"Y" as in Galveston YARDS

YIKES!  We're already up to the letter "Y" for Alphabe-Thursday.  Thank you Ms. Jenny for sponsoring Alphabe-Thursday.  I sure hope you're getting to the bottom of things and finding a good treatment for what has been making you feel YUCKY for so long.  I miss your funny posts and want you back!

This week we are studying the letter "Y" as in Galveston YARDS.  Last weekend
 I went down to Galveston on Sunday for the Galveston Historic Homes Tour sponsored by the Galveston Historical Foundation.  The tour takes place on two weekends.  I missed going on Saturday because the weather was perfect for getting some furniture painted in the garage.  I knew the heat and humidity would be coming back and I needed to paint while we had a few good days.  Glad I did because the last couple of days have been miserable.  I'm afraid for us summer is here!

I only had time to visit three of the nine homes on the tour.  This coming weekend I'll try and visit the rest. I've been going on this tour for years and always enjoy it.  If it wasn't for hurricanes I'd buy a home in Galveston.

The first home I visited was a restoration in progress and the YARD hadn't been landscaped yet.  I didn't even think to take pictures. 

The second house I visited was the 1856/1859 John H. and Minnie Knox Hutchings House.  The home was originally built in 1856 and after hurricane damage in 1885 it was remodeled in a Romanesque Revival style.  The house was huge and filled with what I'm sure were very expensive furnishings.  Not exactly my style though.  It reminded me of a museum.  The homes I enjoy the most on the tour are the ones I could imagine myself living in with my dog and cats!  However, I loved this home's huge YARD with wonderful live oaks.  Lots of shade.

 I thought this was kind of cute...

 I wondered if this live oak had been damaged during Hurricane Ike.  There was a large bolt that went through the tree and then chains were wrapped around the trunk to help hold it together.  It was a huge tree and I guess the weight was pulling the trunk apart.

Then I visited the 1909 Fordtran Viotto House.  I would not mind living in this one!  I believe my dog and cats would enjoy the large balcony and I loved the style of this home.  There wasn't a lot of landscaping in the front YARD, but there was a magnolia tree that was blooming.

The back YARD gave me some ideas for what to do with my fence.  I have some old shutters in the garage.

Photographs aren't allowed to be taken inside the homes, so I snapped a few outside with my cell phone.

Now head over to Jenny's blog for a list of this week's participants.  Thanks for visiting...

"X" as in XENOPHOBE for Alphabe-Thursday

It's time again for Alphabe-Thursday sponsored by Ms. Jenny at Jenny Matlock..."off on my tangent."  This week we are studying the letter...

I did a google search and was surprised to see how many words (that we never use) start with the letter X.  I scanned the list and finally decided upon this word.

xenophobe

Function: noun

Definition: a person who is afraid of all things strange or foreign: a person afraid of foreigners

Word History: Greek xenos "stranger" and phobos "fear"

Example Sentence: The xenophobe was afraid of his neighbors who came from another country.

Sadly, xenophobes exist in our society today.  They end up hating out of fear because they perceive someone as different.  How often have you heard someone imply that all Muslims are bad or evil?  After the horrors of 9/11 some tended to unfairly blame all Muslims for that terrorist act.

One of the worst xenophobes was Adolph Hitler.

Living in Houston I still remember the murder of Paul Broussard.  He was killed by a group of xenophobes outside a Houston nightclub because he was gay.

This country isn't without xenohobe thinking in our past either.  I think of The Trail Of Tears and slavery.

We must remember and learn from the past.  Hate is a very strong emotion.

Now head over to Jenny's blog for a list of this week's participants.  Thank you for visiting. 

"W" as in WIND for Alphabe-Thursday

Welcome to Alphabe-Thursday sponsored by Ms. Jenny at Jenny Matlock..."off on my tangent."

This week we are studying the letter "W" as in WIND.  Last Friday we had quite a storm.  It couldn't have happened at a better time.  There was lots of WIND and rain.  I needed a "W" word and the weatherman cooperated.

We walked out to this on Saturday morning.

That's my son in the background.  We worked on Saturday and Sunday cleaning up the mess.  For some reason I completely forgot to take pictures of the backyard.  You'll notice that our next door neighbor's yard was fine.  In fact, I think we had the biggest mess.  The wind ripped my flag and flagpole off the tree and into the driveway.  The bracket broke right off.

We filled up trashcans with sticks.  There were more sticks, but I ran out of trashcans.  When the landscapers came to mow on Wednesday they took the rest of them away.  We had two large branches and Troy came over and cut them up for us.

Here's the view down the street.  The neighbor on our other side has two large pine trees in his front yard just like us.  Can you see the little pile he put down by the curb?  That's all he had!

We didn't lose our electricity, but some in the neighborhood did for 22 hours.  My neighbor was telling me yesterday about a couple of homes in the neighborhood with blue tarps on their roofs.  I also heard about a fence going down and I saw a large tree cut up and left at the curb on the next block.  Overall our street fared pretty well.  It was mostly in our yard!

I guess you could say this was a dress rehearsal for hurricane season.

Now head over to Ms. Jenny's blog for a list of this week's participants.  Thanks for visiting.

"V" as in VERY frustrating for Alphabe-Thursday

Welcome to Alphabe-Thursday sponsored by Jenny Matlock at Jenny Matlock..."off on my tangent."  Today we are studying the letter "V" as in VERY frustrating.

OK, let's not even talk about computers.  We know they can be VERY frustrating.

Let's talk about toothpaste tubes.  Who decided to change the tubes so that we can no longer squeeze the bottom and get 99% of the toothpaste out of the tube?  Remember the good old days when the tube went flat?

Today's tubes are VERY frustrating.

I found a plastic thing that you can slip on the bottom of the tube and push it up as you go along.  I now get at least 90% of the toothpaste out of the tube.  If you don't have one of these little plastic things you're wasting a lot of toothpaste.  The bad news is that these plastic things are hard to get on the end of the tube.  I often have to get my son to do it for me because I don't have the strength in my fingers to get it on.  That's VERY frustrating to me too.  What was wrong with the old tubes???

Television sets are now VERY frustrating too.  I'd like my TV to come on right away.  I don't want to see the PLEASE WAIT message.  I guess I'm an instant gratification kind of person.  Waiting like that is not an improvement in technology.  Here's a picture of our first TV set back in 1951.  It's in the background behind my sister and me.  It had tubes that had to warm up when you turned it on.  I swear those tubes warmed up faster that the TV set I have now.

 

Yes, sometimes the tubes burned out.  When that happened my mother would just call Mr. Benny and he'd come out and test the tubes and replace whatever needed replacing.

When my mother called Mr. Benny (or anyone else) she spoke to an actual human being.  Does anyone remember those days?

 

I don't know about you, but I find it VERY frustrating to call a company and have to go through a 15 minute menu with some recorded voice.  (Don't you love it when they say, "Your call is important to us.")  Perhaps 15 minutes is an exaggeration, but it seems that long or longer.  At least 50% of the time nothing in their menu has anything to do with why I'm calling.  If I'm lucky I'll then be put on hold to speak with the next representative and wait another 15 minutes until a real human being comes on the line.

There's only one company that I've dealt with in recent times that doesn't do that to me.  I'd like to give a shout out to Chewy.com.  I am in no way, shape or form reimbursed for my praise.  It's genuine.  I am a loyal customer and do buy kitty litter and pet supplies from them.  Their customer service is excellent.  A human being always answers the phone and an E-mail gets an immediate response.  Why can't more companies do that nowadays?

Years ago it was always VERY frustrating to me when my grandmother would talk about the nickle loaf of bread, the penny postcard, etc.   I couldn't understand why she was always living in the past.  I'm afraid I've become my grandmother and that too is VERY frustrating.

Now head over to Jenny's blog for a list of this week's participants.  Thank you for visiting.

"U" as in UH-OH!!! for Alphabe-Thursday

Do any of you remember when I had my computer crash last year???  I thought I had been backing up everything to Mozy and a second hard drive, but I hadn't been backing up everything.  I had only been backing up My Documents.  Unfortunately, Family Tree Maker wasn't in My Documents and I lost all my geneaology stuff.  What a pain.

UH-OH!!!  My heart was in my throat recently when my screen suddenly went black.  How could that happen?  My computer wasn't even a year old.  My "computer son" was in Italy on vacation.  He came home sick.  So, I had to wait a while to have him take a look at it.  He came over last weekend and had it fixed in no time.  Nothing bad like a crash.  Just a power thing.  So, now I'm back!

Welcome to Alphabe-Thursday sponsored by Jenny at Jenny Matlock..."off on my tangent."  This week we are studying the letter "U" as in UH-OH!  Who am I kidding?  That's not what I was really saying when this blankity-blank computer wasn't working.

I couldn't even share my good news.

Meet Chloe.

She came to live with us a couple of weeks ago.  She loves to look out the window.

Sometimes she even puts her favorite toy up on the windowsill for safe keeping.  Can you see the rubber foot on the sill?  She also gets along well with the cats.  They mostly ignore each other.

When she's done playing she rests.

Some of  you might remember that we lost our sweet dog Sophie last September to cancer.  She was so special and I wasn't actively looking for another dog.  However, I said if an older dog came along that needed a home I'd give it serious consideration.  I'm 69 and I was concerned that a young dog would outlive me.  All my pets are rescues and if at all possible I want this to be their forever home.  That means I have to outlive them.

Chloe was found by one of my Veterinarian's technicians.  She's about five years old.  She was malnourished, full of fleas, had a bad skin rash, and tested positive for heart worms.  The perfect dog for me!  They think she's a Schnauzer/Yorkie mix.  Just like Sophie she loves everyone.  It's as if she's always been here.  I know we'll all live happily ever after.

Now head over to Jenny's blog for a list of this week's participants.  Thanks for visiting...

New Jersey Falcons Time!

I've posted this link in the past.  Every year since it began I've been following the New Jersey falcons that nest on top of a building in Jersey City.

http://www.conservewildlifenj.org/education/falconcam/

The original female must have "aged out" as a new one has appeared this year.  I believe there has been two males.  Many years back one of the males was found injured on the sidewalk and went to live in a rehab place.  A new male moved in and took up residence at that time. 

I saw the one falcon on the roof this morning.  Sometimes I just leave it running in the background while I'm online and take a look every few minutes.  The camera scans out over the Hudson River and you can see NYC too!

"R" as in Amazing RACE for Alphabe-Thursday

Welcome to Alphabe-Thursday sponsored by Ms. Jenny at Jenny Matlock..."off on my tangent."  For a list of this week's participants head over to Jenny's blog.  This week we are studying the letter "R" as in The Amazing RACE.

The Amazing RACE is one of my favorite TV shows.   Teams of two race around the world trying not to get eliminated.  The first team to arrive at the last pit stop wins one million dollars.  The RACE seems to bring out either the best or the worst in people.

Another one of my favorite shows is Downton Abbey.  I'm fascinated with the British lifestyle, fashions, drama, history, etc. of that time.  Sadly, I'll have to wait almost another year for season six to air.

My imagination runs wild sometimes.  Wouldn't it be fun to see the cast of Downton Abbey run the Amazing RACE?

Here are the teams I've come up with so far (in no particular order):

Mrs. Hughes and Mr. Carson:

I'm a romantic.  I think they're so cute together.  They seem to keep their emotions in check which will help them on the RACE.

Anna and Mr. Bates:

 I don't know if he'll be able to keep up with her.  He might be a liability on this team.  Anna is so nice.  The other teams will like her, but she might be too nice for her own good in this RACE.

 Robert and Cora:

For the most part they're pretty compatible and that can only help in the RACE.  However, they're also quite spoiled.  No one on the RACE is going to stop and spoil them.  They're on their own here.

Mrs. Patmore and Daisy:

 

 "Yes, Mrs. Patmore."  Remember those days?  Daisy no longer says that every other sentence.  I think they respect each other and that can only help on the RACE.

Lady Mary and Lady Edith:

I just had to put them together.  There's always one team that does nothing but bicker right from the get go.  Let the fireworks begin!

Lady Rose and Atticus:

I had to keep the newlyweds together.  I told you I was a romantic.


These are the teams I've come up with so far.  Maybe you can help?

I like Tom.

I just don't know who to pair him with for the RACE.  I want someone nice for him.

I don't like this Tom.

I'd love to hook him up with someone mean, sneaky, and difficult.

Sorry Violet...

...you're too old for this RACE.

Maybe I should put Dr. Clarkson and Lady Crawley together??

Decisions, decisions, decisions.  Perhaps you have some ideas?  We need 11 teams here.

Then Phil can say, "Downton Abbey, the world is waiting."   "Travel safe."

Now travel over to Ms. Jenny's blog and thank you for visiting.

Why I'm slowly hating Pinterest...

Up until a few days ago I was for the most part enjoying Pinterest.  It was a great way to keep track of doll and doll things I enjoyed on the Internet.  Suddenly, everything changed.

My feed now contains things I find objectionable.  I think it might be because I've followed Pinners for their doll boards, but I didn't check out their other boards.  Now that stuff is popping up in my feed.  I've gone back and unfollowed most of the people that have other boards besides doll boards.  I'm hoping this will take care of it for me.

If anyone knows anything else I can do please let me know.

If things don't change I'm going to delete my Pinterest account.  I'm kind of disgusted with the whole thing.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

This is a doll post.

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY!!!

From my Vogue Ginny Dolls

(L-R: Vogue Modern Ginny, Vogue Vintage Ginny, and Vogue Vintage Reproduction Ginny)

 

 

Learning about Pinterest

Pinterest has been a learning experience for me. 

I guess I'm a little naive.  I thought it was an online bulletin board where you could "pin" things that you wanted to save and come back to later.  Perfect for my doll hobby.

I started "pinning" pictures of Vogue dolls, outfits, furniture, etc., that I wanted to save for reference.  I'm kind of selective with what I chose to "pin."  For instance, I want a 1954 Vogue Ginny doll outfit on a 1954 doll.  I won't "pin" a picture of the outfit on a 1956 doll.  I like to type a description and mention the book I use for reference.  I'm doing it for my own information and perhaps I can help someone else learn more about these dolls and their accessories.

Then I started noticing people following me.  I'd go and look at their "pins" and couldn't understand why they'd want to follow my doll "pins."  It was obvious by what they were "pinning" that they had absolutely no interest in dolls.  Then I started noticing that some people had thousands of "pins."  Like some have over 100,000 "pins."  With all that "pinning" do they have time to go back and look at them?

Then it dawned on me.  They just follow everyone in hopes they'll follow them in return.  It's all about the numbers. Sorry, but I'm not going to follow someone that I have no intention of ever going back to visit.  It doesn't make sense to me.

I was reading a lady's blog a while back and she was saying how people recommend "pinning" at least 27 "pins" a day.  Apparently, they're trying to bring traffic to their websites and blogs that way.  I guess I can understand if you have a business, but why would anyone just want to "pin" 27 things just for the sake of "pinning?"

I noticed that one lady with over 100,000 pins has now added a notice to each of her boards stating, "Pinning politely is appreciated.  Raiding is not."  She also threatened to block anyone that took more than five of her "pins."  I thought that was kind of funny.  I've had people "pin" a bunch of my "pins" at one time and I took it as a compliment.  Besides, I don't own any of them.  Even the ones I've uploaded directly from my computer.  Once they're out there anyone can have them.  If I wanted to keep that from happening I wouldn't upload them to Pinterest.

I enjoy "Pinning."  It actually helps me learn more about the dolls I love.

Please, if I ever get anywhere close to 100,000 "pins" stop me!  I can't help but wonder how many hours that would take.  It sounds to me like some people are spending way too much time online and taking Pinterest way too seriously.  It's suppose to be fun!  At least that's how I look at it.

Jill and Ginny's new clothes...

 Time for a doll post.

I decided to dress my vintage reproduction Vogue Jill and Ginny in these nautical outfits from 1959.

I had Jill's outfit for a while, but it was missing the anchor on the bodice.  I finally got around to cutting one out of some white felt.  Ginny's dress was a recent eBay purchase.  Both needed ironing and that's basically all that I had to do.  They were in pretty good condition for their age.

I've lived in this house for over a year and I still don't have my doll collection organized.  I've just go too much stuff!  I need to sort through it all and decide what to keep and what has to go.  I'm thinking about only keeping the dolls, clothes, and furniture that are in really good condition.

Decisions, decisions, decisions.

"Q" as in Favorite QUOTES

I dropped out of Ms. Jenny's school some letters ago.  I haven't posted anything on my blog for quite a while, but decided to check out Alphabe-Thursday this week and join in QUICKLY.

I have a couple of QUOTES that I enjoy.  In fact, I have them on my sidebar.

This one by Lily Tomlin is a real favorite of mine...

 "I always wondered why somebody didn't do something about that.  Then I realized I was somebody."

And this one always makes me smile.  I'm not known for good organizational skills.  The author is anonymous.

"Organized people are just too lazy to look for things."

Now head over to Jenny's blog for a list of this week's participants.  Thank you for visiting.