Peanut Butter and More

It seems like there is a story about peanut butter everywhere I look! Matt posted this book review about peanut butter on fb, and then last weekend, as I watched the game, I went through my magazines including Bon Appetit which listed the best every day ingredients to use. I was astonished to discover that Skippy was their peanut butter of choice which I have NEVER even tasted. See review above to learn about the big three peanut butter brands, Jiff (my current favorite), Peter Pan (my former favorite), and the winner takes all brand, Skippy. NPR posted that Europeans don't like peanut butter. Well, I knew that because Angela despises peanut butter. As the article states, she finds it very weird.

Have I ever told you that Bruce likes peanut butter and pickled jalapeno sandwiches? Before you get all in a huff, consider African cuisine which uses a spicy peanut base. Bill, on the other hand, used to love his sandwiches with peanut butter and M & M's. Me, I'm strictly a peanut butter and jelly girl. How about you? What's your favorite way to eat peanut butter?

While we're on the subject of food, get a load of this: Woo hoo! Read this! Okay, I've been doing this long enough to know that some readers, no matter how much I try to cajole them, will not bother clicking on a link. If you insist on that same behavior today, you will miss an outstanding review of the new Seasons 52 in Century City, built by yours truly's husband, in the Huffington Post. With all the time I've spent alone while he's been making it happen, I like to hear/read all the accolades I can!

Enough about peanut butter--let's go back to Leu Gardens for a moment, shall we?

When I began selling photographs, I wrongly assumed that others would be just as interested in unusual flowers as I was. Didn't work. Buyers like what they know, and something like the above photo stays in the basket forever, no matter how interesting it may be. Daisies--my baskets are filled with various daisy photos because, by golly, that's what the people want, and that's what I will gladly give them!

Of course, occasionally, if the color is just right, they will pick something unknown. Purple, that's a winner for lots of folks, however, as it turns out, I don't have that much in purple. These little purple guys sure are cute:

The rose garden was in full bloom, filling the air with both fragrance and beauty, with a variety of colors. And then I show you only pink? Go figure...

Because it was a free admission day, there were all kinds of visitors--the usual onslaught of mothers and their little ones, as well as some groups, one of which seemed to be adults with some mental disabilities. As I was walking along, this woman asked me to take her picture and so I did.

The woman in the background is smiling because only a few minutes before, using her camera, I took her photograph with her son. I know there have been reports about the decline in the bee population, but from what I saw while taking photographs of flowers, there is no shortage at Leu Gardens.

Bees were swarming like mad while I was taking those photos of the daisy tree--seriously, people rarely realize how some photographers put their well being on the back burner when trying to get just the right shot!

Try as I might, this is the best I could do with these mushrooms on a stump:

Isn't the world an amazing place? If I get excited about this, imagine what I would be like if I saw, say, one of the Seven Wonders of the World!

We haven't visited any homes decorated for Christmas in the last few posts, so why don't we now? Long time readers may remember a time when Angela and I visited Ed---she, under duress, me out of my insane curiosity. While driving down Ferncreek by his house on Monday, a sign in his front window caught my eye:

No surprise there.

On a street near his home, I saw this home which warned of a bad dog, however, apparently he is in the  Christmas spirit and looks pretty placid to me.

I mean with Mr. and Mrs. Santa looking on--who wouldn't be good?

I know this is completely off topic but I came across this great piece about Jimmy C, a street artist whose work we were fortunate enough to see while in London last summer.

The article, which includes a great video, explains how he went about creating a Usain Bolt piece on the streets of Hackney Wick, the area where the London Games were held. I call street art, the "new modern art" because it is fresh and frequently challenging. I am so happy that we are getting a little taste of it with the utility box project currently ongoing. Here's a box on the corner of Michigan and Delaney.

Nice job Danny Rock!

Perhaps you've noticed that I'm posting at night, something I rarely do. I spent the better part of today shopping and wrapping, trying to be super ready before the family comes home. Only two more weeks until Matt and Tom arrive! A smart woman would say she's too busy to take photographs and blog around Christmas, but I've never been accused of being too bright...