rest of the country. So, I thought a lot around the US of A is blizzardy, why not show off our green back yard?

[except for the epiphylum in the series - it's indoors, but goes outdoors when temp reaches 50 again]

lantana and Christmas cactus


rose and geranimum



juniper and Christmas cactus bud

turtle wind chime and a new yellow blooming epiphylum shoot I planted in the potting soil just a few weeks ago.  A woman that lives near a park offered me a cutting and I gladly accepted...it is getting a shoot on top.

Here are pictures of HER plant!  She has two...and both are humongous...they are planted at the base of two  [est. 30 ft.] mesquite trees...and outdoors in the ground year 'round.

§ Life's Like a Blog....You Never Know What You'll Get....

Before I left home for the morning, this was at the back dining room window; outside, just before sunrise. I've had two of these plants ever since we moved here, and this year they have bloomed more times than all the years put together! I don't know if it's the record breaking tonnage of rain or what, but I'll take it. The yard smells sweet, with a hint of cinnamon when I'm out cleaning out the bird bath and filling the feeders.

- - - -

I'm writing this up on October 4th, after a day of drive by shooting!! What I mean by that is, it was too hot [91 degrees in October!?!!], and stagnant, algae filled, water continues to stand in the low-lying fields around town. Which means those nasty mosquitoes are STILL thirsty for my blood!! I stick inside the car and photograph birds if and when I can while out shopping; taking the long way home.

I read on the news app that the city sprayed the little burg of Flour Bluff the night before for bugs, so I drove around the horsey-set ranches. Stopping on the narrow road, I saw many many cattle egrets, and a lone llama stranded in the slimy water...

- - - -

Do you ever watch movies over and over to the point you can recite at least some of the script? For instance, one I've been using lately, when I talk to Isaiah these days as I feed him, is from the movie, starrring Harry Belafonte and Rod Steiger [an old classic] - "In the Heat of the Night"....Only thing is I changed ONE VOWEL!!! "THEY CALL ME MR. TUBBS" [instead of Mr. Tibbs] Why, you ask? Here's why....our little kitten is NOT so little any longer...he's growing like a weed and getting heavier and heavier by the hour almost, or so it seems...

Mr. Tubbs----

- - - -

Things I've bought recently. And yes, they're nothing I could live without. Halloween Glow in the Dark knee high stockings, and a flickering jack o lantern..

...a pair of Texas A and M Longhorn earrings from the Botanical Gardens where I can get a membership discount:

...and a selfie stick!



- - - -

The book I'm reading now...