Choice Morsels

Today's blog prompt is: Write a post inspired by the word: "leaves"  Pretty maple in Terre Haute, IN I grew up in the rolling hill country of southern Indiana, surrounded by deep woods. We had quite a variety: beech, hickory, sassafras, ironwood, ash, tulip, red maple, silver maple, dogwood, red bud, red oak, white oak, pin oak, swamp oak and sycamores that all turned rich colors of yellow, orange or russet come fall. Autumn was a gorgeous time, but it isn't just beautiful color I remember. Thinking of leaves also reminds me of the hours of fun my sisters and I had playing with them! Of course, jumping in a leaf pile is customary. We had an abundance of oaks near the house that dropped ponderous  quantities of large leaves, so it was easy to rake up a big, fluffy pile for jumping.  Another thing we'd do is create "playhouses" with leaves. We'd rake them into rows forming walls, rooms and doorways, then we'd play dolls in our "l

I've spent the past couple days following butterflies around with my camera and actually did get some good shots! September is butterfly season in North Florida. It's also dragonfly season. I see them flying around in pairs often, which I guess is part of their courtship ritual. The type of dragonfly particularly common here is called the "Eastern Pondhawk." The males are the prettiest baby blue color. Because they tend to perch and just sit, I find them occasionally willing photo subjects. I captured some very find pictures of a young male Pondhawk yesterday "perched" on the top of an old day lily stem. (Young meaning not full grown in size.) I also have the biggest toad I've ever seen living in my front gardens. I startle him occasionally out of wherever he's hiding--from under the gardenia a couple days ago. My husband has seen him, too, out on the front sidewalk at dusk, under the outside light.  He's at least 3 inches in size from head

The Mama Kat Writing Prompt challenge for today is:  "Add an image to your own 6 word memoir on any topic." So here's mine.  It's on the topic of creativity.   Too many ideas. Not enough time.      

Welcome to blogging prompt day ! Last week I told a story about being "scolded" by a customer wheile working at a flower shop. That elicited numerous comments of similar consumer abuse experiences. Even my mother recalled being harangued over the phone years ago as a young woman working in a store by a lady dissatisfied with the lack of timely delivery of whatever she ordered.. Mother said she said something like, "Now you get on a bicycle right now and get that over here," during her tirade. I didn't ask the era, but guess 1940's sometime. Unfortunately, some things never change.   This weeks prompt is: "Listen to the sounds in your house for 5 or 10 minutes. Write about what you hear."   What sounds do I hear in my house? I took a walk around to listen. In this room, where my computer is, the ceiling fan, which is a cheap small size fan we installed, has never run quietly. It's has a noticeable creaking sort of hum that's leas

Today's prompt topic is: "Write about a time you were scolded…as an adult ." A dozen horrible memories from my flower shop days of "scoldings" immediately popped into my head. There was a doozy in particular I'm going to share. First, I have to explain a couple things for you to get the proper picture of the rules floral designers live by. The flower shop I worked in was a Teleflora member. That means if someone anywhere orders a Teleflora arrangement, whether online or from a book in a store, I, as the floral designer, had to make exactly that arrangement, as closely as my supplies and flowers would allow. A member flower shop can be heavily fined for not keeping this rule.  Many times the receiver of said Teleflora design wouldn't like it---because people tend to pick pictures based on their own tastes, not those of their friend or relative. It was shop policy, though, to replace any arrangement with something the customer preferred of equal v

 It's been rainy over night, so it looks wet outside this morning. Can't mow, but perhaps I'll be able to walk around and pick up the cones and branch clutter left over from Isaac's wind. I have sad news about that Swallowtail Butterfly crystalis I had in a container to watch. It did hatch--about 3 days earlier then expected. However, the wings didn't form properly. It was crippled. I was heart-broken. But I've seen that before in the insect world. It happens. I've seen it happen in the human world, too---I used to work in labor & delivery while I was in the Air Force---not all "butterflies" come out properly formed. That things work that way now doesn't mean they ought to work that way. I was reminded of Romans 8: 20-21 that says, " For the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from it's slavery to corruption in

Today is our Wedding Anniversary! 30 years strong! So, we're having a day of celebration at a local water park! Today's topic is a coffee mug cake recipe. First, I'll give you the  original recipe, followed by suggestions for how I make this quickie dessert a little lower fat:   Chocolate Coffee Mug Cake   Spray the inside of 1 regular mug with oil spray. In a small bowl combine: 4 Tbsp sugar 4 Tbsp all-purpose flour 2 Tbsp cocoa 1 egg 3 Tbsp milk 3 Tbsp oil 3 Tbsop chocolate chips                                                         Dash of Vanilla   Mix the above ingredients together, pour into a regular, oil sprayed mug and cook in a 1000 watt microwave exactly 3 minutes. Cake will rise out of mug during cooking, then will sink again once done. Pour into a dish an enjoy---or split with a friend. Serves 1 or 2.     The Lower-Fat Version 4 Tbsp Splenda 4 Tbsp wheat flour 2 Tbsp cocoa 1 egg (or substitute an equal amount of Eggbe