Tangles

November 15

2009-11-15T15:53:33-08:00

Today we have another photo post for your viewing pleasure. This little bird is not very colorful, but still can give a lot of entertainment value if your eyes are sharp. The Bushtits love our Hibiscus tree and help keep the insect population under control. These birds are also extremely hard to photograph--they are tiny and never stop moving while on the hunt for something to eat. I have seen as many as 20-30 birds on the tree at one time. Another interesting fact is that they will often hang upside down to get a better angle on the insect population.

The last photo is a closeup of one of the Hibiscus blossoms.

November 14

2009-11-14T13:38:19-08:00

Today was a day that I had already planned to post at least one old family photo. This has been an ongoing project after my aunt passed lots of photos on to me this summer. I'm not sure what the next step will be, but it's been fun looking back.

This morning, I found a link to a great new online digital publication centered around genealogy and older photos. The blog, Shades of the Departed is now publishing Shades of the Departed-the Magazine. I really enjoyed this first issue and look forward to December's articles and photographs. The article about the 1930 US Census makes the entire issue worthwhile. Lots of interesting tips for adding more meat to the story of your family history. Some special issues are also planned for the coming months.

Here's one of the photos that was already planned for my post. This will probably be a regular feature in the future. I do have a genealogy blog, but have not kept it updated. Maybe Shades-the Magazine will keep me inspired.

That's my great-grandmother, Ella E. Rohrbough Cutright on the far right. Ella died in 1909 and her husband Ralph Cutright, later married his late wife's sister, Byrd. Byrd Rohrbough Cutright is third from the left in this photo.

Friday the 13th

2009-11-13T17:21:56-08:00

Are you superstitious and worrying about Friday the 13th? I never have been and so far, today was a pretty good day. The afternoon dragged a bit until it was time to leave the office, but the morning went by pretty quickly. Oh, and today was payday, too. No bad luck there, right?

Today's photo was taken at lunchtime in the parking lot at work. The sky was very blue and the clouds took on an interesting arrangement.

November 12

2009-11-12T16:50:32-08:00

Today's prompt in the Blogging for Scrapbookers class included lots of ideas for starting themed series of blog posts as a quick way to make a post when you are rushed for time.

I've decided to try what I'm going to call Typical Thursday. These will be quick posts with a photo from indoors or outdoors here at home. Today's photo was taken on the patio and features one of my favorite succulent plants. It has a great fuzzy texture. Unfortunately, I can't give you the exact name of the plant--our local nursery center labels their succulent plants with a generic label that says it's a succulent.

Wish me luck on remembering next Thursday!

November 11

2009-11-11T17:25:13-08:00

Today, I received my latest order of beans from Rancho Gordo. This company could easily have been included in my favorite things from last week. I read about Rancho Gordo on a blog and placed my first order that day. These are heirloom beans that you can't find in just any grocery store. This page on the web site describes the beans and how the company started much better than I can tonight.

My favorites are the Christmas Limas and the Good Mother Stallard beans. They are so fresh and easy to cook that anyone can fix a yummy bowl of beans. As a 14-year vegetarian, beans are an important part of my diet and Rancho Gordo beans are the best!