Our Newest Family Member

What do you get a retired guy who has everything he needs, refuses to make a Christmas wish list and simply takes the fun out of the holiday by telling folks NOT to buy him anything?

Apparently, a REALLY, REALLY  BIG FISH !!!!


The Big Guy is a tropical fish enthusiast. He has maintained a large home aquarium (often more than one) since he was nine years old. He owned a fish store at one time and our home is decorated in what I like to refer to as "Traditional Sea Life".

With this in mind, one of Santa's helpers thought we truly needed a 4 foot long, helium-filled, remote controlled clown fish. Who knew there even were such fish in the sea at our local mall?

The first night, Big Fish simply explored the living room.

Using the remote, one can make him go up and down and steer him by moving his tail fin.  Turned off and left to his own devices,  he does the usual helium balloon thing of floating aimlessly (and silently) around the house on his own. Once I got past the creepiness of this "wandering", we started to make fun of him and took pictures of his strange antics, posting them on FB with captions.  (We're now getting messages both for and about him!!) Folks want to know what he's up to!

We figured he was getting hungry when he tried to go into the kitchen.

The Big Guy is determined that he is merely a generic clown fish and is NOT Nemo. So, we call him "FISH" or "BIG FISH".

Wonder what the little guys in the tank thought when they saw him!! We did NOT pose him. He went over to take a look all on his own!

In the first week here in the house, he had enough helium, and we kept him balanced enough (through the adjustable levels of ballast suggested), to keep him fairly close to the ceiling. At that height, he was unable to clear doorways so he stayed in the stairwell, the living room or the hallway. in that state he would work his way to a specific doorway and simply stick his nose in the room to look around but his top fin kept him from going into those rooms.

We have found there is one spot in the living room where he kind of noses his way into the corner and tends to stay there a while. The other day he had been sitting there for hours when he overheard me on the phone telling a family member that we had snow through the night and the street was pretty well coated. We watched, stunned, as Fish quickly backed out of his corner and turned to stare out the picture window.  He then circled the living room and headed down the hallway(as if running from the snow.)  

Did I mention he has now lost enough helium that he can enter the various rooms on his own ?

Well, I found him later, floating over our bed staring at a picture of a seagull. I think he was yearning for a warm beach, after all, he IS a TROPICAL fish!!! (Personally, snow makes me want to find a warm, sunny beach, too!)

Happy New Year !!

Happy New Year,  Everyone!!

Here's to a happier, healthier, safer New Year for all of us. May we all be a bit wiser, a bit more patient and tolerant and a huge lot of happier in 2013!!!!


A fresh new year = a fresh new start. After 6 months of a blogging "sabbatical" for me, I hope to be back here on a regular (if not daily) basis. My last post was on 4th of July, complete with fireworks, so it is only right that my comeback post includes fireworks once again!!

I'm not offering any long apologies or explanations here today - just announcing my efforts for a comeback. Hopefully, someone is still out there listening. I would, however, like to thank those of you who have stayed in touch or have contacted me just to touch base during these last few months. I appreciate your messages and thoughts.

Hope to chat with you again this week.

Again, HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

HAPPY 4TH, Y'ALL !!!

Happy July 1st, Everybody!!!

 If you are out celebrating this weekend,

 please do it safely and have a great time enjoying your freedom and rights

 but please keep those who are off in distant locations

  fighting to preserve those freedoms and rights for you

 in your thoughts and prayers.

I didn't plan this long hiatus but life just got in the way and I haven't discovered how to cram more than 24 hours into a day or more than 7 days into a week. If you have, won't you please tell me how?  

I hope to be here to speak with you on a regular basis again. It's been a long, chaotic couple of months and I've missed all of you so very much. 

Of course, it is a busy, super full weekend for most of us and we are off at a fast pace already. So much to do, so few hours and, oh, so very hot!!! We, like most of you, are hovering in the low 100s this weekend. Add an 87% humidity level to a 100 degree day and all one can say is "YUK!!!"  


We are lucky at our house. We have power. So many of our friends and family don't as the area experienced unbelievably damaging storms late Friday night and damages are comparable to hurricane damage (without the flooding). For many, restored power is still days away.


In an effort to commiserate with our friends, we are heading outdoors into the heat for a day long festival featuring lots of music, food and fun. It will be approximately 103 throughout most of the day but the park does have some shade and cold drinks will be readily available (for a price!)  We did the same on Friday (same event, different entertainment), sitting out there from noon until 10:30 p.m. in 104 degree heat!! Yes, we ARE crazy, as a matter of fact !! 

The Night Before Easter

'Twas the night before Easter. All was calm and laid back.
Fred, the mouse in the kitchen, snarfed down a late snack.
The eggs were all dyed but still drippy and sticky...
To be honest, they looked just a little bit icky.
There were big jelly beans, chocolate bunnies and such,
And as Fred stuffed his face, he sighed, "This is too much!"
Phil and Rose were in bed watching late night TV,
While munching saltines with low-sodium Brie.

Then a sudden commotion rang out in the night.
It shook Phil and Rose, really gave them a fright.
Phil's hair stood on end, and his eyes bugged out big...
Rose whipped off the covers and knocked off her wig.

They lunged to the window, yanked open the blinds...
What they saw was amazing; it boggled their minds:
Across the night sky, with a noise like the dickens,
Soared a minivan drawn by eight overgrown chickens!

At the wheel sat a bunny -- cute, fuzzy and fat --
In designer blue jeans and a Panama hat.
Like a speeding space shuttle, those chickens they flew,
As the van driver called to each hen in his crew:

"Now, Ashley! Now, Sheila! Now, Kelsey and Bo!
On Bethany, Liza! On Daphne, on Flo!"
The van made its landing lickety-split ...
Nearly wiped out the shrubs and the barbecue pit!

Then up on the roof, much to Phil's consternation,
They squawked of egg prices and space navigation.
They made so much noise that Phil started to stammer,
"If you guys don't shut up, we'll get thrown in the slammer!"

Fuzzy hopped down the chimney, amidst all this racket,
And emerged from the fireplace, adjusting his jacket.
This bunny was chic, he had class, he had flair ..
Not your average bozo, not your typical hare.

His ears were enormous; his huge overbite
Was right under a nose like a pink neon light.
His manner was smooth, he was hip, he was cool;
This floppy-eared bunny was no fuzzy fool.

"While I'm here," he smiled, "Everybody relaxes ...
I'm not selling storm windows, won't audit your taxes.
I'm just here to bring you some fun and delight.
Eat, drink, and be merry! Let's party tonight!"

So they sipped diet soda and swapped silly jokes,
Those birds and their bunny just being plain folks.
Then flop-ears said, "Hey, friends, we've had quite a ball,
But my chickens and I are now due in St. Paul!"

He crossed both his eyes. Then he wiggled one ear,
And he yelled to his chicken team, "We're outta here!"
As the minivan rose in the 3 a.m. sky,
He called out, "Later, Phil! And to you, Rose, good-bye!"

As he sped out of sight, his two friends heard him say,
"Happy Easter to all! Have a beautiful day!"

Author Unknown

MARCHPHOTOADAY

I've joined the Marchphotoaday Challenge along with Mama Tink and some other bloggers. Basically, every participant posts a picture of a specific subject for each day of the month.

Today's subject is "where you relax":

I am most comfortable and most relaxed when I am near the water -
river, ocean, lake, whatever.

This bench overlooks a quiet marina near our home. The bench is on the very edge of a large city park that overlooks the point where one can look across both the mouth of the Susquehanna River and across the Chesapeake Bay to the Eastern Shore of Maryland. We spend a lot of time in this park. I like to just sit and watch the activity on the river - boats, birds, ducks, fishermen, etc. We often take our lunch and eat at one of the picnic tables and then just sit and read for the afternoon. There is a boardwalk-like promenade that winds around the point and back into the downtown area of Havre de Grace, MD. A tremendous number of folks walk the promenade each day for their regular exercise routine.

Here's the list if you'd like to play along with the March Photo Challenge, too.

Here a bunny, there a bunny, everywhere a bunny...

I don't know about you, but I have Mega-Dreams tonight !!! I'm giving deep thought to how to spend that $630 million !!!! Of course, taking the cash value and after taxes, it'll only be about $370 mill. So, I guess we'll have to budget a bit, but we'll get by.

Seriously, that's a lot of cash!! Almost more than I can actually fathom. I mean, we always fantasize about how we'd spend a big windfall but this is more like an avalanche of cash ! We've discussed all the normal stuff - a new house, maybe a nice oceanfront beach house, new vehicles, pay off a few student loans for family members, finance college for a few others, pay off a few family houses or get a few of the younger crowd settled in their first houses, maybe helps a few family members supplement their retirement funds, some favorite charities, etc.

Okay, so that's pretty much a drop in the bucket when we're talking these kind of numbers. Which brings us to just how do you invest and protect the money that's left? I mean, handled correctly, we could live very well off the interest alone. As could the next generation. This going to take a lot more thought. Well, we've got from now till 11:30 tonight to work this one out.

So, what are YOUR MEGA DREAMS ?
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Well, I thought joining in on the Marchphotoaday challenge would help me get back into posting on a daily basis. It didn't quite work out that way but it has helped push me in the right direction. Some folks simply posted the subject of the day and a pic without any commentary. I tried to use the photo to trigger at least a short post on the subject. to me, that was the true challenge.

I have seriously been working on gathering photos, research and such to produce some truly informative posts with some true depth. Among those subjects are buttons, antique wax dolls, piano babies, care and feeding of your vintage porcelain figures, vintage textiles, and more. I hope to get these started here early next week. I'd say on the 1st, but then would you take anyone seriously about such promises for April Fool's Day ?

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MARCHPHOTOADAY

I've joined the Marchphotoaday Challenge along with Mama Tink and some other bloggers. Basically, every participant posts a picture of a specific subject for each day of the month.

Today's subject is "toy":

O.K., I'll admit to a little shameless, self-promotion on this one.
She's just one of the adorable sock bunnies I have for sale in my
shop at the moment.
(Last day to order in time for Easter delivery
(in the U.S.) is tomorrow.)

Hey, nobody said it couldn't be a new toy I've just made, now did they?

Here's the list if you'd like to play along with the March Photo Challenge, too.