Wordy Wednesday

 

T Stands for Passover Pesach 2015 Seder Rube Goldberg Machine from Technion in Israel

For Passover, a very clever video

"Technion students get ready for Passover, the festival of freedom, and let their imagination run wild. Watch closely as this Rube Goldberg Machine created by students from the Faculties of Mechanical Engineering and Architecture and Town Planning relates highlights of the Passover story."

A Happy Passover to those who celebrate.

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.

Happy Mail

 

My friend, Tiggy from Scotland sent me a lovely notecard with her pretty, Spring watercolor on the front with a Washi tape border.  She said she played with dropping watercolors on to wet paper and seeing what came out. Spring is just getting started here so it's nice to have a garden of flowers to look at inside. 

Tapadh leat, mo charaid ghràdhaich

How Does Your Garden Grow?

 An inside out story

The Mother Peace Lily has two blooms!

The library seeds are growing wild

Leaves on the honeysuckle vine. No cardinals nesting in the vine this year

Crocus!

Himself went to the grocery store and came home with this plant

I had kale no one liked so put it out for the critters

What a difference a week makes! Daffodils popping up

Crocus where some bunny must have planted them.

Seems like I just put out the St. Patrick's Day decorations and now time for the Easter decorations. It's been so windy, I had to bring the Easter garden flag in as I was worried it was going to blow away garden stake and all.

Easter basket

Easter Buny

Kale pushed around. Even the critters don't like kale

First Robin of Spring

Before

After

How does your garden grow?

Saturday Morning at the Library

 When I was 5 years old, I was forced to take dancing lessons while the Brother was forced to take accordion lessons. I hated dancing class. The Knights of Columbus Hall where the classes were given had no heat or it wasn't turned on. I hated wearing the pink beginner tights. I liked clacking around in the tap shoes, but Ma wouldn't let me practice inside the house on the wood floors. I spent most of my time in class being miserable and crying. Eventually, I was taken out of class.

While the Brother still had to endure accordion lessons, Dad took me to the library. He would leave me upstairs in the children's library where I could look at the books and choose to take some books home with my own library card. As I got older, I would go downstairs to the adult library and wander among the stacks enjoying the scent of the books before going to find Dad in the reference area consulting the law books and catching up on his work.

So for the next several weeks, a list of my favorite books, some I have read as a child, others as an adult and some  I have read more than once.

Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There

Lewis Carroll

CHAPTER I.

Looking-Glass house

One thing was certain, that the white kitten had had nothing to do with it:—it was the black kitten’s fault entirely. For the white kitten had been having its face washed by the old cat for the last quarter of an hour (and bearing it pretty well, considering); so you see that it couldn’t have had any hand in the mischief.

The way Dinah washed her children’s faces was this: first she held the poor thing down by its ear with one paw, and then with the other paw she rubbed its face all over, the wrong way, beginning at the nose: and just now, as I said, she was hard at work on the white kitten, which was lying quite still and trying to purr—no doubt feeling that it was all meant for its good.

But the black kitten had been finished with earlier in the afternoon, and so, while Alice was sitting curled up in a corner of the great arm-chair, half talking to herself and half asleep, the kitten had been having a grand game of romps with the ball of worsted Alice had been trying to wind up, and had been rolling it up and down till it had all come undone again; and there it was, spread over the hearth-rug, all knots and tangles, with the kitten running after its own tail in the middle.

“Oh, you wicked little thing!” cried Alice, catching up the kitten, and giving it a little kiss to make it understand that it was in disgrace. “Really, Dinah ought to have taught you better manners! You ought, Dinah, you know you ought!” she added, looking reproachfully at the old cat, and speaking in as cross a voice as she could manage—and then she scrambled back into the arm-chair, taking the kitten and the worsted with her, and began winding up the ball again. But she didn’t get on very fast, as she was talking all the time, sometimes to the kitten, and sometimes to herself. Kitty sat very demurely on her knee, pretending to watch the progress of the winding, and now and then putting out one paw and gently touching the ball, as if it would be glad to help, if it might.

“Do you know what to-morrow is, Kitty?” Alice began. “You’d have guessed if you’d been up in the window with me—only Dinah was making you tidy, so you couldn’t. I was watching the boys getting in sticks for the bonfire—and it wants plenty of sticks, Kitty! Only it got so cold, and it snowed so, they had to leave off. Never mind, Kitty, we’ll go and see the bonfire to-morrow.” Here Alice wound two or three turns of the worsted round the kitten’s neck, just to see how it would look: this led to a scramble, in which the ball rolled down upon the floor, and yards and yards of it got unwound again.

“Do you know, I was so angry, Kitty,” Alice went on as soon as they were comfortably settled again, “when I saw all the mischief you had been doing, I was very nearly opening the window, and putting you out into the snow! And you’d have deserved it, you little mischievous darling! What have you got to say for yourself? Now don’t interrupt me!” she went on, holding up one finger. “I’m going to tell you all your faults. Number one: you squeaked twice while Dinah was washing your face this morning. Now you can’t deny it, Kitty: I heard you! What’s that you say?” (pretending that the kitten was speaking.) “Her paw went into your eye? Well, that’s your fault, for keeping your eyes open—if you’d shut them tight up, it wouldn’t have happened. Now don’t make any more excuses, but listen! Number two: you pulled Snowdrop away by the tail just as I had put down the saucer of milk before her! What, you were thirsty, were you? How do you know she wasn’t thirsty too? Now for number three: you unwound every bit of the worsted while I wasn’t looking!

If you haven't read this book, you can read it online at Project Gutenberg or you can find it at your local library

The Friday Five Good Things

 Five good things that happened this week.

1. A week ago Friday, a chance for some snow. We didn't even get a flake.

2. The First Day of Spring arrived and it felt a little like Spring. Spring here in New England is a lot like Winter. Cold and wet, just not as much snow.

3. I ordered some Easter goodies, but when they arrived the box was crushed like it had been burst open, but then taped shut. Some of the items were damaged.  I sent a complaint and the items will be replaced.

4. We saw the first robin of Spring

5. I put the finishing touches on the Eldest's Easter basket and got it ready to mail.

How was your week?

New Toys

 

While browsing at the Crayola site, I saw some markers that I thought would be fun to play with for greeting cards and mail art.. Two sets of metal markers. Standard metal markers and metal markers with color along the edge. Both sets of markers require vigorous shaking and then pressing the spring loaded, bullet tip on a sheet of scrap paper to get the paint flowing.

The metal markers came in six metallic colors: Bronze, Copper, Titanium, Silver, Rose Gold, and Gold. The paint went on easily. There wasn’t much difference in color between the Titanium and Silver, and the Rose Gold and Gold. The packaging states the markers are permanent on fabric, wood, canvas, and terra cotta.

The metallic outline markers are juicy and write smoothly. I wish the color ribbon was wider than the metallic as some colors the colored outline doesn’t show up well. It may also be that I wrote with the tip and didn’t try writing with the side of the marker.

I was disappointed that the metallic outline markers bled through the paper. The paper I used was Canson 98 lb. mixed media paper. If using these markers to letter cards, maker sure you glue your writing to the card base.

The liquid metal markers did not bleed through.

Overall, a fun marker to add a bit of bling to ephemera.

Wordy Wednesday

 

T Stands For Drive By Fish Fry

 Friday's during Lent, the Knights of Columbus at the Catholic church in town hold a fund-raiser for their charitable organization, a fish fry. There are two seatings, an early and late. You go downstairs to the church hall, grab your dinner, sit and eat.

Covid changed all that. So the Knights came up with a Drive By Fish Fry. They have a food truck in the church parking lot. You drive through the parking lot following the trail of caution cones to place your order and get your food.

A member of the KofC takes your order and directs you further along the line. Another member, takes your money (cash or credit card)  and directs you to stop by the food truck. Another member brings you your order all tucked neatly in a bag. Then you leave the church parking lot savoring the deep fried perfume all from the safety of your vehicle.

Available for purchase is a cup of delicious fish chowder, a generous portion of haddock perfectly battered and fried to a golden brown, French fries (crisps), a side of Cole slaw, and tartar sauce. To complete my meal, a cup of water flavored with Mio tea flavored water enhancer. (I'm not fond of plain water)

As you can imagine the event is very popular around town. The Knights serve dinner from 4 pm - 7 pm or until they run out of fish. 

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.

Happy Mail

 

A St. Patrick's Day card with a fun decorated envelope design from Nan. Nan always sends me a card on St. Patrick's Day. This one arrived on THE day and tickled me to no end. I love Nan's leprechaun and the delivery instructions: Kindly Deliver to Honorary Colleen. Just made my day. Go raibh maith agat, Nan. 

A postcard from the Eldest from Niagara Falls. Earlier in the month the Falls had frozen over. The Eldest was going to take a trip to see them, but by the time she got there they were no long frozen. She said they were still beautiful.

The Eldest sent a St. Patrick's Day card, too.

How Does Your Garden Grow?

 Another backwards story

Sunset on the evening of the Vernal Equinox

First Day of Spring, Timex

and Brindle came out to enjoy the sunshine

First day of Spring and the little tree on the Harvey, weather station blossomed. Harvey was wishful thinking the feels like temperature to be warmer 68o F than the real temperature 36 oF. Harvey, wish the feels like temperature at least 10 degrees warmer!

Inside, Himself planted seeds. One of the pansies from the library popped.

Seedlings

Himself put the Farm on a stand to be easier to reach.

Harvey showing the feels like temperature at 78 o F. That's more like it, Harvey.

Frozen mole trails

Snow slowly melting off the tundra

The vinca are greening up

Rocky catching some rays in the Zensical garden

Snow melting around Gruff's bench.

With warmer temps. predicted for the coming week, maybe Himself will be able to put together the greenhouse.

With the snow melted, time for Dedo to go back to his perch to guard the house.

Daffs poking their noses above the ground

Some green things

On March 17, Dad's birthday, the male cardinal came to sit in the honeysuckle vine and watched me through the kitchen window. Happy Birthday, Dad!

Earlier in the week, we had a little bit of snow. Weird snow. Tiny balls of snow that looked more like bits of Styrofoam.

How does your garden grow?

Saturday Morning at the Library

 

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

Lewis Carol

illustrated by John Tenniel

When I was 5 years old, I was forced to take dancing lessons while the Brother was forced to take accordion lessons. I hated dancing class. The Knights of Columbus Hall where the classes were given had no heat or it wasn't turned on. I hated wearing the pink beginner tights. I liked clacking around in the tap shoes, but Ma wouldn't let me practice inside the house on the wood floors. I spent most of my time in class being miserable and crying. Eventually, I was taken out of class.

While the Brother still had to endure accordion lessons, Dad took me to the library. He would leave me upstairs in the children's library where I could look at the books and choose to take some books home with my own library card. As I got older, I would go downstairs to the adult library and wander among the stacks enjoying the scent of the books before going to find Dad in the reference area consulting the law books and catching up on his work.

So for the next several weeks, a list of my favorite books, some I have read as a child, others as an adult and some  I have read more than once.

Chapter I: Down the Rabbit-Hole

Alice was beginning to get very tired of sitting by her sister on

the bank, and of having nothing to do: once or twice she had

peeped into the book her sister was reading, but it had no

pictures or conversations in it, `and what is the use of a book,'

thought Alice `without pictures or conversation?'

So she was considering in her own mind (as well as she could,

for the hot day made her feel very sleepy and stupid), whether

the pleasure of making a daisy-chain would be worth the

trouble of getting up and picking the daisies, when suddenly a

White Rabbit with pink eyes ran close by her.

There was nothing so VERY remarkable in that; nor did Alice

think it so VERY much out of the way to hear the Rabbit say

to itself, `Oh dear! Oh dear! I shall be late!' (when she thought

it over afterwards, it occurred to her that she ought to have

wondered at this, but at the time it all seemed quite natural);

but when the Rabbit actually TOOK A WATCH OUT OF ITS

WAISTCOAT- POCKET, and looked at it, and then hurried

on, Alice started to her feet, for it flashed across her mind that

she had never before seen a rabbit with either a waistcoat-pocket, or a watch to take out of it, and

burning with curiosity, she ran across the field after it, and fortunately was just in time to see it pop

down a large rabbit-hole under the hedge.

In another moment down went Alice after it, never once considering how in the world she was to get

out again.

The rabbit-hole went straight on like a tunnel for some way, and then dipped suddenly down, so

suddenly that Alice had not a moment to think about stopping herself before she found herself falling

down a very deep well.

Either the well was very deep, or she fell very slowly, for she had plenty of time as she went down to

look about her and to wonder what was going to happen next. First, she tried to look down and make

out what she was coming to, but it was too dark to see anything; then she looked at the sides of the

well, and noticed that they were filled with cupboards and book-shelves; here and there she saw maps

and pictures hung upon pegs. She took down a jar from one of the shelves as she passed; it was

labelled `ORANGE MARMALADE', but to her great disappointment it was empty: she did not like to

drop the jar for fear of killing somebody, so managed to put it into one of the cupboards as she fell

past it.

If you haven't read this book, you can download it complete with the Tennial illustrations from Alice-in-Wonderland.net or you can find this book at your public library.