Friday Fotos

 

Yeay, it's Friday!

I've so many bits and pieces flying about my brain, I thought it would be best simply to combine everything into a 'show and tell.'  (Some of you remember 'show and tell', don't you?)

First, won't you join me in wishing our lady girls a very Happy 10th Birthday!

Merry Macie, fresh from yesterday's spa day 

and Grumpy Grace ... all worn out

I woke up feeling all kinds of guilty for not getting them a present ... so went out online and ordered them a big My Pillow doggie bed.

The new tile floors can't feel so good on their old bones. 

💛

Circling back to my last 'Friendship'-themed post ...

I remembered this little book belonging to my mother, still preserved in the hope chest.

Sweet sentiments

Great idea, isn't it?

Look what was tucked in between the pages!

My 13-year-old stats

💛

Still digging, I discovered this pin from my father's uniform.

U. S. Atomic Energy Commission 

Always proud of discoveries made in my hometown, I was even more so after watching Oppenheimer.

In a word?   Intense. Great Splendid acting.

(Okay, that's 3)

So much to absorb, I'd like to go see it again.

... but perhaps smuggle in my own snacks.  One medium bag of popcorn and a Coca-Cola was almost $19!

If you're interested, here's a link to the trailer.

💛

Speaking of 'splendid'!

My first-ever taste of Jambalaya.

..... won't be my last!

Despite last Friday's threatening storms, I couldn't not visit the Hey Bebe food truck at The Rex.

Normally, I don't pay much attention to food critics, but totally agree with this excerpt from Birmingham Restaurant Week:

Today was the 1st time we tried or have even heard of Hey Bebe. Their Jambalaya is out of this world DELICIOUS! Y’all, I can’t possibly do this jambalaya justice. It’s got a little heat & features tender, juicy chicken & sausage that has a great snap to it. No exaggeration, this dish is just as good if not BETTER than any you’d get in New Orleans. Service was super friendly. We were greeted with a jolly, “Hey baby!” & enjoyed chatting about New Orleans for a min.

Congratulations

, Hey Bebe, you’ve won the “Eating With Amy Favorite Dish of the Day”. I can’t wait to try EVERYTHING else on your menu!

Iron City peeps, take note!

💛

Whoops, I'm making myself hungry again.
On that note, I'm going to go peruse the frig.  Y'all have a super day .....and a better weekend!

Hugs, Myra

Tuesday 4

 

It's time again for Toni Taddeo's Tuesday 4!
Let's talk about friendship.

Do you have (or have you had) a special or best friend -- or, do you consider all your friends the same?

Pretty sure I left 'best' behind while in grade school.

(Funny tho', how I still say that occasionally.)

Definitely, not all the same!  I like to think of my friends as dishes brought to a fabulous pot-luck ... each a different-but-delicious something or another.

Like Sid Simon once wrote, all of us need different kinds of friends:

There's a Confidante ... an Intelligence Stretcher ... an Adventure Bringer ... a Role Model ... and of course, a Chicken Soup Bringer.

What do you consider yourself?

Many in the past had close relationships and fell in love through letters.  What do you think of online friendships.  Are they real?  Are there friends who last a lifetime?

I totally treasure the friendships I've made here in Blogland.  Oh yes, they're very real ... I hope they last a lifetime!

Are there stories, movie or TV programs that you enjoyed because of the friendship or relationship portrayed in it?

There've been many I enjoyed -- but not necessarily because of the relationship.
Let's go with Golden Girls.

What does friendship mean to you?

I love the certainty (that) I'll never have to walk alone.
Not physically, of course, but it's such a comfort to know the friendships I've woven are as near as my thoughts.

Some I can count on letting me when I'm wrong, setting my footsteps back on the right path ... some simply listen.
I want to do the same for them.

Wouldn't we all make an interesting patchwork quilt!

It's a great day to have a great day!

Hugs, Myra

Foodie Friday

 

Some gotta win, some gotta lose! 
... and no, I'm not talking about the bathroom scale.

These crazy hot days we've I've been consuming lots of salads ..... experimenting with random food stuffs.  Here's what happened.

What's not to love about Publix's chubby rotisserie chickens!  This time, I was able to make two goodly-size containers of salad = 6 meals.  I added red onion and hard-boiled eggs to both -- but instead of mayo, I dumped in a generous amount of Marie's bleu cheese dressing. The second, Duke's and curry powder.  (Turns out Mr. "I don't like curry" actually preferred the latter!)

There's never a bad time for loose meat!  I gave this a caprese-ish twist.  Two thumbs up!

Wish I'd heard about making egg loaf in the Instant Pot before making my grandma's 'East Hampton spread.'

That's egg, onion and (all beef) bologna smushed with lots of Duke's.

(Excuse the Hellmanns ... old picture!)

Not gonna lie, there were a couple epic fails.

When I thought covering Sunday's rib-eye with buttery (canned) asparagus was a good idea.

Delicious, but unsightly

... or thinking salmon in a pouch might be tasty tossed in leafy greens.  Because Tom's not a fan, I've never tried making salmon at home.   Hardly seems worth it for one, ya know?

   

Anyway, I'm curious if anyone's ever used that stuff in a pouch ... and what you use to make it taste less 'yukky.'

🫠 🫠 🫠

So, I'm looking forward to a lunch with Troy and Lois.  Later this evening we're going to try and brave the heat and meet friends at The Rex for some 'Hey Bebe' boubulattas, red beans and rice.

If I'm not in a carb coma, I think tonight's an appropriate time to indulge in an 'Oppie.'  

His favorite recipe

As Al Roker would say, 

"What's going on in your neck of the woods?"

Hugs, Myra

Wondering, Wandering Hodgepodge

 

... with our Quiz-mistress, Joyce.   Welcome back!

What's something bizarre you've seen or heard recently?

Like many, we've been caught up with the mysterious disappearance of Carlee Russell.
It almost sounds like an episode of 48 Hours Mystery:

|.....She calls 9-1-1 to report a toddler walking alongside a busy Birmingham-area freeway.

.....a second call to a friend. A scream. Then nothing.

.....Mercedes left running with her personal effects inside.

.....Rumors of dwarf sightings. (Seriously!)

.....49 hours later Carlee shows up back home on foot.

So far, police haven't said much, but I understand they're holding a press conference this afternoon.

* UPDATE *

Sadly, it seems Carlee's abduction turned out to be a hoax.
Here's a recap of today's press conference

https://www.newsweek.com/carlee-russell-researched-amber-alerts-before-abduction-1814146

July 18 is National Sour Candy Day.  Who knew?  Do you like sour candies or other foods with 'sour' flavors?  Kimchi, rhubarb, gooseberries, tamarind, dill pickles, sour cherries, sauerkraut, cranberries and grapefruit, for instance.  Of the sour foods listed, which is your favorite?

I'm not usually a fan of 'sour'
but I love grapefruit.

Share a favorite memory of an aunt or uncle.

Gosh, I had so few relatives (who) I saw more than a half dozen times.  My choices:

Uncle Lu-the-minister and his wife who, I believed, hated little children.

Adele and Mike seemed nice, but were caught up with social functions and their 4 perfect children, always trying to 'out-do.'

We cousins adored crazy, eccentric Edric-the-undertaker. His stories kept us in stitches.

I'm going with my mother's bachelor brother, Roland.

As a little girl, I thought him so handsome.

He'd always made time, letting me tag along to the barn or help drive the tractor.  What a tease!  When I fell in love with a particular calf, he pointed out its name should be 'hamburger.'  (Noooooo!)

We shared a fondness for Bubble-up (pop) and lefse, thick with butter.  To this day, I can't hear 'Tom Dooley' without remembering him teaching me to sing it.

How would you describe your ability to manage stress?

Pretty good, I think.  It depends.

If it's anything within my control, I try to adopt a realistic posture -- and fall apart after the fact.

Second.  I'm thinking of the long hours spent in hospital waiting rooms.  An old childhood coping mechanism is mentally transporting myself to another place where I'm the film's director and can control the outcome. 

What do you think about when you let your mind wander?

See above.

Sometimes, if I'm caught up in a good book, I get to imagining who I'd cast to play the parts of the characters -- actors or ordinary folks I've known.  Anything's possible in my daydreams!

Insert your own random thought here.

Whew, I'm letting my tongue go rogue again.

Let's just leave with a smile?

(Boy, I'll bet he wishes he had a hat)

(This is me)

What-cha say, let's go out there and enjoy a great day?! 

Hugs, Myra 

 

Sunday Stealing

 

... in the nicest way, that is! 

Here we will steal all types of questions from every corner of hte blogosphere.  Our promise to you is that we will work hard to find the most interesting and intelligent questions.  Cheers to all of us thieves!

What are the 3 most important things everyone should know about you?

Imperfect believer ... political conservative ... 
animal lover

What is the strangest thing you believed as a child?

That the milk delivered in brown bottles tasted better
because they came from brown cows.

Thinking of school classes, which were your favorites and least favorites?

I loved English and journalism.
Not so much math and the sciences.

What is your favorite fast food?

McDonald's sausage and egg biscuit.

What song comes closest to how you feel about your life right now?

Travelling Wilbury's "End of the Line"

Have you ever taken martial arts classes?

Not exactly.
I once attended a weekend seminar (Tony Robbins) where we were encouraged to break boards with the side of our hand.

Epic fail.

Does your life tend to get better or worse, or does it just stay the same?

Imagine, if you will (said in sotto Rod Serling voce)

..... a Roller-coaster.  An EKG, even.

What arts and crafts have you tried and decided you were bad at?

Knitting.
Calligraphy, too.  (The side of my left hand absorbed more ink than the page.)

What is the truest thing that you know?

"Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells us so."

Are you more of a giver or a taker?

I delight in choosing and giving gifts that I think my loved ones will appreciate.

Taking often feels selfish. Awkward.

Do you make your decisions with an open heart/mind?

I try to.

What is the most physically painful thing that has ever happened to you?

Frozen shoulder.

What is the most emotionally painful thing that has ever happened to you?

Nope, not going there.

What is your favorite line from a movie?

Can you eat with chopsticks?

No, but not for lack of trying.

Thanks so much for visiting!  Y'all have a great new week!

Hugs, Myra

Talking to myself

Last time we were here I cited Susan's, "Life is too short to ...." list and said I wanted to do the same thing.  

Like someone once said, "Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery."  (or is that, plagarism?  I forget.)   

Anyway.  I started by making notes to myself, and here's what happened.  (Yes, Susan.  Two of yours are so good I borrowed them!)

In no particular order ....

Life's too Short to

• Order the cheapest entree on the menu.
  
  
• Sleep through a sunrise.
  
  
• Finish reading an uninteresting or off-putting book hoping it will get better.
  
  
• Buy the least expensive, gawd-awful toilet paper. 
  
  
• Not go see the Grand Canyon at least once in your life.  Photography just can't capture the glory.
  
  
• Apologize when appropriate.  And mean it.
  
  
• Beg for someone's love or attention.
  
  
• Eat fake (plant based) meat.
  
  
• Not thank your server/cashier/bag boy.  Say.Their.Name!
  
  
• Deny yourself the occasional sweet.
  
  
• Beat yourself up about the gained pound.  You're not a super model. Are you?
  
  
• Live in fear.
  
  
• Put off the trip*
  
  
• Save the cloth napkins for special occasions.
  
  
• Wear shoes that hurt. I don't care how pretty they are.
  
  
• Avoid making eye contact when someone's speaking to you  ("I'm bashful" isn't a good excuse.  This I know.)
  
  
• Hide your smile.
  
  
• Save those too-small jeans gathering dust.
  
  
• Tolerate disrespect.
  
  
• Believe a celebrity's endorsement.
  
  
• Eat something you don't like just to be polite.
  
  
• Play down your own birthday.
  
  
• Lip sync.  (I can't hear you!)
  
  
• Be afraid to say, "I don't know."

* (Unless there are family obligations or health needing attention)

What else would you suggest?  I'd really enjoy hearing your ideas.

'Til next time!

Hugs, Myra

Just me ... being me.

and August

Good morning,

This hasn't been a terribly exciting week, but I feel like visiting.  What else am I feeling?

Motivated

(I started to put down, 'accomplished' -- but that's presuming everything's been crossed off the 'to do' list. Ha!)

No, I've begun purging the unnecessary.  Some are going on eBay ... in order to treat myself to other unnecessaries.   

These, for instance.   I've been seeing young people walking about with what looks like a Tootsie Roll stick hanging out of their ears and was curious.  The young man loading my groceries was probably amused ... but happy to show me his. Then, "They're only $19.95."

Annoyed

I told Tom, "If I ever mention getting a gel manicure again, will you kick me?"

Maybe I've been living under a rock, but who knew there's no getting them off with ordinary polish remover.  Because I was too lazy to run up to the hardware store for acetone, I commenced to rasping and clipping and yes, even chewing.  Wretched stuff, but it's 99% off.

Happy

I've not come across any smoking estate sale deals, but did find these melamine plates at Big Lots.   It's not a big deal, but anytime I look in the dining room they make me smile.

Amused

... not at the other night's storm and resulting power outage.  Rather, when I went to take a photo of the shadows cast by candlelight, I inadvertently captured my own (shadow).   

This reminds me of Darth Vader!

Pondering

Some of y'all may have seen what Susan (aka, Contemplative Cat), recently published.  (Click here)

It's certainly piqued my interest, and I want to do the same.  Just because.  Indeed, life's too short!   

On that note ...

I sure appreciate you visiting.  Please stay safe out there!

Hugs, Myra

    

Weekend Recap

 

    G'morning, all!

Our weekend was pretty enjoyable
(translation: low-key).

Generally, I don't like to be out and about on the weekend ... leaving the 9-to-5'ers ample elbow room.   Since Tom was feeling well enough to accompany me, we headed for a favorite thrift shop.  And another.

Not sure if I told you, but we gave son and Lois our fiberglass table and chairs that once belonged to my mother.  (Lots of hours spent sitting there, sipping wine and nibbling while she and I tried solving all the world's problems.)  So glad to keep it in the family!

It's not like Tom and I spend much time in the sunroom ..... but man, I've a mighty itch to find just the right something to occupy this space.

Honestly, I don't know what I want ... but I'll know it when I see it.  (Know what I mean?)

♨️

We'd made plan to grill Italian sausages after church, but the heat and humidity was too much.  "Disrespectful", so says the weather girl.

Tom slept while I had a nice long phone chat with Troy and Lois.

Next thing I know there came a big bang of thunder, it felt like the whole house trembled.  (Thank goodness for a Kindle that entertains when TV and Internet go kaput!)

We lucked out, but nearby Jackson Lake Island not so much.

One of the homes at Lake Jackson Island (Big Fish movie set) was struck by lightning.

According to the news, all the goats were safe, having taken shelter under the 'church.'

♨️

There's no Bible study today, so I'm going to try and schedule my car for a check-up.  I fear it's the transmission -- but won't feel safe until someone who knows what they're doing takes a look.

I've been super remiss about revising my Will, so that's on the agenda this afternoon.  A while back, when the ladies from Alabama's Agency on Aging came to talk to our study, we learned they've in-house legal counsel who's happy to review such documents and offer suggestions.  Free-for-nothing!

On that note, I need to pry myself out of this chair and get moving.

I hope you enjoy a safe and delightful Fourth!

Hugs, Myra