Upside Ann

 I remeber the first time I heard this.  I was captivated.  The melody stole my heart.  I don't associate this song with any love I experienced - only with that drive.  Alone in my car.  Maybe because it is a memory of love song.

We have hit upon one of my favorite points in spring - the blooming of the peonies.  When I lived in Columbus and was attending vet school, I lived in a house that had a garden bed of peonies planted behind the garage.  Pink peonies.  Dark-red peonies.  Delicate white peonies tipped in pale pink.  When I had to leave that house, I attempted to dig up starts and brought them to Harrison.  I planted them near the back deck, at the back door, and in the fence row.  Zelda, in her eccentric doggy way, would meditate under the heavy blooms  or sit with a delicate bud held gently in her mouth.   Now, the only color I have is pink...though I guess you can't appreciate that from the photo above.  The plants by the deck did not survive the deep shadow that was created when the spruce trees grew.  The plants at the fence row got mowed over one-too-many times.  But the plant at the side door to the garage explodes each spring still: h...

 Because - we all can use a splash of magenta on a cool spring morning.  What makes me most happy? See that strip of near-chartreuse in the almost-center?

INTO A SOUP POT on moderate heat ADD Olive oil into bottom of pot 2-3 slices of bacon - cut up and fry ADD and sauté: 3 cloves of smashed garlic 2-3 stalks of celery chopped - I never have this and it is fine 1 zucchini - cubed 1 large onion After onion soft ADD:  1 48 oz chicken or vegetable stock  1 can of cannellini beans 1 can of garbanzo beans 1 can of green beans After it comes to a boil ADD: 1 cup of pasta Once pasta is cooked ADD: 1 bag of baby spinach - which I never have Very tasty even without spinach and celery.  Imagine what it might be like if you add them!

  UGLY GLASS & CO. Ringo couldn't make the shoot.

  We were fortunate enough to stumble into a weekend event in the West Bottoms of Kansas City, MO.  It was Saturday.  We were driving home from Colorado and I had found in my combing of Google for unusual things to do off I-70 a store/collection of weird and creepy things.  I don't recall the name - only that it wasn't to be found.  MAYBE it is available to see by appointment....but it hardly mattered because the neighborhood with its stores full of art, antiques, and collectibles was entirely worthy of a visit.  In fact, it was so worthy that if I'm in the neighborhood on the first weekend of any upcoming month, I WILL be stopping in.   The photo at the top- mural.  Sweet birds.  Wholesome. Photo 2- street lamps.   The final 2 photos are from a store that I managed with effort to treat - as Kevin would suggest- as a museum - and, in doing so, I saved a lot of money.  Ugly Glass & Co.  It was full of Halloween-esque de...