The Friday Five Good Things

Five good things that happened this week.

1. We went to see 1917 and then had a late lunch or early dinner at Uno's.

2. Awesome lunch and dinner leftover from Uno's. We got their buy one entree and get a second entree to take home. No cooking for a few days!

3. Kept getting errors on the Sleep Number bed controller. Tried one more time crawling under the bed and checking all the connections. Missed one. Plugged everything back in and no more errors.

4. New, slim, filter carafe arrived from Amazon.  The Brita pitcher was too big to fit in the refrigerator. Now, crystal clear, water from the tap to refill bottles/thermos for teaching, activities and traveling. Now won't have to buy water bottles when traveling. The Little Princess can't stand the smell of chlorine in municipal tap water.

5. While waiting to pay the taxes at town hall, a man can down the corridor pushing a dolly (hand truck). He looked at me and asked, "Want a ride?" as he whipped around the corner. So non sequitur it made me laugh.

How was your week?

And the five participants randomly drawn from Monday's Visits and Kind Words are:

Robin, Sandy from CA, jinxxxygirl (Deb), Divers and Sundry, FSG (You said not to enter Da Tabbies, so I entered you.😺) . Please EMAIL ME your snail mail address. Robin, I have your particulars.

Thank you, everyone, for your visits and kind words.

Throwback Thursday - Swinging The Alphabet

The Three Stooges, Swinging the Alphabet (1938)

Wordy Wednesday

T Stands For Lunch Is Ready

Ramen noodles are pretty much a staple around here with my girlies. A cup of soup with long, slurpy noodles. Perfect when you want something hot for lunch or a snack but are too lazy to cook. 😺 And how do you know when your ramen is ready to eat?

Enter Cup Man! A little, silicon man that you lay on the ramen lid. When he turns color, from red to clear, your ramen is ready.

Sure, you could follow the instructions on the lid. Set a timer and wait 3 minutes, but where's the fun in that?

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.

Visits and Kind Words

Leave a comment on this post. Five (5) people randomly drawn will receive something from me during the course of 2020, a surprise, going to dinner, some coffee, a letter, book, sweets... whatever I can think of to thank you for your visits and kind words. #alwaysbekind

Names will be announced on The Friday Five Good Things 31. January 2020

Alphabet Sunday

The letter, i including the tittle (dot over i or j), Enders Island

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:

National Velvet (1944), Elizabeth Taylor, Mickey Rooney

The Friday Five Good Things

Five good things that happened this week.

1. Spent a wonderful afternoon with the Brother and his family. The Brother cooked a wonderful late lunch, and I made bow cookies, my grandmother's signature cookie.

2. The Nephew and his wife brought me a welcome bit of Springtime. I brought the tulips home and put them in the Headless Chickie candy dish sometimes yarn bowl.

3. The Power Wall was installed and it works.

4. I was supposed to meet Nan to see Little Women, but Nan hurt her knee so we Skyped instead.

5. I was shy a stamp on a mail art envelope I was sending and had forgotten to bring extra stamps with me just in case there wasn't enough postage. The clerk, S, offered to give me one of the stamps out of her own pocket. She's so kind. I declined telling her she'd go broke if she supplied stamps to patrons that didn't have the correct postage. I bought a sheet of stamps.

How was your week?

New Neighbors

Looks like we'll be getting some new neighbors soon. The cardinal pair have been visiting the honeysuckle vine.

I think they are scouting the location to build their first nest of the season as they did last year. They have been taking turns hanging out in the vine for 10 to 15 minutes at a time.

Wordy Wednesday

T Stands for Still Life

When the Eldest was in college she took an acrylic painting class as one of her electives. I think during her senior year. She painted this homey scene of a steaming cup of coffee on a cold, snowy day. The painting is hanging in the dining area of her apartment.

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.

The Power Wall

Many were asking about the Power Wall we are having installed. This is the Tesla Power Wall, more like a large cabinet than a wall.

It's a solar-powered, battery backup. It will charge from the solar panels on the roof. In the event of a power outage, the battery will kick on automatically like a generator. The well (yay! no more filling buckets to flush the toilet), the boiler, the refrigerator, and outlets in the kitchen will have power during an outage. We'll be able to use the microwave (most important for a cuppa) and the toaster oven.

Since the sump pump has it's own battery backup, the sump pump wasn't included on the load panel, but I think its battery backup will be able to be recharged from the power wall.

Installation begins today and then we'll nervously await a visit from the Electrical Inspector.

Alphabet Sunday

The letter, H. Enders Island

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:

My Cousin Vinny (1992) Joe Pesci, Marisa Tomei

As usual, if you haven't seen this movie, it's available for rent on YouTube.

The Friday Five Good Things

Five good things that happened this week.

1. Red and I were going to lunch at Panera. There was a long line because at this Panera, the ordering system was being automated. People were at the ordering kiosk, trying to read the menu and order their items. All the while, there were Customer Service people behind the counters and not helping anyone. We were near Point Breeze so went there and had an awesome lunch. No lines and no self-serve.

2. Himself had a late tutoring session at the library in Natick. He suggested I tag along and then we could go out to dinner at Agostino's at the end of the block. Perfect suggestion.

3. I found my old favorite Celestial Seasoning's Gunpowder Tea at the grocery store. I haven't seen this blend in decades.

4. The Power Wall was delivered

5. Installation started on the Power Wall

How was your week?

On The Drawing Board

 in no particular order

1. Write up proposal for a new class for the Summer session at the museum. Actually, it's an old class made new.

2. Get a jump on Spring cleaning

3. Paint poppies on vellum

4. Create card for Chinese New Year to use the new Lunar New Year: Year of the Rat Stamp. Cards might go out by Valentine's Day 😺

5. Prep for Celtic Workshop at the local library

6. Prep for Spring classes at the museum.

7. Prep samples for new Summer class in case the class is approved

What are you working on?

Wordy Wednesday

T Stands for Christmas Land

A visit to the Eldest wouldn't be complete without a trip to Kraynak's Garden Center in Hermitage, Pennsylvania to see their Christmas tree displays. They begin decorating in September. People from all around the area come to see the trees.

We went after Christmas. The parking lot was jammed, but very few people were walking through Christmas Land. Most of them were there to take advantage of the more than 50% off after Christmas sale which meant we pretty much had Christmas Land to ourselves after circling the building twice looking for a parking space.

Polar bears and orca tails

Is your name on the list?

This Care Bear display made me laugh. When the Eldest was between the ages of 6 and 8 years old, she discovered Care Bears after they were popular. We went crazy one year searching every store trying to find a Care Bear. We finally found the last one at The Fair, a Worcester discount department store no longer in business. (I miss the Fair.) Looks like Care Bears are popular again.

My drink reference is Mr. Frog's tea party.

A Funko Pop Mr. Rogers with the Neighborhood Trolley. Mr. Roger's Neighborhood, a children's television program was filmed in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania about an hour and a half Southwest of Hermitage. 

A hedgehog for my friend, Tiggy, in Scotland.

The Eldest's favorite lovey was Lambie. Lambie isn't as fluffy and white as these lambs, but she's still around.

Don't blink!

A beautiful, stained glass

 Lambies, again.

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.

For The Hitchhikers

Alphabet Sunday

The letter, G. Enders Island

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:

My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002) Nia Vardalos, John Corbett

If you haven't seen this movie, it's available for rent on YouTube.

The Friday Five Good Things

Five good things that happened this week.

1. The second half of our trip home, we left Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania early and arrived home at 2:30 pm. Listened to Oldies on Pandora radio on the trip. Stopped at the post office to pick up the mail and request mail delivery to resume, picked up lunch at 5 Guys

2. While Himself watched football downstairs, I watched Alias Grace, a miniseries on Netflix

3. Took down and packed away all the Christmas decorations

4. Stocking stuffers for the girlies and me finally arrived in the mail.

5. Old people's day. Lunch and a movie. Went to see It's a Wonderful Day in the Neighborhood

How was your week?

Sources for Digitized Manuscripts and Books

from the BPL collection
a 15th. century (c. 1420) Missal

One of the best ways to study calligraphy is to view actual manuscripts. We can analyze hands (or variations) used at a particular time, try to work out tools used such as writing implements, inks, and pigments. Unless you have access to a library with an extensive collection of ancient and medieval manuscripts, this can be difficult. Many times, you need some sort of academic credential to gain access. Until now.

The Vatican has announced that it is digitizing thousands of its manuscripts and books from its collection. If you can't be there in person, viewing these sources is the next best thing.

You can read an article about the project from Open Culture

You can also explore what the Digital Vatican Library has to offer.

Other sites which have also digitized their collection of medieval manuscripts and books include:

Bodleian Library, Oxford University

The British Library Medieval Manuscripts Blog

The Book of Kells, Trinity College

Heidelberg University

The Saint John's Bible isn't a medieval manuscript, but it is the first, hand-commissioned Bible since the invention of the printing press. This project was headed by Donald Jackson and took over 10 years to complete.

If you are fortunate to live in Massachusetts and have a valid Massachusetts drivers licence, you can apply for a Boston Public Library card. The library card will gain you admittance to The Boston Public Library Rare Books and Manuscripts Department at the main library in Copley Square. Currently the department is undergoing extensive renovation and not expected to reopen until 2021. According to the BPL website many items from the department have been digitized and can be found at BPL Internet Archive  and Digital Commonwealth 

Wordy Wednesday