Monday, February 28, 2011

Blue Monday: Purr-fectly Blue

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


For this week's Blue Monday offering, I have a couple of shots I took while visiting a friend a few months ago. This kitty isn't really this blue (!) - more of a gray and tan mix. But this is how the coloring came out in my photos of him.


I suppose it must have been the lighting, but it's strange that all the other colors came out pretty normal. Seems a little spooky, but I do like his turquoise eyes. (Click on photos to enlarge.)

Sunday, February 27, 2011

Retirement: First Report


Huzzah!!!! Even though it was Saturday and he wouldn't have been at work anyway, yesterday was my husband Michael's official retirement date. Today he is an authentic member of the ex-working-stiff community! (Congratulations, Sweetie!)

Sounds like an event to celebrate, right? So how did we spend the day?

Well, he started off the morning with a chipped tooth. An omen, maybe? He's sure he'll need a crown, so he'll be spending at least part of his first couple of months of retirement seeing a lot of our dentist. Seems appropriate somehow, doesn't it?

But the tooth wasn't painful, so we went out and picked up our prescriptions at the pharmacy, did some shopping for office supplies at our local Staples, and stopped off at Starbucks for a couple of lattes. Forgot all about picking up a bottle of champagne for toasting the occasion, but he did buy himself a little gift of a bottle of Scotch, so he didn't notice the lack of bubbly.

So far, he says retirement feels great. He's not bored yet, and he hasn't been away from it all long enough to miss any of his colleagues or his usual routines. Well, I "retired" several years ago (early and unofficially, but that's another story), and can't say I've regretted it for a minute, so I think he'll be OK. He slept late this morning, which is almost unheard-of around here. And he's spending the day on one of his favorite activities - tending to financial matters!

Will we drive each other bananas, now that we'll be spending all day together, everyday? Good question. The drama has just begun to unfold. Stay tuned to this station.

Saturday, February 26, 2011

Saturday Snapshot: Stopover


Saturday Snapshot is a meme hosted by Alyce of At Home With Books.
Please visit her blog for the guidelines.


(Click on photo to enlarge.)

This time of year, the trees out in front of our building are usually full of birds around sunset. This flock stopped by yesterday evening for a little rest and relief from the high winds we were having. Didn't stay long. I always wonder where they're going.

Thursday, February 24, 2011

Cat Thursday: LOL Kittehs

Almost forgot about it being Thursday. My brain is not on track this week. Anyway, here are a few of my favorite LOL Cats - these just seem really appropriate to me right now, for some reason. (Click on photos to enlarge.)





Cat Thursday is hosted by Michelle @ The True Book Addict


And for lots more LOL Cats, please visit the I Can Has Cheezburger? website.

Monday, February 21, 2011

Blue Monday: Old Post Office

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

Since this is my husband's last week as an employed person (he's retiring at the end of February), thought I'd put up one of the photos I've taken of his place of employment (soon to be "former" place of employment!). The building used to be a post office and it has a rather grand interior. This shot shows the roof over the central court, with a glimpse of the tower, and a bit of blue sky peeking through.

(Click on photo to enlarge.)

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Cat Thursday: Bergdorf Tiger

(Click on photo to enlarge.)

This big kitty was part of a Christmas window display in New York City a few years back. I always remember it as being one of Bergdorf's windows, but I'm not a hundred percent sure of that. But wherever it was, he really caught my eye - scary and cute at the same time.


Cat Thursday is hosted by Michelle @ The True Book Addict

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Wordless Wednesday: Vintage Sign

Old Fox Co. Sign
Threadgill's on Riverside Drive
Austin TX, November 2010


For more Wordless Wednesday offerings,
please visit the website here.

Monday, February 14, 2011

Blue Monday: Blue Blossoms

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

For Blue Monday on Valentine's Day, here's a nice blue bouquet for you.


These flowers - in what appears to be part of a candy box - are a bit of Victorian scrap, the kind of snipped images the Victorian ladies loved to paste into their scrapbooks. I've never been much of a scrapbooker, but I do love to collect this kind of paper ephemera. Reminds me of all those handmade childhood valentines I decorated with images I'd cut out of magazines and old books. Valentine's Day was always one of my favorite holidays. And I love it now, too - gotta love any holiday that doesn't require me to do a lot of cooking!

Happy Valentine's Day, everyone!

Thursday, February 10, 2011

Cat Thursday: Be My Valentine?

He's a few days early, but this kitty is wishing you a purr-fectly lovely Valentine's Day!



Cat Thursday is hosted by Michelle @ The True Book Addict

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Outdoor and Wordless Wednesday: Morning Sun

(Click on photo to enlarge.)



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.


For more Wordless Wednesday offerings,
please visit the website here.

Friday, February 4, 2011

Friday Fill-Ins 2011-05

So now it's February. Not one of my favorite months, but at least it's been a little better than last February around here - so far, anyway. And now it's time for the first Friday Fill-Ins of the month, so here we go:

1. We are on this earth because where else would we be?

2. I guess experience really is the best teacher.

3. One of the hardest things for me to learn is not to waste so much time playing with my computer.

4. _____ connected. I have absolutely no idea here. My brain must be disconnected.

5. I remember warm weather, and I want it back!

6. Being able to talk everything over with my best friend is one of the best parts of my life. It's also nice that he just happens to be my husband, too.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to just a quiet evening at home and maybe another "Midsomer Murders" DVD, tomorrow my plans include a little shopping and errand-running if the weather doesn't get too awful, and Sunday, I want to watch the Super Bowl, and also get some reading done!

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Cat Thursday: Penfield Cats

Edward Penfield (1866-1925) has always been one of my favorite illustrators. He was considered "The Father of the American Poster," but also contributed covers and other artwork to just about all the popular magazines of his day. Here's his cover for the May 1897 edition of Harper's magazine:


He portrayed people at work and play - sometimes along with their pets, as in this calendar also from 1897.


He seemed to be especially fond of cats - he even used one for his personal bookplate.



Cat Thursday is hosted by Michelle @ The True Book Addict

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Never Pass a Squirrel on a Yellow Line

(Click on photo to enlarge.)



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.


For more Wordless Wednesday offerings,
please visit the website here.