Unattended iPhone Pic

One of my Photography Two students left me a little surprise on my iPhone (which I’d left unattended on my desk)

Uh-oh.  Let that be a reminder to keep my phone away in the future.  It’s usually in my top drawer.

Sharing it on the blog because I laughed out loud when I found this photograph in my photostream.  It gave me pause.

I’ve a set of Victorian Masks – this one is Horatio Nelson 1st Viscount Nelson.   It was on my desk, too.

My guess is

1.she saw the mask,

2. she saw my phone,

3. she felt inspired

4. and created this in a few short seconds.

5. Left it for me to find.

6. Never mentioned it.

(Way to go AZ!)

7.  I blogged it!

Horatio Nelson Viscount Nelson

Weekly Photo Challenge: Winter

If you've been following the blog for awhile you might remember this as the header last winter,too.

To see other bloggers’ responses to the weekly challenge, click here

*click here to see Flat Ruthie Feed the Horses Cardboard Me Travels to Hardy, Virginia  

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

  1. 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!)
  2. 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!)
  3. 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!)
  4. Don’t forget to tell the bloggers you’ve awarded. ( I had better hurry up and do that before I post, YIKES!)
  5. If you don’t want to pass on this award, that’s okay to. Just admire it-
  6. 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

Living proof about the box it came in….

It wasn't that he didn't like the Lincoln Logs but needed someone to help build with him and we were setting the table and making breakfast.

 

This looks set up but it is as it happened.  The first shot a blur with his brother and this one the clearer image but Michael caught me with the camera catching him playing in the box the Lincoln Logs came in-

classic, cliche, you’ve heard it a hundred times but his mom alerted me to witness the occurrence. Loving playing in the BOX!

Later he and his dad built a log cabin and fence but it’s going to take quiet concentration and a day with less activity to master Lincoln Log building skills.

 

Milk and Cookies Placement and Polish Christmas Eve

Acrobatics on the ottoman make the magical setting real.

Probably the last year for second grader Anna to believe that Santa will come and eat that plate of cookies and the carrots will be eaten by the reindeer.  We had a Polish Christmas eve honoring Erika’s father’s heritage

Weekly Photo Challenge: Between

Youngest granddaughter Maura Clare dancing between Erika and Mark at cousin Jaclyn's wedding

To see fellow bloggers responses to the challenge click here 

* and my photo classmate and new blogger Francine in Retirement posted a classic Pittsburgh image in response to the weekly challenge here

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.

First Day of Winter Still Life in My Kitchen

Friends joined me for tea, even though they weren’t in Pittsburgh.

You can see out the kitchen back door window to the back porch and garage, the bare trees.  The shortest day of light.  Winter officially here.

Two dear friends in KY sent a shipment of fancy English muffins and the Fed Ex man delivered them Wednesday afternoon.  It seemed a good time to split one, toast it and spread some butter (with my Grandmother’s silver butter knife) and spoon some apricot preserves.

Went to fire up the kettle to brew tea but I’d burned the kettle dry on Monday so boiled a pot of water to make the tea. Pulled out the camera on the phone to capture the scene

Oranges were on sale 10 for $2 today and lately they were almost a dollar apiece.

A faithful  blog reader in Virgina, C, (and  best friend of a my good friend J in Omaha) made me the little quilted mug mat last year and it was  J who gave me the lidded butter dish another year.  The Botanic Garden mug matches my mother’s cereal bowls.

I was home alone but in the presence of friends and family remembered.  Finding the joy of winter.  My neighbor called to report a vibrant rainbow spotting and perhaps I could photograph it.  i went outside and it was still raining and saw the colored arch across the street.  I photographed it but it didn’t make the cut for posting but i appreciate when people see something and I come to mind. There was thunder and lightning, too.

Yes, that is a stack of woven potholders on the left counter top.

"...and she feeds you tea and oranges that come all the way from China......"