Flawed

The passage of time marks us all. We droop. We sag. We wrinkle. We lose the luster of youth. We are no longer pretty. But what we gain is character. We attain a curious kind of beauty.

I can never pass a cracked sidewalk or peeling paint without wanting to take a picture.

The Perfect Pairing

Salt and Pepper...together they make everything taste better.

Looking Up

I see nothing in space as promising as the view from a Ferris wheel. -E.B. White

The first Ferris wheel was invented in the 1893 for the Chicago World's Fair. The Fair's organizers were looking for something to would rival the Eiffel Tower, which was built for the Paris World's Fair of 1889. A bridge builder, George Ferris envisioned his wheel during a engineers' banquet and scribbled his idea on a napkin. His wheel held 36 wooden cars and could hold up to 60 riders. Each ride cost 50 cents and the 1893 World's Fair made $726,805.50 from rides.

My Portal of Choice

This photo has been heavily Photoshopped, otherwise there would be nothing visible except a V shaped slash of light. It's the view from my living room. I can sit in my favorite chair and watch the seasons march across the sky through this window. I use this window to decide on the day's weather. I can cheer myself up by watching clouds drift by or sunlight play in the leaves of trees. I can tell the seasonal movement of the sun across the sky by noting the sun's angle as it comes through the windows and falls on the walls and furniture. I look out this window and daydream. I love this window.

Books

Like so many others, my childhood passion was books and reading.
I kept all of mine.
They are friends that I will never give up.
I learned from them.
I dreamed about them.
I wanted to write them.
I enjoyed them.
I love them still.

Simply the Best

Saturday, I took a few minutes out of the day to drive down the back roads near my home. I haven't done that in a long time and I miss it. Many years ago, my youngest son and I would drop his siblings off at school in the morning and then for the next 30 or 40 minutes we would go exploring. We'd drive and drive, just to see what there was to see. We'd take a road just to find out where we would end up.

After so many trips, I knew where I would end up Saturday, but I still wanted to see what I might see. As I downloaded the pictures taken on that drive, I realized that this photo makes me feel serene. I think it's because it is a visual representation of a simpler lifestyle, a lifestyle I miss. I miss those long gone days that were filled with mundane tasks and small children. Those days were busy, but they were also simple.

The Party Season

Every year when the nights get chilly, when leaves begin to fall, when pumpkins and mums decorate yards, then I know it is almost time for our annual Murder Mystery Night. Tonight about 20 of us will transform ourselves into wild west characters for a rollicking night of murder and mayhem. I've got a few more things to round up for my costume and I'll be ready for all the hijinks. BTW, you can call me Black Barbara today!

Have a cuppa Joe

I'm not much of a coffee or tea fan, but I hear Einstein hearts coffee.

I'm a Diet Coke girl myself.

Orange You Glad You Came For Dinner

I love the orange in this cabinet. Each piece was chosen by hand from the second hand bins here. You take the best of what there is to offer. I wanted more orange plates, one was all I found. I built my collection over time. We shopped at least once every visit to my son and daughter in law when they lived across the river in Ohio.

ps...click here to see where.

Blurry Vision

My garden, a blurry vision of a yard filled with colorful flowers, is in reality a small spot of interlaced blooms and weeds.

I See Faces In the Drive Thru

It looks like Donna and I had the same thought this week.

This cute personality plus guy took my money in the drive thru Monday morning.

I see a lot of drive thru people because I eat too much fast food. I have great plans for packing my lunch, but almost always find myself running late. I just manage to run out the door in time to make it to work on time without food for the day too many times a week.

Such is the life of a night owl...if I went to work at 4 in the afternoon I'm sure I would always be prepared.

haiku with abandon

bright red and yellow

no longer advertising
blistering paint peels

Here I am

Can you see me? I live in the largest city in Alabama.