tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26556716488546557202024-03-19T04:47:49.685-04:00Darla M. Sands - Dreaming of ElysiaWhat better heaven than a cat on the lap & toes in the sand?Darla M Sandshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18212760625717298992noreply@blogger.comBlogger1241125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2655671648854655720.post-49557449652462878932024-03-15T22:17:00.000-04:002024-03-15T22:17:15.717-04:00Random Wisdom<span style="font-family: "times new roman", "serif"; font-size: 18pt;">
A few days ago my husband requested food from a favorite Chinese restaurant. Because I’ve been frustrated doing all my usual chores on top of caring for his needs, the slip in my fortune cookie struck me as worth mentioning.<span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9k2aL08GYML1vIRzEf0MQXWpEPj9oRe059eKGxYNzzDHlDL6BKZ8gxnbvsyVKdYtNvyt8N2HlSiToCE676lmvt6qohRrVXSZvDH5D775GCtjq5G4r7K6gzTabKBUGRxS9lj4z2NgUXEttGdMYRvxmfEf8YJLOme05bHYxD_s0GpJ61QkWgucYy6Ulx7Ti/s2647/IMG_E1246.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2111" data-original-width="2647" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9k2aL08GYML1vIRzEf0MQXWpEPj9oRe059eKGxYNzzDHlDL6BKZ8gxnbvsyVKdYtNvyt8N2HlSiToCE676lmvt6qohRrVXSZvDH5D775GCtjq5G4r7K6gzTabKBUGRxS9lj4z2NgUXEttGdMYRvxmfEf8YJLOme05bHYxD_s0GpJ61QkWgucYy6Ulx7Ti/w400-h319/IMG_E1246.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p></p><span style="font-family: "times new roman", "serif"; font-size: 18pt;">
Isn’t that great advice for all? Whenever you’re physically or emotionally drained, how do you decompress?<span>Darla M Sandshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18212760625717298992noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2655671648854655720.post-21433960386588824822024-03-06T20:31:00.000-05:002024-03-06T20:31:45.125-05:00It’s Another Day in Paradise<span style="font-family: "times new roman", "serif"; font-size: 18pt;">
Today I took our car in for routine maintenance. My husband planned to drive our second vehicle for a drop-off but was in too much pain. Knowing the fluid changes would take several hours, I took advantage of the auto shop’s free shuttle service, but not for the twenty minute return home.<span>
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At my request the fellow drove me a short distance to an expensive gourmet grocery store. Feeling I deserved a treat, I purchased a few items including selections from their salad bar and a nice sushi platter. My lunch in Dorothy Lane Market’s free seating area was most pleasant as I looked upon passersby entering through steady dismal rain.</span>
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After eating I sent a message to my friend Scars, who lives nearby. He and his father didn’t need any grocery items but a visit would be nice, Scars replied.</span>
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It turns out my proximity was fortuitous. He admitted overdoing physical activity and suffering more extreme pain than the day after his hip replacement. It was sad witnessing this (lessening!) agony and rare (begrudging) request for assistance. I gladly bestowed his minor appeals and enjoyed seeing him and his dad. It’s a shame their shy kitty didn’t check me out while I saw to her basic needs.</span><br /><br />
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Anyway, I am happy to report that my husband plans to see a specialist for his ongoing issues. Plus both our friends Scars and Phoenix are getting excellent care despite their setbacks. As a side note, I stole my title from Scars. “It’s another day in paradise” is his sardonic reply whenever someone asks how he’s doing, which speaks volumes about his stalwart nature.</span></span></span><div><span style="font-family: "times new roman", "serif"; font-size: 18pt;"><span><span style="font-family: "times new roman", "serif"; font-size: 18pt;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: "times new roman", "serif"; font-size: 18pt;"><span><span style="font-family: "times new roman", "serif"; font-size: 18pt;">My food photographs are not so good. lol Instead, here are some other fun photos from the market.</span><br /><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_sgli6eN3U80D4R501SlxGDnTW8iS3wTVI4yI56RR-R1wXYFoB50vKc8bi2P9gNUk2HScNYCLs4u5FZgUsHN1N0CQkzYH5BBMslpNHwi3lTbDyhBEIZAuLqYDh7MylgPNTpn22m3oWoYJGK8elbX5Da4Nl4MJvZEXPQjmwPRpvTnJuh-jKJB5q7CwGmCP/s4032/IMG_1206.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_sgli6eN3U80D4R501SlxGDnTW8iS3wTVI4yI56RR-R1wXYFoB50vKc8bi2P9gNUk2HScNYCLs4u5FZgUsHN1N0CQkzYH5BBMslpNHwi3lTbDyhBEIZAuLqYDh7MylgPNTpn22m3oWoYJGK8elbX5Da4Nl4MJvZEXPQjmwPRpvTnJuh-jKJB5q7CwGmCP/w400-h300/IMG_1206.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Entrance to where I ate lunch...</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1nrHbta5sZ8KzQ0_XEvcvxoeWhCD0YwcMe7M9a5i1sv0STp1Si_ZngAjz5_42fB8VlqqJ77JbY3APBeAi7Xkb575dOivPi1gW4GQ_zOJDJjSdg4g3_H_G1DxX-VSf8JavvqdCCegGLPyPzKs76VC1DTDbHgB5wH0Pwtc2WZV4Ndk_hj79PLrVt4w-mj4P/s4032/IMG_1207.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1nrHbta5sZ8KzQ0_XEvcvxoeWhCD0YwcMe7M9a5i1sv0STp1Si_ZngAjz5_42fB8VlqqJ77JbY3APBeAi7Xkb575dOivPi1gW4GQ_zOJDJjSdg4g3_H_G1DxX-VSf8JavvqdCCegGLPyPzKs76VC1DTDbHgB5wH0Pwtc2WZV4Ndk_hj79PLrVt4w-mj4P/w400-h300/IMG_1207.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">It seems wedding season approaches...</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVUgSzUXIf8c8Ir3xlCWu8-bWTd91621uHMQNH7pXNHRaVAQfpB8pq6wPjMjJT2Lnl1bZ4Ywk8F_Stp2u9dApFB35sPzAjndT_Pu22Dg9yOypwrwHyGeLvusZiSQuaMeyGwLE3VMJDvLfL9FS1caE7kk6lmpchtncgnuxFU9Bzr3R9MNFir4tLEkl6ruQf/s4032/IMG_1208.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVUgSzUXIf8c8Ir3xlCWu8-bWTd91621uHMQNH7pXNHRaVAQfpB8pq6wPjMjJT2Lnl1bZ4Ywk8F_Stp2u9dApFB35sPzAjndT_Pu22Dg9yOypwrwHyGeLvusZiSQuaMeyGwLE3VMJDvLfL9FS1caE7kk6lmpchtncgnuxFU9Bzr3R9MNFir4tLEkl6ruQf/w400-h300/IMG_1208.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">The butterfly drew my attention...</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2SNIu0-7mIFdIPqBxMdWuTqChmzlqydSYyOzmbwyrTdPl9G6r4p0ncj0qwGg4diQncs3MC_m6Z5nUVghlModC7WneVJcSais5NSiocZM0QLRhmW-s5I9DhZUiiTnLK8hvK4aomDRkmQq8A7xUeIVL8bUcKiI8FH3CBRk0haEDWZ-PBI4DaYWQd-qGehS0/s4032/IMG_1209.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2SNIu0-7mIFdIPqBxMdWuTqChmzlqydSYyOzmbwyrTdPl9G6r4p0ncj0qwGg4diQncs3MC_m6Z5nUVghlModC7WneVJcSais5NSiocZM0QLRhmW-s5I9DhZUiiTnLK8hvK4aomDRkmQq8A7xUeIVL8bUcKiI8FH3CBRk0haEDWZ-PBI4DaYWQd-qGehS0/w400-h300/IMG_1209.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">What riotous design options...</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhthk9MTC8hZtptZ1jNjolxZLLN_5Da1BBBLwZI6Du3Y8nA2rVIFKdZJRP5hDX4vefifrDxNQup3QM3rkBmdiV5ZarwO5SijdnxuCkq-HaR62DnQ1ITgq2B8a54TpyZ0aaZAwwyCP76-A_3yHQA8Qrehx9x8xN5Xt9oGO5sO0CH6FMxkERjC95IxBxmazg5/s4032/IMG_1210.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhthk9MTC8hZtptZ1jNjolxZLLN_5Da1BBBLwZI6Du3Y8nA2rVIFKdZJRP5hDX4vefifrDxNQup3QM3rkBmdiV5ZarwO5SijdnxuCkq-HaR62DnQ1ITgq2B8a54TpyZ0aaZAwwyCP76-A_3yHQA8Qrehx9x8xN5Xt9oGO5sO0CH6FMxkERjC95IxBxmazg5/w400-h300/IMG_1210.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">K & R were a monogram theme throughout...<br />Perhaps R and/or K are employees.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></span></span></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEonY9ikd7tzRzhmUtdO26YdvHTFJVVa_OopfGravQSjSdJlGx6V338vRB7b2MofCfdN_tDZKdW5iedjhD7FUnVCegb2UjncSK0P9v9J9xhRBQTDEbHKtE11_W1uoiLPIk5DExVXxXJOwhECabzj36J2FW8geTHYCljA4ntUAHXi86GtVMslN-JnSCqERH/w400-h300/IMG_1212.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">I wonder how much of these are edible...</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEonY9ikd7tzRzhmUtdO26YdvHTFJVVa_OopfGravQSjSdJlGx6V338vRB7b2MofCfdN_tDZKdW5iedjhD7FUnVCegb2UjncSK0P9v9J9xhRBQTDEbHKtE11_W1uoiLPIk5DExVXxXJOwhECabzj36J2FW8geTHYCljA4ntUAHXi86GtVMslN-JnSCqERH/s4032/IMG_1212.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></a></div><br /> <span style="font-family: "times new roman", "serif"; font-size: 18pt;">Aren’t these cake designs wild? Would you choose one for your special event?</span>
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-</span>Darla M Sandshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18212760625717298992noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2655671648854655720.post-34843047134254980682024-03-01T20:47:00.000-05:002024-03-01T20:47:03.161-05:00Buzz, Buzz<span style="font-family: "times new roman", "serif"; font-size: 18pt;">
For all the kind folks interested, my friend Scars came through hip replacement surgery well and is already home. He hasn’t asked for any assistance so far. Phoenix, while frustrated by the setback from another fall, got cleared for better pain maintenance regarding his amputated leg.<span>
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I’m still busy taking care of my husband due to back pain. Busy as a bee, one might say. On a funny note, Phoenix smoked a lot during our outing and I still have a nicotine buzz headache hours later./span>
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I must say, all these guys are appreciative. And I met some nice folks today.</span>
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One lady held the door for a couple leaving the spinal care center the man replied, “We moved here two years ago from Philadelphia and I’m still not used to all the kindness local people show.”</span><br /><br />
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That woman and I agreed any interaction should include some little kindness and/or simple uplifting words. I don’t care if it’s praising a person’s outfit or hairstyle, aiding someone seeking a grocery item, or perhaps just smiling I think positivity spreads, as shown in the film “Pay it Forward”.</span><br /><br />
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Have heard the saying “ misery likes company”? Don’t you agree that positivity is a better force?</span><br /><br />
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END</span>
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-</span>Darla M Sandshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18212760625717298992noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2655671648854655720.post-88934475753685857892024-02-28T21:23:00.005-05:002024-02-28T21:25:53.339-05:00A Mishmash of Hopes, Wishes, and Appreciation as My Favorite Men Fall Apart<span style="font-family: "times new roman", "serif"; font-size: 18pt;">
My 55th birthday passed uneventfully as my husband somehow hurt his back. ~pout~ Since February 15th he remains in agony despite his doctor’s cortisone shot, prescribed muscle relaxants, and ibuprofen. I don’t know how or when but hope things improve.<span>
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Today my friend (AKA ‘little brother’) Scars underwent a hip replacement. His father said he came through well. I can only wish upon him some relief from his lifelong juvenile arthritis pain. Minutes ago he sent photos; the guy is a hero to me.</span>
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The same goes for our friend Phoenix who once again fell and wounded the site of his amputated leg. ~sigh~ At least he didn’t end up spending two weeks in hospital this time.</span>
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On a brighter note, I’m much healthier than my favorite guys and have free time. I’ve been making a point of lifting weights, swimming laps, or hiking.</span><br /><br />
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Every few hours my husband needs various assistance due to the difficulty he suffers standing. This Friday I’ll be accompanying Phoenix to see his pain therapist. The poor guy can neither wear his prosthetic leg nor balance to get his walker in and out of the car.</span><br /><br />
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Scars and his elderly father may need the understandable help I’ve offered, as well. We shall see. They’re all amazing men.</span><br /><br />
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How are you and yours?</span>
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-</span></span></span>Darla M Sandshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18212760625717298992noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2655671648854655720.post-85439523374493543642024-02-20T14:00:00.004-05:002024-02-20T19:10:01.613-05:00A Curious Analysis Has Me Baffled – & – Our Silly Polly<span style="font-family: "times new roman", "serif"; font-size: 18pt;">
Yesterday morning I took Terra and Polly for their annual vet check-up. Last year the clinic sent me home with Gabapentin for their next visit. It irked me that I was expected to drug my cats.<span>
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Worse, the listed expiration date was sometime last summer, so no way did I plan on using it. I told the technician they hadn’t been given this expired (!) medication but that I’d trimmed their front claws the day before. Well, the girls did great other than some hissing and growling.</span>
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Apparently they have a reputation, though, as the veterinarian I’d never met before mentioned Terra climbing on top of the wall mounted computer monitor and heading for the built-in high cupboards last time. She didn’t try any stunts yesterday.</span>
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He did have to wait until her lengthy low growl subsided in order to hear her heartbeat. lol They each received a CVR booster shot and we came right home.</span><br /><br />
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My husband is equally confused by the vet’s diagnosis of mild obesity and thought perhaps it was to sell me some expensive diet pet food. But the doctor’s sole suggestion involved set feeding times. In agreement, I can’t convince my spouse to stop leaving kibble constantly available. ~sigh~ Meanwhile, neither gained weight over the past year.</span><br /><br />
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Our athletic Terra remains at eleven pounds, her sister at eight. I do agree that Polly’s long coat needs more attention. For that matter, so does Dandelion’s; she will get her check-up sometime in late spring.</span><br /><br />
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Should I be more open to sedating my pets? For experienced cat caretakers, do you think the vet rightly judged them overweight by feel despite lack of any gain?</span>
<br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dynDtsEgNpC7GcF91Myv8jmBRJCGyGaoikmbNa-V6TZsYfbJs5nGNpdRg3IrOS3iOb-vsTSd1e29wnPEWds-Q' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwJEeZBXQICJPRhp1uN4KJA3sDMw-UlUag1bZPO-8OhX534dsaEVYjwgJbMElgWP3JdKtqNPz63cGb9_j2PVg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /> <p></p></span></span>Darla M Sandshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18212760625717298992noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2655671648854655720.post-70669356409244129962024-02-18T08:00:00.115-05:002024-02-18T08:00:00.130-05:00The Haves and the Have-Nots<span style="font-family: "times new roman", "serif"; font-size: 18pt;">
Following a routine check-up I decided to explore the town where my doctor’s office is located. An industrial steel town, Middletown, Ohio houses the archetypal United States blue collar working class. I hate to admit we’ve always considered the city a bit depressing.<span>
<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitV16SDD7aTMZTYefoJ8ZOymiM7GuRksLqNcmqzbtvsGm_8DpTJWxr4_viGhXYIzK6f0MFW_4intNMqtfgQQ5gBWWLJGPQqMdzZxeE_cihGJZJUHyqMhijx_MydF0lmu-TJhgqmW-Wf0YvRgPxA-DJquPlfjtYja_AkznMwyUeWwurqBumkGhUjTDG3-OV/s4032/IMG_1169.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitV16SDD7aTMZTYefoJ8ZOymiM7GuRksLqNcmqzbtvsGm_8DpTJWxr4_viGhXYIzK6f0MFW_4intNMqtfgQQ5gBWWLJGPQqMdzZxeE_cihGJZJUHyqMhijx_MydF0lmu-TJhgqmW-Wf0YvRgPxA-DJquPlfjtYja_AkznMwyUeWwurqBumkGhUjTDG3-OV/w400-h300/IMG_1169.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Not the most picturesque skyline...</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPoLg1w7uhvYW04OYdudeTk1UIGK7DLg0shwS6Hs5YCQtpzbJ5vvrsMXbZ91xNpbv3rEhz3ALWo8SyLUAsWBHg3cIETarVD_NZ2ZtPLGWjjNfy-9xhq99HUzIszjXkR7CfQX1439yoATWmfrJyVTFGysJu811v8AsYI0icocCibbMxipRGkTpFA3lwTaK2/s4032/IMG_1170.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPoLg1w7uhvYW04OYdudeTk1UIGK7DLg0shwS6Hs5YCQtpzbJ5vvrsMXbZ91xNpbv3rEhz3ALWo8SyLUAsWBHg3cIETarVD_NZ2ZtPLGWjjNfy-9xhq99HUzIszjXkR7CfQX1439yoATWmfrJyVTFGysJu811v8AsYI0icocCibbMxipRGkTpFA3lwTaK2/w400-h300/IMG_1170.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Another business that utilizes the<br />local railways, whatever this is...<br /></span><br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxxXufj2XWUeliiFsL5NJH3EoaoTtOGwnXdwsLaJFkhPN7bx3BYauSLHZlvvVYATBGQIRISE6H5gEz2Tp-CVg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br />
</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman", "serif"; font-size: 18pt;">
Interspersed between the stark mills, grimy factories, and bleak processing plants, many neighborhood residences make our humble abode appear as a grand estate. My tour really made me pause and give thanks.<span>
<br /><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpdwZkxQFiJe5NqWRJoGY0Cj7ujpcuFwwW9eDFSbYqO4QaIzTzLTpIsewq0dUgJIJGJs9bETVEeeTanNT02oPPmGSWwBY4VMtbQdP2Cz3mBC8oOxx-jWvYR-NpP1ap_cqnPDgsm1sMcxSOZJx1xm9k_NDYl4JnvMvSxY5Zqz8XnkPKrFWj1-Zs9jxWyzP_/s4032/IMG_1166.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpdwZkxQFiJe5NqWRJoGY0Cj7ujpcuFwwW9eDFSbYqO4QaIzTzLTpIsewq0dUgJIJGJs9bETVEeeTanNT02oPPmGSWwBY4VMtbQdP2Cz3mBC8oOxx-jWvYR-NpP1ap_cqnPDgsm1sMcxSOZJx1xm9k_NDYl4JnvMvSxY5Zqz8XnkPKrFWj1-Zs9jxWyzP_/w400-h300/IMG_1166.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">These side lots are miniscule...</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWpwHWGlcOVWLmMgJqtKuj5RA8WKLg7WkHO-tKnRKeEaVug98Fkd8MK2_71D0wN3F_7e54WqkUtedGC9WjtgjZlxYRVDFGm88LeGW72jdi_EEu_VlAkWPsOkszEhPG8Oua9_nHHNrI_pHbucBULxeVKRKkMvR3n61DjHG_XzobVKfIKJdHCOcshcZGgAg5/s4032/IMG_1171.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWpwHWGlcOVWLmMgJqtKuj5RA8WKLg7WkHO-tKnRKeEaVug98Fkd8MK2_71D0wN3F_7e54WqkUtedGC9WjtgjZlxYRVDFGm88LeGW72jdi_EEu_VlAkWPsOkszEhPG8Oua9_nHHNrI_pHbucBULxeVKRKkMvR3n61DjHG_XzobVKfIKJdHCOcshcZGgAg5/w400-h300/IMG_1171.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">A nice porch, for sure...</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjNlA0jZVJCA2Nk9V9d-_50GALZoEYrlOLblKEbmpxZYe350t_1dO3b8znPucguTKFEzGgIMqdm9ZVXur5NGsVQSbBVeXeky-yIx8abm6b4xRlMAOo8ointZJ3zlJeshKnyLo_dwsxpmfXR-6duVJl3g_JVBhMREtYEjXk9FfEKaKmAhi5jbvThqwTbI0n/s4032/IMG_1174.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjNlA0jZVJCA2Nk9V9d-_50GALZoEYrlOLblKEbmpxZYe350t_1dO3b8znPucguTKFEzGgIMqdm9ZVXur5NGsVQSbBVeXeky-yIx8abm6b4xRlMAOo8ointZJ3zlJeshKnyLo_dwsxpmfXR-6duVJl3g_JVBhMREtYEjXk9FfEKaKmAhi5jbvThqwTbI0n/w400-h300/IMG_1174.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Neatly kept tiny home...</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrhGWey-6W6vCd5ITSh8aAG8Z3wpp1GHqn16UYwHt7rkjE8E_TARWebV9PelDO7D0UbB8CYDCdp6fkkzfkGsXDCEpUPCylNrNYfGb_149mMGxujghkAke84BW0HlxSoOM5CW0HkQVt31dSlZogb7Xuq-CApE9hrQLCo8cpSu8biLXkNrIEBhIe0Sp_RnBu/s4032/IMG_1172.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrhGWey-6W6vCd5ITSh8aAG8Z3wpp1GHqn16UYwHt7rkjE8E_TARWebV9PelDO7D0UbB8CYDCdp6fkkzfkGsXDCEpUPCylNrNYfGb_149mMGxujghkAke84BW0HlxSoOM5CW0HkQVt31dSlZogb7Xuq-CApE9hrQLCo8cpSu8biLXkNrIEBhIe0Sp_RnBu/w400-h300/IMG_1172.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">More spacious houses...</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH0CMA1ZrNauGD4hI-ddwVTraUrcICGXNwfh5fwUi1rguH7TDJo7vJkwWgowW_vNudDNO8oVa42sxJqBzjhkn6h2CFZ8hYioU3rwjC_ifCxZKFTw3SgDPIFLr7moUeXNV74EpZVoWuZl78_CXmD6t4XXYM2OlMWXsoPPYfUqO8Irw9ef0c3YyfcuKKM8tD/s4032/IMG_1165.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH0CMA1ZrNauGD4hI-ddwVTraUrcICGXNwfh5fwUi1rguH7TDJo7vJkwWgowW_vNudDNO8oVa42sxJqBzjhkn6h2CFZ8hYioU3rwjC_ifCxZKFTw3SgDPIFLr7moUeXNV74EpZVoWuZl78_CXmD6t4XXYM2OlMWXsoPPYfUqO8Irw9ef0c3YyfcuKKM8tD/w640-h480/IMG_1165.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">The vehicle at far left clearly needs maintenance...</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman", "serif"; font-size: 18pt;">
Now here we have these stunning hilltop houses. I suppose the steel barons contracted the mansions on Middletown’s Monument Avenue. These appear newer to varying degrees.<span>
<br /><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2NbVA-9ChO2OsiiB2ZeJ67TiwSSwJHFNk-KvadlEd8_NRzYHXFz-0ENMTl3XYidZI9EJbBZvPErrFrukFm41UPHJlVEnbu8w2iDFgwjG2SRPMKrIdvf6GIf3CnIZ5tp74xzzGoVSppv6uS2mIh0j0OxAHnNStNxnRJiqc7s0M_bkgr9QgwtrG8856kf5F/s4032/IMG_1150.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2NbVA-9ChO2OsiiB2ZeJ67TiwSSwJHFNk-KvadlEd8_NRzYHXFz-0ENMTl3XYidZI9EJbBZvPErrFrukFm41UPHJlVEnbu8w2iDFgwjG2SRPMKrIdvf6GIf3CnIZ5tp74xzzGoVSppv6uS2mIh0j0OxAHnNStNxnRJiqc7s0M_bkgr9QgwtrG8856kf5F/w640-h480/IMG_1150.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">A rambling home...</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9fgpK9TKcpEH6bojpKj3atYLxucA7HsXuJQyg1UaxK0n422guv3_KBsg2cB-0Y_Jmt52-in3W_X0UG0CvWHDnbuHs9_a5lCH6J8PJJ18Kofyr-cPI58bTNFEnAO_a8N8b2ROaChHh8Xcos933aChEHFXb9oAi_AqmwqpmAUdsk_DTAU4aMaB3sjaiPljG/s4032/IMG_1152.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9fgpK9TKcpEH6bojpKj3atYLxucA7HsXuJQyg1UaxK0n422guv3_KBsg2cB-0Y_Jmt52-in3W_X0UG0CvWHDnbuHs9_a5lCH6J8PJJ18Kofyr-cPI58bTNFEnAO_a8N8b2ROaChHh8Xcos933aChEHFXb9oAi_AqmwqpmAUdsk_DTAU4aMaB3sjaiPljG/w400-h300/IMG_1152.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">I want to see this interior!</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUo87iBh7kjcDAEfPj_gk7W0Sxpn7leBaQ_c8f5Nxme4A-x1VFLNYhtc3HE0dkEfEJ5Uk2CvOOhPs_26Ii-dL6yS8hsSXev8TbvBix0Gg9DWvVVECsDSr2QLMuzd1e4RNIekW4w3xGGuAMQRKP69kxjY_3o9nXtT2OlFVTpRwSfAdbhfG1kxhO5L3_RLLm/s4032/IMG_1153.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUo87iBh7kjcDAEfPj_gk7W0Sxpn7leBaQ_c8f5Nxme4A-x1VFLNYhtc3HE0dkEfEJ5Uk2CvOOhPs_26Ii-dL6yS8hsSXev8TbvBix0Gg9DWvVVECsDSr2QLMuzd1e4RNIekW4w3xGGuAMQRKP69kxjY_3o9nXtT2OlFVTpRwSfAdbhfG1kxhO5L3_RLLm/w400-h300/IMG_1153.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">What fabulous, extraneous architecture...</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_8AKvx_9E-ROjVgvRLZ441Q6gA3tunUDaHEKoUVQLh7b7SJteIq2WL5sxUB8RuF0Vn55h7TTiwP7EnbvLNKe5UPWkqvk1-7HTFiPTniFLxLqMnve_CKQe41t1RJTDL52XtxEhyphenhyphenm0dsiLfKWEb1kUOlb3kbJVNlAy0E74Ke-mhfMdlwvl-CHrmCWExtioQ/s4032/IMG_1155.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_8AKvx_9E-ROjVgvRLZ441Q6gA3tunUDaHEKoUVQLh7b7SJteIq2WL5sxUB8RuF0Vn55h7TTiwP7EnbvLNKe5UPWkqvk1-7HTFiPTniFLxLqMnve_CKQe41t1RJTDL52XtxEhyphenhyphenm0dsiLfKWEb1kUOlb3kbJVNlAy0E74Ke-mhfMdlwvl-CHrmCWExtioQ/w640-h480/IMG_1155.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">More modest, but look at that garage door...</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVhcwItVDCj5JT4XmH6LW4qUQws0pNto_CjALNha5dgLpU1LRx3Tp-0obCRIkri-j8hrYTDZ5vjKQssZvdmk2Ml6XdmhBgunAmGMdqKZ6ihULwluw8LN2H9wIyQag95TT_vFJI6-6P_uKbRpvlOd3mloW38BJcVM2ZSrqmIFsSAzhG18Dw-Zyqvyj5Wqow/s4032/IMG_1156.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVhcwItVDCj5JT4XmH6LW4qUQws0pNto_CjALNha5dgLpU1LRx3Tp-0obCRIkri-j8hrYTDZ5vjKQssZvdmk2Ml6XdmhBgunAmGMdqKZ6ihULwluw8LN2H9wIyQag95TT_vFJI6-6P_uKbRpvlOd3mloW38BJcVM2ZSrqmIFsSAzhG18Dw-Zyqvyj5Wqow/w640-h480/IMG_1156.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Seeing this image, my husband wrongly believed<br />this to be a multi-family home...</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: "times new roman", "serif"; font-size: 18pt;">I believe capitalism, however flawed, generally benefits my fellow citizens. The lopsided economics here make my head spin.<span>
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Can you imagine I wanted to be an architect until the math defeated me? Would you choose any of these homes, whether modest or affluent?<span>Darla M Sandshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18212760625717298992noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2655671648854655720.post-7453700833633295522024-02-17T15:49:00.002-05:002024-02-17T15:49:41.228-05:00Seriously, this is a discount?<span style="font-family: "times new roman", "serif"; font-size: 18pt;">
My husband and I so fortunate that retirement gives us plenty of time to shop for bargains. How working parents feed their families is both a mystery and growing concern. I doubt many folks have time to check the clearance shelves or even know their location tucked past aisles of freezers just across from the small hardware selection. When I looked up my jaw dropped. It’s no wonder bottles like this remain on the shelves.</span><br /><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZMTDzsJ8ttGLzqLrniTrCyO3DHinhMXrkFbwvXWjDgYWYnBCnH4xfxGGlIwNCswFH4k6XI6sZe0wLDzYTNoe4a52-A3iqYjd6vU1JqPVouEXi94PM4xZAGbcrGKufQKT9b1c-fJZW-XLzG4rmSbpZxTr1EekufMwBk5_96Stlf70W44-YlVQT79Q6UUYC/s4032/IMG_1143.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZMTDzsJ8ttGLzqLrniTrCyO3DHinhMXrkFbwvXWjDgYWYnBCnH4xfxGGlIwNCswFH4k6XI6sZe0wLDzYTNoe4a52-A3iqYjd6vU1JqPVouEXi94PM4xZAGbcrGKufQKT9b1c-fJZW-XLzG4rmSbpZxTr1EekufMwBk5_96Stlf70W44-YlVQT79Q6UUYC/w300-h400/IMG_1143.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">For my unsophisticated palete, a brand priced just over one tenth of this tastes just fine.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: "times new roman", "serif"; font-size: 18pt;">Can you imagine what the original retail price must have been? Is there any special occasion for which you’d consider such an extravagant purchase?</span>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman", "serif"; font-size: 18pt;">
-</span>Darla M Sandshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18212760625717298992noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2655671648854655720.post-14178469499838661022024-02-13T18:18:00.006-05:002024-02-13T18:18:56.448-05:00A Trio of Ironies<span style="font-family: "times new roman", "serif"; font-size: 18pt;">
A longtime pal called the other day. K complained about the overly chatty guy at her hair salon. Funny enough, I could not get a word in edgewise. But she needed to vent and I try to be a compassionate listener.</span>
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It's no chore. And I cannot complain. K's parents, who always treated me like another child, continue declining health-wise. </span>
<br /><br /><span style="font-family: "times new roman", "serif"; font-size: 18pt;">My friend also shared an anecdote. Her youngest daughter S is working toward a hairstyling license yet fears cutting peoples' hair. This fundamental service seems to me as way simpler than the science of hair <i>dyes</i>.</span><div><span style="font-family: times new roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 24px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times new roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 24px;">~shrugs~<br /></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: times new roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 24px;">While it seems unrelated, I have seen this aspiring young hairstylist's childhood bedroom strewn with discarded candy wrappers and dirty snack plates. Her unrepentant sloppy nature is legendary among family and friends.</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: times new roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 24px;">Therein lies another paradox as S complained to her mother about assistants leaving messy countertops. Even with it being a place of business, the incongruous statement left her mother speechless.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times new roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 24px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times new roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 24px;">Hearing this and K reiterating her taciturn responsive "Huh", I laughed until tears squirted. Poor young S has probably been told my reaction.</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: times new roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 24px;">Do you know the rather morbid story behind the iconic barber's pole? Isn't it amazing that veterinarians historically treated humans, and would you agree it's likely a great option in dire circumstances?</span></span><br /><br />
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-</span></div>Darla M Sandshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18212760625717298992noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2655671648854655720.post-11340237929734585992024-02-04T17:42:00.004-05:002024-02-04T17:46:02.992-05:00Giant Rubber Chicken Makes a Donkey's Day - Credits to ViralHog<span style="font-family: "times new roman", "serif"; font-size: 18pt;">
This makes me smile every time I watch. And the jokes kind of write themselves. Heh...<span><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://youtube.com/embed/O65IVru6JNg?si=r2MCncogwdYacI8E" width="480"></iframe></div><span style="font-family: "times new roman", "serif"; font-size: 18pt;">
Have you ever seen a happier donkey? Do you think the honking toy makes this social mammal feel less alone?<span>Darla M Sandshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18212760625717298992noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2655671648854655720.post-89733489507181820952024-02-03T11:38:00.088-05:002024-02-03T11:38:00.140-05:00A Walk About Town<span style="font-family: "times new roman", "serif";"><span style="font-size: 18pt;">
My husband and I have lived in this house since 1994 (!) yet failed to fully explore Franklin’s history. Today I walked the riverside bike path, my unusual starting point coinciding with major downtown roadwork. That introduced me to unknown facts, such as the bed and breakfast where we married in 1997 having been originally commissioned by a sea captain.</span><span>
<br /><p style="font-size: 18pt;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-size: 18pt; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6LS3sxQUtieItTbgxODuCFE1rGFGdhIJJg_bVTT7zupWfUbyDQTHS_K7sDwY-B4nFOCn0-yHKDI26Jh48IvJKkGwb00FsF3fXR8CDbKqjtPr9G9gboYm9lzP8f_9GTVGtSzvuu-9How771Dvlrg77l7nhhfGQNQoxoC9tlmHawo4Fs3TxiwajNtzzhxgA/s4032/IMG_1099.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6LS3sxQUtieItTbgxODuCFE1rGFGdhIJJg_bVTT7zupWfUbyDQTHS_K7sDwY-B4nFOCn0-yHKDI26Jh48IvJKkGwb00FsF3fXR8CDbKqjtPr9G9gboYm9lzP8f_9GTVGtSzvuu-9How771Dvlrg77l7nhhfGQNQoxoC9tlmHawo4Fs3TxiwajNtzzhxgA/w400-h300/IMG_1099.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Is this not a grand home?</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: "times new roman", "serif"; font-size: 18pt;">Also, an Irish immigrant designed this intriguing old house locals dubbed the Alamo. It does seem to exhibit that influence. I would very much like to see inside.</span>
<br /><p style="font-size: 18pt;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqEcUMMLccfQbqsG3Wd3fqtPfb69U_3GhS3TYPkBvS1elB7obH4-fuKwBqzqRBxua_80tnFbavfs89ROH12Qqjirf3fFCYi5VtI0lwIbcMX091c_0JUkTiqr5IUg7lKrj0Hh4uxkyKeQsJwtXT_joRoQeztMaR8pSKGFApmLjgZSCwQdYcWt1tfDGH6Oxe/w400-h300/IMG_1101.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">I cannot imagine its current purpose....</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqEcUMMLccfQbqsG3Wd3fqtPfb69U_3GhS3TYPkBvS1elB7obH4-fuKwBqzqRBxua_80tnFbavfs89ROH12Qqjirf3fFCYi5VtI0lwIbcMX091c_0JUkTiqr5IUg7lKrj0Hh4uxkyKeQsJwtXT_joRoQeztMaR8pSKGFApmLjgZSCwQdYcWt1tfDGH6Oxe/s4032/IMG_1101.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: "times new roman", "serif"; font-size: 18pt;">There is a planned riverfront renovation which I consider long overdue. Surrounding towns have interesting amenities such as open air amphitheaters, independently owned (not chain) restaurants, niche stores, and the like.</span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBHrDLHz8AeJYsQM5AWHw933TpRkNvPz3L7DiflswrWEZ4mkHr_hZf1hS12ewTSpPNTGMCHq7v4luITGQODoYlgkOBIst1JtNNfpHHCKAgMPP3rF7N7egCT5-UXBhFF0ii4zFpLqQDbbd7oC6OX4o5RSDCQxecnKU2bv0Q7AmJ9CkLntr9QlXb-mw-UGdi/s4032/IMG_1098.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBHrDLHz8AeJYsQM5AWHw933TpRkNvPz3L7DiflswrWEZ4mkHr_hZf1hS12ewTSpPNTGMCHq7v4luITGQODoYlgkOBIst1JtNNfpHHCKAgMPP3rF7N7egCT5-UXBhFF0ii4zFpLqQDbbd7oC6OX4o5RSDCQxecnKU2bv0Q7AmJ9CkLntr9QlXb-mw-UGdi/w400-h300/IMG_1098.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">This shows the massive infrastructural work...</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: "times new roman", "serif"; font-size: 18pt;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPczPcvvvCvrBOZ5Z_ygPr0SJnM7mzw7DBxMOtPBiWnXPxr1EoUcyov5pd4le9qDoWoQK0x_7Y4sJmE1SMoMOho67RlfsRsrdVo01-kJlhe4N_lJ7eu-PumlIB0bmOJGsvyYj854BWQ8mFCh3nCS7jRHOlZ5R1kiaSghRfS8Gru4cCw97mOYZss4qkDiyo/s3145/IMG_E1097.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2537" data-original-width="3145" height="323" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPczPcvvvCvrBOZ5Z_ygPr0SJnM7mzw7DBxMOtPBiWnXPxr1EoUcyov5pd4le9qDoWoQK0x_7Y4sJmE1SMoMOho67RlfsRsrdVo01-kJlhe4N_lJ7eu-PumlIB0bmOJGsvyYj854BWQ8mFCh3nCS7jRHOlZ5R1kiaSghRfS8Gru4cCw97mOYZss4qkDiyo/w400-h323/IMG_E1097.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">I have seen but never read this plaque before...</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2739" data-original-width="3516" height="311" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFPCk0oxC6M2bfV1_dMmWZDixZdRawNY_nUly7jcDReN_KkodhY1WGWoq3LCwjZipavzKZrBUSA1VBercEhMU3aiHrdV3PKGKppfBJVwMAmuchsWj-LjtA7l9ECfVKt-7ulZPLkIkVWX9_Oha-bZDTptCchxPeWzTv5bL-lCf0tDQ_K4bOkES4KRmel2M4/w400-h311/IMG_E1096.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">A cool piece of history...</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFPCk0oxC6M2bfV1_dMmWZDixZdRawNY_nUly7jcDReN_KkodhY1WGWoq3LCwjZipavzKZrBUSA1VBercEhMU3aiHrdV3PKGKppfBJVwMAmuchsWj-LjtA7l9ECfVKt-7ulZPLkIkVWX9_Oha-bZDTptCchxPeWzTv5bL-lCf0tDQ_K4bOkES4KRmel2M4/s3516/IMG_E1096.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></a></div><br />
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<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCPbr1vodMIERaTk57xYPpGP-TgkKavkQ0ihrzsaQpIdEHHbbWGjd3WfiaFnvY2ahEPO8TE2zzs4qWngEn8pwIlSvj3kO3sZK3dzYooBPm0cIcEMW4G9W9e7B2mgumUIEOIENx11nQaxpTicZWc1p8LhDjW_BUnl8nbK_6mFuvJxvjQoqORRBZ_7jFBvOv/s4032/IMG_1103.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCPbr1vodMIERaTk57xYPpGP-TgkKavkQ0ihrzsaQpIdEHHbbWGjd3WfiaFnvY2ahEPO8TE2zzs4qWngEn8pwIlSvj3kO3sZK3dzYooBPm0cIcEMW4G9W9e7B2mgumUIEOIENx11nQaxpTicZWc1p8LhDjW_BUnl8nbK_6mFuvJxvjQoqORRBZ_7jFBvOv/w400-h300/IMG_1103.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Grand houses across the Great Miami River...</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZoyVgVMfXUoeyAy1UVIydyMi6TnHS9ndMa6HkOtfaGmfVwzPGoDxDbR3g8FNEp6lhX-l0edJO5l9wOGzq8ROmHWzwxdNdFPydPsHF-kFltOMYy7-JdI3QE8kORrMdhk1ppWtxFKKIixjVm5GgxgyAB-0QeYpgIs004YLtPLEL0SXzxF-761nF3gQ_9MtB/s4032/IMG_1105.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZoyVgVMfXUoeyAy1UVIydyMi6TnHS9ndMa6HkOtfaGmfVwzPGoDxDbR3g8FNEp6lhX-l0edJO5l9wOGzq8ROmHWzwxdNdFPydPsHF-kFltOMYy7-JdI3QE8kORrMdhk1ppWtxFKKIixjVm5GgxgyAB-0QeYpgIs004YLtPLEL0SXzxF-761nF3gQ_9MtB/w400-h300/IMG_1105.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">A surprising find; this antique vehicle near a very old train bridge...</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO5n-Eqoxl5php2lA5MfRcVYj_5UKmslaaNzKkN-nHXJ9e0U7ncsDgnQ_YnnAssAZJLC5FA2aUYvj46VkmytSsrjX5EyYkhP0bouAFF0nt_2XFDSVNG5vmJ1VQ5wAKOujgfnQnNwH_4Vr5k7MAIf-OUmgh1RU4j-CmbDTVjwMLr3evpQxQ1YZuPRB4f2ft/s4032/IMG_1106.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO5n-Eqoxl5php2lA5MfRcVYj_5UKmslaaNzKkN-nHXJ9e0U7ncsDgnQ_YnnAssAZJLC5FA2aUYvj46VkmytSsrjX5EyYkhP0bouAFF0nt_2XFDSVNG5vmJ1VQ5wAKOujgfnQnNwH_4Vr5k7MAIf-OUmgh1RU4j-CmbDTVjwMLr3evpQxQ1YZuPRB4f2ft/w400-h300/IMG_1106.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Why is there a deflated bike tire in the tree?<br /></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman", "serif"; font-size: 18pt;"><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 18pt;">Besides the sad residence pictured above I saw many decrepit houses. One place appeared quite lovely; a mat on the sidewalk read ‘welcome to our porch’. Then I noticed a sign promising violence to trespassers. My instincts kicked in and I didn’t pause for a photo.</span></div></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman", "serif"; font-size: 18pt;">Do you live in a vibrant community? What improvement(s) would benefit your neighborhood?</span><br /><br />
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-</span></span></span>Darla M Sandshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18212760625717298992noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2655671648854655720.post-47903656464630746332024-02-02T23:33:00.000-05:002024-02-02T23:33:30.924-05:00My Year?<span style="font-family: "times new roman", "serif"; font-size: 18pt;">
My dentist prognosticating 2024 as “my year” leaves me in doubt as to specifics. February hasn’t started off so great.<span>
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Dandelion decided to jump onto my side around midnight, January 31st. Slipping, she dug her claws into my right forearm. While painful, it didn’t give me much thought until later. I could have sworn she left a shed claw in my flesh.</span>
<br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS08I9iS5-7f3UvE11JW27LJZOfxGn_yHSL1CC6haR0aukgbs-k4eGNQWPaXBBkBqKojX__PX_Hf-hmMn03w2XAoBwc-GU7IWpG6f8rM_VAvnMR8uu_LItKrcfaW8btqGHme0z1cc8yt8v0RE3XOSk5bWTn0hIDaBDmdVjZ8rNuUMcZ6hkI1bvrDlDv1hp/s4032/IMG_1095.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS08I9iS5-7f3UvE11JW27LJZOfxGn_yHSL1CC6haR0aukgbs-k4eGNQWPaXBBkBqKojX__PX_Hf-hmMn03w2XAoBwc-GU7IWpG6f8rM_VAvnMR8uu_LItKrcfaW8btqGHme0z1cc8yt8v0RE3XOSk5bWTn0hIDaBDmdVjZ8rNuUMcZ6hkI1bvrDlDv1hp/w300-h400/IMG_1095.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: "times new roman", "serif"; font-size: 18pt;">After consulting my primary care physician via phone I visited a local urgent care facility. The nurse practitioner who treated my topical foot infection last spring retained his dry humor.</span>
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“Now, the fun begins,” he quipped upon entering the examination room. His magnified close inspection revealed no foreign object, much to my relief. I’m simply on a seven day antibiotic course.</span><br /><br />
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As in May of 2023 he again said to avoid folk remedies like warm compresses followed by squeezing the wound site. I replied in agreement and how I declined my husband’s suggested ointment and bandage.</span><br /><br />
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Acting impressed, he immediately asked if I had a medical background. Far from it, mere bad luck and being a klutz have taught me a lot over the years.</span><br /><br />
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Did you know that antibiotics help push intruding objects out? Isn’t a good sense of humor important in most any upbeat workplace?</span>
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-</span></span></span>Darla M Sandshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18212760625717298992noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2655671648854655720.post-9309586614851766822024-01-26T17:43:00.000-05:002024-01-26T17:43:54.780-05:00The Importance of Mindset<span style="font-family: "times new roman", "serif"; font-size: 18pt;">
Some friends have tried convincing me that speaking affirmations help guarantee success. I’ve always preferred action such as the saying, Fake it Till You Make it. A unique source may change my mind.<span>
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This morning I drove my husband to our concurrent dental appointments. To our happy surprise both checkups went extremely well. Before leaving, the pleased dentist said, “2024 is going to be the year for you.”</span>
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Her Asian heritage could lead to a joke about fortune cookies. However, she and her awesome staff gave off such fantastic vibes I plan to recite Dr. Bui’s well wishes daily.</span>
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Do you have an opinion about positive thinking? What is your greatest upcoming wish?</span><br /><br />
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-</span>Darla M Sandshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18212760625717298992noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2655671648854655720.post-33393416457451325932024-01-26T08:30:00.000-05:002024-01-26T08:30:00.130-05:00Banana Muffin Win<span style="font-family: "times new roman", "serif"; font-size: 18pt;">
I made up the batter for my husband’s favorite muffins. Altering the normal instructions in a minor way left them grossly undercooked. But via the title, you can tell they turned out fine with extra oven time.<span>
<br /><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfjtrxkRGK0uYd73fOEGbRSQIJ33EQQr1biJsVvKhgkjrQb_Ee6Aqv3UuOYjSHtCRAAQ-eYlbow4vf5mro-rJdVHANKMsjxDERcpYccfk4CBSNYurEg2pWgPgI3lv7X9potqrIU7xfFNKEIAN7sAhime008CdXDPNYDUZ8GKYFpLRdrRUpPd-z1srW8a5X/s2458/kkkk.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2078" data-original-width="2458" height="339" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfjtrxkRGK0uYd73fOEGbRSQIJ33EQQr1biJsVvKhgkjrQb_Ee6Aqv3UuOYjSHtCRAAQ-eYlbow4vf5mro-rJdVHANKMsjxDERcpYccfk4CBSNYurEg2pWgPgI3lv7X9potqrIU7xfFNKEIAN7sAhime008CdXDPNYDUZ8GKYFpLRdrRUpPd-z1srW8a5X/w400-h339/kkkk.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />
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Do you think refrigerating the batter overnight changed the baking time? Is this single deviation that important?</span></span></span><div><span style="font-family: "times new roman", "serif"; font-size: 18pt;"><span><span style="font-family: "times new roman", "serif"; font-size: 18pt;">
-</span></span></span></div>Darla M Sandshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18212760625717298992noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2655671648854655720.post-87574262367677424422024-01-25T19:20:00.006-05:002024-01-25T19:20:38.228-05:00Fog on the River<p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1Wej1Ade8xqEvCucWYk-63oH_tnvs3bg7PBN9O0rmJZEs57IvmFQYx9o__9Ldbz4pPL2cWcKXlXX6JX538aMPqlHJuBC42tL2d6_7ztLksYCbBiNssjqpwLwfxhCxlk3PGMgjh5vCjjtn_uJM2RvMiuvyLVGPLNWOOLh0F_XhTcs5NmlgANKr5EFlu_EG/s4032/IMG_1072.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1Wej1Ade8xqEvCucWYk-63oH_tnvs3bg7PBN9O0rmJZEs57IvmFQYx9o__9Ldbz4pPL2cWcKXlXX6JX538aMPqlHJuBC42tL2d6_7ztLksYCbBiNssjqpwLwfxhCxlk3PGMgjh5vCjjtn_uJM2RvMiuvyLVGPLNWOOLh0F_XhTcs5NmlgANKr5EFlu_EG/w400-h300/IMG_1072.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">I saw many cool scenes like this;<br />photographing them is not<br />in my skill set...</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /> </p>Darla M Sandshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18212760625717298992noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2655671648854655720.post-55121591794993925522024-01-23T20:04:00.007-05:002024-01-23T20:09:03.540-05:00Numerous Flights & My Latest Kitchen Failure<span style="font-family: "times new roman", "serif"; font-size: 18pt;">
Hearing a raucous sound outside my house, I knew this couldn’t be children on a playground despite the instant comparison. We live a mile or so from the nearest school and temperatures ranged far, far below freezing that day. The volume increased more and more. At last the individual honks could be heard.<span>
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The previous day I saw large Canada geese flocks heading south. This has to have been the biggest yet. Those birds no longer migrate from Ohio so they must have had enough of the cold. I don’t blame them.</span>
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My latest failure happened in the kitchen. A YouTuber we respect shares store-bought food breakdowns and recipes he deems either budget friendly or healthy. We were excited to try his version of egg foo young. Well, I didn’t detect anything but bland eggs, mushy vegetables, and salt. And the mess… well, you can see for yourself.</span>
<br /><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlybErIhWK6BCf8gjvs9tecstLOvzKzZ94NgY9uvUKXKKTd6B1bmNvGAs6u-SrbUZ58v_7n_87ZWEwR_WPvWx8gPnBhSueArxpkyMlzEZqYpW_IpEExsX_N2A7-hh83C0Jcvq_KZSeiTrCFr4nDq7kG3N6UhS093bCgm5Xi2iMauNyIirKZWDIoZQaH1rb/s4032/IMG_1066.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlybErIhWK6BCf8gjvs9tecstLOvzKzZ94NgY9uvUKXKKTd6B1bmNvGAs6u-SrbUZ58v_7n_87ZWEwR_WPvWx8gPnBhSueArxpkyMlzEZqYpW_IpEExsX_N2A7-hh83C0Jcvq_KZSeiTrCFr4nDq7kG3N6UhS093bCgm5Xi2iMauNyIirKZWDIoZQaH1rb/w640-h480/IMG_1066.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">The gravy would not thicken with my cornstarch slurry,</span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><div style="text-align: left;">then boiled over; other surfaces and pans were equally a mess. Ugh...</div></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: "times new roman", "serif"; font-size: 18pt;">I think frozen peas would have been fine but not the cubed carrots. And I should have used a cast iron pan for consistent heat plus more oil for the desired fluffy texture. Some turned out undercooked, others rather burnt, and the mixture lacked enough eggs. Oh, well. Today my husband ate some crappy leftovers, declaring it fine. I’d rather stick to the easily ordered oily restaurant kind. It’s not like we eat this more than a few times per year.</span><br /><br />
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Did you know these Chinese style omelets were created by 1900’s era Cantonese immigrants for American palettes? Are you a fan of any ethnic foods tailored to your regional tastes or do you prefer more authentic cuisine?</span><br /><br />
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-</span></span></span>Darla M Sandshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18212760625717298992noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2655671648854655720.post-14682895620584014822024-01-21T16:21:00.006-05:002024-01-21T16:24:42.345-05:00The Sweet and the Tangy<span style="font-family: "times new roman", "serif"; font-size: 18pt;">
I’m happy to report that Dandelion has not avoided me since she came out of hiding yesterday afternoon. I will not attempt peering into her ears for a few days. She really is a sweet kitty.<span>
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As for the tang in my title, I discovered an easy recipe on the inside of a Philadelphia cream cheese box for mini lemon-ginger cheesecakes. One ingredient I didn’t recognize is lemon curd.</span>
<br /><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm9jSK9mSqBIdTC9xxhhfa03akRbo-uCHVoVmjRnlYqRjD91wROGTN0VvskhH9656lIsYl4wAElAC1bbSj3qfSKAT5TUetidnHNM0SnPbsBFZJq14FghwpR-WRGi9n0zo4dS0IHvG7DTQFxyWGg9QA9fD69nI_Fd5qscMYEeDTtyVhKK-vG7SufH1RycG-/s545/lemon%20curd.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="545" data-original-width="405" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm9jSK9mSqBIdTC9xxhhfa03akRbo-uCHVoVmjRnlYqRjD91wROGTN0VvskhH9656lIsYl4wAElAC1bbSj3qfSKAT5TUetidnHNM0SnPbsBFZJq14FghwpR-WRGi9n0zo4dS0IHvG7DTQFxyWGg9QA9fD69nI_Fd5qscMYEeDTtyVhKK-vG7SufH1RycG-/w477-h640/lemon%20curd.jpg" width="477" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">These folks charge $12.95(US) per jar!</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: "times new roman", "serif"; font-size: 18pt;">A quick search answered my question and uncovered a recipe for making instead of buying it. Believing homemade is best I also do not plan to purchase ginger snap cookies for the cheesecake bottom “crusts”.</span>
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I cooked up the curd yesterday and ate some in my morning yogurt, also homemade. lol Yum! I plan to freeze and vacuum seal most of the curd since my husband bought ingredients for banana chocolate whole wheat muffins.</span></span></span><div><span style="font-family: "times new roman", "serif"; font-size: 18pt;"><span><span style="font-family: "times new roman", "serif"; font-size: 18pt;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: "times new roman", "serif"; font-size: 18pt;"><span><span style="font-family: "times new roman", "serif"; font-size: 18pt;">He baked them </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman", "serif"; font-size: 24px;">in the 2000’s </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman", "serif"; font-size: 18pt;">and I’d take some to my office. I still joke that the guys stampeding from the factory floor put me in danger; they were that popular a treat.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: "times new roman", "serif"; font-size: 18pt;"><span><br />
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Funny enough, I’ll be freezing and sealing some upcoming muffins <i>plus</i> both my lemon juice and zest had been processed from fresh fruit, then frozen and sealed. It’s so rewarding being able to preserve bargain food purchases.</span><br /><br />
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A key to using my FoodSaver is freezing the food stuffs first. Before learning this I ruined some packages via liquid breaking the seal in progress. So far nothing has gotten irredeemably freezer burned.</span><br /><br />
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Besides meats, fruits, and vegetables, baked goods should be pre-frozen. I once crushed room temperature corn muffins. Hitting the seal button early would have prevented this. ~rolls eyes~ Thawed, my muffin pucks at least tasted fine.</span>
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Is it silly that I enjoy running my FoodSaver? Should we offer some of those banana chocolate muffins to neighbors?</span></span></span><div><span style="font-family: "times new roman", "serif"; font-size: 18pt;"><span><span style="font-family: "times new roman", "serif"; font-size: 18pt;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: "times new roman", "serif"; font-size: 18pt;"><span><span style="font-family: "times new roman", "serif"; font-size: 18pt;">-</span></span></span></div></div>Darla M Sandshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18212760625717298992noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2655671648854655720.post-39575421493932694932024-01-20T14:03:00.004-05:002024-01-20T14:05:01.527-05:00The Good, the Bad, and the Sweet<span style="font-family: "times new roman", "serif"; font-size: 18pt;">
This morning our cat Dandelion delighted me by coming out of her comfort zone, joining me in an another room. It was so sweet seeing her enjoy a good scalp massage despite the mess her fur left on my clothing. While unrelated, a bag of store-bought cherries also made me happy.<span>
<br /><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5zkO_kCcp2JgSkOfp2MSQUzrftRqmU4UVIKCEwfhIEb82mWic0lp5lo9uIm5WrdSXRo9JiFYPkFfM1xBrpAAyCyrr1BqQI9nR0tpMH_qrHgFGRWxZxfrBs_pspGLSLn1ahTQsWWzyv5IjsyluBL028BoeJ0183AT_vXPu3zKN5GTX77VFbAASVh_eFTz9/s394/Untitled.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="394" data-original-width="336" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5zkO_kCcp2JgSkOfp2MSQUzrftRqmU4UVIKCEwfhIEb82mWic0lp5lo9uIm5WrdSXRo9JiFYPkFfM1xBrpAAyCyrr1BqQI9nR0tpMH_qrHgFGRWxZxfrBs_pspGLSLn1ahTQsWWzyv5IjsyluBL028BoeJ0183AT_vXPu3zKN5GTX77VFbAASVh_eFTz9/w341-h400/Untitled.jpg" width="341" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">I like how these cherries look like Valentine hearts...<br />I will ignore any remarks about the crevices ~grin~</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: "times new roman", "serif"; font-size: 18pt;">Unfortunately I also noticed Dandelion’s terribly dirty inner ears and used an ear cleaning solution which she did not like one bit. While she didn’t run from me or struggle much, I should have left well enough alone after swabbing one ear instead of going for a second cotton ball. She bolted under the couch we’d shared earlier and hasn’t come out since.</span>
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At least treating her ears removed a fair amount of gunk; I can only hope she’ll forgive and forget. It’s always me that notices and treats these types of things. ~sigh~ As soon as my husband sits down to watch television he’ll no doubt have Dandelion on his lap in minutes.</span>
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As for my clothes, I used leftover sticky fly paper to clean my sweater. It worked quite well.</span><br /><br />
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Finding the stuff reminded me how Terra somehow got a piece stuck to her underbelly as a kitten. I didn’t panic and she calmly let me cut her free. Ah, memories.</span><br /><br />
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Isn’t it funny how playing the mean role translates to raising both pets and young kids? Wouldn’t it be nice if either comprehended loving good intentions?</span></span></span><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: "times new roman", "serif"; font-size: 18pt;"><span><span style="font-family: "times new roman", "serif"; font-size: 18pt;">
If you want to see how gross my hairy black sweater looked after petting Dani, keep scrolling down…</span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: "times new roman", "serif"; font-size: 18pt;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: "times new roman", "serif"; font-size: 18pt;"><span>...</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: "times new roman", "serif"; font-size: 18pt;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: "times new roman", "serif"; font-size: 18pt;"><span>...</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: "times new roman", "serif"; font-size: 18pt;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: "times new roman", "serif"; font-size: 18pt;"><span>...</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: "times new roman", "serif"; font-size: 18pt;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: "times new roman", "serif"; font-size: 18pt;"><span>...</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: "times new roman", "serif"; font-size: 18pt;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: "times new roman", "serif"; font-size: 18pt;"><span>...</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: "times new roman", "serif"; font-size: 18pt;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: "times new roman", "serif"; font-size: 18pt;"><span>...<br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUUDgYoDzxDcL0rfKGYUtxHKdLahII6WfylJwfbTAWvvW3olnddDHe5vdYGZLaZlf9452wRnb0O7GyWP0sIvR9BIlms5dgK-XJh_YrzELAete3yOR0W-QSUOG2K8LepxWjlBlsS1z9U6XYhdUw5Z1h91fDcqX70Lgko_pC8jSwdiAt4o6hmm-xzip82FNq/s4032/IMG_1054.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUUDgYoDzxDcL0rfKGYUtxHKdLahII6WfylJwfbTAWvvW3olnddDHe5vdYGZLaZlf9452wRnb0O7GyWP0sIvR9BIlms5dgK-XJh_YrzELAete3yOR0W-QSUOG2K8LepxWjlBlsS1z9U6XYhdUw5Z1h91fDcqX70Lgko_pC8jSwdiAt4o6hmm-xzip82FNq/w300-h400/IMG_1054.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: "times new roman", "serif"; font-size: 18pt;">-</span></span></span></div>Darla M Sandshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18212760625717298992noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2655671648854655720.post-58309249853378661742024-01-18T16:11:00.001-05:002024-01-18T16:11:07.850-05:00My Favorite Fast Food Revisited – & – My Fascination with Water Taken to a Silly Level<span style="font-family: "times new roman", "serif"; font-size: 18pt;">
Let me start by stating that Taco Bell serves my most craved fast food. As a kid I liked their named Mexican pizza, however inauthentic its name. These days I stick with the beef burrito supreme because the so-called pizza always seemed just a soggy mess. I guess that didn’t bother my childhood self.<span>
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Today, following my husband’s request for Taco Bell’s new steak grilled cheese burrito I decided to bring home a burrito supreme for later and a Mexican pizza. I thought our air fryer might crisp up the item.</span>
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And did it ever (!); three minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit turned my late lunch into what might well be a new favorite junk food treat. Sad to say, his pick proved a disappointment. He did enjoy the chicken grilled cheese burrito the last time and plans to order it again in future.</span>
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Now I’ll show you my goofy desktop water feature. Since all my tropical fish died I’ve been loath to get more. I hope to eventually start keeping aquatic plants in my smaller aquarium. Meanwhile, this old chipped plastic storage bowl entertains me while typing.</span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwJspPAm3LTLG-79EeoA7J6ef7LGf0--Xw-A_36yA8cZT-3xtiDfmLmJaZX4z759_P_lzvfage-Mo_R2rJGpw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxB0HLWmUycxiLgTMi9u2-WbmxNG5x98hh0_DwBIYxNj1Bfovx4HbynkaiRE3Bc_VoF9dEUXWWP_eoqWHyHzA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /><span style="font-family: "times new roman", "serif"; font-size: 18pt;">Did you know Taco Bell was named after its founder, entrepreneur Glen Bell? And can you imagine why I and so many others are mesmerized with the random nature of both running water and flames?</span><br /><br />
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As a bonus, here is a clip of my serial chewer, Polly. She only seems to do this for attention. Like our cats are <i>so</i> neglected. ~rolls eyes~ I definitely use electrical cord protectors on her favorite targets.</span><br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyrkovbtjih1ZaodoEFmbTfWfJGDfOEATWuIIdN37soTPygtnBCdqkLfqOLM31kRCb8kw_bmG-qTj8axk28pA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><span style="font-family: "times new roman", "serif"; font-size: 18pt;">-</span></span></span>Darla M Sandshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18212760625717298992noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2655671648854655720.post-48729884800507363182024-01-16T18:08:00.004-05:002024-01-16T18:08:27.442-05:00Luckier Than We Knew; An Auto Update<span style="font-family: "times new roman", "serif"; font-size: 18pt;">
This morning my husband shared a website regarding a class action lawsuit against General Motors over defective BECM units, or Battery Energy Control Modules. Our used GM ‘certified’ model utilized this small yet vital part. While I experienced minor propulsion hesitation on surface (suburban) streets other owners/renters weren’t so fortunate.<span>
<br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3cw59P5i-B1e90n1mY2fHPsqDfLrXms6hkX7DiLMvbUm_spWjGfWjOM-aACCbKYPlgj002ez4GgP6lIAtSrQVMQW8QTQPeiVYsuKK9HQ8_gmo_yDjpNFf3dLmuqSfDekaQ2KuC0wgvpNBJvEIGK7OORsGEVFxJQFoWHxWAd27A1-cYDgsY9tv5xXDLbJ6/s1143/class%20action.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="425" data-original-width="1143" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3cw59P5i-B1e90n1mY2fHPsqDfLrXms6hkX7DiLMvbUm_spWjGfWjOM-aACCbKYPlgj002ez4GgP6lIAtSrQVMQW8QTQPeiVYsuKK9HQ8_gmo_yDjpNFf3dLmuqSfDekaQ2KuC0wgvpNBJvEIGK7OORsGEVFxJQFoWHxWAd27A1-cYDgsY9tv5xXDLbJ6/w400-h149/class%20action.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: "times new roman", "serif"; font-size: 18pt;">Some dangerous accidents occurred at freeway speeds. Between 2016 and 2019 many less traumatized folks waited weeks or months (!) for repairs due to a lack of replacement parts and skilled technicians. Even worse, General Motors reneged on their promise to reimburse alternate transport costs while continuing production and certifying used vehicles. Sad to report, I’m reading such ongoing frustration <a href="https://www.classaction.org/news/2016-2019-chevy-volts-suffer-from-battery-energy-control-module-defect-class-action-claims" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">here</span></a>.</span>
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Lucky us, our dealership collision/repair center accessed the improved BECM unit and we picked up our repaired 2017 Volt today. We think this failure took several years because the previous owner never ran the hybrid vehicle on battery power. I’m so happy this fix came at no added financial cost and the failure should never recur.</span>
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Can you believe our good fortune? Do you think current supply chain issues, etc. are causing other Volt owners delays?</span><br /><br />
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-</span></span></span>Darla M Sandshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18212760625717298992noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2655671648854655720.post-13470245066200099502024-01-13T15:56:00.003-05:002024-01-13T15:56:59.734-05:00Blue Meanie Blues
<span style="font-family: "times new roman", "serif"; font-size: 18pt;">While driving my husband last Thursday I saw a dashboard warning light on our beloved 2017 Chevrolet Volt, nicknamed the Blue Meanie, but said nothing until an alarm sounded. We went on with our lunch plans hoping it was a glitch. Alas, our OnStar service’s remote diagnostic showed the electric hybrid’s battery recharging module faulty.<span>
<br /><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqeiPyY9946Yyh5Xi5l13OTjU7DCNmE4Z5Vn4NzKbopohlM9h0wnas6EW9HwPHbNYVFbY9OpEN6GthhC1R4a3uA30x3kJ03-aUXl9GNn1LyIyXEr_wlUL5sLEkpTp0OMNHCDTrqsYGW2o4yiJIdY0ow9O_6PjQuN1hQBEVXngmb2WdffODIdn1VKvDXDKM/s652/poor%20baby%202.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="485" data-original-width="652" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqeiPyY9946Yyh5Xi5l13OTjU7DCNmE4Z5Vn4NzKbopohlM9h0wnas6EW9HwPHbNYVFbY9OpEN6GthhC1R4a3uA30x3kJ03-aUXl9GNn1LyIyXEr_wlUL5sLEkpTp0OMNHCDTrqsYGW2o4yiJIdY0ow9O_6PjQuN1hQBEVXngmb2WdffODIdn1VKvDXDKM/w400-h297/poor%20baby%202.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">I <i>really</i> embraced the Yellow Submarine esthetic...</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: 18pt;">At home the air started to smell like a hot oven. Suspicious, I backed Blue Meanie out of the garage and discovered heat emanating through the left front fender next to the charging port. Lifting the hood, I could only hope the hot spots cooled down.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman", "serif"; font-size: 18pt;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwBW_Bw0yAGN8e6kC_zuwnYx4A7VI2V6cgevqcq7q0s6qcGRFfL18ukcu3rTeF-Mbw612LXHIVaKCjwcZMh3FFujbqRpIF0Q8NaJ9AjvOptxOvGhBxFpyiyK23Qj4o-xNZBj6miObMnCUAjWUoPuWQt91xoaGVHsqNVYnYKaJaMUq9TsKicxnu3tvpo7xp/s1505/poor%20baby.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="935" data-original-width="1505" height="398" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwBW_Bw0yAGN8e6kC_zuwnYx4A7VI2V6cgevqcq7q0s6qcGRFfL18ukcu3rTeF-Mbw612LXHIVaKCjwcZMh3FFujbqRpIF0Q8NaJ9AjvOptxOvGhBxFpyiyK23Qj4o-xNZBj6miObMnCUAjWUoPuWQt91xoaGVHsqNVYnYKaJaMUq9TsKicxnu3tvpo7xp/w640-h398/poor%20baby.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">That mysterious tank circled in red held hot fluid...</span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><span><p></p><span style="font-family: "times new roman", "serif"; font-size: 18pt;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 18pt;">Eventually I felt comfortable pulling into the garage</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 18pt;">without risking fire. While the hybrid vehicle can run</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 18pt;">on gasoline alone we didn’t want to take chances and</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 18pt;">called a tow truck the next day. Our OnStar</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 18pt;">subscription also covers roadside assistance four times</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 18pt;">a year, which is awesome, and scheduling was easy</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 18pt;">via a smart phone app.</span></div></span><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman", "serif"; font-size: 18pt;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 18pt;">The friendly driver did a good job securing ‘her’ on his</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 18pt;">flatbed and an email notified us when the dealership</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 18pt;">repair shop took custody Friday afternoon for our</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 18pt;">Monday morning appointment. Blessedly, my husband</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 18pt;">gambled on paying for an extended warranty when we</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 18pt;">got the car in 2019, so everything should be covered.</span></div></span><p></p><span style="font-size: 18pt;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 18pt;">This whole experience with current technology, while</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 18pt;">convenient, makes me wonder if I should seek out a</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 18pt;">make and model from my youth. Perhaps my high</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 18pt;">school auto shop class would keep it on the road in case</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 18pt;">of catastrophe.</span></div></span></span></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman", "serif"; font-size: 18pt;"><span><span style="font-family: "times new roman", "serif"; font-size: 18pt;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 18pt;">As it is, I might as well have signed up for “The Care</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 18pt;">and Feeding of Your Wooly Mammoth”.</span></div><span style="font-family: "times new roman", "serif";"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 24px;"><br /></span></div><span><div style="font-size: 18pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 18pt;">Isn’t it rather pathetic I consulted the car’s manual</span></div><div style="font-size: 18pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 18pt;">before </span><span style="font-size: 18pt;">I could lift the hood? Doesn’t the engine</span></div><div style="font-size: 18pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 18pt;">compartment look like one of Elon Musk’s science</span></div><div style="font-size: 18pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 18pt;">fair projects?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman", "serif"; font-size: 18pt;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 18pt;">-</span></div></span></span></span></div></td></tr></tbody></table></span></span></span>Darla M Sandshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18212760625717298992noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2655671648854655720.post-16538532309538729702024-01-12T19:35:00.001-05:002024-01-12T19:35:53.621-05:00A Movie Review – & – Mixed Signals<span style="font-family: "times new roman", "serif"; font-size: 18pt;">
Having heard stellar reviews regarding “Godzilla Minus One”, this childhood fan planned attending solo; my husband hates reading subtitles. Our friend Scars, not really a movie fan, surprised me by offering to attend.<span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgioOk-V_C7kHDCqK_ph2Op-qu1XIwJH2ybnfof7fYBydmUzkZESAUz6yoRY8vl9H02M7ssEIdsSS4jhdvGjTNb-TteL4GUduFwyAZLn9GRMnGKsa_C1yDNktK6mFq-G-thXyu8_Jda14We0t0s2JQsqVr46-1FIjrIn3_Vef3JHXyoRyD2kXtEfy8eBzZ-/s709/GM1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="546" data-original-width="709" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgioOk-V_C7kHDCqK_ph2Op-qu1XIwJH2ybnfof7fYBydmUzkZESAUz6yoRY8vl9H02M7ssEIdsSS4jhdvGjTNb-TteL4GUduFwyAZLn9GRMnGKsa_C1yDNktK6mFq-G-thXyu8_Jda14We0t0s2JQsqVr46-1FIjrIn3_Vef3JHXyoRyD2kXtEfy8eBzZ-/w400-h308/GM1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">I found headlining actor Ryûnosuke Kamiki<br />enthralling in more ways than one... Heh...</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><span style="font-family: "times new roman", "serif"; font-size: 18pt;">The film featured some of my favorite elements. A simple tale enhanced by historical reality, interesting character development, and lack of obvious computer generated imagery provided me great entertainment.<span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: "times new roman", "serif"; font-size: 18pt;">
Unable to hang out afterward and talk, I’m unsure if Scars would agree as wholeheartedly. He needed to go home and treat increasing leg pain from his lifelong battle with Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis. That would certainly distract me from entertainment, not to mention the fact he’s facing another joint replacement surgery.<span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: "times new roman", "serif"; font-size: 18pt;">
Before we parted he did, however, urge I attend a local self/public defense training course with a nationally renowned instructor he’d like me to meet. Flattered, I explained the prohibitive cost. He replied that this would be his gift for many past birthdays and Christmas’s we missed.<span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: "times new roman", "serif"; font-size: 18pt;">I decided leaving my comfort zone and the course itself would benefit me and, after talking to my husband, offered an agreement. In lieu of monetary compensation I would occasionally assist him and his father following surgery. Then last night Scars sent a text message that the simulated confrontations could be stressful. And his niece might attend, he added.<span><br /><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman", "serif"; font-size: 18pt;">Would such an exemption make you offended or glad? Should I press for this new adventure?<span><br /><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman", "serif"; font-size: 18pt;">-<span><br /><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span>Darla M Sandshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18212760625717298992noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2655671648854655720.post-58744250221097333102024-01-11T18:49:00.001-05:002024-01-11T18:50:28.137-05:00So Much Fun, Many Blessings, & One Reply<span style="font-family: "times new roman", "serif"; font-size: 18pt;">
Well, first off I discovered that <a href="https://catwomanflix.blogspot.com/2024/01/blah-blah.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Strayer<span></span></span></a> photographed a scene not unlike what I saw during a recent park excursion. Finding random connections with good people makes me happy.<span>
<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz4dpSkuuVVTQzTA69g_o4lk8gPw-GtYm0fk1F1WC_qf7qm4QQFDHJ8EcoRfKai154bSom6DvBswzObxAqEeFvjxGHbuadq_ALju43q_x_GBtNx0ICQ2k4eOYjard5CecB10C-4VkB7-U4vD0-Qm7An2QcA1iPbPI9jhwc2mXMmPuCkazolCoVBMx-D05h/s4032/IMG_0949.JPG" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz4dpSkuuVVTQzTA69g_o4lk8gPw-GtYm0fk1F1WC_qf7qm4QQFDHJ8EcoRfKai154bSom6DvBswzObxAqEeFvjxGHbuadq_ALju43q_x_GBtNx0ICQ2k4eOYjard5CecB10C-4VkB7-U4vD0-Qm7An2QcA1iPbPI9jhwc2mXMmPuCkazolCoVBMx-D05h/s400/IMG_0949.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">A sidewalk to nowhere, for now?</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: "times new roman", "serif"; font-size: 18pt;">This bizarre little park, located under both an automotive and train track bridge at either end, is obviously under construction. This time my smart phone didn’t lead me there. Rather, planning to revisit a nature preserve discovered early December I spotted its entrance while passing over the car bridge.<span>
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Pam from <a href="https://pam-lifethroughmyeyes.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Through the Eyes of My Scattered Brain<span></span></span></a> wondered if our white kitty Dandelion has blue eyes and might be deaf. Funny enough, she has pale blue peepers yet exhibits normal hearing ability. In fact I considered naming her Frankie. ~grin~ Her fur has gray smudges atop her head and at the end of her tale. That and the fact her eyes reflect pink makes me think she is leucistic, reducing her pigmentation.<span>
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Changing from my usual posts about nature and kitties I have to share the silly Sunday my husband and I shared. He has been experimenting with new software on very old hardware such as turning an old two-sided ‘flippy’ DVD of “Goodfellas” into a streaming video file so we don’t have to turn the disk over partway through the film.<span>
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Testing his results went from a brief viewing to me requesting we watch the entire flick. Then we turned to a program called “Ugly Americans” on that old hard drive. We laughed so much.<span>
<br /><br /><span style="font-family: "times new roman", "serif"; font-size: 18pt;">Can you believe our 1989 bond over dark humor is still going strong? Like us, does your sense of humor clash with most loved ones?</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><div><span style="font-family: "times new roman", "serif"; font-size: 18pt;"><span><span style="font-family: "times new roman", "serif"; font-size: 18pt;"><span><span style="font-family: "times new roman", "serif"; font-size: 18pt;"><span><span style="font-family: "times new roman", "serif"; font-size: 18pt;"><span><span style="font-family: "times new roman", "serif"; font-size: 18pt;"><span><span style="font-family: "times new roman", "serif"; font-size: 18pt;"><span><span style="font-family: "times new roman", "serif"; font-size: 18pt;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: "times new roman", "serif"; font-size: 18pt;"><span><span style="font-family: "times new roman", "serif"; font-size: 18pt;"><span><span style="font-family: "times new roman", "serif"; font-size: 18pt;"><span><span style="font-family: "times new roman", "serif"; font-size: 18pt;"><span><span style="font-family: "times new roman", "serif"; font-size: 18pt;"><span><span style="font-family: "times new roman", "serif"; font-size: 18pt;"><span><span style="font-family: "times new roman", "serif"; font-size: 18pt;">-<span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>Darla M Sandshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18212760625717298992noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2655671648854655720.post-17035277802809526332024-01-04T16:50:00.000-05:002024-01-04T16:50:09.195-05:00A Queen on Her Heated Bed & Two Princesses in a Cozy Tent<span style="font-family: "times new roman", "serif"; font-size: 18pt;">
The day before our cat Tilly passed away a pet heating pad arrived for her. I’m happy to have seen Jezebel enjoy the warmth until she passed away. Now it’s Dandelion’s turn.</span>
<br /><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjRu1mqYP_mNazPPZ6ExTDqCkDQ9I7vW05aPL4cZDYWHj2TDrSK8j_PpTlcxDbJABuzSUuIL9o2KT0cPkkbvCt5OnZySVVq40OPJAOkVBpKcHDdmh4QrLuw464fopn2yxfCZyWVLpWp2SIKhaMryQGZKO8kEWkD-pcbNre4rKI8I3koaB2odXG5Pof2EzZ/s4032/IMG_0960.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjRu1mqYP_mNazPPZ6ExTDqCkDQ9I7vW05aPL4cZDYWHj2TDrSK8j_PpTlcxDbJABuzSUuIL9o2KT0cPkkbvCt5OnZySVVq40OPJAOkVBpKcHDdmh4QrLuw464fopn2yxfCZyWVLpWp2SIKhaMryQGZKO8kEWkD-pcbNre4rKI8I3koaB2odXG5Pof2EzZ/w400-h300/IMG_0960.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">I still cannot get over how pink she is under that white fur...</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: "times new roman", "serif"; font-size: 18pt;">And this adorable unicorn tent is seeing more use. Terra is inside as I type but here’s a slightly older image of her with sister Polly.</span><p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNDsjebkj0lpH03bh7hT4hoIITfEvc8n4EAkR1bGYoyms7bnzFA9kKRwxtB8HbBZWP2y17RP565Ha6il_rrQKxCA8wvzCUJX-xHcsbhhtj6UxPJ5Et9ndzVDNCDUaonzuKLoKeLBZyTzxpiCVPptoWJMZSrNyfI9eoQgBWU6vFWvxcKOImzzgvE3bzZS9g/s4032/IMG_0992.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNDsjebkj0lpH03bh7hT4hoIITfEvc8n4EAkR1bGYoyms7bnzFA9kKRwxtB8HbBZWP2y17RP565Ha6il_rrQKxCA8wvzCUJX-xHcsbhhtj6UxPJ5Et9ndzVDNCDUaonzuKLoKeLBZyTzxpiCVPptoWJMZSrNyfI9eoQgBWU6vFWvxcKOImzzgvE3bzZS9g/w400-h300/IMG_0992.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">These two have super pale skin beneath their black fur...</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><span style="font-family: "times new roman", "serif"; font-size: 18pt;">
Aren’t animal coat varieties fascinating? Do you know some mammals (such as Dalmation dogs, leopards, and tigers) wear their fur pattern like a tattoo?</span>
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-</span>Darla M Sandshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18212760625717298992noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2655671648854655720.post-10665817213768606712023-12-29T15:46:00.001-05:002023-12-29T15:46:05.652-05:00Minor Disappointments – & – My (Spoiler Alert) “Renfield” Movie Review<span style="font-family: "times new roman", "serif"; font-size: 18pt;">
Yesterday I tried a new recipe that seemed so promising and well… was not. A sauce containing honey, raisins, pine nuts, and smoked Spanish paprika took a fastidious effort as I carefully measured out each ingredient. Sad to say, my husband and I found it lacking, perhaps acidity from citrus or tomato. Nothing stood out except what I considered an overly smoky flavor.<span>
<br /><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL413iT0hwPw4IbHTJAMkhtmWRg8k-X5fDRWlTOj5nP8g4XGMa95rHUY1hbji1VHHupolaVvLMKWZtaPrXl62wTvodaiZ9kCLFI2JvN2dnjA2H9w5ibSKeZ0VAAW-tTeIQ_PFsBuo6rdHgjidLLWdN1wJdtyUnWyHqSVw304jBRyEzxekrPaYCPZkWlyGI/s600/spain%20on%20a%20fork.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="395" data-original-width="600" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL413iT0hwPw4IbHTJAMkhtmWRg8k-X5fDRWlTOj5nP8g4XGMa95rHUY1hbji1VHHupolaVvLMKWZtaPrXl62wTvodaiZ9kCLFI2JvN2dnjA2H9w5ibSKeZ0VAAW-tTeIQ_PFsBuo6rdHgjidLLWdN1wJdtyUnWyHqSVw304jBRyEzxekrPaYCPZkWlyGI/w400-h264/spain%20on%20a%20fork.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">However good or bad this looks to you,<br />my guy praised my presentation...</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: "times new roman", "serif"; font-size: 18pt;">And while he thought his lightly fried cod fillet was fine, mine seemed half raw. I hate to admit that I tossed out the last few bites. At least the fish, if indeed undercooked, didn’t make me ill.</span>
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Oh, well. We like to remember that never having a failure would make the successes less celebratory.</span>
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Moving on, I was excited to watch the movie “Renfield” on Amazon Prime. The only high point was Nicolas Cage nailing his Dracula role. For him alone I am glad we watched but the remaining so-called humor fell flat, the comedic plot points forced.</span><br /><br />
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The characterizations were fine. Renfield himself was rather endearing. And Iranian/American actress Shohreh Aghdashloo is always a joy; I adore her husky voice and powerful feminine presence. But while I don’t blame actress Nora Lum, Officer Rebecca grated on our nerves.</span><br /><br />
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Its thin plot would have benefitted from better cohesion. More Nic Cage scenes would have definitely helped. On a final note, Renfield’s enjoyable exposition struck me as random. It’s as if the writers were being lazy.</span><br /><br />
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Are you familiar with Ms. Lum’s musical and/or film performances? Doesn’t her stage name Awkwafina sound like bottled water marketed to gawky teenagers?</span>
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-</span></span></span>Darla M Sandshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18212760625717298992noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2655671648854655720.post-17886614887745141442023-12-28T07:30:00.005-05:002023-12-28T07:30:00.133-05:00Blue Skies<span style="font-family: "times new roman", "serif"; font-size: 18pt;">
I saw the most astonishing cloud formation out my window yesterday. These shapes mimicked our neighbor’s tree aka the squirrel highway.<span>
<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKdNYGBtlT6OMwROr9Hw5AB8IPcERNF_WMM9anleRgN1kbQQcs8F8N4AuiHdMPuDo-enHuoGC-_QHHdPs7AZFslL9t7jCPEqMzAZ67ctZk6rhEXcORxe7D5pJj6_3gINjroDs1NKJzX3DI4NwSWmzTr_5XNn2E_rPjBxCVMAaNyCzkPbsApAnAw0CKeKZ9/s4032/IMG_0973.JPG" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKdNYGBtlT6OMwROr9Hw5AB8IPcERNF_WMM9anleRgN1kbQQcs8F8N4AuiHdMPuDo-enHuoGC-_QHHdPs7AZFslL9t7jCPEqMzAZ67ctZk6rhEXcORxe7D5pJj6_3gINjroDs1NKJzX3DI4NwSWmzTr_5XNn2E_rPjBxCVMAaNyCzkPbsApAnAw0CKeKZ9/w400-h300/IMG_0973.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Its beauty distracted me from recognizing<br />the window screen marred this image.<br />~sigh~</span></td></tr></tbody></table></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman", "serif"; font-size: 18pt;">
It reminded me of the a cappella group Voiceplay covering an ELO song. They amaze me.<span>
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Are you familiar with Electric Light Orchestra’s music? If so, isn’t their range from upbeat (as above) to melancholy (video below) amazing?<span>
<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://youtube.com/embed/ZXBiPY8wDT0?si=KLQ3sWeMjdCBaucH" width="480"></iframe></div></span></span>Darla M Sandshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18212760625717298992noreply@blogger.com13