ANALOG TO DIGITAL

Analog to digital. Have you heard? If not you've probably been on Mars for the past year and a half. Today was the big day when TV finally went from analog to digital. We have cable, so the transition was unnoticeable to us. However, if a hurricane comes through this year we'll certainly notice. Our little battery operated TV will now be useless. I wonder if anyone even gave that a thought?

I still yearn for the old days when there were only a few channels and most of the day the test pattern appeared on the TV screen. This picture is from 1951 and that's our first TV in the background.

My sister and I used to enjoy watching Winky Dink. They say that's the first real "video game," but would be considered very primitive by today's standards. I still remember the green clear plastic that stuck to the TV screen. We would help Winky Dink by drawing on the TV with crayons. My sister was two years older than me, so she got to do most of the drawing. Anyone with an older sister can probably relate.

We have five TV's in this 2,000 square foot home. We all watch TV in separate rooms. I remember in the 1970's when my husband and I used to get the kids to bed by prime time and watch TV in the evening together. Those days are gone forever.

When we lived overseas with the Navy we only used our little black and white TV once. That was on July 20, 1969. We dragged the TV out, turned down the volume, and listened on Armed Forces radio while man walked on the moon.

Personally, I miss the old days. When we didn't have TV overseas we spent more time with neighbors and friends. We used to visit and play games. When we didn't have all these darn channels in the 1970's my husband and I used to enjoy the same shows. We spent more time together. Now we're always interrupting each other's TV show to have a simple conversation. And I'm afraid the Internet is making everyone even more isolated. Yes, we have Internet friends, but nothing can replace face to face friendships.

This is all progress...right?

MY PINK SATURDAY POST IS BELOW!

You'll find today's Pink Saturday post below. I'm just hoping someone can give me a hand today. I notice that some people seem to read just about every Pink Saturday post and I'm hoping someone has a tip on how they travel from blog to blog quickly.

This morning I tried going to Beverly's blog and clicking on one of the links. Then after posting my comment I tried backing up into Beverly's blog again, but I kept getting a message that prevented me from returning to her blog. In past weeks I've copied and pasted all of the blog links into a Word Document and then started working off the list. That takes time since Internet Explorer has to come up each time.

I can't help but think that there must be a better way to do it. Something probably so simple that I'm missing it. How do you go about reading all the Pink Saturday posts? Any advice or tips for me today? Thanks.

I'M BACK FOR ANOTHER PINK SATURDAY!

I'm back from the Fire Flies Doll Convention in Orlando and ready for another Pink Saturday. I'm playing catch up and hope to have time to visit some of your blogs this weekend. I've missed you!

While in Orlando I tried to find some pink for you. The city buses are very colorful and I managed to find a couple of pink ones.

And I saw some pretty planters outside a restaurant at Downtown Disney. There's a little pink in there.

And I found this chair outside Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville Restaurant at Universal City Walk.

And bare with me here...I know there isn't any pink in this picture. The reason we went out to Universal City Walk was to see Jimmy Buffet's HU-16 aircraft. I've been wanting to get there for a few years. Why? When my husband was in the Navy we lived in Sicily and the Navy used an HU-16 aircraft for their Medivac flights.

I flew on a plane like this a number of times and loved it. Then many years later I developed a fear of flying and avoided flying for a long time. I kept thinking back to those Navy days and the little plane that I was never afraid to fly on. Just goes to show you that there's no rhyme or reason to phobias. I'm long over my fear of flying, but wanted to see an HU-16 again. YIKES...I had forgotten how small it was! This is a plane that can even land on water. I'd love to be able to fly on one again. And for fear of flying help I recommend SOAR. He understands the psychology behind fear of flying better than anyone else.

Now back to more pink. While at the Fire Flies Convention I managed to snap pictures of some Vogue Ginny Dolls with pink flowers during one of the programs.

Well, that's it for this week's Pink Saturday. I'm sure I could have found more pink in Orlando, but usually I was too busy having fun to think about taking pictures!

For information on Pink Saturday and a list of this week's participants be sure and visit Beverly's blog by clicking on the Pink Saturday logo on my sidebar. Thank you Beverly for organizing this weekly event for us.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KEITH!!!

I'm writing this in advance since I'll be in Florida on May 31st. I just wanted to wish my son a Happy 40th Birthday.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KEITH!!!

This is a picture of Keith a few years ago when we visited Little Italy in New York City. We were in search of a good Italian meal. Keith was born in Naples, Italy.

Good Bye For Now...

I've fallen way behind and just haven't had time the last couple of weeks for blogging. I miss reading my favorite blogs, but hope to catch up soon.

Our oldest son is turning 40 on May 31st. Tomorrow he'll arrive from Austin and the family will get together and celebrate his birthday a little early.

Then we leave on Monday for a week in Florida. Jim and I will enjoy a few days rest and then I'll be attending the Fire Flies Convention while he rests for a few more days.

I'll see you all when I get back.

PINK SATURDAY TIME!

Once again it's time for Pink Saturday and today's post will have to be short and sweet. In fact, I almost forgot to compose this post...things have been a little hectic lately.

I enjoy collecting Vogue Ginny dolls...both the vintage and modern day ones. For today's Pink Saturday I'm sharing a photo of some of my dolls dressed in pink.

As you can see, they were performing a concert in the music room. What a talented bunch! The doll standing in the corner is a Vogue Jill Doll from the 1950's, sitting at the piano is a modern day vintage reproduction Ginny, standing with the violin is a modern day Ginny doll, the doll with the flute is my 1954 childhood Ginny, and the doll with the harp is another modern day Ginny.

For information on Pink Saturday and to see a list of the other participants click on the Pink Saturday logo on my sidebar. Thank you Beverly for hosting Pink Saturday.

I probably won't be participating in Pink Saturday for the next couple of weeks. My son is going to be visiting from Austin next weekend and then we're taking a short trip to Florida. I'll see you when I get back!

PINK SATURDAY AND A GALVESTON UPDATE

I've written before about Galveston Island since Hurricane Ike and today I'm going to combine Pink Saturday with another update.

Last Saturday we drove down to Galveston for the 35th Annual Galveston Historic Homes Tour. I wondered if they'd even have it this year, but they didn't let something like a hurricane deter them. The home tour was back and it was better than ever.

I saw plenty of pink on the tour. This is the 1892 Smith Cottage on Ball Avenue. It not only came through Ike OK, it also survived the 1900 hurricane. We wondered how long it took to paint all those shingles.

They don't allow photographs to be taken inside the homes, but the yards looked so pretty with all the new landscaping. The salt water storm surge from Ike killed most of the old landscaping.

I thought this looked pretty with the white picket fence...

This one had some architectural element from a demolished Galveston hotel decorating their landscaping. (There are some light pink flowers in there.)

I really thought this backyard was pretty...

And these people marked how high the water came in their backyard with blue tape...

Look closely...you'll see a little pink along the back fence here.

And someone had a pink bike just like mine! It goes nicely with the pink chair.

Lots of pretty pink blooms...

And this Oleander survived the storm although a lot of others didn't and have already been replaced.

This has no pink, but I liked it! On second thought maybe the cushions on the bench are pink-ish?

And really no pink here either, but don't you think it's neat the way they built the fence around the tree?

Bare with me pink people...no pink here either and this home wasn't even on the home tour. I just thought it would be so much fun to live in an old firehouse and had to take a picture. (I wonder if there's still a pole?)

And this was my favorite home on the tour. I know the picture is a little dark, but I really liked it and could actually picture myself living here. It's the 1904 Youens Home at 1512 Rosenberg. (Again, no pink...sorry.)

And now for the Galveston update. I'm happy to say that things have greatly improved since my last visit. It's now almost 8 months since the storm and things are looking a whole lot better. More and more business are opened. Along the Strand there are now more businesses opened than closed. There are still a lot of homes that appear to be abandoned or repairs have just recently begun.

And we still saw some of this, but not along the main streets any more. This was in some of the back alleys behind the homes.

And this is what I meant about some of the homes being abandoned or repairs just beginning.

And sadly it appears that a lot of the beautiful old trees on the island are dead. There are one hundred year old live oaks that probably won't make it. They're going to wait a while before they start taking them down in hopes some might come back, but it doesn't look too promising. All of the trees in these pictures should be full of leaves.

But there are a lot of things that have returned to normal on the island too.

The Carnival Conquest was getting ready to sail...

Some of the off shore oil rigs were in for repairs...

And one of our favorite eating places was opened again and we were able to eat outside on the dock overlooking the tall ship Elissa.

If you go back and read my earlier Galveston Island post you will see that things have greatly improved in the last eight months. Galveston is coming back!

For more information on Pink Saturday and to see a list of this week's participants click on the Pink Saturday logo on my sidebar. That will take you to Beverly's blog. Thank you Beverly for hosting Pink Saturday.

I'LL MISS YOU...

I've decided that Alzheimer's really stinks! I go over and see my Dad most days, but only stay a short while. He rarely talks and when he does it usually doesn't make any sense. I now totally understand what Ronald Reagan's daughter meant by the long goodbye.

I feel like I really need a break. Visiting him is depressing for me, but we're the only family he has here and so I have to go. When I don't go I feel guilty. I even feel guilty when I wish I didn't have to go. I love my father, but my father is already gone.

Yesterday he was sitting on the front porch when I arrived. I had gone by McDonald's and picked up a vanilla shake for him. He seemed to enjoy it, but didn't say more than a few words. I sat in the rocking chair next to him and we both rocked for a while. As I was ready to leave he looked up at me and said, "I'll miss you." I walked to the car and cried. That's because I already miss him.

ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL? HOW ABOUT PINK SATURDAY FOOTBALL?

Last Saturday we attended the Houston Texans Draft Party at Reliant Stadium in Houston. Football doesn't have to be violent and brutal. It can be feminine too. Take a look at all the pinks I found...



Pink footballs...what more could we ask for?

How about DeMeco Ryan's jersey in pink? DeMeco is a middle linebacker and I love to watch him play.

Or a Mario Williams jersey in white with pink numbers? (Yikes...I think I saw an $83 price tag!) Mario is a Defensive End and another player I really enjoy watching on the field. He was the very first player chosen in the 2006 draft by the Houston Texans. It has turned out to be a very good decision and Mario played in the 2009 Pro Bowl this past February.

And look at this...they had a silent auction and you could bid on a pink package that included all the pink items in the picture above.

GO TEXANS AND HAPPY PINK SATURDAY!

Be sure and visit Beverly's blog by clicking on the Pink Saturday logo on my sidebar. There you will find a list of today's Pink Saturday participants. Thank you Beverly for organizing this weekly event.

INTRODUCING ROSCOE...

*See note at bottom.

My son snapped this picture of Roscoe sleeping in a basket with the lamp shining down on him. All the cats like to sleep in this basket when the lamp is turned on. I say they're sunbathing whenever I see one there.

I always meant to introduce my animal family on my blog and thought I'd start with Roscoe. We don't know where Roscoe came from, but he showed up as a skinny cat at my son's apartment door. Keith put out a dish of food and he quickly ate it all. The next day he was back for more. Keith kept feeding him and after a few days decided to post signs around the apartment complex asking if anyone had lost a cat. No one responded.

One of my proudest accomplishments as a mother was instilling in all my sons a love and compassion for animals. Keith already had two cats, and that was all the apartment complex allowed. One of his cats was one that had been hanging around our yard and when no owner could be located Keith agreed to take him in. So, Keith now pointed out that it was my turn to take in a cat he found. And that is how Roscoe came to live here.

The first thing we did was take him to the vet to be tested for feline leukemia and to be fixed. Then we brought him home and fattened him up. :) Not intentionally...it just happened.

Roscoe has the sweetest personality. You couldn't ask for a nicer cat. He gets along well with the dog and all the other cats. He never causes any trouble. We enjoy having him as part of our family

*Note: I'm ready to scream. I've saved and published this post three times and every time the double spacing between paragraphs disappears. I'm going to try one more time and then leave it. Could it be because I changed the font?

RADIO CITY MUSIC HALL...

How I would have loved to have been at Radio City Music Hall in New York City this past weekend. To see the Rockettes? No, to attend the NFL Draft. I'd even rather go to the Draft than the Super Bowl!

I don't enjoy college football. I'm just an NFL football fan, so I don't even know much about the players being drafted except for what I read in newspapers or magazines. However, that doesn't stop me from getting excited about the draft. When the Commissioner says, "The Houston Texans are on the clock," I start fiddling in my seat with anticipation.

On Saturday we attended the Houston Texans' Draft Party at Reliant Stadium. In my opinion it's the next best thing to being at Radio City Music Hall. The Texans had the 15th pick in the first round and chose Brian Cushing an OLB from USC. We were surprised to learn that he's from NJ and grew up only a few miles from the town my husband and I grew up in. Talk about good vibes...huh? Here's a picture of my husband standing in front of the Draft Party sign. I know it's a little dark, but it's the best I could do.


Here are some more pictures from the draft party...

This is one of the cheerleader hopefuls being interviewed by Don Nelson of ABC 13. The fans could vote and help decide who makes the squad, so there was some campaigning going on by their friends and relatives. I didn't vote because I think grown men don't need cheerleaders. That's just my personal opinion. My husband and many others voted. :)

And here they are signing autographs...



And this is Mr. Bob McNair the owner of the Houston Texans. I respect Mr. McNair because he has certain standards for his players and would not put winning above character.

Here's a picture of us with Andre Johnson. That's about as close as we'll ever get to the "live and in person" Andre Johnson. There were some players there signing autographs, but I no longer stand in those lines. I've got a bunch of autographs and someday they'll end up in the wonderful estate sale my kids will probably have, so I really don't need any more. Of course, if one of the players wanted to give me his autograph on a check made out to me...that would be a different story. :)

When I'm in the car I usually have the radio tuned to Sports Radio 610. No music for me...just talking heads discussing sports and in particular the NFL. Here they are broadcasting live at the Draft Party. That's Eric Winston on the left. What a big guy...he's an offensive tackle.

For information on the rest of the Houston Texans draft picks click here. Come on...you know you're really interested. :) Be sure and click on all my links. You never know...there might be a test later.

LET'S BE FRIENDS...

A while back I received this award for my blog from Kim over at My Domestic Bliss. I was thrilled, but still very new to blogging at that time (although I've had this blog for a couple of years I only started posting regularly this year) and couldn't decide who to pass the award on to. So, I decided to take my time and think it over carefully.

This is what was included with the award:

Description: "Let's Be Friends"“These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers. Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this cleverly-written text into the body of their award.” Also put a link to their blogs and then let them know they have been selected!

Immediately, some of my old friends came to mind. (And I don't mean old in years...just older friendships.) People I've known online for a number of years...Loretta over at House Of Houben, Karen at Sew Primitive Quilter, and Linda at Linda's Chatty Blog. I met all of them a while back on vintage doll collecting boards. Meanwhile, I've met a whole bunch of new people over here in blogland that I now consider friends too. So, I hope it's OK if I break the above "rules" and invite all my new friends to help themselves to this friendship award. I enjoy visiting your blogs on a regular basis and consider you all good friends.

SO SAD...

Yesterday morning I went out to the garage and found an injured baby possum on the floor. He was raising his head and putting it back down, but he didn't appear able to walk. There were spots of blood on the floor and I surmised that he probably had fallen off a beam to the hard concrete floor.

Last weekend during a torrential downpour my husband had spotted a large possum up there. Possums don't hurt anything and we come from the live and let live school of life, so we chose to ignore him/her and let it be. Now I suspected that the grown possum was this little guy's mom. I had an appointment and assumed the baby was almost dead, so I reluctantly closed the door and left.

When I arrived home I checked the garage for a body and there he/she was walking around a little in circles. A big improvement in four hours. My son noticed that his one eye was badly injured and almost gone. So, we put him in a cat carrier and drove to the Wildlife Rehab. Center in Houston.

Sadly, the lady thought he probably wouldn't make it, but at least he'd have a peaceful ending there. She suspected he had more serious injuries that weren't as visible as the eye, but a veterinarian was with him when we left. Poor little thing. I hate to see injured animals.

JERSEY FALCONS

Some years back I read about a couple of Peregrine Falcons that nest on top of a building in Jersey City, NJ. I was intrigued and have been following them ever since. (I am a Jersey girl at heart.)

Within the last week the female has laid four eggs. At least it looks like four to me. Anyway, check out the site and be sure and read the Nest Box News.

http://www.njfishandwildlife.com/peregrinecam/

It's exciting when the eggs start hatching, but every year there's some kind of disaster. I believe it was last year that only one baby survived. The site is maintained by the NJ Division of Fish and Wildlife.

I feel like a grandmother when the eggs start hatching. :)

FINALLY - OUR RETIREMENT HOME

I think I've finally found a home out in the country that we might be able to afford. A little fixer upper for our later years.

Seriously, driving around in the rural areas we see so many places like this one. Abandoned for years and rotting away. It's kind of sad. Maybe there was just not enough money in farming or ranching and the owners had to move closer to the city for job opportunities? Perhaps the owners were elderly and no longer able to live alone or maintain the property? Why didn't somebody want the place? If only the walls could speak.

APRIL IN TEXAS CAN ONLY MEAN ONE THING...

...drivers slamming on the brakes and pulling off the highway,

people completely ignoring no trespassing signs,

and interrupting the peace and tranquility of the locals (what must those poor cattle be thinking?),

all in their quest to get the perfect photo.

Yes, it's wildflower season in Texas and the bluebonnets were blooming along 290 on my ride back from Austin last weekend. It wasn't raining, but the sun wasn't shining either so the pictures don't really show the beauty of the day.

Soon it will all be gone until next year.