I Can't Think of a Title!

It had to happen sometime or other, and today, post #1242 is that time. Not a single title has come to me, so with that being said, shall we move on, titleless?

Because my bicycle has been sitting idle for the better part of a week, I was anxious to ride yesterday morning. The camera I place in my basket is the Nikon with the 18-270 Tamron lens, the better to get close to things far away. It had been nearly a week since I last unloaded the camera card, so this morning I was delighted with what I found. Before we get to that, one thing I kept thinking of yesterday was how I've heard from Jane that having our Florida blue skies and nature help her get through a dreary English winter. When will I see something blog worthy again to perk up her spirits?

As a matter of fact, as I was just returning to the house, I saw Corrine at her mailbox. Corrine is an avid Auburn fan, and you already know I am an avid Florida State fan. So, what does that make us for the next month? Enemies!! Just kidding, although we did have some fun with it. Don't know what I mean? FSU plays Auburn in the National title game in early January which seems like forever from now, but you know as well as I do, the time will fly. Anyway, while chatting in her driveway, what should I see but a Monarch butterfly having breakfast on her Spicy Jatropha tree!

That's the far away version, and I'm including it because in the background you can see that Wanda has been decorating for Christmas, which must be very hard to do having lost her husband only months ago. It's the close up version I'm pretty confident Jane will like.

Not only a perfectly blue sky, but a bee for good measure! It's not often you see both on the same flower bunch at once that's for sure. It was really something watching the butterfly shoo the bee away by fluttering its' wings. Talk about brushing something aside!

Before I forget I want to give a shout out to John Steinbeck, who I just learned from the linked article won the Nobel Prize for Literature when he was my age! Most of us have read the standards: The Grapes of Wrath, Of Mice and Men, and perhaps East of Eden, as have I, however, the two books I just completed should surely be on your, to-read list. In between decorating, shopping, selling, and so forth, I have been enthralled with the writing in both Cannery Row, and Pastures of Heaven. Picking both of them up for a dollar at the library used book store, I couldn't be happier with that purchase. There is so much in those books worth writing about, but I'm not the one to do it. In fact, I'm intimidated just writing this much. My gosh he was an excellent writer! About all I have to say about both of them is that "the more things change, the more they stay the same."

What else was on the card? Why a visit to Sue's house, filled with pretty much only old things. Apparently she's been a collector from way back; note the date:

Have I told you she grew up in Bruce's childhood neighborhood? If you can imagine, she decorated her tree before mine with both a super abundance of ornaments, all old by the way, as well as lights.

Looks like a magazine doesn't it? It is really beautiful with all of the pastel ornaments. Look what she did with the rest of her ornament collection:

We couldn't have a more different style which is why I so like going over there! I am a minimalist compared to her so does that make her a maximest?

Yesterday, while writing my post I could not figure out what was happening with my photos. Here's how they get on my blog: I find the photos to illustrate the story in Picasa, upload them to a Picasa web album, then insert them into the blog dashboard. So far, so good. Except yesterday I noticed there were two copies showing up. Hmmm....six years and counting and this has never happened. After hitting the publish button I received a notice from Google that they (who is they?), automatically did something called, "Auto Awesome" to my photo. I'm not sure how I feel about this, but it's a sure bet I'd never be able to do it myself. The sparkling Christmas tree does look pretty darn awesome doesn't it?

In the next few weeks, I will begin my "out and about" Christmas series of decorated yards beginning with this little scene that made me happy yesterday morning.

You just know I love me some sunshine!

Finally, lest you think I never have any culinary disasters, take a look at how I ruined our beloved sugar cookies!

Trying to make them quickly on Thursday night to take to FAVO, I made them large, too large as it turns out! Then the next batch I cooked too long. It's a good thing they still taste amazing because they sure wouldn't win any prizes for looks!

Have a sparkly day my friends. :)