Décolletage

When I was in my teens I longed for cleavage. I was always described as ‘cute’ or ‘pixie-ish’ with the body of a young boy.

What I really wanted to be was curvaceous, voluptuous, zaftig!

I wanted guys to look at me and drool.

My mother used to be able to tuck a note (or my rent) into her cleavage and it would STAY there.

Me? I’d tuck something into mine and it would fall to the floor!

(A point my family would often joke about.)

Well, I’ve gotten my wish.

Now that gravity is having its way with me I have to hoist the girls back up to where they belong!

And I now have the desired cleavage.

Unfortunately it has come too late.

I may have the desired cleavage but on the body of a Grandma it’s kinda’ wasted……..

Be careful what you wish for is all I’m sayin’! 

Thoughts on a Thursday

On growing older.....

The memories of yesteryear are much more vivid than those of yesterday.

Wordless Wednesday

And So We Resume…..

Our forays into home improvement to the lilting sounds of power tools and chiseling up old tiles……

(Wait 'til you read the next installment: spoiler alert....hang onto your hats!!!) 

Punny Monday

  Going to church doesn’t make you a Christian any more than standing in a garage makes you a car.

(footnote:I'm running out of good puns so I've decided to switch to PARAPROSDOKIANS.

PARAPROSDOKIANS (Winston Churchill loved them) are figures of speech in which the latter part of a sentence or phrase is surprising or unexpected; frequently humorous.)

Let’s Face It……

I suck at mixed media backgrounds.

I just can’t seem to get the hang of it…..I put one layer down and suddenly I ‘see’ something and I want to continue to bring out the character/face/critter I see! If I do get more layers down it either turns to ‘mud’ or I see MORE things trying to catch my attention.

Well….anyway…….here ya’ go Carol! 

I will put them in the post as soon as they are dry enough not to stick together in the envelope!  

Thoughts on a Thursday

The world may be going to hell in a hand basket....but you still have to dust. 

Wordless Wednesday

Not All Experiments Work Out…..

I wanted to see if I could (or if I liked) working in a large format. I think my mistake was doing it in watercolor.

I enlarged a pose of Simon and lightly sketched it onto a piece of watercolor paper 22” x 30”.

Then it sat on my easel…and sat and sat and sat….

I inked in his eyes, mouth and whiskers and it sat some more.

I don’t know why I was so apprehensive to add the watercolor but I was. I finally mustered up the courage to just do it…….

AAAAAAND……now you see why I was so intimidated/scared/hesitant

LOL

Husband asked “What are you going to do with it?” 

I guess I’ll cut it up and use it in collages or just use the other side of the paper for other things.

But now I know….

·       I don’t like working in a larger format in watercolor. It might be okay for abstracts but not for portraits.

·       No matter how well you stretch the paper it still warps and buckles.

·       It’s too much of a commitment to work this large. I feel like I’m wasting the ‘good’ paper.

·       It has reinforced the fact that mistakes aren’t the end of the world.

·       You learn more from a disaster than a success.

·       I could probably win an award for procrastination it sat on the easel for so long!!!!

·       Failure isn’t a catastrophe.

Not a bad lesson for the cost of one piece of paper I’d say. 

Punny Monday

Buses stop in bus stations. Trains stop in train stations. On my desk is a work station.

(footnote:I'm running out of good puns so I've decided to switch to PARAPROSDOKIANS.

PARAPROSDOKIANS (Winston Churchill loved them) are figures of speech in which the latter part of a sentence or phrase is surprising or unexpected; frequently humorous.)

It Wasn’t As Bad As I Anticipated….

So, I finally succumbed and made lentil soup.

Since I’m allowed to have as many lentils as I want….snort….. I looked online for a recipe that didn’t seem too distasteful and proceeded, albeit reluctantly, to conjure up something that would be palatable.

I used my Crockpot and, as usual, I tinkered with it a bit adding some chicken broth as well as the vegetable broth. Other than that I stuck to the ingredient list and just ‘estimated’ the measurements.

You know what? It wasn’t that bad!

It’s not that I object to the taste of the lentils, it's that I have an issue with their texture. I’ve always had a texture issue with food, even as a kid. I liken eating legumes to eating wet sand. They are just so….mealy. But this was quite good and after sitting in the Crockpot all day the lentils were less ‘sandy’ than I remember.

I hope you give it a try! I found it on Chowhound. 

Easy Lentil Soup

by Aida Mollenkamp

Difficulty: Easy |

Total Time: 1 hr |

Makes: 6 servings

INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium celery stalk, small dice

1 medium carrot, peeled and small dice

1/2 medium yellow onion, small dice

3 medium garlic cloves, minced

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 quart low-sodium vegetable broth

1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes with their juices

1 1/4 cups lentils (any color except red), rinsed

1 bay leaf

1/4 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme leaves

1 teaspoon red wine vinegar or sherry vinegar

2 ounces spinach leaves (about 1/2 a bunch)

INSTRUCTIONS

1.    Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat until shimmering, about 3 minutes. Add the celery, carrot, and onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened, about 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Season with several generous pinches of salt and pepper.

2.    Add the broth, tomatoes with their juices, lentils, bay leaf, and thyme and stir to combine. Cover and bring to a simmer, about 15 minutes. Once simmering, reduce the heat to low and continue simmering, covered, until the lentils and vegetables are soft, about 15 minutes more.

3.       Taste and season with more salt or pepper as needed, then stir in the vinegar. Add the spinach and stir until wilted. If you prefer a creamier texture, purée half of the soup in a blender and add it back to the pot.

I'm Baaaack!

A great big THANK YOU to everyone who was kind enough to be worried about me and my family during the latest 'apocalypse' Irma. She barreled over us but thankfully we were spared any major damage. I am blessed to have so many friends from around the world who worry about me; you will never know how grateful I am for each and every one of you!!! 

Your heartfelt concern gave me much comfort during an anxious time! 

Thank you one and all!!!! 

We Interrupt Our Regularly Scheduled Program.....

Depending on how all this pans out I may be off-line for a while....

Without power I don't have access to the devices I use to create this blog. 

So......depending on the circumstances there may be a lapse in posts.

 I'll try and keep in touch on other social media. 

Fingers crossed it isn't too bad for anyone. 

Thoughts on a Thursday

Should I stay or should I go..........????

Wordless Wednesday

Angel in Disguise

My paternal Grandfather used to call my mother an 'angel in disguise’......whenever my grandmother wasn’t with him!

My mother doted on him and when he visited she would make all his favorite meals (something Grandma apparently didn’t do) and he would say, “Arline, you’re an angel in disguise!” 

I think it was his way of apologizing for boycotting their wedding. I never knew what the reason was for his not going to their wedding. Maybe he thought his only son could do better. 

Time proved him wrong.

Punny Monday

I used to be indecisive. Now I'm not so sure.

(footnote:I'm running out of good puns so I've decided to switch to PARAPROSDOKIANS.

PARAPROSDOKIANS (Winston Churchill loved them) are figures of speech in which the latter part of a sentence or phrase is surprising or unexpected; frequently humorous.)