I don't know about you, but I could use some brightness in my life right about now! Please enjoy these lovely flowers; one of the girls at work got a bouquet last week and she let me photograph them :-)

Happy May Day everyone!

Here's last Wednesday's picture:

This is the shot it was cropped from:

Shingles on a roof

Lots of you got it right last week! My cousin, the dackel princess was first: "I think it is a roof."; however, Robin was the first to get it completely right: "I'm going with turret and roof :-)".

Lisa said: "...I wanted to say it was the roof to Snape's summer get away home..." which made us (me) think we should write a story about said home :-)

Carmen cracked me up: "Clearly it's a picture of squares.". Yup! It is that!

As always, thanks for playing!

So this week...

What is it?

Thirteen Things I love that begin with the letter L

1. Love: Is there anything that feels better!

2. Lilacs: My absolute favorite flower, I ADORE the scent of lilacs!

3. Legolas: That is one fine elf!

4. LOTR Trilogy: Never in my wildest dreams did I think those movies could live up to what I envisioned...but they did, in fact, they surpassed what I envisioned...well...except for Tom Bombadil :)

5. Lupin: My second favorite Hogwarts professor.

6. Led Zeppelin: To think I didn't like them back in the day...when I actually could've seen them in concert! Arrrrrghhh!

7. Laughing: I love to laugh! My ex-husband once told me I laughed too loudly...imagine that!

8. Lemon: Mmmm, love to cook with them, drink lemonade, smell them!

9. Lollygag: Sometimes, it's beneficial to putter and dawdle :-)

10. Lobster: I ate alot of lobster growing up...but now at $15.00 a pound, I don't think I'll be having quite so much. I did have a delicious corn and lobster chowdah last night tho!

11. Licorice: The stronger the better, love the Australian kind! I prefer black, but I've been known to eat some strawberry licorice occasionally.

12. Laura/LooLoo/Lisa/Loremistress: Some of my favorite people!

13. Lola: My absolute favorite Kinks song!

She walked up to me and she asked me to dance
I asked her her name and in a dark brown voice she said lola
L-o-l-a lola lo-lo-lo-lo lola

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

Ninotchka is the Photo Thursday hostess this month. She says: I thought it would be fun for us to post our favorite pictures of the year thus far.

Oh, easier said then done, Ninotchka! I went though all my photos and settled on these 16:

I'll have you notice Max is included but not Wolf! See! It can happen ;-)

***updated***

As Julie kindly pointed out: "Isn't that Wolf on the beach?" Wolf IS represented in these pictures....OMG I'm losing it!

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

Hope this week's is easier for y'all!

1. I love _____ with my coffee/tea/etc.
2. _____ can't arrive too fast!
3. My friend _____ is _____.
4. Days like today when the sky is _____ and the weather is _____ are so awesome!
5. I am still _____ with your _____.
6. _____ are my favorite spring flowers.
7. This weekend, I'm _____ and _____

1. I love peace and quiet with my coffee/tea/etc.
2. July 13th can't arrive too fast!
3. My friend MaryEllen is spending the weekend at the most magical place on earth.
4. Days like today when the sky is deep blue and the weather is warm are so awesome!
5. I am still living with your ghost.
6. Lilacs are my favorite spring flowers.
7. This weekend, I'm going to a wedding and taking some pictures

If you'd like to play, click here! Hopefully these won't change on me this week LOL!

1. Tumor :: It's not a tumor (said in Ahnold's accent)
2. Bunch :: of grapes
3. Gratitude :: thank you
4. Feel alive :: amazing
5. Connect :: with the right person
6. Temptation :: we all have them!
7. Brighten:: your day
8. Jewelry :: is overrated
9. Tough :: exterior
10. Harmless :: inside

D'oh! I forgot to post this Friday! Does it count if I post it on Monday??? LOL!

Also on Friday, I bought tickets (8 of them, you beyotchs better pay me back!) to see Cirque du Soleil's Love! I'm so looking forward to this, it's the one reason I wanted to spend my birthday in Vegas LOL!

The weekend was filled with dog walks, cooking and TONS of cleaning; the porch is now clean, and ready to sit on once the weather gets warm. I'll post a picture of that soon. Dad's doing well, and I'm ok :-)

Oh I found out today about something GREAT that happened this weekend, only I can't talk about it yet and it's KILLING me, killing me, I tell you! And no, I can't say!

How was your weekend?

Before I get into this...please go visit my friend Megan and wish her a hearty congratulations...SHE GOT ENGAGED! That's the news I couldn't tell earlier...I'm so happy for her! And her ring is just gorgeous :-) SQUEEEEEeee!!!

Anyway, once again, I volunteered to be asked five questions, this time by Colleen, because I thought her questions would be quite interesting...I wasn't wrong!

1. What's the best part and worst part of being a Bostonian? The best part of being a Bostonian is...just being a Bostonian!

2. If you could go back to high school and know what you know now how would you be different? I'd run that damn school! Oh, and I'd join the photography club!

3. You and I are going to spend the day in Japan. Where would you take me? What would we do? What would we eat? First, I'd take you to Sapporo Ramen in Fussa, where they make the best ramen ever. Then, we'd walk along the banks of the Tama River, course it'd be during cherry blossom time and we'd admire the gorgeous blossoms. I'd take you into Seiyu, which is a grocery store on the first floor, and a department store on the other 3 floors. I'd show you the different foods, the uniquely Japanese things. Then we'd hop on a train to Ginza, and just walk around taking in the sights. Afterwards, I'd arrange for us to go visit my friend Hisayo and enjoy some Japanese hospitality.

4. What song best describes your life philosophy and why? Over The Hills and Far Away, by Led Zeppelin:

Many have I loved - Many times been bitten
Many times I've gazed along the open road.

Many times I've lied - Many times I've listened
Many times I've wondered how much there is to know.

5. You've just won the lottery, a million dollars. How would your life change if you didn't have to work? What would you do with your money? Haysus, I would quit my job SO FAST my head would spin. I'd give money to my family and friends, then I'd invest...And after that I'd hop on a plane and visit Gaylen and Hisayo and Masayo and Mich (NM, Japan, Honolulu). I'd buy a house in New England, and one in Japan, and they'd both have shiba proof fenced in yards.

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 I could make one more request...please go wish my friend MaryEllen the happiest of birthdays! She's my only friend older than me, so I treasure her (for other reasons too!). It's been our tradition as of late to take a vacation together on or about her birthday...but this year I missed it and she went with her Mother instead. We've gone to Hawaii, we've gone cruising, we've gone to Disney (which I think was her favorite!), so I'm including some shots of her from our many vacations. Enjoy!

From our mini vacation to VA in June 2006; doesn't she look so happy? It's cause it's not her birthday month!

She even surfs!!!

And hangs on pirates' every word

All dressed up to see her son perform in NY City!

A rare smile! This was from our May 2005 cruise to Paradise Island, among other places.

And this one is of her getting ready to skate; she figure skated competitively, in addition to her other talents, which includes being a dominatrix, mother and great friend ;-)

Happy Birthday, Surger!!!

Since she's such a smiley face lover, I took this picture just for her! I'm nice like that ;-)

xoxoxo

Janet

Here's last Wednesday's picture:

This is the shot it was cropped from:

Pinecones, all in a row :-)

Once again, many of you got it right last week! Amy was first: "It is either a pinecone that hasn't opened or a basket...I gonna go with pinecone!".

A couple of you outed me tho:

Lisa: "...Chinese handcuffs...Dominatrix in training, don't you know? ;-)"
MB: "...a leather braided whip. You've got one of those right?"
Laura: "...riding crop? Studded condom?"

Bad, bad girls--I have NOTHING of the sort!

Since Carmen "I'm hoping it's a pinecone and not the scales on a snake. Because that picture would be WAY too close." and rampant bicycle "But I'm with Carmen - please tell me that it's NOT a snakeskin! That'd be up too close and personal for me. ;)" seemed to share a phobia, I decided NOT to use the picture I snapped this past weekend of a snake that Wolf disturbed swimming away across a pond :-)

As always, thanks for playing!

So this week...

What is it?

Thirteen Things I love that begin with the letter M

1. Mom, MB, Mel, Megan, MaryEllen, Michelle, Michele, Michele A., Monique, Melissa, Miss Zoot: Some of my favorite people whose names or blognames begin with the letter M!

2. Michael: My first real love.

3. Macaroni and cheese: Only by Kraft...but a damn close runner up is Cobblestone's! Yum!

4. Malted milk balls: My favorite candy in the Easter basket!

5. Making out: With the right person...heaven!

6. Mandala: I love circles!

7. Maple: Trees, candy, syrup, the scent...LOVE it!

8. Mardi Gras: Never been; always wanted to!

9. Magic: This word makes you look at things from a different angle. It's not a humdrum 9-5 word, is it?

10. Marshmallows: Burnt black, please!

11. Massage: So calming, so relaxing...I need one!

12. Meadow: This word conjures up long green grass, blowing in the wind...some flowers, blue skies...ahhhhh

13. Misty Mountain Hop: My very favorite Led Zeppelin song:

So I'm packing my bags for the Misty Mountains
Where the spirits go now,
Over the hills where the spirits fly

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

Random and Odd says: "Put something you own in your hand and take a picture of it. A handful of something.", so I did!

Why is the rum always gone???

Also, here are all manner of hands holding all manner of "things":

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. It's _____! Woohoo!
2. Only 13 more days til _____.
3. It was _____ yesterday! [ed. note: that was for Monique!]
4. I love my _____.
5. _____ is something that doesn't matter, unless you are a _____.
6. Mothers: _____.
7. I'd like to do _____ and _____ this weekend.

1. It's Friday! Woohoo!
2. Only 13 more days til Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (well, the midnight showing, anyway!).
3. It was a good day yesterday!
4. I love my Keen Yogui shoes.
5. Age is something that doesn't matter, unless you are a cheese. - Billie Burke
6. Mothers: we may struggle with them, but deep down we love them.
7. I'd like to do some gardening and some cleaning this weekend.

Grab the Scavenger Hunt code. Photo Theme. Join the blogroll. Visit participants.

two flowers, five petals

Robin tagged me, and it's a lazy Sunday, so here goes!

* Each player starts with eight random facts/habits about themselves.
* People who are tagged need to write their own blog entry about their eight things and post these rules.
* At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names.
* Don't forget to leave them a comment telling them they're tagged, and to read your blog.

Okay, enough rules. Here goes...

1) Planted some herbs today, two basil, one rosemary. Also a petunia and another flower that I can't remember the name of! Here's a pic:

What's it called, anyone know?
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) My new fav sandwich is rosemary ham with a slice of provolone cheese. Haven't figured out the best condiment for it yet, tho...mustard seems too strong ... I want to taste the rosemary!
4) Why am I suddenly so addicted to CSI?
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 Finn: A Novel by Jon Clinch. It's about Huckleberry Finn's father, who was NOT a nice man at all...and it's a very interesting read!
8) We just got a new lawn mower and I went and mowed the lawn. It looks and smells so good!

Eight of you are tagged! I mean it!

Happy Mother's Day :)

If you'd like to play, click here!

1. Film :: Harry Potter and The Order of the Phoenix, which I'm impatiently awaiting!
2. Dragon :: Smaug
3. Hunger :: pangs
4. Plucked :: chicken
5. Dissolving :: sugar
6. Executive :: decision
7. Ridiculous:: Professor Lupin (and I don't mean he's ridiculous, I mean the pronunciation of this word sounds like the spell, "Riddikulus" that Lupin teaches
8. Mist :: quiet
9. Minority :: report
10. Map :: of Mordor

I'm considering selling my Canon 20d along with three lenses: 50mm f/1.8, 70-200mm f/4 and 17-85mm f/4-5.6. I also have various filters for these lenses.

If anyone is interested, please contact me to discuss price.

Thanks!

Never mind the fact that Spring is counted as the whole months of March, April, and May in the Northern Hemisphere that it officially begins on the Vernal Equinox (March 20th or 21st and lasts until the Summer Solstice (June 21st or 22nd in the Northern Hemisphere; spring to me is when the lilacs blossom!

My brother, who fixes/rebuilds/sets up computers on the side, recently told me about a family he met while doing this; the daughter, Minna, has cerebral palsy & Reiger's syndrome and is wheelchair bound. She's 24, lives with her mother (her father passed away from cancer in 1999) and they don't have a lot of money. Minna's trying to raise enough money to purchase a lift van so that she can get around more easily and take care of herself. To read more, click on Minna's Ride.

If you'd like to donate, please do so. I can assure you this is not a scam!

Last week, Michele Agnew made my blog her Site of the Day! Thank you Michele - she picked a fun day, that's for sure! I enjoyed all the comments and the folks that came to visit, thank you all :-)

Here's last Wednesday's picture:

This is the shot it was cropped from:

The pineapple looking one is Godiva Shampoo: "While we do suggest that you try this sultry jasmine scented hair softening shampoo and cocoa butter conditioner bar to see what all the fuss is about, you may wish to re-consider riding bareback naked afterwards. Godiva was the inspiration, not the protocol." and the red one is called New! (Hair) Shampoo: "A spice bar for the scalp. Cinnamon, peppermint, and clove bud oil revitalize your scalp and hair follicles as it eliminates dirt, grime, and product residue. Use it and you'll feel like a whole new person - not that you were bad to begin with." I love my Lush products!

Megan was first: "I'm gonna guess the new shampoo bar you got from LUSH last night that I smelled on your hair. That or red maggots and caked grease in petri dishes. I opt for the former.".

My cousin, Mel, had the funniest answer last week: "The 'H' is for Hogwarts, of course! It's three tins of magic potions. The first one will keep snakes and spiders away, the second will make you invisible after it is rubbed on and the last one is used to attract Snape, vampires and lovers of all sorts. I understand Snape can not resist a women once it is dabbed on around her neck! LOL!"

As always, thanks for playing! By the way, all photos used in What Is It Wednesday are marked as "private" in my flickr account...that's so no one can view the picture at a bigger size to get a better look!

So this week...

What is it?

Thirteen Things I love that begin with the letter N

1. Newburyport: My favorite town to visit, to explore, to go to the beach.

2. Nap: Nothing like a nap on a rainy day!

3. Nuture: It's nice to take care of people...to a point :-)

4. Nature: I love being out in nature, walking around, smelling the lilacs, the evergreens, the autumn leaves, the snow, the beach

5. Neck: Yeah, neck[ing] is fun!

6. Night: I was out at about 4 am last night and enjoyed the peace and quiet of the night.

7. Nox: The only Harry Potter spell that begins with N. "Latin for "darkness". This spell counters "Lumos" by extinguishing the light "Lumos" creates."

8. Neighborhood: When I was a kid, all the people on my street had kids my age, it was a nice neighborhood. Everyone knew each other. Now? Not so much, and I miss that!!

9. Neptune: Makes me think of the ocean

10. Naughty: It's fun to be naughty sometimes ;-)

11. Niche: I still don't think I've found mine.

12. Noodles: I heart noodles in any way, shape or form!

13. Nillson: One of my favorite singers from back in the day; this guy was CRAZY!

Me and my arrow
Straighter than narrow
Wherever we go, everyone knows
It's me and my arrow

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

Ninotchka is the Photo Thursday hostess this month. She asks: What's something that's useful in your home that you have come to really love? That's easy!

I absolutely adore this Keurig coffee maker! Ok, it's not even mine, it's Dad's, but...I use it every day! It makes a quick cup of coffee that tastes good. What more could I want?

Yum!

Random and Odd says: "Show me your favorite frame, framed picture, a frame you have been coveting in a store or online, or get creative and show us your version of ‘framed’.

"framed by a palm"
Taken sometime between May 3-7, 2004 while on a cruise to Cozumel (among other places) during a shore excursion to some Mayan ruins in Tulum.

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

I'm doing it a bit different this week; below are seven quotes...if you know the quote, feel free to fill it in but it'd be more fun to fill them in with your own words!

1. How poor are they who have not patience _____!
2. All human actions have one or more of these seven causes: _____.
3. It's the friends _____.
4. Hate _____, love _____.
5. Everything has its _____ but not everyone sees it.
6. I don't give a damn for a man that can only _____.
7. The advantage of a bad memory is that _____

Have a great weekend!.

1. How poor are they who have not patience! - William Shakespeare
2. All human actions have one or more of these seven causes: chance, nature, compulsion, habit, reason, passion, and desire. - Aristotle
3. It’s the friends you can call up at four a.m. that matter. - Marlene Dietrich
4. Hate the sin, love the sinner. - Mahatma Gandhi
5. Everything has its beauty but not everyone sees it. - Confucius
6. I don't give a damn for a man that can only only spell a word one way.. - Mark Twain
7. The advantage of a bad memory is that one enjoys several times the same good things for the first time. - Friedrich Nietzsche

Grab the Scavenger Hunt code. Photo Theme. Join the blogroll. Visit participants.

The result!

Dessert!

I volunteered to be asked five questions by Michele, because obviously I'm crazy about questions! Sorry it took so long, Michele, I know you asked me more than two + weeks ago!

1. You and I are going to Japan together. You are only allowed to show me five places/things. What do you pick? First of all, let's say we'd going in fall:

- a. We'd try to climb Mt. Fuji!
- b. We'd go to Shinjuku, where there are just so many things to see and do!
- c. We'd visit the castle that has "nightingale" floors; when you walk on the floors they make bird sounds, which was used to stop enemies.
- d. We'd climb Tokyo Tower, just a tiny bit taller (deliberately) than the Eiffel Tower, for a magnificent view of Tokyo.
- e. Finally, I'd bring you to one of the Iron Chef restaurants for a meal you'd never forget!

2. What is your favorite childhood memory? Summertimes with my cousins down the Cape (Cape Cod to you folks not from around here)!

3. Hopefully I will make it up to Boston sometime this spring/summer. Where will you suggest we meet up? At your hotel, so I can drag you all around Boston! Of course, I'd have to bring you to Newburyport, too, cause it's my favorite place in MA and I like to share :-)

4. What are you most looking forward to in Vegas? 1) Seeing all my friends; 2) Seeing the Cirque du Soleil show, Love!

5. What do you think is your best quality? My ability to never be bored.

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.
No More!!!

If you'd like to play, click here!

I say ... and you think ... ?

1. Coastguard :: Dad
2. Buddies :: Dog
3. Nap :: good
4. Groan :: not again!
5. Sitcom :: My Name is Earl
6. Reader :: blog
7. Heroes :: Hiro :-)
8. Amazing :: Grace
9. Woman :: chick
10. Don’t! :: Do it!

Lately, the dogs have been acting weird, panting, staying close to me. I figure it's the weather change; they can sense storms when they're miles away and neither one of them likes thunderstorms. Recently, about 4:30 am (guess that's technically morning LOL), Wolf woke me up; he was pacing 3 corners of a square, from one to another to another and back again, sniffing and sniffing. Of course there was a load of laundry in that corner, and I was afraid "something" was there, so I got up and distracted him by taking him out to pee. Then, of course, Max had to go. I decided to hop on the computer and check emails. Wolf fell asleep next to me on the floor, until I happened to look outside, saw it was light and asked him if he wanted to go for a walk. HELL YES, he did!

So we walked for about 30-35 minutes, and I tell you, it's so peaceful out that early! Not many cars, although I did encounter another dog walker. The lilacs smelled awesome in the early morning air, and what was left of the sunrise was spectacular.

It's nice to do every now and again, but I don't think I'll be making a habit of it!

Something I am trying to make a habit of is eating better. Starting on 5/14 and going nine days, I'm cutting out meat; protein will come from chickpeas, tofu, lentils, beans and egg whites (four a day, which seems like a waste to me, the poor yolks, so I tend to have Eggbeaters instead). Calcium comes from two 6-ounce low fat or fat free yogurts and two cups of low fat, fat free or soy milk. I can have almost any fruit (no avocados) or veggie (no white potatoes) I want, any quantity. I'm allowed per day 2 cups of brown rice, 1 cup of oatmeal, 2 cups of herbal tea and all the herbs, spices and water I want. The only thing I'm cheating on is I'm not supposed to have any caffeine, so I'm sneaking in one cup of coffee per day. I have a salad for lunch, carrots & celery for snacks, oatmeal and fruit for breakfast, altho this morning I had a leftover frozen smoothie.

I LOVE eating this way! The first night, I made some brown rice, steamed some broccoli, chopped up a raw carrot, and heated up some white beans in a bit of italian dressing and tossed it all together. Crunchy, chewy goodness! Wednesday I made vegetarian chili, and mixed it with some brown rice. OMG is that chili good! It was simple, too:

two cans of chili beans in sauce
1 can of black beans, drained
1 32 oz can of diced tomatoes
1 can rotel tomatoes with chilis
1 can fat free refried beans (thickens the chili)
Chili powder
cumin
red pepper

Finely chop an onion and saute it in a bit of olive oil along with some garlic; if any oil if left over, drain it.

Add all the beans & tomatoes and chili powder, cumin, red pepper.

Bring to a boil, then let simmer for 1/2 hour and serve.

Another thing I made that I really liked was a smoothie...here's the recipe:

6 ounces fat free or low fat vanilla yogurt (I use Fage 0% fat, so didn't have vanilla, so I added some vanilla flavoring)
4 ounces of fat free or lowfat or soy milk
some splenda
a handful of ice
a handful of frozen strawberries (or blueberries or whatever fruit you like)

Put the yogurt, milk, vanilla, splenda and a handful of ice cubes in the blender and blend til smooth, then add the strawberries and blend til smooth.

I just saw this quiz over at Swordgirl's, and was shocked to see the card I came up with!

You are the Hanged Man

Self-sacrifice, Sacrifice, Devotion, Bound.

With the Hanged man there is often a sense of fatalism, waiting for something to happen. Or a fear of loss from a situation, rather than gain.

The Hanged Man is perhaps the most fascinating card in the deck. It reflects the story of Odin who offered himself as a sacrifice in order to gain knowledge. Hanging from the world tree, wounded by a spear, given no bread or mead, he hung for nine days. On the last day, he saw on the ground runes that had fallen from the tree, understood their meaning, and, coming down, scooped them up for his own. All knowledge is to be found in these runes.

The Hanged Man, in similar fashion, is a card about suspension, not life or death. It signifies selflessness, sacrifice and prophecy. You make yourself vulnerable and in doing so, gain illumination. You see the world differently, with almost mystical insights.

What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.

Given that I'm on this 9 day detox phase, it seems pretty applicable to me!

- That was the LAMEST season of 24. OMG! That ending was so incredibly STUPID:

Jack: professes his love; Audrey: eyes fluttering in sleep. Jack: professing his DEEP love; Audrey: eyes still fluttering in sleep. Jack: still professing his love; Audrey: eyes still fluttering in sleep. Blech!

- I haven't seen Heroes yet...so don't mention anything!
- I still love My Name is Earl - it's like living the 70s all over again!
- Kat's gone from Miami Ink? Damn!
- Does anyone else think Gil Grissom (with the beard) from CSI looks a bit like the ghost in The Ghost & Mrs. Muir?
- Lost continues to make a strong come back...I'm looking forward to the season ender!!!
- Supernatural: The season ender to that was nothing short of amazing! Wonder what'll happen to Dean next year? Damn! (literally hehehe)

Here's last Wednesday's picture:

This is the shot it was cropped from:

GoofyGirl guessed correctly: "Some kind of quartz rock??"

These folks had answers that made me laugh: My cousin, Mel: "Or it is the side of a mountian where there several gondolas crashed into the snow."; Carl: "Methinks someone bit into a frozen brownie and left some of their teeth/roots behind."; Dew: "My son says, "It's a bacterium, surfing."; ME: "...bloody body parts from a car wreck in a snow storm". You folks are truly sick! Well...not Dew...LOL!

As always, thanks for playing! By the way, all photos used in What Is It Wednesday are marked as "private" in my flickr account...that's so no one can view the picture at a bigger size to get a better look!

So this week...

What is it?

Why is the rum always gone?
I'm taking a break from the alphabet this week in honor of the release of Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End tonight (yes, I'm going, d'oh!)! Without further ado, here are
Thirteen Quotes I love from the Pirates of the Caribbean movies

13. Elizabeth: Captain Barbossa , I am here to negotiate the cessation of hostilities against Port Royal. Barbossa: There are a lot of long words in there, Miss; we're naught but humble pirates. What is it that you want? Elizabeth: I want you to leave and never come back. Barbossa: I'm disinclined to acquiesce to your request. Means "no".

12. Barbossa: First, your return to shore was not part of our negotiations nor our agreement so I must do nothing. And secondly, you must be a pirate for the pirate's code to apply and you're not. And thirdly, the code is more what you'd call "guidelines" than actual rules. Welcome aboard the Black Pearl, Miss Turner .

11. Pintel: [opens door of the closet] 'Ello, Poppet.

10. Will Turner: You cheated. Jack Sparrow: Pirate.

9. Barbossa: For too long I've been parched of thirst and unable to quench it. Too long I've been starving to death and haven't died. I feel nothing. Not the wind on my face nor the spray of the sea. Nor the warmth of a woman's flesh. [steps into moonlight becoming a skeleton] You best start believing in ghost stories Miss Turner. You're in one.

8. Barbossa: You're off the edge of the map, mate. Here there be monsters.

7. Jack Sparrow: Now... bring me that horizon. [humming] "And really bad eggs." Drink up me 'earties. Yo ho. [snaps compass shut]

6. Jack Sparrow: We are very much alike, you and I, I and you... us. Elizabeth Swann: Oh. Except for a sense of honor and decency and a moral center. And personal hygiene. Jack Sparrow: [Sniffs his armpit and looks back] Trifles.

5. Tia Dalma: Would you do it? Hm? What would you... Hm? What would any of you be willing to do, hm? Would you sail to the ends of the Earth and beyond to fetch back witty Jack and him precious Pearl?

4. Elizabeth Swann: There will come a moment when you will have a chance to show it. To do the right thing. Jack Sparrow: I love those moments. I like to wave at them as they pass by.

3. Jack Sparrow: 'Ello, beastie. [smiles and draws his sword]

2. Tia Dalma: The compass you bartered from me it cannot lead you to this? Jack Sparrow: Maybe. Why? Tia Dalma: Ah, Jack Sparrow does not know what he wants.

1. Will Turner: What vexes all men? Tia Dalma: What, indeed. Gibbs: Well, the sea! Pintel: Sums! Ragetti: The dichotomy of good and evil. Jack Sparrow: A woman.

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

Random and Odd says: "SPF: Something "Pink and Little" (minds out of the gutter)

"target"


"cute lil chihuahua"


"lil pink flowers"

Have a great Memorial Day weekend!

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

1. 10 years at sea; one _____!
2. Why is the _____?
3. Here there be _____.
4. Ah..._____ does not know _____.
5. The _____ from the _____ must _____.
6. Of course it makes you _____.
7. This weekend, I _____, _____ and maybe even _____! Happy _____ Day!

Have a great weekend!.

1. 10 years at seas; one day on land.
2. Why is the rum always gone?
3. Here there be monsters.
4. Ah...Jack Sparrow does not know what he wants.
5. The Pirate Lords from the four corners of the Earth must stand together.
6. Of course it makes you look fat.
7. This weekend, I will take Diane out to dinner and a movie for her birthday, go to my cousin's house for a cookout and maybe even get to spend some alone time! Happy Memorial Day!

This Memorial Day weekend, please say a prayer or light a candle or think a good thought or whatever you do for Eon-Paul, who passed away May 19 and left behind his wife and two children.

His parents lived down the street from us; my Mom knew and was friendly with them. As you can probably tell by his name, Eon-Paul's parents were pretty much free spirits. When Eon-Paul's mom got pregnant with him, my mother was thrilled...she loved all babies!

Eon-Paul's parents divorced, his mom remarried a big ole man who, of course, goes by the name of Tiny and they all moved away, but still kept in touch...even after Mom passed, they'd still call Dad. Like this morning...Tiny called Dad to let him know what had happened to Eon-Paul.

Eon-Paul...you had someone waiting for you up there, didn't you?

Without some sadness, we'd never know how good happiness is. Without some ugliness...we'd never realize beauty.

If you'd like to play, click here!

I say ... and you think ... ?

1. Dancer :: Tony
2. Intellectual :: Harvard
3. Direct :: sales
4. Tolerate :: please
5. Post :: entry
6. Instinctive:: feelings
7. Brink :: truck
8. Regain :: what's lost
9. Repulsed :: hairy
10. Distressed :: fabric

ahhhh, the weekend! A glorious, nice long weekend filled with just the right amount of things to do! Truth be told...maybe TOO much, but I'm not complaining!

Friday I went over to Megan's; we headed up to Nashua to do some shopping and have dinner. Got some free POTC temporary tattoos, which made my night!

Saturday, I did some shopping, made dinner for Dad and headed over to Megan's for a cook out. She had the BEST black bean and mango salad; I'll post the recipe soon! She and Jim, her fiance, invited some folks over and we sat around outside, eating and drinking and talking. Fun! They grilled, in addition to other things, some eggplant, which is my new favorite thing to eat!

Mango-y goodness!

Sunday, I took Wolf for a walk in the woods and ran into Megan & her friend, Kristin there; took Dad out for breakfast at the Owl; then Michelle came over and we went back to the woods with Max in tow.

We saw two turtles on our walk, isn't this little guy adorable?

That evening, I took my friend Diane out for dinner (Melting Pot...eh...except for the chocolate fondue, THAT was awesome) and a movie (POTC 3; she had a hard time following it, then gave up and just delighted in the piratey hotness that is Captain Jack Sparrow). She savored getting out without the kids and being surprised; I enjoyed surprising her AND our impromptu stop at the Container Store, which I'd always wanted to go to!

Monday, up early to get ready to go to MB's for the day! Michelle came along with Dad, the dogs and me and we had a relaxing, delicious, puppy filled day that even included a bit of shopping at the oh so awesome annual Memorial Day craft fair.

Puppylove!

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend!

Here's last Wednesday's picture:

This is the shot it was cropped from:

Dew was the first of MANY to get this right: "Easy this time! A McDonald's fries box in the grass." By the way, there will be a blog entry about this soon...it's really quite amazing how McDonald's is so recognizable!

Shirley and Mel had answers that made me laugh:

Shirley: "well, I was going to say the same as Dew, but for the sake of fun and variety, I'll say " the front of a brightly painted pirate ship as viewed through tall tropical reeds"."

my cousin, Mel: Anyone can easily see that it is a witch's slipper left in the grass as her broom lifted her off the ground and into the air. I understand that finding these slippers is very rare because they vanish in the moonlight. Good find Jan!

As always, thanks for playing! By the way, all photos used in What Is It Wednesday are marked as "private" in my flickr account...that's so no one can view the picture at a bigger size to get a better look!

So this week...

What is it?

***EDITED***

Let me rephrase: What is it in the picture of the lovely garden that might be unusual?

Thirteen Things I love that begin with the letter O

1. Obsidian: Like the way the word rolls off my tongue...do you know obsidian is made from a volcano?

2. Odor: I love odors, as long as they're good!

3. Octopus: Any animal that can change colors is ok by me!

4. Ok: I adore words in the affirmative!

5. Odds Bodkins: Love English minced words!

6. October: My very favorite month of the year!

7. Occlumency: Another Harry Potter spell; one that Snape is VERY good at. "From the Latin "occlude," meaning "to close, shut up, close off." This is the defense of the mind against external attack. Occlumency is the only way to protect one's mind from someone using Legilimency."

8. Ocean: I love the ocean, there is nothing more calming than listening to waves breaking on sand...given they're not too strong!

9. Opportunity: Nothing like the right opportunity coming your way!

10. Oops!: hehehe this word makes me laugh :-)

11. Oui: Another affirmative word, and one French one I don't mind!

12. Osmosis: I swear that's how I learn, by osmosis LOL!

13. Over the Hills and Far Away: My second favorite Led Zeppelin song!

Many have I loved - many times been bitten
Many times I've gazed along the open road
Many times I've lied - many times I've listened
Many times I've wondered how much there is to know

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

Today is Ninotchka's last Thursday as Photo Thursday hostess this month. She asks: "...share with me your "water" pictures. I know some of you already did and you left me hungry for more. :) I can't wait to see what (more) you have to offer!"