So Pretty

In the back of my mind I knew it was there.  I've passed it scores of times since we moved into this house, but paid it no heed. 

Until.

This past week!

My goodness, I had no idea this Camellia bush would burst out with snow white blossoms.

And in January, just like they used to do back home in Orlando.

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

Except I used to have pink ones and now I have white.

Lovely.

Playin' Around With the Cage Again...AKA "Cagescaping"

I've decided to ignore the obvious upcoming decorating opportunity for my cage - Valentines Day.  I don't have a lot of red around here and I like to try to use things I have on hand, so I went to my old loves... the blue Ball jars.

Kept the old wooden church door in there, I think I will always use it because I think it provides a nice backdrop and opportunity to dress it up, not that it needs it.  I like it's simple beauty.

Ah, yes, raided my shelves for smaller Ball jars, mostly blue ones, but a couple of clear too.

Put my mother's bird in there too. 

 It IS a birdcage after all.  She loved birds and I feel good seeing this one peeking out.

Candles to make it all glow at night.

Wine corks for ground cover. And that's it.

Easy this time.

I would like to use live plants some time in a future "cagescape". Yes, I said, "cagescape", if there can be "tablescapes" then there can be "cagescapes".

What kind of plants do you think would do well in my cage?

I'm Watching You, Little Fella, I'm Watching You...

Couldn't resist putting up this picture of Darcy "watching over" Dexter.

Wonder what she's REALLY thinking?

Shhhhhhhhh! It's a Secret!

I can  post this now because Orlando Grandma is out of the country and won't be back until it's almost time for her birthday.  If you see her, don't tell her what I found for her birthday!

Nope!  Don't do it!

I took my out of town guests to one of my favorite swap meets in Los Angeles.
 And I will let you in on another secret - if I ever get myself organized and my "stuff" in order, this is the place I would love to have a booth. There, I said it!

It's in the heart of Hollywood at Fairfax St. and Melrose Ave.  I've written about it in the past because it really is one of my favorites.  It's not too far, not too big, not too small and it only costs $2 to get into.  (which is one of the reasons I would set up shop there - it's not so big!)
Not too bad for a few hours of entertaining browsing and hemming and hawing.

If you'd like to see more of the swap meet the last time I wrote about it

 CLICK HERE!

This is what I picked up for Orlando Grandma:

Yep. She loves her chewing tabaccy. 

No, no, no.
 She does not chew, but this is the bag in which the girl gave me my merchandise.  It's from the 1920s, never used.

This is what was in it:

I chose this watch because I thought I could set one face to Pacific time and one to Eastern time and that way Orlando Gma could keep better track of us.  

If she winds it.

This will be required.  

Many other things were available to hang on chains. 

 There were locker numbers, Detroit Water Works badges, compasses, all kinds of neat stuff.  Seemed an unlikely bunch of stuff for some young ladies in their early twenties to have so I asked them where they got all their bits. 

"We inherited it all from our grandfather.  He was an antique dealer in Detroit" 

 Hence all the Detroit markings.  I told them I thought he would really enjoy seeing how creatively they had re-purposed so many of his things.  And that I would be back again.  

Soon.

Now, remember, no blabbing.  It's a secret!

Look who else apparently shops here:

found her picture when I googled the trading post/swap meet.

I Don't Mean to Wax Poetic and Some Other Thoughts

Okay, so I was reaching for a catchy post header so I could put up a couple of pictures we took over the weekend while we played tourist with some fun out-of-town (you know who you are!) visitors.

Some may already have seen Mr. T in his co-starring turn with ET which I posted on FB:

 

At Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum on Hollywood Boulevard.  

Yes, we went to a wax museum.

I finally got Ryan Seacrest to spill the beans on what's really going on behind the scenes at American Idol this year:

And Mr. Tennis took control of the Enterprise and showed these walking stiffs how to properly run a spacecraft.

We actually had a lot of fun seeing all the different wax figures, from present day celebrites and well known people, to many from the past.  Some were better representations than others, but how fun it was to actually walk up to these famous, sometimes infamous people and pose with them. 

The museum was not like the wax museums I remember as a child where the figures were behind ropes and you had to look at a distance. They were standing about the rooms in different poses and could be scrutinized from any angle and sometimes you weren't even sure who was real and who wasn't.

I've been laying a bit low with a bad knee and trying to not injure it again.  

Lost the cane quite awhile ago, so this picture is a shameless attempt to garner sympathy.

What better excuse to go see some movies with the gift certificates we received for Christmas.

On my sidebar you can see we have taken in Les Miserables and The Impossible, two excellent films about survival and triumph, although they couldn't be more different in style, content, and place in history.

We also saw:

Not getting great reviews, but we were drawn to the stylized film technique, costuming, set design as well as depicting Los Angeles in the 1930s, when gansters and corrupt law officers ruled parts of the city. It was a very violent movie set amongst beautiful people and beautiful places.  "The Untouchables" it is not.

To continue to get "ready" for Oscar night, we saw:

Wow. A suspenseful, frustrating, astounding, incredible, violent, inspiring, conflicted account of  a woman CIA operative's tireless efforts to find Osama Bin Laden.  Directed by Best Director winner, Kathryn Bigelow, full of controversy, this film should have nabbed her a nomination again.  This movie takes patience to watch as it takes it's time to work up to the well-known compound raid which was filmed in real time.

And I watched, "Amour". 

Another one of this year's Oscar contenders. A French film with subtitles, the story follows a distinguished older couple grappling with failing health and is a testament to the strength that can exist

between a married couple.

Not a happy movie, but so well acted and filmed that you forget you are not watching "real" people deal with very difficult issues and choices.

As good as all the above mentioned are, I think I'm ready for a RomCom next.

Thanks Mr. Connor for the gift cards! 

 We saw Rachel at the wax museum and said hi for you!

What have you seen at the movies lately that you've enjoyed?

Just Because...

...he's still cute.

 Dexter

...she's gained weight and likes her new digs.

Bumby

...she's still kinda ticked off about the whole "baby brother" thing.

Darcy

...and THEY are still pillow hogs.

Politics Aside...A Visit to The Ronald Reagan Library

I don't go into politics or other controversial topics if I can avoid it on my blog.  I don't feel that sharing the beautiful surroundings, inspiring quotes and interesting visit we had to The Ronald Reagan Library in Simi Valley changes that at all. It was like taking a step back in time and remembering the good and the bad that comes with any era.

It was the first time any of us in our party had been to a Presidential library and we were all most impressed and now feel like if the opportunity presents itself, we would make the time to visit some of the other ones.

As I said, The RR Library is located in beautiful Simi Valley and is perfectly situated on a hilltop that shows off the views of the valley in the most spectacular way.

I'm going to let my pictures just flow and mainly speak for themselves.

Mr. Connor and "The Gipper"

Can you guess what this is?

A section of the Berlin Wall.

Lovely Hacienda-style structure houses the library

There's one in every crowd, isn't there?

Our motley crew prepares to board Air Force One.

It took us a good four and a half hours to see the entire library with a very pleasant lunch included in that time

frame.  I didn't take many pictures as we walked around because I just wanted to enjoy the experience and read the text accompanying the displays which cover the time period from President Reagan's childhood up through his post-presidential days.

A good day.

For my reading friends, a fascinating book that covers the behind-the-scenes reaction and action during the time of the assassination attempt on President Reagan, is out in paperback, ebook form and audio form.

Darcy Gets a Brother

We have a new black and white addition to the Boston family.  His name is Dexter, he is a rescue and he's pretty darn cute.

Alas, no, he is not a Boston Terrier, but a little kitty who pretty much had everyone here at the manor wrapped around his cute little paw.

But I digress...

The Maven and Darcy, her cat since college days, have settled into a new routine of working girl and loyal feline companion.  Tucked away in their little rental suite off the back of the The Writer and Sammy's house, they've been quite happy sharing girl/cat time and catching up at the end of the day by watching their favorite shows and chasing stuffed mice.

However, The Maven's job hours are sometimes long, sometimes in the day time, sometimes in the night time.

Darcy often feels lonely.

(According to her mom)

Enter cute rescue kitten, Dexter.

Joyous Darcy is lonely no longer. Can't you see her smile there?

It's not easy being knocked off your kitty pedestal by some young upstart, especially one so cute and needy.

Mr. Dexter was very scared the first couple of days and needed The Maven's constant attention to make him feel at home.  The gray hulking, hissing figure walking the perimeter of the room wasn't exactly rolling out the welcome mat.

The girl and her two cats showed up here for a couple of days while my brother was visiting and we all wondered how Dexter would react to the "big" dogs, especially when he was so intimidated by Miss Darcy.

Mr. T's new office assistant

Wouldn't you know it?  Some neutral territory, a bit of up-close-and-personal time with the two canines and Dexter is a changed kitty.

Last reports from the "two cat suite" is that Darcy and Dexter are palling around a bit, eating side by side and even, gasp(!), playing tag.  The working girl now has two mouths to feed and a lot more stuffed mice in her future.

Dexter, out!