New and improved!

One of my readers complained that I had left you in suspense too long. My apologies! But here it is!!! I'm getting 55 MPG without really trying... lots of great new features like a sun roof!

Good-bye !

I said good- bye to my first space ship today. Pleased to have a Toyota dealer evaluate it and say "like new" after almost 58,000 miles. It was a super car, and I felt it was just getting better and better to drive... why did I sell it? You'll see in a few days!

In the Kitchen

Contrary to popular belief, I do have some domestic skills. Currently working long days, I'm lucky to get a chance to run for a cup of coffee. so I do mass cooking for my take along meals.
Yesterday, it was drizzling so I had to cook in side. The results- roasted veggies and chicken breasts. The vegetables look just georgous in the turquoise ceramic dish.

First

Right now, my tiny yard is just a massive patch of weeds, from all the rain we have had, and the owner who has had no time to work on it! However, this week, the first rose opened, it is always a very special event. It's a Don Juan rose bush that I have had for many years. The first round of blooms are the most fragrant. Too bad I can't post the smell for you to enjoy!

wordless wednesday

Scenes- seen

A bit of play for the eye and mind! It's amazing what the world brings to us if we take a moment to notice.

Domestic Help

Is anyone looking for some domestic help? Sammy will work for food and loves doing the laundry!

Wordless Wednesday

There is always a sight to see!

I just love New York City. I grew up in the area and had to leave upstate New York because I just missed it too much.
There is always something happening, something different, it's a very difficult place to be bored.
I saw this person in a very unique outfit walking down 8th avenue the other week. You can imagine my surprise when the person turned around and I saw a very long gray beard attached to the face!

Snow!

It snowed last night... not too much and not too little. The light kind that sticks in the trees and makes everything just beautiful.
I wouldn't mind this kind of snow more often!

New King of the house!

I wrote previously about my friend Igor, who had been with me for many years.

With winter bearing down, I decided it was time to find a new friend ... and so I went to petfinder.com.  So many cats, all needing good homes.  I found Sammy, he's definitely the new king of the house! Part siamese, he has very exotic looks. 

Sad story, he was found homeless in one of the wealthier suburban towns.  Unfortunately, many people who find they can no longer take care of pets just abandon them. Please contact a shelter or rescue group if you have that problem! There are many caring people who will help you do the right thing.

What do Squirrels want?

The city squirrels here will eat just about anything. But what they really want is bird seed!

I thought I was safe storing my seed in a plastic trash can.

You can see they really tried to get the lid off! Goes to show what kind of taste they have, I can't imagine what the plastic tastes like but I'm sure it's not very good.

I can't really keep the seed inside the house.  Old houses = mouses in the winter!

Today I went and bought a metal can.... last year they chewed the metal rings off my other beautiful birdfeeder! We'll see what happens next....

Ode to Igor

I had to say goodbye to my buddy, Igor today.

He had a good life. He was rescued as a feral kitten, and went from hiding under the couch to running to the door when the doorbell rang to see who was here! How did I name him? Well, when I went to pick him up, he was a tiny runt. but when he got in the car, you would have thought I had 10 cats! He had all kinds of different voices. So I named him after Igor Stravinsky.  He never got over his fear of the car. I dreaded taking him to the vet because he would be so hysterical the minute he saw the carrier.  

He had a carpeted bench on the kitchen radiator by the window which was his favorite place to sit and watch the birds and squirrels in my tiny back yard.  

Last year, he lost and eye due to a condition similar to glaucoma.  A few weeks ago, he started to have trouble with  his left hind leg. A warning to any of you who have cats. They can have blood clots in their groin which cause paralysis in their hind legs.  If your cat starts to have trouble with his hind legs, take him to the vet immediately!  He was a real trooper right to the end.

A good friend , who will be fondly remembered.

My orchids

I have 6 orchid plants. Nothing very exotic, just dendrobiums which seem to be very happy here. I put them out side for the summer. When I bring them in the house for the winter, they start to bloom! They keep me happy by blooming throughout the winter.

Here is the first, it is white and purple with very distinctive veining. 

A surprise resident!

One of my favorite places is the Grounds for Sculpture in Hamilton, New Jersey.

There is a flock of peacocks there, living richly amidst all the art! On my recent visit last week, I was shocked to see this resident.

Just too funny!

One of my fellow jewelry designers, Emotional Oasis, found some really interesting items. They are tokens from a peep show!  I wrote and she was kind enough to share some with me.  Here is my "miss kitty" necklace.  I have a feeling that it will be mutable, and change with my moods.  Today it has sterling and antique copper chain to give it more of a mixed metal feeling.  I felt the lone biwa pearl gives it some zen balance....

Knockout Lily

It's ironic.  My red lily finally bloomed after waiting a year.  But it was worth waiting for- dozens of fiery red blossoms.  The last bloom appeared on July 12th, the day I went to CT to visit my friends and the daylily farm.

Waterfalls in the big Apple

I saw something about Waterfalls created in NYC. .. I've been working like a jackrabbit so no time to really read up... went to South Street Seaport the other day and saw two of them!

anticipation

My friends in CT are day lily masters. My yard is very tiny, I just really have no room.  However, three years ago, on the visit to the day lily farm, I just had to buy one.  Last year, no blooms. This year I have 7 stems... I'm just waiting for them to burst forth!

Delorenzo's Tomato Pies

One of the reasons I bought my house was the realtor took me out for tomato pie.  Not being from Trenton, I had no idea what I was getting back then.  What a delicious treat!  There are 2 different ones here in town, the best by far is on Hudson street. 

Unfortunately, they have cut back on the hours here because they opened a new place outside of town.  I am hoping that they don't close the original location on Hudson Street. You can read more reviews here at ZAGAT.  If you are in the area please stop and have a wonderful pie!  There is nothing quite the same anywhere.