Guess who's getting ready for the night of spooks, ghosts, zombies, screeches, jack-o-lanterns and hobgoblins?
Wednesday, September 27, 2023
HALLO-WHAT?
Tuesday, September 26, 2023
CONTINUATION
I told you yesterday of the Beautiful Artistic Daughter's determination not to allow such a small thing as a broken arm to stop her.
Actually it was a bone fracture in the elbow of her dominant arm but that's enough for me to call it a broken arm.
She had it in a temporary cast and then a huge immobilizing brace.
But for this artist, who goes by the acronym BAD, "immobilizing" is not in her vocabulary.
So, let me show you what she's been doing in her recovery instead of resting.
That once flat black cylinder is now a bedazzlement of small beads and tiles.
She says it could be a base for a gazing ball or a lamp or . . . whatever you want it to be.
A thing of beauty.
And a measure of one artist's determination.
Her name, by the way, is Gayle Vanessa Bolton, and she can be found in Prescott, Arizona, USA.
Monday, September 25, 2023
BAD ADVENTURES
Regular followers of this silly blog will recognize the BAD as "Beautiful Artistic Daughter", aka Gayle.
And recent followers will know that she took an accidental tumble whilst coming away from an appointment and managed to break a bone in her elbow.
Since then her dominant arm has been hampered by having to wear a large and unwieldy brace.
But she's a stubborn girl.
As stubborn as her mother.
She lives alone and is an artist but also somewhat of a pot gardener.
And when she decided her outdoor plants needed some protection from the upcoming elements, she assembled a sort of greenhouse on her patio.
Sunday, September 24, 2023
WELCOMING FALL WITH A TORTE
No, no, no, get your minds out of the gutter.
I didn't say "welcoming fall with a tart"!
Other than the NSFW thoughts some of you may have had, I learned that a tart is a contained concoction, like a pie, while a torte is more like a cake, being a free-standing confection.
So what I created yesterday was a plum torte.
Saturday, September 23, 2023
AUTUMN HAS FALLEN
We made it once again.
Autumn arrived just before midnight last night.
As I woke and checked the weather I see it is cool(ish) and damp outside.
The temperature at 6:30 a.m. is 61 degrees F. (16 C.) and the Weather Gods say there are showers in the vicinity.
One of my most faithful and consistent humor suppliers, Wacky Wally, sent me this meme this morning.
So the season of those insufferable Pumpkin Spice Everythings has arrived.
Halloween and even CHRISTMAS decorations are prominent in stores and some people are already decorating, with the spooky night still over a month away.
In one of my doctor's offices a small artificial tree has stood for years.
It is decorated by the office manager and members of the staff for whatever season or holiday might be approaching.
The other day when I was there I noticed it was decorated for the Fall Season.
It's clever and perhaps brings a smile to the faces of people waiting (and waiting and waiting) to receive their medical consultations.
Happy Autumn, everyone*!
( * - except for my friend River in South Australia and others in the Southern Hemisphere who have Springtime staring them in the face.)
Friday, September 22, 2023
THE FRIDAY FUNNIES
It's been quite a week around here.
Judy's knee is so bad that she can't put hardly any weight on it so I've been hauling her wheelchair in and out of the car as we make our way to various doctor appointments.
She has to get surgery clearances from a couple of medicos before the orthopaedic surgeon will even schedule her knee replacement.
Suffice it to say that I've been getting a workout even though she tries to insist on doing "stuff" in spite of her bone on bone pain.
But never let it be said that will keep me from my weekly appointed task - trying to make YOU laugh.
This week, once again, we're doing an almost totally cartoon-free edition as the words are speaking louder than pictures in the old humor bank,.
So, brace yourselves for some not-so-heavy reading.
Wednesday, September 20, 2023
SHEET, YES!
SWMBO (She Who Must Be Obeyed) would tell you there's nothing new about it.
But various and sundry cooking newspaper columnists, web pages, t.v. food shows and what not seem to think it's an idea whose time has come.
I'm talking here about Sheet Pan meals.
It's where the main course and all the side dishes are cooked all together spread out on the trusty sheet pan, protected with a sheet of foil.
Like this.
Tuesday, September 19, 2023
BASICALLY BILL
If you want to see a great acting performance, watch Bill Nighy in "Living", on Netflix.
The accomplished British actor is at his best in this quiet movie, an adaptation of the 1952 film "Ikiru" by Akira Kurosawa, which was based on a novel by Leo Tolstoy.
Pretty good names with which to be connected.
It is the story of a bureaucrat in England, shuffling papers endlessly, who learns that he has a terminal illness and then begins to live his life.
Nighy is amazing, displaying an entire range of emotions, especially in a scene in a darkened living room where he relives moments from his life telling each story with only his facial expressions.
As I said to Judy last night as we watched, "Now *that's* acting!"
But you don't need to take my word for it.
Nighy is nominated this year in the Best Actor category for the Academy Award, a Golden Globe, a Screen Actors Guild award, and a BAFTA (Britain's equivalent of an Oscar) by the British Film Association.
I've long been a fan of Nighy but he proves his worth in this film.
Monday, September 18, 2023
RETRO REDFORD
Now there's no argument with the claim that Robert Redford is a very good looking man.
Or that he has made a lot of entertaining movies.
But after watching four of his films in a week, I think I'll give him a rest for awhile.
Last night, Judy and I watched "The Company You Keep", his movie about a 1960's radical who's been blamed for being part of a gang that killed a guard while pulling off a bank robbery.
But he's been living his life under an assumed name all these years as a responsible attorney.
The story tells of a young newspaper reporter (Shia LeBeouf) trying to uncover his background and then prove him innocent.
The movie is a cavalcade of cameos.
Along with Redford and LeBeouf, there are short appearances by Susan Sarandon, Nick Nolte, Sam Elliott, Chris Cooper, Anna Kendrick, Richard Jenkins and Stanley Tucci.
Longer appearances include Julie Christie and Terrence Howard.
It's great seeing all those old familiar faces but, as I told my friend Mike (who suggested the movie) in an email, while entertaining I felt the film with its feel-good ending was a bit of a fairy tale.
The other Redford movies I watched this past week were "The Electric Horseman" (pretty good), "The Great Waldo Pepper" (not so great), and "Our Souls at Night" (thoughtful).
Now, as much as I like "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" (I've enjoyed it several times over the years), I think I'll take a Redford break.
Sunday, September 17, 2023
REDFORD AND FONDA
We watched a movie from 2017 last night starring a couple of Academy Award winners who were making their 4th movie together.
I'm talking about Robert Redford and Jane Fonda.
The movie is called "Our Souls At Night".
The reviews were mixed.
Some people liked it, others thought it was dull.
I don't know whether it's our ages or not but we seek out these types of movies - quiet and thoughtful.
We're nearly identical in age to the two actors.
At the time the movie was released Redford was over 80 and Fonda was fast approaching it.
They didn't hide their ages in the film and they were both as good as ever.
And they're both still active in the film industry.
Saturday, September 16, 2023
GETTING READY
The Autumnal Equinox occurs next Friday, marking the beginning of Autumn in the Northern Hemisphere.
But one creature has already taken a "fall".
It's the BAD's black cat, Opal.
Anticipating the cooler temperatures to come, she found refuge under a blanket but she's keeping a watchful eye out for any dangers.
On another note, today is Mexican Independence Day, so you may feel free to indulge in tacos and margaritas and once sated to shout "Viva Mexico!"
And we're right in the middle of the Jewish celebration of Rosh Hashana, the beginning of a new year.
This year it's 5784.
One of the traditions is to eat apples dipped in honey.
That sounds tasty.
So I say Happy Rosh Hashana!
Now I'm thinking about ducking under a blanket like Opal.
Friday, September 15, 2023
THE FRIDAY FUNNIES
Oyez, oyez, ye olde week draws to a close once again.
It's been . . oh . . one of those weeks.
Nuff said.
I hope life around your corral is galloping merrily.
And speaking of merrily, that's why I'm here.
So let's see what I've dredged up for you this week.
That's all I've got folks.
So the rest is up to you.
Get thee hence and have a spectacular weekend.
And always remember to keep laughing!
Here, kitty-kitty . . .
( . . oh, so arty . . )
Wednesday, September 13, 2023
A BOY AND HIS DOG
Tuesday, September 12, 2023
MEMORIES OF JIMMY
Monday, September 11, 2023
DAY OF REFLECTION
Twenty-two years ago today the United States came under attack on its own soil by terrorists who hijacked four commercial jets.
They flew two of them into the World Trade Towers in New York, one into the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, and, during a battle with passengers, crashed the fourth one into a field in Pennsylvania.
Here, far away in Prescott Valley, Arizona, those tragic events are memorialized every year.
Sunday, September 10, 2023
Saturday, September 9, 2023
CLOUDS A-BUILDING
Our normally blue skies were filling with what I call "thunder bumpers" today and we could have a few rainy days ahead of us.
Friday, September 8, 2023
THE FRIDAY FUNNIES
So how was your short week, my friends and Gentle Readers?
Oh yes, I forgot, some of you in foreign lands didn't have a day off on Monday for workers.
Come to think of it, neither did I.
All of my days in my Senior Years are days off.
That sort of makes me smile.
And speaking of smiling . . . it's time for the end of the week tomfoolery!