A Tennis Watching Hummingbird?!!!

      This hummingbird painted gourd birdhouse, that I saw in the Etsy shop SharonsCustomArtwork reminded me that I hadn't told you about my hummingbirds lately. And it's really something to tell you too! :-)
      The 'something' has been happening ever since the Wimbledon tennis tournament started. {And I KNOW you're gonna think I'm making this up, but...I'm NOT!!}...First though, let me lay out my day yesterday....Friday.....'Date Night' day!! :-)
      As you know, I've been having all kinds of issues with my 'allergies'...{allergies that may not be allergies at all as it turns out. It may be another symptom of my 'Change' induced hormones!...I deduced this by the fact that the allergies have shown up at the same time as my growing impatience level, more hair growing in odd places at a rate even Superman would marvel at, and more regular night sweats! UGH!!!...Reminds me of when Archie Bunker told Edith to 'Go ahead and CHANGE already!!' LOL}
        I was sitting in front of my ever-blowing fan...

            ...waiting for the next tennis match to come on.  The smell of homemade chicken soup from the Crock pot was wafting through the house. 
      I went on Youtube and listened to a couple of songs...a common pastime between tennis matches...and then HURRAY!! It was coming on!...I turned the T.V. up loud and waited and watched out the window for my tennis watching buddy to come by. :-)
     I ate a few snacks....

         And then there he was!!! The hummingbird!!!...I know you're probably thinking this is some kind of joke, but No!! Every time I turn up the music or the  T.V. when the tennis match starts...I look out the window and my little buddy 'Horacio' is out there sitting in the tree, with his head going back and forth as if he's following the beat, or following the ball going back and forth across the net!! :-) 
      At first I thought it was just coincidence. So, I've been doing little things to test the theory: Turning up the T.V. when I'm watching a movie, talking loud at random times, turning everything off in the house and just waiting.
      But as soon as the music or tennis comes on...there he is!! :-) Even more funny, when the crowd gets loud because of a good play or something, he picks that exact moment to fly over to the window and look in and then dart off...or to go to the feeder and sip on nectar!! His little wings are flapping as if he's clapping along with the crowd!....NO KIDDING!!! :-))
    I knew you wouldn't believe me.....so I have proof!!!! :-]

    Now....what do you think of that?! I have a tennis watching hummingbird for a backyard pet!!! LOL
     In other news....and it's gonna be anti-climactic after the hummingbird thing! LOL...hubby and I had a very nice 'Date Night'! We ate homemade chicken soup and buttermilk cornbread, looked at the reruns of some tennis matches from yesterday, giggled, took a nap, and ate this...

      ...Truth is, 'I' had these....Well, a little bit of each of these mixed together. {As if either one by themselves wouldn't have been enough!! LOL} I hadn't had any in a while. It was time people!!!! ^_^
       It may be time for me to get this!

      Hubby had some natural oatmeal raisin cookies with pecans. I think he thought the word 'Natural' would make them okay for his cholesterol!! LOL...Anyway! If you can't look forward to eating what you want at least once a week...on a 'Date Night'...how is life ever gonna really be worth living?!! LOL It stops that 'ONE MORE DIET' from being right around the corner. ^_^ And we don't want to do another diet again...Just healthy eating now, the two of us! Today's poem is proof that we've been there/done that with the dieting!
      Okay....off to talk to some people about a Kingdom! :-) Have a good Saturday everybody!!!


Starting A New Diet

We're  now starting a new diet-
thanks to help from 'Dr. Phil'.
No more delusions about food.
Its time for thoughts of 'Getting Real!'

This is our first day on this road,
and I can see it will take work;
But if we get to feeling better-
Then, 'Less' of us will be the perk.

We've  gone from sugar-laced oatmeal
to cereal that is all-bran;
and down to normal sized portions
instead of eating from the pan.

We're  kind of different, Jeff and I.
Oh-How our lifestyle change will be,
because he likes to eat all day,
and I get hungry after three.

We have to eat three meals a day,
But then, we have two snack times too;
and I admit-the time preparing
ain't that easy, y'all, to do!

My hubby carries his three meals
in a cooler, on his truck
so that when he's  feeling hungry
he can eat and not be stuck.

We're  eating vegetables and fruit
more than we ever thought we would.
We're  looking forward to the day
when we are thin, and feeling good.

That day, for hubby, will come soon.
For me, it might be quite a while.
As far as where we have to go-
he has an inch-I have a mile!

But after years of being fat
(But liking who I am inside)
I'm not so focused on weight loss-
as much as health is my true guide.

So, at the end of the day,
whether months, or years from now,
I'd  like to look into the mirror
and let out a hearty "Wow!"

Maybe I won't  be teeny-tiny,
and my clothes won't  be real small-
But maybe I can go in service
with no cane-But standing tall.

And hubby's, low cholesterol
could be a show of true endurance;
and we won't  have to pay as much
to get some better life insurance!

{Credit for above photos: 1950's Vornado Desk Fan by LuccaBales; Ben & Jerry Charm Bracelet by uniquecharmboutique}
     

Go Forth AND ENJOY!!!

       Okay....get ready to Oooo and Ahhhhh! The header photo is Two Jack Lake. It's one of the lakes just below Banff in the Canadian Rocky Mountains area. Vicki and her husband, from the blog 2 Bags Full, recently went on an extended vacation to the Canadian Rockies...and brought back lots of pictures!! This is a photo from the 4th blog post about the trip.
     If you want to see some real beauty from this part of the world you just have to see all 4 full blog posts, with tons of gorgeous photos, and explanations as if Vicki is a tour guide. :-) And she's a pretty good tour guide too!
      The first installment had them in Calgary, home of the 1988 Winter Olympics. In this photo Vicki was trying not to look scared. This is a view from the top of the Calgary Tower. 

             Wow, right?!!!!...And Whoa too! :-))
      In the 3rd post Vicki shared some history and some beautiful photos of the Lake Louise area. Her and her hubby stayed at the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise. 

         What a gorgeous Hotel!...Look at the pretty rounded windows.

        This is a view from inside the lobby area, which is now a beautiful restaurant.

          Vicki and her husband sat in this spot for lunch, with this breath-taking view of Lake Victoria and the glacier in the background.

       And in the 4th, and last...for now (because the last post of the trip is still to come!)...there's some truly awesome photos and an adventure to 'Quitter's Rock'! Here's a little taste...

        Oh Yeah! There's animals too!!! :-) You just have to see for yourself!...Part One is HERE...Part Two (Banff) is HERE...Part Three (Lake Louise) is HERE...and Part Four (Quitter's Rock) is HERE.
     I'm going forth and enjoying some more tennis, and getting ready for my 'Date Night'. Who knows where we'll 'go' tonight!! :-)  You?! What are you doing?!...For now...Go forth and enjoy the Canadian Rockies....or whatever you're doing today! LOL


Regret-lessTravel

Do I regret the lack of travel,
staying home and going nowhere?
To do so would be depressing.
So I don't! I don't even care!

I've had my days and weeks of 'going'.
And if the hips get better, who knows!
In the future I could wander off
and travel where the trade wind blows.

I've traveled a lot in my life.
Enough to now have no regrets.
It was easy for just the two of us,
with good health, no kids, no pets.

We've seen sunny skies and rainbows.
Oh! The waterfalls and sculptures we've viewed!
We've danced our way through places,
and cooked and tasted all their food.

We've seen shows and met all kinds of people,
in our car, on a plane, and a bus.
So if we never go one more place
It'll be totally alright with us!

       {On a sad note, I just wanted to mention to those of you who follow my blog list, that one of our fellow bloggers died recently. :-( Char, of the blog "Ramblins...".  I found this obituary about her:

Charlane Killough Griffith (1958 - 2011)

Charlane Killough Griffith of Montgomery, Alabama, and previously of Birmingham, Alabama, passed away unexpectedly and went to rest with her mother and father on Monday, June 6, 2011 at the age of 53. She was proceeded in death by her father, Charles E. Killough, and her mother, Marian E. Killough.

Ms. Griffith is survived by:

Her brother Peter K. Killough;
Her brother Jon D. Killough and wife Heather;
Her sister Jean-Marie K. Mapp;
Her nephews Patrick E. Mapp and Jacob R. Mapp;
Her nieces GeorgeAnn E. Killough and Mary Ellis J. Killough.

Charlane was a graduate of the University of Alabama-Birmingham and worked as a Project Manager with the Alabama Medicaid Agency.

      Death truly is, as the Bible says, the 'Enemy'.

I Knew I Wasn't The Only One!!!

      Just looking at the news and weather this morning I could see that I am NOT the only one dealing with rain. WOW! There's all kinds of 'wet' getting dumped on folks all over the place!!...So I decided to talk about what I'm doing while it's raining...
      Yeah! You already pretty much know if you've been following this blog for a while...*Teehee*...because if you've been following my blog, you also know that it's Wimbledon Tennis time too!! Woohoo!!! ^_^
       Okay.....so there was a 'chance' that I would say 'crocheting', 'watching old movies', writing poetry', listening to music', or 'EATING'...But not this time!!! It's all about the tennis for the next two weeks!!...And to those who are use to my full attention.....I'm sorry. ^_^
     I'm not the only one into tennis though!! Look at these things I found! (You can click on them to go to the items)
       From alexandraferguson....

      These shots are not about tennis. I just wanted to remind you...IT'S RAINING, PEOPLE!!! Indulge my love of tennis just for a couple of weeks....okay?!...*insert puppy dog face here*...I just want to be as happy about the rain as this little duck I saw on the blog Hither and Thither! :-)

         Okay, now that we're ALL in the right state of mind! ^_^...justforuembroidery has this!...and yes they are embroidery!

       PoetryandLight's tennis net photograph.

       fionadesigns' stationery set.

     MFGifts' sport towel.

     rawartletterpress' Tennis love mug for Wimbledon.

       And last, shannondean4's tennis cupcake toppers.

      Those of you who are not sports lovers, or not tennis lovers, are probably wondering what the big deal is. I mean you hit the ball over the net...and they hit the ball back over the net to you. LOL But aren't you curious, at least a little bit, about a sport that scores by having 'love' mean 'nothing'?! LOL I'd say it's worth watching at least one match just to see what that's all about!! ^_^

      And don't be surprised if that one match leads to another...and another...and Wimbledon!!! ^_^
        Okay, I'm gonna take my sneezy, stuffy self back to my bed...

              ...I've got snacks, water, a T.V. directly in front of me, and nothing too pressing to do this morning except package up the two items I sold last night. YEP! I actually had some sales! Two Wuglyee Key Chains! :-) I hope you all have a good weather, focused and happy day! And tell me....will tennis be on your schedule?!


You Probably Don't Care!

I know you probably don't care,
but I will tell you anyway!
I mean, I have to talk about it.
It's what I do most every day!

I know you have your own things going,
and my things? You could care less.
But I have to spill it, talk,
share, converse, chat, or confess.

Don't you have some days like that,
when you just 'let down your hair'?
Well, today was that for me,
and it's okay if you don't care! :-)

A World of Wonder...and I'm Included!

     These creatively made Felted Acorns were made by a shop on Etsy called feltjar. They're so cute! And they fit right in with the theme of lovelycrochet's Treasury that they were found in. The Treasury is entitled World of Wonders.

      My life was full of wonder yesterday too...I wondered what was going to happen at the doctor's office with Mr. Wug {He had a follow-up appointment about his cholesterol. O_O He had to have blood taken a few days before...YAY! Found out that his numbers went down a little! Unfortunately, the doctor still wants him to take some kind of medicine for at least the next 4 months...*sigh*....doctors and their MEDCINE!! UGH}.
     Mr. Wug had been fretting for at least a month now about this appointment! He REALLY didn't want to have to take the drug the doctor was recommending he take for the cholesterol. He had heard something about it doing possible liver damage...As it is, he doesn't have to take the one he was fretting about. 
       The doctor is giving him a low dosage of some other drug...O_O...Now 'I'm' the one that's fretting!!! I don't like the idea of him being a guinea pig for some other drug now! So guess what I'm going to be doing today?!...You guessed it! I'm gonna be Googling info about this new drug!!! Something else to wonder about!! O_0
     Okay....enough about all of that!..*jumping up and down, shaking my head, and arms vigorously*...Back to some good things in the World of Wonders...like my Turquoise Green Birds on a Wire Necklace.     

        gildinglillies' When Wishes Shine fine art photograph.

      NzLbags' New Summer Crochet Afghan Handbag.

      And felicitycrew's A Day on the Island fine art photograph.

      All of them are in this Treasury by lovelycrochet! Thanks to her for including us!!...Please go by and check out the other items too.
      Now before I leave this World of Wonders, I have to share one other Wonder-ful thing that happened. Cindy, of the blog CinLynn's Boutique, recently won my Giveaway for the black crocheted hat I made. Well, she received her hat! And she did a blog post about it, sharing some photos with her wearing it!!! :-)

     If you want to see the blog post she did, and the rest of the photos she took, click HERE. THANK YOU CINDY!!! :-] And for anyone interested in winning the red counterpart to the hat she won, click HERE for the rules. That drawing will be on July 1, 2011.
      Okay....I'm off to watch some Tennis!! :-) Congratulations to Serena Williams for her good showing yesterday, in her first game since 11 months ago!! She was very emotional when she won. And I was emotional for her! :-] 

       It felt like she was thinking that it was a wonder she actually won!! :-)) But she did! I'll be watching tomorrow when she plays her next match!!!...Today....her sister Venice is playing!....and my beloved Nadal!! :-) So much artistry in this post! What are you all working on today?! Do you crochet, paint, felt, or play tennis?!

 Artist's ROCK!

Their eyes see what their heart sees,
and in colors on canvas or in yarn.
You can see it in their photographs of foliage,
or the red and brown that's painted on a barn.

Their heart says: "This bead color's perfect!"
Then you see the artist's work on jewelry stands.
They recycle, mix the media and show you,
and collect a lot of now adoring fans!

Whatever medium they work in,
Whether working with their hands or just their eyes,
you can be sure they'll get some ogglers and lookers,
who, like me, will give them "Ahhhs" and "Ooooos" and sighs.

This Post Is 'Going To The Dogs'!

      Say hello to 'Encore'. He belongs to the owner of the blog A "Cheery" Disposition. :-) This photo, showing off 'his' cheery disposition, was the perfect header for today's post about my bloggie pal's beloved pooches.
     The idea for this post came to my mind because I haven't been feeling all that great the last few days. {Allergies I think.} I've been exhausted, stuffy, head-achy on occasion, and just plain lethargic. I've just been wanting to cuddle up in one spot and do.....NOTHING! :-) Like I did when I was a kid.
       On sick days when I was a kid I would hang out on my bed, watching T.V., eating soup and crackers, and cuddling with my beloved sympathy-eyed doggie, Tracy...*Pause: Taking a moment for an 'Awwwww feeling'*...She was all I needed at that time, to make the blues and the sickie girl feelings go away...And as I look around Blog-Land I can see that my pooch didn't 'break the mold' on what a good pooch's roll is in a family!
    Art and Sew Forth loves her dogs too!

        *Teehee*....What?!....So what if he's not a 'real' doggie! He's a doggie just the same! :-)) And, by the way, she also loves her same pet-like cats.
        And just to acknowledge that everybody loves their pets, no matter what kind of pets they are, here's a nod to a few other pet loving bloggers: Jo-anne of Blooming Lovely. Her ginger Kitty, C.K.,  just recently had a Yarn Caper that'll make you laugh! ^_^)
      Cindy of CinLynn Boutique loves her kitties...; Bumpkin loves her bears! :-) And Things I'll Forget By Tomorrow has some NOT so pet-worthy squirrels! (Another post that might have anyone that's ever had a squirrel in their yard laugh. LOL
     I may do another post in the future on everybody's pets, but today this post is strictly going to the dogs!...
      Say a big hello to Morgan, a resident of the blog Holyoke Home.

        I have found myself howling with laughter at the posts she's done with Morgan 'talking'...kinda! LOL
      And Tuppence hasn't been Mythreebeez's resident very long...

     ...but it's clear that he couldn't be any more loved if he wanted to be already!
          And who couldn't love this face?! :-]

        This little loved one is from the blog Framed Cooks. An ad in the paper for him would read: loves days with, or without, snow...probably more without! Loves people. And loves eating stuff off of the floor that falls there while it's owner is preparing food to show other people! ^_^ 
       He'll never see a wanted ad though. He's too good of a friend...and foot warmer. :-))

          This lovable little pooch is kinda new to me. I only recently started following the blog OLD BRAND NEW.

      But I can see that he's full of personality! I'm gonna keep my eye on him. I'll let you know if anything interesting happens...before he destroys the brand new rug I mean. LOL
     Puppies, you make me happy! :-) And you make me feel better just looking at you!...Speaking of which, here's a couple of doggie commercials that made me giggle. They're only about a minute each, but you'll be able to see right away why these pooches were used for these commercials. ^_^

    

And I'm throwing this short video in here just because it made me smile the big smile!!!...And because I'm married and have good memories of my proposal...And because I love creativity...And there actually might be a picture of a dog in it!!....A hot dog! ^_^


Have a good day Everybody!!! :-)

Blogger/Looker

They're blogs of folks I hardly know.
Why do I like looking at them so?

I watch their children laugh and grow,
and every bead and artwork crow.

No, I don't do it for the 'dough'!
On my blog there's no money flow.

I like to scroll and take it slow.
An easy read, and 'Peep and Go'!

Updated blogs, all in a row,
and a new day. What will they show?!

I'm not some kind of stalker though.
I'm just a blogger/looker pro!

TEXAS....Art, Music and a Butterfly?!

    It's Monday!!! Time to get back to work, shuffle back off to school, get back to the 'Rat Race', the routine, the 'Show and Tell'....................HUH?!...Okay, so I 'snuck' that last thing in there because that's what I'm doing on this Monday. ^_^
     I want to 'show you and tell you' about a great shop on Etsy. I 'personally' know it's a great shop...not like the times I was just nosing around browsing through shops and 'assumed' it was a great shop. I'm a happy repeat customer of this shop. And I'm probably gonna be a 3-peat customer...and a 4-peat, and....so forth and so on too! :-))
    The shop is txbutterfly74...In her shop announcement and profile she says that 'she loves to make gift cards, gift tags, miniature pieces of art and film photography, and that every item that's in her shop is made with love and special attention to detail.'...I know for a fact that this statement is absolutely true!! :-)
      I ordered some cards and tags from her a while back, to send to my customers.

        Almost every time my customers have received my items with these little cards and tags attached to them, they've made a special point to comment about the cards or tags!

     As well they should! :-) They're cheery, inviting, colorful, and not flimsy at all. And with the ones I chose, there's a 3-D butterfly on them! I love knowing that my customers will open their package and BAM!...get hit in the face with a pretty butterfly. :-)
    But the reason I decided to do this post was not only because she makes good cards and tags, but because on this re-order I just received I got to see her heart. And her pride in what she does. And her love of a good customer....ME! :-) Look at what I got with this order! {And keep in mind that I paid exactly the same amount this time as I did the first time I ordered from her!}
      What I was expecting to see when I opened the package for my order was a nicely wrapped bunch of cards. But what I saw was this GORGEOUS box!!

      A pretty box?! Sturdy? With flowers and butterflies all over it?!....I almost wanted to cry....seriously! You know how much I like a pretty box, don't you?!....Don't you?!!! Have I not talked your ears off about stash boxes, and earring and ring boxes?! :-)) I couldn't wait to open it!!

        As you can see, the flowers and butterflies were all over the inside of the box lid too!! :-)

      Underneath the bubble wrap....stuff to pop! Oooooo!... ^_^...was my pretty cards, tags, and FREE stuff in a pretty bag!...

     ...Not to mention the prettiest business cards!...

       ...which I will be very happy to distribute.

           Her profile also says: "I am from Austin, Texas. Being inspired and creative is one of the most beautiful things to me. I love art and music and Austin is a great place to be for both of these things... "...I can tell that these things are true...except for the Austin thing. I don't know about that! LOL But being creative?....Yes you are!...Loving what you do?.....Clearly you do!! Thank you too!!! :-) 
        Now, I'm sure that by tomorrow or the next day I'll be back to my overly chatty self. But today I just had to 'show and Tell' you about a great place to shop for your cards and things!
     Now, excuse me while I go and examine my box some more.....Oooooo! There's flowers and butterflies under the bottom too?! :-]

      Hmmmm.....What am I going to give the honor of being stored in this box?!...I'll think of something!! :-) Maybe the schedule for the tennis matches for the next two weeks!! YES!!! It's Wimbledon time again!!! ^_^
       Have a good day everybody! Happy Monday!!

My Special Little Box

No, I don't have a baby
with tons of golden locks
that need a place of memory
like a special little box.

No, I don't want old watches,
or the parts to wind old clocks
to mar or scratch the insides
of my pretty little box.

No, there's no baby pictures.
No, not even baby socks,
that'll occupy the insides
of my flower covered box.

No, I can't have it damaged
by some clumsy, nosy ox.
My butterflies must be safely kept,
secure upon their box. 

Let's see, will it be chocolates?
or my diamond studded rocks?
Yeah, those would do just fine
encased in my little box!

Oooo! Special boxes rock!