We Didn't Miss The Yellow Daisies!

September is the time for yellow daisies at Stone Mountain, Panola Mountain and Arabia Mountain.  We didn't miss them! (We were gone for two weeks.)  These photos were taken at Arabia Mountain this past Saturday on Sept. 24th.  The daisies were lovely and the fragrance is heavenly. If only I could bottle it,  I could make millions! 
The yellow daisies are wildflowers and it is incredible that they are blooming this year in this hot dry weather.   The yellow daisy is not only beautiful but one very tough flower!

Not forgetting the bright purple berries on the beautyberry! The beautyberry is also a native plant. We like to watch the cardinals eat these purple berries!  
My question for you: do you have native plants in your area that you also love this time of year?

Coffee And Tea/Jumping Rope!

Sometimes it is necessary to recognize that you might need a little extra help along with the way...and if coffee and tea supplies that need, well then...so be it!  It never hurts to sip a cuppa and to listen to the Inkspots, that hits the spot! Personally, I like both coffee AND tea.  How about you?  (Yorkshire tea is the tea for me, by the way, it is the BEST!)

Mugs we use when we are in Eastbourne. Mine is on the left, Richard is always on the right!

This also reminds me, does anyone else remember this little rhyme?

 I like coffee, I like tea, I'd like for Susie to jump in with ME!

That is one of the little things we would say when we would jump rope! And then, the person named would jump in with you and you would try to see how long you could jump in unison before missing.

I bet you are thinking, I must be the only person who starts out talking of tea and coffee and then, segues into my childhood memory of jumping rope!

Globe Theatre, London

Hey! Would you like to see "A Midsummer Night's Dream" performed at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre in London? This was from Sept. 11, 2016 and the Globe's blog will have it available for another 30 days online for you.  You may find it just here!


The Globe Theatre In London, you do know about it, don't you? The original Globe was used for the plays of Shakespeare, built in 1599, it was destroyed by fire in 1613. 
Sam Wanamaker, an American actor who lived in England, was behind the idea and construction of the new Globe Theatre. It is an oak and thatch replica of the original, which shows the plays of Shakespeare. (If you watch a lot of British TV shows, you might recognize his daughter, Zoe Wanamaker, she has been in a lot of things!) 

   

Richard took a photo of the wrought iron gate in front of the Globe, isn't it interesting?  This is located in Southwark, it is called Bankside and it is quite the lively area!

When I saw this quote on one of the rubbish bins (garbage cans to us Americans!) you know I had to share it with you! It is from Shakespeare (of course!) and it says, "I like this place and could willingly waste my time in it!"...Celia from "As You Like It".  

Wait, I have LOADS of great photos to show you and here I am showing you a dang TRASH CAN!  Hey, I told ya'll I just ain't right these days! Wish me luck, my friends, I am in need of it!

Waterloo Sunset

We went to London on Richard's birthday and arrived late in the day.  If we walked very quickly, could we make it to Waterloo Bridge and see the sunset?  We could!  Richard was very pleased and you can tell from my face that it made me pretty happy too!   Since this was MY idea to try to make the sunset, I think this was a pretty good present from me to my husband, don't you? (AND it didn't cost a thing! HA!)  If you think about it, sunsets (and sunrises) don't cost one cent but they are there, you just have to be able to enjoy them!  Funny thing, we noticed many people crossing the bridge with us, and you could tell they were not tourists but people who work in London, and some of them also stopped with us and admired the lovely view.

You do know the song "Waterloo Sunset" by the Kinks, don't you?

"As long as I gaze on Waterloo sunset, I am in paradise,".

So, have you seen a lovely sunrise or sunset lately?  What are you waiting for?

Ender's Great Catch!

Ender Inciarte...what a great name for a great baseball player!
Last night, the Atlanta Braves were in New York playing against the Mets.  Picture this: it is the ninth inning (last inning of the game) and the score is 4-3 with the Braves ahead.  The Mets have a man on first and one on second with two outs.  A "dangerous" hitter comes to bat, Cespedes.  He swings, the ball is going, going...right towards the right center field wall.  Our hero, Ender Inciarte, runs, runs, runs....and makes a great leap with his arm over the wall, and comes up with the ball! Out number three! Game over, Braves win!  I can just hear the Mets fans...."We wuz robbed!".  Yep, you sure were, by the great Ender Inciarte!

Now, my friends, I have been trying to get back to normal, but I still seem to be on English time, so I have to go to bed very early, which means I missed this game last night. Gee, wish I could have seen it.  Guess what! They repeated it this afternoon, so I was able to see the last two innings of the game including that great catch by Ender!  YAY!

This time last week, I was beside the sea in Eastbourne and it was like the hottest summer day. People were swimming in the sea and sunning themselves on the beach! 

   I tried my best to eat healthy salads while we were in England but I somehow found myself with this giant bowl of chips with a cool drink.   I couldn't eat all those chips but you know I tried! As hot as it was, it would have been nice to have had that drink with ice...but nothing doing.  Oh well, no matter...when in Rome, as they say!

Will I ever get caught up at work? Will my body ever adjust to the time again?  Will I ever make sense when I type my posts?  Stay tuned!

"Wake Up People! We're Alive!" (The Most Beautiful Day- Der Geilste Tag)

Hey! How are you all doing?  I am happy to tell you that Richard and I just spent two weeks in England! Yes, I know you might be wondering why I didn't mention it but there are some...how should I put this...some criminal types in this area and just in case, I didn't want to have it on here that I would be out of the country! Hope you understand!

Now, after a very long flight (made longer by delays on either end) arriving home quite late, I will be going with my Dad and step-mother to a family reunion today!
Hey, I will be tired but it will be worth it, I am sure.  Not much time again today to look at your blogs or to say much even in this post but I DO want to tell you about one of the films that I watched on the plane.  When you fly these days, it is difficult to view a movie, but I like to look for one in another language and then, it is easier to read the English subtitles rather than try to listen to the dialogue. See, isn't that brilliant! (Go on, you know I am! HA!)  
The quote from my post title..."Wake up people, we're alive!" is from a German movie called "Der Geilste Tag" and it is translated as "The Most Beautiful Day".  The character says this line as he is  in a hospice and he shouts it out one morning!  (I am wondering if my one and only German follower has seen this film. How about it, Meike?) It was wonderful!  It made me laugh out loud! If I tell you what it is about you might think it could be depressing, but it is exactly the opposite.
I do highly recommend it!

Even though the trailer that I have found for you is in German, I think you can tell that it is a film worth viewing. 

"Wake up, people!  We're alive!"   There, that is certainly something that should make you smile!

You really have to watch those characters leaning on a lamp post!
The green building is a former Taxi stand in London, now converted into a cafe.  Just outside Russell Square, we would walk by it on our way into town! (It amuses me that London is called "town". People would ask us in Eastbourne, would we be going into "town" and they meant would we be visiting London!)
Don't get me started on how I still find American English and English so different!  I must go and get ready for a drive to Martin, Georgia for a family reunion!  Take care, my mates!

Jerusalem (England's Green and Pleasant Land)

As an American, I didn't learn of the song "Jerusalem" until I first saw the film "Chariots of Fire" (which I love, by the way.) The song is from a poem by William Blake and the music by Hubert Parry. Of course, it is a very well known and loved song in England. (It is the one of the favorites of my in-laws.) The song was celebrated this year for its 100th anniversary. (The poem is much older, of course!) Some call it a hymn and some do not.  Personally,  I think it should be considered a hymn.  I found a wonderful sermon for you and it says exactly the way I feel about this song!  You may read it just here!

Hope all of you are doing well!  I have quite a few things to tell you and also to ask you!  Will be able to spend more time on the computer next week.  Hope so anyway. 

God Save The Queen/ My Country Tis of Thee

Last night of the Proms in London, Sept. 10, 2016...I have a video of "God Save The Queen" that someone recorded from it. This was very beautiful. The song starts out very quietly but then it becomes more traditionally sung in the most enthusiastic way!   It is the same tune that we use for "My Country Tis of Thee" in America.   Of course, you all know that I love both of these songs!

God save our gracious Queen,
Long live our noble Queen,
God save the Queen.
Send her victorious,
Happy and glorious,
Long to reign over us,
God save the Queen!

Okay, now...let's sing it American style!

My country tis of thee,
sweet land of liberty,
Of thee I sing.
Land where my fathers died,
land of the Pilgrims' pride,
From every mountainside,
Let freedom ring!
==================================

 

I hope all of you are doing well these days, my friends!  I have been unable to get to a computer lately but will be back soon, hopefully!

Pay Attention! Cucumber Vines And Butterflies!

 Today, when I came home from work, my car said 106 degrees...ooh boy, just need to eat my cucumbers, don't I?

My friend gave us some tomatoes from her garden.  And look at that big cucumber! This was on our cucumber vine and it was hiding behind a big leaf! When I told my Dad this, he paused a moment and then said very seriously, "You have to look them vines".  Now, this might not be funny to you, but you just had to hear how he said it!  Hey, I am in need of some laughter these days, how about you?  

Oops...I posted this earlier today by mistake! I really wrote the above in July! So, what I wanted to tell you is that you need to PAY ATTENTION! (Yes, you do appreciate the irony, I hope.)  The butterfly above is the same butterfly, it is a Gulf Fritillary.  It is orange but when you look on the underside of the wing, it is breathtakingly beautiful!  The pattern of the white on the orange is amazing, there is one spot where it looks like an eye. (I am sure you know that the eye spot is there so as to trick predators.) Now, you know that Richard has taken better photos of this butterfly but doggone if I can find them!
And hey, pay attention.  If possible, please be better at it than I am!

It's Not If You Win or Lose...

For when the One Great Scorer comes
To write against your name,
He marks-not that you won or lost-
But how you played the game.     Grantland Rice, American sportwriter (1880-1954).


You might have heard this before, "It's not if you win or lose, but how you play the game."  Written by Grantland Rice, it is from a long poem entitled "Alumnus Football". 

Hey, I know I have photos of baseball on here instead of football but there is a reason and stay with me and I will explain it soon!

Did any of you get to watch much of the Summer Olympics from Rio?  I have always enjoyed watching the Olympics and of course, I cheer whenever the USA wins a medal but you know what I remember the most from Rio?  Michael Phelps won a record setting amount of medals, 28 in all, and 23 of them were gold.  He didn't always come in first! (The announcers almost sounded apologetic about his lesser medals!)  Simone Biles was just incredible, was she not?  Here's the thing, she won four gold medals but she won the bronze because she bobbled on the balance beam. Honestly, I admired her all the more for doing that, to just keep going when you know you have not done your best.


The  photo of the baseball player is from four years ago.  Chipper Jones is retired now but he spent his entire 19 year career with the Atlanta Braves and he was a fantastic player!
I could give you all his stats but guess what I remember about him?  One...whenever he took a base on balls or if he was hit by a pitch, he would always politely hand his bat to the ball boy.  Always.  The other thing...Chipper's real name is Larry Wayne Jones, Jr.  The Braves would play the New York Mets at Shea Stadium and when Chipper would come to the plate,  the fans there would taunt him and say, "Larry...Larry"...over and over!  Did Chipper get mad about it?  No!  He said he enjoyed the fans! In fact, he named one of his sons, "Shea"!  It tickles me to think of Chipper Jones visiting New York City.  I am sure he gets the best treatment at all the restaurants and hotels, I bet they love him now!


So, my friends, can anyone tell me where I am going with this? I have been very busy at work and find it hard to think straight these days, so I am sure that one of you can sum this up for me.  Be a good sport. be polite, be kind.  And if someone intends an unkindness towards you, try to turn it into something positive.  It's how we should all play the game!

Oh! I have had this on here before, but some of you might not have heard it.  It is Harpo Marx playing "Take Me Out To The Ballgame". They didn't call him "Harpo" for nothing!  Enjoy.