Delaware Top Blogs

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Ugliest gift of 2010--so far

For only $49.95 it can be yours. From Nordstrom.
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Flower cloes-ups by genius grandson



Taken with an iPhone.
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Sunday, November 28, 2010

My grandson's airplanes

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Sorting silver


I spent part of today sorting and putting away the silver we used Thanksgiving. We were expecting 11 people, so we had to use silver from several different sets. In the event, we only had 8, so I could have made do with my grandmother's beautiful Tuileries sterling. It's 106 years old, the pattern having been brought out in 1904.

Yesterday everyone went home, and I felt rather blah. Decided to eat a cup of tomato soup and the rest of the pumpkin pie for supper. I knew it wasn't a good idea, but there was no stopping me. The ensuing tummy trouble was my reward.

Today I put together some leftover mushrooms, parsley, chicken broth and heavy cream which made a nice soup for Mr Charm and me. Stomach still grumbling.

The oh so politically correct carrying on about McDonald's reminded me of the days before Mickey D existed. People still had to eat; they just never knew where to eat in strange towns without encountering appallingly bad food. When we went on trips, especially driving to Florida, we were taking a risk with our lives and those of our children; the food was that awful. Breakfasts were the worst. Eggs cooked in rancid bacon grease, sausages made of God knows what and dishwater coffee. We were glad when McDonald's came along and we could buy a breakfast sandwich and a decent cup of coffee and know we were not risking food poisoning.

Coffee was usually bad everywhere in the old days. People have gotten used to getting decent coffee almost everywhere and don't remember the overcooked or weak brew we encountered in almost every restaurant except the really posh ones.
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Saturday, November 27, 2010




Longwood Gardens Conservatory. Photos taken by my 9-year-old grandson with an iPhone.
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Two of our Thanksgiving desserts


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Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Thanksgiving message

Gratitude is good for you.

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Green bottles

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Monday, November 15, 2010

Roses in November



Global warming--what's not to like?
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Sunday, November 14, 2010

Osama bin Laden appoints new second in command

He appears to be a man of mystery:

.Little is known about the shadowy al-Adel, who is also known by the names Muhammad al-Makkawi and Ibrahim al-Madani. Born in Egypt, al-Adel is said to have served as a colonel in its Special Forces.

I don't suppose we will get any more information about him, unless one of the fatheads on Sixty Minutes scores an on-air interview with him.  I don't look forward to this event.  I can certainly picture Mike Wallace trying to explore his human side, asking him about his hobby--collecting  fountain pens, perhaps, or bowling--his preference in beverages (decaf mint tea?) and how he is so busy running JihadsRUs that he doesn't get to spend as much time as he would like with the wife and kids.

Thursday, November 11, 2010

I'm thinking of retiring from blogging

See, I've just won a lot of money and won't need the Adsense income:

Coca-Cola Prom
230 Lyndhurst Road
Lyndhurst
Johannesburg
South Africa
2192
We wish to notify you that your email address was generated during the FIFA Soccer world cup finals in South Africa and has won you $1,220,000.00 USD (ONE MILLION TWO HUNDRED AND TWENTY THOUSAND UNITED STATES DOLLARS) to claim prize (Tel) 0027-71-578 -9360, email or sms your contact details to (SMS) 0027-78-774-8482 or Email:  shawnzulu@msn.com or gracejones@bol.com.br
Contact Person. Shawn Zulu (For your Payment Process)
Your Ref No: FIFA2010/00453EURO.
Kindly email us the below details.
Full Names:
Sex:
City:
Country:
Direct Mobile Number:
Age:
Email:
Ref No:
Note: if ever you are under 18, you will be automatically disqualified unless you provide us with the information of someone who is above 18 years of age.
We Congratulates you on behalf of FIFA and its Partner for making FIFA2010 successful.
This is brought to by the FIFA Partners below:
 
·       

And they didn't even ask for my bank account number--it must be authentic, right?

I especially like the name, Shawn Zulu.

I hope not...

but I fear this is true.

We have government without limits, unelected rulers, law enforcement without law, citizens without rights, courts without justice, and a vast pretense of "necessity" and "the consent of the governed" to cover all. Interest groups exist to promote each of these things, and in the usual case are opposed only by a vague and incoherent sense that "things have gotten out of hand." Every two years, we troop to the polls to elect new executives, legislators, and judges...yet no matter whom our ballots elevate, things remain "out of hand," if indeed they don't grow even more so. 

Celebrating Remembrance Day

British Muslims ruin sacred day.

Why don't they celebrate their rejection of British culture by returning their welfare checks?

Decorating from the Good Will




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Thursday, November 04, 2010

Thanks, Tony

Don't buy into the Muslim narrative.

Tuesday, November 02, 2010

Vase


This is a vase I got at Good Will. I think it is called "end of day." Does anyone know?
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My root canal--the most fun I've had in a month

That's an exaggeration--but at least while my mouth was open and my dentist's hand in it no-one could call and ask me to take a phone survey on behalf of the Republican Party, the Democratic Party, various individuals who were running for office, etc, ad nauseam.

The last month has been full of frustration.  First there was the long (25 days) struggle to see the cardiologist about Mr Charm's pacemaker.  Fortunately neither of us was bleeding heavily, so we lived through it, saw the cardio (nothing wrong with the pacemaker, see the neurologist) and received a profuse apology from the practice manager.

Yesterday, it was apparent that everything was going to go wrong, including a nervous breakdown on the part of the GPS.   I sensed that things were going to continue to go wrong.  The gods of petty annoyance were picking on us, and would continue to do so until they were tired of us and went to pick on somebody else.

We were late for the neurologist appointment, but signed the patient attendance sheet and were assured he would see us, as soon as possible.  We sat there watching other patients go in and out.  I managed to read a whole issue of the New Yorker, a relatively recent one .  More patients come and go.  Some come while we are sitting there and go while we are still sitting there.  I ask the female at the desk what is happening.  She informs me that he is trying to fit us in, but she can't ask him because he is With a Patient.   Short of calling her a liar, there was nothing I could do, although I was pretty sure her story would not hold up in a court of law.  She then deserted her post.  No-one took her place.

At last the office is deserted except for us and Deborah from Billing, sitting at another window and doing something, possibly to do with billing.  I finally collared her, and told her we had been waiting.  I was afraid the neurologist would decamp from another exit, which he was actually about to do.  But she caught him and Mr Charm had his exam.  The doctor told us he did not know we were there, and I believed him.  I actually knew this from the start, but it took three hours for it to be apparent to everyone else.

Toy trains at Longwood Gardens



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November roses


I picked these this morning--not bad for November 2.
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Saguaro cactus Christmas tree?


Seen at the Good Will store. It has little hooks all over it, my guess is that it is a saguaro cactus Christmas tree. Or not.
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Monday, November 01, 2010

Halloween

We just turned off the outside light and declared trick or treat closed, due to depletion of treats.  We had a lot of children, many of whom I recognized from the neighborhood, including one or two who haven't really perfected their lines and just stand and gawk at you until you give them candy.  I was pleased to see so many little guys, but noticed that they were all accompanied by adults.

Due to the (unfounded) rumors of poisoned Halloween candy, people are reluctant to let their children out at night these days.  When my kids were little they used to roam freely on Halloween and bring home enough treats to make a family of ten sick for a week, but nowadays kids are not free range; they have playdates.

Instead of being a children's holiday it has been adopted by adults, who  make a fuss about dressing up in costumes and going to parties.  To my mind, they are faintly ridiculous.

When I was a kid children were encouraged, if not hounded, to go out of doors in all weathers.  There was a rumor that fresh air was good for them, but the real reason was so that parents could read the paper, do housework, smoke cigarettes and  have a little peace and quiet.  How do parents stand having them underfoot all the time?