First Rain of the Season

It's that time of year. Sunset time of year. And I really like that shade of orange with the black. Reminds me of Halloween.

Autumnal Sunset

Thanksgiving went rather traditional this year. The standard fare was tasty and plentiful. We opened some local Petite Sirah and had black tongue the next day, which was handy as it was Black Friday.

A local winery was offering up some good wine for $100 a case on Black Friday, so we hustled up the hill to stake a claim, and now we have plenty of wine and plenty of turkey sandwiches.

I hope your T-day was a happy one. Onward to Christmas!

Welcome September & Happy Labor Day!

Betsy Ross is my hero, whether or not she made this flag for General Washington.

I just processed a boat-load of tomatoes. I blanched them, then chilled them in ice water to remove the skins. I will freeze them now for a tomato sauce in the future. It's an easy process in theory, but these are mini Roma style tomatoes that I'm growing this year. It's takes about six of them to equal one regular sized Roma.

So I've been peeling little effin tomatoes for the last hour. I'm making buns for dinner too. I put some wheat and a some honey in the dough, so I guess I can call them honey wheat buns - well, honey wheat slider buns. We're having sliders for din din. Yay!

I suppose all this should be over at foodie judy's blog with photos instead of here. I wonder why I have three blogs. (Actually I have more but some are not active.) I am so hesitant to give up on Foodie Judy. 

My Bento blog has a niche, so it's not going anywhere, and I've just started the "Bento of the Day" gig. We'll see how that goes. I started a Flickr group called "Bento of the Day." I post the bento on Flickr, Pinterest, and Twitter, as well as blog it. I'm trying to uncover bento bloggers I'm missing because we aren't on the same highway, so to speak. 

What I'm uncovering is that Pinterest is winning the hearts and minds and time of folks like us. 

I still like to read blogs. I still use Flickr even if the new and improved layout is a little annoying. I wish Twitter was funner. And every once in a while I am amazed at Tumblr. I mean the talent and creativity of some those I follow is awesome. Facebook is a love/hate relationship. My email is clogged with a lot of stuff I don't care about. 

And that's my status of social networking to the people who might read this. 

Tell me where do you think all of this interaction will lead? Would you like a free gift? 

Everybody likes a free gift. I've had give-aways before, and some people will follow you - my guess thinking their odds are better to win, then unfollow you when they don't. It kind of stings. 

But in order for them to find you, you have to put "give away" in the title. And I didn't, but I might edit this again, but I probably should move on.

Summer Sunset

Summer Sunset 2013

Calling Cards!

I am a Cloud Junkie. This is a fact that I have come to accept as part of my whole being. Clouds make break out in song. Clouds make me look like fool as I jump out of vehicles to photograph them. Add a sunset and I'm likely to dance a jig too. So what's a happy girl to do.

Make calling cards of my cloud photos!

This is the word side covered up.

Name.

Phone number.

Email address.

with my icon!

Speaking of which, here he is with his stuff. Catnip and crackers. What a mess!

And I know I haven't really blogged about notebooks much or at all, considering this is Judy's Notebook. But I do collect them and fill them up with words and pictures and other things. I guess you could call me a "journaler." Personally I am so glad I did not call this blog, "Judy's Journal." But if I were to rename it what would you suggest?

On the left is Martha Stewart's newest line with Staples. Totally bringing out the office nerd in me with a selection of file folders and labels and notebooks. I told The Mister "Get me outta here before I spend money on one in every color!"

On the right is the fabulous cult Rhodia lined notebook. It even smells good.

And I just blogged these postcards on Judy's Bento Box. These are postcards that I had made by Moo. There are 20 different photos from my Flickr account and I did some bento, some food, some clouds, some Si. A real assortment.

Do you like to get mail from your postal person? Email me your mailing address and I'll send you a postcard.

A Few Things in March

 The rain total to date is 7.1 inches, so the couple of storms we had in March helped a little.

My car turned 34567. A thrill to be sure but even better this grand occasion happened out on a country road at one of favorite houses.

Silas is doing a drum roll.

There is this magazine slash gas station slash buy your lottery ticket and junk food type places in town. I'm kind of a magazine junkie, just so you know. I once asked them to carry Bust magazine, but the women thought I meant a girlie rag. Uh no

Artificial Meat and Mags

More Meat and Mags

 Clouds are too few and far in-between that I must take pictures. The local goat said hello!

My cat has the prettiest feet.

Caption Blog

going into town

Valentine's Day wine

Cockpit at night

I'm a passenger.

Herringbone clouds

Gosh, I love this cat!

Watertank sunset

Clashy Colors and Expectations for T-day

This little pom is the only fruit my plant did bear this year. I picked it when I went out to catch the sunset. Same light but totally different colors. So clashy!

Today it is rainy and cold and I'm getting caught up on my blogging and my blog reading. Thanksgiving is this week and I still have not decided what I'm going to serve, if anything. Going out feels like fun this year. You know, a quiet little dinner in a nice restaurant without all the have to's and should's that an emotional holiday is saddled with.

The mister is not convinced however. Of course, his stomach is talking. I make a lot of very tasty dressing (My mother's recipe :D). And he thinks cooking at home is less expensive. But after one buys all the stuff one needs to make a traditional Thanksgiving dinner, one could have a very nice meal in a very nice venue without all the cooking and cleaning.

Not that I mind the cooking, I just want something different.

...it would appear that God has an inordinate fondness for beetles*

Last weekend a storm blew through at a rapid rate. It became dark and the wind picked up and I have to admit I was frightened. 

That didn't stop me from taking pictures though. Yet even while I snapping away, I had the feeling that something really freaky was going to happen.

Then I discovered all these black iridescent beetles on the milk weed. 

Sure glad they were dedicated to their plants!

*J. B. S. Haldane

My Favorite Things

Si's eyes, 
Totoro bento, 
Weird clouds, 
Pinwheel lunches, 
and Purple flowers.


Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens
Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens
Brown paper packages tied up with strings
These are a few of my favorite things

Cream colored ponies and crisp apple streudels
Doorbells and sleigh bells and schnitzel with noodles
Wild geese that fly with the moon on their wings
These are a few of my favorite things

Girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes
Snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes
Silver white winters that melt into springs
These are a few of my favorite things

Happy (Summer) Solstice!

Or winter solstice for those down under 

- just think, the days will only get longer for you now, 

and for us northern hemis 

- the nights. 

Also I want to thank everyone who reads this blog. 

I am grateful to have you.

Happy June!

This is a partial scan of Evening at Itako, 1930 by Kawase Hasui. It is June's picture from my Japanese woodblock calendar.

Many of the 12 paintings on this calendar I recognize from a set of stationary cards I bought as a young adult. Beautiful cards, a few designs for each season, and blank on the inside.

So this slightly crazed thing I have for Japanese art and food is not new.

I also like this month's picture because it is set at night and the kimonos are still drying on sticks. I also like the full moon.

The colors here are not as vibrant as the calendar and you are not seeing the foreground. I love the blues and greens and the trees poking high in the clouds.

It is serene yet fully engaging.

Do you have a favorite style of art or artist that you are drawn to?

End of Storm October 14, 2009

Telephone Pole Sunset

Typically Fridays are all about Si. My guilt for leaving him alone during the week and his obvious pleasure to have me home make Fridays one big lovefest. Today though, after an hour of lap time, he retreated to the cool room for some zzzzz. It's 83 degrees in my office. Can't say that I blame him.

Currently I'm heating up the house even more cooking "Country Style" pork ribs with ground cumin, coriander, oregano, basil, salt and lot of ground pepper. I plan to make Chili Verde when they are done served with homemade tortillas. When it's hot, I want hot and spicy food. And a cold Margarita.

I need to map out the next ten days or I might sleep through it all. There are so many things I want to accomplish.

Do you like my photo? There are many participants at SkyWatch Friday.

Yin Yang Clouds

I talked with my Dad this evening. He lives in a place that is currently burning like crazy. Thankfully his home is far enough away, although he is getting lots of ash and all that. He said, "wherever you live, it's always something - Best to just be happy where you are." Sound advice.

SkyWatch is a place to watch the sky. Come visit.

Is Anybody Out There?

It's all about communication, I firmly believe. Even if you vow for silence, you still say volumes. In my first cut I disliked this photo. I wanted to capture the beauty of the clouds not ugly technology or weeds!

But the photo made the team when I contemplated. The common name for that weed is "telegraph weed," and those are two of my satellite dishes. All are pointed out to sky.

Looking South-South East

All the way at the top!

Sky Watch Friday - Central Coast, California

The weather that brought in June was rather exciting. Thunder, lightening, polka dot rain, down spouts, and wind gusts of 50mph. I thoroughly enjoyed it!

Check out the other participants of Sky Watch Friday!

Chinopolitan

Chinopolitan, originally uploaded by Memeopolis.

Sometimes I wish I lived in a big city or any city really. Because I used to and it was fun. You could go to the movies. See your friends. Go out for a drink. Be out there. Be fun.

This photo by Amanda wins the spacey photo award, and it has clouds, and y'all know I love clouds.