Can you tell what this is?

We found this cute salt and pepper shaker set a few years ago and I realized I had never shared. We don’t use them, but I think they’re so cute.

No wonder we bought them, huh? But we’re not in Wisconsin right now, we’re traveling through the warmer weather of Florida – ah, sunshine, at least I hope the sun is shining. My husband is taking me swimming with the manatees for my birthday. :0)  I’m a wee bit excited! Since we’re traveling this post was prepared before we left, I sure hope it publishes without a hitch.

Macro Monday is easy to play, snap a macro (or any close-up) photo, post it on your blog and come back here and sign MckLinky. Don’t forget to visit each other.

My dad is the kinda guy who eats every single thing with a fork, yes, even bacon and french fries! So when we stumbled on this fork in a kitchen gadget store we absolutely had to get it for him!

Do you see what I see?  Yes, it’s a piece of popcorn, but what else is it?

Did you say, ‘frog’?  Well that’s what my aunt saw while eating her bowl of popcorn years ago.  SO she promptly wrapped a piece of popcorn in tissue paper, boxed it up and sent it from Texas to Missouri to my mother (her sister).  My mother loves frogs of all kinds so this piece of popcorn has been sitting in her china cabinet for many years now.  It looks freshly popped doesn’t it?

Macro Monday is easy to play, snap a macro (or any close-up) photo, post it on your blog and come back here and sign MckLinky. Don’t forget to visit each other.

THANK YOU to each one of you for playing along!  I love seeing what you come up with each week!

Remember my parent’s quail from this summer?  Well they’ve gotten rid of many of them but they still have some left.

While we were visiting they laid a couple of eggs.  Fresh eggs – it’d take several of them to equal one chicken egg.

That’s a teaspoon!

Dennis managed to crack one open, the membrane was very thick and hard to puncture.

He poured it into the teaspoon.

Mom cracked open the other one.  It was very difficult as well.

I had fun snapping while they got gooey, lol.

Things have been a little crazy around here lately – that happens sometimes, it’s in the name, “chaos”, duh! – and I feel like I’ve been somewhat neglectful of my blog and my bloggy friends and I’m very sorry for that but I also think it’s going to continue for a couple more weeks.

The tufted titmouse from yesterday and these birds here were taken a couple of weeks ago at my parents’ house in Missouri – it was an impromptu trip, long story, but anyway, this female cardinal seemed a little different shade than the others, more yellow(?), I liked her colors!

They are such regal looking birds! But back to the chaos, we had our quick trip to Missouri, Oklahoma and back, Camp Angel all last weekend (such a great program!), trying to help a dear friend with wedding planning (they are marrying April 10th and I’m matron of honor – still trying to figure out how to hold my bouquet and the camera, maybe I’ll just strap them together), trying to keep up with my photo-a-day diary (hard copy, not electronic, but I’ll post all about that at some point, promise), diet/exercise/frustration/lack of motivation (ps I have posted over at our weight blog), and I’m sure there’s more, but, drum roll please. . .

We’ll be leaving towards the end of next week for Florida! Yay, warmth! But, I’m also going crazy with all the pre-trip what-not’s. While I’m gone Macro Monday will be on semi-autopilot, but that’s about all that will be here, I will post my photo a day via facebook (link to me at the bottom of the page) like I did for our Maine vacation.

So, please know, I’m not turning my back on you, I love you all! Things will calm back down, just a little time – ps, did I mention that I’ll be swimming with manatees on my birthday (Feb 8th)?! Fun!

Hopefully, I’ll make it back from the trip relaxed and refreshed and ready to take on the world. :0)

Macro Monday is easy to play, snap a macro (or any close-up) photo, post it on your blog and come back here and sign MckLinky. Don’t forget to visit each other.

Do you know what this is? Yes, it’s an elephant, but what else?

An elephant lighter! Isn’t he adorable?!

A tiny little ivory elephant.

A small ivory elephant.

They’re so small and hard to get to stand up to photograph, but worth it I think.

And all three elephants with an apple and a penny. See, they are small. :0) Honestly, I almost kidnapped the elephant lighter, but I didn’t – these elephants belong to my parents.

I would be even more thankful for Cashew Chicken if I could get it outside of Missouri. As it is, every time I go to Missouri I must eat it. Sure, Cashew Chicken is on the menus at most Chinese places but it is not made the same at all. Usually it’s a stir-fry kinda thing, but the one I like is a sweet and sour kinda thing, just a different sauce.  Usually the sign advertises it as “Springfield Cashew Chicken” – wonder why after all these years it hasn’t caught on elsewhere.  All they would have to do is add a second sauce (an oyster sauce) to their bar.

I’m not a big fan of onions so I leave them off. Yum!!

Make it yourself- recipe here.

All the people lined up were jumpers, but Mr Green-britches was the most scantily clad. lol

The first jumper turned to his girlfriend, ring in hand, and asked her to take the big plunge with him!

She said yes, then he scooped her up and they went to take the cold jump.

There they go!

They a quiet, cold, moment to celebrate their choice!

Too funny not to share.

Think that water was cold? Lemme tell you, they have to keep skimming the ice off while waiting, so yeah, it
is cold.

They look a little nervous.

I cropped in so you could see the expressions. I think dad is saying a prayer, wondering what his wife got them in to. The little girl looks like she’d rather be anywhere else. Even mom, seems she might be having second thoughts.

Hosted by Cecily and Michelle

Yay! They did it!

Even the devil took on an angel.

But this hairy angel is taking that devil with him.

I’m truly thankful for the people willing to brave the frigid water, and air, to raise money for such a worthy cause!  Sorry this one is a little late.  But it was too good to glide over.

LAST year’s plunge photos are here

This is my son Mikal.

This is his fiance, Amy.

We were shooting their engagement photos when they each had phone calls.  Now I know they’re not talking to each other, but they both look so happy. . .wonder who was on the other end of that line.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ummel & Brockman

The engagement of Amy Brockman and Mikal Ummel is announced.

Amy is the daughter of Ron Brockman and Sue Kuse of Marshfield.

Mikal is the son of Dennis and Lisa Dewane of Plover.

A June 26, 2010, wedding is planned.

Macro Monday is easy to play, snap a macro (or any close-up) photo, post it on your blog and come back here and sign MckLinky. Don’t forget to visit each other.

Yep, I confess, these are photos left over from Veteran’s Day. I discovered them in a folder and was surprised I had forgotten to share them.

We paid a small fee to go up in the bell tower too, Very cool! I don’t remember how many bells there are but there’s a lot. And these bells can be played!

There’s a special room near the top where people go to play the bells, or learn to play them. This tower is one of just a few around.

Seahorses (look hard, they’re there)

These are a few more photos from my trip to the Aquarium in Chicago.

I’m simply amazed at the many colors fish can be!

And shapes!

Of course, the coral is very pretty too!