Super Bowl XLIII

Let’s go Pittsburg Steelers!

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HALFTIME: Steelers 17, Cardinals 7

Tense second half BUT

FINAL: Steelers 27, Cardinals 23

The second half was uglier, BUT I learned a new word Alacrity… That is a plus

Today’s Musings…

This morning I looked at one of my Calendars

A silly one for the ‘Morning’ Room…

It is about supposed Country sayings,

1. If you want to compliment a cook, you might want to say…

Boy! That tasted like more!

Makes sense.

2. With the election behind us, this one made me chuckle:

CONGRESS ~

Getting’ a politician to do somethin’ good for our country is like tryin’

to poke a cat out from under the porch with a rope….

TEE HEE

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Tuesdays Musings

A typical morning so I thought.

Cup of coffee in hand, pups fed, watered etc.

Public radio updating me on the news around the world.

Time to take off another slip of Cutzie woman sayings from the Calendar.

I pondered what was written down. Anne Tyler is credited with it.

"Ever consider what pets must think of us? I mean, here we come back from a grocery store with the most amazing haul - chicken, pork, half a cow. They must think we're the greatest hunters on earth! "

Anne Tyler.

Well that got me semi rolling over, considering it was 7 am.

Then off to get my Hair done, everything was going along BEAUTIFULLY… UNTIL In the rear view mirror I see those DREADED flashing lights…POLICE… Ummmmmmmm Quick assessment of what I had been doing etc. Seat belt on, driving under the speed limit etc. So totally unsure that it could be me so I started to pull over BUT ALAS there was no place to pull over

SO

I stopped in the lane I was in, the Officer came to my window and said,

"YOU CAN”T JUST STOP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET! " I said, "You mean you were wanting ME TO STOP?" "YES " OH, shaking and heart racing, gulp

"OK

How would it be if I pull into the next driveway? "

"YES MAMM" I did, still shaking like a LEAF… THEN I said to myself OOPS I need to get the registration and Insurance etc out. HANDS trembling, I finally found the correct one SIGH I muttered to myself "MAMM I need to see your License. " "OK" He called whom ever to determine I was indeed myself… STILL unsure what was going on

Finally he said, " where is the sticker for your license plate?" "On there I assume." "NO MAMM it is not !" WHAT my inner self SCREAMED?

Ummmmmm still trying to gain control of myself, maybe it fell off? "NO MAMM THEY NEVER FALL OFF!" YE GADS So I looked at him and said, "You realize you have sacred the POO out of me…give me a moment to COLLECT myself…"

He did Then I said "SO what am I to do NOW? "

He said go to the DMV and show them your registration and tell them you misplaced the sticker. SAID TO SELF, I never misplaced it, I NEVER SAW IT. OK "MAMM I will stop traffic so your can get back onto the Highway." "THANKS; just let me get my self situated, seat belt, seat etc." YE GADS what a day Went to the DMV only took 15 minutes and $5, and I was off for home…. WONDER where that STICKER WAS? OH by the way My hair do is Fabulous , think the Officer was impressed tee hee

June 6th

Date stuck in my mind Umm Odd

Sooooooooooooooooooo once it got cooler here I pondered why THIS DATE?

After having almost a week of rain we now are slated to have a week of scorching hot and humid weather.

Temperatures hovering in the mid nineties, YIKES! Summer is not even here YET!

June 6,1944

In the early morning hours of June 6, 1944, Americans received word that three years of concerted war efforts had finally culminated in D-day--military jargon for the undisclosed time of a planned British, American, and Canadian action. During the night, over 5,300 ships and 11,000 planes had crossed the English Channel and landed on the beaches of Normandy. The goal of every soldier and civilian involved in that effort was to drive the German military back to Berlin by opening a western front in Europe. 1944 - World War II: Battle of Normandy begins. D-Day, code named Operation Overlord, commences with the landing of 155,000 Allied troops on the beaches of Normandy in France. The allied soldiers quickly break through the Atlantic Wall and push inland in the largest amphibious military operation in history. D - Day Fact Sheet

~

Since I was not even BORN then

~~

I must thank a History Educator!

Some days “Catitude” reigns

Precipitation, overcast, murky and the chance of 1 to 3 inches of snow tonight has rendered me totally lacking in large amounts energy. Sad I have one half of the room with washed down walls…but alas no sun to aid on my quest for every little nip of dirt…

~~~~~~~~~~

SIGH

Rain and snow through March 6, EGADS

Gosh and goodness sake Saturday will be the FIRST of MARCH…ummmmmmmm

Will it come in like a Lion OR a Lamb?

I am ready with a beautiful Kite… ;)

The phrase apparently has its origins with the constellations Leo, the Lion, and Aries, the ram or lamb. It has to do with the relative positions of these constellations in the sky at the beginning and end of the month. But don't take my word for it, check out this illustrative cartoon from the Stargazer himself, Jack Horkheimer. Lore: according to the Farmers Almanac ~~~

Weather sayings are as colorful as our imagination. While many sayings are based on careful observations, and do turn out to be accurate, others are merely rhymes or the beliefs of the people who came before us. Those people often believed that bad spirits could affect the weather adversely, so they were cautious as to what they did or did not do in certain situations. Those beliefs often included ideas that there should be a balance in weather and life. So, if a month came in bad (like a lion), it should go out good and calm (like a lamb). With March being such a changeable month, in which we can see warm spring-like temperatures or late- season snow storms, you can understand how this saying might hold true in some instances. We can only hope that if March starts off cold and stormy it will end warm and sunny, but the key word is hope. This saying is more a rhyme rather than a true weather predictor.

Here it is already almost Friday ;)

Why ALMOST? Well I do not consider it the weekend until my Sweetie is HOME! Then he is here, physically and mentally. No competition with work, well Most times that is. Last night it began raining, no biggie right but then Thunder and lightning. Ye Gads I thought it was to be winter. The dinner last night was great, CAUSE I dinna have to fix it, serve it or clean it up. So as I ramble on, I leave you with some awesome pictures of sunny skies from earlier this week.

The sky was awesome for sure, my abilities to capture them not quite as awesome.

Now back to reading my new book, which by the by after 6 pages is a total HOOT! This is even better as the Seed and Flower catalogues continue to bombard our mailbox.

Excerpts! @@@@@@@@@@@@@

PLUS RECIPES!

The College Football Bowl games are over. The Writers Strike is NOT over. The Primary caucuses have begun. The first candidate to receive a preset majority number of delegate votes becomes the party's presidential candidate. The candidate selected to run for president then selects a vice presidential candidate. @@@@@@@@@@@@

2008 Presidential Primary Calendar!

Super Bowl XLII is pending: February 3. Umm with the writers strike wonder if the commercials will be any good? Heyya after College Football I am saturated.

@@@@@@@@@@@@@

In-between reading the book I am making Italian Minestrone Soup. Italian Minestrone Soup with Orzo!

MÉLANGE

A mixture; a medley.

~~~~~~

French, from Middle French, from mesler, meler to mix — more at meddle

~~

Date: 1653 : a mixture often of incongruous elements

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Goodness that in itself is LIFE would you not agree? Today begins even at 3:30 am when the howling of the winds arouse the dog, the rain strikes the skylights and I dream of snow.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A mixture a medley.6 A.M. it was still darkish outside, the moon in its Last Quarter. I sat in my Nook watching the clouds pass over the moon, sometimes it seemed like a light covering of silk organza, other times a downy goose filled comforter. Some times the comforter changed from a light gray to a foreboding deeper charcoal gray.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The trees were swaying the rhythmic persuasion of an mysterious dancer, HA like I have ever seen one! Unless doing the Boogaloo counts.

~~~~~~~~~~~

The deer were frolicking, as the wind gusts seemed to raise their spirits. I did see a minute snowflake. I really did, how neat. We have kept some of our outside lights up simply because I like them and also am hoping to see them surrounded by a decent snowfall.

~~~~~~~~~~~

So far all my New Years Resolutions have not been broken. Ah the day is young you see. Ummmmmmm resolutions. Some say “Bah Humbug”, others fluff it off, and some people actually make them. I think, as resolutions go we bite off more than need be. Taking one day at a time, like making a recipe, do not dump all the ingredients in one bowl.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The only Resolution I am going to share is: “Complain less and give more.” I am making a copy of what I hope to achieve and tape it to my calendar as a daily reminder, to me, of the goals I have set forth for myself.

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Now enuff serious stuff, on with LIFE! Or as the French would say, “Joie de vivre.”A term used to express a cheerful enjoyment of life. (from the French joie, "joy"; de, "of"; vivre, "to live, living"; "the joy of living").

First my Sweetie is trying out his new tree pruner, might as well add to the burn pile. It is far too windy to start our New Years Bon Fire, so I will again settling back knitting, reading, watching the tube occassionally and making my Sweetie the foods he likes. Yup todays breakfast was homemade biscuits, sasuage with gravy and eggs. No wonder he went out to chainsaw that tree in the far pasture that had fallen. He is well fortified. ;) A PS: I was able to stay awake until 10:30 last night HA, HA, HA! Sweetie outlasted me until 11:04 P.M. ;) ~~~~~~~~ Now to fix him lunch! ;)

Well ~~~~~~~~ this SPRUNG to mind ~~~~~

It is a Pump

A water well is an artificial excavation or structure put down by any method such as digging, driving, boring, or drilling for the purposes of withdrawing water from underground aquifers. Pumps played a very important role in the lives of early Americans. Found on almost every farm, ranch and homestead, well water pumps were more then a simple convenience; they were an essential part of life.

The inside of ours looks something like this: Ask our youngest daughter about that! The inside of ours looks something like this:

Early History:

~~~~~~~~~~~~ History shows that the Greeks and Romans often practiced certain water purification methods, even though they did not know the scientific principles behind their actions. Purification techniques included settling of water, filtering water through sand, and storing water in copper pots. Today, we recognize the scientific basis for each of these purification techniques. From the Greek and Roman periods through the early 1800s, there was relatively little progress made relative to purification techniques, or the design or construction of water work facilities. Much of that period truly was the dark ages.

~~~~~~~~~~

Desalination Experiments Begin

~~

Subterranean aquifers

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Aquifer in hydrology, rock layer that contains water and releases it in appreciable amounts. The rock contains water-filled pore spaces, and, when the spaces are connected, the water is able to flow through the matrix of the rock. An aquifer also may be called a water-bearing stratum, lens, or zone.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Some of the properties and principles that come into play in the movement of water into and through aquifers are: capillary action, cohesion and adhesion of water molecules, water pressure, Pascal's principle, and Bernoulli's principle.

Now off to Garden Club and more Christmas Shopping.

Calendars

One month left on these and I am looking forward to getting new ones for the forth-coming year. Many places give out calendars. I especially like the one my Auto Parts man gives out, it is small enuff to attach to my PC or any other teeny place I seem to need one.

~~ One of the calendars I have are of shoes [Andy Warhol’s Taming of the Shoe], another fairies [with really kewl art work and quotes from the masters] and the third large one is totally funky one.

~~

Art Deco by Erté.

This Russian artist was born Romain de Tirtoff and liked to call himself Erté after the French pronunciation of his initials. He was one of the foremost fashion and stage designers of the early 20th century. Destined for a military career, Erté surprised a number of people by creating his first successful costume design and the age of five. In 1912, at the age of 19, his father finally allowed him to move to Paris to fulfill his dream of becoming a fashion illustrator. What do your Calendars say about you? ~~~~~~~ I used to find Susan Branch Calendars I really liked them but for the last three or four years they are not to be had in these parts. ~~ But AH HA look what I have found…SITE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ~~~~~~~~ Today Laundry, begin addressing Christmas cards,plant 8 bulbs then ponder tonight’s dinner. Go out and try to get the outside Christmas lights a little closer to the house, so I can pop in and out at my discretion and do a little decorating.

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Remember tomorrow is the BackYard Brawl!

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GOoooooooooooooooooooooooo Mountaineers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Start or at least THINK about the next knitting project…

:0

The Dance of the Leaves

I did have time to post, Faith and Begorrah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ~~~~~~~~~~~~ So quietly it begins.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It is quiet at 6 am; the smells have already wafted throughout the house. So quiet that, I can hear the gentle dripping of the broth as it rises from within the turkey.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

George is fed and enjoying the 65-degree temperatures, as best he should because they are due to drop radically today down to 30 and chances of rain/snow. The wind is at 14 mph and the leaves once again fill the yard where I have cleared the leaves into the flowerbeds. The winds are to gust to 30 mph throughout the day as the temperature level out.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The new kittens are sitting in my Nook window following the leaves as they saunter down in elegance. They smell the air as it rushes through an open window above the sink. Then there are the smells that are emanating from within the cavernous range. Finally it is time; I call for my Sweetie to get the BIRD out of the range. 24.78 pounds plus the broth and dressing is hoisted to the top of the stove so the BIRD can rest before I carve.

The kids are still sleeping, no TV, no radio is on just quiet so far. Soon a cake to bake, the ice cream is finished and the OFFICIAL TASTE TESTERS declared it a good batch. My Sweetie will soon make the homemade choc sauce to top the ice cream. The rains begins to lightly season the leaves that have been swirling about the yard as if doing a ballroom dance as the tree limbs bend to the rhythm of the wind. Not dancing with the stars but Dancing with the leaves…I continue to muse. AH, The Sun King comes to mind. Louis XIV, [Le Roi Soleil] Louis brought about a wealth of art, architecture, theatre, music, opera, fashion, as well as a stream of displays and masques. So outside is natures Versailles. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The greatest innovator of all, who died in 1715 after 72 years of ruling France and who set ballet firmly on the path it was to follow in the years to come.

But for now the Turkey rests, the kittens wonder and I watch the leaves dreamily fall to the ground, while my Sweetie makes the Homemade “Secret” Chocolate Sauce. My Le Roi Sweetie;) and my Nook of Mirrors. I shall knit for a bit and ponder what to fix for Christmas dinner.

The family gathering is slated for 5 pm

Frost nucleates ~

As the sun heats the flowers it smells like someone is canning green beans.

~~~~~~~~~~~What a neat word… rolls off the tongue well…

************ Last night I “tucked” the remaining plants with old fitted bottom sheets, I find the gathering of the corners makes it easier to not only cover the plants but it tends to keep the wind from blowing the sheet away before the frost hits the sheet.

************

What comes to your mind when you see this word? There is of course Robert Frost ["Education is the ability to listen to almost anything without losing your temper."--Robert Frost]…his poem Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening immediately popped to my mind.

****************

ummm even David Frost [Sir David Paradine Frost, KBE (born 7 April 1939) is an English television presenter, famed as both a pioneer of TV satire and for a series of legendary political interviews]

*********** … Even Jack Frost [Jack Frost is an elfish creature who personifies crisp, cold, winter weather; a variant of Father Winter (AKA Old Man Winter). He is a figure some believe to have originated in Viking folklore.]

***************

Cecily Pike wrote a children's nursery song describing Jack Frost as a "gay little sprite" and beginning with the words "Look out! Look out! Jack Frost is about! He's after your fingers and toes!"

*************

Then lastly there is James Whitcomb Riley. 1853–1916 and “When the Frost is on the Punkin”…

*********************** WHEN the frost is on the punkin and the fodder's in the shock, And you hear the kyouck and gobble of the struttin' turkey-cock, And the clackin' of the guineys, and the cluckin' of the hens, And the rooster's hallylooyer as he tiptoes on the fence; O, it's then the time a feller is a-feelin' at his best, With the risin' sun to greet him from a night of peaceful rest, As he leaves the house, bareheaded, and goes out to feed the stock…

********************** Then there is this time of year you associate with this word as well.

********************** Of course I am referring to frost as: Frost is a solid deposition of water vapor from saturated air. Then I chuckle and think Politicians… but that is another story. For sure the temperatures would be VERY different… ;)

************************* My Sweetie noted on the skylights a “fuzziness” … he was unable to see the moon clearly last night due to: Window frost (also called fern frost) forms when a glass pane is exposed to very cold air on the outside and moderately moist air on the inside. If the pane is not a good insulator (such as a single pane window), water vapour condenses on the glass forming patterns. The glass surface influences the shape of crystals, so imperfections, scratches or dust can modify the way ice nucleates. If, otherwise, indoor is very humid water would first condense in small droplets and then freeze into clear ice.