"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: