Such Expressive (and Unexpected) Taxidermy
Beware of Fox!
It’s been up on this porch roof for at least a couple of days.
I was driving to the zoo from school on Monday.
The story I heard from the guy out in front of the house next door?
The guy who lives there does demolition and probably got it from some home he was tearing down. It is the season of demolition around the city as you know.
A photographer has no choice but to pull to the curb and shoot the scene. Remember the days of women’s stoles with fox heads dangling and tiny paws with claws? Beady eyes? Ugh. Wonder if they take him in if it rains?
The last book we read in 2nd grade Intervention Group was the Fantastic Mr. Fox by Roald Dahl.
Novelty Architecture-Bedford PA- The Coffee Pot
I imagine this scene has been captured thousands and thousands of times by passersby like myself.
And if you enjoy looking at the Coffee Pot there are plenty more structures to read about here
The Film Crew Bathrooms – New York City
NYC residents look straight ahead, walk by,yawn.
Out-of-towners gawk and stop to take a photograph. Oh my.
What I Found on the Sidewalk by School
I walked on by-
nearly passed it up-
even thought it caught my eye.
It’s a rush and a hike between schools.
Time’s always short.
But after I stepped past, I turned around
got down on one knee and shot this little gift
to me- hard boiled yolk, a bit dried,
rolled in sandy crumbs,
abandoned on a sidewalk, fell from a lunch bag
or on the way to the nearby dumpster, missed.
Easter is over.
Didn’t make it to the egg salad bowl.
I drove by after school, to see if it was smashed
maybe rolled an inch, more dry, but still there
all those hours later, just not in as good a light!
Woman Waiting for the Man and Dog Behind- But Read the Green and White Sign
I was sitting at the red light. Saw the gorgeous tree blossoms. Quick shot through the windshield. No time to capture what happened next. The man and dog appear from behind the barrier and return to the woman who was waiting for them.
And when I got home, looked on the computer screen, and read the words on the green sign. Oh my. Just my kind of shot. Inadvertent, but still……
As If “Not Littering” Were/Was(?) Enough….. Which is Correct?
Okay Grammarians. Here’s your chance. I can’t decide which is correct.
1. As if “not littering” were enough to keep Pennsylvania beautiful.
2. As if “not littering” was enough to keep Pennsylvania beautiful.
The more I read them the more I think I should go with- #3 choice-
Is just “not littering” sufficient?
or
“Not littering” isn’t the only thing necessary………
No way to dial a #1-800-Grammar line and find out which is correct.
It’s after eleven PM. The English teachers, working or retired, I know are fast asleep.
Surely someone can help me out with the proper wording of the title.
Maybe it will occur to me in the middle of the night.
Or just check out the sign and don’t worry about my inability to decide.
Shot near Rankin Bridge on Route 837.
This sign is on the entrance to a car junkyard.
Yikes- You’ve Got to Pull Over, Get Out of Your Car and Shoot It!
In the distance you can see the Cathedral of Learning at Pitt.
The sparkly Christmas Tree caught my eye . St Patricks’s preparation?
And as I returned to my car, I saw the sidewalk/stairs in the shade.
Guest Bed Where I’m Sleeping – Just About Full
Anna was in her own bed as she has an early swim meet, leaving the house by 6:30 AM
A busy picture. So busy I -
transformed it to black and white due to the wild colors, stripes, patterns and conflicting light. Caught with the iPhone without a flash, just a snippet of the fun I enjoy with the grandchildren when I visit. Now the boys say they want a campout with grandma but I think it is my iPod touch they want to use to watch a cartoon. We’re in the basement guest room. Maura(3) looks around and says,”There are no windows.” That’s true, not in this room. Hope no one wakes up at 3 AM and is missing his or her own bed.
Mismatch Day and Green Eggs on a Spork
T
The ham was eaten but the green eggs disposed in the trash by this student
Here I am celebrating by wearing the Cat in the Hat Costume. Click to see post
3 Sleeping After Dinner at Lala’s & See if You Can Find Murphy
Dinner at Lala’s and James’ home. Building with Lego. I’m “grandmaing” the three youngest grandkids this weekend as the eldest is at a swimmeet in Cincinnati. With her parents, of course.
So we watched Laura and James’ wedding video they received this week and Jack and Michael were ring bearers and Anna and Maura flower girls so they liked seeing themselves but then Jack(4) goes in the kitchen at seven and says, ” Could someone please start making dinner!” We were caught up in reliving the November wedding. Laura baked some homemade pizza and I had taken a spinach pie. For dessert I’d made the Farm Journal Blue Ribbon Banana Cake with buttermilk and real butter instead of the shortening the recipe calls for.
We piled into the van and I drove home and barely a block away and all three kids fell asleep! When we got home I carried each one in, made a stop with them and then took off their shoes and put them in their beds. I’d sat in the van for a moment when we got into the garage and thought to myself, okay, now what will I do with all of them asleep. Michael really came in on his own power once I got him guided a bit. And Murphy was so excited to accompany the family for the evening.
I didn’t have a plan of what to blog tonight and thought WordPress would have posted the Weekly Photo Challenge by this time but they didn’t and I was “on duty” with the kids so hadn’t thought about what to put up.
Can you see Murphy? He is wide awake.
Happy Groundhog’s Day as One Blog Leaks into Another
We haven’t really had a winter yet so at dawn, if Punxsutawney Phil sees his shadow, it won’t be surprising to hear there’ll be 6 more weeks of winter. I heard that Punxsutawney schools are closed on February 2nd for Groundhog’s Day. It’s a great holiday to celebrate. No gifts. Thursday night I will serve Groundhog Chicken from the NYTimes, late 1980′s recipe which is browned chicken in orange sauce with ginger, cinnamon, Tabasco and slivered almonds served with CousCous and some garlic green beans. I own cooky cutters in the shapes of Groundhogs, a large and a small, but did not make time to roll dough and cut out cookies to bake.
If you want to watch the Groundhog News or see the Live Webcast, click HERE and if I get a chance I will update what the furry prognosticator declares. UPDATE at 7:20 AM Phil the Groundhog saw his shadow. Six more weeks of winter!!
There is such a wonderful Chicago tour written by Chicago John on the Cardboardmetravels blog that I am not going to bump it off the other blog with today’s groundhog photo. You have read many of his comments on my blog and you may have clicked on his link from the Bartolini Kitchens to read his stories of childhood memory and the preparation of heirloom Italian recipes.
In 1990, three years before Groudhog Day (Bill Murray movie) hit the theaters and everyone had heard about Phil the Groundhog in Punxsutawney, my sister flew out from NYC to Pittsburgh. In the middle of a foggy night, we drove to Punxsutawney for the event. Mary wrote postcards and mailed them so they would have the February 2nd postmark from Punxsutawney. We had a fun day although it was freezing in the woods and all felt a bit strange. You’ve seen Nativity scenes and Santa in yards at Christmas? Well, the residents have GROUNDHOGS on their lawns. Big wooden cutout groundhogs. We experienced the occasion and I guess it could have been something on a bucket list if we had one. Visit Gobbler’s Knob at least once in your life!
So a single post for Groundhog’s Day and here is my Groundhog Folkmanis Puppet holding the original Flat Ruthie in the backyard after school and I will take some license and say he is looking for his shadow? Only problem is the time of day.
Not screaming like Fay Wray did with King Kong
The Junk Food Cookbook and a Bonus Pack of Twinkies®
Have you ever actually tasted a Twinkie®
Twinkies® have been in the news lately. They’ve been in existence since 1930. I saw one fried at Kennywood. You might remember the reference the Twinkies Defense? And now the company is filing for Chapter 11. With word of bankruptcy- the future of Twinkies unknown.
Would you believe that PBS has an Ode to Twinkies contest, haikus and all, to honor this American snack classic (from the label)? You can click on the link and read some of them, no matter how you feel about Twinkies
Surely they could accommodate different forms- limerick, sonnet, a villanelle or sestina.
I’m not a Twinkies fan but that sure sounds unAmerican.
I’m fascinated by the snack cake phenomenon. Little Debbie, Tastycake, Drake’s Cakes and Moon Pies etc. and I am always looking for food to photograph.
The other night my friend R(who is the inspiration for this post today) was over for dinner and we were talking Twinkies®. I showed her the recipe in my old 1979 Junk Food Cookbook. We spoke of Urban legends. Someone told us that a penny left in Coca-Cola for three weeks will disintegrate but a Twinkie® soaked in the same Coca-Cola the same time period, remains unchanged. Makes one want to experiment, though, just to test the hypothesis.
But Science Fair projects aside, I thought I’d purchase a pack of Twinkies and photograph them and include the wacky cookbook, too.
After school I went to the Bryant Street Market and the Hostess selection on the wire rack was slim. One package of Snoballs, the pink rubbery marshmallow coating and coconut flakes over a half sphere of chocolate cake and white fluffy filling in the center, two wax coated paper sleeves of fruit pies and the Bonus Packs of Twinkies with an extra cake. Great!
Nutrition Information is an Oxymoron
440 calories from this package alone! YIKES!
I thought it would be cool to post the homemade version out of the Junk Food Cookbook but then I read the front page and decided against it. Alas, I have zero permission from the publisher. Copyright important to respect and no time to write to the publisher and get permission.
If you want to see a list of sightings in movies and TV shows there’s a list at this link
Interior of a Twinkie
Twinkie Twinkie Little Cake
How long do you take to bake?
Most of your ingredients
Sound like they are fake.
Perhaps if Hansel and Gretel had dropped
Twinkie crumbs, the birds wouldn’t have touched them
and they could have found their way out of the woods.
Murphy the Airedale Terrier’s Tenth Birthday
You’ve seen him many times on the blog. His endearing personality and stuffed animal appearance make him a satisfying (and willing) subject to photograph. He wants to be in the pictures with the family. I know some readers are not “dog people” but Murphy is an important member of the family and I know they will enjoy telling him he is “on the blog”!
The recent Weekly Photo Challenge: Peaceful, featured Murph under a shade tree in Hardy, VA and he was on earlier today, being patient as Anna and Maura put sock monkeys on his back.
I didn’t give him proper recognition for his TENTH birthday which is TODAY! January 24th!!
My sister sent the hat and bone from NYC and I photographed him on Saturday with his birthday treat.
I said,” Whatcha doin’ Murph?” and he stopped gnawing and looked up at me, so tolerant of old Grandma and her camera lens, frequently pointed in his direction.
An early post before Midnight so it is ON the day, not belated. Happy Birthday Murphy.
Slow Shutter and the Pink Sock Monkeys
When Anna was a baby I made her a sock monkey out of a pair of Rockford Red Heel Socks, just as I had done for her father when he was little. The sock monkey didn’t get much playtime and I didn’t make anymore for the other three grandchildren. At Christmas I noticed Anna using the sock monkey like a puppet with the other kids at breakfast. Everyone was laughing and she was enjoying playing with her(it is a girl and her name is Mrs. Sock Monkey) She asked me if I could make her a pink sock monkey. I said I didn’t know how I could because I didn’t know at the time you could buy PINK red heel socks.
Last weekend when I visited, the old sock monkey had not only a bed made from a Costco box, covered in blanket but there was a small basket added as a bunk with a junior sized sock monkey wrapped up in a hand knitted dishrag (the sock monkey was one of Murphy the Airedale’s former toys!- every dog needs a sock monkey).
And to Anna and Maura’s surprise, I showed up with two pairs of PINK red heel socks I found online. Laura brought over her portable sewing machine and I sat at the kitchen table stitching up the legs and arms. Anna helped stuff the limbs. The girls were really excited to watch the socks turn into monkeys. I embroidered the eyes and nostrils with some variegated cotton yarn I had as a knitting project.
The next morning as they were waiting to go to church, I had them open the front door to get some available light for a photo of them with their monkeys. Strawberry and Blueberry are their names. Blueberry has blue eyes like Maura and that’s how they can tell them apart. I used a 1/5 shutter speed -handheld -which is really not a good idea. Too much camera shake.
The snow in the night added some reflected light but the winter morning was fairly gray. Murphy decided to come and see what was happening outside and Anna thought he would make a good horse for the monkeys. Murphy didn’t even mind. He remained undisturbed even though Maura was squealing excitedly. Then Anna wrote sock monkey on the condensation inside the storm door glass. I love that all the fancy toys are ignored and the homemade bed out of box and a couple of pairs of socks, transformed into monkeys, delighted the girls. I told Anna how Aunt Mary and I went to the Sock Monkey Museum in Rockford, Illinois.
Murphy isn't even paying attention to a couple of riders!
Maura watches Anna make the sock monkey wave!
I remember writing on windows. The condensation invites it!
What is He Thinking?
What Is He Trying to Say?
Murphy the Airedale. Again. I was sifting through files and saw him looking at me. This was shot at Thanksgiving time in Hardy, Virginia. The day we were attempting the Christmas card photo with the kids all in red.
Maytag Repairman- Loneliest Guy in Town
There’s a bronze statue of an unemployed Maytag repairman in Newtown Iowa where they manufactured Maytag washing machines. Here is another view of the same statue in the snow. I was in Perla’s Appliances Plus Store in Swissvale, picking up a grill plate for my new stove they delivered last week and saw this statue of the lonely Maytag repairman. Turns out there are other figurines of the same theme in existence and are popular collectibles. I asked to blog it and they said fine by them, thank you! Do you remember Jesse White the character actor who first played the Maytag Repairman in a commercial in 1967?? There is a Youtube video of a Maytag Museum in Eaton CO if you want to see the collections of washing machines, some powered by gasoline and one actually has a meat grinder attachment. Wringers, rollers, drums, agitators, tubs, automatics and rack and pinion gearing, motors and spin cycles. But since the Maytag needed so few repairs, their authorized repairman was taught to carry a deck of cards to play solitaire as he was called so infrequently! 
Weekly Photo Challenge: Launch
Just when I thought the Weekly Photo Challenge was over as 2011 ended….it’s NOT! This shot from my 2010 archives. No flash. Taken with morning’s available light, in the family living room. His mom is getting out of the way as she has just taped up the flaps.
Launch conjures up outer space in my mind, a launch pad- although I feel proud all three of my children and grown and launched.
Here’s Michael, patiently waiting for lift off. He sure loves empty boxes. The costume a Stormtrooper from Star Wars (Clone Wars?) but in this case it’s an astronaut. You saw Michael just after Christmas in another empty box (here if you missed it)
All Systems Go, Houston! Ready for Lift-off!
10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1……………..
And if you go to this link you can see other bloggers’ responses to the Weekly Photo Challenge: Launch
Their links are in the comments section plus you can see the example photo of hot air balloons shown to inspire our responses to the challenge. Always an interesting variety of interpretations to the challenge and many excellent photographers’ work.
Three Magi
From the archives. Three Magi. Apple boxes. Found the apple packing and storing company listing.
Was reading about the dismantling of the Christmas stuff at my son’s in Ohio and knew it was Twelfth Night and the end of Christmas. This photo came to mind. The three kings, Epiphany. Bearing gifts. Traveling so far.
These are the big wooden boxes used when the apples are picked in the orchard. You can see them stacked up in tall piles as you drive around this part of the country. You get a new appreciation for the effort it takes to grow fruit. These three apple boxes were just placed like this along the path where we’d walk the dogs.
3 Year Old Salts Her Popcorn
You have to be vigilant. Pay attention, non-stop. We were all in the same room, together.
No one saw her with the salt shaker. Gone wild.
But I had to photograph it when I noticed it in the morning as we cleaned up after movie night. Hers was the pink bowl. The morning light through the back door caught the colors.
This just in- I had dinner in Arkansas and looks like good luck will be with me in 2012 as I am chowing down on some Black Eyed Peas. ”Cardboard me” showed up in Greg and Katherine’s kitchen. Check it out on their blog here
Reader Appreciation & Anna Entertains Her Siblings With Mr. Sock Monkey
- Award your top 6 bloggers who have commented the most ( my frequent commenters don’t all have blogs but are good friends around the world who check out the daily photo and write nice comments on the blog- Thanks you to all readers for following the blog!)
- Be thankful. (Thank you Chicago John at fromBartolini Kitchens who nominated me for this award. Wonderful intelligent writing evoking memories of growing up and what was prepared and eaten. He also writes the best comments but I can’t send this award back to him!)
- You cannot award someone who has already been awarded. And you cannot give the award back to me. (Okay, that eliminates Greg and Katherine at Rufus Food and Spirits Guide, as Chicago John awarded them too but they write great comments, too!)
- Don’t forget to tell the bloggers you’ve awarded. ( I had better hurry up and do that before I post, YIKES!)
- If you don’t want to pass on this award, that’s okay to. Just admire it-
- and unable to copy and paste the award symbol I am posting a reasonable facsimile
My Reader Appreciation Award Shot in Joan's Garden
Six Readers Whom I Appreciate- Be sure to check out their blogs!
1.implicado see the Poinsettias in Mexico and other cool photos shot by Cedric.
2.smilekiddo Spreading happy faces found EVERYWHERE from a swing set to the pavement. Now I see them, too. There is so much more than that summation but check out Stef’s blog.
3. watchingnolanature If you want a walk in the swamp or a hike in the wood with stunning nature photography check out Carla’s blog. If you live in the north and want to feel warmer head to NOLA.
4. thirdhand art Theresa has a photography blog and is a regular reader and commenter.
5. mark goodwin photography - a photography blogger based in Wales
6. goofy runner my sweet daughter who writes hundreds of comments on the blog. You saw her wedding on my blog recently.
Had to keep up with my daily photo post effort as 2011 comes to a close. Maybe not the clearest shot but I came upon this scene in the kitchen this morning. I made the sock monkey for Anna when she was small and the arms look like they need a little plastic surgery by the seamstress. Anna asked if I could make a PINK sock monkey and would you believe I found the Rockford, red heel socks in PINK and ordered them today. If you need a pair you can order here at Supersockmonkey.
It is great when they ignore me with a camera! Jack still sporting his Superman Cape
Inspired by Smile,Kiddo
People tell me they see things they didn’t see before looking at my photos on the blog-
And now that happened to me!
Sitting on the floor, wrapping presents, I saw a smiley in the floor- where the French doors go.
Almost a wink at me!
Thanks Stef for training my brain to find smiles everywhere. check out smile kiddo
It was an iPhone post today. Fat fingers and tiny letters. YIKEs. Forgive the typo, Stef. I edited but know the subscribers will see your title spelled incorrectly. I am reposting it new so it is correct. So much for trying to post from the phone.
Holiday Spirit on Not My House
Not a sprig of evergreen or a single bulb at my house. Not an angel or a garland or candy cane.
And then I drive by this place! WHOA.
Serious decorations. I wonder where they store them the other eleven months. The traffic must stop as gawkers drive by. Like me.
By a friend’s special request, the first holiday house spotted and captured at night. Last year, or maybe it was the year before, I used to drive around and shoot inflatable turkeys and then Santas on rooftops and even an inflatable nativity scene and when I got out of the car I could hear the air blowing. Somehow I lost interest in this subject matter. On the way to Virginia, one lawn had 37 inflatables the inhabitants told me. After that spotting, I just didn’t feel moved to try and capture the blowing hot air filling the bright, colored cloth. Everyone had them on their lawn or so it seemed. I stopped saying, “Holy Cow, I can’t believe that display!” and raise my camera to shoot.
It’s not that I am Scroogella or anything. I enjoy other people’s efforts to brighten the darkness (and sunset comes before 5PM these days), I just got out of the “seeing” the decorations and photographing them. .
But I’m back- what else could I do? This scene could not be ignored.
These lights demanded my attention and capture.
Discovered because I went to a CD release party in Regent Square. Who knew it was waiting around the corner?
But then
Meeting of the Sock Monkey Minds /Solving WordPress Email Deluge!
Four sock monkeys I made, set up, waiting for the kids to come home and find them (from Easter visit to grandchildren)
When I looked at the photo, I thought of meetings, meetings, meetings…….table the motion and I move to adjourn-
Do I hear a second?
second part for my blogging friends who experienced a deluge of email in their box. See Chicago John’s public service announcement
or it could be a WordPress meeting!
Monkey 1″Hey, let’s flood people’s inboxes with a ton of emails, every time they write a comment or reply on a post”
Monkey 2 “Yes, let’s check the box for them without their realizing it so they get emails and more emails and more emails. Imagine if a blogger gets twenty comments. And then a commenter replies, or the blogger replies, too. YIKES
Multiply that cause each commenter will now receive an email. Wow, it is like a math problem. Can even get almost to infinity in an inbox!”
Monkey 3 ”We might get a ton a email ourselves over in support!”
Monkey 4 ” We had better fix this problem at WordPress NOW as our loyal bloggers and their readers are not happy!!” : – (
May 8, 2012 | Categories: Childhood, Family, photo of the day | Tags: childhood, comments, crafts, email inbox flooding, humor, photography, postaday, replies to comments, sock monkeys, stitching, toys, wordpress support | 17 Comments »