Bye-bye Bonnet

So long and fare thee well to one of the best sun hats of all time. You can't just put any old hat on any old (or young) head. Anyone who wears a hat on a regular basis will tell you it's got to perch properly on your noggin and, in my mind, make you feel jaunty. 

I used to refer to this one as my floppy hippie hat because it was reminiscent of something you'd see in a film clip from Woodstock.  At any rate it got me through the hottest days of June and July before the brim began to unravel. 

It's gone to the hippie hat graveyard now, along with other old gems such as my embroidered bell-bottom blue jeans, love beads, and incense burner. 

Bye-bye lovely bonnet. I'll miss you and the good times I had while you were sitting on my head!

Lunch on the Run is No Fun!

Eating lunch on the run is quite a challenge when errands are to be done. Gulping down a burger and Coke takes some talent that's no joke!  

Through the ATM drive lane I go. Doh! Was that a plop? If it's mustard I hope it's just a tiny drop 'cause I  don't want to look like a pig who's rolled in slop.

Will I get from point A to B?  It's anyone's guess... Mercy me!!!

They Can't Drive 55!

These beauties were just a few that participated in the Tarheel BMW Club of America's recent High Performance Driving School at the Virginia International Raceway (VIR) near Danville, VA.

The Raceway is listed as one of the top 6 in the nation and demands tolerance, patience and speed for ultimate driving performance. 

Although the temperature was in the double digits for this event which took place the last weekend in June (actual track temperature was gauged at 140 degrees),  everyone particpating appeared to be calm . . . cool . . . collected.

VIR offers diverse events throughout the year.  Be sure to check out its web site for more information!




 

One Way Stairway

This relic of a stairway draped in a cascade of red flowers is a colorful indicator for those with southbound destinations in the little town of Morganton, NC.  This is the side entrance to a local photographer's studio housed in an old movie theater.  Architectural accents on the building are visually engaging and the Carolina blue sky offers a lovely backdrop for what would otherwise be an ordinary set of stairs.

"Breathe Deep the Gathering Gloom"




Taken on Main St. in lovely Hudson N.C. 5:45 p.m. May 29, 2012

Breath deep the gathering gloom
Watch lights fade from every room
Bedsitter people look back and lament
Another day's useless energy spent
From poem "Late Lament"
Graeme Edge, drummer for the Moody Blues

After a day spent sweltering in a stuffy office, it was a great relief to be turned out into the late afternoon breeze that would follow me as I traversed home some 22 miles from west to northeast.  These clouds began as stacks of high, fluffy white clouds earlier in the day and turned ominous as the afternoon began to wane.  Remarkably, not a drop of rain fell in this general area at the time this photo was snapped with my Apple Iphone camera.  At this writing I can hear thunder rumbling in the distance as the day has nearly reached its end.  This doth portend a dark and stormy night and perhaps not the first in a long string of them as the heat of summer has kicked in somewhat earlier than usual. Arrrrghhhhh!

 

The Verdant Life Beyond My Door




Green trees of May just steps from the front door

 

 Into the Wood

By Moi

Into the wood I wandered late in the day

to watch the birds and squirrels at play.

The rich aroma of dark soil wafting on the breeze

offered me a sweet, calm release.

Dappled sunlight twinkling on twigs and vines

was all I needed to free my mind.

Ahh...to breathe and feel the energy in this place

is nothing more than God's own gentle embrace.

Let No Man Set Assunder



Chapel of Rest Historic N.C. Landmark



                    Nuptials performed at Lovely Chapel

Saturday April 28, 2012 was the date of the most beautiful, simple little wedding I've yet to attend.  My hair stylist and her fiance were joined as man and wife here at this quaint landmark in the beautiful North Carolina countryside known as Happy Valley.  It was overcast and comfortably cool all day, yet not a single drop of rain fell. 

P.S.  I don't know who the woman in the photo is. She was a member of the gentle congregation in attendance.

The wise, old Astro, left moves in gently to welcome baby Levi, while Gus, a.k.a. "Bat Ears," stands back

The Introduction of Levi

Levi, a pure bred black Labrador Retriever was born into the family of good friends on December 17th, 2010.  His mom is a 6-year-old black beauty named Lucy and this was her first and last litter of 11 pups.  Levi was a christmas gift to my husband and I, as we had lost our beloved Labrador, Sam, last Thanksgiving when a  kid in our neighborhood (where the speed limit is posted at 15 miles per hour) hit and mortally wounded Sam, who weighed in at around 100 lbs.  We were terribly saddened by our loss, and miss the gentle giant of our hearts to this very day. 

In 22 years, my husband, Dave (who took this photo), and I have known the kind of love Labs and dogs of labrador extraction have brought to our home,  and are sure this kind of dog will always be welcome,  as they are truly loving and devoted. 

We were blessed with the new pup as a generous Christmas gift from our good friends, the Dellingers.

So . . . Let's heare a BIG ROUND OF APPLAUSE for our new puppy, LEVI!!!! We love ya little dude!

The Foot Warmer Position

Has Been Filled ...Others Need Not Apply



Tooties are toasty  thanks to Gus

Nothing beats a warm-hearted pup to knock the chill off your toes and feet!   Our young

man, Gus, struck a pose one cold morning while the hubby and I prepared for work.  He's a

lively thing and is always under foot . . . or over feet (literally, and figuratively)!  He's a great bed warmer, too.  Often, he burrows under the covers to nestle in the crook of my knees as I drift off to sleep.  He's the guardian of my dreams!





Christmas 2010 Has Flown By!



Just a "smidge" of the holiday booty

And . . . at last I bid the Christmas season of  2010 adieu! All the appetizers have been eaten, every supper that could be supped has been, all the gatherings and parties and tinsels and bells - done and gone.

Every year seems to have a gift giving theme.  For, all who know me either know me well or ... well, they don't know me. 

This year was the year of the bag.  I received a variety of cosmetic bags, tote bags, a hand bag and even a fancy table hook on which to hang my hand bag, but I think my hand bag might be altogether too hefty for it to be supported by a mere hook.  (An industrial crane might do the trick better!)

I now have more neck scarves and gloves and, judging by the looks of it, I may need them in the oncoming winter days.  BUT, my lips won't be chapped because it was also the year of lip balms so my kisser will be smooth. 

I've got pedicure implements and skin creams, long underwear and fleece pajamas.  I got treated to lunch and dinner a few times by my compadres.  I have books of inspiration and refrigerator magnets.  And, just so I can keep up with my own bad self in 2011, three new calendars, too!

And, by chance I get snowed in again I'll have a wonderful 500-piece puzzle  depicting my favorite birds to put together (I'm not real good at it ... uh, it might carry me through the summer, actually).

And . . . last but certainly not least, the hubby and I will have a fresh-off-the-vine black Lab puppy coming in late February.  Our dear friends' hunting Lab had a litter of 11 two weeks before Christmas and, since we lost our beloved chocolate Lab, Sam, last Thanksgiving they are lovingly gifting us with a male black Lab puppy!

That pretty much sums it up.  Oh yeah . . . HECK of a good New Year's Eve party Deb and Robert! A good time was had by all. (Or, in my case, I was also had by a good time - wink, wink.)

Happy New Year everyone!