"We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." ~George Bernard Shaw

"Look at everything as though you were seeing it either for the first or last time." ~Betty Smith, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn


Monday, December 31, 2012

Change.....It's a Good Thing!!

For the last year I have been posting on 3 blogs....
far too many I have decided...
So as of tomorrow I will only be using
this specific site. I will be posting photos
and getting a kick out of words and poetry
and new recipes that I will share with pleasure.
I'll just be doing it here on my newly named blog:
"It's a Snap" !!!
Feel free to comment and tell me what you think.
Cheers and Happy New Year!

Sunday, December 30, 2012

When the holidays arrive.....

Who knows what day it is?
I truly lose track of the days with 
everything that goes on...do you?

for more Six Word Saturdays go here:
and for more Shadow Shot Sundays go  here:

Magpie #149 Terminal Habits

image by R.A.D. Stainforth

Ashes to ashes
Until one lung collapses
Stubbing life out as we sigh
Not a sterling way to die

~~~~~~~~~~~~~



Thursday, December 27, 2012

A Blast From the Past


Happy New Year!
Years and years ago I had a family photo made for Russell for Christmas
 featuring Grace, me and our three cats
Mr Cat, Larry and Mighty Mouth.
Since then it has been used in a photo book (with our permision) entitled Awkward Family Photos.
We have had more than our fair share of Wharhol's
 "Everyone gets 15 minutes of fame".
It has now landed in Europe as Grace's fiance Radu
spotted this in Sweden!
So have a good laugh and a Happy Happy New Year!


Procrastination


Really good reasons to put things off...

Sunday, December 23, 2012

It's a Blizzardy Day!

I tried and tried to load my blizzardy video,
but to no avail- the 10 second video stays in a loop
Therefore: It never completes being uploaded.
ACK!
So- here are some photos of a few odd
Christmas Ornaments!
I was "prompted" to post these
by Stephen Hayes my all time favorite blogger..
http://chubbychatterbox.com/


Sluggo the Slug


Mica the Ant

and a Caterpillar and Grasshoppa
that remain un-named...
Merry Christmas!

Friday, December 21, 2012

Eric Alders Monday Photo Prompt 12-17-2012

Choices
Do I roam on a dusty dirt road
Or take the straight as an arrow cement
But wait there's a third choice for me
I prefer a way that's slightly bent
~~~~~~~

Go here to see more of Eric's photographs
and other's take on this weeks image:

It's a bird-it's a plane? Nope.....

It's Super Cat Lucy!!!

She loves to sleep by the fire and then
do her yoga excercises- today she
looked like a Super Cat to me!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Sunday, December 16, 2012

Magpie #148- Journeys of the Heart

photo by Andy Magee  

Journey begins
Good cheer and laughter fill the air
Homeward bound

photo by Kathe Worsley

As some of us head down our driveways
I look down mine waiting for my family....

Happy Holidays and New Year Everyone!
~~~~~~~~~
Thanks you Tess Kincaid for providing Magpie Tales
and for other's takes on this image go here:

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Eric Alders Monday Photo Prompt 12-10-2012

Stop to Reflect by Eric Alder

Stop and reflect
Past words and actions never cease
To reverberate
~~~~~~~~

For other's reflective takes on this fine image by Eric Alder go here:
http://bifocalunivision.blogspot.com/2012/12/monday-morning-photo-prompt-121012.html

 
 

Sunday, December 09, 2012

Magpie 147 Tattoos


There once was a lass named Drew
Who was covered with many tattoos
She resembled a large atlas
From her head to her cute ass
Which ended up in Who's Who

~~~~~~~~~~

 


Thanks to Tess Kincaid we have a visual challenge each week
For other's take on this stunning image go here:








Wednesday, December 05, 2012

Time to Bake Challah


Happy Hanukkah !
I am not Jewish, but we have friends who are
and I cannot think of a better holiday gift
than baking Challah not only for our friends,
but also for our family.
Happy Hanukkah !

Challah
Makes four  1-pound loaves
The recipe can easliy be doubled or halved

1 3/4 cups luke warm water
1/1/2 Tablespoons granulated yeast
1 1/2 Tablespoons Kosher salt
4 large eggs lightly beaten
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup unsalted melted butter
(or a neutral tasting oil such as canola)
7 cups unbleached all purpose flour
Egg wash (1 more egg beaten with 1 Tbl water)
Poppy or sesame seeds for the top

1. Mix the yeast,salt,eggs, honey and melted butter with
the water in a large bowl.
2. Mix in the flour without kneading, using a spoon, or a
14 cup food processor with dough attachment, or a
heavy-duty stand mixer with dough hook. I just use a
spoon and sometimes will have to wet my hands with water
to incorporate the last bit of flour. 
3. Place the dough in a 5 quart lidded food container and cover
with lid (not airtight) and let rest at room temperature until
the dough rises ( pretty much doubles) and flattens on top.
About 2-3 hours.
4. You can use this dough immediately, but it is easier if you
put it into the refrigerator for at least 3 hours.
 (fasten lid to be airtight)
Use the dough up within 5 days or freeze in 1 pound
portions in airtight container for up to 4 weeks.
Defrost overnight in refrigerator and follow the
usual rest and rise time below.
5. Butter or oil cookie sheet or use parchment paper.
Dust lightly surface of dough and cut off a 1# grapefruit
size of dough. Dust the piece with a bit more flour and 
shape into a ball by stretching the surface of the dough
 around to the bottom on all four sides rotating the ball
a quarter turn as you go.
6. Divide the ball into thirds using a knife, roll the balls
between your hands or on a board, stretching to form a
long thin rope. Let dough rest for 5 minutes if it is resisting. 
Braid the ropes starting from the center and working to one end.
Turn the loaf over, rotate it and braid from the center out
to the remaining end.  This produces a loaf with a more uniform
thickness than when braided from end to end.
Tuck ends under.
7. Allow the bread to rest and rise on the prepared sheet
for 1 hour and 20 minutes. 
8. Twenty minutes before baking time, preheat oven to 350F
If you are not using a baking stone just bring oven to temperature
before baking. Brush the loaf with egg wash and sprinkle with seeds.
9. Bake near center of oven for about 25 minutes. Adjust times
for smaller or larger loaves. The Challah is done when golden
brown and the braids near the center of the loaf offer
resistance to pressure. Due to fat in the loaf the Challah does
not form a hard crackling crust.
Allow to cool before slicing or eating.
Enjoy!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This recipe is from the book
"Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day"

Monday, December 03, 2012

Eric Alders Monday Photo Prompt 12-03-2012


One wheel
Two handles
A simple device
Needs no improvement

The one-wheeled Chinese wheelbarrow
 from Zhang Zeduan's (1085–1145) painting

To see this image and other's contribitions go here:

Sunday, December 02, 2012

Magpie Tales Keeping Time

Object to be Destroyed by Man Ray


Life is surreal
Keeping an eye on the clock
Time's up... tick tock-
Bong bong bong.
~~~~~~~~~~~

Thanks to Tess Kincaid for providing this venue
You can read other's timely contributions here:



Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Eric Alders Monday Photo Prompt 11-26-2012


Once again I am asking you to imagine an image as
currently Google has a "glitch" in it's system and
a lot of us are not able to post all the images we would
like to post. Such as me wanting to post Eric Alder's
fine close up photo of a old lichen covered wooden fence.
Now that you have that fine image firmly in your brain,
here's my little accompanying "ditty" ***
***I found a way to thwart blogger
so have added Eric's image! December 1,2012


I'm quite tired you see
Keeping back all invaders
Enduring icy snowballs 
and Halloween raiders
I've seen water balloon wars
and High School evaders
Attempting to escape
All the little 3rd graders
So tear me down and
Let in the neighbors
It's a lot more fun to play
Running  through freed acres 

~~~~~~~
to see Eric's photo and read other's posts go here:

Monday, November 26, 2012

Yahoo! A weird fix! Who cares ? It works!

A fellow bloggers work around works!!!!!
If you are having issues with posting photos
on Blogger try this from Vero:
"I don't think so these people don't have time to spare for the little bloggers like us.. I found something out which helped me to solve at least a small part piece of the puzzle. I noticed, every photo of mine that was rejected as too big was shot with the the zoom. I went ahead and cropped the picture via the windows snipping tool. The cropped pictures are all accepted, but when I tried to use the original one... it was again rejected. So far I am good now and able to add the cropped pictures. It must have something to do with the MB of the original. Not sure if that is of help for anyone"

and if you'd like to read all about it go here:

Sunday, November 25, 2012

Magpie Tales The Red Chair


Please visualize a red chair
in front of a deconstructed window
inside a ramshackle old building 
Until Google decides to fix it's glitch
I am unable to post any images.
Grr. Thanks for your patience.
Since I have none.**
**at long last I have figured out
 a sneaky work around so here's the image ....ta dah!
~~~~~~~~

I sit here 
In a red rage unable 
To communicate

~~~~~~~~~~~~

This is my favorite hour
One to relish and enjoy
Watching the power
Of the gently setting sun

~~~~~~~~~~

to actually see the red chair and read others posts
please go to Tess Kiincaid's Magpie Tales here:





Saturday, November 24, 2012

I have a useless google blog

Honestly I have tried everything to pay Google/Picasa for more storage space, BUT there seemingly is a HUGE software problem right now....see below:
Tarnation, Frustration and Damnation
Has anyone else encountered this annoying message
from Blogger. I have moved a ton of files off of Picasa
and I still get this message.

"Whoops! You're out of space. You are currently using 100% of your 1 GB quota for photos. Upgrade storage
Photos are stored in your Picasa Web Albums account and are included in your 1 GB free quota for photos. Additional storage you purchase is shared between several Google products and is in addition to your free quota. Learn more"

So I have attempted to add storage to Picasa Web Albums by agreeing to pay a nominal monthly fee but to no avail. I click on the "UPGRADE NOW" button and it leads to nothing.
And the google help site consists of a lot of us frustrated bloggers having the same issue. Look what this one person writes:

"Hi kathe,
Yeah, I understand.  My experience with Blogger is that it does not always delete my images when I delete posts in a batch.  
And that's why I asked to verify the usage by checking the setting in Picasaweb.  If the storage is not being freed up then the next step is to determine if the image is in fact being deleted from the Blogger album.  And that is not necessarily an easy thing to do when you have hundreds of images in there.
I do agree that you should not have to be doing all that verifying and checking.  I reported a deletion problem in Blogger over a year ago and never heard back."
Another writes in this:
"Hi:
I think there is suddenly some kind of a problem with the way Picasa Web Albums/Google+ and Blogger are working together, or rather apparently not working together. 
Suddenly we are getting a bunch of questions here on Blogger storage limits being exceeded, when if you look at the storage usage in Picasa Web Albums there is lots of space. 
On this forum we know that photos under a certain size don't contribute to your storage limits.  I wonder if Blogger has the same restriction, or are they counting the size of all photos?  Maybe they are totaling up the size of all photos or even the photos used in the blog no matter the size? 
I think this has got to be rectified by Google, because it doesn't look like PWA has any control over the usage Blogger sees, and blogger is seeing something different from what the account settings say. 
Hopefully one of the Top Contributors will elevate this to Google and maybe something will happen, but I wouldn't bet on it before the Thanksgiving holiday in the USA is over."
                                 SO! Is this Googles way of telling me "Happy Thanksgiving"???
Am I going to have to move to Word Press?
If any of you have a suggestion please comment!
Thanks!

For other Six Word Saturday submittals go here:
http://www.showmyface.com

Thursday, November 22, 2012

Is any one else having issues with Blogger and Google?

Tarnation, Frustration and Damnation

Has anyone else encountered this annoying message
from Blogger. I have moved a ton of files off of Picasa
and I still get this message.

"Whoops! You're out of space. You are currently using 100% of your 1 GB quota for photos. Upgrade storage
Photos are stored in your Picasa Web Albums account and are included in your 1 GB free quota for photos. Additional storage you purchase is shared between several Google products and is in addition to your free quota. Learn more"

Is this Googles way of telling me "Happy Thanksgiving"???
Am I going to have to move to Word Press?
If any of you have a suggestion please comment!
Thanks!

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Eric Alders Monday Photo Prompt 11-19-2012

Image provided by Eric Alder


Since this week is the week of overindulgence
I am giving you two for the price of one-
which one do you like the best?
For other's takes on Eric Alders image go here:


Greenbacks
Moolah
Dough ray mi
Money for you
and money for me
Any way it's folded
I recognize da guy
Original paper printer 
Printing bucks a mile high
~~~~
The story of paper money in America is linked to Benjamin Franklin. His first experience printing money came in 1728 while working for Samuel Keimer. The following year, he authored a booklet called "A Modest Inquiry into the Nature and Necessity of a Paper Currency." Franklin's first independent printing job for paper money was the Pennsylvania issue of 1731. By 1764 when Franklin's printing career ended, he alone in partnership with David Hall produced over 2,000,000 pieces of paper currency.

~~~~~~~~

Can you imagine our beloved feast
Without the tasty white meated beast?
Just visualize that bald headed bird
It really would look oh so absurd
Perched on the big Thanksgiving platter
Potential diners would be all ascatter
It's good that Ben did not have the last word
To make our Turkey the national bird

~~~~~~

Franklin's Letter to His Daughter (excerpt) "For my own part I wish the Bald Eagle had not been chosen the Representative of our Country. He is a Bird of bad moral Character. He does not get his Living honestly. You may have seen him perched on some dead Tree near the River, where, too lazy to fish for himself, he watches the Labour of the Fishing Hawk; and when that diligent Bird has at length taken a Fish, and is bearing it to his Nest for the Support of his Mate and young Ones, the Bald Eagle pursues him and takes it from him. "With all this Injustice, he is never in good Case but like those among Men who live by Sharping & Robbing he is generally poor and often very lousy. Besides he is a rank Coward: The little King Bird not bigger than a Sparrow attacks him boldly and drives him out of the District. He is therefore by no means a proper Emblem for the brave and honest Cincinnati of America who have driven all the King birds from our Country... "I am on this account not displeased that the Figure is not known as a Bald Eagle, but looks more like a Turkey. For the Truth the Turkey is in Comparison a much more respectable Bird, and withal a true original Native of America... He is besides, though a little vain & silly, a Bird of Courage, and would not hesitate to attack a Grenadier of the British Guards who should presume to invade his Farm Yard with a red Coat on."

Sunday, November 18, 2012

Blustery Day - Magpie 144

Squall, 1986, by Andrew Wyeth


On a lovely blustery Pooh day
With the wind whipping around
Bundled up we took a brisk walk
To see what might have fallen down
With the wind at our back
And our eyes on the ground
We almost missed that piece of sky
A remnant of a birthday now
Pinioned to a tree unable to fly 
 

Windy day photo by Kathe Worsley 
11-18-2012
~~~~~
Thanks to Tess Kincaid for Magpie Tales 
providing each week a new image for us.
Serendipidity and todays wind gave me the second image.
For more takes on this weeks Magpie Tales go here:

Eric Alders Monday Photo Prompt 11-12-2012

Soft comforting water
Hot water in my bath
Blue pools of water 
Life floats on water
Careful don't waste
Water is disappearing
~~~~~~~
Long after all humans had disappeared
The plastic bottles remained
Clear evidence of terminal stupidity
~~~~~
We take water for granted and should not:

Sunday, November 11, 2012

Veterans Day-Magpie 143

Verdun, 1917 by Felix Vallotton


Bullets fly
Children die
Young hearts
Brave hearts

The wounded cry
The medics fly
Young hearts
 Brave hearts

Mothers wait
Fathers pace
For their young hearts
Their brave hearts
~~~~~~~~~

World War I was supposed to be the
"War to end all Wars"
But we all know today that was not to be.
Today is the day to remember all those
who died so that we could have the freedoms
we sometimes too carelessly take for granted. 
 ~~~~~~
Tess Kincaid chose this appropriate image for her
blog Magpie Tales. You can read more entries here:

Friday, November 09, 2012

A Day in La Barra de Potosi

Our vacation wouldn't be complete without
a trip to Barra la Potosi!


We took the bus from downtown Zihuatanejo to Los Ochotes


Passing by the market places selling oranges-


Selling chickens for tonights dinner....


and I think this is where masa is sold?
Or maybe cheese?


After getting to Los Ochotes we took a bumpy ride
in the back of a pickup to la Barra.....lots of families were
already here enjoying the water...


Judy and Russell are on their shell phones....


La Senora was very busy today cooking ....


Prep area in the immaculate kitchen


After lunch some of us went swimming....


Others enjoyed the hammocks...


At the end of the day we enjoyed
the beautiful sunset back in Zihuatanejo....


And the release of the baby turtles
which I always find so amazing.
Today we fly home-back to reality
and the beginning of winter weather...

Tuesday, November 06, 2012

Eric Alders Monday Photo Prompt 11-5-2012

photo by Eric Alder

 Halloween's over and what do we have?
We're squishy and icky and stink!
We're ignored and we're really quite bored
Would someone please make us a drink?
It's the least you can do
After all we've been handy
Scaring all the kids who came for your candy.

~~~~~~~

Those poor guys- will someone puhleese toss 'em in the can?
For other's takes on Eric Alder's timely photo go here:

Monday, November 05, 2012

It's raining in Zihuatanejo!


Here's Bob and Judy with an unusual accessory...
an umbrella? We have never had rain before-
but it is rather refreshing!


Judy with Lola, her favorite Catalina cat.....


This morning's sunrise- I suspect the weather will be drier today.

Sunday, November 04, 2012

Click.... Magpie Tales#142



Charis, Lake Ediza, California, 1937 by Edward Weston


intense focus
sensual magnetic charisma
taut balance 
~~~~~~~~
Thanks to Tess Kincaid for providing this marvelous image
For other interpretations go here:


Another hard day on Playa la Ropa.....


Samuel the "Boss" of the Catalina Beach Bar
Really nice man- and a great sense of humor.


Roberto- a good friend and a man who never
runs out of hilarious stories!

My first little drawing of the season.
This one I gave to Samuel!
It complements the one I gave him last year.

It's been a bit rainy this year
Not that it stops us from having fun!




Friday, November 02, 2012

Vacation time in Zihuatanejo, Mexico


Alaska flight early morning headed to Los Angeles
Great flight on the turbo jet.


Touchdown!


Playa La Ropa below from our terrace 


It rained a bit the first day-no worries-
it was really refreshing!


The view from the dining area.
Now off to the beach and later downtown for
the Day of the Dead activities.
To see more of our trip pics go here:
and