Commenting on Comments - and - Always in Love with Betty!!!

GR&DF wrapping up the week I think I will answer some of the kind comments from yesterday.
Anna mentioned that on the streets of San Francisco are some of the Philadelphia trolleys - restored to the original city colours - they ride great and look super!! Jeanne mentioned her recent trip to Disneyland and getting wet - if I can find the pic of Rico and I on
the log ride it is really funny - I remember getting pretty wet on the sucker also!! Alice if you want any info at all about SF please feel free to ask - as I am always happy to help - and Yes, Tina - I think I would also have to reach age of 200+ to be able to ever come close to making a dent in my ever growing stash!!
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1921-2007

- This past week on TCM they played one of my all time favorite movies - "The Perils of Pauline" - 1947 - starring Betty Hutton, John Lund, Billy de Wolfe, William Demarest and Constance Colllier - I have always loved Betty in all her moves. I have a specail affection for this movie as it was the first film I ever bought - many years ago - first in Beta format - then when that format failed - I bought it on VHS - and I am sure I have it on DVD. I have never seen a really good print of it - and there probably isn't one left, but the print that is available is good enough. Here is a clip of Betty singing a ballad from the film...



Usually when you think of Betty and her singing you think of the comic songs but she could totally belt out a ballad like nobodies business!! Here is another clip from the film - and a more typically "Betty" song ....



I hope you liked both clips and if you ever get a chance to see any of her films, make the time - they are all top notch and wonderfully entertaining!!

There you go sports fans. Thank you again for stopping by and do come again!!

Take care,
edgar

The Mail Brings some Wonderful Packages!!

GR&DF I was so happy to read all the different comments for yesterdays post and do thank you for them. Nancy - in St Paul's before I went I did my research and was aware of the crawl into the dome and going outside - which I knew I would never able to do - my getting to the whispering gallery was accomplishment enough for me that time. Katya5 asked where the mural is - on the corner of 24th Street and Bryant, but there are many murals all along 24th and on the off streets. If you where into murals there is the LIST of them here in the city.
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Yesterday was a truly banner day is so many ways - here in the city it was warmish and lovely - I do love the cold foggy days that we usually have, but occasionally it is nice to be warm and see the sun. I made it to the Farmers market and got this snap...

These melons are delicious (free samples) and beautiful all at the same time!! On the way over I got this snap of what I think is my favorite Street Car....

I love the lines of this car and the colour.
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The mail was supe -de-duper as it brought presents and stash - and I have some snaps.....


To add to my ever growing Royal Collection - Sadie sent me the Silver Jubilee Booklet and Gaynor sent me the lovely Silver Jubilee china cup. I had not seen either of these pieces over here anywhere - they are super additions - Thank you both so very much!!

The mail also brought me a super special gift from one of my Dear Blog Buddies - sweet Vonna - her generosity is well known and I am so lucky to call her Friend!! Here is a snap of the beauty....


It is a Special Edition Roundy from Shakespeare's Peddler - finished off in the beautiful way that Vonna has - the stitching is lovely and it looks great in our living room. I love that it is a different type of finish - the pedestal is great as it lifts is up just enough to call attention to how beautiful it is - I do thank you sweet Vonna so very much!!!!!

The mail also brought a tiny stash purchase - I was getting the itch bad and couldn't resist - it's like a drug!! Here is a snap -


When I first saw the Hallowe'en Quaker piece in the sneak peaks for Market I knew I had to have this - I am not always taken with Quaker type interpretive pieces, but this hit me just right!! I thought I ought to also get the great La D Da Christmas chart and the sweet little BBD pyn cushion - Since I first laid eyes on that Quaker piece I have been thinking about it and I am thinking of shifting some of the black to some subtle colour bits....... on well, no rush as my basket is pretty full with stitchity projects for a while yet. My evening stitching continues to be on pieces I cant show just yet.
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Here's a little ditty for a chuckle........ yesterday after we got home I got together my usual Wednesday laundry - usually a couple of loads for mid week - I got the washers going and off we went to the pool. After I knew the washers had finished I went up to the laundry room and moved the damp wash into the dryers.. now for the pay off - while pulling out some jeans I heard a clunk and looked in and saw my wallet - yes, you read that right, I had washed my wallet. Everything was pretty damp, but the silver lining ( and I looked hard for that lining!!) is that I didn't run it through an hour in the dryer. Everything dried out pretty well, and I ironed out all the wrinkled bits of paper and the money, now everything is super crisp in my back pocket!! All I could think of at the time was what a super ding thing to do!! I am usually so good about going through the pockets of everything, but yesterday with the warm day I was was chomping to get to the pool, so I guess that " haste does make waste!!"

There you go sports fans for toady with some lovely things to look at and more tid-bits from my wacky-doodle life!! I do thank everyone for stopping by, do come again!!

Take care,
edgar

Crunchy Shrimps, BIG Art and Counting "Carols"

GR&DF thanks for all the great comments yesterday!! I am always ready to step out of the comfort zone and into the unusual when it comes to trying things. With that said, at my advanced age I am sure of some things that I do not like and will not do or try - the list begins with my irrational fear of heights - cant and wont do them - an even as I write that I know in my heart that isn't true - as I can force myself to do some very high things.... two examples come to mind instantly - when I was in Venice and I had a choice of going or not up St Marks Campanile - I chose to go up and was blown away by the gorgeous views of the city and lagoon - I was scared stiff the whole time, but I did it - the second time was when I made myself ascend up into the dome of St Paul's Cathedral in London - in the dome to the whispering gallery - scary as all get out, but once again I made it there and was glad I did. My crazy list goes on to things I will not ever again put in my mouth - bananas, mango's, plantains..are all on that list!!! For the most part I will try new things all the time. I always here my dads voice in my head saying "How do you know you don't like it until you try it???" ..... and I tell myself - you only live this life once - it ain't a dress rehearsal!! So jump in with both feet!!!!!

With that thought lingering - we stopped off in the Mission to pick up some things at the market - I see these every time we stop and I never get a snap....but this time I remembered...

They are with the snacks and spices so I am not too sure if they fall into the snack or the spice arena - but I am sorely tempted to buy some and find out!! I love me some shrimp!! I also got some snaps of a great mural I do not think I have ever shown - It is a pictorial history of Mesoamerica - including a Jaguar Knight from Mexico, an Olmec head, a Nazca hummingbird and a Mayan Lord....

to the left the mural wraps around the corner and continues on the front of the church..


I love that San Francisco has lots of murals, but the Mission seems to have the bulk of them - and here is an advertising mural I like....

I always enjoy a Laundromat with happy washers!! :)
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I got together my copies of "A Christmas Carol".... Here is a snap of them.....

In the top left - 2001 - "ACC" adapted by Stephen Krensky, pictures by Dean Morrissey, beneath that is a children's version 1991 - Illustrated by Marie DeJohn, In the upper middle with the spine up is a- 1985 - "Treasury of Dickens" with three of my favorite stories, Oliver Twist, Great Expectations and ACC, printed in Great Britain. Beneath that is a Barnes a Noble PPB - 2000 - of Dickens Christmas Stories (many people are surprised to find out that Dickens wrote other Christmas stories) At the top again the red and green cloth bound version- 1901 - ACC, below that is a nice facsimile of "Old Christmas" by Washington Irving, moving down to the red bound with green spine - 1937 - ACC, next down is - 1994 - "Jacob Marley's Christmas Carol", back to the top right the Blue Dust Jacket - 1993 - ACC - is a great version - an exact facsimile edition of the autographed manuscript from the Pierpont Morgan Library, moving down - 2006 - ACC, Illustrated by PJ Lynch on top of this edition is an ACC that was privately printed by Ball Brothers Company in Muncie Indiana - I would guess in the late 30's early 40's. This does not include all the Christmas books I have, that's a whole other pile of books!!
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I have been stitching away on an exchange so no snaps of that , yet.

Thanks again for stopping by and wading through all by babble!! Do stop by again.

Take care,
edgar

A Tuesday Post

GR&DF could the post title be a bit more dull?? I wonder. Sometimes I just haven't a clue what to call the days post - especially if it will be about different bits of info - oh well - its Tuesday and on with the post.

I did want to thank you for the kind comments and wanted to sort of answer Denise's and Peggy Lee's question - about "How Many 'A Christmas Carol' versions I have, and do I have duplicates?" I am not sure how many I have, and will get a count tonight, I do know that I am sure I have no duplicate printings/versions. I never thought about it before, but I would guess there are a good handful on the shelf.

Yesterday at "Whole Foods" we stopped to pick up some olive bread to go with the spaghetti dinner we where having - we ran into this deliciousness.....

Now, I am not a big fan of chocolate - unless it is really dark - and you know I am a big fan of the pig - from snout to tail - it is perfectly delicious!! So I squealed out loud at this and into the basket it went!! After dinner - I popped it open and found that the dark chocolate had a smokey taste with little salty, crunchy bacon bits - pretty good for a totally overpriced chocolate bar!! You can click HERE and get your own bacon/chocolate bar. It even comes in milk if dark is not to your taste.

On Sunday I whipped up a cake - called " Mom's Fresh Apple Cake" - I have posted the recipe for it and the frosting on Blacksheep Bakes. Here it is finished and ready for serving...

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There you go sports fans - short and sweet today!! Thanks for stopping by, do come again!!

Take care,
edgar

Monday once Again...

GR&DF thank you again for stopping by for a few moments. This weekend was a sort of Fall Clean up - at Casa Who Hound -

Rico and I ran around to a few Estate Sales on Saturday morning.
Here is a snap of the few bits I picked up...

I got a lovely - and large - faux bois frame, which will look really great with a sampler put in it - I also picked up a couple of Christmas books and armchair tidy from Past Times. I really like this bag as it reminds my of the Lady and the Unicorn Tapestries in Paris - and can hold all the clickers we have in one place. The tapestries are at the Musee du Moyen Age - a great Museum and worth a visit!!

After our morning of running around we got home and got busy with some house work - so now the carpets are clean, there is a lot less dust, the laundry is done and there are some Fall Decorations scattered about.

On Sunday we went for breakfast over to Eddies and stopped by the Farmers Market - I got a couple of snaps -

This is a great snap of artichokes - I loved how they had some that went to flower, showing that this lovely thistle can be a gorgeous purple. On the corner was the flower tent -

...with loads of sunflowers and marigolds - some really great Fall flowers. I parked up by Alamo Square and took this snap of one of the lovely old painted ladies...

I am pretty sure this is a B&B now.

I stitched on an exchange and a present this weekend so no stitching snaps.

There you go sports fans. Do stop by again.

Take care,
edgar

A Stitchity Snap and some Flicks

GR&DF I am humbled by the kind comments and sweet thoughts for my stitching efforts and new Blog. I had an email about this Blog - and to answer the question - I am still going to post here most and use "Blacksheep Bakes" as only a place to gather up food related things. Now, with that said I am sure I can find enough food stuff to spread around between two Blogs.

I snapped away last night I and did acquire a fairly decent shot of "The Garden Path"
- and here it is....

The problem with yesterdays snaps was I couldn't get the 36ct linen to look at all right - this is closer to the actual colour. All that is left to do on this piece is the grass fill and the sawtooth inner border - which I am holding off on as that is non-counting stitching and I can do that on my flight to Florida in a couple of weeks. Its not like I have nothing else to stitch on!! I certainly have plenty of other things to work on until then. It is a shame that these "Sheepish" charts are OOP as they are really nice pieces to stitch - even with the chart mistakes.

I think I will catch up on some flick info ....

"Reap the Wild Wind" - 1942 - starring John Wayne, Susan Hayward, Paulette Goddard and Ray Milland - is all about the sea and sailing ships from the first half of the 19th century. Set in the southeast - Key West and Charleston - it follows the love triangle of Steve, Jack and Loxie. I had seen his film a long time ago and while re watching it remembered what a good flick it is - directed by Cecil B. DeMille it is a big a beautiful production - and Paulette Goddard is in great form. Next up is an obscure film called "Three Faces West" - 1940 - starring John Wayne, Sigrid Gurie and Charles Coburn - The Basic story revolve around a Viennese surgeon, played by Coburn and his daughter who have fled the Nazi Anchluss of Austria of 1938. Coming to America to build a life for themselves they are invited to North Dakota. They arrive in the middle of a dust storm. Eventually as the movie goes on the town is destroyed by the continual dust and the town packs up to move to Oregon. There is of course a secondary love story. The entire film was a bit plodding and if you are a John Wayne fan (of which I am not) it is an interesting film to watch. For 1930's dust bowl films "The Grapes of Wrath" starring Henry Fonda is far superior. . I 'll wrap up the films with a war film - "The Steel Helmet" - 1951 - starring Gene Evans, Robert Hutton, Steve Brodie, William Chun and Richard Loo. You know I enjoy War films and this film did not disappoint. It was Directed by Samuel Fuller and shot on a very low budget, the most glaring of the low budget moments was a Chinese tank made of ply wood, but that can be overlooked. This film is set behind the lines during the Korean War in a Buddhist Temple - with a rag-tag group of infantry men that have basically just run into each other setting up a observation post in the temple. Although this is a war film the story line is very character driven - a good war film with the occasional jarring moment of actual war film footage.
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From the comments - Tina asked about the header snap - the skeleton comes from a design by Birds of a Feather called "Remember Me." You can click HERE to see the chart. Also I had to chuckle at Melodee's comment - I knew you would know - ;)

There you go sports fans - thank you all for stopping by - do come again!!

Take care,
edgar

Some Stitching - an Exchange, a Present and a House

GR&DF it's Thursday, can we get a whoop - whoop!! Not that I am wishing away my life, but looking forward to the weekend. I do thank you all for the kind comments- and the chocolate covered strawberries are continuing to be totally delicious!! I did want to mention that I have opened up another Blog - specifically for baking and cooking and stuff like that - a place where I can post up the recipes and snaps to keep them together. The Blog is called Blacksheep Bakes and I have been tweaking and shifting stuff around for the last couple of days. If you would like you can click on over and give it a look. The first post is for the Pumpkin-Chocolate cake.

Nancy mentioned in the comments for yesterdays post the lamp in the roses snap - that was my Granny's Slag Glass lamp - she treasured it and when we broke up her home it was one of the things I really wanted to have - and so I see it everyday and think of her - such sweet memories.

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I heard from Michelle that the HOE Hallowe'en Exchange I made for her had arrive - and here are a couple of snaps of what I made and sent....

I stitched up a chart from CHS - I painted a box I got a a craft store and attached the piece to the top and lined the inside with some pumpkin fabric.... here is a snap of the entire exchange...

This was a totally fun exchange as I really love all Hallows Eve and Fall things!!

Yesterday I said I would put up some of my more recent stitching.... here is a piece that I am making for a present -

You really cannot tell but the linen is a lovely blue colour and not grey. I want to get it finished up soon and framed as there are only 79 more days until Christmas.

Here is another piece I have been working on....

It is my SoHRH - still a great stitch - but the white fill on this house is a killer - remember - I so do not like white stitching.

I am also working on "The Garden Path" - but I just couldn't get a good snap of that last night - It kept coming out blotchy and mouldy looking - I will try again tonight for a better snap.

There you go sports fans - another post at the "Olde Blacke Sheepe." Just me being funny - It reallye botherse me to see extra e's tacked onto the ende ofe thingse - kinda drives me crazye!! Have a good one and stoppe back when you canne!

Take care -
edgar