Thoughts from Guinan on a Snowy Day

"We will prevail. As long as there's a small pocket of humanity who still believes, we will prevail."
-- Guinan, Star Trek: The Next Generation



Brrr! It's soooo cold out there. For the second day in a row, there's an extreme cold temperature warning. At least the sun makes it look pretty.

Warmest wishes for the holiday season
 and a Happy New Year!

 

"Don't delay. Send yours in right away."

"Love's in Need of Love Today"
by Stevie Wonder

from Songs in the Key of Life, 1976

Kelp! Beatle Fun on Twitter

Yesterday on Twitter there was a hashtag,

#BeatlesForFoodies ,

which was an invitation to change the title of a Beatles song

to make it more inviting for foodies.

Here are some of my contributions:


Rubber Sole

Kelp!

Honey Dew

Grill

Glass Onion Rings

Martha My Deer  (or Martha My Venison)

All My Oven

I've Just Seen A Plaice

I'll Follow the Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Wordless Wednesday - Niagara-on-the-Lake

On the way home from Corning, we stopped at Niagara-on-the-Lake to browse...

...and to have dinner at Queen's Landing, with a view of the Niagara River.

Interesting Article on Hybrid Authors - Toronto Star

"Hybrid writers get the best of both worlds" by Mike Doherty, Toronto Star

I enjoyed this article about authors who are successful using both traditional publishing and self-publishing.

Published on Saturday August 13, 2016.

https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/books/2016/08/06/hybrid-writers-get-the-best-of-both-worlds.html

Not Even Two Cups of Coffee Help

Yes, I'm nocturnal, like most owls.

 Not me. I'm a Snowy.

I said "most."

Morning is not my best time.

But after an early morning trip to the hospital
for a non-emergency reason
(the MRI machines run 24 hours a day
and 1:45 am was the appointment time)

and getting to bed at 4:00 am

I think I'm going to have to do some daytime napping today.

Wordless Wednesday: Glass Owl

My birthday present from M, 

bought in Corning, NY

Corning Vacation

We just returned from a week in Corning, New York.

Corning is in the Finger Lakes district of southern New York, a half-hour away from Watkins Glen (famous for race cars and a gorge with waterfalls) and about an hour south of Rochester.

We discovered Corning in 1982, driving home from Florida. Although we only stayed overnight that time, we have been back many times since. Its main attraction is the Corning Museum of Glass.

Steuben Tower

We took the tour, saw the current exhibits, and especially liked the modern and the art deco glass.

Corning and I have a long, happy history. Because I discovered it in 1982, and bought a piece of

Steuben Glass for a relative's wedding present, I was put on the Steuben mailing list. In that way, I found out about a Toronto exhibit of one of the Steuben designers, James Houston. 

And that lead to my writing and publishing a profile of James Houston for enRoute magazine! 

 Cityscape

After a hurricane and flood in 1972, the city revitalized its Victorian-era buildings on

Market Street. Visiting Market Street is like stepping back in time, with the old-fashioned facades and the quaint signs. There are lots of antique stores and, of course, plenty of places to buy glass items.

 Vitrix Glass

My favourite store has an owl on its gable! I've named him Rocky after the Rockwell Museum.

  Rocky the Owl - click to enlarge picture

 

An Overdue Anecdote

Sometimes something happens that is so priceless, so unique, that it begs to be told publicly. Because the two main people involved are no longer alive, I can finally tell this story.



During my Grade 11 English class, we read from Arthur Miller's play, The Crucible, about the Salem witch hunt (and an allegory for the 1947 Hollywood Communist blacklist witch hunt).

Various characters were (falsely) claiming that they saw other characters with the Devil. "Goody" was a term that meant "Miss" or "Missus."

Going down the class rows, each of us read one line from the play. It sounded something like this.

I saw Goody Good with the Devil!

   I saw Goody Osburn with the Devil!

My friend was next. But instead of the written line, she read:

        I saw Gordie Howe with the Devil!

Tulips, Part Two

These photos were taken between May 5 and May 10.

Mellow as the Month of May

Like last year, we had much better luck finding unopened tulips at the grocery store than at the garden centre. We took all they had!


If the weather stays seasonably mild, they should last two to three weeks.

San Diego

In San Diego, we revisited some of our favourite spots.

Shelter Island

Shelter Island's marina

La Jolla

La Jolla is a northern suburb known for its scenic cove...

...and its exclusive boutiques, where even dogs and cats feel at home.

                                                       Point Cabrillo

Seaport Village

I wrote at a window table at Upstart Crow.

Valentine's Day spectacular sunset

These yachts have a great view of the Coronado Bridge.

At Balboa Park, we revisited the Air and Space Museum and saw some new things, too.

Balboa Park 

At the Automotive Museum we saw a vintage MG!

1932 Morgan, an ancestor of the MG

The Jaguar is always gorgeous, whether it's new or old.

The Air and Space Museum's balcony overlooks busy Highway 5.

Coronado

On our last day we visited Coronado Island. They call it an island, but it's really a separate city and a peninsula. You either have to go over the mile-long blue Coronado Bridge or take a much longer, but scenic, inland route to get there over the Silver Strand. 

The Hotel Del Coronado was built in 1888 and is an historical landmark. "Some Like It Hot" was  filmed there in 1958. The Prince of Wales and Mrs. Simpson probably met there at a party in the 1920s.
I like to write in the hotel's bar which overlooks the Pacific. 

Moo Time Creamery 

Remembering Echo

Echo

 

March 20, 2001 - February 24, 2016 

 

 

Breed:                       Sheltie (Shetland Sheepdog)

Occupation:             Model, Philosopher, Poet, Blue Jays Shortstop (retired)

Hobbies:                   Leash Dancing, Napping, Guarding the Bathroom

 

 As a puppy, his nose was partly pink.

 

 Flying Superpuppy. This is not PhotoShopped.

About age 2.

BELIEVE YOU'RE A PUPPY

And Other Advice From Echo

Accept compliments graciously. (They're all true anyway.)

Keep nudging for treats.

Rules for effective nudging:

1. Gently touch your human with your nose.

2. Observe every time your human puts food on her fork. Watch the trajectory carefully. If it falls on the floor, it's yours!

3. If your human eats too neatly, put your head on her thigh and gaze adoringly at her. Works every time.

Eat each meal as if someone were going to take it away from you.

Keep nudging for treats.

Life is an eat-all-you-can buffet table.

Flowerbed fences provide a high-jumping challenge.

Guard the door from invasions by mail, newspapers and advertising flyers.

Chinese Food Delivery requires your utmost vigilance. Stay near the front door, in High Alert mode. The food could come at any time. Bark at any sound that might be a delivery car in the driveway. (You don't want it to get cold, do you?)

Keep nudging for treats.

Greet new dogs with a polite sniff, circle, leash tangle, and play invitation.

A well-timed burp is an excellent way to participate in human conversation.

Human "garbage" is often the tastiest of treats.

"Birthday" is a ridiculous human concept. Accept the praise and the extra treats, but otherwise, ignore it. 

You're a puppy as long as you believe you're a puppy.

Always believe you're a puppy.

Dance with your leash.

Copyright 2014, Barbara Etlin.

ANTIQUE PIANO & OTHER SOUR NOTES

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