Just Something Pretty

What's pretty in your world today?

Nothin' Like a Dame

There is nothin' like a dame,
Nothin' in the world,
There is nothin' you can name
That is anythin' like a dame!

We were so lucky to see both Dame Judi Dench and Dame Helen Mirren live on stage during our trip to London. I was chatting with a few other ladies on the trip and we were slightly bemoaning that we weren't seeing Maggie Smith, because wouldn't that have been a trifecta?

Seeing the queen certainly made up for that!

We also saw One Man, Two Guvnors.   Hilarious!

And at the Globe Theater, The Tempest with Colin Morgan (Merlin) as Ariel.  You can see hoodies and plastic ponchos on the groundlings.  Yes, they did get a little wet.

Yum

Frank made some great banana granola muffins the other week.  He said to himself, I really should bake something every weekend.

Well, it hasn't quite been EVERY weekend, but we have had

OVERNIGHT CINNAMON ROLLS

And NO BAKE STRAWBERRY CHEESECAKE PIES

YUM!

Around the House: Ironing

Ernest is packing... he asked me a couple questions.

"Mom, how do I fold a shirt so it won't wrinkle?"  Fold it the way it was when you bought it.  Like this.  And look at this quick way to fold t-shirts.  (Thanks Jen and C for the links.)

"Can you teach me how to iron?"  I said, "Have the shirt laundered at the cleaners.  They'll do a much better job!"  But we practiced on a wrinkled cotton dress shirt I found in the closet.  Most important instruction:  Careful, don't burn yourself.  (Oops, he did.)  He ironed pants, too.

Ironing is definitely not big amongst teen-age boys.  He says only one male boarder at Hogwarts had an iron. I rarely iron any more -- nothing needs it.  I keep the iron for sewing projects.    I remember my mother always having a large basket of ironing.  That's what I learned on.

Do you still iron?

The Sheep of Stonehenge

This has nothing to do with the sheep, but Gary reminded me... [five years later, the video is not available. it was probably Spinal tap's stonehenge]

Anyway, there we were in a big field.

Lots of traffic on the road on a Friday afternoon.  

Those drivers know what a week end is, but the sheep don't get a break.

This poor guy had some bathroom issues.

"I say, old chap!  I'm a mite peckish."

At least he has a wooly coat to keep him warm in the brisk wind.

"Nothing, not even a smackerel?"

Sigh.  Back to grass.

And now for something completely different.

I call this Daisyhenge.

Love this old cab!

Homer's Got Something to Tell You

Homer is very vocal about expressing his needs. If the kibble dish is empty, you'll know it. He'll do the sad meow and lead you into the pantry where he will politely open the cupboard door where the kibble is stored.

If the litter box is messy, he will meow outside the bathroom door.

Feeding time?  No worries.  Homer will remind you.

But the other night, the meowing was pitiful. What could be wrong?  I went through the usual routines, but nothing satisfied him. I finally went into the room he'd came from, turned on the light, and searched for anything that might be bugging him. Like a bug or critter. Nothing. 

I left the light on and left the room. Silence. That was it. He just wanted the light on. 

Planning a Road Trip

I'm just not one of those fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants people.  I'm not Anthony Bourdain.  I like to have reservations.  At least for a few important things, like flights, rental cars, and hotels.

However, when it's someone else's college tour road trip, I had to wait until said person made his plans.  Waiting, waiting.  Weeks and weeks.  And then my own dalliance and delay.

Now I can say, plans MADE!

Ernest, with me in tow because he is too young to rent a car himself, will be visiting Drexel (Philadelphia), Carnegie-Mellon (Pittsburgh), Cornell (Ithaca), Rensselaer (Troy), MIT/Boston U/Northeastern (Boston).    And two days on my own in NY, seeing Once (I'm all fluttery over Arthur Darvill, Rory from Doctor Who!) and Kinky Boots.

Saturday PhotoHunt: Unknown / Stonehenge

Join the Saturday PhotoHunt.  This week's theme is unknown.

Situated starkly on the Salisbury Plain, surrounded by fields of grazing sheep, the original purpose of Stonehenge is unknown.

A brief spot of sunshine.

The sheep were rumpled in the wind

but were quite charming. 

Thematic Photographic: On the Water

Carmi at the blog "Written, Inc." posts a photographic challenge each week at Thematic Photographic. This week, the theme is "On the water."

At Seattle's Edgewater Hotel on the water, my guys make like the Beatles. 

August 2003, almost 10 years ago!

Recital

I've been in the doldrums again...must swim out...things to do (online traffic school because I got my first ticket EVER in my whole 50-something year old life)...places to go (college road trip with Ernest next week-- Gary and Janet know we're visiting)...shows to see (Fiddler on the Roof just a few blocks away from our house TONIGHT and I will steal away for a couple shows in NYC)...

While I work my way out, enjoy a little bit of Frank and Ernest at their piano recital.

Frank - Northwoods Toccata.  (Sorry for my outoffocusness at the beginning.)  Whoa, look at Frank with all those crossing over hand thingies.




And Ernest, debuting a little Debussy.  (Again, my camera was a little wibbly-wobbly.  Had to get the socks in the picture!)

Separated at Birth #6

Mick Jagger

Frank Jagger?

Sharp Dress-Robed Men

Ernest's black suit has seen a lot of use since we made the investment 2 years ago.  It's lucky he was able to have the pants lengthened!  This year he's worn it twice a week, and it even subbed for a tuxedo at prom.  There was a dress robes rep from Men's Wearhouse at Hogwarts, but either he didn't have enough time or the line was too long so he decided to make do with the suit.

Ernest's young lady lives on the other coast, so he went to prom with friends instead.  I'm not sure where Mr. Blue got this fine combination -- but I love those shoes.  I hear he has blue suede shoes, too.  Actor, artist and foodie, he's been a great friend to Ernest this year.

Another friend (since back in the WorldofWarcraft-playing freshman year) still had his dress robes  rental from last year!  He had forgotten to return it.  After calculating that a year's rental added up to $6000, he and Ernest bravely ventured back to Men's Wearhouse and it turns out they didn't even have a record of it.  So they charged him for a week, instead of for a year.

It was a Men's Wearhouse week, because I had seen there was a BOGO sale, so now Ernest has two new ensembles.

Bad cell phone pictures, but that's all I have.

The tweed (here's a better view):

And the classic blue blazer.