1. Trembling :: flower
2. Shut up :: NOW!
3. Heights :: MaryEllen
4. Monica :: blue dress
5. Delicious :: eats
6. Joint :: juke
7. Ferry :: across the Mersey
8. Bliss :: heaven
9. Rejection :: bad
10. Satisfying :: happy

Jennifer is the Saturday Try Day: Finding Art in Nature hostess. This week, her last, she says: Today I'm asking you to take a look outside- find the art in nature, the tiny details. Take a picture, or create a work of art with some other media to share your bit of nature with us. I've shared one of the photos I took this week on my blog. When I have a chance later today I'm going to add some more images. Be sure to post your creation on your blog and share the link here!

I'm a little late, but here's my Art in Nature Shot:

Wolf and I had a great walk this morning with my friend Lauren; when I got home, I dropped off Wolf and took Max for a walk, taking pictures both times.

It was a quiet, very nice weekend. How was yours? Get in any good April Fools Day jokes?

I've had this donut bed for awhile...and for some reason he didn't like it. But he kept scratching the braided rug to get comfy last night so I brought it downstairs. He climbed in and boom! He was out like a light!

I haven't talked about this, because the brand of food I use (Innova, made by Natura Pet Products) only uses US suppliers - no ingredients come from China or other foreign countries and that seems to be where the problem is coming from. And [insert diety of choice here] knows I've ranted and raved before about what goes into pet food. So I won't go into that again.

Click on this link for the list of foods that have NOT been recalled and that are SAFE to use

Click on this link for more facts about the recall

Click on this link for the latest recall, which is from Del Monte (and you thought they only sold pineapples): As a precautionary measure, Del Monte Pet Products is voluntarily recalling select product codes of its pet treat products sold under the Jerky Treats, Gravy Train Beef Sticks and Pounce Meaty Morsels brands as well as select dog snack and wet dog food products sold under private label brands.

Do be careful what you feed your pets...I know that the dogs and cats I had as a kid got supermarket dog food, Alpo or Gravy Train or whatnot...but perhaps the things that go in pet food today didn't go in back then, who knows.

My recommendation is Innova, or any other type of food made by Natura. My dogs LOVE it; I went through quite a few brands before settling on it.

Here's last Wednesday's picture:

This is the shot it was cropped from:

Laura was close when she said "...butt plug?", but ME hit it right on the nose (and she should know!): "those are the ear plugs to drown out my snoring" Keerect!!!

As always, thanks for playing!

So this week...

What is it?

Thirteen Things I love that begin with the letter H

1. Home: While I might not like the house, I love the warm, comfortable feeling I have at home.

2. Halloween: My favorite holiday!!

3. Happy: There is no better feeling than being happy!

4. Hawaii: A beautiful place to visit

5. Heart: My very first tattoo was a home made heart on my right forearm...I got it because I was always "wearing my heart on my sleeve"

6. Hands: I love looking at (and photographing!) people's hands!

7. Herbs: Love to grow them and use them while I'm cooking

8. Hieroglyphs: A form of writing that uses pictures!

9. Hark, The Herald Angels Sing: One of my most favorite Christmas carols

10. Honey: Love the taste, smell and look of it!

11. Heroes: My new favorite tv show!

12. Happenstance: A chance circumstance...I like the sound of that!

13. Huckleberry Finn (The Adventures of): An amazing book, published in 1884 after The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. It's known for many things, including "...its sober and often scathing look at entrenched attitudes, particularly racism, of the time".

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It's easy, and fun! Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

If you play, please link back to me and leave me a comment letting me know you played, so I can come visit! Thanks :-)

1. My favorite thing in an Easter basket is _____!
2. Easter means _____ to me.
3. The best part of the chocolate Easter bunny is _____.
4. My memories of Easter as a child include_____.
5. _____ jelly beans are the ones I eat first.
6. I like _____ grass in my Easter basket!
7. On Easter, I'll be _____.

1. My favorite thing in an Easter basket is colored eggs!
2. Easter means Easter baskets and palms to me.
3. The best part of the chocolate Easter bunny is everything.
4. My memories of Easter as a child includehaving to dress up in a easter bonnet, finding the easter basket and going to church.
5. Cinnamon jelly beans are the ones I eat first.
6. I like green plastic grass in my Easter basket!
7. On Easter, I'll be visiting MaryEllen.

The cherry blossoms hit their peak last week in DC...but I still found a few lingering blossoms to shoot! More about the weekend to come, I just wanted to share this hard earned picture :-)

Hope you all had a great weekend!

Friday:

- Flew into BWI, MaryEllen picked me up at the airport
- we headed to Reading, PA
- Ate lunch at Cracker Barrel

Because I neglected to print out directions to the hotel from the highway and because no one answered when I called their phone number, we drove around Reading looking for the hotel. Finally, after someone decided to pick up the phone, we got directions and thought we found it; thank the GOOD [insert diety of your choice] it wasn't the right one, cause it was crack whore heaven pretty crappy.

Found it, checked in, decided to possibly check out the tattoo show in the nearby Sheraton. Um...no...

Downtown Reading looks amazingly like downtown Portland, Maine! We had (in my case) the most delicious dinner at an English pub called the Speckled Hen. Blackened tuna with artichoke and lime aioli and wasabi mashed potatoes--AMAZING!!! Yuenglings were involved, as well. MaryEllen, who's not much of a drinker, actually had a full beer (Lindemans Framboise Lambic Ale, of course).

Went to the 2007 Marshalls U.S. Figure Skating Showcase; took a gazillion pictures, sighed over Johnny Weir, who designed some awesome costumes AND skated like a dream. There was this one guy who did backflips! That always amazes me in ice skating.

Saturday morning, woke up, showered, and hit the road for Frederick , where MaryEllen lives. Took pictures along the way, stopped at the grocery store for dinner (veal) which MaryEllen cooked and it was delicious! After, we took her Mom to see Blades of Glory. Laughed our asses off! Came home, relaxed, played with the dogs, Chloe & Chief, and then everyone turned it; I read til 1 am (The Ruins by Scott Smith, one of the saddest books I've ever read).

Sunday, we dyed eggs, made Easter baskets (one for boys, one for girls), had breakfast, then MaryEllen and I headed to WV to look for real estate guides. After that, we went to DC, walked around a bit and froze our tuchis (tuchi?) off, took pictures, and then headed to the airport, where we had "easter brunch" together (aka panini sandwiches LOL) and said goodbye. I went to Phillips Seafood, had a bloody mary and then read til it was time to board the plane.

MaryEllen, excellent driver though she is, tried several times to kill me...to no avail ;-)

Here's last Wednesday's picture:

This is the shot it was cropped from:

Doesn't really solve the mystery of what it is, does it? That's water (a pond) with trees reflected in it in the upper left...and lower right is a stone bridge, under which water...but not the mystery thing...flows...I call it "ick"!

I think Carl was closest this week, he said: That's a bad case of soap scum you have there. Might want to pull out the heavy duty cleaner for that! Even though he was being sarcastic, I think it might be some kind of pond scum thing...or the blob!!!

Or maybe Darlene and Dyane were closest, guessing it was a mushroom of some sort...it sure does look fungal!

Seeing as how last week was so tough, I'm making this one easy for you! As always, thanks for playing!

So this week...

What is it?

Tammy is the Getting to Know You hostess. This week, she says: I thought for this week, I would pick questions from this book (The Conversation Piece) and see what you all think! I am not following a theme, but rather, picking questions which interested me and things I want to know about YOU!

1. question #255 - If you had to change your first name, what would you choose as your new name? I always liked the name Beth; it's part of my middle name, and for awhile in my very early 20s, I insisted that everyone call me that. Didn't work out for long! My boyfriend at the time, Chuck, would call the house and ask for Beth, my mother would say, sorry, you've got the wrong number and hang up on him :-)

2. question #158 - What is your favorite saying, quote, or expression? "A [wo]man can stand anything except a succession of ordinary days." - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

3. question #49 - If you could buy any rare collection in the world, which would you choose? Why? Rare collection? Hmmm...um...I don't know! I'm not much of a collector anymore. Perhaps a collection of signed first editions by favorite authors...yeah, that's it!

4. question #1 - If you could fly in a hot-air balloon over any city in the world, what city would you choose? Why that city? Have you visited there before? Oh, Paris! So much to see, such beautiful architecture, and it's laid out so well. Yes, I've been to Paris twice, and hope to go a few more times.

5. question #221 - What is an item you own that has a minimal monetary value but has such sentimental value that you would not sell it for $5,000? That's a good question...and I'm not sure I have a good answer to it! Maybe my LOTR trilogy book that Sean Astin signed? Or the latest Colleen Gleason book, Rises the Night, signed by the author herself (thanks, Colleen & Megan!!!)?

Thirteen Things I love that begin with the letter I

1. Ice: I MUST have ice in my diet coke with lime, ohhh and rootbeer...and water...I adore ice!

2. Illumination: I love this word, makes me think of many paper lanterns with candles inside, floating down a peaceful river.

3. Immortals: aka vampires...real or not?

4. Island: Japan is actually an island...my very favorite one!

5. Include: It's so nice to be included, isn't it?

6. Ideal Cookies: My Grandmother always used to give us these...OMG where they good! The inside was filled with a peanut butter mixture, then a dry, crumbly kind of butter cookie, coated with pure chocolate. They were long and oh so delicious!

7. illusions: We all have 'em, we all need 'em!

8. Intuition: I'd always felt I had strong feelings of intuition...my Grandmother tried to cultivate it, I think.

9. Ink: Both pen and tattoo, I love!

10. Incense: Love the smell of sandalwood, or honeysuckle or jasmine!

11. Internet: What would we do without it?

12. Imp: Love this word, a fine, happy, sprite of a word :-)

13. Ivy: Such a lovely plant, I love seeing an old building covered in it.

Portland, ME

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It's easy, and fun! Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

DebR is the Thursday Photo Day hostess. She says: This week I want you to give me a hand - one of yours. Oh, not permanently, of course, because I'm sure you need them both to do all the creative things you do. Ahem. But I'd like to see everyone post a portrait of their hand or hands - alone or with someone else, at rest or at work or play. I think hand photos can be amazingly expressive.

Deb, this is my favorite picture of my hand. I was driving to work one day and stopped at a red light. I glanced into the side view mirror, saw my hand...and thought WOW! That would make a great picture! And it did :-)

More hands for your viewing pleasure :-) Enjoy!

If you play, please link back to me and leave me a comment letting me know you played, so I can come visit! Thanks :-)

1. When I need inspiration _____!
2. _____ is my favorite way to recharge my batteries.
3. I never get sick of _____.
4. One of my fondest memories is _____.
5. _____ always makes me laugh.
6. I am _____, _____ and _____!
7. This weekend, I'm looking forward to _____.

1. When I need inspiration I go for a walk in the woods or the beach!
2. Spending some time alone is my favorite way to recharge my batteries.
3. I never get sick of taking pictures.
4. One of my fondest memories is eating frozen Milky Ways at Surf Drive Beach in Falmouth with my cousins.
5. The tv show, 30 Rock, always makes me laugh.
6. I am a cook, a photographer and a lover of traveling!
7. This weekend, I'm looking forward to sleeping in, having a nice long walk with the dogs, and doing my photography class homework.

As always, thanks for playing!

Ooooh! Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab just released a new scent today; here's a description from the website:

13 - April 2007 Incarnation:

13 is significant, whether you consider it lucky, unlucky or just plain odd. Many believe it to be unfortunate---

Says a lot about the US, doesn't it?

This is the scent description:

A base of cocoa absolute and white chocolate with thirteen baneful and beneficial bits: cardamom, fig meat, grains of paradise, rice flower, chamomile, sandalwood, catnip, clove, and a bundle of five blessed blossoms and herbs.

Mmmmm, clove! Sandalwood! I had to order a bottle, of course...I mean, c'mon...it's Friday the Thirteenth! What better way to celebrate it!

Awhile back, Carmen gave me the "Thinking Blogger" award; this is why she awarded it to me: "She has this Friday fill-in post, and she has "What is it Wednesdays" - it sometimes hurts my brain to visit, but I always manage to participate. :)" Many thanks to Carmen for thinking of me, I do believe this is the first time I've won an award!

In all fairness, though, I didn't start the Friday Fill-Ins. That would be Megan, who came up with the idea originally, but is a bit busy these days!

Without further ado, and without favoritism of any sort, these are the first five bloggers who popped into my mind as having posts that quite often make me think:

1. Rampant Bicycle: This girl has interesting posts and even more interesting links! It's an almost daily adventure, you never know what you're going to see next!
2. DebR, of Red Shoes Rambling: She's artistic, inspiring and an awesome writer...and I owe her some pictures!
3. Gina, whose blog is called atypical female: She's a first rate photographer, and you all have her to thank for getting me back into photography! She doesn't post that often, but when she does...wow!
4. Carl, whose blog is called Stainless Steel Droppings: This guy is amazing! The passionate, amazing reviews he writes about books or movies or art he loves shows the depth of his feelings. He has introduced me to some books, movies and art that I otherwise might've missed. Thanks, Carl!
5. MissMeliss: This chick is a fantastic writer! She has written the best fanfic by far about Professor Snape (which really makes me think about stuff that maybe I shouldn't!), she shares my love of BPAL and she's a comedian!

Congratulations, you won a !

Should you choose to participate, please make sure you pass this list of rules to the blogs you are tagging.

The participation rules are simple:

1. If, and only if, you get tagged, write a post with links to 5 blogs that make you think,
2. Link to this post so that people can easily find the exact origin of the meme,
3. Optional: Proudly display the 'Thinking Blogger Award' with a link to the post that you wrote (here is an alternative silver version if gold doesn't fit your blog).

Found at DebR's place:

1. What is your favorite thing to wear? flip flops by Reef, I'm very particular about my flip flops!

2. Last thing you ate? a peanut butter sandwich, yum!

3. Nastiest thing you've ever eaten? That would have to be chitlins...the only good thing about that was the hot sauce. YUCK!

4. I say Shotgun, you say? Driver!

5. How many U.S states have you been to? quite a few! All the New England states, NY, PA, NJ, DE, MD, VA, WV, NC, OH, SC, KY, TN, GA, FL, TX, IN, IL, MS, KS, CO, NM, AZ, CA, OK.

6. How many of the U.S states have you lived in? Three; MA, CO, VA

7. What is your favorite romance movie? The Ghost and Mrs. Muir :-)

8. Favorite type of food? Mac & cheese!

9. Do you care if your socks are dirty? Yup! Nasty dirty socks!

10. Have you ever cheated on a test? I'm sure I have

11. Has anyone ever sang or played for you personally? Yes, it was awesome :-)

12. Do you like Bush? Well...I've always thought of myself as hetero, so...I'm not sure!

13. Have you ever gone white-water rafting? Not that I can recall :-)

14. Have you met a real redneck? I've not been introduced, but I've seen a few :-)

15. How is the weather right now? Rainy & chilly; perfect for snuggling up in a blanket and watching a movie or reading!

16. Where was the last place you went besides your house? Macaroni Grill for dinner and a drink, last night.

17. What are you afraid of? Spiders!!! *shudder*

18. How many pets do you have? Two, Wolf and Max, my beautiful dogs :-)

19. What's one thing you’ve learned? I lovelovelove Deb's answer, and so I'm staying with it: "You can't change other people, but you can change how you react to them." SO true!

20. What do you usually order from Starbucks? Cinnamon dolce latte! I don't like their plain coffee, I'm more of a Dunkin Donuts gal, but their flavored stuff is AWESOME!

21. Have you ever fired a gun? I have! My high school boyfriend, Cal, used to take me out into the woods for target practice; just me, Cal & his shotgun...romantic, eh?

22. Favorite TV show? Heroes!

23. Has anyone ever said you looked like a celeb? Nope :-)

24. If you had a daughter, what would you name her? That part of my life is over, but if I'd had a daughter, I always wanted to name her Jessamyn

25. Do you find yourself loved? Yes :-)

26. Have you ever been caught doing something you weren't supposed to? LOL oh yeah, sure

27. Butter, plain, or salted popcorn? Plain, with raisinettes :-)

28. Have you ever ridden in a limo? Yup, just as I don't like facing backwards when going forward, I also don't like sitting sideways!

29. Has anyone you were really close to passed away recently? My Mom was the last person I was close to who passed, and that was in December of 2005.

30. What's something that really bugs you? People who take others at face value and never get to know the person.

31. Do you like Michael Jackson? I like some of his music!

32. Favorite baseball team? Red Sox, of course!

33. Have you ever milked a cow? You know...I think I have, on a field trip or vacation or something...

34. Last time you went bowling? I can't remember...I think it was when MaryEllen was up to visit!

35. Have you ever cut your own hair? Just my bangs, when they get too long.

As a reward for putting up with yet another meme from me, here's a picture:

Taken in Reading, PA during a trip there recently :-)

If you'd like to play, click here!

1. Freeze :: frame
2. Naturally :: of course
3. Painting :: oil
4. Merits :: abilities
5. Ironic :: Isn't it
6. Survival :: of the fittest
7. Cow :: moooooooooo
8. Anchor :: Inn
9. Sisters :: of the woods
10. 70 :: 20

The description: Aries 2007 - cardinal fire: the essence of identity. Black pepper, honeysuckle, opoponax, dragon’s blood, and wild ginger.

What I thought: Altho my Sun sign is Cancer, I have Leo rising, moon in Aries and most of my planets in fire signs and this scent sounds AWESOME to me!

The reality: It was simply ok. Quite a few of the reviewers on the message board said they got a strong scent of pepper, but...to me, all I could smell was the dragon's blood, which totally amps up on my skin and takes over. Kinda sad!

However: I got a bottle of Three Witches (cinnamon, clove and white pepper) recently and oooooh my! I LOVE it!!!

So...I combined some of the Aries 2007 with some of the Three Witches and wow! WOW WOW WOW! I think the cinnamon is strong enough to tamp down the Dragon's Blood and keep it in check. So spicy, so good!

One of the chicks at work walked into my office, stopped dead, and said, "DAMN! You smell SO good!"

Works for me!

This is the view I was greeted with when I woke up. Enough, already!

Here's last Wednesday's picture:

This is the shot it was cropped from:

Roasted chicken; I start by rubbing some olive oil on it, then sprinkle with a mixture of sea salt, rosemary, sage, oregano, bay leaves, thyme & garlic. Sometimes I mix some grated lemon & squeeze some lemon juice into the olive oil, and stuff the chicken with the left-over lemon. Yum!

I think Rhea was the first of many to get this right: This one looks like part of a roast chicken.; Wil even got most of the ingredients: "Yep, it sure looks like a wingtip on a roast chicken, with little bits of rosemary and other dried herbs on a golden browned chicken skin ...".

Transvestite Bait made me laugh with: "it's the inside of a dragon's mouth, around the gumline. that little pointy thing that others have mistakenly called a chicken wing is the tip of his scaly crusty little tongue." Ooooh, hot!

As always, thanks for playing!

So this week...

What is it?

Thirteen Things I love that begin with the letter J
(hope it's not too jejune for you!)

1. Jack Sparrow/Johnny Depp: Mmmmm, I love me a man with eyeliner and beads in his hair as well as an actor who can seemingly morph into any role...and who had a decent Boston accent in Blow, no easy thing!

2. Jasmine: One of my favorite scents, especially night blooming jasmine!

3. Jellyfish: They're pretty floating in the water...and damn good in a salad, too!

I'd like to be a jellyfish
'Cause jellyfish don't pay rent
They don't walk and they don't talk
With some Euro-trash accent
They're just simple protoplasm
Clear as cellophane
They ride the winds of fortune
Life without a brain
Mental Floss, Jimmy Buffett

4. Japan: Maybe I lived there in a past life, cause I felt so comfortable and at home. I still get a pang in my heart when I think about it.

5. Juxtapose: "The universe juxtaposed Jack Sparrow & Janet and this made her oh so happy."

6. June: The beginning of summer, and my birthday month.

7. Jessamyn: I love this name, and if I had a daughter, this would've been her name. I first heard it when I read the book, The Life I Really Lived by Jessamyn West.

8. Jasper: My beautiful cat, Jasper, who was born in 1992 and passed in 2002.


9. JRR Tolkien/JK Rowling: Two of my favorite authors!!!

10. Jambalaya: Yum!!! I love me some jambalaya!

11. Julia Child: Loved her shows, loved her books, loved her outlook on life.

12. Journey: NOT the band; I love to travel, and up until recently, I'd go at a moment's notice. It's a bit harder now, with Dad having Parkinson's.

13. Joyful jubilation: I love these words, I love to feel joyful and jubilant and I love the song, You Bring Me Joy by Anita Baker; if Michael and I had married, this would've been our wedding song.

You bring me joy
When I'm down
So much joy
When I lose my way your love comes smiling on me
I saw your face
And then I knew
We would be friends
I was so afraid, but your arms, they'd say 'come to me'

So I'd say to you
"Can we talk for a while?"
You'd say "alright"
When you love me, I smile
I feel your hands and you feel mine
You bring me joy

You bring me joy
Don't go too far away
If I can't see your face, I will remember that smile

But can this be right
Or should we be friends
I get lonely sometimes and I'm mixed up again
'Cause you're the finest thing I've seen in all my life
You bring me joy

My joy, my joy
I believe this is gonna be what you want it to be
I just love you, I just love you, can't you see
That you're the best I've seen in all my life
You bring me joy

My joy... you're my joy
My joy... my, my joy

Thank you, baby, thank you, baby
I just love you, baby
When I lose my way, your love comes smiling on me

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It's easy, and fun! Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

If you play, please link back to me and leave me a comment letting me know you played, so I can come visit! Thanks :-)

1. I love a _____!
2. _____ is my downfall.
3. I went to the _____ to _____, but I _____!
4. _____ is my favorite _____.
5. If I had a _____ I'd _____.
6. One of my favorite things to enjoy is _____!
7. I'm going to _____ this weekend!

1. I love a really good extra dirty martini!
2. Eating to fill a void in my life is my downfall.
3. I went to the cemetary to take pictures of the lion statue, but I couldn't find it; it was covered by a shed!
4. Misty Mountain Hop is my favorite Led Zeppelin song.
5. If I had a strong mind I'd more disciplined.
6. One of my favorite things to enjoy is salty chocolate!
7. I'm going to visit my cousin, go to a fair and take pictures at DeCordova this weekend!

I volunteered to be asked five questions by Finn, who is possibly related to Huck ;-)

1. What is your favorite self-taken photograph? That's a tough one! I don't think I have one favorite...here are a quickly put together bunch of favs :)



2. Why did you move to Japan and why did you move back? I moved to Japan because I married a guy in the Air Force, and he got stationed there. One of the best things that ever happened to me (the move, NOT the marriage). I moved back because his tour there was up, and although the general I worked for had offered to sponsor me for a year, it was too expensive for me to live on the Japanese economy.
3. You have an entire day to yourself, with no responsibilities and no work. Money is not an object. What do you do? Just a day? My first inclination would be to fly somewhere like Japan or Paris or Hawaii, but that would eat up too much time; I think I'd fly to New Mexico to visit my friend Gaylen. I miss her!
4. Are you quick to forgive or do you hold grudges? I'm not quick to hold a grudge...but I've been known to hold one or two in my life...I'm, by nature, a forgiving person, but sometimes it's hard for me to forget.
5. What is your Zodiac sign and do you think the description fits you? I'm Cancer the Crab...the moody mother hen of the zodiac. Read below, and tell me if you think it fits me:

The Sun awakened Cancer the Crab, a feminine sign in the zodiac on your birthday. The Sun in astrology stands for your inner nature, your essential character. The fourth sign of the Zodiac, Cancer is ruled by the restless Moon. A cardinal (creative and original) sign, Cancer governs home life, matters to do with women (especially the mother), as well as sensitivity and emotional intensity. It is a water sign, so Cancerian people are emotionally intense and deeper than they appear on the surface, while quite sensitive and understanding once you get through that tough exterior.

The Sun, ruler of our inner nature, is somewhat dimmed in Cancer, the home of the Moon. Creative and romantic, with a strong love of home, family and tradition, you are a good communicator and a strong provider. Your deep sensitivity presents you with valuable and illuminating intuitions, especially regarding those you care for.

Paradoxically combining a love of travel with a deep need for security, you surround yourself with sentimental objects from the past, including souvenirs, hand-me-downs and keepsakes. Cancerians are remarkably good at accumulating things; indeed, you can be unwilling to throw anything out, even relationships that have passed their use-by date. [hahaha that would be me!!!]

Cancer is also good with money and generally takes a long-term view. The main thing to remember is not to let the powerful, turbulent emotions of the moment crowd out your normally rational judgement. Your intuitions are reliable and should be trusted; you may even have natural psychic powers, which may be developed, given the right circumstances.

The emblem for Cancer is the Crab, a creature with a very hard shell which protects a soft interior. The crab walks sideways, which is how the Cancerian skirts around a problem until forced to take it on with gritty determination and a creative flair. The crab's large claws hang on to its possessions for dear life, just as the Cancerian collects things to beautify the environment and bravely defends the home turf.

Cancerians make good business people, combining artistry, originality and drive with an understanding of financial matters, marketing and the needs of the public. You can trust your intuitions, but you do need to generate a faith in yourself which will not be dampened by gloom or depression over what, in retrospect, may appear to be relatively insignificant problems. You have the natural ability to be diplomatic and to speak out when necessary or keep your mouth shut. Home and family ties will be significant in your life and developing a secure, comfortable home environment will be a boon to your state of mind, irrespective of your marital state.

DIRECTIONS FOR THE INTERVIEW MEME

1. Leave me a comment saying, "Interview me."
2. I will respond by emailing you five questions. I get to pick the questions.
3. You will update your blog with the answers to the questions.
4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.

How do you like my new design? Still fondofsnape, just a different header. Snape might be back in another incarnation as might be Captain Jack Sparrow, Percy as well as various pictures that I've taken...like the one that's there now :-)

As usual, Megan has outdone herself with this design, which she surprised me with! She's been quite busy with her new job, her new business (which I've linked to, check it out!) and various and sundry other things, but still found the time to do this. Thanks Megan!!!

Let me know what you think, and have a great weekend!

I volunteered to be asked five questions by Heather, who is certainly the first doctor-to-be to ever ask me questions such as these!

1. You're starting a second career as a pirate, what's your pirate name? Mrs. Captain Jack Sparrow :-)

2. What's your ship's name? Does it have any special amenities? You're a modern pirate after all! When the good Captain and I married, I told him we'd have to have the Black Pearl completely redone. He reluctantly agreed, and we now have a jacuzzi, a hot tub, a bedroom with a soft and comfortable, plush round bed, covered with layers of different colored silk, 3 bathrooms, one in the front of the ship, one in the back and one in the middle (when I gotta go...I gotta go!), which none of the crew are allowed in, btw, dirty heathens, and a comfortable reading room where I can go to relax and spend some time alone...altho with Jack...teeheehee, THAT'S not often, if you get my drift ;-)

3. You've just defeated your first foe, what kind of villain was he/she/it? Oh, my it was the scariest thing I've ever seen! It was a woman, and she just wouldn't stop TALKING! Almost made me want to walk the plank!

4. You just acquired the compass that points to your hearts desire - what is the compass pointing to? Why, Captain Jack Sparrow, of course :-)

5. What sea do you rule over? Um...all of them, silly girl!

Thanks for the great questions, Heather!

DIRECTIONS FOR THE INTERVIEW MEME

1. Leave me a comment saying, "Interview me."
2. I will respond by emailing you five questions. I get to pick the questions.
3. You will update your blog with the answers to the questions.
4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.

If you'd like to play, click here!

1. Found :: lost
2. Male :: female
3. Spoken :: word
4. Life :: force
5. Tonight :: warm
6. Fingernail :: clip
7. True :: feelings
8. Give up :: no!
9. Shining :: hotel
10. Everywhere :: is love

I volunteered to be asked still another five questions by Michelle, who is one of my most favorite photography models!

1. If you could live anywhere in the world other than the US or Japan; where would it be and why? I think it would be France...maybe not Paris, but somewhere quiet, out in the country. The reason I pick France and not Scotland or Hawaii is the weather, Scotland being too cold and Hawaii being too sunny (if there is such a thing!). The reason I pick France is the history, the sights, the food! And Julia loved it there :-)
2. What are three things you hope to accomplish in the next 3-5 years? Hmmm...pay off my debt, buy a home, spend some time in Japan, and live to see all the Harry Potter books be made into movies.
3. Your house is on fire (don't worry you have plenty of insurance and your pets and family members and camera are safe); what other three items do you take with you – you have to be able to carry them out. Ooooh, that's a tough one! 1) all the photo albums, 2) as many of my Japanese things as I could carry and 3) the hard drive...it's got all my pics on it!
4. You have to give up one of the following for a year which do you pick: Internet, TV or books (remember this means no HP in July!) Hmmm...another tough one...I'd have to go with TV...or maybe the internet...no, tv, damn you pointing out HP!
5. What are your thoughts on the whole Anna Nicole Smith story? Clearly...fame isn't everything [10 points to anyone who knows who that quote is from]. I think the whole thing is quite sad.

DIRECTIONS FOR THE INTERVIEW MEME

1. Leave me a comment saying, “Interview me.”
2. I will respond by emailing you five questions. I get to pick the questions.
3. You will update your blog with the answers to the questions.
4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.

Also, I wanted to share my favorite photos from this weekend with you :-)

And how was YOUR weekend?

Here's last Wednesday's picture:

This is the shot it was cropped from:

Popcorn...I went through a good many before I found one I thought would make a good photograph.

Lots of you got it right last week, teej was the first ... and she was cute about it: "Ooh! OOoh! I know this one!! It's a popcorn kernel, popped. Yea! *bounce* I'm so happy! I almost *never* get them figured out until you post the full picture. (Yes, I know, most normal adults would not be this excited about this.. *shrug*)"; Wil cracked me up: "Here I was, comparing this to the structures of a dragonfly wing when it was staring me in the mug the whole time - popcorn. Jeez!".

As always, thanks for playing!

So this week...

What is it?

Thirteen Things I love that begin with the letter K

1. Krispy Kremes: Altho I don't love them as much as I used to, I still remember the day I tasted one...and went...OH!MY!GOD!

2. Key West: Home of one of the most beautiful sunsets on earth, where everyone gathers to celebrate it!

3. Kiss: With the right person...oooh la la!

4. Kaleidoscope: All the colors, breaking up into yet more colors...love them!

5. Kitchen: One of my most favorite places in a house; I love cooking!

6. Keepsake: I have lots of those, too many!

7. King: of Gondor, as portrayed by Viggo Mortensen...omg!

8. Key: I love the sound of jingling keys; and I like knowing that a key opens things...things I want opened!

9. Kindness: Seems that there's all too little of this in the world, yet I'm still able to find some now and again :-)

10. Knights: Especially as portrayed by Heath Ledger :-)

11. Kittens: They're so adorable!

12. Kentucky: Where Johnny was born...where the grass is blue & the horses are fast...where mint juleps are a tradition.

13. Kashmir: One of my favorite songs by Led Zeppelin

Oh, let the sun beat down upon my face
And stars to fill my dream
I am a traveller of both time and space
To be where I have been
To sit with elders of a gentle race
This world has seldom seen
And talk of days for which they sit and wait
All will be revealed

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It's easy, and fun! Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

If you play, please link back to me and leave me a comment letting me know you played, so I can come visit! Thanks :-)

1. OMG I just saw a _____!
2. _____ ... the end.
3. When I want _____ I generally _____.
4. If I can _____ can you _____?
5. What a _____ sees a _____ owns.
6. It's been _____ since you _____
7. This weekend, I'm most looking forward to _____

1. OMG I just saw a baby's arm holding an apple!
2. Once there was a chick with a camera and two dogs ... the end.
3. When I want something I generally end up getting it.
4. If I can smell myself can you smell me?
5. What a shiba sees a shiba owns.
6. It's been one week since you last saw the Friday Fill-ins
7. This weekend, I'm most looking forward to finding my muse!

I was driving home from Whole Foods tonight, listening to the ElfPod (that's what I named my iPod mini, shut up!). I am an inveterate scanner of radio stations, and funnily enough...I also do this to my iPod. It got me thinking...what are the five songs you'd NEVER skip on your iPod? This is a bit different from "what 5 songs would you stop scanning your radio for" because ... well, on the iPod if you skip past a song, you can go back at any time. You know...it's ON your iPod, it's not going anywhere :-) but on the radio, once the song is over, it's over.

So...these are the five songs I'd never skip on my iPod:

- Werewolves of London, by Warren Zevon: I don't know why I love this song, but I do. With all my heart.
- The Cowboy Song, by Thin Lizzy: Man, I loved Thin Lizzy back in the day...this song just reminds me of the beach, warm weather, good times, boys
- Santa Monica, by Everclear: I was deep in my R&B and rap phase when I heard this for the first time and immediately fell in LOVE with it...lyrics AND music. I FELT it.
- One Week, by Barenaked Ladies: It's bouncy, cute, upbeat and makes me smile :-)
- Suffragette City, by David Bowie: Wham, bam, thank you ma'am. Quintessential Bowie, awesome song.

and ... my one guilty pleasure: Method of Modern Love by Hall & Oates. I love Daryl Hall's voice, it's so beautiful!

What are your five songs and your one guilty pleasure? If you don't have an iPod or similar device, feel free to use the songs you'd not pass over when you hear them on the radio :-)

If you'd like to play, click here!

1. Affair :: Calvin
2. Mortician :: My Girl
3. Determine :: figure out
4. Ignore :: easy to do
5. Guy :: "Teddy? It ain't over..."
6. Crush :: on you
7. Garlic :: smells good
8. Wacky :: tabaccy
9. Parent :: trap
10. Burning :: desire

Amy tagged me, and I'm not one to back down from a tag ;-)

Each player starts with 7 random facts/habits about themselves. People who are tagged need to blog about their seven things and post the rules as well. At the end of your post, choose 7 people to tag and list their names. Don't forget to leave them a comment telling them that they have been tagged and to read your blog! OK, here goes...

1) I love a peanut butter sandwich for breakfast with a cup of coffee! The peanut butter must be spread on half of the slice of bread, then the slice is folded over. Sometimes I'll spread some butter on first. Yum!
2) I have to be in the mood to clean. I'm not often in the mood. When I AM in the mood, no one can be home. Consequently, the house doesn't get cleaned very often :(
3) Sandwiches: Mayo on roast beef, mustard on ham. Always!
4) Lately, I've been having a very hard time getting out of bed. Someone told me yesterday that I didn't look happy. I feel ... ok? But I thought about it last night, and I don't think I've been happy for awhile. Hmmm...
5) A&W rootbeer, diet, with LOTS of ice is my favorite soda!
6) When I'm sitting at a table or bar with place settings, I'll mess around with them until they're straight and in the right place. I don't HAVE to...it's just something to do with my hands, like doodling or something LOL!
7) I'm reading a book called Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers, by Mary Roach. It's DAMN good!

Tag, YOU'RE it!

I volunteered to be asked five questions by Krista, who is about the only one who could get me to answer five more! She had some damn good questions, y'all!

1. Out of all the make believe places in your favorite movies, which one would you choose to live in and why. The Shire, it's so peaceful and green and people (ok, well, hobbits) just have fun there!

2. Vampire, Pirate, Sorcerer. Which one is the hottest and why. Well, let's just remove Pirate from that list, cause as Elizabeth Swann said: "...Except for a sense of honor and decency and a moral center. And personal hygiene." It's not the lack of a sense of honor and decency and a moral center that bothers me, of course, it would be the personal hygiene bit ;-0 And let's remove the Sorcerer, because...well...when I think of a sorcerer, I think of Saruman, and he wasn't hot in the least. So...that leaves Vampire...which OMG I think are SO damn hot!!!

3. If you could bring one mythical creature to life, what would it be. I think a phoenix...they're so beautiful, but my inner 10 year old says a unicorn :-)

4. What is your favorite thing to cook? That's a tough one...I love to cook just about anything! There's something satisfying about using the dutch oven when I cook, though, so I'll say ... a nice coq au vin.

5. If you could produce and direct your own movie, what would is be about? It would be about the story of my life...which wasn't always quite so..."tame" as it is now LOL!

Thanks, Krista, that was fun!

Thanks for the great questions, Heather!

DIRECTIONS FOR THE INTERVIEW MEME

1. Leave me a comment saying, "Interview me."
2. I will respond by emailing you five questions. I get to pick the questions.
3. You will update your blog with the answers to the questions.
4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.