Monday, June 27, 2016

The Times We Live In


I have never cared much for politics and often joke that it's a necessary evil in a democracy.  In spite of that dislike I try and keep up to date on political happenings by reading my newspaper every day and listening to the news on various news outlets.

I stay out of politics although I always vote.

I've never posted anything political on this blog, but that's about to change with this post.  I can no longer look the other way.  Next time it might be my loved one.

There are two organizations that I've decided to support financially:


AND


In the past it seemed so hopeless.   Now I'm more optimistic. 



Saturday, June 11, 2016

WORLD DOLL DAY 2016


World Doll Day is celebrated the second Saturday in June.  That's today!  Happy World Doll Day to all my doll loving friends!

Why do I love dolls?  Dolls are my escape into a wonderful world of imagination.  I'm not turning my back on all of the world's ills, but I am momentarily escaping.

There are all kinds of doll collectors.  I don't collect mint dolls because I truly believe they belong with someone that can enjoy and care for them.  A doll that just sits on a shelf is not for me.  I want to actually "play" with my dolls by changing their outfits, setting them up in scenes, etc.  The previously loved dolls are the ones I enjoy.  I am glad there are people that preserve the mint dolls though as I think that is important.

I don't think little girls play with dolls the way my generation did, and for me that's so sad.  Now there are cell phones, tablets, computers, video games, etc., that keep children busy.  Will my hobby die out someday?  I hope not.

The happy times in my childhood always involved dolls (and cats).  I don't need a psychologist to tell me that's probably why I have so many dolls (and cats) today.
This is my childhood Vogue Ginny doll from 1954.  She is the only doll that survived my childhood.  She originally had long red hair in a flip, but I cut her hair shortly after I received her.  I waited for a beat up faded Ginny on eBay and bought her for the wig, so she now has braids.  The outfit she is wearing is also from my childhood.
If there is a little girl in your life please encourage her to play with dolls.  I can almost guarantee special childhood memories.

Have a wonderful World Doll Day 2016!




Friday, June 03, 2016

Busy Memorial Day Weekend

Keith came from Austin for the Memorial Day weekend.  It was also his 47th birthday, so we went to Kemah and bought some live crabs to steam.  We enjoy sitting around the table and cracking crabs.  It's very labor intensive.  If you've ever cracked crabs you know why crab meat is so expensive!  (We also had hamburgers for the non-crab fans.)  Troy and his family joined us.
I made a Nabisco Chocolate Wafer cake.  We hadn't had one of those in ages and it's so good and so easy to make.  It's basically just chocolate wafers and whipped cream.  The recipe is on the box, but the cookies can be hard to find in the grocery store.  At HEB they weren't on the cookie aisle.  They were on an end cap some aisles away.  At Kroger they keep them on the aisle with the ice cream cones.  Don't ask me why?  It just takes some looking to find them.
After cake Keith got to open presents!
It was a busy weekend.  The next day Keith and I washed the green slime off the back of the house.  Every year since I've lived here it's gotten worse.  The climate here doesn't help.  I wish I had thought to take some pictures before we started.  You'll have to take my word for it.  There was lots of green slime!  We used a product called Armor E-Z House Wash that I got at the hardware store.  It works very well.

Keith prepared to take on the slime.
I helped by holding the ladder.
I took most of the pictures after we had already sprayed the house once, so you really can't see how bad it looked before we started.

We used a scrub brush around some of the windows, but the slime came right off the Hardi-Board that's on the rest of the house.
The whole thing took about 1 1/2 hours which wasn't bad.  I hope it doesn't grow back too quickly.

Reid and Keith spent the rest of the weekend playing games.
All too soon it was time for Keith (and Mittens) to leave.
A brotherly good-bye.
And Keith (and Mittens) headed back to Austin.