Wordless Wednesday

T Stands For Harvesting

Reggie's Morning Glory seeds. After the flower blooms (and they only bloom for one day) the flower shrivels up into these hard, brown pods. The pods are collected

I collected a cup full of pods.

The brown pods are dry and brittle. When you squeeze them, the tiny, black seeds fall out. Each pod has anywhere from two to six seeds in it.

My afternoon tea was a London Fog. Earl Grey tea, vanilla stevia, cream shaken so it froths when poured. It's supposed to be steamed and made frothy, but quick and dirty is fine by me. Yes, my tea is in a Christmas mug. It was clean. Don't judge me.

Since we had such warm temperatures late into the season, a lot of the pods are still green and soft. I'll leave them out on a paper plate to see if they dry and harden. If they do, I'll harvest the seeds.

The harvested seeds have been stored in a warm, dry place for further drying for a week. Next week, if they are thoroughly dried (very hard), they will be put in a plastic bag with a desiccant pack to wait for next Spring. Hopefully, they won't mold.

The Heavenly Blue Morning Glories didn't produce flowers 😿 so I'll have to buy another packet of seeds next year.

Drop by hosts, Bleubeard and Elizabeth's blog to find out what the rest of the T Stands For gang is up to. If you want to play, include in your Tuesday post a beverage or container for a beverage. Don't forget to link your blog to Bleubeard and Elizabeth's page.

Inktober Monday

Inktober drawings for the fourth week of October

10/22 Inktober prompt: expensive

10/23 Inktober prompt: Muddy

10/24 Inktober prompt: Chop

10/25 Inktober prompt: Prickly

10/26 Inktober prompt: Stretch

10/27 Inktober prompt: Thunder

10/28 Inktober prompt: Gift

How Does Your Garden Grow?

Autumn color down my street (West)

The hydrangea leaves turned black from the frost

The frost didn't seem to effect the sole clump of blossoms the bush produced.

Golden color deep in the woods

Heavy winds from thunderstorms brought down branches like antler from a giant creature

The week brought a flurry of chickadees to the feeder. One little guy checks things out from the morning glory vine. Can you see him?

When it's all clear, he takes his turn.

Evidently, Corolla likes bird seed. I had just filled the feeder and scattered some seed on the ground.

The little red squirrel stopped by for a visit.

A Nor'easter brought blustery winds and and inch and a half of rain. I'm glad this storm wasn't snow as we would have gotten 15 inches (38 cm) of the (hated) stuff

How does your garden grow?

Saturday Afternoon at the Movies

This idea came from a Facebook meme:
Over 10 days, post your 10 all time favorite films. What movie has really made an impact on you or what films can you watch over and over and never tire of? Post either the movie poster, DVD cover or even a screenshot on your timeline. No need to explain.

Only I had a hard time picking out just 10 movies so my favorites over the next few hundred Saturdays 😸 in semi-alphabetical order:me favorite films. What movie has really made an impact on you or what films can you watch over and over and never tire of? Post either the movie poster, DVD cover or even a screenshot on your timeline. No need to explain.

Only I had a hard time picking out just 10 movies so my favorites over the next few hundred Saturdays 😸 in semi-alphabetical order:

Coraline (2009), Dakota Fanning, Teri Hatcher

Coraline is available on Netflix. 

If this movie isn't your cuppa, hop on over to Kathy in the Ozarks to see what she recommends.

The Friday Five Good Things

Five good things that happened this week:


1. Himself is following a Keto diet. (Me too so I'm not a short-order cook). Keto is no carb, no sugar, no grain, high protein, high (good) fat diet. I miss bread and found a recipe to make hamburger buns to go with hamburgers. I had made them before and they were so-so. Did them again changing the recipe slightly. Used 2 whole eggs instead of 3 egg whites, 1 cup of water instead of 1 1/4 cup, and added 2 tablespoons of coconut flour to absorb excess moisture with the same amount of almond flour. The result was like a whole grain bread and as close to real bread as I can get. I miss bread

2. The Young One came with me while I ran errands. She wanted some black cardstock with matching envelopes so she could make some Halloween cards. We got lost in Michael's

3. I got carded at the packie (liquor store). Ok, they asked anyone who purchased liquor for an ID, but I pretended I was asked because of my youthful appearance.

4. Started making some Christmas cards

5. Himself brought home a stomach bug and conjunctivitis. I didn't get either. Knock wood. The stomach bug seemed to be a fast mover for Himself and he got a prescription for the conjunctivitis and hopefully I won't get that either.

How was your week?

Throwback Thursday - The Notebooks

To clear up some confusion, the Notebook passages posted on Throwback Thursday were written by my father and found by me after he passed away. They were his attempt to tell the family history. He was in his late 80s or early 90s when he wrote them. Today's chapter:

One night I took Mary to her door and we would kiss. That night we kissed more than we should. The door opened and her father saw us breaking up and got mad. He told me to get out. I did. And I stayed away. But her mother, Concordia, came after me and said don't mind him. He forgot what he was like etc. etc. So we continued our relationship and planning.

She [ed: Mary] also had a Polish friend and I ws invited to go to that wedding. Those people knew how to celebrate. The bride and groom got married in the afternoon and we had dinner after that. Lots of food and drinks. When the dinner was over the tables were cleared and moved back the floor was open for dancing.

And the tables later began to get set again for an evening meal. It was something to participate in.

There was a lot of food on the table at both meals. It was a lavish affair. Nothing like it before this time. I thought the Italians knew how to celebrate. This night exceeded the amount of food to celebrate a wedding.

Having answered the order to appear for a physical examination at the place I lived at the time I registered on the statute at Waltham and passed with flying colors as the saying went.

Shortly after this I received a notice to report again. I went back to Waltham for this order as well. Checked in and at the middle of downtown boarded a train to Camp Devens  and on March 6, 1942 I was inducted into the United States Army by taking the oath.

A day or two later we boarded another train, this time we had our military uniforms on, duffel bags with other clothes, shirts, underwear, socks, etc. Plus the clothes we wore.

We were not told where we were going except to begin training. On the way we determined that we were traveling south and wondered what some men in our car wore civilian clothes. We stopped a few times and took more men aboard. All young. The plain clothes people aboard we discovered were FBI officers, to make sure that no one jumped the train for other areas.

This was not a short trip, we slept in Pullman cars. At night we pulled out overhead berths and pushed seats down to make lower berths for shuteye. How long we traveled but during the day we saw a lot of cities and towns as we passed by. And beautiful open lands and farms.

In the state of Virginia we stopped. Unloaded and arrived at our base for preliminary training. Marching in formation, use of rifle and its care, bayonet use and practice. Actually training for the Queen of Battles. Infantry at its primary level and would last for eight weeks. 

In between we would be able to get a weekend pass. Provided that you did our work without any demerits. This would be our first introduction to warm. And its arms

While our enemy were using update firearms we trained with WWI firearms. It was a good one-round rifle. And a good eyesight. for targeting. But it could fire one shot at a time and each time it was fired, one pulled the side lever to expell the shell and push the lever forward to arm the rifle. It took seconds but seconds could turn to hours. Figuratively speaking putting the rifleman in an exposing position. It was also the first lesson in how militarily we were not ready for war. The Government did work hard for a catch up and the pipe line was delivering new arms and it owuld be month before things would come in gross amounts.

Virginia was an interesting state a lot of its architecture was quaint, but lovely to look at. Throughout the South. I'm not sure but the area we were in was Fort Eustis.

We worked hard. Getting in shape by taking long marches, double timing, etc.

[ed: Funny Dad's recollection of being caught kissing his girl by her father is so undramatic. Ma told me her father was so upset and angry, he practically threw Dad down four flights of stairs. Dad ran/jumped down four flights of stairs. My grandmother, Concordia, was very upset with her husband. She yelled at him. What's the matter with you? Did you forget your youth? And she did go after my father to tell him he was welcome in her home to call on her daughter.]

Wordless Wednesday

T Stands for Happy Mole Day!

In honor of  Mole Day, a chemist's holiday celebrating Avogardro's Number 6.0221415 × 10 to the 23rd power. Just for you, Kid!

And Professor Cat will sternly warn you, "Don't drink the contents of the beaker!"

Drop by hosts, Bleubeard and Elizabeth's blog to find out what the rest of the T Stands For gang is up to. If you want to play, include in your Tuesday post a beverage or container for a beverage. Don't forget to link your blog to Bleubeard and Elizabeth's page

Inktober Monday

Inktober drawings for the third week of October

10/15 I couldn't think of anything for the prompt: weak. So a cartoon I drew for the illustration class I'm taking. Maybe it's a weak attempt at a joke.

This doubled as my post for T Day and Inktober 10/16 as the prompt Angular didn't speak to me.

10/17 Inktober prompt: swollen. My black cat candy dish swollen with candies.

10/18 Inktober prompt: bottle. I Dream of Jeannie

10/19 The Inktober prompt of scorched didn't inspire me. I recently got a new book, Illuminated Letters Sketchbook by Jane Sullivan. Her book has clear, illustrated instructions on how to draw small motifs. I decided to give it a try using the cat face.

10/20 Inktober prompt: breakable. A heart is breakable. Meh for effort.

10/21 Inktober prompt: Drain. Inspired by Mr. Roger's song that we sang when the girlies were little:

How Does Your Garden Grow?

The Heavenly Blue morning glories succumbed to the first frost. No blue morning glories this year.

The lawn guy came and cleared the leaves from the yard. The wind blew and it looks like the lawn guy was never here.

The heavy winds and frost took a toll on the Heavenly Blue morning glory vine.

The frost shriveled Reggie's morning glories. Time to harvest the seeds for next year.

A skim of ice on the bird bath. Shades of things to come.

Not much rain this week.

The little red squirrel came back for a feast. The blue jay waits for  some seeds to spill.

Himself's twig lost all its leaves. It was a twig when Himself found it growing in the front lawn. He transplanted the twig to this location. The twig is a black birch and is now 20 or so feet tall.

How does your garden grow?

Saturday Afternoon at the Movies

This idea came from a Facebook meme:
Over 10 days, post your 10 all time favorite films. What movie has really made an impact on you or what films can you watch over and over and never tire of? Post either the movie poster, DVD cover or even a screenshot on your timeline. No need to explain.

Only I had a hard time picking out just 10 movies so my favorites over the next few hundred Saturdays 😸 in semi-alphabetical order:me favorite films. What movie has really made an impact on you or what films can you watch over and over and never tire of? Post either the movie poster, DVD cover or even a screenshot on your timeline. No need to explain.

Only I had a hard time picking out just 10 movies so my favorites over the next few hundred Saturdays 😸 in semi-alphabetical order:

Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) Richard Dreyfuss, François Truffaut

If you haven't seen this movie you can rent it on Amazon Prime or rent it on YouTube. Or come to my house and we'll watch it on the DVD. 

If this isn't your kind of movie, see if Kathy in the Ozarks has a movie to recommend for today.

The Friday Five Good Things

Five good things that happened this week.

1. Getting real chilly at night in the sun room. Found the two space heaters didn't blow the fuse. Trying to hang on out there a little longer

2. Reggie Ezell used my homework piece from his year long class, 26 Seeds, (with permission) for an article on spacing published in Letter Arts Review. Ben Dover got a full page!

3. Heard from an old friend from Australia

4. I didn't feel like cooking dinner so we went out to eat and then to a movie. Saw First Man.

5. Made plans with Nan to attend the Masscribes Not In My House You Don't event on 8. Dec.

How was your week?

Throwback Thursday - The Notebooks

Carver Dress Corp
Nabnassett Lake Country Club
June 24, 1939
Left to right: Ma, Mary, Frank

To clear up some confusion, the Notebook passages posted on Throwback Thursday were written by my father and found by me after he passed away. They were his attempt to tell the family history. He was in his late 80s or early 90s when he wrote them. Today's chapter:

On December 7, 1941 Japan bombed Pearl Harbor. We took a bad hit. All our naval vessels were in harbor and we lost a good number and also a lot sailors and only a few aircraft were able to get into the air. We were caught with our pants down.

The country for the first time in years came together. Soldiers whose terms were extended no longer threatened to quit. And a lot of the single men volunteered.

The draft was boosted up and my neighbor on the same floor bore the same name as we had. He came crying why did he government call him? He was 70 years old. His first name was also Joseph.

I told him not to worry. That notice is for me. He asked if I was sure. I said I'm within the age they want and you're over. He was relieved and I answered the call on the date shown on the letter.

I continued to work and also told my trainer that I shouldn't have answered the call. He sent me to the chief and I told him. He asked didn't anybody tell you that if you received a notice to appear to bring it here? And you would be deferred. He masked me if I want to hold up on that. I could still get a deferment. I said I would like to go.

Knowing that I would be called soon I spent more time with Mary. In fact as much time as I could.. And would go at her factory to wait for her. 

A few years before I was invited on her factory's annual picnic. She had told her employer what I did for a living [ ed: worked as assistant director at the Boys Club] and he said invite him and ask him to run some games. I did. The workers were having a good time as I ran games that were new to them and they enjoyed it. After that one afternoon when I was waiting downstairs for Mary to quit for the day. He [ed: the boss] came by and said, "You don't have to wait down here. Come wait upstairs" And at time he came out in the corridor and talked with me. I was the only one he allowed to wait outside the door and wait for the employees to quit.

During the time that I was courting Mary she introduced me to Frank DePatto and Mary his intended. They later became Cumpater and Cumater [ed: CJ's godparents]. We got closer as friends.

Mary was part of their bridal group. And after they were married we visited a lot. Cumpater Frank was a wonderful man. If anyone had trouble with him it was because there was something wrong with them. He was a very accommodating individual.

[ed: Ma, Mary, and Frank worked at the Carver Dress Corp. on Kneeland St. (at that time the garment district) in Boston. Carver Dress was noted for ladies' shirtwaist dresses with an unusual, arrow closure, breast pocket. Ma and Mary were stitchers. Frank was a presser.

Wordless Wednesday

T Stands for Break

Working on seating tags for a wedding has kept me busy this week., but I need a break. Won't you join me? Coffee or tea? Have a macaron. Take two. They're small.

Drop by hosts, Bleubeard and Elizabeth's blog to find out what the rest of the T Stands For gang is up to. If you want to play, include in your Tuesday post a beverage or container for a beverage. Don't forget to link your blog to Bleubeard and Elizabeth's page.

Inktober Monday

Drawings for the second week of Inktober

 10/08 Inktober prompt: Star and another Celtic knot

10/09 Inktober prompt: Precious. My precious. Drawing hands is hard and the ring looks more like a cereal ring. It's gilded with variegated gold.

10/10 Inktober prompt: Flowing Chibi mermaid has flowing hair.

10/11 Inktober prompt: Cruel, but I chose to interpret it as Crewel as a type of embroidery. The thistle is colored with Pigma pens and Tombow markers

10/12 Inktober prompt: Whale. This is a little fellow I used to doodle when I was a kid.

10/13 Inktober prompt: Guarded

10/14 Inktober prompt: clock From my childhood, Captain Kangaroo's Grandfather clock