Sky Watch Friday: Cathedral with Clouds

(Click on photos to enlarge.)

This sky shot was taken in San Antonio TX back in November. The building in the photo is San Fernando Cathedral, founded in 1731. The original church was built between 1738 and 1750, and the walls of that church form the sanctuary of the existing cathedral. For this reason, it's sometimes referred to as the oldest cathedral in the U.S. However, the modern cathedral facade was constructed in 1868.

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Family Foto Friday

I was doing some family history work the other day (OK, not really "work" since I love to do it), and was surprised (more like horrified) when I realized that this year I'm the same age my grandmother was when I got married! How depressing is that?

Now admittedly, we were both very young brides. But, still. I guess that means I'm getting really, really old.

This is me on my wedding day with my MaMa (pronounced Maw-Maw). I know - what a yucky thing to call one's grandma. She was my mother's mother, and I was her first grandchild. And since my father's mother already had a raft of grandkids who called her Granny, Mamma's mom was stuck with MaMa. So I suppose I might be the culprit responsible for giving her that nickname. I'd like to think she chose it for herself, but who would do that?


Anyway. In this photo she's giving me a sixpence for my shoe (for good luck). She gave me a lace handkerchief to carry too, for my "something old." I think she did that for all the brides in the family. I've still got the hankie. I wonder if that sixpence is hiding somewhere around here, too.

Cat Thursday: Mainzer Cats

This is a postcard by artist Alfred Mainzer. Mainzer was famous for his "dressed cats" postcards which showed felines dressed like people and engaging in all sorts of people-type activities. This card is probably from the late 1940s or early '50s. The great thing about Mainzer's cards, aside from the humor, is the wonderful detail he packed into each picture. I love the "Miau-Miu" airline in this one.

Cat Thursday is hosted by Michelle @ The True Book Addict

ABC Wednesday: "X" is for...

Xanthic!

(Yellow or yellowish in color.)

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Hobby Shop Holiday

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Happy Holidays!

Cat Thursday

This week, I have some of my favorite LOL Cats for Christmas. For more funny kittehs, just visit i can has cheezburger.

(Click on photos to enlarge.)

Cat Thursday is hosted by Michelle @ The True Book Addict

ABC Wednesday: "W" is for...

Window Shopping!

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Antique shop.
Old Town Alexandria VA, December 2010.

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Blue Monday: Christmas Greetings

Blue Monday is hosted weekly by Smiling Sally.
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Among the many (many, many) collections I've managed to amass, old postcards are some of my favorites. Here are a couple of Christmas postcards from the early 20th Century (actually before my time, so they must be pretty ancient, right?), with some nice blue touches. Happy Holidays, everyone!

(Click on photos to enlarge.)

Friday Fill-Ins

Well, here we are at the end of another week. Almost the end of another year! Doesn't seem possible that 2010 is nearly over - I'm just now getting used to putting that one in between the zeros whenever I have to write the date. Don't know if that's a sign of getting old, or if I'm just a slow learner.

Anyway, it's Friday and time for another Friday Fill-Ins. This week, in honor of the holiday season, the prompts are in green and red. So here we go:

1. What in the world would I do without Friday Fill-Ins every Friday?

2. Wish I didn't look so well fed.

3. Go for the gold. Go tell it on the mountain. Go, go, go! Go, and never darken my door again. (Having a little trouble with this one.)

4. No one sent me any Christmas goodies this year (At least, not yet.)

5. I keep wondering how it got to be the end of another year so fast.

6. Ready or not, here comes Christmas!

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to relaxing with M, and probably watching another basketball game (it's that time of year around here), tomorrow my plans include running errands and doing some shopping after the snow melts a little more and Sunday, I want to stay indoors and away from all the new snow we're supposed to have, and get some reading done!

Sky Watch Friday: Shining Through

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The sun shining through storm clouds.
Somewhere in Tennessee, November 2010.

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Cat Thursday

"Please stop referring to it as a 'pup tent'!"

(Click on photo to enlarge.)

Cat Thursday is hosted by Michelle @ The True Book Addict

Out and About in Old Town

It's been really cold here in Northern Virginia lately. Cold and mostly cloudy and damp. And in that kind of weather, I tend to hibernate; which means I just stay indoors and mope. But over the weekend we had a bit of a break in the wintry weather - Saturday was sunny and not quite as cold. So M and I took that opportunity to venture out for a visit to Old Town Alexandria, to do a little sight-seeing and window-shopping (and shoe shopping, but that's another story). Thought I'd share a few of the photos I took of some of the seasonal decorations. (Click on photos to enlarge.)


Old Town is always one of my favorite places to visit during the holidays. All the home and shop owners usually go all-out, in a sort of decorating frenzy.


This year the mood seemed to be a bit subdued compared to other years. Don't know if it's because of the economy, or just a general attitude change, but it all felt a little less exuberant than I've seen it in the past. And I also noticed a tendency to use more artificial decorations and less real greenery, flowers and fruit. And, of course, lots more of those awful LED lights.

Still a lot of very pretty stuff around, though.

Outdoor Wednesday is hosted by Susan at A Southern Daydreamer.
To see many, many more outdoor photos or to post some of your own, please visit her blog.

Shadow Shot Sunday 134

Shenandoah National Park VA
October 2010
(Click on photo to enlarge.)

Shadow Shot Sunday is a weekly photo meme hosted by Hey Harriet.
To see many, many more shadow shots or to contribute some yourself, head on over to her blog.

Alphabe-Thursday: "K" is For...

Kringle Bear!

He was a surprise gift from my husband back in 1987, and he's been a part of our Christmas celebration every year since then. He's a big bear, so he takes up quite a lot of room in our small apartment. But I think he's worth the space, don't you?

Alphabe-Thursday is hosted by Jenny Matlock at Off On My Tangent.
To see more entries, or to participate yourself, please visit her blog.

ABC Wednesday: "U" is For...

Under the Tree!

A few shots of some of the Christmas ornaments under our tiny tabletop Christmas tree. (Click on photos to enlarge.)

These are all Hallmark Keepsake Ornaments. This photo shows the railroad station (Hall's Station) and the gift-and-card shop (Hall Brothers).


Here we have the school (with its little flagpole), the town hall all decorated for the holiday, and the movie theater (the Grand).

And this is the village church.

And here's one of the many Snoopy ornaments I've managed to accumulate. Charlie Brown seems to be giving him a gift. Wonder if Snoopy has something for the round-headed kid.

Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with or compensated by the Hallmark company. I just like their little decorations.


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Blue Monday: Blue-Eyed Baby

Blue Monday is hosted weekly by Smiling Sally.
To see more offerings, or to participate yourself,
please head on over to her blog.

When I was little, Christmas time always meant dreams of that new doll Santa would be bringing me. Guess I just never grew up because every Christmas, I still have those dreams of new dolls! But these days Santa isn't very cooperative in that area, so I have to provide my own dollies. Fortunately, my husband has been very indulgent of my doll collecting mania – actually, I think he enjoys it almost as much as I do.

So here are some shots of this year's Christmas doll – our latest acquisition. She's an Armand Marseilles Dream Baby, from the 1920s, with a bisque head, composition hands, and a cloth body. The Christening outfit may or may not be original to this doll, but it's from the period and in great condition for its age. The photos and the dress make her look much larger than she really is: She's actually a very small doll – about ten inches from head to toe. (Click on photos to enlarge.)


This is really a bit of a stretch for a Blue Monday post, I know, but she is reclining against our blue bedspread.

And she has some very pretty blue eyes, too!