a hodge-podge of thoughts...

Weather report on iPhone

This is what we woke up to this morning...  Tornado Watch alerts on phone, weather radio, and TV.  Not unusual for this time of year and to be honest, I've always liked the rain and stormy weather. We  grew up with Hurricanes in Louisiana and as a child, they were accepted as part of life. Nowadays... guess it's age (isn't it always?) but stormy weather (especially tornadoes) unnerve me a bit. 

I have done a few things around the house... made coffee, cleaned the kitchen, took out some ingredients to make a blueberry custard pie, and made sure that what needs to be in the 'tornado safe middle bathroom' is there in case the Watch turns into a Warning, etc.

But I can't 'settle'.... so I decided to write this. It's probably going to be a hodge-podge of stuff since I've nothing special in mind.  Suppose we start with one of the little fish mobiles I finished. Here's a pic.  

This one was done with a Potter's Choice Glaze called blue rutile. 
Another was made with PC Glaze called seaweed. These are not windchimes, but mobiles that swing loosely with wire between the pieces. I'm hoping the outside ferals might enjoy having them hanging in the trees.

Also you may already know this, but I came across this poster on Pinterest and thought that I'd post it as some may not be familiar with this process. One of our ferals is marked like this.  We call him 'square ear'.... but it's obvious he's been notched. Most of the ones that come by our yard are well behaved  -  but occasionally we get a mean one that likes to fight. We have one now that luckily isn't around much... he's a long-legged skinny black feral that likes to cause trouble. When he shows up, DH tries to run him off.

Another recent visitor to our yard :

snail

This little guy was 'trucking it' across the front walk the other day. Snails are known to be 'slow'... but this little one was really moving along.  I took his pic for my youngest grand daughter who is attuned to all creatures and would be fascinated with him.

This next poster I came across reminded me so much of her with the expression on the kid's face that I had to send it off to my son.

Well, I guess that's enough rambling for now. Maybe I'll get back to making my blueberry custard pie. 

Have a wonderful week-end. I do appreciate your visits and giving me the opportunity to get my mind off of the weather this morning.  

Hugs,
Rian

Happy Mother's Day Mom!

Happy Mother's Day Mom!

This is my favorite picture of my mom. It was taken from a snapshot of her and my dad when they came to visit us here in Texas many years ago.  I loved my mom.  She was a wonderful person. However, we were very different. 

Mom was friendly (would talk to anyone about anything), sociable, and loved to dress up. She believed things were black and white - no in-between. We differed. While I'm not unfriendly, I tend to be quiet (more like my British dad), could care less about the social aspects of things, and really don't care to dress up. And when it came to black and white issues - IMO, everything is gray.

My mom was a good cook. Her signature dish (if one wants to call it that since we all requested it annually) was her oyster pie. We always had oyster pie (not oyster patties as is the norm in N.O.) on Thanksgiving and Christmas. She also made wonderful oyster stuffing. But I don't think mom liked to cook as such. She could cook, but it wasn't her favorite thing to do. And she kept an immaculate house. We used to call the front room 'the museum' when I was growing up. Of course in the 50's and 60's we had formal living rooms... which were only used for company. Mama was the typical 60's house-wife - always dressed well and had dinner on the table for my dad when he came home from work. 

Growing up in New Orleans in the 50's and 60's was good. We weren't rich, but dad had a good job and we didn't go without. Life was different then. Integration and segregation was an issue. We lived with it, but being children, we weren't totally aware. Looking back, it's sad how unaware we were. I don't recall mom (or dad) ever commenting on the issue - at least not in front of me. 

But no matter our differences,  I do miss her. She moved in with us here in Texas when she was 80... and lived with us until she was 93. The last few years were difficult as mama was diagnosed with Alzheimer's (which explained a lot in retrospect) and since I was working, eventually went into a 'memory care' unit at at really nice nursing home nearby. However, I regret to this day that I didn't just quit my job and keep her at home with me. Hindsight. I'd visit every day and we'd have tea on the porch. But she was never happy there. Don't think she'd have been even at home, but still... 

Happy Mother's Day Mama! 

weekend report...

feral sitting on front porch in early morning sunlight - taken by our nest camera

Hi everyone! It's Saturday and I should be at the pottery studio. However, I awoke this morning a bit dizzy and headachy... so I plan to go in later this afternoon. We need to bring the cats for their annual vacs around noon, so hopefully I will feel up to going in to the studio later.

Took my blood pressure to see if maybe that had anything to do with how I felt. It was low... but low normal (124/59).  I also took a Tylenol x-strength. Feeling a little better, but not quite up to par. 

Getting older definitely brings on strange ailments... more inconvenient than serious.  I wake up with backache and joints aching on occasion, and have a chronic cough (for the last 19 years since breast cancer radiation) that seems to be getting a bit worse (I cough a lot in the morning and right after eating or drinking). But nothing I haven't been able to handle. 

We've had a lot of rain and severe weather recently... but this weekend looks like it might be sunny. I hope so. DH and I took our youngest grand daughter to the park last Sunday. It was muddy from all the rain, but we had a nice walk and she got to play on the playground for a bit.

6 year old grand daughter

Now it's Sunday morning and I'm in the process of making some home-made nutty granola for our daughter who just had a birthday last week.  Sending two of her favorites, granola and coffee shortbread cookies to have with her coffee. Usually these don't make it home from her work as she tends to share with office mates.

And yes, I do feel better today. Don't know what it was yesterday, but whatever it was hung around the whole day...  I'm attributing it to the strange happenings of 'age'.  But I never did make it to the pottery studio yesterday - only one session left this spring season anyway and summer sessions start in June.

Oh... wanted to mention this. My daughter introduced me to 'pop sockets'?  I didn't know what this was... but now have one on my iPhone and bought one for my friend's. It's pretty convenient - not only for holding your phone in your hand, but also for mounting it and easily seeing the screen from any angle. I have it sitting here beside the computer now. If you don't know what they are... just google it. They run from $4.99 - $9.99. (And it allows your phone to lie flat or be mounted up as needed) 

Now... back to my granola.  Have a great Sunday and thanks for dropping by!

Hugs,
Rian

Tux packing himself into my luggage last week

Coffee and chocolate...

Thought these posters say it well...

I read in a book somewhere that one should allow oneself one forgivable  sin.  I have 2.... coffee and chocolate. Could be worse, right?

This seems to be where my thoughts are this morning... certainly nothing deep or philosophical. I guess I think about it being aware that too much coffee isn't good for my kidneys and too much chocolate can affect my migraines. However, having almost 74 years  under my belt, one cup of coffee in the morning, tea in the afternoon, and a bar of Lindt salted dark chocolate (that lasts me a week) does no harm... and certainly helps my moods.

If I do run out (DH shares this bar with me), I can always make us "chocolate in a mug"  to go with our afternoon tea/coffee -which is such a simple recipe that can be done in 5 minutes and is ready in the microwave in 90 seconds. Easy peasy and very good!

Oh... and you know I love chickens! Well, after my visit to my daughter's last weekend and watching her chickens and baby chicks, I came across this chicken coop (which is sold at William Sonoma's). It's just the perfect size for our yard. Costs too much of course and don't know if it could possibly be 'feral cat proof'.... but one can dream.

I could even grow herbs in the top planter....

*Cats and chickens (as well as coffee and chocolate) do seem to make me happy. But it may be that my clay cheeky chickens will have to suffice.*

Ghost

Hugs,
Rian

Easter in the hill country...

The Bulverde Hillbillies

Happy Easter from the Bulverde Hillbillies!  My daughter is in the process of renovating what was once a barn, then  a bunkhouse, and now a guest house on their property. The kubota was being used to move junk out of the old place to be trashed. We decided that it would make a good hill country pic so we all jumped in. I think it came out better than the formal family shots we took previously as it was done spontaneously. 


Here are a few of the others...

granddaughter and Moose

The next 2 pics are 7 baby chicks born last week...

Hemi  after scraps of hay left in truck bed...

Chickens on front porch and walkway...

 Youngest grand daughter 

It was a beautiful weekend. Couldn't have asked for better weather. I really hope all of you enjoyed your Easter holiday. Now that we're back home, I will be reading everyone's blogs and catching up.

Easter Hugs,

- Rian  

Create a life...

GREAT IDEA!

LOVE TO WAKE UP TO THIS...

I love these pictures. This second picture reminds me of the pier on retreat from years ago. It was actually a much longer pier and I would love to sit out there in the morning/evening and watch the sun come up/go down.

or

this third picture makes me want to take a long walk on the beach in the morning or evening with my coffee...

What is it about the water? Rivers? Lakes? Oceans?  Something about the water draws people. Is it because we came from there originally? They have a pull.... and I really wonder why.  Sitting or walking beside them seems to put life in perspective. I'm neither a swimmer nor a sun worshiper, so that's not it.  

Any thoughts out there as to why this is? (We do have a history of Sea Captains in our ancestry... could it be genetic?)

Our son sends me videos of the waves rushing to the shore (in Hawaii). I love these. You can even hear the sound of the ocean. If you enlarge the pic across your screen,  it's almost as if you're there.  Would love to share these, but still can't figure out how to get them from my iPhone to my blog. I transfer pics easily, but apparently not videos.


Have a great Sunday! Easter is almost here!  Came across this watercolor sketch the other day and loved it! It's kind of how I feel when I wake up in the morning.

*To give everyone their due... most of the pics I use are from Pinterest... great site!*

Imagination running wild...

My imagination is having fun this morning...

Looking back on my almost 74 years, I think I can see more clearly now what might have been a good idea to follow up on... I love cats. I love pastry. I love tea and coffee. I love books.  And I love art that depicts these things.  So...oo  possibly 'in another life' I might want to open up a Coffee/Tea Shoppe. I would call it "The Black Cat Cafe" with a sign similar to this hanging outside like an English pub.

Then I would have posters and pictures of black (and black and white cats) hanging about the walls... like these I found on Pinterest:

 And I would have windows that were 'inviting' and opened wide so that when the weather was nice, the cafe could be filled with the soft breath of fresh air... (and of course a fireplace for those dark dreary days of winter)

...and there would be hanging and potted herbs about as well as stacks of books here and there.

...and of course we would serve fresh Tea and fresh ground coffee... (in pretty tea cups as well as mugs) and a  few choice desserts like brownies, tea cakes, scones, pie, etc.

You could read while you enjoy the ambiance

or write...

and possibly just for fun, I would have one wall where people who actually owned black (and black and white) cats could bring pictures of their cats to hang on the wall...
and

 part of the profits could go to homeless cats (of any color)


Huh, I guess this is a dream I never knew I had until I began to realize that I've reached my mulberry days and these things can only be found in my imagination. But lucky for me, I have a very vivid imagination... so I can enjoy these things vicariously.

So please come
and have some coffee or tea with me
 at
 The Black Cat Cafe



(Do you have a dream?)