Julie Wright and Traci Hunter Abramson

A month or so ago, I ran into some good company! Traci Hunter Abramson (on the left...my right) and Julie Wright (on the right...my left) and me in the middle!

It was such a refreshing boost to hang out with author friends! There's no better energy.

I want to do it again!

Who do you like to hang out with?

Call It What It Is... but make it nice!

During a recent public gathering occasion I attended, I needed to powder my nose.

(In case you don't recognize the phrase, that's 19th Century Polite Lady reference for going to the bathroom.)

Anyone who knows me knows porta-potties are not my favorite way to powder my nose, but this one made me smile. 

 That's not the one I used, though. Instead, I opted for the clean white one, subconsciously thinking it might smell better.

It was STILL a porta-potty, but it didn't smell too badly, and to my surprise, it came with (ta-da!)

A flower on the counter.

That just made the powder blend perfectly on my nose.

What do you think of porta-potties? 

Dressing up the dog.

Recently, we were lucky enough to watch our granddaughter at our house.

A movie only worked for so long, as did my box of moon sand and a frozen pineapple smoothie. She moved on to some of my fabric scraps and created some dress-up clothes for herself. But when I opened the gate in anticipation of her parents' arrival, and brought the dog in so she wouldn't escape through the open gate, our granddaughter had a new idea.

Dress up the dog!

I can't say whether Bibs was so compliant because that's her personality, or if it's because she's so old. (She's 13 or 14. I forget.)

 (NOW who's so old?!)

After awhile, Bibs did her please-let-me-out pose, but she didn't get her wish until Mom and Dad arrived. 

Are you the kind of kid who tied a baby bonnet on your pet's head before wheeling it around in a baby carriage?

Car with a Halo

I found a car that was all dressed up for summer, with a flower arch halo! 

I don't know the occasion, but it was sure pretty.

 It even sparkled! 
Bob and I just celebrated our 40th anniversary. Some of our time together sparkled, and some of it fizzed like soda going flat. But we worked together to stay together, and here we are, 40 years later, living happily ever after.
We are going to three plays this summer at Tuacahn outdoor theater.
What are your sparkling summer plans?

Tuna Test

Since this week is my birthday week! (YAY! Love birthdays!) I'm blogging about one of my passions: tuna.

Yes, I admit it. Even though Bob leaves the room when I mix up a big bowl of solid white canned tuna, Real Mayo, and chopped celery, spinach, artichoke hearts, carrots, and peppers, I am a big tuna fish fan.

Bob and I currently have a Costco membership, but are questioning whether it's worth the annual fee. The thing is, I love Kirkland solid white tuna.

So in preparation for possible non-access to Kirkland tuna, I conducted a taste test with other store brands.

I was looking not only for taste, but texture. For most of my life, I only ate chunk tuna, NOT KNOWING THERE WAS ANOTHER OPTION. I may have seen "solid white" on a tuna can or two, but it costs more, so it never registered.

Then I accidentally bought some solid white tuna when I was shopping in a hurry. Now nothing else will do, but it has to be GOOD.

While I like tuna with just mayo, I really love it with lots of chopped veggies mixed in.

So which fancy pants brand came closest to matching the current epitome of tuna?

Great Value.

(Yes, you read that right. The most economical store brand had the most firm texture and best taste for me.)

Are you a tuna fan?

Attack of the Giant Spider!

I was startled to find a giant spider ready to jump on my car as I entered the roundabout in St. George's Main Street/Tabernacle Street intersection!

I don't know who made it or what it commemorates, but there it is.

I don't hate spiders. My husband, Bob, is wary of them. He was bitten on the elbow by a black widow about 30 years ago. Not only did his elbow swell up to the size of a tomato, but half his face was paralyzed by Bell's Palsy. The doctor said it may be permanent, or it may gradually heal.

With half his mouth paralyzed, Bob couldn't whistle, and he dribbled when he drank. His smile was a crazy sight to see, and he even kissed crooked.

We were both relieved when he regained full feeling in his face after about six months.

Are you a spider hater?

A spider lover?

Or you'll live your life, and they'll live theirs?

Dogs and Cats

When we took our dog, Bibs, for a walk, we were stopped at our neighbor's house by a friendly cat.

(See the little kitty legs just under Bibs' chest? My little sister, Carolyn, who has Down syndrome, acted as our camera girl.

Bibs was lots bigger than the cat...

...who seemed fearless, even though she fit beneath Bibs' belly!

Who says we can't be friends, just because we're not the same?

Carolyn's favorite cat is our son's gray one, Moroni, because she doesn't bite or scratch.

Moroni loves to climb to the highest places she can find. (Bob's shoulders qualify.)

Our white cat, Sage, is not on Carolyn's Good List, because she bit Carolyn.

Since then, the white cat is working on becoming the master of disguise, yet she's better at hiding the identity of others.

What was/is your best pet? 

What did/do you like about him/her?