§ A Look Back in Time....

Perusing blogs of others here of late, I have witnessed many authors going back in time with sharing photos of themselves and antiques from kitchens, etc. I enjoy these posts a lot. It is not only nostalgic, but it brings back memories of yore from my youth and early adulthood as well. I was too lazy to get all the photo boxes/albums down from the shelves, but I knew where a few "oldie" photos were. They are all in my old day planner at my desk. And they were handy to reach and get them photographed with my cellphone [remember scanners? Does anyone use them anymore...cellphones are so convenient!] and get them resized to share here. I apologize for the quality and clarity, they are OLD!! The first one, at the beginning of this post, is of me 1 1/2 weeks old!! If you embiggen the image, perhaps you can see the bird pattern on the blanket [bottom left]? Perhaps the beginning of my bird fetish!!

I guess for each photo taken there is a story behind it. And this one is no different. Many times at this age, I was told NOT to go near the 'crick'. Which in my language... it's creek! "The water is too swift and you will fall in and drown. Stay away from it." Of course I had that attitude "You can't tell me what to do" from the beginning of time! I went to the creek and threw rocks. Had a gay old time. Family searched and searched for me with the fear of the worst. I was hiding! I knew I was in trouble. Mud and all! So...the baby picture with the bird pattern, notice this one. Look close...on the wood door frame, there is a star...the Lonestar of Texas [Nebraska actually]. Do you see a pattern here? Seems I have been influenced and fate had a grip on me as a toddler to get to Texas. I wasn't born there, but got here as quickly as I could.

Since my sister and I have been celebrating our very own special Sister's Day on the 18th of March for years now, I thought it'd be appropriate to share this one. I was 2, my sister was 9! I have no idea where this photo was taken [she doesn't remember either], but it IS Nebraska of course. She DOES remember the colors of our dresses tho. Her's was dark blue plaid and mine was turquoise and white. We were inseperable forever. Always will be. In many cases we are two peas in a pod. Most everything in our lives and thoughts match to a "T". We sync our clocks, and each year we toast [me facing west to Colorado and she facing southeast to Texas] with a glass of champagne [I guess the correct term now-a-days is Sparkling Wine]. Here's to Sisterhood!!

§ Table Top Garden...

I've been testing the waters, so to speak, with my new smartphone, and wi-fi connection and camera options [I like cameras...this one has so many nifty things...even a photo GPS!].  With our new senior plan, the internet connection GB are a lot less than what we previously had, so I think I'm not gonna like it much without a wi-fi connection and MORE internet browsing GB. We'll see. For now, today, instead of hotspot through the phone I'm going thru wi-fi. I guess. LOL...at least I think so. Not sure. Will find out sooner or later. With all phone carriers using hotspot, if after you use your allotted monthly giga-bytes the connection speed really slows down to a snail's pace. I cannot handle slow! I feel the need for speed!!

Anyway, it's been foggy for the last few days, I'm not going out, birding. Instead we work in the yard with winter kill clean-up for a couple of hours and call it quits for the day. There will be much more this year than the previous years, I do not lie!! But, I wanted to show you something...

For my birthday, my sister had shipped to me FEDex a "Table-top garden". She knows I love Spring flowers that we took for granted in Colorado. But, for here, zone 9, for planting such as daffodils, tulips, hyacinths...they don't do well at all. The bulbs rot in the ground with the water table being so high and warm ground. Hence, my "table-top garden"...

I kept it boxed in the garage during the 17 degree nights, and once that front moved out, I put it outdoors on the patio, and it's doing well...

The first to show signs of budding flowers were the hyacinths...

...and it didn't take long for a bee to find the blossoms!

§ Jamaica Mahn!!!!

I'm back!! My sister and I had a special Sister's Day celebration planned for over a year now. On Sister's Day 2018, we boarded a cruise ship. We went to the Caribbean...three ports, to Jamaica!!

I'm now back in the USofA, and will begin catching up on laundry, over 600 photos taken from the ship and our ports of call, along with some excursions we had planned once we docked at our towns.  And LOST SLEEP.

For now, just a few photos.  From Galveston Texas, Cozumel, Mexico to Grand Cayman and Jamaica...

§ A Tale of Two Sisters - Part I

On our 48th wedding anniversary, with my sister at our table, we three celebrated in style. Asking for a private table, special accommodations were made. Our waiter was terrific. He treated us as if we old folks  were royalty! Seriously. First, a chilled bottle of Pinot Noir [a dark red wine]. We drank to our years together...and was even serenaded by Geraldo [our waiter]. A shortened version of Josh Groban's Believe to go along with the night's theme and festive mood.

...Bud and Me...Just the Two of Us...

Believe in what your heart is saying

Hear the melody that's playing

There's no time to waste

There's so much to celebrate

again, in Spanish...

Cree en lo que tu corazón está diciendo.

Oye la melodía que está tocando.

No hay tiempo que perder,

Hay tanto para celebrar.

...then again in English

Believe in what your heart is saying

Hear the melody that's playing

There's no time to waste

There's so much to celebrate

His voice was beautiful...and pitch/keyed perfectly. I, personally, enjoyed the song in Spanish more!! Wow. Romantic as heck.

We had steak and quail with choice of veggies and potato.

Then, Geraldo [and sister ordering this] again surprised us with a good ol' Southern dessert.

He brought us warmed pecan pie and ice cream... with Bud and I, a lighted candle on ours!! BELIEVE me when I say that was the BEST pecan pie I have EVER had!! It was a most memorable evening and anniversary. We went home tired, relaxed and filled with happy. Thank you, Geraldo, for making our evening so special.

...stay tuned for part two of the Tale of Two Sisters

§ Visitation Rights!!

My sister is going to be here shortly for a 10 day visit. I will NOT BE BLOGGING again until after the 18th of May; except to update my bird photo blog next Saturday. I have a pre-scheduled post ready for May 14th at noon at I'd Rather B Birdin'.

In the meantime, enjoy this scene...

This is after crossing JFK Causeway on North Padre Island... heading out to Mustang Island early in the morning just after sunrise...taken with my cellphone & thru the car window.

§ Oh....the Weather Outside Is.....DELIGHTFUL!!

Today, I'm gonna play catch-up on my posting. Since Sunday's post was a severe weekend weather update, with power and cable outages most of the two days, I missed writing about Sister's Day celebration. Friday morning, my sister and I were on speaker phone together as we opened our gifts we sent each other to celebrate being sisters...I sent her almond tea cookies and flavored teas along with an imported silver bolo necklace with a filigreed 'real' leaf on the pendant. She sent me an infinity scarf with bird figures and a Willow tree figurine "Simple Joys...You're Simply a Joy in my Life". I believe this is our 28th consecutive year we've done this together. We toasted, with synchronized clocks, at 7:30PM with each a glass of champagne "To Siserhood...live long and well"!!...

In my previous post, I also mentioned that with boredom overtaking me, I packed away the St. Patrick's stuff and put out a few Easter things to decorate a bit...





And, again, yesterday, one comment after the post mentioned all the yard flowers I shared the week before. Well, I traipsed out in the muddy waters to inspect damages. Not much other than a flooded yard. The trees and flowers faired well. Except for the pink petunias I planted a little over a week ago; they were pretty well chopped up, but I found a few unscathed...



Geranium & Foundation Ferns


Tombstone Rose & Don Juan Climbing Rose


Fairy & Gazing Ball [it didn't get broken in the storm!]


Bougainvillea and Palm with Bird Bath  - Another Don Juan Climbing Rose


Rose Bud & Pyracantha Blossoms [white flowers]


Wild Rose & Red Hibiscus [this was a Sister's Day gift several years ago]

So, despite having no internet and power over the weekend, everything is nearing normal once again. I thank all who visited with me. After I take advantage today of having the birding islands to myself all day, and enjoying more outdoors, I will play catch-up with visiting y'all!!

Signing off for the day. Ya, I have internet access, and elated.

§ A Mystery, a Movie, Mayhem, Matriach, and Myself

Movies:  Long ago, in fact the year was 1959....I was ten!! My mom and dad allowed me to go to the movie theater alone. This movie holds a bit of nostalgia for me since it was the FIRST MOVIE I saw in a theater. I fell in love with Stephen Boyd [even tho he was reported being gay...that chin cleft just about blew me away. He played Messala in Ben Hur...the evil counterpart of Ben Hur]. For a pre-teen the dark hair and those piercing steel gray-blue eyes with Irish good looks, well...the rest is history. Anyway, Erik, our son, texted me that in August of this year, Ben Hur is going to return to the big screen. I anxiously await its remake!! I just KNOW I'll be sitting on the edge of my seat during the chariot race to make his family, enslaved by the Empire, free. Revenge couldn't smell as sweet!! I'm 100% sure I'll see it more than once.

Watch the 2016 BEN HUR Trailer
Ben Hur Synopsis

Murder Mystery:  In 2005 an unsolved murder in Aruba...the prime suspect confesses. We knew all along, didn't we?

Mayhem:  Or, another "M" word comes to mind...'mogul'...[I quote from another website] "It will probably come as no shock to you that Donald Trump owned 14,000 apartments by the time he was 27. He owned them under the Trump Management Corporation which he built almost single-handedly (with only a small $1 million “loan” from Daddy Bigbucks)." He is 69...born in 1946.  Of course, his name pops up hourly on the social/news media....but I keep thinking of the historical event from the past....Could the Republican Party be headed to yet another Brokered Convention?  It's a scary thought!!

source

Matriarch: My sister, the oldest living female in our "clan", has been matriarch for nearly 22 years [since my mother's passing]. Annually, for the last two and half decades, the two of us have set aside the 18th of March as Sister's Day. We celebrate with small tokens of sisterhood; sending each other gifts, an early night toasting of champagne with our synchronized clocks to each. I, facing west to Colorado, Sharon [my sister], facing south to Texas. "Here's to Sisterhood. Live long, Live well!" By the way, I can't let her outdo me....I am matriarch of my married name....I am the eldest living female on Bud's side of the family since his sister passed away a couple of years ago. Does that make me feel special? No, not really. But, with sibling rivalry, I can't let my sister have ALL the glory. *wink*

Myself:  48 years ago this month, Bud and I had our first date. Three months later, we were married!! Talk about livin' on the fast track! I guess, for the both of us, tho we knew of each other for over a year...it was love at first sight! Bud, a retired Federal employee with Navy under his belt...Me, before marrying, and working with the school job placement program my junior and senior year, I was head office receptionist at a Chamber of Commerce; during our children's school years I was Office Supervisor at the School District so I could have holidays/spring/summers off when the kids were home during their breaks, then, a retired coordinator for a psychiatric facility. Two children -1969 and 1972- Irene and Erik [a safe house counselor in Missouri and a former Marine Corporal now a college professor in Houston] two grandsons -1989 and 1996- a grandson's engagement this year. It all equals a grand 48 years this coming May 11th, when we celebrate our life together as one. ...This is a repeat posting of my photo; posted each March on my blog at some point.

Also, today,  linking to: Willy Nilly Friday and Five on Friday