Second on the Second - Wed Letter Day

 From Wednesday 

June 2, 2010

The Young One's graduation hoopla had me a little behind. This week 2 letters to catch up to finish the month of May.

Wondering what letter to make while looking at the bathroom tile. Gee, great idea! (-;

And a "P" a la Sherrie Kiesel.

It's your turn to play. From Elizabeth: Now it's time to share your Second on the 2nd.  The rules are quite simple and everyone is welcome to join the fun look back.  All you have to do is bring back a post that you are especially proud of, or perhaps one you shared before anyone knew your blog existed.  Any post, any genre, any artistic endeavor is acceptable.  Join hosts Bleubeard and Elizabeth to see what else is being served up the Second Time Around.

Second on the Second - Groundhog Day Craft

 From: Thursday, February 2, 2023

Join me and the millions of preschoolers around the country that celebrate a rodent predicting  666 days left of Winter.

For this craft you will need: scissors, white glue like Elmer's, 5 or 6 cotton balls, an X-acto knife, craft stick, paper to draw a groundhog, pencil, and a 3 oz. (bathroom) paper cup

If you don't want to draw your own groundhog, head over to Clipart Library where you can find a selection of copyright free images to download. You may need to resize the image to 2 in. wide by 3 in. tall. My finished image measured 2 in. by 2.5 in.

I used mixed media paper, watercolor pencils, and a Pigma pen. Cardstock would also be a good paper to either print or draw on.

With your X-acto knife, carefully cut a slit in the bottom of the cup. The cup I used was plastic so I had to cut a notch so the craft stick would slide up straight from the bottom of the cup.

Fluff out the cotton balls and glue them around the top edge (drinking edge) of your cup. The is the snow that surrounds your groundhog's burrow. Set aside to dry.

Draw, color, and cut out or print a clipart groundhog, color, and cut out. I had some googly eyes which I used on my groundhog. 

Glue your groundhog to your craft stick. The ground hog's bottom should be about 1.5 in. from the top of the stick

Insert the craft stick into the top of the cup. Pull the stick through the slot until you can only see the top of your groundhog's head.

Push the stick up and your groundhog is ready to predict whether Winter ends, and there's an early Spring, or if there are still 666 days to the longest month of the year (February). Hint: there are still 666 days left.

I made a little sign for my ground hog to express my feelings about Winter,

I have friends who delight in Winter and snow, and they love to tease me because I do not share the same joy. They gleefully send me memes  such as the one in the image above.

I made another sign for the groundhog and my friends who revel in Winter. Happy Groundhog Day

It's your turn to play. From Elizabeth: Now it's time to share your Second on the 2nd.  The rules are quite simple and everyone is welcome to join the fun look back.  All you have to do is bring back a post that you are especially proud of, or perhaps one you shared before anyone knew your blog existed.  Any post, any genre, any artistic endeavor is acceptable.  Join hosts Bleubeard and Elizabeth to see what else is being served up the Second Time Around.

Second on the Second - 100 Foods to Eat Before You Die

 A fun game from the way back machine. January 3, 2012 Because I didn't get today's post finished in time.

How many of these have you eaten? Results say most people will have eaten fewer than 20 of these.

             1. Abalone     

             2. Absinthe    

             3. Alligator    

             4. Baba Ghanoush     

             5. Bagel and Lox  - Do I get 1/2 a point for this? I have eaten bagels. Don't care for lox    

             6. Baklava   - yup   

             7. Barbecue Ribs - yup       

             8. Bellini        

             9. Bird's Nest Soup   

             10. Biscuits and Gravy - yup       

             11. Black Pudding    

             12. Black Truffle       

             13. Borscht    - Borscht or beet soup. I've had the Polish version called barscht. Tomato, Tomahto

             14. Calamari  - yup

             15. Carp        

             16. Caviar      

             17. Cheese Fondue   

             18. Chicken and Waffles      not together

             19. Chicken Tikka Masala     

             20. Chile Relleno      

             21. Chitlins    um, no

             22. Churros   

             23. Clam Chowder    - yup, and I hope they mean New England clam chowder

             24. Cognac   - yup  

             25. Crab Cakes   - yup        

             26. Crickets   - my nose is turned up.

             27. Currywurst          

             28. Dandelion Wine  

             29. Dulce De Leche  

             30. Durian     

             31. Eel        - even though this was one of the traditional fishes for Christmas Eve, no way!    

             32. Eggs Benedict     - fancy name for eggs and cheese on an English muffin. Does McD's count?

             33. Fish Tacos           

             34. Foie Gras 

             35. Fresh Spring Rolls           

             36. Fried Catfish       

             37. Fried Green Tomatoes    - yup

             38. Fried Plantain      

             39. Frito Pie  

             40. Frogs’ Legs    - These were to be served for dinner on the first night of our honeymoon cruise. I had been seasick when we left port and didn't want to chance it. Too bad for me, I lost  a point.     

             41. Fugu        

             42. Funnel Cake  - yup       

             43. Gazpacho

             44. Goat        

             45. Goat’s Milk         

             46. Goulash   yup

             47. Gumbo    

             48. Haggis   - No way   

             49. Head Cheese       - ick

             50. Heirloom Tomatoes  - I suppose this does not mean tomatoes that have been sitting in the fridge for a few weeks?        

             51. Honeycomb         

             52. Hostess Fruit Pie - apple, cherry, blueberry, you betcha

             53. Huevos Rancheros          

             54. Jerk Chicken       

             55. Kangaroo

             56. Key Lime Pie    - yup   

             57. Kobe Beef           

             58. Lassi        

             59. Lobster   - yup  

             60. Mimosa   - yup

             61. MoonPie  - yup

             62. Morel Mushrooms           

             63. Nettle Tea           

             64. Octopus  - turning green  

             65. Oxtail Soup         

             66. Paella       

             67. Paneer     

             68. Pastrami on Rye  - with yellow mustard

             69. Pavlova   - no but I have the recipe

             70. Phaal       

             71. Philly Cheese Steak    - yup     

             72. Pho          

             73. Pineapple and Cottage Cheese   - yup

             74. Pistachio Ice Cream        - a favorite

             75. Po’ Boy   - if they mean a sub, yes, if they specifically mean a New Orleans sub, no.

             76. Pocky      - yup

             77. Polenta    

             78. Prickly Pear         

             79. Rabbit Stew        

             80. Raw Oysters       

             81. Root Beer Float - yup  

             82. S’mores   - yup

             83. Sauerkraut           

             84. Sea Urchin          

             85. Shark    - yup    

             86. Snail        

             87. Snake      

             88. Soft Shell Crab   

             89. Som Tam 

             90. Spaetzle   - yup

             91. Spam    - I'd rather die    

             92. Squirrel    

             93. Steak Tartare       

             94. Sweet Potato Fries    - yup       

             95. Sweetbreads    - See Spam     

             96. Tom Yum

             97. Umeboshi

             98. Venison  - Yup  

             99. Wasabi Peas        

             100. Zucchini Flowers   

I scored a 28. What's your score?

And since it's 2025, I've had more time to add a few more from this list. My new score is 33

It's your turn to play. From Elizabeth: Now it's time to share your Second on the 2nd.  The rules are quite simple and everyone is welcome to join the fun look back.  All you have to do is bring back a post that you are especially proud of, or perhaps one you shared before anyone knew your blog existed.  Any post, any genre, any artistic endeavor is acceptable.  Join hosts Bleubeard and Elizabeth to see what else is being served up the Second Time Around.

When Your Muse Takes A Powder

 

From June 22, 2009

An author friend posed some answers to the question what do you do when your creative well runs dry?

Creating something with my hands is such a rush. Though I sometimes refer to my work as play, it's still work. (Though some don't view it as such). It's hard to be creative every single day. Sometimes the demands of work and family just sap my energy. When I feel that happen, it's best just to step back and leave the drawing board. I find if I'm not in a good mood, not happy, my mood comes through my hands. But there's also the need to get that creative energy back. Some things I do:

1. Being a couch potato and watching movies.

2. Cleaning and organizing the studio. Though this can also be a procrastination technique, touching the art supplies sometimes cause my fingers to itch. Sometimes I just have to get my hands in the paint. Afterall, art is a contact sport.

3. Reading blogs by creative friends and colleagues. Looking at what they are doing can be very energizing.

4. Flipping through my calligraphy books, art books, and color swatch book, makes me want to get back in the saddle.

5. Making ATCs just for me and not a trade. Too many times things made are given away or sold (a blessing). I can try a new technique and have fun without the pressure someone is waiting for a piece to be completed.

What are some of the things you do when your muse takes a powder?

Second on the Second

From October 22, 2015 a Throwback Thursday

When I was a kid, I spent a lot of time at this house. My mother's sister and her family lived here. When I was little, my grandma lived here, too. The door used to be the same brick red color.

Because Ma worked, Auntie was like another mother. During school vacations, we would ride the Green Line (subway) with Dad. We would get off the subway at Government Center (formerly Scollay Square). Dad would go to his office in Boston, and The Brother and I (or I would go by myself when I was 9 or 10) would go down the subway stairs to the Blue Line to catch a train to Maverick Square in East Boston.

Even though the Airport Station was closer (Auntie's house was one street away from Logan Airport), we were cautioned to get off at Maverick Square.  We were always told Airport Station was not safe. I suspect it was like we were told there were hobos in the woods. Maverick Square was safer as we could just walk straight down Chelsea St.  No turns and no crossing busy streets.

The door opened into a porch. On the left and up 3 steps was the door to Auntie's house. On the right, was the door that led to the two apartments upstairs. Auntie's husband grew up in this house. His sister and her husband  lived on the second floor. Uncle's mother and a mentally handicapped brother lived on the top floor. When I was little, I called Uncle's mother "The Grandma Who Lived Upstairs". I just remember a tiny, old woman with white hair. She always wore a dark colored dress and a black sweater draped across her shoulders. When The Grandma Who Lived Upstairs passed away, Uncle Peter lived with his sister on the second floor and the top floor apartment was rented out.

We'd knock on the door and waited to hear Auntie coming down the hallway. I can still hear her calling out "Who is it? I always yelled "It's ME!" and she'd reply "Who's me?" before she opened the door.

One thing I didn't like about Auntie's house was the "Buckhowsah", the bathroom, as my grandma called it. The bathroom was at the end of the long, dark hallway, before entering the main house. The bathroom wasn't heated and during the Winter, you could freeze to the seat if you weren't careful.

If the weather was nice, we'd get to play outside with The Cousins.  Take turns riding bikes or roller skating on the sidewalk, playing hopscotch, or marbles using the sewer cover as the playing field. We might get a chance to run errands. Go to the end of the block to Anna's the fruit and vegetable lady, cross the busy street at the light to go to Guy's, the neighborhood grocery store. When I was a teen, we'd go to the barber to get our hair cut by the cute barber.

Summertime, was the best time to be there. Men with trucks would come down the street selling fruit. They'd yell, "Ey waddamalone!" And then there was the man who wheeled a refrigerated pushcart. He sold Slush, a frozen lemonade which he piled into a small, pleated paper cup. On a hot Summer day, it was Heaven in the palm of your hand and all for a nickel.

When I turned 10, I got to have tea with Auntie. She'd make me a cup of tea. It was really more milk than tea with a spoonful or two of sugar in a china tea cup with matching saucer. There would be cookies, too, sometimes the store bought spice cookies shaped like Dutch windmills and Dutch boys and girls. If it was after a holiday, there would be Grandma's bow cookies drizzled in honey and Auntie's sesame seed cookies.

After work, Ma and Dad would come to pick us up. We'd stay for dinner and everyone would crowd around the table in the small kitchen. We'd have Grandma's Cappellini, home-made macaroni shaped like little hats, meatballs, sausage, and Scali bread from Blundo's Bakery to sop up the gravy.

The old folks have all passed away, but the memories and the door remain.

It's your turn to play. From Elizabeth: Now it's time to share your Second on the 2nd.  The rules are quite simple and everyone is welcome to join the fun look back.  All you have to do is bring back a post that you are especially proud of, or perhaps one you shared before anyone knew your blog existed.  Any post, any genre, any artistic endeavor is acceptable.  Join hosts Bleubeard and Elizabeth to see what else is being served up the Second Time Around.

Second on the Second

 On this eighth day after Christmas, or ninth day of Christmas depending on your reckoning

From 2. Janurary 2015, a Friday Five Good Things

Five good things that happened this week.

1. Visited Himself's side of the family at the annual  Gathering

2. Had brunch at Lambie's and a fabulous visit. Her Christmas decorations were still up.  She has such a knack for decorating, and her house should be featured in a magazine.

3. Had the The Brother and his wife over. They gave us a gift card to The Cheesecake Factory. We spent the card on a date night. I took home a slice of Chris' Outrageous Cheesecake   and I didn't share!

4. Each day, I display an affirmation card. The card chosen for New Year's Eve was Dream. I thought it was perfect. Rather than looking back, look forward as I start The Good Things journal for 2015.

5. Between all the leftovers from the Brother's visit, eating out, and our tradition of having Chinese food for New Year's Eve, I haven't cooked all week!

How was your week?

It's your turn to play. From Elizabeth: Now it's time to share your Second on the 2nd.  The rules are quite simple and everyone is welcome to join the fun look back.  All you have to do is bring back a post that you are especially proud of, or perhaps one you shared before anyone knew your blog existed.  Any post, any genre, any artistic endeavor is acceptable.  Join hosts Bleubeard and Elizabeth to see what else is being served up the Second Time Around.

How Does Your Garden Grow - The Second on the Second

Because my garden hasn't changed much from last week, here's a Second Time Around post from

 August 4, 2019 The Gardens and Grounds on Enders Island

Last week, I was on retreat and attended the Sacred Art Institute on Enders Island in Mystic, Connecticut. The island is tiny, only 11 acres, but packed with beautiful gardens lovingly tended by volunteers.

;

The hydrangeas outside the chapel and across from Angell Hall where the studios are located.

Wild flowers at (my) little beach

A late blooming rose outside of St. Michael's, our dormitory

The show stopper are the dahlias. 

Still a bit early for them. They will bloom later this month. Some of the blooms will be big as dinner plates.

Everywhere you roam on the island are niche gardens and places to sit and pray, meditate, or just enjoy the beauty.

Lilies

The main house

I found a stone kitty and a faucet with a little bird.

After dinner, a classmate and I had a cup of tea under the grape arbor

Sunset

Early in the morning, I went to the (my) little beach to wade in the water and do some Qi Gong exercises. I didn't notice them the first morning, but there were hundreds of tiny, hermit crabs. The ripples in the sand looked like highways, and the crabs were busy commuting and bustling to and fro. I called them sea spiders, and after I noticed them, I didn't venture very far into the water.

The Holy Gully. The gull claims the steeple as his perch. One morning a gardener was tending the tubs of flowers outside the chapel. The gull was not happy she invaded his space, and he let out a raucous chorus of his displeasure.

Valerie Weilmuenster, the instructor for the workshop told me a story. One day the gull had captured a crab as his prize. After Mass, when people were coming out of the chapel, the gull flung pieces and parts of crab shell on those below.

The gazebo with wonderful rocking chairs

One evening, I was enjoying my evening cuppa in the gazebo and watching the sunset when a loud boom caused me to jump nearly spilling my tea. Apparently, the yacht club across the way, practices a tradition of lowering the flag and shooting off a cannon at sunset. So much for the quiet, contemplative life on the island. 😸

When I was a kid we had to end our play when the street lights came on. I was amused thinking Mrs. Enders telling her children, "You can go outside to play after supper, but when you hear the cannon, it will be time to come in."

The yacht club

One of the Qi Gong exercises I do is called Flying Geese. A herd of geese landed on the water to show me how it's really done.

My last morning on the beach. Bye, bye little beach and sea spiders. I'll see you when I return for another workshop in October.

It's your turn to play. From Elizabeth: Now it's time to share your Second on the 2nd.  The rules are quite simple and everyone is welcome to join the fun look back.  All you have to do is bring back a post that you are especially proud of, or perhaps one you shared before anyone knew your blog existed.  Any post, any genre, any artistic endeavor is acceptable.  Join hosts Bleubeard and Elizabeth to see what else is being served up the Second Time Around.

How does your garden grow?

T Stands for Second Time Around (When One Project Turns Into Another)

From November 29, 2016, the very first T Day post

For Thanksgiving dinner, I set the table with the fine china and Ma's sterling silver. It seems silly to have these beautiful pieces living behind glass doors waiting for a special occasion that never seems to come. Thus, it seemed like the perfect opportunity for the annual cleaning of the china hutch after the festivities were over.

Himself thought with the hutch emptied, the opportunity to try the sample of paint we bought last week, was too good to pass up. So after the hutch was emptied, and chairs, table, and rug moved, Himself vacced the floor, washed and painted the wall behind the hutch.

I actually joked that we should just paint around the hutch like the previous owner did when we moved in. The dining room/living room combo was painted a beige color. The only room that had been painted that didn't have a dozen different layers of wallpaper peeking through. We originally saw the house with the previous owner's hutch in place. When we stepped foot in the house, besides finding trash left all over the place, there was a giant turquoise rectangle where the hutch had been.

Because of Himself's bad knees, I got the job of painting the baseboard. The paint chosen was Benjamin Moore Ice Mist with an eggshell finish. My parents always used Benjamin Moore paint so that is what we use, too. The paint glides on and covers well with one coat. The downside of painting walls are the paint fumes. A few years ago, Moore came out with a low odor line of their paint called Natura. That is what we tried this time around. Same great texture and coverage and no nasty smell.

I also got to wash brush, roller, and the roller tray lining. That was a quick and easy clean up compared to washing the china and crystal by hand. (Though to be honest, Himself had offered to help dry the dishes, but it was easier for me to wash, dry, and arrange without giving instruction.) Besides, Himself wanted to watch the Patriots' game and deserved to watch it in peace.

China and crystal waiting for a turn in the sink

Dining room back in order

We probably should have painted the ceiling first, but can start with that when the big paint project happens after Christmas while Himself is on Winter break.

It's hard to tell in the bad lighting, but the new color is a huge improvement over the color on the wall which I've called White Trash. The last time the inside of the house was painted was 2001. The outside of the house needs to be painted, too. Shhh, don't tell Himself, but that's the project for his Summer break in August.

This is part of the T is For meme sponsored by Elizabeth and Bleubeard. You can pop over there to read the posts from the T is For participants.

Second on the Second - Behemoth Blue Morpho Butterfly

Photograph and by-line: C. J. Kennedy

 From January 7, 2013

Behemoth Blue Morpho Butterfly Menaces The Back Bay

Friday afternoon, a giant blue butterfly terrorized workers in Boston's Back Bay. The giant insect clung for an hour to the side of the Prudential Tower. The butterfly's wingspan dwarfed the width of the 749 foot  structure. The Pru, completed in 1964, was once the tallest building in the city.

No one seems to know where the insect came from or why it landed on the 52-story building. Local entomologists are speculating the Blue Morpho was attracted to the iridescent blue coloring of the glass and aluminum skyscraper.

Structural engineers have been called in over the weekend to ascertain the building's integrity.

It's your turn to play. From Elizabeth: Now it's time to share your Second on the 2nd.  The rules are quite simple and everyone is welcome to join the fun look back.  All you have to do is bring back a post that you are especially proud of, or perhaps one you shared before anyone knew your blog existed.  Any post, any genre, any artistic endeavor is acceptable.  Join hosts Bleubeard and Elizabeth to see what else is being served up the Second Time Around.

Second on the Second - Sticky Journal Pages

 

From May 17, 2011:

Some of my journal pages that were painted with tube acrylics were sticking together. Not happy. An online search to the problem turned out to be using Dorland's Wax Medium or Turtle Wax. Not having either of those items on hand, and too lazy and cheap to go out to buy them, I tried an even simpler solution to the problem. I rubbed a white candle (unlit, of course) over the sticky pages and buffed with a soft cloth. Ta Da! It worked. Bet if I used a scented candle it would make the pages smell purty.

It's your turn to play. From Elizabeth: Now it's time to share your Second on the 2nd.  The rules are quite simple and everyone is welcome to join the fun look back.  All you have to do is bring back a post that you are especially proud of, or perhaps one you shared before anyone knew your blog existed.  Any post, any genre, any artistic endeavor is acceptable.  Join hosts Bleubeard and Elizabeth to see what else is being served up the Second Time Around.

T Stands For Halloween Dinner and 2nd on the Second

Because Halloween was the date chosen to celebrate Ink's birthday, dinners and desserts were holiday themed. Even though he's gone, I still keep up the tradition. So this year we had Mummy hotdogs from a recipe courtesy of the Pillsbury Doughboy along with tater tots, baked beans, and I had iced tea.

Going through photographs I found a blast from the past, the Young One with the Kitty Litter cake made for a Halloween party the girlies had. 

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.

And now the Second on the Second, a Friday Five from 18. January 2013

One of the things I did to say good bye to my parents' house, the house I grew up in was to take a picture of the door in my bedroom when I was little. I spent a lot of  time in this room. When Dad was home, he didn't like The Brother and me to make noise, especially if he had clients coming to the house.  Ma would send us to our rooms.

Besides reading, drawing or whispering to The Brother through the heating duct, I liked to look for the faces on the door. The faces were sometimes grotesque, but never scary.

There was the lion. Hi, Leo!

The lion chatting with the sweet potato

I wished I had straight hair like the girl with the pageboy do. There was the potato man and the woman with the fish lips.

And the boy who could blow doorknobs out his nose.

Oh, I think I forgot the owl. Can you find him?

It's your turn to play. From Elizabeth: Now it's time to share your Second on the 2nd.  The rules are quite simple and everyone is welcome to join the fun look back.  All you have to do is bring back a post that you are especially proud of, or perhaps one you shared before anyone knew your blog existed.  Any post, any genre, any artistic endeavor is acceptable.  Join hosts Bleubeard and Elizabeth to see what else is being served up the Second Time Around.