Spring Fever with Martinis

These pics are from last Sunday, when Mr. F and I spent the afternoon strolling around Newport and had a few martinis at The Red Parrot. All in all, a slightly indulgent, barely warm(cool breeze off the harbor) early spring day. I took these photos, mostly on Spring Street(walking on the sunny side of the street, of course) as we walked back from the Red Parrot.

This centuries old house appeared to be vacant and abandoned....

Masses of purple crocuses blooming in a little square in front of the White Horse Tavern, which at one time was once run by a pirate!--a little history:

Frances Brinley constructed the original building on the site in 1652. In 1673, the lot was sold to William Mayes, and the building was enlarged to become a tavern. The building was also used for large meetings, including use as a Rhode Island General Assembly meeting place, a court house, and a city hall. William Mayes, Sr., obtained a tavern license in 1687 and William Mayes, Jr., a well-known pirate, operated the tavern through the early eighteenth century. The operation was named "The White Horse Tavern" in 1730 by owner Jonathan Nichols.

During the American Revolution, Tories and British troops were quartered there around the time of the British occupation and the Battle of Rhode Island.

After years of neglect as a boarding house, Newport's Van Bueren family donated money to the private Preservation Society of Newport to restore the building in 1952. After the restoration, the building was sold and once again operated as a private tavern and restaurant. As of 2011, it still remains a popular drinking and dining location.

Mr. F's white chocolate and espresso martini.

I had a French Martini, made with Chambord, vanilla vodka(yeah, I had no idea there was such a thing, either), and pineapple juice, and I liked it so much I have since made it at home.

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*1 1/2 oz vodka

(I used vanilla vodka since that was how they made it at the Red Parrot)

*1/2 oz Chambord Liqueur

*2 oz Pineapple Juice

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Shake this really well in cocktail shaker with plenty of ice--the pineapple juice gets nice and frothy, making this drink almost creamy.

To end...a Blogthing quiz(haven't done one of these in some time):

You Are a Blue Martini

You may have had a difficult time earlier in life. You are highly sensitive and a little cautious. You are a reserved and careful person, but you don't let that stop you from doing your thing. Old fashioned and conservative, you carry yourself with dignity. You don't embarrass yourself. You are attracted to powerful people who have a good deal of influence. You wouldn't mind some of that rubbing off on you.

What Color Martini Are You?

The meaning of life....

A winding road , Eaton, New Hampshire, July 2010

"Little surprises around every corner, but nothing dangerous." ~ Willie Wonka

So, I am just about to get into bed, smellin' all clean and and luscious after my evening shower (smoothed on some Avon lotion and scent-- Imari Seduction--very va-va-voom). From down the hall, I can hear the daughter singing in Latin(!) some song she learned today in chorus, and I just thought I would do a Blogthang before turning in. I haven't done one of those in quite some time.

The Meaning of Your Life is Pleasure

You don't have to be reminded that life is short. You're going to live it up and have fun. You are more afraid of regretting what you didn't do, and you try to do it all. You want to travel the world, experience passion, eat great food, and have amazing adventures. Whenever possible, you indulge. You want to sample all the world's pleasures, even if your health and finances suffer a little.

What Is The Meaning of Your Life?

Yup, I am afraid the Blogthing has it completely right this time. I just knew my result wouldn't say that the meaning of my life is to serve mankind. I am one shallow, pleasure seeking individual. I can be satisfied with the simple pleasures, though. Just give me beauty, kindness, serenity, maybe a little excitement now and then (a concert or road trip) and some Key Lime Pie, please.

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To those who noticed and commented favorably about the blog's new look -- thank you. It was purely accidental, this change. I hadn't even intended to change it. Out of curiosity the other day, I just happened to click on the "new template designer" tab and randomly selected this design(Watermark) and I liked it right away. It was definitely time for an update.

Seeing, hearing, tasting.....

...on a HOT summer night. (currently 81*F/27*C -reached 99*F/37*C today!)

Went out for ice cream. Pistachio in a waffle cone for me,

--chocolate brownie in a sugar cone for R-- at the place at the top of the hill tonight

Drove back home with our cones,

dog hanging out the window, sniffing and gulping in the humid night air

listening to "Mustang Sally" on the radio

then sitting on the back deck

licking the cool creamy ice cream

sounds of moths flicking against the porch light

bats swooping

fireflies twinkling

all very quiet, except for the buzz of air conditioners on the houses on our street

Well, it was quiet, but then a crackle of leftover 4th of July fireworks from somewhere in the neighborhood

Your Ice Cream Personality:

You like to think of yourself as a fairly modest person. And it's true that you don't talk yourself up... but you're also pretty happy with who you are. You are a pretty cautious person. You look before you leap, and you don't leap often. There's a bit of a wild child within you, but it doesn't get out often. You are a fairly open minded person with a wide range of tastes. You are quite accepting of unusual ideas and people. You are a natural multi-tasker. You feel alive when you're doing more than one thing at a time (this is not true for me at all--I have to multi-task at work almost all the time and I hate it). You are a serious and contemplative person. You definitely do your own thing in life.

Take the

The Ice Cream Personality Test

Blogthings: Cheaper Than a Therapist

Quick and Blogthingy

A quick entry this evening. Husband's been making some delicious garlicky scented pasta dish which should be ready any moment(AND he cleaned the house including washing the floors while I was at work today--whadda guy, huh?), so I am going to type this out quickly(with R's accompanying saxophone music from down the hall--I think's it's the theme song to "Pirates Of The Caribbean" she is playing).

When I want to check in here with nothing much interesting or planned to write about, I fall back on good ole' Blogthings.
This time it's the "Paris Test". (and my results ring very true for me)
Do you know, I have never yearned to visit Paris? It seems to be the dream city for so many people I know. I wouldn't turn down an opportunity to go there. In fact, I would probably love it. But there are other cities at the top of my list of places I would most like to visit.

Savannah, Georgia

Amsterdam

London

Austin, Texas

Washington, D.C.(didn't see nearly enough when we went last summer)

You Are Contemplative

Some people may consider you to be a bit too boring, but you find comfort in routine. You are a naturally curious person. You are truly interested in how the world works. You have a few friends that you feel really bonded to you. You prefer very close friendships. Novelty and variety recharge you. You are a true adventurer at heart.

The Paris Test

Blogthings: Waste Time at Work!

Saturday musings....

I always say I am going to do something about changing my homepage from Yahoo, because I am either confronted first thing in the morning when I log on,

with horrible world news(earthquakes, global warming, suicide bombers, crazed Americans killing with guns in public places and on and on...), Sarah Palin's giant head, and nonsensical things that would fit into the "why exactly is this news?" category, like this:

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Week of shakeups for Pussycat Dolls
Kimberly Wyatt and Ashley Roberts quit the group, leaving fans to wonder about its future.

'I just couldn't do it anymore'

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With a link to a video. No, thank you. I don't really even know what a Pussy Cat Dolls song sounds like(and what kind of people are their fans?) and I hope I never find out.

Well, it has been a while since I have written about some of my dreams.....

I am slowly losing my dream from early this morning(before I woke to birdsong that really made me think of spring!). Something about bouncing from icy rock to icy rock along the ocean's edge here in town. And my daughter joining in, right behind me.

Instead of flying dreams, I have reoccurring "bouncing" dreams. I half-fly /half-bounce off the ground(like "Flubber"). It's a good dream when I bounce.

The other night, I had a wonderful dream about swimming alongside a tiny elephant in a river--one even smaller than a real elephant baby would be. That was a happy dream, too.

Your Dreams Are Important

Your dreams seem to show that you're a bit disturbed... but nothing serious. You may have a problem you're trying to work out in your sleep. Overall, you are very content in your life. You secretly want to hide your dreams from your waking mind.

What Do Your Dreams Mean?

...and, is that a Gummi worm coming out of that man's mouth?

Just because....

....I haven't done one of these Blogthangs in a while--the City Walk Personality Test. The result fits me pretty well, I have to say.

You Are Genial and Polite

You are unique and philosophical. You have your own way of living life, and you relish your independence. You are generally confident and friendly with strangers. You are well mannered and sociable. Money is fairly important to you. You aren't super greedy, but you enjoy spending money on yourself. You are curious about ideas. If you had the means, you'd like to explore the whole world.

take the

The City Walk Personality Test

Teri, A 13th Tale and a Blogthing

You Are a Pumpkin Latte

You are a total homebody. You love the fall because it gives you an excuse to stay home a little more often and be cozy. Fall is your favorite time to cook a pie, read a good book, or watch your favorite movie. You're the type who prefers handing out candy at Halloween and hosting Thanksgiving at your place. You have a lot of different autumn activities, and they all take place inside the comfort of your home.

What Autumn Drink Are You?

I have been in blah-blogging mode the last few days and will eventually come around and visit my favorite blogs again. In the meantime, a Blogthing(of course). I could really go for a pumpkin latte instead of this old(brewed at 6:15 this morning) coffee I am sipping now.

And, yes, I have been a homebody pretty much since the weekend--have been doing some more domestic stuff around the house, some recreational shopping (ended up, however, buying stuff for R mostly), and getting completely wrapped up in this book-- Diane Setterfield's "The Thirteenth Tale" which is the chosen book for discussion when my book club meets this Friday. It took me a while to get started on it. Mostly because I was at first torn between reading it and diving into the Teri Garr memoir from 2005(which I picked up for 3 bucks at Walden's when I went to buy the Setterfield novel) called "Speedbumps: Flooring It Through Hollywood"(love her, miss her, actually in today's movies, and the memoir is laced throughout with her quirky humor).

I finally finished "The Thirteenth Tale " last night. Now, that was one thumping good read!

From Amazon:

Reclusive author Vida Winter, famous for her collection of twelve enchanting stories, has spent the past six decades penning a series of alternate lives for herself. Now old and ailing, she is ready to reveal the truth about her extraordinary existence and the violent and tragic past she has kept secret for so long. Calling on Margaret Lea, a young biographer troubled by her own painful history, Vida disinters the life she meant to bury for good. Margaret is mesmerized by the author's tale of gothic strangeness -- featuring the beautiful and willful Isabelle, the feral twins Adeline and Emmeline, a ghost, a governess,a topiary garden and a devastating fire. Together, Margaret and Vida confront the ghosts that have haunted them while becoming, finally, transformed by the truth themselves.

Sounds good, doesn''t it? It was totally my kind of book--full of secrets, an isolated house on the Yorkshire moors, a ghost(?), madness, books ...I was completely enthralled by the story once I got into it a few chapters in.
But now, I can get back to Speedbumps. And maybe rereading Gene Wilder's memoir...and maybe a close-to-Halloween re-viewing(for what? the 12th time?!) of Young Frankenstein.

A Quickie

Just to let anyone who cares, know that I am still around.
A Blogthing quiz is all I can muster today:

You Paint the World with Deep Colors

You are a true individual. You are very unique. Your friends can count on you to be expressive. You're never at a loss for words. You are a truly warm person ... though sometimes you can be a bit selfish. You are keyed into your emotions and easily moved. You are quite sensitive.

How Do You Paint the World?

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It's true--part of me wants to be selfish and get some time to myself, but lately, I feel like I am on auto-pilot and just filling my days with what I have to do.

I'll get my blogging groove back eventually, I promise.

Random Summer Thoughts(and a Blogthing)

Just some thoughts from the Blah Blogger. Yeah, that's me. I have not had much to say lately (really!)and it was difficult to be on line for any length of time in the last few days because of all the thunderstorms.

The neighborhood kid who just whizzed down the street past my house on his bike made me smile.

We live at the bottom of a small hill. It's not a scary steep one--but just right for coasting down on a bicycle(R used to do this a lot when we first moved here). Just a few minutes ago, I heard the unmistakable sound of bicycle tires whooshing past, and the boy riding the bike(maybe about 7 or 8 years old?) shouted, "This feels s-o-o-o good!" Yeah.

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The air and earth and growing things smell SO good lately. The damp, rich earth(after a month of dampness) and dry sunny days(we have actually had a few now, in between thunderstorms and sun showers) seem to combine to make the perfect ozonic cocktail. The other night(4th of July evening, actually), I couldn't stop marvelling at the good scent in the air. Maybe the wafting smoke from the exploded fireworks combined to make it that more special, but I have noticed the fresh smell in the air on a few other occasions in the last few days. It's the smell of early summer. I am enjoying it while can before the humid and tired summer days roll in, later on.

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It is impossible to eat a juicy peach quietly and politely. Slurping noises and dribbling can't be avoided. A pretty embarrassing thing to attempt to eat at work.

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Weeding the flower beds is much more enjoyable when the sun's out(late afternoon or early morning sun is the best for this task, though) and even more enjoyable without garden gloves. Even though it is always going to be some work and a good soaking to clean under my fingernails, I prefer to use my bare hands to do this.

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An interesting framing job item:

Someone brought in three copies of black and white photos from the 1950's today, of Wallis Simpson and the Duke of Windsor. They visited and stayed overnight for a weekend back then, in the house my customer lives in now. I never even knew they ever set foot in Rhode Island, let alone my town. In the photos, it was interesting to see a few scowly faced children off to the sides in the candid group shots. They were probably miserable having to be all dressed up and wondering what the big deal was about these visitors.

Since I haven't indulged in a Blogthang is some time, I decided to try this deep
and meaningful(ahem) "What Kind of Transportation Are You?" quiz. Although I really don't know about the "willing to do hard work" part, I do agree that I am a bicycle sort of person.

You Are Bicycling

You are an energetic, driven person. You try to live a good life. You are industrious and determined. You happily and willingly do hard work. You are deeply philosophical. You are concerned with doing things the best way. You love freedom to explore and experiment. You don't like rules.

What Type of Transportation Are You?

An aquired taste?

Since I have to get outside--sun is shining, the dog is patiently waiting, and there are garden beds to be mulched....just a quickie Blogthing to fall back on for today's blog entry.

Even though I was ever so tempted to try the What Does Your Butt Say About You quiz over at Blogthings (no, I am not making it up--check it out here), I tried this one instead.

What Taste Are You?

And I got...bitter?

Not even umami ?

You Are Bitter

You aren't bitter at the world, even though you have a strong personality. Instead, you are sophisticated and cultured. You appreciate acquired tastes. You are very powerful. You have the ability to change a room's energy. While some may find you disagreeable, your points of view are intelligent and interesting.

What Taste Are You?

10 Words People Would Use to Describe Me

A little late in the day to do this-- the Ten On Tuesday list,
since I have been deep cleaning and decluttering my daughter's room. With her permission--I told her beforehand I couldn't stand it any longer looking in there and would clean it for her on my day off (a gorgeous, sunny day in the 80's out there, too when I could have been doing some things outside) as an early birthday gift. (she turns 14!! on Friday).

I figured I would tell her I was going to clean it in case there was anything private she would prefer me not to see--I know she keeps a journal and sometimes writes down declarations of her undying love for her crush, David Archuleta(no comment--this too shall pass) and I want to be respective of her privacy to some extent(I am a private person myself).
Anyway...I saw the list for this week,
'10 Words People Would Use to Describe You' earlier today and asked J and R at the breakfast table today to describe me, so I could add to a short list of descriptive words people have called me lately.

1. nice (husband told me not to put this word in my list, but there you go..I am boringly "nice")
2. guarded (I guess some friends know that I keep my innermost emotions to myself most of the time )
3. artsy (got this from the postal worker in the post office recently)
4. creative
5. cranky (# 4 and #5 from my daughter--yeah, I am cranky after cleaning up her mess of a room....)
6. sensitive (have heard this one all my life, sometimes preceded by a "too")
7. intense (husband's euphemistic way of saying moody?)
8. thoughtful
9. beautiful (thanks, Mr. F)
10. loyal

Of course, I can always count on a Blogthing quiz to give me an accurate personality assessment.

You Are a Mullet

You are a total character. You're quirky, unique, and there's no one quite like you. Your idea of style is doing your own thing and defying expectations. You're eclectic. At your best, you are funny, observant, and a bit sarcastic. You see life's ironies clearly. At your worst, you are a bit weird and creepy. People sometimes take you the wrong way.

What Hairstyle Are You?

St. Joseph's Day....

...and time for a Blogthang! (I'll get my zeppole pastries at the bakery later today--see here for an explanation of this other big March holiday in Rhode Island).
I haven't done one of these in a while. If the Blogthing site keeps pumping 'em out, I'll keep taking their oh-so-deep (ahem) and often less than accurate quizzes. I can't stop..heh..heh.. (and the scary thing is, is that sometimes I'll take one of of these and post the results and then wonder if I have done the same one already at some point)
This Castle Personality test did turn out sounding true for me. Although I thought the the line "nothing much stirs you and each day is full of joy" sounded strange.

You Are A Thoughtful Idealist

You are a bit tentative when it comes to new experiences. You have to push yourself to try new things, but once you do, you love the adventure. You don't spend a lot of time thinking about how people see you. You're kind of scared to know what they think. You are a very romantic person. You can't help but see the world as it should be. Right now, stress occasionally makes you feel trapped in your life. You usually have a clear perspective on things though! Overall, your life is calm and steady. Not much stirs you, and each day is full of joy. You feel like the fate of the future partially rests in your hands. You believe you need to help make the world a better place.

Take the The Castle Personality Test

Comes in like a lion.....

seen outside shop on Charles Street, Boston

There's nothing like a Blogthing and a snowstorm to start off the month of March.
I'm feeling great this Sunday--coffee cake in the oven, house is actually clean and I don't have to go anywhere so can enjoy the snowfall from inside(I'll wait until I have to..later, to deal with any shoveling) . And most importantly--it has been two whole days that we have not had any mice.

I thought this Blogthing quiz was cute...and pretty accurate.

What the House Test Says About You

You consider yourself important, but no more important than anyone else. You love attention, but you don't feel like you deserve more of it than anyone else. You aren't against being community oriented, but it's not really your thing. You tend to prefer to focus on your family and not the neighborhood around you. You are a calm, contemplative, and smart person. You take ideas very seriously. You look attractive, but mostly because your rely on your natural good looks to get by. You are moved by romance and love. You are optimistic about people, and you love hearing about happy endings.

Take the The House Test

And the Oscar goes to....

I am not a big fan of award shows usually, and don't think I have ever watched more than even a half hour straight of the Academy Awards. Most years I just go about doing something else in the house with it as background noise or I just go to bed and read about it the next day(and check out the best and worst red carpet fashions on line) . I am not a big movie person and not too impressed with the stars and the whole glittery Hollywood scene. There are hundreds and hundreds of otherwise more ordinary people everywhere around this world who should be honored for their actions and achievements in real life, in my view.

But I think I will be watching most of the 81st Academy Award show tonight for two reasons.

One, I have actually seen five of the movies for which nominations were picked. Slumdog Millionaire, Doubt, Wall-E, The Visitor, Rachel Getting Married--all excellent films! There have been plenty of years when I didn't see a single movie nominated, so the fact that I really saw five(!) of them amazes me. The second reason I am interested in watching the Oscars is that two actors with Rhode Island ties are nominated this year. Richard Jenkins is up for his role as lonely, repressed professor Walter Vale in the touching, very realistic The Visitor(highly recommended--all the actors were simply outstanding in it). Jenkins was with
Trinity Repertory Theater in Providence for years, but has also has had a career in TV(Six Feet Under) and films (Step Brothers, The Witches Of Eastwick). He still lives in the northern part of the state.

And nominated for Best Supporting Actress (for her short but memorable role in Doubt) is Viola Davis, who while born in South Carolina, moved as an infant to Central Falls here in RI with her family and went to school and college in this state. She was recently in Nights In Rodanthe with Diane Lane(which I still want to see) and has had a reoccurring role on TV's Law And Order; SVU. So you see...I can't help but be rooting for them to win(and they deserve it!!)

From the Providence Journal:
Oscar win would be a first for a Rhode Island actor
01:00 AM EST on Sunday, February 22, 2009
By Michael Janusonis , Journal Arts Writer , Providence Journal

If either Viola Davis or Richard Jenkins wins an Academy Award tonight, it will be the first time in the 81-year history of the Oscars that a Rhode Islander has been so honored for a top acting award.
Over the more than eight decades of Oscar giving, very few Rhode Islanders have even been nominated for any Oscar, let alone two in the same year. Neither Davis nor Jenkins is a native Rhode Islander, but both lived significant portions of their lives here.
James Conti is believed to be the only native Rhode Islander to ever win an Oscar; he won for best original musical score.
Davis was born in South Carolina, but came to Central Falls at the age of two months, graduated from Rhode Island College and honed her craft at Trinity Rep. Jenkins was born and grew up in Illinois, but has lived in the state since the early 1970s when he came to Trinity Rep. He was a mainstay on that stage for many years and served as the company’s artistic director for four.

Aside from the RI connections, tonight's award show should be really interesting , seeing who wins for Best Actress--Streep or Winslet? (I think they are two incredibly gifted actresses)
For Best actor? I think it is going to be Mickey Roarke, for some reason, even though it would be fantastic if Jenkins won.
Best Picture? Pretty sure it'll be Slumdog Millionaire. I'm all for that.

My predictions are always off, though.(although, I can safely assume Ledger will get the award for Best Supporting Actor) You can print out a ballot form from this site. I might even do that.
At any rate, I am going to just sit back with a glass of Spanish red wine tonight and hopefully remain awake to see the whole thing. Heard Hugh Jackman is the host--that ought to help keep me awake.

It's Blogthing time, too: What would you win an Oscar for? You Would Win Best Original Screenplay

You are insightful and expressive. You've always been a natural storyteller. You know how to hook an audience, entertain them, and surprise them at the end. Where people see everyday life, you see an engaging plot with interesting characters. You notice details that other people ignore. People you've only met once or twice live inside your head.

What Would You Win an Oscar For?

Housebound

The Red Cloak

Miss Violetta in her Parlour

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I stayed in my house all day yesterday. Never set foot outside once! I don't know if I have ever done that before (other than those times I have been sick). And I was perfectly happy!

I thought I was going to have another round of cabin fever, but I got my paints, pen and inks and pencils out and filled in some blank pages in my sketch book. Made a huge mess of my table. Ignored all the "should-do's", like cleaning, going to the grocery store. I let R take Jewel for her walk. I might even do the same thing today--although we do need some food in the house and it is supposed to be pretty warm out, so a walk on the beach would be good.

Lately, I've been drawn to using the color red. Above--two of my little paintings (6" x 9") from yesterday and below, yes....yet another Blogthing.

You Are Cranberry Red

Peaceful and philosophical, you are almost always at harmony with the world. You're not very social, but you always enjoy a deep, complex conversation with a friend. It's possible that you've been disappointed a lot in your life, but you've gotten over those disappointments quickly. For you, each day is new and glorious. You wake up refreshed and happy, even when things aren't going your way.

What Color Red Are You?

Wake up and smell the Saturday coffee

You Are a Black Coffee

At your best, you are: low maintenance, friendly, and adaptable At your worst, you are: grumpy and stressed You drink coffee when: you can get your hands on it Your caffeine addiction level: high

What Kind of Coffee Are You?

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Inspired by a coffee/tea-related blog over at Content In A Cottage , I am going to give you

Gal Friday's 12 Coffee Facts:

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1. I started drinking coffee at about age 14--highly sweetened and loaded with cream--on a visit to my grandparents in Germany. We drank coffee and ate cake every day in their garden(Garten) and it almost makes me get a sugar headache remembering all the sugar I must have consumed.

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2. I can usually drink a cup of coffee after a good meal in a restaurant in the evening, and have no problem falling asleep later.

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3. After a later visit to Germany and yet again consuming highly sugared coffee on a daily basis, I couldn't stand any sugar--or even the smell of it--in my coffee after I got back home. I have been that way ever since, taking my coffee without sugar and with only a little splash of milk. So, the Blogthing is wrong about totally "black" coffee(although I could drink it that way if I had to). It is right about my grumpy moments, though--usually when I am feeling rushed and/or stressed.

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4. I can still vividly remember smelling the coffee (I think it must have been the Eight O' Clock brand from the A & P) brewing on a sunny winter morning in our kitchen when I was about five years old and my mother singing "Oh, What A Beautiful Morning" from Oklahoma. A good memory.

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5. The first time I ever had espresso was during an intermission at an opera(George Gershwin's Porgy & Bess) that my uncle took me to in Berlin. I was already in my mid-twenties before I ever tried it. And I wasn't impressed. I will take a plain cup of freshly brewed Eight O' Clock coffee over that strong stuff any day. The little cups and matching saucers are cute, though.

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6. Coffee, for whatever reason, tastes and even smells better in Germany......

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7. I was lucky enough to once try Guatemalan coffee sent in a box from a friend in that country (hellooo, Claudia!)--the whole box smelled like coffee heaven and the coffee was some of the best I have ever drank.

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8. The closest to the taste of a good European blend(or Guatemalan blend) over here, I have found, is the Paul Newman coffee they sell in...McDonald's! I haven't had any from there in a while (usually get it when going on a road trip), so I hope they haven't changed it. But I found it delicious and cheap.

Watch out that you don't spill the extremely hot contents on yourself, though!! ;-)

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9. I have only ordered coffee from a Starbucks a couple of times. It it w-a-y too strong for me and I can see how someone could really get addicted to it.

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10. I rarely get coffee from a coffee shop to go. It is either made at home in the morning or in a real ceramic cup sitting down in a cafe, diner or restaurant. Road trips, of course, are my fast food and coffee-to-go exception.

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11. I store my coffee beans in the freezer.

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12. Sometimes, if I have garlic breath from a meal and even brushing my teeth can't totally get rid of it, I take a bean out of the freezer and chew on one bean. Garlic breath is gone!(if you think you can't do that, I have heard chewing on a little bit of fresh parsley does the trick, too)

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The bed, dog paws, and a Blogthing

Talk to the paw......

"A newly made bed is meant to have the pillows rearranged and then slept on", is this dog's philosophy.

"Please, don't make me get off this bed...."

Mander's blog today inspired me to tie in these recent photos of Jewel on my bed with a little Blogthang quiz for today. Please don't get too freaked out by a dog sleeping on the bed and pillows where I sleep. She is an unusually non-smelly dog and gets regular baths and leaves many almost "invisible-to-the-human-eye" black dog hairs everywhere, and I don't mind at all. It must be a dog-human connection thing, but I actully love snuggling her and kissing her when I discover she has snuck onto the bed and love that warm corn chip smell of her paws. Or maybe it's just me......heh...heh...

Okay, now that I have cleared that up and exposed myself as the strange dog lovin', Frito paws sniffin' person that I am, here's the Blogthing:

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I kind of think Blogthings and Saturdays go together very well. The result below sounds a good deal like me...but I really don't like nightgowns. They bunch up and get twisted up all around your torso--hate that feeling. I prefer pajama bottoms and a tank top/camisole. As for not making a fool of myself--I have made a fool of myself, writing about my freaky fetish about doggie paws.

You Are A Nightgown

You are a bit old fashioned and elegant. You aren't very casual. You are well mannered and modest. You don't make a fool of yourself. You tend to be a bit reserved, and it's hard for strangers to get to know you. You are likely to not let anyone outside your bedroom see you in your pajamas.

What Kind of Pajamas Are You?

Tis True!

The oh-so-wise-and knowing Christmas Blogthings Oracle speaks again.

You Are Cider

Your holiday personality is cozy. The holidays are your favorite time to stay home, stay warm, and spend time with those you love. You don't need a lot to make you happy over the holidays. Seeing an old relative or favorite holiday film is enough to make your day.

What Holiday Drink Are You?

Are they serving the cider in hollowed out apples...or mini pumpkins in that photo?