Sneezes~~~Yard work?~~~Book~~~"Change In Tone"~~~

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(Early morning Kittie...)
The weather continues to be beautiful and Spring-like around my 'neck of the woods'.  Lovely...  Other than the chorus of Family sneezing...  -chuckle-  'Tis leaf-popping-out-season and some of us announce it, loud and clear.  Last evening, poor "Gabe's" mommy was sneezing up a storm, and needed her meds.  -sigh-  My allergy reaction is much milder but then, I don't live with 2 cats.

(Btw, this pic is NOT in my yard.  It's from, on a walk...)

I'd really like to get going on cleaning up the view, out our patio door/windows.  Left-over from last summer stuff out there.  And it's really beginning to 'bug' me.  He is busy with growing his seedlings, and getting ready to plant the plants which came...  That left-over debris is MY  JOB!  And it should be!

Finished another book.  #31 this time.  How does the cover on "The Next Wave" strike you?  After the Boston Bombings...?  And this book was published in 2011.  How come no one noticed left-behind backpacks?

"TERROR WALKS AMONG US.  ....  Who are the recruits for the next wave? They live next door."    

Very interesting book, based on investigative reporting, which rings-even-truer, after the Boston Bombings.

Can read more, by clicking here, and going to my "Auntie's Reads 2011" blog...

Oooops!  There I go again.  With that "significant

change in tone" on my blog, which I have been told, that some Dear Readers have been surprised by.  Perhaps I need to put a "Warning" in the Post Title...  When I deviate from "Pretty Blog Land" stuff.

I know, some bloggers put "RANT" in their Post Title.  But this is not actually a RANT.  It's a book review...

Oh well.....

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3 'Happy's'~~~Thank you~~~"Use it or lose it"~~~

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Happy morning Moon...

Happy First of May...

Happy 3rd Birthday, to Gabriel Michael...

Just a silly belly-button picture...  -gigggles-

Just a silly "I covered it up, Nana!" picture.  -more gigggggles-

A pretty alley-view, into a drive-way, up the alley...

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Thank you to all the Dear Readers who commented on my post.  Agreeing...  Not agreeing...  Both...  Thankfully, we are still FREE to hold our opinions, and to state our opinions.  It seems very important, to occasionally state our opinions, in order to keep this FREEDOM.  You know what they say:  "Use it or lose it."  I think this applies to more, than just to muscle strength.
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I also like to let-it-all-hang-out, now and then...  I like to show that "Auntie" is not just a sweet, little, ol' gal.  (Hehh, I can hear the sniggggering...  When did anyone ever think "Auntie" was just a sweet, little, ol' gal, hu????!!!!???  -chuckle-)  Yeah, well, true...
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And perhaps this morning, I have a differing opinion on that "Stop Complaining" manta, too.  Oh I still agree on trying to stop *bitching about* every little (or big) thing that comes-down-the-pike.  Constant whining doesn't help anyone.   But!!!
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If we are just mild, quiet, hippity-happy, passive, smiling individuals,  ALL-THE-TIME,......   Isn't that like being drones?  Or serfs?  Or subjects?  Or ....  You fill in the blanks.  There is a time and a place for Passion, and for Strong Views, and for being willing to rock the boat.  "Auntie" sezzzzzzzz....  How about you??????

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Duck~~~Diff Pesto~~~"Stop Complaining"~~~

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My point here, wasn't about Comments-Per-Say.  It was about having *zillions* more Visits, than Comments.  Which is pretty common around here.  But still "bugs" me a bit.  If people have the time to Visit/Read a blog (even on busy weekends), how come so few Visitors/Readers bother to even leave a tiny Comment?  ~~~~~~~~~   NO  ANSWER, I KNOW. 

Duck on pool cover...

I found how to increase the size of how all print, shows up on my computer.  But now, I wonder if my Blog Print is showing up, as tooooooooo big????  In YOUR BLOG?  I know.  We can increase/decrease how blog print looks, on our screens...  But...  I still wonder....?  ~~~~~~~~~   And do you find it easy to increase/decrease all print, when you are on the computer?

We wanted to have Pesto And Pasta on Mon.   But didn't have the fresh stuff, one usually uses for Pesto.  Had Argula, so he made it, with that.  :-)  Interesting different taste.  :-)  He wants to try making Pesto with black olives too, which sounds yummy to me.     ~~~~~~~~~     And somewhere, it suggested putting Pesto on a baked potato.  Yessss!  No need for him to use butter!  :-)  Tonight, one of our 2 weekly fresh fish dinners, with a salad and 1/2 a baked potato, topped with Pesto. 

(Pretty little walk-way, up the alley...)

-grin-  I begin this blog entry, by complaining.  And now I add...  STOP  COMPLAINING.  It's one of those "Hey-how-come-I-didn't-think-of-that" sayings!  ,-)

 From Pg. 185 in "Clean" by A. Junger, M.D.

"Stop complaining" ........  I saw with a jolt how any complaint is really the expression of a negative emotion or state.  It gives the complainer a sense of immediate relief, even pleasure.........Complaining is like an exhaust pipe in a car, it lets out the pressure, relieving the complainer in the short term..........this negative energy pollutes your environment and is doubly toxic to the people  who are listening............Most complainers expect you to join them in their complaint. .............The apparent camaraderie that is generated by this interaction gives the one who joins the complainer a sense of immediate pleasure as well."

"...almost without exception, complainers and those who join them later on, when alone, feel depleted, somewhat depressed.  Most never put these two dots together and have no way of ever breaking this cycle of quantum toxicity, both personal and environmental."

Remind me of this, the next time I get *grumpy*!!!  -chuckle-

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♥ Of jelly, and leaves, and flannel sheets... ,-)

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(Copy of present Header pic)

May I begin, with a bit of a rant, at this *New* Blogger Thing...

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So far, I have not mastered the way to have a post publish at a certain date/time.  Grrrrrrr...   I know.   I just have to keep trying and I'll figure out what *magic* I have not learned yet.  -Grumble-

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('Uncle A.' picking grapes from vines, around pool fence.)

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"The breezes taste of apple peel.

The air is full of smells to feel-

Ripe fruit, old footballs, 

Burning brush, 

New books, erasers, 

Chalk and such.

The bee, his hive, 

Well-honeyed hum,

And Mother cuts Chrysanthemums.

Like plates washed clean

With suds, the days

Are polished with

A morning haze."

~John Updike, 'September'

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(Grapes, after culling and cleaning...)

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(They have to be boiled down, etc., etc., and then left to strain...)

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(A wee bit of leaf color change...)

I admit I haven't been far, and this picture was taken right around here, on a walk...  But I'm very interested to see, how our NE "Leaf Peeking" Season, will roll out.  Here it is, the end of Sept., and I am not seeing the gorgeous leaf change colors, which I have posted, a couple of years ago.   Hmmmmm......

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(Here and there, a big of blooming still...)

We usually get our Flu Shot in Oct.  But I had one of my *feelings*...  That if I waited, I would catch a cold and not be able to get the Flu Shot for ages.   So, we went and had they done, this week.  

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I have learned over the years, to *Listen To My Feelings.*  Such things keep showing that it's wise to do so.  Had another one of them, this week.  But won't bore you, with the details.  ,-)  No bigggggie.  Just one of those things....  How come I did something in that way and not in another?  Because it worked out for the best.  :-)

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(Little weed flowers, keep on blooming...)

We also turned the furnace on, to make sure it was working properly.  And turned it off again, of course!  ,-) 

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We have always had Natural Gas.  Especially now, we are very happy to have Natural Gas for heating.  People with Oil Heat, are not "happy-campers," in this awful economy.

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(On our walk...  A bit more color...  But not today.  It's raining today!)

This week, we also decided to take off summer sheets and replace them with winter flannel ones.  Have you Dear Reader, done such yet?  :-)

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♥ It WAS 'delicious'! It SHOULD have been! ,-))) ADDITION...

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ADDITION:

I apologize for any SPAM, which comes into your mail box, looking like it came from me.  My mail box password has been compromised, and my mail addy has been used as a 'bot', to send SPAM.  I changed my password, which should take care of this.  But I apologize for SPAM, which got through.  -sigh-

 

AB-FAB-DELISH...!!!  It was!  It was!  ♥   Roasted Beets from the Farmer's Market...  "Smashed" Potatoes...  *Scrumptious* very fresh Scallops, from a new Fresh Sea Food Market.  ~~~  'Course, the scallops SHOULD have been delicious!  They cost *an arm and a leg*!!!  Eeeeeeek!   Quelles Horror!  We won't be going back there again, very soon!!! 

A *better buy*...  "Two-for-$$$"...  For the "geeeeeorgeous" new funky ear rings.  :-))))))))))  The top one is make-believe-garnet.   And the other is lots of green glass dingle-dangles.  It looks sort of blue and not green.  But....   We all know how color-doesn't-travel-in-our-blog-pics, at times.  ,-)

Can you guess???  I love, love, love to wear funky, danglyyyy, crazy-ish, wild Ear Rings, every day!!!  My daily clothes are very plain, as I have said before.  A blouse (often white) under a long simple cotton dress of black or purple.  So I figure, I can "get-away-with" jazzzzzy ear rings.  ,-)  Of course, at this Olden Age, I don't really give-a-hoot.  If someone doesn't like my look, well they don't have to keep-looking.  -grin-

My 14 year old Granddaughter, highly approves though.  You can guess which *Audience,* matters to me more.  ;-))))))))))))) 

 The moon rising in the East, during our late afternoon walk.  It was somewhere between 5 - 6PM.  Wow, is it ever waxing!!!

(Source)

"This month, we also celebrate what we call a Harvest Moon, which is the full Moon nearest the autumnal equinox. It can occur in September or October and is bright enough to allow finishing all the harvest chores."  (Source)

Again, I was mistaken, as to when I thought the next Full Moon date was/is.  Grrrrrr....   My cute little Flying Witch on my Full Moon button, on my (bottom) side bar...  It goooofed again!  It says the next Full Moon will be on Tues. Oct. 2.   ~~~   -Palm-Forehead-  MUST remember to check, every month.  -moan-

 Full Moon: September 29, 11:19 P.M.

Just some of those *spent* Clematis.  When in bloom, they are pretty-enough big pink flowers.  But I think I prefer their look, now.   When they are *spent.*  They look so  'puuuuuufy' and also kind of fragile.    Sort of like little mop-top-doggies.   :-)))

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♥ FULL THUNDER MOON & "The Full Moon Effect"

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"Gabe" is in "Yankee Doodle Dandy" mode...   American flag in one hand...  And a fife, in the other hand.  He needs someone to carry a drum, and they could be "The Spirit Of 76."  :-)

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Yesterday, we had sun...

And we also had a couple of lovely summer showers....

In the early afternoon, and in the early evening...

  

Which of course, had me scrambling, to capture rain drops, illuminated by the sunlight...

I tried with the regular setting...  And with the "to catch speedy things" setting.  But don't remember which pics I took, with which setting.  LOL. 

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Just the garage doors of a Carriage House, down the alley...  Built in 1882, according to the plaque which is placed between the doors...

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Mon. night ~~  Nearly Full Moon ~~  Reflection in pool ~~ 
The Greenish light is the in-pool-light.
Remember, I'm not a night-time photographer.  -grin-

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HAPPY FULL THUNDER MOON, tonight!!!

But I seem to be having "The Full Moon Effect" here, in posting...  So will close.  Since I can't change to not-shouting-looking-print.  lol...

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♥ Random summer prettiness... :-)

(Source)

Isn't this just beautiful...????????????????????

 

Date-built, on old carriage house, on Alley we love to walk...

Maintenance being done, on this old carriage house...

Work was being done, on a chimney...

 

Another view, of the alley........

 

And back home, next to the  steps to the pool...  The little flower area, which "Uncle A." re-built...

Soooooo...  We have our work cut out, for us.

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"Obamacare is now essentially upheld. There’s only one way it can be overturned. The same way it was passed — elect a new president and a new Congress. That’s undoubtedly what Roberts is saying: Your job, not mine. I won’t make it easy for you."

~Charles Krauthammer