Mr. Innocent?

 

Well...Not so much...

Breakfast and Other Things

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Photobucket's photo editor has a lot of new effect filters.  The one used above iin the photo of this morning's breakfast is named "singe.'  Toast topped with creamy peanut butter and a sliced banana is one of my favorite morning starters, especially when enjoyed on the lanai in the morning sunshine with birds singing in the background.

Normally in my food photos for the past ten years or so, red woven placemats are featured.  They are my everyday kitchen table mats.  I am a ceature of habit.  I don't like change.  I don't practice spontaneity.  I don't like suprises.   The other day I took a walk on the wild side and purchased eight  the orange mats.  Get used to them, at least for the next ten years, although they are intended to be used on the lanai. We have purchased all new lanai furniture in a sling style that is much better for wet bathing suits that our prior stuffed fabric deep seating furniture.  We designed the furniture and had it made by a local manufacturer.  The dining chairs and swivel rockers use this fabric...

The two chaise lounges are done in the fabric shown in the glider below...

 

I did a lot of sourcing and showroom visits before I found the manufacturer tucked away on a little side street in the small town just west of us.  They have no showroom, just an office.  They manufacture commercially for resorts and hotels all over the USA and Caribbean and acttually lease and repair the furniture.  When we stumbled upon them, we expected a showroom, but instead were ushered into a ratty old office manned by a lovely gal and the salesman who took us on a tour of the several buildings that comprise the factory.  We met welders, we saw aluminum extruding machines at work, a man explained how the aluminum is ionized to let the paint adhere and saw the heat room where it's done.  Our last stop was the fabric workroom containing six seamstresses and hundreds of huge bolts of fabric and also huge commercial sewing machines.  It was all fascinating.  The best part was that we've saved about a thousand dollars over what we've had paid for the furniture this place makes that I saw in patio furniture showrooms or internet .  It took a lot of investigative work to get there, but I'm so glad I got there and thrilled to as well to be able to design our own furniture from frame style and finish ( a rich brown with gold flecks) to fabrics to dining table size shape and top material.  Best of all, we were able to support a local business that employs local workers...that's the cherry on the sundae.

OK...I admit It...I Sobbed

Memoirs of a Six Suitcase Girl in a One Bag Allowance World

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 She looks just like Taffy, but in a Large Size...

Is It Any Wonder I Became a Teacher?

Memoirs of a Six Suitcase Girl in a One Bag Allowance World

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I grew up in 1950s post-war prosperous Baby Boom Northeast USA.  My husband is eleven years older than I am and grew up in postwar ravaged England  where the rationing of food was still in effect until 1954.   I do not remember a time without television.  John did not have a television in his home until he was eighteen.  Due to our difference in ages and places of birth, our cultural icons are very different.

My Dad was here last night and he was reminiscing.  He said, " I remember how much you loved Miss Frances.  Do you remember Miss Frances?  She'd say, "OK,   girls, go get your Mommy.  Tell her Miss Frances needs to speak to her."  Of course I remember!  I'd go out to the kitchen for my mother yelling, "Hurry up!  Miss Frances needs you right now!"  My mother would be doing whatever and she'd say, "Go back there and tell Miss Frances to leave me alone.  I'm busy and she's just wanting to sell me something!"  I'd dejectedly slink back to the living room, sure that Miss Frances was so disappointed in me that she'd  write a letter and no one would let me into kindergarten at Chamberlin School when I turned five. 

You can meet Miss Frances below.  Look at her...so perfect in every way...the dress, the pearls, her bracelet, the perfect timbre and modulation of her voice, the way she always is so calm and happy.  I said bed time prayers in those days and every night after I said my "Now I Lay Mes" and it was begging time, I'd beg G-d for a pony and to wake up and find that Miss Frances was my new Mommy.   I eventually got the pony.  I never got Miss Frances but....................because of her, I became a teacher and then a principal.  I also think I grew up to be a persnickety perfectionist in every way, modeling myself after the ever right, ever perfect, never let 'em see you sweat , never cut yourself any slack , no crumbs on the counter Miss Frances.  You will notice however, there is no cursing, no violence, no nudity, no nothing off the grid behavior where Miss Frances rules the air waves.  Also, pay particular attention to the clip around 3.0 minutes into it.  You will see the most perfect huckstering of a product to children.  It should be in the Huckster Hall of Fame.  If there's a Huckster Heaven, I bet  Miss Frances is up there sipping Dirty Martinis withBilly Mays and The Marlboro Man.

It Really Is Nice to Fool Mother Nature

As you can see below, Mother Nature is confused about what month it is here.  She evidently thinks it's April rather than January.  Our high yesterday was 85 degrees (29.444C for you Brits).  If I could bottle our weather, I'd  be a gazillionaire.  Ohhhhhhhhh...and I really do scoff at those who opine how they'd miss the change of seasons.  Hellooooooooooo...what part of winter would you miss?...the snow?...the slush?...the freezing rain and ice?...those things are why Al Gore invented internet booking sites and airplanes to fly you south.

Wednesday, 9

84 | 63 °F

Partly Cloudy

Chance of
Precipitation

10%

 

 

Thursday, 10

81 | 63 °F

Partly Cloudy

Chance of
Precipitation

10%

 

 

Friday, 11

77 | 63 °F

Partly Cloudy

Chance of
Precipitation

10%

 

 

Saturday, 12

81 | 64 °F

Partly Cloudy

Chance of
Precipitation

0%

 

 

Sunday, 13

81 | 61 °F

Clear

Chance of
Precipitation

0%