Just B : )

2011-09-27T06:46:00.001-04:00

Just Bees

One of my birthday cards

2011-09-11T06:08:00.000-04:00

A New Year - A New Direction

2010-10-05T06:49:00.000-04:00

Hey there - happy Tuesday and Happy One Year Anniversary to the Just B blog. Just because I can never leave well enough alone, I am going to change my blog "direction". I'm retired, I don't want any deadlines. So from now on I will just be posting whatever comes to mind. No more memes (she says now). There will still be pictures when I feel like it - there won't be when I don't. So, have a great day and stop in once in a while to see what's going on. Thanks. B : )

Ruby Tuesday

2010-09-28T06:10:00.000-04:00

A TRIBUTE TO JEFFIE

(this was in my post yesterday, but I'm trying to reach everyone who only visits on particular meme days)

This is a memorial to my beloved Jeffie. Most of you have read about him and probably come to love his clown-like antics here on my blog - if not, just go down to my "label cloud" and click on Jeff or Jeffie and you will. On Monday, September 13 (four days after my birthday) Jeff was diagnosed with bone cancer in his right front leg. To make an agonizing story short, and bearable, it went fast and we gave him his wings on Wednesday. Jeffie would have been with us for five years in October, and would have been twelve years old in December. Here is the last picture I have of him, taken a week before his death. His leg shows misshapen, and it got twice as bad as the days went by. His eyes show the pain he was in, even with 24 hour pain meds. He told me he loved me and wanted nothing more than to be with me but to please let him go. It was the right decision, at the right time, but oh my God how I miss him!

And here is the Ruby Tuesday part of this post:

The Scarlet Hibiscus I told you about here also has red stalks. If you would care to join in on a meme, just choose the appropriate button to the right. Peace. B : (

Mellow Yellow Monday and a tribute to Jeffie

2010-09-27T05:06:00.000-04:00

Banana leaves are still pretty, even when they're dying:

at least I think so.

A TRIBUTE TO JEFFIE

(this was in my post yesterday, but I'm trying to reach everyone who only visits on particular meme days)

If you would like to join in on Mellow Yellow Monday, please click on the button to the right. Peace. B :(

Camera Critters

2010-09-18T06:23:00.000-04:00

Hmmmmmm!?

Please click on the button to the right if you care to join in on any of the memes. Peace. B : )

SkyWatch Friday

2010-09-17T08:06:00.000-04:00

Ahhhh the storms. They're most often quite beautiful, they come and go quickly, and all you have to do is turn to face another direction and they're not there at all:

If only the "storms of life" were so simple. Please click on the SkyWatch Friday button to the right to see some truly marvelous shots, and perhaps leave some of your own? Peace. B : )

Fertilizer Friday

2010-09-17T08:00:00.000-04:00

I just thought this was cute : ) Have a wonderful day. Please click on the Fertilizer Friday button to the right if you'd care to explore this meme. Peace. B : )

Ruby Tuesday and Lose For Good

2010-09-14T06:00:00.000-04:00

As I mentioned on a previous post, I rejoined Weight Watchers as a lapsed life member, a few weeks ago. Right now they are running a program called LOSE FOR GOOD which includes ways to help fight hunger for others while losing weight for ourselves. Today is Lose-A-Palooza! It's a very worthy project and I would personally appreciate it if you would follow this link and read what it's all about. Just by following the link, Weight Watchers will donate one dollar! Thanks.

As for Ruby Tuesday, well, it's pretty sad. This is my heart

and this is my heart after our trip to the Vet's yesterday

My Jeffie has bone cancer. I can't write more about it right now - maybe another day when I can focus. Your prayers to keep him comfortable for a while longer would be appreciated.

Click on any of the buttons to the right to follow a meme. Peace. B :) : (

Happy St. Patrick's Day - NOT!!

2010-09-13T07:23:00.000-04:00

Of course it's not, but when I was uploading and organizing photos to PSE this one caught my eye as a perfect St. Patrick's Day photo - well maybe not perfect. I guess it should have a FOUR leafed clover.

Back to Mellow Yellow Monday, where I belong - our Mexican Sunflowers did not bloom hardly at all this year. They grew and they multiplied, but they didn't bloom. Some of the people we gifted with these plants had the same experience. Guess it was our cold winter. But here is one anyway, sharing the spotlight with yet another snail. This was taken in the dark with a flash - I sort of like that look

These are my birthday flowers from Victor - pretty huh?

And these next two are the gift and card my elder step-daughter made for me. It's hard to see, but the artwork is done on canvas with paints and layers of paper. She's very talented

Have a lovely Monday - a brand new week to start over again! If you would care to join in on a meme, click on the button of your choice over there to the right. Peace B : )

THE END

Shadow Shot Sunday and Weekend Reflections

2010-09-12T08:00:00.000-04:00

Wow, guess I wasn't all better yet, but I think I'm back now. Lots happening. Celebrated yet another birthday Thursday and reflected again on the horrible events of 9-11. This year the TV shows had a different slant to them - did you notice? Some people seem to think there was a conspiracy and the US did this to itself? Personally, I have always thought that one should not waste time trying to place blame, but to use that time and energy to make things better, fix what happened, make the customer happy, whatever. I can't wrap my mind around that one; but then, I can't wrap it around that whole day anyway. Just beyond belief. And of all the many things that come to mind whenever I allow myself to think of that day, I guess the two that hit me hardest are how the people who had friends/relatives in those buildings were feeling while waiting to see/hear more, and how all of those police/fire/rescue people didn't just run screaming in the other direction. Talk about strength! And no, I haven't forgotten about the people who were trapped in the buildings, I just know from experiences that if something is happening to you, you can find a way to get through it, but if it's happening to someone you love, it's just worse somehow. The whole thing is just beyond belief. And now I feel that this conspiracy thinking is disrespecting the people who lived, or didn't live, through 9-11, and God knows they all need and deserve respect.

On a lighter note - here's a fly shadow : )

And another reflection from a cleaner birdbath : )

The birds do use this, notably an on-going family of cardinals and one of blue jays, but mostly it's used by Jeff and Joy for drinking.

If you would care to join in on any of the memes in which I participate, please click on the button of your choice, to the right. Have a happy Sunday, and please send some prayers to everyone involved in that unthinkable day. Peace B : )

ABC Wednesday and Watery Wednesday

2010-09-08T07:18:00.000-04:00

Wow - STILL recovering from this virus or whatever - it's reduced me to a sissy! and made me miss some posts. But here we go:

ABC Wednesday - H is for HOME

My apologies if I've broken any rules about photos being taken by me. This homecoming event was around the time of my birth so no, I didn't take this one, but I love it, so here it is : ) These fine gentlemen are my grandfather and my uncle.

Watery Wednesday

The kiddo, in his pool, at his first birthday party a few months ago.

If you would care to join in on these great memes, please click on the appropriate button(s) to the right! Happy Wednesday. Peace. B : )

Shadow Shot Sunday and Weekend Reflections

2010-09-05T06:48:00.000-04:00

Here I am, back from my unintentional vacation from blogland - got sick last Saturday night and am still getting better!

This shadow shot may just have been better if you were there. I tried it in black and white and that still didn't show what I know I was seeing. The sun was shining through the back of the bloom so there were shadows in the throat and there are some on the leaves and the rest of the bloom.

This Weekend Reflection shot may be even more obscure - do you see the camera in the upper left corner? I was driving with my right hand, and taking the shot with my left, without looking at what I was shooting. I figured there was this giant sky just loaded with stuff to look at - I had to hit something good!

To try out these memes yourself, just click on the buttons to the right. Happy weekend. Peace. B : )

Fertilizer Friday, SkyWatch Friday, NaBloPoMo-Green

2010-08-27T05:17:00.000-04:00

We have gobs of these things, but only one decided it was time to shine! He was hiding behind some other things, but that color caught my eye and I caught him! Happy Fertilizer Friday!

Please excuse the dirty and pitted windshield - that's the best I could do while I was driving : ) Happy SkyWatch Friday.

If you would care to look further into the wonderful world of daily memes, please click on the button(s) to the right that interest you. Peace. B : )

Posting on a Thursday - how unusual

2010-08-26T08:34:00.000-04:00

Thursday is usually my day off - I don't usually join in on any memes on Thursday and when I post without a meme, I usually don't get any comments, which depresses me : ) I did, however, have a few things I wanted to say today.

No. 1 - I had my first weigh in at Weight Watchers last night and lost 4.4 pounds - had I removed my Crocs, it may have been 4.5 but, hey, they're part of me.

No. 2 - Hootin' Anni is in the third week of her new meme and it's really a great one - makes you think! Unfortunately, I am still at a loss for an idea after these three weeks. Perhaps I've lost the ability to think? Perhaps my taste is toward music with lyrics that wouldn't be acceptable? Whatever. Why don't you hop on over there and see what you can come up with - it's really a good one!

No. 3 - Am still very very happy with Chrome vs. Internet Explorer. I have only found two things that don't make me happy, as compared to the many many things on IE. First, some sites won't show their full content in Chrome. Second, if you like to highlight portions of articles or whatever and print just the highlighted section, you can't in Chrome. Or I should say I can't - maybe I'm doing something wrong. I truly believe that they will fix these problems, or maybe they're not even problems - after all Chrome is streamlined to go very fast and maybe these are extras that fall by the wayside. Anyway, I'm still happy with it! My frustration level has gone way down.

And now, just so you won't miss seeing some pictures, here are a few of some of the guitars that Victor makes by hand, from blocks of wood.

This one has the head covered in a thin sheet of some blue shell - forget the name:

This one has an armadillo he hand carved - his company is called Blind Armadillo:

And this one I just particularly like the wood - and you should feel it - smoother than satin. I know, the cliche is smoother than silk, but I happen to feel satin is smoother than silk:

That's all folks. Have a happy day. Peace. B : )

ABC Wednesday, Watery Wednesday, NaBloPoMo/Green

2010-08-25T07:50:00.001-04:00

ABC Wednesday - F is for funny, fabulous, freakish finds from just the past few days:

When this used up old White Bird of Paradise blossom was still up in the "tree", I saw a splash of yellow/orange, and asked Victor to cut it down so I could see what it was - now you can see too:

fabulous - new seeds for me to try to grow! Here are some other finds:

Plants that look like fireworks (above) and one of the views from my chair (below)

The kiddo on his turtle potty (and yes, I do have shots of the results but didn't think you would care to join in on that fun)

While walking past the lime tree, I saw what looked, again, like Mickey Mouse lying in the sand under the tree - turned out to be a windfall lime with two snails attached

These leaves must have been chewed on by the "Keyhole Bug" : )

Above, Jeffie once again made himself a nice nest, and below this WAS Jeffie's Wubba, but Joy took it over and destroyed it - that top part is very very difficult to destroy, but dear sweet gentle Joy did it!

And now, for Watery Wednesday. Lincoln had a little sleep over with us and when we opened the door it was raining, but he decided to go out and play anyway, even tried to get to the pool (one of his favorite things):

Funny thing, he smiles and laughs like crazy almost all the time, but when he's learning something new, he is all serious!

That's it - hope you're not bored - thanks for visiting. If you would like to explore these memes further, please click on the buttons to the right. Peace. B : )

Mellow Yellow Monday and Ruby Tuesday (and NaBloPoMo-Green of course : )

2010-08-23T06:07:00.001-04:00

This morning I have mastered the art of multi-tasking. I was about to post this picture for Mellow Yellow Monday and noticed that it was also a decent shot of my newly adopted spoon rest "Dotty" who has come to live with Big Red, who can be seen here, not to mention some other posts. The flowers were a gift from Matt, who is Lincoln's father, I guess for watching Lincoln - yet another perk to having grandchildren : ) The leaves will do for NaBloPoMo-Green. Since I don't have to post again tomorrow (unless I want to) I will miss a day of NaBloPoMo. Been there done that this month!

Please ignore the electric grill, the cooking utensils, and the range hood - all perils of catching shots in a well used kitchen - and I'm way too lazy this morning to work on removing them in Photo Shop Elements! If anybody knows a shortcut to doing that, let me know!

For Watery Wednesday I hope to have a shot of Lincoln playing in the rain - should be pretty cute : )

If you'd care to play along (or just stalk) with these memes, click on the appropriate button(s) to the right. Have a wonderful Monday (and Tuesday) - make them your own. Peace. B : )

Shadow Shot Sunday, Weekend Reflections, and NaBloPoMo-Green

2010-08-22T08:25:00.000-04:00

Shadow Shot Sunday: Ever see gingham doors?

Now you have!

Weekend Reflections: of me in the DH's truck, taking a picture of me taking a picture reflected in the car next to us - confused yet???

And a little bit of green for NaBloPoMo:

Whoa, this baby needs some of that wrinkle stuff!!

Happy Sunday. If you'd care to further explore these memes just click on the appropriate button(s) to the right. Peace. B : )

TURTLE TONGUE

2010-08-21T06:00:00.000-04:00

This is one of our metal turtle "sculptures". Not the one I showed you before with the shadow skirt. This is a different, bigger one. He hangs out in a little patch of garden between the front of the house and the gates to the back yards, under a croton bush. I happened to notice one day that he had a tongue and when I looked closer, this is what I saw. For some reason I just am tickled pink with this shot : ) Please note that the green turtle and plants qualify this for NaBloPoMo-Green - plus, the lizard is being green, recycling the turtle as a home : )

If you would like to see many more Camera Critter shots, and hopefully leave one of your own, please click on the button to the right. Peace. B : )

SkyWatch Friday, Fertilizer Friday, and NaBloPoMo-Green

2010-08-20T06:38:00.000-04:00

SkyWatch Friday - just a little woodpecker in a tangle of old branches left over from our cold winter. These little guys managed to successfully trim the dead branches from three of these trees. If only we could train them to pick up after themselves : )

Fertilizer Friday (and NaBloPoMo although I've missed two posts this month)

Longans and lemons - we have been sampling longans for a while but they need just a little more time. The lemons are getting large. We have been picking up tons of windfall limes rather than picking the ones that are still growing. Unfortunately, I cannot even see the ground under the lemon tree so if there are any windfalls, they're turning into fertilizer! Yesterday I spent a bit of time zesting and squeezing the limes. I mixed the juice with some water and made ice cubes, and I put the zest in my dehydrator and made dried lime zest for future use. Recycling - that's what NaBloPoMo-Green is all about this month. The best part is when the citrus fruit is all gone, you can still use the leaves for cooking.

If you would like to see more, or join in yourself, please click on the appropriate button(s) to the right. Peace. B : )

ABC Wednesday, Watery Wednesday, NaBloPoMo/Green

2010-08-18T14:50:00.000-04:00

Eeeeek

Ewwwww

Egad

there's something eerie on my grass! And it's covered with dew. And look at this watery shot:

Wow - need some paper towel? If you'd care to join in on any of these memes, please click on the appropriate button(s) to the right. Peace. B : )

Ruby Tuesday and NaBloPoMo Green

2010-08-17T06:57:00.000-04:00

Hi there and happy Ruby Tuesday! If you have been here before, you probably know about our "some kind of coffee" plants. If not, or if you've forgotten because it's not the most fascinating news to enter your world, you can go here and check it out if you'd like. Anyway, in our extreme cold winter we had last year, we lost our big coffee plant, but when things got better, some little ones that had planted themselves started popping up out of the ground, some yards away from the original. We dug some of them up and are keeping them in pots till they get bigger. Here is one, in all its ruby glory:

Isn't it purty???

If you would care to get further into the Ruby Tuesday meme, just click on the button to the right. Peace. B : )

Mellow Yellow Monday (and NaBloPoMo-Green of course : )

2010-08-16T05:59:00.000-04:00

Oh look, she's shy : )

For some reason, the Mexican Sunflowers have not been blooming much. The cold winter improved some plants' performance, and others, not so much. Perhaps this is one of the ones who suffered, or maybe they're just taking their time. Anyway, easily amused as I am, I got a kick out of this little flower hiding amongst the leaves.

Have a wonderful Monday. Think of it as a new start; a chance to do it all better. If you'd like to share on this meme, just click on the button to the right. Peace. B : )

Shadow Shot Sunday, Weekend Reflections, NaBloPoMo Green

2010-08-15T06:45:00.002-04:00

Happy Sunday! Look at the shadow on this church in North Port, the shadow with the big "eye". It reminds me of something and I can't pinpoint what. Nutcracker? Indian icon? What do you think? Oh, and please note that the church behind the shadow is drop-dead gorgeous!

In a previous post, I showed what the sun did as it came through the window in the doorway to our foyer. Look what it did this time. Almost looks like an etching on the mirror. Wow if only I were an old letch, I could invite someone to come see my etching : ) BTW, this first etching photo is best seen small, but when you get down to the NaBloPoMo-Green shot, please make it nice and big.

You can also see the reflection of the coat rack and the shell wreath, in the mirror, and the reflection of the 60's style bead curtain in those pictures. And do you see that yellow harness? That belongs to a DOG OF THE MONTH! We just got the call yesterday. We didn't know Ricky had submitted a centerfold picture to Dog Fancy - oh wait, just kidding. What really happened is this - our local animal shelter SUNCOAST HUMANE SOCIETY produces a calendar every year. For $25 you can be sure your animal will be on the calendar, in a small shot. That means $100 for us, but the shelter is so worth it, and that's where we got Ricky. Anyway, they vote and choose the 12 months and the cover shots which will be larger and RICKY GOT ONE OF THE MONTHS!!! We don't know yet if he will be Mr. March or Mr. December or what, but we are on Cloud Nine. Everyone says Ricky should be in the movies - maybe he'll get his big break now. He's not just totally cute though, he's also the world's best dog, shhhh, I meant boy, not dog - we never call our dogs "dog". Why yes, thank you, I DO know we're weird : )

Anyway, on to NaBloPoMo-Green, which also has a shadow in it and I'll be there's even a reflection on those wings if you could only see it:

Have a wonderful rest of the weekend. If you'd care to explore these memes further, please click on the appropriate button(s) to the right. Peace. B : )

Camera Critters and NaBloPoMo-Green all rolled into one for your viewing convenience : )

2010-08-14T06:16:00.000-04:00

Guess what! No dogs for Camera Critters today : ) Here are two cards in a series I have been working on recently - going for sort of a vintage country look. These two happen to have critters on them, so I thought I'd show you. I am in the process of moving my cards for sale from Shop Handmade to Etsy, but they're not there yet. The premise of my shop is Just Bcards - cards for all {or no} occasions.....because most of them are blank so you can write your own original sentiment. Anyway, enough blah blah yawn yawn - here they are:

And now for a real critter; something in the green variety so it fits in with NaBloPoMo:

This is one of the special caterpillars who eat the Indian Pipe Vine I've shown you before, and who become the special butterfly that (I think) only comes from the Indian Pipe Vine, or however all that works. Now, guess what this is:

Give up? This is special Indian Pipe Vine Butterfly Caterpillar

poop

Yep, that's what it is. In all it's hopefully fertilizing glory!

Hope you enjoyed the critters. If you'd like to see more, or maybe showcase your own, please click on the button to the right. Peace. B : )