FOTO FRIDAY: FENCES

 

FOTO FRIDAY: My neighbors to the east have chickens and a coyote had no problem having a quick escape from their yard into mine with his prey through the last section of picket fence. Feathers were strewn all through my backyard. Hence a new fence section to decorate.

Voila- 

My outdoor art gallery as the fence ages...

Last week's FOTO FRIDAY...THE AMEN CORNER

TBT: NATUREMAN 's BIRTHDAY

TBT: Today, the 21st of August was Natureman's birthday and he would have been 77 today.  It's a bittersweet day as this day was always filled with his preferred bike ride/ canoe trip/ both. 

Today, I will post justice sayings of the past with him in mind as these messages resonate even more in today's climate. As a birthday gift perhaps all of us could remember to do something kind for a stranger. It's one of those things money just can't buy.

Hugs to you all... 

MUSINGS COMBO: PROVIDENCE

 One might assume I have become a slacker in my 'old' age due to my inconsistent postings but reality is that life has been super full. In fact, Sunday was an example by participating in the Interfaith Volunteer Network cardmaking activity.

Different houses of worship were asked to send 4 volunteers to come help make cards for our community seniors, Arkansas Children's Hospital patients and the newly built Providence Park, a 50-acre plot of land with 50 small homes for the chronically homeless. 

A last-minute request for cardmaking supplies opened a can of worms in my workroom/study, as numerous bins had to be scoured for stuff to share.  It definitely was well worth it as the 2-hour workshop resulted in 330 handmade cards and 50 letters.  Unfortunately, it didn't make more of a dent in my supplies!

Truthfully, I was thrilled to be doing something creative, but alas, I made the mistake of raising my hand when asked who had good penmanship. My assumption was to be the one at the table who would write the script on the cards, but that assumption was WRONG. It was for helping write 50 welcome letters for the first residents moving into Providence Park. Our table couldn't really visit because we had to concentrate on these page-long letters. Two hours sped by.

Now, it will take a lot longer than 2 hours to consolidate those opened bins. If you don't see me, it's because I am lost in organizing - sorting what to keep, donate/toss. It will look like a tornado hit for a while. May the end result be some empty bins.

Bins that take up more space than the space allotted in the total area of each little home in Providence Park...  

FOTO FRIDAY:: THE AMEN CORNER, PERFORMANCES EXTENDED

 FOTO FRIDAY: James Baldwin's THE AMEN CORNER has been extended a week due to popular demand. How wonderful!

 I got the very last seat in last Sunday's powerful matinee. It was great to be in church!

Last week's FOTO FRIDAY was THE UNORDINARY CEMETARY

FOTO FRIDAY: tHE Unordinary Cemetary

FOTO FRIDAY: Dulce Tillie, my newest foster has been working ardently on creating her own space by the den couch in a corner.It's not just a space to remove herself from the action but for toys that are no longer living...

 

For last week's FOTO FRIDAY, check out Dog Days

TBT: 10 YEARS AGO ARCADIA ,WI

 TBT: FRANKIE VALLI

Shared with Public

They just don't make tunes nor singers like they used to ... Not only did I get to hear Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons tonight in concert but first got to hear them practicing and testing their mics this afternoon. The man's 81. Wow. Moving slow but we didn't care.

SO for any of you who love his music, looks what's happening here in Arkansas 10 years later on August 23rd in Hot Springs.

2705 Central Avenue.

TRAVIS CLOER is the longest-running Frankie Valli in the TONY® and GRAMMY® Award-winning smash hit Jersey Boys. With a voice that channels the spirit of a bygone era and a stage presence that electrifies, Travis brings the golden age of rock 'n' roll back to life in his brand new show, The Frankie Valli Songbook. Featuring unforgettable hits, vintage flair, and behind-the-scenes stories from Broadway, Las Vegas, and Travis' real-life friendship with Frankie Valli and the original Four Seasons, this show is a heartfelt tribute that is equal parts music, memories and magic! Experience the iconic sound of Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons through the voice of the man who made it famous on stage at the Oaklawn Event Center on August 23! Oaklawn Rewards Presale is Thursday, May 8 from 9am - 9pm with code: VALLI25

MIDWEEK MUSING: THE BIGGER, THE BETTER? NOT

 MIDWEEK MUSING: Rumors were my childhood block held a BIG surprise.  Today I took a drive over to take a look, and at the stop sign, a block westward, there up in front of me, new construction towered over the houses and trees...

The last time I visited, cinder blocks were forming, obviously just part of the foundation.  On a block where originally most homes were ranches ( ramblers ) one floor homes, 3 have been remodeled into 2 floors over the last 3 decades and now this new one has 3 floors.

New structure view from our family bungalow

It's truly an eyesore being so out of place with no yard left, no less. UGLY. Those poor neighbors in front of this monstrosity. Fortunately, our small 3-bedroom family home has a huge tree blocking our large picture window from the new structure's view.

One would think there would be building codes, right? The front facade is so much closer to the street than any other home on the block. Where will the owners even park their cars? 

Reflections of a society that doesn't think about how their actions affect others and our environment. SAD, SO SAD!

TUESDAY TUNES:HONEY

TUESDAY TUNES: Who knew this guy was still around? And I think he's been working out. 

He certainly was off my radar until I heard this song  in Jazzercise..

Take a listen to Lenny Kravitz singing  HONEY

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azRue-MJppE

MONDAY MUSINGS: THE GOLDEN YEARS/ FOREVER YOUNG...

MONDAY MUSINGS: You might recognize these sexagenarians.  Mattel's Barbie, Ken, Midge, and Skipper.  They actually started living together in my childhood home when I was in grade school. Allowance monies helped me make these purchases. My parents would never have gifted me these.

Skipper

Midge

Ken

I had kept these childhood friends in pristine condition for these past 6 decades.  They all had their original hair styles. until I introduced them to a 6-year-old a couple of years ago.  The four suffered a different fate at the hands of this young girl's use of permanent black magic marker, scissors and a hair brush. 

Apparently, the young cosmetologist felt they needed an extreme makeover and they ended with a goth look with black lips, eyes laden with too much black makeup, piercings and coal black hair. 

Initially, when I saw the young beautician's work, tears formed in my eyes.  For a good hour, I tried to de-goth them.  I tired and decided to tackle them another day... Life intervened and I never got back to them...  

Here's as far as I got back then...

until I went to the toy closet today to find some dog toys for my newest foster. I was drawn to work on the Mattel crew again.

I never found Barbie's head who knows what her fate was or if the garbage can provided a good hiding place. 

So  Midge still has some fading bruises on her upper leg,  

Skipper's bangs still need to grow back and..

Ken.. well, he looks like his old self with darker highlights...

Isn't that the way that men seem to age better than women? LOL. 

Perhaps it's like life, we can try to recapture youth but it may be just in our spirit... Here's to the golden years!

FOTO FRIDAY: PLENTY OF DOG DAYS

 

FOTO FRIDAY: We certainly have had a lot of dog days with this heat. And when I returned from New York, I had a definitely different kind of dog days as my new foster arrived. She had just been given the name of Tillie.

Tillie certainly didn't know her name yet and as each day passed, her shy, cowering demeanor changed and she is just the sweetest dog ever, so I call her Dulce (Spanish for sweet).

Meet Dulce Tillie, my new buddy.  She has a lot of lab but much smaller. Her fur is so silky...

Traces of white on her snout, tip of her tail and paws besides her obvious white chest patch.

Dulce has made so much progress coming out of her shell this week. 

She'll be ready for a new family in no time!

TBT: MOVING DAY

 TBT: MOVING DAY, four years ago I posted this...

Today's the day the moving truck gets loaded. Yesterday, the packing crew doubted their boss's bid that all would fit on their largest truck. We shall see. Who will be correct? Less is here than when the boss made his bid...We shall see. A lot of goodbyes. Last morning to feed the goats, Zelda, Flo and Shanana, Bebe and Blanca, the barn cats and Henrietta, the last of the hens. Bittersweet ...

FYI: Yes, an additional smaller truck had to be rented to haul all the garden gear and lawn furniture which included all the sculptures. 

Here's some of those things content in their Arkansas backyard...                                                                                                         

H

MIDWEEK MUSINGS: ANOTHER FIRST

 MIDWEEK MUSINGS this week reflect  another 'first.' You know something you have never done before. This first wasn't even preplanned for our New York City Birthday trip. It took place on the water, no less, on a New York Media Boat Adventure Tour, providing us with a terrific one-hour sightseeing speedboat tour with our amiable and knowledgeable guide, Max.

We met Captain Max at Midtown Manhatten's Chelsea Piers Marina 59.*   Take a look at our craft. Have you ever been on one of these?  They were originally used by the military.  While folks sweltered in town, we enjoyed a really 'cool' ride.

The boat holds a dozen folks and besides us there was a young family with 3 children from Atlanta. The kids loved the entire experience too. 

Our Hudson River route provided us with spectacular panoramic skyline views where Max would also stop for us to take pics and hear about the sights. You know I love photo ops!

As we ventured south we passed Little Island with 132 impressive oversized planters brought here by barges. Named Tulips their plantings are trees, shrubbery, and plant materials are part of the public Hudson River Park..

We passed the FDNY Fireboat station, followed by the Financial District and Battery Park.

 

Before heading under the Brooklyn Bridge, we stopped at the helicopter airport to watch a helicopter take off. Impressive.. I sent this video to my grandson, and he wanted to know if I was in it. Maybe another day! LOL

Passed Southside Seaport and were 'Welcomed 'as we went under the Brooklyn Bridge. 

Special place to be as Brooklyn was my Dad's childhood stomping grounds as a kid... 

Another Kodak moment

Afterwards we passed Governor's Island, crossing the Upper Bay with more river traffic, sightseeing boats, tugboats, and the Staten Island Ferry before seeing this famous lady who watches over all the water traffic.

I have to admit thinking perhaps we all need to visit her and think about  "Give me your tired, your poor."

Nearby is Ellis Island, a historic site  which once was the busiest immigrant inspection and processing station in the United States. It is those individuals and their families who also help make up the fabric of our nation.  

Perhaps Lady Liberty can also see that iconic New York skyline...

It's not a secret...

Time's a passing. Make time in your visit to bounce over the waves on the Hudson River with shoreline views of the Big Apple...

A big shout out of THANKS  to my son-in-law whose childhood friend and husband own N.Y. Media Boat Adventures.

 We had a great time! And remember you're never too old for another first...

Look closely Max is in the background...

*PS There's also a downtown tour. 

TUESDAY TUNES: LOVE IN SILENCE

 TUESDAY TUNES seems to be the newest dance reel  

LOVE in SILENCE BY DJ Jazzy D.

MONDAY MUSINGS:: RETAKING & LOSING

MONDAY MUSINGS: RETAKING & LOSING

Last week Clinton Library was the setting of an interesting Q 'n A moderated by Skip Rutherford, first President of the Clinton Foundation and former Dean of the UA Clinton School of Public Service (left) who provided  questions, some submitted by attendees to Tyler Pager (center) of The New York Times and Josh Dawsey (R)  of the Wall Street Journal, authors of "2024: How Trump Retook the White House and the Democrats Lost America." *

The two journalists shared tidbits from their 300 interviews filled with  surprises included in their recently released book re: the presidential campaigns of Biden, Trump, and Harris.  

Pager shared accessibility differences between President Biden and Trump. Pager had called Biden directly.  The President answered a couple of questions, then had an engagement. Since Pager had more questions, Biden told him when to call back. Yet before that return call, Pager received a call from one of Biden's aides stating that Pager needed to go through his aides, not the President directly. Pager did call the number again since it was prearranged. The next time he called that line was no longer in service.Trump ,on the other hand, always answers his own calls. He will talk to anybody as he loves the attention.

The book's topics include Biden's memory loss so apparent at the debate, The transition to Harris and her allegiance, disregarding practiced answers for her debate, and a mixed message of her not going to the border. The cards were not in her favor.

Trump garnered support from the Black male and Hispanic vote.   Elon's $250 million poured into Trump's camp and then the focus of the Dems turned to the money spent. Oh,  and let us not forget that assassination attempt on Trump, the religious right all adding votes to the Trump stage... That and more.

Pager and Dawsey humorously touched on the breadth of their new book released in 2025. A book signing followed. 

I guess if the American people hadn't lost so much, the humor would have been funnier... We've all had a lot more loss this year.

*Isaac Arnsdorf  also co- authored the book

 

FOTO FRIDAY: FRIED

 

FOTO FRIDAY: FRIED ... There have been heat warnings almost this entire month, and it's continuing throughout next week. 

 

TUESDAY TUNES::...OOOOWEEE SWEET LOVE

 TUESDAY TUNES  is a result of my son mentioning having watched How to Make a Band on Netflix. Bands are formed by blind auditions and contestants decide with whom they would like to form a band ...

'Not sure which band will win but each member of this group has such rich tones... but SZN4

Take a listen and check them out... There are so many talented contestants but who will be the next band? A girl band, a boy band / a mixed band? 

These four definitely have a unique bond.

Click on link below and keep listening...

SZN4

MONDAY MUSINGS: DUMBING DOWN AMERICA

 MONDAY MUSINGS:  Growing up with parents who spoke about world events and ending up spending a couple decades with a man who started breakfast discussing societal issues left a big imprint on my own worldview.

It shouldn't surprise you that I signed up for a summer movie month where films with a university prof leading the intro and discussions. Last week's movie was NETWORK with quite a cast starring Faye Dunaway, William Holden, Peter Finch and Ed Beatty to name a few. Heck, it's 50 years old. Let me jolt your memories in case you are not sure if you remember it- 

The retiring news anchor told his viewers to open their windows and yell at the top of their lungs:

"I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take this any more!"

The last time I watched Network was with Natureman ~25 years ago. So here I am 25 years later still shaking my head that this film is as relevant today as it was 50 years ago.

The almighty dollar rules our airspace and the nightly news has adopted sensationalism and gossip to attract more viewers.  We have allowed our news to be dumbed down.  

Our one semblance of sanity, PBS (Public Broadcasting System) known for its educational and informative programs is now losing its funding because those in power in Washington feel threatened by allowing us to use our brains... and you know what I feel like doing?

Perhaps you'd like to join me in opening a window on your computer and typing as loud as you can... 

"I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take this any more!"

Clip below of the movie

 NETWORK