I’m posting late today. Honestly, I nearly forgot to post at all. My daughter and I headed out with the 9-year-old this morning to spend time at the flea market and then eat a meal out. I bought junk I didn’t need—according to her.
I bought a tin with lemons painted all over it that will make lovely cut tin earrings; a vintage yellow enamel soap dish; a white and charcoal-grey flowerpot that will be perfect for holding more paintbrushes; a stack of music books with yellowed paper that will be perfect cut up for collage fodder; and three small, framed prayers that will be disassembled so I can use the matching frames for my art.
Before we left for our flea market jaunt, my dd shot her monthly “senior pictures” of the 18-year-old. I can’t get over how gorgeous my baby looks or how well my older baby works her iPhone camera. Check this out!
The background’s red for the Valentine’s Day theme, but baby girl didn’t need to dress up to look fabulous.
I used another photo for the jigsaw. Wait until you see it!
For a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card, tell me what you’re up to this weekend!
Schools are closed today due to the good possibility of icy roads today. The kids loved lying in on a Tuesday and are hoping the “snow days” stretch into Wednesday, too. It’s quiet in the house. One child’s reading in her room. Another has her school laptop open while working on an assignment. I’ve been under the weather for two days now. Headaches, fatigue, chills. I’m a weenie when I’m sick. I completely shut down. I binge-watched Abbott Elementary. It’s not my kind of show (no aliens or ghosts), but it’s funny and real. I was a teacher for a couple of years in a poor district and can relate to their struggles. There’s some really good acting there, too (Sheryl Lee Ralph!). Anyways, I’m moving away from the TV because…headache, ya know.
I decided to share a puzzle today. The theme is “things you can do or consume on a cold winter’s day.” For a chance to win a downloadable book from my backlist, offer another suggestion!
I hope you love the puzzle! I found this image and knew it would make a great puzzle! Very inspirational—cool and creepy! We are getting close to Valentine’s Day, and I have a ton of cards to make. Or maybe just a couple. Depends on my inspiration. Now, I feel like Santa making his nice and naughty list. Anyways, it’s Saturday! I got to sleep in, it’s cold outside, and I’m wearing fuzzy socks, so you know it’s the beginning of a great day!
For a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card, have you ever made a homemade valentine card for someone special?
I struggled with a theme for today’s puzzle. My mind is on the work I have to complete. So, I reached out on Facebook for suggestions, and author A. Catherine Noon suggested chocolate. So, I could have gone with candy bar names, types of chocolate, but my mind when straight to things you can cover in chocolate that are delicious! And yes, a mild cheese coated in chocolate is very, very delicious! 🙂 Have fun with the puzzle.
For a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card, give me some more suggestions for yummy goodness! Do you have a favorite combination? I love orange + chocolate.
Well, I’m up at O-dark-thirty again. Dratted insomnia. I don’t ever fight it. So, this morning I went ahead and made a cup of coffee and headed in the dark to my computer. The house is quiet; I can Google without feeling guilty. LOL. So, yeah, I’m how old? Self-employed? And I still feel guilty not “working” when I power up.
I went to bed a little early for me last night feeling a little angry. Why? The ending of Star Trek: Enterprise! I’ve been binge-watching the older series for a while now. Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager. All were unique but the same. Know what I mean? I was comfortable with the progression. Enterprise was uncomfortable from the beginning. I liked the idea of it happening before Kirk and was intrigued with the idea of watching “the first” Enterprise begin the star-trekking adventures.
**WARNING SPOILERS**
Problems? I didn’t like the captain. Over the seasons, Captain Archer seemed…a bit irritated and sometimes too aggressive. While I’d found Janeway annoying the first season of Voyager, I came to admire her (after the “Rambo” episode, I loved her). Archer never had that moment where I came to accept his personality. I struggled through the first season, but the show caught me in the second. I loved the evolution of the conflict with the Xindi, and it was odd, but my favorite castmate wasn’t a “regular”. He was a frequent guest—an Andorian commander in the Imperial Guard named Shran. Over the 4 seasons, I actually found him and his mobile antennae to be quite sexy. 🙂
He had a fiery temper, was stubborn, but at heart he was an honorable alien male who loved deeply.
And what did they do to his character in the finale? They made him a criminal! I wanted to see him as an ambassador, having moved up the chain of command through his heroism and good deeds. Nope.
And what else did they do in that finale? They killed my favorite regular cast member, Trip. He never got his HEA with T’Pol—even after they lost their child and all the years they yearned for each other. In fact, the finale fast forwarded years and said they’d broken up six years prior. WTF?
Yeah. I’m not happy. And now, I have to start into the newer Trek series and hope the Powers that Be redeemed themselves. Okay, deep breath. That’s the end of my rant.
Tell me, have you ever been fighting mad over the ending of a series? Tell me about it for a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card!Â
Saturday Puzzle
Following my Star Trek rant, here’s a picture of what my imagined first encounter would look like. Enjoy the puzzle!
My day starts with a cup of coffee. I need a couple of cups just to get going in the morning. Then I have another around noon because I don’t dare have one later in the day or I’ll be up to the wee hours of the morning.
Coffee is more than just my jumpstart. Always has been. When I was in the Army, we called it “Lifers’ Blood,” and yes, we drank out of an urn of coffee that kept it warm all day, but the coffee had the consistency of molasses by the time the afternoon rolled around. Still, we drank it. Actually, it was a badge of honor to sip a cup of the sludge without grimacing.
These days, my daughter and I sit sipping coffee outside in the morning, rain or shine, warm or cold weather, while the dogs have their morning run. We talk about what we’re doing that day, gossip about family and friends, share news about politics and celebrities—all over our favorite beverage.
I’ve decided that since my daily brew is the center of so much of our lives, that we deserve an upgrade. For convenience’s sake, we both have Keurigs. Truly, it makes terrible coffee. We’ve tried different brands, but they all pretty much taste the same coming out. We do love how fast we can get our cup in the morning, but I’m willing to put in the time to produce a decent cup for our morning “share” session.
Years ago, I had an espresso/cappuccino maker. It was a pain in the ass to operate and clean. However, espressos, cappuccinos, and lattes are my favorites when I go out to someplace that actually makes a decent cup. Hell, I’d also love a coffeemaker that makes a decent plain cup of coffee.
So, for a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card, help me out.Share your recommendations for improvements. Do you love a particular brand of K-cup? Do you have a coffeemaker you love? Do you have a recipe for a fancy coffee that I could try making with what I have?
I love gift-giving and our family looks for every opportunity to celebrate holidays with gifts, food, and fun. So, naturally, I’m already turning my attention to the next celebration.
Solve the puzzle, then tell me whether this is a holiday you like to get behind for a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card!
