Dr. Seuss at Universal Studios in Orlando

Hey, did I show you my garden harvest of today? (Today is Saturday 9-6-14)

I think all of the shots below are self explanatory.  It's amazing to me how they recreate his drawings exactly!

Orlando Busch Gardens Gift Shop

Naturally, being me, I did the gift shop first. It called to me.  They were all about recycling and re-using materials.

These are some of my favorites and they are all wood.  I especially like the cross cut circles on the vase.

As always, I was drawn to glass.  I didn't buy any, however.  I guess you could use them for a gold fish bowl or a terrarium.

They had lots of peacock feathers too -- but we didn't see any peacocks.  Maybe they were hiding.

These hat boxes fascinated me. They were made from magazines.

All of the above and the frames below are fashioned from cloth fibers.  Below, I think the cloth was cut into strips and wound and then sewn together.  I stand corrected, the critters on the lower left of the top photo were made from colored jute.

Busch Gardens 9-2-14

Of course, I loaded the pictures backwards, but who cares?  Below is when we were walking around after the train ride below.  It was HOT and after Noon, so all of the animals (except the crazy humans) were in the shade, napping.  This cheetah, however, seems to be considering a snack.

This is without the telescopic lens on my little camera.  We were quite a distance from the well-fenced cheetah.

I had Emily take this picture so you could see how huge the purple plant is.  Actually, I think it's a wandering Jew, but I had never seen one as a landscape bush.

I have no idea what this is, but the leaves start out green and become gold.  In the hot sun, this was blinding and I had to correct the gamma a lot (on Irfanview).

I'll be darned if I can remember the names of these guys -- some type of gazelle, I think.  They are so pretty!

No, the elephants were not chained, thank God!

This pink flower (on a bush) has to be a cousin to a pointsettia.

We stopped into a grill near the exit of the park and suddenly there were 12 singers and dancers singing Mo Town! They were great!  They did the Supremes, Gladys Knight and the Pips, and many more.

No, you won't see Emily nor me in these pictures, but we did ride the Congo River Raft Ride (say that fast!) twice because getting splashed with cool water was wonderful.  Did I say it was HOT?!

On this bridge, you could insert a quarter into a water canon and splash the people in the raft below.  One woman was having fun when we were on the ride.  She shot every guy with a bald head.  Nee, nee, nee, nee!!!

Below is the "pop up tiger."  Emily took these shots because you had to climb a ladder and you popped up in a reinforced glass case.  Needless to say, her head was about 4 inches from the tiger's head.

Aren't they gorgeous beasts?

Again, remember, it was very hot and nap time.  The animals looked like I felt -- comatose.

This guy was half in a cave that opened onto this walkway above our heads.  So from around the corner on the other side, you saw his butt and tail stick out of a cave in the rocks.  He seems to be saying, "Oh, yummy! There's a juicy one!"

If startled, hippos will charge.  How do you stop a hippo from charging? Take away his charge card.

 Tommy gazelles above.

Just Hanging Around

Below is the train we took through "Narobi."  Emily took most of the pictures above from the train (she was on the window side).  It was a pleasant ride.

This is the actual beginning of the train ride.

More later.  My darn program clicked onto greyscale partway through and I have to re-do a whole bunch of pictures.  It's nap time!  (The heat is mirroring Orlando and is working up to a thunderstorm today.  It's 88 F. and very humid.)

Sleepy

Saturday - slept until almost 10 a.m.! (Went to bed at Midnight.)  Netflix will be the downfall of me.  I have a new series: Wallander.  It's in Swedish, so I have to read subtitles (my friend, Frank, would understand the Swedish).  I always wonder if they are translating it correctly.  

In case you're wondering, here are some of my favorites:

House of Cards with Kevin Spacey
The Killing  (I think it's done and I'm sad for that)
Lilyhammer (set in Norway, but in English)
Longmier (Craig Johnson, the author of the books, will be guest at the New England CrimeBake this year.)
Sherlock Holmes (newest TV show)
Luther (a British detective show -- loved it!)
I've gone brain dead ... the one with Helen Mirren and she's a chief detective inspector.  Oh, of course: Prime Suspect
An Appropriate Adult -- this was a big surprise to me.  The Brits have the volunteer job title of "Appropriate Adult" for an accused suspect when they feel there might be a mental health component involved.  Such as, the accused might be developmentally delayed and not understand what the police are saying.
Cedar Cove
Foley's War -- I haven't really gotten into it yet, but I have seen a couple on "live" TV.
Inspector Morse -- again, I haven't gotten it that yet, having seen many on TV.

Could not stand Breaking Bad.  Everyone else likes it, but I couldn't even finish the first one.

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11:00 a.m. Got the laundry in, went out to the garden.

Somebody couldn't wait for the parmesan! At least they left me some of my first eggplant.  Ah, nature is so grand.

While they are Japanese eggplant and a strange size, I cannot explain the round one.  I think it's conflicted but I don't have the money to bring it to a shrink.

I'm off to make sauce.  Most of the tomatoes are Phyllis'.  Honest, she told me to pick them!

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Please buy my friend Kate Flora's new book:

http://lisahaseltonsreviewsandinterviews.blogspot.com/2014/08/review-of-true-crime-story-death-dealer.html

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Piggy Painting Party

First of all, do you know how hard it is to get very busy people together in one spot?  Here was the plan: Relax on Friday, get take out so I don't have to cook, paint pigs.  I decided to make Cosmopolitans because Sharon likes those and we had decided to call in an order to El Comalito, which is a new Salvadoran restaurant around the corner from my house.

Meanwhile, Sharon had to cancel due to a family thing, but I decided to forge on with the Cosmos.  Not having a clue what goes into a Cosmopolitan, I Googled it! I came up with a recipe which called for cranberry juice (Naomi brought that), Triple Sec and limes (I bought that), Vodka (Lisa brought that), and an orange peel garnish.  

Ann, Lisa, Naomi, and I loved the food from El Comalito!  We tried a lot, including, quesadillas, enchilladas, fried yucca (like a potato -- I loved it), fried plantains (very sweet), beef empanadas.  A couple of the dishes came with rice and beans, some with salad.  It was a feast.  Therese showed up as we were finishing.

Oh -- the Cosmos.  Ann was surprised I was using the pitcher and glasses from my glass collection.

I was using the recipe for four drinks and it called for one Cup of vodka.  So we all took a sip at the same time and, as one, we said, "Kaff, kaff, it's good!"  I guess there was a bit too much vodka ... I really did measure it.  But we had a good time!

Tomi hadn't shown up or called and I didn't know if I should worry because her elderly parents are living with her.  She had already told me that she was babysitting her 75 pound "grand puppy" and she couldn't stay long because her parents are afraid of the dog.  It was the one year anniversary of Tomi's son's wedding and they asked if she would take the puppy while they had a second honeymoon.

Halfway through the painting, Tomi called.  She had fed her parents and was about to come over when the dog got his tags caught in the bottom of the dishwasher.  So, of course, he ran away -- dragging the bottom basket with dishes -- all over the house.  I'm thinking it was pandemonium followed by one big mess.  

But on to the pigs!

I often leaf through the Oriental Trading Company's catalog to buy stuff for work -- such as children's craft items.  Anyway, I have been seeking something I could make and donate for sale to the Sleighbell Fair at church.  And I came up with:

What the heck is that?  Above is a detail of the package

Isn't he cute? I got 12 ceramic pigs!  I figured a decorated piggy bank would be a great thing for a Grandma to buy!  This guy (and the 11 others) is painted white which I did one night while watching "Lillyhammer."

Here I am mixing Pig Pink

Below is Therese just beginning her gorgeous pig.  She brought puff paints which were amazing.

Therese is the creative genius who creates and produces the plays at the Eric Carle Museum.  She is the only one authorized to reproduce his artwork in costumes, sets, and props.  She includes puppets, dance students, and lots of creativity.

And here is what Lisa, Naomi, Ann, Therese, and I came up with!

I don't know if you can tell whose is whose, but we had a great time!  I had so much fun just relaxing, eating, talking, and painting.  Naomi is passionate about having the next pig painting party.  After all, there are still five more to go!