Shadow Shot Sunday ~ TV edition

Yup, that's me. On TV!

Well, actually being taped for an upcoming "Ghost Hunters" program on the SyFy Channel. I may be on TV. I don't normally blow my own horn, but this was kinda out of the ordinary.

The co-stars (lead investigators) of "Ghost Hunters" are Jason Hawes and Grant Wilson, two guys from Rhode Island who founded TAPS, The Atlantic Paranormal Society, several years ago.

I was one of five people interviewed on camera last week about what kinds of paranormal activity I'd witnessed inside the historic (and dusty) Sterling Opera House in Derby. Ct.

I hope my "15 minutes of fame" don't end up on the cutting room floor.

The show is supposed to air in May.

I can't tell you what I saw on two separate visits to the 19th century structure. You'll just have to watch the show! When I find out the air date I will post it.

It was fun to see how the cast and crew work to produce an hourlong episode. Everyone was friendly, and the cast took the time to chat and pose for photos. They caused quite a stir!

Here are links to two stories I wrote on the TV show's visit: First story, and second one.

It was a fun week, that's for sure.

My daughter Allegra took my photo at the taping. Since it is filled with shadows I thought I would post it.

Boo!

Visit our awesome Aussie friend Tracy at Hey Harriet, who hosts this meme each week, and join in the shadowy fun.

* Bonus photo for TAPS fans! This is Grant Wilson posing in front of the Sterling Opera House minutes after he arrived in Derby, Ct. on Feb. 28. He is quite a friendly fellow. It was great to meet him.

Violets are blue...and white...and purple...

Several thoughtful co-workers sent me this lovely basket full of three African Violet plants Saturday in anticipation of some (hopefully minor) same-day surgery I'm going to have Monday.

It was such a nice surprise! I took it outside in the natural light to get a good photo.

Also yesterday I received a big box of assorted nostalgia candies for baby boomers from the (ahem) 1950s. It was supposed to arrive Monday so I could have a treat after the procedure, but I've already dug into it since it is here on the counter.

Wax lips, anyone? Or how about a candy necklace?

~

...and lemons are yellow.

I'll surely have some good fodder for my blog when I'm done with this medical stuff.

I'm trying my best to make lemonade out of the lemons that life decided to give me.

Shadow Shot Sunday ~ bloomin'

"I'm not going to eat the blossoms, Mommy, really!"

Linus appears to be happy that the Christmas cactus finally bloomed this week.

Wrong season, but it's pretty.

See lots more shadowy shots at our awesome Aussie friend Tracy's Hey Harriet blog each week. And happy shadow seeking!

Angels and cats (one and the same?)

You be the judge!

Our Linus seems interested in this frame featuring the face of his feline predecessor, Humphrey, while my guardian angel watches from above.

Rich, an artist friend in Derby, Ct. created the beautiful angel, and I recently blogged about her here.

You can read about Rich DiCarlo, who is known for sculpting and painting bricks, here.

Shadow Shot Sunday

I snapped this while sitting in my car in our church parking lot. The feathery shadows caught my eye.

I was going to post it three weeks ago! Better late than never.

See more shadowy photos from all over the globe at our awesome Aussie friend Tracy's Hey Harriet blog.

Ruby Tuesday ~ comfy cat

I'm attempting to return to the blogosphere...and since I hadn't done a Ruby Tuesday post since Dec. 28 I thought it was about time I did!

I miss doing photo memes, but life does get in the way of blogging, as they say.

Here you see our favorite feline, Linus, doing what cats do best: nothing. =^.^=

See lots more photos featuring a little or a lot of red each week at Mary T's Work of the Poet.

P.S. I realize it's the end of February..I just don't know how to get my vintage Christmas blog background to go away. I've tried. Any ideas?

My guardian angel

An artist friend created this piece last year and when Ralph and I first saw it in a gallery in October we both liked it immediately.

I bought it for the two of us for Valentine's Day. I'm happy to say that it now graces the wall in front of me, above the computer monitor.

I gaze up at her and she makes me smile.

Shadow Shot Sunday

Outside the front door this morning.

Brrrrr ...

See more shadowy pix at Hey Harriet, hosted by our awesome Aussie friend Tracy.

Friend inspires icy photo

I saw the sunshine glinting off of an icicle this morning and took a pic. I admit I copied the idea from a blog friend, but I don't think she will mind...

Happy January!

Shadow Shot Sunday

Took this as the morning sun streamed into the dining room on New Year's Day.

That's the only shadow I captured. Guess it was another busy week!

Happy weekend to all!

See lots more shadowy pix for Shadow Shot Sunday, hosted by our awesome Aussie friend Tracy, at Hey Harriet.

Looking at the Sky on Friday

On Wednesday afternoon I noticed the sky was ablaze, so I put on my shoes and coat and drove a half-mile to a school parking lot that offers fantastic sunset vistas. I was about five minutes late for capturing the orange orb, but this is what I got.

I haven't participated in this fun meme for a while, and it's good to be back.

You can see lots more sky photos at our hostess Tisha's CrAzY Working Mom blog.

Shadow Shot Sunday * snowy *

We had a blizzard here last Sunday and Monday. Here's a photo I took as our Allegra was looking for photos Monday once the snow had stopped.

I was lucky enough to catch a shadow on the snow.

You can see lots more shadowy pix at Hey Harriet, hosted by our awesome Aussie friend Tracy.

I wish a Happy and Healthy 2011 to all my blogging friends!

* Happy Birthday to us *

Christmas, birthdays, and a new year all rolled up into one.

It was 22 years ago yesterday that our beautiful daughter was born. She was quite the birthday present for me!

And I was about 22 at the time.

Hahaha ... OK, I wasn't.

I'm just happy she didn't arrive on Dec. 25. That must be a tough day to have a birthday.

And today would have been my father's 100th birthday, so I, his only child, was his birthday present!

He was an "older dad," and when I was little some of my friends thought he was my grandfather.

Here's Allegra on her birthday modeling a Turbie Twist my mother got for her. It was a good gift, since she never quite got the hang of putting her wet hair in a towel.

Ralph devoted a post to us. Just click on his name to read.

Happy almost New Year to all.

~ Ruby Tuesday ~

"Look at all that snow! I hope it doesn't ruin my naturally curly hair."

You can see lots more photos featuring the color red at Mary T's Ruby Tuesday meme at her Work of the Poet blog.

Happy Ruby Tuesday and Happy New Year!

Yuletide re-post

Merry Christmas!

Thursday, December 25, 2008

Ho ho ho

Ralph took this photo last night after I was asleep. Santa was waving to him

through the front window!
Quite the capture, if I do say so myself.

A Yuletide re-post ~ Love these vintage cards

Sunday, December 21, 2008

Children make Christmas special

Vintage Christmas greetings ~
Isn't she sweet? Reminds me of myself when I was about 4 or 5. I loved dolls, and actually I still do.

Santa Claus takes the train and gives his eight reindeer a break. I'm guessing this card has a Christmas message. I must use online translator to figure out.

Santa never forgets the children.

This kiddo is sadly mistaken. No Santa?
I think he is a misguided lad.

And this last one I post in honor of Airhead 55 ~ Ralph just loves fixed-wing aircraft. That's why I named him Airhead 55, of course.

Shadow Shot Sunday ~ brrr...

I couldn't find a shadow shot to share today, until I braved the 19-degree cold to get the newspaper on the driveway and spied this shadow.

I missed posting a shadow last week but I'm happy to be back.

See lots more shadows from around the world at Hey Harriet, our awesome Aussie friend Tracy's blog.

And have a fun (almost Christmas) week shadow seeking!

It was a day to lend a hand to those who served

Last Friday Ralph and I attended a stand down for veterans at our city's Armory. It was the third such event sponsored by No Vet Left Behind, a non-profit organization founded by two Army veterans who just happen to be married.

Ralph remarked that what struck him was the dignity of the veterans, mostly all men, who arrived for free clothing, blankets, toiletries, food, hot coffee and camaraderie. Some of them were homeless, others just in need of some assistance to get them through the winter.

I wrote a story about the stand down. You can read about it here.

Still stuck in non-blogging mode...

So today I share something from the e-mail bag. I thought of Tesla, blogger Linda's cat, when I saw this comic! Linda was concerned the little guy would destroy her Christmas tree.

Happy Yuletide to all. I hope I can think up something to write about soon.

Christmas is coming

I had a day off yesterday. I accomplished a tiny bit. I bought one Christmas present and sent one card!

I'm getting organized. Really.

I started to arrange my winter village...Look who I found enjoying the snowy village when I got up this morning. Awww...

Guess that's all I got today. Have a great Thursday!

Remember Pearl Harbor

I did remember Pearl Harbor today...but not because I was alive when it happened.

I attended an annual Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day ceremony. I've been to it many times, and it is always a moving tribute.

At the event I met a young man who had served in the Army National Guard in Afghanistan for 14 months. I thanked him for his service. He said it was the first time he had attended the event, and called it "amazing." He said he was happy to meet veterans from previous generations.

Sadly each year there are less World War II veterans in attendance than at the previous year's ceremony.

Many of the speakers talked about the debt of gratitude the American people owe to veterans for preserving the freedoms we all enjoy.

My mother has told me of her memories of that day in 1941...her family was having Sunday dinner when they heard the news that the Japanese had bombed Pearl Harbor in Hawaii.

She had many friends and acquaintances who left their quiet New Jersey town to go to war, and never returned. I can't imagine what that would be like and I hope I never have to find out.

Ruby Tuesday

"Mommy what did you just bring into my house?" Linus might say if he could talk.

You can see how the Christmas geese look in our front yard here.

Visit Mary at Work of the Poet to see lots of photos featuring the color red.

Happy Ruby Tuesday to all!

Sending fond greetings

That's a new one.

I've never heard of anyone sending fond greetings for Christmas. Ah, those wacky Victorian-era people and their holiday sayings!

This is a "new" vintage Christmas card ~ not a repost from 2008 when I posted a bunch of them. Just to be clear here..

Happy Yuletide season to all!

Let the festivities begin!

Yesterday I bought these three tiny trees to put in the front yard. Today I splurged and got the goose family. It's a Christmas Goose and her goslings.

'Tis the season to get festive. The decorating has begun. Once I start there is no stopping me. I know, I'm a wild woman.

tee hee

Shadow Shot Sunday

Today's photo features another cameo appearance by my bloggy friend Linda, author of the always interesting Are We There Yet?

I took this as she was shooting photos at the covered bridge in West Cornwall, Ct. I didn't dare to go down the steps toward the river, even though they were concrete and looked sturdy enough. Linda is clearly more adventurous than I!

We had a fun foliage trip, full of laughs and leaves, but no lunch..We did stop for dinner at a diner. ;-)

See many more shadows from across the globe at our hostess Tracy's Hey Harriet blog.

A Yuletide re-post from 2008

I posted a series of vintage Christmas cards two years ago, and thought I would share one today. I have nothing about which to write..at least nothing fun!

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

Vintage Yuletide ~ Part 2

This would have been perfect for a Ruby Tuesday post, but I didn't take the photo, or illustrate the vintage Christmas card.
So maybe not.

I could make up a story about this character. Let's see...There once was an angel named Ruby, and one Tuesday she filled up her car with beautiful blue flowers to offer to anyone who needed some holiday cheer (of the floral variety).

Who knew angels drove?

Anyway, Ruby spent all day Tuesday driving her red car around the countryside, giving flowers and spreading Yuletide joy to all who she encountered along the dirt road.

The End.

~ Happy December ~

I do a lot of writing for my job, and I love to write, but apparently I've come down with writer's block as far as my blog is concerned.

So...I thought I would take the easy way out and offer up a riddle for the season:

Q: Why was Santa's little helper depressed?

A: He had low elf esteem

(Stay tuned for more...I can at least copy and paste!)