Thanksgiving Thoughts



Another scene at the end of my sister's lane.  This lone cow begs
for a picture in this perfect composition.   I hurried and snapped
this picture from the car window.  I might add while safely at a stop sign.



Some leftovers awaiting someone years ago at
my mom's house.  I can't believe I did not take more pictures
on Thanksgiving Day, pictures with family.

Thanksgiving
Norman Rockwell,  November 24, 1945

This illustration usually does not come to mind when one thinks
of the Norman Rockwell Thanksgiving illustration.

I like this one.  A sentence about this scene:  In this instance the emotions
that have welled up in both mother and son take them beyond words.  Just
being together in the same room is all the communication that is needed.

I think this one is my favorites now depicting Thanksgiving.

This is a great one and the one that most often comes to mind when we
think of a Norman Rockwell Thanksgiving. 




May my blog readers and friends have a wonderful and blessed Thanksgiving today.



♥

Frosty Friday Morning

This morning it was 29 degrees and our first real frost.  I've been trying to use different settings on my camera and still haven't mastered it.  I am trying  to have the foreground sharp and the background blurry.  I still have a ways to go. I am determined.

Only seven more days until Thanksgiving.  My sweet mother-in-law will be here along with some of my immediate family.  We are looking forward to it.  I have all these goals to accomplish before then.  I am heading out in a few minutes to do some grocery shopping. 

This short post is just a little note.  I will be back later ... I appreciate my loyal blog followers so very much!

A Rainy Day

The Bearden area of Knoxville.

It could be said Clint and I have been singing in the rain after the draughts we experienced when we lived in the Dallas, Texas, area.  Today we were not exactly singing in the rain when we could barely see the road in front of us. We left for downtown Knoxville with clear skies above and 67 degrees.  It soon changed as can be seen in these photos. One stop we made was at the Fresh Market. I like this store and Clint found something he liked and will have it for dinner tonight.  Coconut shrimp and a cannoli for dessert.  I am not supposed to eat shrimp. sigh

Today I had my camera and made some pictures of rain and more rain.  It is hard to believe it is only around 1 PM in the photos, the sky became so dark.

I had not noticed the dark skies until I
got out of the car at the Fresh Market.

Kingston Pike in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Kingston Pike again ...

Not a good day for driving on the interstate,
very low visibility.

Closer to home ... our exit.

The railroad track we cross near our house ... the rain
resembles snow in this picture.

Whew ... we're almost home!  ☺

The Wood Family

May I introduce you to the Wood family?

This photo had been in my aunt's family photo album for decades. I loved this old photo and was totally captivated by it.  I now have this photo along with many others that had belonged to my aunt.  Now I can't remember who in the family made this wooden family. I know my grandmother had told me numerous times and it escapes me now.  The next time I talk to my dad's cousin, I will ask her if she can identify the creator.

In a way, this photo is unsettling. I like the way Mrs. Wood has her leg crossed. It is evident that a lot of time was spent on creating and dressing them. I wonder where is the family today?  I hope they had their termite vaccinations.

Unexpected Gift

 

Yesterday I received an unexpected gift!  It seems those kinds of gifts are more special, they aren't

dictated by a birthday, holiday or some other life event.  This beautiful book from a friend arrived in the  mail yesterday.   "The Collected Tabletop", Inspirations for Creative Entertaining is written by Kathryn Crisp Greenley with beautiful photography by J. Weiland. I am highlighting a few photos with fall and Thanksgiving themes. The book is full of recipes, too!   It was such a wonderful surprise!

 

 

 

 

My dear friend,  I can't tell you how much I appreciated your thoughtfulness to remember

me in such a way.  You knew I would love this book!

Thank You So Much!

I look forward to us meeting in person!

♥

My Hometown

Market Street in Clinton, Tennessee, in the 1940s. 

The Christmas Parade in my hometown,  this photo was made on Main
Street in Clinton, Tennessee.  I am in this group, closer to the front and
I remember it like it was yesterday.  My grandmother made
my beautiful blue velvet outfit.

My hometown of Clinton, Tennessee, has been in shock since yesterday.  One of our residents was shot and killed yesterday while working at a pawn shop.  My sister had called me and said something "major" was going on in the town.  She had gone to the grocery store and saw multiple emergency vehicles in different directions.

A 63 year old resident had gone into a local pawn shop and asked to be shown a shotgun.  This customer had brought in shells from home for the shotgun, loaded the shotgun and struggled with the employee, shooting him at close range.  Larry, the pawn shop employee,  was 58 years old and was in my brother's Clinton High School Class of 1971.  The other employee in the shop shot the man as he was fleeing the shop.

The injured man drove home, his wife seeing the gunshot wounds thought he had tried to commit suicide and she called 911 ten minutes after the shooting.  The police recovered the shotgun from the pawn shop and the man was airlifted to a Knoxville hospital. 

I am reporting from TV reports and newspaper accounts. It was reported the assailant was a "preacher" and worked for Habitat for Humanity. There are so many unanswered questions as to why this man shot Larry.  I keep thinking Clinton is an innocent town, things like this don't happen in Clinton.  This is Mayberry, well ... it used to be.  I truly do realize things like this happen, even in Mayberry and I am so shocked and saddened by it all.  So totally senseless.  Why?

The Night is My Enemy

A poster designed by Bob Longmire
of Knoxville, Tennessee.

Yesterday Clint and I attended a play presented by the Powell Playhouse, Inc. here in Knoxville, Tennessee.  This play was written by Fred Carmichael in 1956.  I knew I had to see it when I read the description of this dramatic thriller:

Set in 1900, the play takes place in a large house on the British coast. The story revolves around a girl and her change from a girl to a woman.  A maniac is intent on getting rid of those humans who are imperfect, more imperfect than most I might add.

The sounds of the pounding surf, the thunder, wind and rain set a dark and mysterious mood in the country home of the Fontaines. Add also the flashing of lightening.  Oh, I failed to mention two murders.






One of the actors



For some reason my photos were blurry, it might have been that I rushed through the line afterwards.  There was such a crowd!  That was a good thing.

The stage was beautiful and realistic.

The play was fantastic!  We loved it and they did such a great job.  I also loved the story, there were some lessons to be learned from it.  We want to attend more of their productions.  This was only their second production since they were formed a few months ago.  There was a great turn out for this matinee performance.





Sunday Lights

This morning it naturally came up that the topic of lights was
going to dominate this blog post.  This morning I noticed how
subdued the colors were outside. This was from our backyard
and it was 37 degrees.

I do have a thing for lights.  This morning I put a glass
enclosed votive candle inside my latest new piece of glass,
perfect for the fall season and Thanksgiving.

I just have to share that this beauty was found at KARM,
the Knoxville Area Rescue Mission thrift store.

Cost: $3.27.



This glowing school bus caught my attention yesterday in the
parking lot at the fitness center.  It was amazing to me
the way the rising sun lit up the inside so evenly.  Almost spooky.





This was a scene on the main road off our lane about three weeks ago.  The police
cars were there for over an hour.  We then noticed a car was
being towed from the sight.  It might appear a girl is handcuffed in the photo.  

 That's all we know but  the blue and red
glows got our attention when we went out to get our paper.

(I zoomed in from a distance and used no flash to draw their attention)



An ultimate little light maker from nature.  In the early spring here, we noticed
lightning bugs in our back yard.  I tried video taping them and making
photos using my camera to no avail.

The next morning this lightning bug was waiting and posing for
me right inside our front door in the living room.

He smiled, I snapped his picture and then safely deposited
him outside.

On another note, I'm very excited today.  We are going to a play!  It has been too long since we have been to a play.  I love plays.  I love theatre.  Tomorrow I hope to give a report about the play.

♥

Today

One would think I could come up with a more original blog title than "Today".  I mostly wanted to leave a note on here that I am not able to post comments!  It is maddening sometimes with the way this Blogger system does not work.  Sometimes Clint will have strange things happen on his blog and sometimes it is my turn. Today it's  my turn. I have not seen my followers for months, their pictures do not show.  Others can see them, I think, but it makes it harder on me to not be able to see them.

I also tried on my new "smart" phone to leave comments and it was not so smart (notice I said it), it didn't work for me.

Just so my blogger friends will know, I will continue to try to post my comments.  I am probably coming across as not being in a good mood.  We had a a good and different day.  We were at the gym at 7:15, worked out and then headed to the Golden Corral to eat breakfast.   Oh brother, I think we could do a blog on the experience. I had to go back to bed at 10:30, that is something I rarely do.  Clint came about 30 minutes later.  It was our first time to eat there and may be our last.  One can only eat so much and it's just not healthy to overeat and I think one tends to do this at those kinds of places. 

So much for my short note on here!  Hope everyone has a wonderful and relaxing Saturday evening. 

Come on blogger comments, start working again!

A Murmuration of Starlings

A common starling in England

Today's blog is going to be a different one for me, yesterday Clint called me into his office to see the following video. It was like nothing I'd ever seen.  I got a case of goosebumps and read in the comments of another person getting goosebumps so I'm not alone in this experience.  This video, from what I can determine, was made on November 1, 2011,  in Ireland.

Below I cut and pasted some commentary about this amazing phenomenon:

This is one of the most spectacular animal phenomena known to man.

A murmuration, which this is, consists of thousands of tiny starlings (birds) collectively flying and swirling about. The mesmerizing act is typically seen at the beginning of winter, right before dusk, as the birds look for a place to roost for the night.


During the action, birds reach speeds of up to 20 mph.  In the video below, Vimeo user Sophie Windsor Clive captured an incredible example of the event on the River Shannon in Ireland. Clive and her companion, Liberty Smith, just seem to happen on the event as they were canoeing across. It was an amazing treat neither of them ever expected to see.

According to the Telegraph, what makes it so beautiful is actually a survival function:


“Numbers build up slowly near the roost over the afternoon as small groups of birds return from foraging in the area,” explains Paul Stancliffe of the British Trust for Ornithology. “By late afternoon there is a huge swirling cloud. It’s all about safety in numbers – none wants to be on the outside, none wants to be first to land.”


Essentially it's an epic battle to determine who in the flock survives, and who's a target for predators. According to the Telegraph, each bird tries to copy the bird next to it exactly, which results in a stunning rippling effect.

Thank you in advance for taking the time to watch this 2 minute video.  Please turn on your sound.

Murmuration from Sophie Windsor Clive on Vimeo.

My Five Year Search




Saturday afternoon in Powell, Tennessee

 
This blog's title could be called "My Five Year Search Plus",  I am combining some thoughts and recent pictures.  Last Saturday, late in the day, I went to Aubrey's restaurant to try a new sandwich and passed these scenes on my way to and from the restaurant.

The restaurant is right off this road.  As I left the restaurant I spent a few minutes and
turned left instead of right.  It was worth the extra minutes
to see this scene around the bend.






There's something about this scene, I took this Saturday.
Wonder what it will look like with snow?  This scene
if off Emory Road next to the library.

 

The Ragin' Cajun sandwich from Aubrey's.  I got a to-go order of these
sandwiches Saturday.  Our neighbor had told us about them and they
were delicious.  I "borrowed" this photo, I got the creamed spinach (don't want
to even think about the calories in it) but it was delicious.

(image from Mushy's Cookings blog)

That ends the story for the Ragin' Cajun sandwich search.  Now begins the tale of my five year search (at least five years) for a particular glass oil lamp.  One of my Plano friends had this lamp in her home, she was a wonderful host and her home was beautiful.  I fell in love with the beautiful oil lamp she had burning at her parties and dinners. The only thing she could remember about the lamp's history was that she had bought it at a "nature" store at a Plano, Texas,  shopping mall.  A few days later I headed to the mall, the "nature" store was gone and thus begun my five year search over much of the U.S.   I had Googled all kinds of descriptions for the lamp and could not find it anywhere online with my "key words".

When Clint and I were traveling, I would inquire about the lamp when we would be in stores that I thought might carry such items.  Last month when when we were in North Myrtle Beach, we went to Barefoot Landing shopping center and of course I was thinking of the lamp when we would go into certain stores.  I looked back at one particular store that day and told Clint that we had missed it, I thought we needed to visit it.

This shop had high quality items and we both were enjoying looking around.  I found some personalized note cards for a relative and Clint asked, "Don't you want some for yourself?"  I told him the truth, I really didn't need anymore note cards and could not think of a thing I really needed.  Well .... 

A few minutes later I walked down an aisle and after all these years ... there were My Lamps

My Lamps!  After all those years!  I took a deep breath and walked over and told Clint
he was not going to believe what I was going to tell him:  I've finally found the
oil lamps.  I had not realized how expensive they would be but I/we didn't care! I got the 12 inch.

( Thank you, Clint ♥ )


(I made the above picture, this is exactly how I found them!  Sorry for the
boring details but this was a red letter date for me ;~)  )

This oil lamp is from The Wolfard Glassblowing Company, "hand blown in California's Wine Country."  "The Wolfard Oil Lamp created by Jon Wolfard has earned international acclaim being part of the Whitney Museum of American Arts Exhibition, 'High Styles, Twentieth Century American Design', a review of outstanding examples of furniture, industrial designs and decorative objects".  Some of the glassblowers have been with the company for 34 years.  (I just knew this oil lamp was special!)

What I think makes this lamp so unique and beautiful is the glass reservoir inside. 

My oil lamp glowing beautifully this morning!

☺

Our Happy, Hilarious, Hysterical Halloween!

Last night we had such a good time!  Lucinda, after working all day, came home and got herself and Canyon all "costumed" and made up for Halloween.  Clint and I were amazed at how she transformed herself and Canyon.  She did some research online and bought some professional clown makeup, she said you can't get good coverage with the Walmart Halloween make up.

Tracy, Lucinda's husband, came to the door with a pair of blinking red eyes glasses. He said later he would put on his entire costume.  When Tracy went out to the car later to slip on his costume, I never imagined just how frightening he would appear!  The first thought was the grim reaper .  He was totally covered in black except for ... the blinking of two red lights where his eyes were located.  These red eyes would light up red intermittently which made them even more spooky. Maybe his costume was so scary because it left much to the imagination on what evil lurked underneath.

Lucinda did a great job on Canyon's costume and makeup.
He ended up being a race car driver zombie.

See!  I told you it was spooky! 



Canyon was having such fun, too!



What big fangs you have! 

 

Close up of  Tracy with those large
red blinking eyes.

 



Lucinda, Mistress of Darkness  (only for one night ;-)   )





I had so much running around to do yesterday
I didn't take the time to do anything but put
on my new witch hat with a veil



Clint, are you okay?  You don't look okay.  You will think twice before
you drink another half gallon of absinthe.

(I had such fun with this and Clint followed my directions perfectly
when I told him to hang out his tongue and have one eye bigger than
the other.  Totally deranged!  Lucinda woke up her husband
with her laughter when she first saw this picture of Clint )

   Warning!  The following is not for the squeamish or faint of heart!  Warning!

Our Halloween Dinner*


*(Truthfully I made this photo a few months ago at a Civil War show, the  booth was that
of a Civil War "surgeon".  Sorry folks, I just couldn't help but post this
when I ran across it working on my blog pics.  I hope I am forgiven.  ☺

Our sausage balls as appetizers before dinner

Our real dinner ... the herb chicken Mediterranean pizza with olive oil, fresh spinach,
sun-dried tomatoes, feta cheese



 

 



Canyon was more interested in drawing in in his
new sketchbook than he was eating candy.

A sketchbook was one of his "treats" instead of candy
from his mamaw and papaw.



Can you imagine this fellow pulling up along side you one night
on a dark deserted road?