Majestic Machines

I was always fascinated with old Grist and Windmills and thought I would portray two beautiful ones I found years ago online. And decided to write a poem about these majestic machines.

Grist And Windmills

Round the Grist and Windmill turn
Gristmill needed to mill the grain
Windmill needed to pump ground water
These Mills on farms must maintain

Rotating energy of wheels and blades
Converting the wind into energy means
Great gristmills and old windmills
The Farmers love these great machines

Yes watch as grist and windmill turn
One by the water to mill the grain
Both always needed to pump up water
The Windmills on farms do maintain

Toni Taddeo © ~ 1-28-2017

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Hope you enjoyed this post along with me. Until the next time my friends have a day of blessings.

SWD And Birthday Wishes

I thought I'd do a shortened version of an old meme called the Simple Woman's Daybook that I used to do. I haven't done one in so long I figured it would be fun to do again.

FOR TODAYOutside my window... it's 1:00 AM and dark.

I am thinking... about my granddaughter for today is her birthday. I miss her as she lives in Texas.

I am wearing... a knit tunic, slacks and slipper sandals right now. (I don't wear shoes in the apartment).

I am creating... this post entry right now.

I am going... to try and get some sleep after I finish writing this and putting it online.

I am looking forward to... tomorrow afternoon playing hand and foot cards with my sister Louise.

Around the apartment... Nothing to do as I do my household chores early in the morning, every morning. It's easy when you live alone.

One of my favorite things... To do is relax with a cup of coffee and maybe create some new graphics or write a poem or read a book.

A few plans for the rest of the week: Aside from Monday cards I'm not sure yet as one sister is a "snow bird" gone south until April and the rest of the family are doing their own thing. Winter is not very active for me.

Birthday wishes and photo... for my granddaughter with a poem I wrote for her.

Jessica

Remembering back to a beautiful little girl
And of picking her up to give her a whirl.

Giggling out loud as her arms hold on tight
Around the room we both take off in flight.

Now looking at photos of times gone by
Remembering those days with a soft sigh.

Those happy days as she spent time with me
Now miles apart as the years swiftly flee.

And seeing her photos now a mom all grown
With a hubby and four adorable sons of her own.

She calls every weekend to tell me what's new
And always asks, "what's happening with you?"

Then ending the call with "I love you"
She answers with, "And I love you too".

Toni Taddeo ©

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Not much else to post and so dear friends have a day of blessings.

Friday Foto Friends #64 Plus A Poem

Hudson River Wildlife

These wonderful photos were taken by others of the Hudson River in my area. So rare to see these birds on the river in Winter. Majestic and beautiful.

Eagles Male & Female On The Hudson January 7, 2017

5 Swans Swimming Down River On The Hudson January 13, 2017

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Today is my grandson Dominic's 24th birthday, He lives in Texas and I miss him dearly. So I thought I would post a poem I wrote for him.

Remembering When

Looking at my grandson I wonder where the years have gone.
A tall young man who stands before me with twinkling dark eyes,
His crooked smile belies a serious stance gazing ahead.
24 years of age and a handsome young man is he,
I shake my head slowly as I study the photo in my hands.

I close my eyes and my mind wanders back nineteen plus years,
I'm remembering the little boy running to me with open arms.
Those same dark eyes twinkling and happy to see me.
I can still feel his little arms tightly holding on,
As I pick him up and dance around the room with him.

I'm remembering him cuddled on the couch as he fights sleep,
He listens while I softly sing a lullaby or two to him.
And as I slowly get up to make him comfortable,
His little hands reach out to prevent me from doing so,
"Sing some more Nana" he says, And sing to him I do.

Those were happy days having him spend time with me.
Now miles apart and years passing quickly by,
He calls me often just to talk and say hello.
Did the Yankees win? Have you heard this song?
"I love you Nana" he says, I answer, "I love you more".

Toni Taddeo ©
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~If you're interested in joining the Friday Foto Friends you can visit Debbie by clicking on her name. Until next time dear friends have a lovely and blessed weekend.

Some Of The World's Weirdest and Most Amazing Bridges

Those who know me know I'm always looking for some of nature's and man made different and strange objects and structures in our great big world. Here are five of them I found fascinating. Hope you find them the same too. Click on the photos to see full view. It;s better that way.

Circular Laguna Garzon Bridge, Uruguay (going 'round in circles on water yet!)

Japan’s Eshima Ohashi bridge (Oh my! Imagine going up and coming down..No Way!)

Lucky Knot Bridge China (love this one but I wouldn't walk it!)

Strade-Strane Italy (translation: The Strane Bridge, high up on a mountain)

The Dong Bridge China (talk about weird!! Reminds me of riding a roller coaster!)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~I had a little fun with this one for sure.. LOL! And now with nothing else more exciting to talk about, I wish you all a lovely and blessed day ahead.

Back In Time Again!

Here are two old meme quizzes I found on my flash drive and thought it would be fun to post them again. I always enjoyed memes. Too bad most of them aren't around anymore. Some of the answers to these two quizzes are the same from 2007 and today.

10 Best Games (5 board games, 5 card games)

Board Games
1.  Scrabble
2.  Monopoly
3.  Clue
4.  Chinese Checkers
5.  Parcheesi

Card Games
6.  Hand & Foot
7.  Phase 10
8.  500 Rummy
9.  Uno
10.  Quiddler

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Unexpected Windfall
1.  If you were to get a unexpected windfall, what is your first thought on what to do with the money? Were you practical or not?:   Definitely practical. Pay off my charge card.
2.  You have $1000 to spend on yourself. What do you buy?:   A new 17 Inch touch screen laptop
3.  You have $1000 to spend on something for your home. What do you buy?:   A new 45-Inch Smart TV. ;)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~I hope you try to do both of them. You can answer here in comments or copy and paste and do them on your blog. I'd love to see your answers. Until the next time dear friends, have a day of blessings.

Friday Foto Friends #63

A New York Memory: Remembering 1964-65 World's Fair Remnants

It might be surprising to know that most of the world’s countries boycotted the ’64-65 Fair. Not because of any particular animus or grudge against the United States or New York City…it was just that there had already been a previous World’s Fair in Seattle in 1962, and most countries devoted their resources to that. U.S. industry picked up the slack. Nevertheless, 36 countries were represented. Here are two of the Fair's remnants still standing.

For out of towners and Queens visitors, the Unisphere can be a surprising and impressive sight for those who aren’t familiar with it: it seems to rise above the trees and buildings like a second moon when you are in the surrounding park and nearby neighborhoods of Corona and Queensboro Hill. The 35-ton Unisphere has become Queens’ symbol in the 4 decades it has been in Flushing Meadows, and needs no introduction, being hardly forgotten. There are some aspects to this 140’x120′ behemoth that you may not be aware of, though.
Though Earth has no rings, unlike Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune, the Unisphere has three. Its rings represent the orbits of the first American astronaut, the first Russian cosmonaut and the first communications satellite to orbit the Earth.
It was quite an engineering feat to make the Unisphere stay in place, because the Pacific Ocean part of it is much lighter than the section showing Africa, Asia and Europe.
The Unisphere tilts at the same approximate 23.5-degree angle the Earth does as it orbits the sun. The angle is believed by astronomers to be the result of the close pass or perhaps even the Velikovsky-esque collision of a Mars-size body with Earth in the solar system’s earliest days. It’s this 23.5-degree angle that allows the sun to shine on earth at different angles depending on the time of year, producing the four seasons.

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The Rocket Thrower is one of a number of statues created for the Fair that had flight or space travel as a theme. (The Fair also boasted the Court of Astronauts, Fountain of the Planets, etc.) The stylized sculpture depicts a giant throwing a rocket (in his right hand) through a network of stars (in his left). After the Fair opened, reviews of Donald De Lue’s sculpture were decidedly mixed. NY Times art reviewer John Canaday called it a “most lamentable monster, making Walt Disney look like Leonardo Da Vinci.” I personally think that review was unfair.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Hope you enjoyed taking this trip down memory lane with me to the old Fair Grounds in NYC. I so enjoy bringing back part of my good memories of sights and scenes I visited.
If you're interested in joining the Friday Foto Friends you can visit Debbie by clicking on her name. Until next time dear friends have a lovely and blessed weekend.

The Artists Corner #5

Today I'm featuring a painting by Marcel Rieder (19 March 1862 – 30 March 1942) was a French painter. Rieder spent most of his life in Paris, but in 1927 he retired to Busseu near Fontainebleau. In later life, Rieder joked that he had gone over to a "impressionistic" painting style, due to fading eyesight and tremors in his hands. He died in Villiers-sous-Grez on 30 March 1942. This painting of his is titled,  "Songeuse devant la cheminée" roughly translated, "Dreaming in front of the fireplace" ©".  Beautiful isn't it!

Here is one of my own short poems I think goes well with it.

Sitting By The Fireplace

It's the beginning of another year
A season of ice cold days and snow.
A time of year with not much to do
Nor many places I truly care to go.

I rather stay indoors and keep warm
I'm not a lover of any winter sports.
Or anything to do with ice or snow
Nor do I care for long winter walks.

I rather relax in my easy chair
And sit by the fireplace and read.
With warmth and coffee in my hand
There's nothing more I really need.

{Toni Taddeo ©}

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Hope you enjoy me presenting artists and their paintings here on my blog every so often, just let me know what you think. Until next time dear friends have a day of blessings.

Willy Nilly Silly Old Hodgepodge

Here's my first Wednesday Hodgepodge From The Side Of The Pond. I will probably be doing this one every Wednesday. Hope you decide to join in.

Willy Nilly Silly Old Hodgepodge
1. ASAP typically stands for 'as soon as possible'. What else could it stand for in your life right now? For me it would stand for a song and a poem. I love to sing even though I have no voice LOL! and I am a poet.

2. Are you the last person to speak up in a group or the first to have an idea? Why do you suppose that is? Is it a good thing or no? It depends on the place and persons I'm with. With family it's normal as we are Italian and always speak up. As for others, it depends on the situation.

3. What do you remember best about being 12? Not much except it was the awkward stage.

4. January 18th was National Winnie the Pooh Day. Which character do you relate to the most, and why? My favorites are Eeore and Winnie but I identify with Owl. Wise but not always right. :)

5. What's an app you use that helps simplify or make life easier for you in some way? On my phone it's The Weather Channel and a few others. On my laptop with Windows 10 it's whatever I set up. I'm not into apps.

6. San Francisco (CA), San Diego (CA), San Juan (PR) San Antonio (TX) Sanibel (FL)...you have an all expenses paid long weekend to one of these destinations. Which one do you choose and why? San Diego as I always enjoyed being there.

7. Share with us a song that makes you feel nostalgic? For what? The Italian song "Mama" as it brings back memories of my mother who is no longer with us.

8. Insert your own random thought here. I'm thinking of one of my sisters who is in Myrtle Beach for the rest of the Winter. We are very close and I will miss her. Thank goodness my youngest sister is still around along with her daughters who will be here in case of anything. Plus we get to play cards once a week.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~If you are interested in joining click on the above Wednesday Hodgepodge logo. Until next time dear friends, have a day of blessings ahead.

Monday Goings On And Meme

Here's an Unconscious Mutterings meme for this week. It's fun and all you do is answer with the first thought that comes to your mind for each question. Usually one word answers will do, although I usually add more. Most of the time I answer tongue in cheek. :-)


I say ... and you think ...?

1. Boarded ~ Up
2. System ~ Failure
3. Favor ~ Needed Please!
4. Sphere ~ World Globe
5. Priorities ~ Please!
6. Chips ~ And Dips
7. Lighting ~ Strikes Twice :)
8. Hopes ~ And Dreams
9. Standing ~ Tall
10. Interest ~ Peaked

Now you try either on your own blog or answer here in comments.

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This afternoon it's card game get together with my two sisters. We usually play hand and foot. It's a canasta type game. It's always a fun time with lots of laughs spent with them.

Happy Birthday to my great niece Winter. Later in the evening her parents are having a birthday get together for her. She turned 11 this past Saturday. She's the oldest of four beautiful children. The youngest just turned a year old last month.

That's all I can think of right now and so until next time dear friends, have a day of blessings ahead.

Friday Foto Friends #62

My daughter posted these photos on Facebook yesterday and I thought they would be perfect for today's Friday Foto Friends. She lives in Florida and loves the beach and ocean and always finds a way to get to one. She was in Miami on assignment Wednesday and Thursday  (Real Estate)  and took these photos at midnight and sunrise.

Midnight Beach Boardwalk (Love The Tree)

South Point Beach Sunrise

Morning On The Beach

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The photos were taken with her cellphone and not bad! :) Click to see larger.
If you're interested in joining the Friday Foto Friends you can visit Debbie by clicking on her name. Until next time dear friends have a lovely and blessed weekend.

Around The House

Here is my Tuesday 4 meme for this week. I know it's Wednesday but having nothing to write home about I thought it would make for a good post. Here are my answers.

Around The House
1. Of the products you use just to keep yourself clean and presentable, what seems to be the most overpriced? Just about everything I use for my daily shower, moisturing, hair products, etc., are overpriced. Nothing is cheap anymore.

2.Where in your house is a reliable place to get a few quarters? I use quarters for the laundromat in my apartment building and keep them in an old coffee container next to my detergent. That's about the only change I have in my apartment.

4. What did you have for dinner last night? I had split pea soup my sister Phyllis made  (she makes enough to share with me and our other sister Louise),  romaine salad with raisins, cherry tomatoes, croutons and Caesar salad dressing plus coffee and biscotti for dessert. Boy! was that good...[G]

4. How many rolls of wrapping paper do you have in your house? Would you believe none! I use gift bags for it's much easier and thanks to QVC I have many on hand.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~I hope you enjoy doing this one along with me and answer in comments or copy and paste and answer on your own blog. Until the next time dear friends have a day of blessings.

My Shopping List

I thought you might like to see what I usually buy as staples when I go shopping. Cooking for one doesn't have to be a shopping cart of Frozen Dinners, there's an easier way. Stockpile most of these basic groceries and you'll have a few weeks' worth of cool meals at the ready. This also works for busy Moms with families. Of course you mustn't forget the coffee and tea of which I keep plenty in stock. ;-}

Pantry:
1. Canned Tomato sauce
2. Pasta and Macaroni
3. Canned Tomato puree
4. Low sodium chicken broth
5. Natural Peanut butter
6. Canned beans (chickpeas, cannellini, black beans)
7. Dry breadcrumbs (I get the no salt)
8. Canned mushrooms
9. Brown rice
9. Extra-virgin olive oil and Wesson Canola oil
10. Dried herbs and spices
11. Onions and Garlic
12. Yellow Potatoes
13. Flour, Sugar, Baking Powder and Soda
14. Lemon, Vanilla and Anise Extracts
15. Quick Oats (Oatmeal)
16. Maple and Pancake Syrups
17. Croutons
18. Dried Raisins and Cranberries
Refrigerator:
1. Fresh herbs
2. Eggs
3. Butter
4. Plain yogurt
5. Milk
6. Cheeses (such as cheddar, grated Italian, and mozzarella)
7. Lemons
8. Condiments (mustard, ketchup, mayonnaise etc.)
9. Polaner all fruit preserves and jams
10. Romaine salad
11. Celery and carrots
Counter:
1. Tomatoes
2. Fruit (bananas, apples, pears, oranges)
3. Bread
4. Dried Herbs and Spices
Freezer:
1. Bacon
2. Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3. Ground turkey or beef (divided into one pound portions)
4. Boneless pork chops and sausage meat
5. Frozen vegetables (spinach, broccoli florets, peas, and mixed vegetables)
6. Cooked, peeled and de-veined shrimp
7. Pizza dough
8. Frozen fruits (strawberries, blueberries, etc.)
9. Breyers Lite Ice cream or Frozen Yogurt

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~I also keep other groceries, baking staples and flavors but with the above type of staples list you can make a multitude of different quick delicious meals. What kind of staples do you use not seen here? Well that's all there is. So my friends until the next time, have a day of blessings.

Friday Foto Friends #61

Knowing me with a big interest in the unusual things around the world that I find on the web, I thought I would begin the new year with this first Friday Foto friends and title it:

For the Love Of Ivy
Courtyard of the Plaza Athenee Paris, France

Ivy Overgrown House London

Juba Life New Zealand

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Now as for me I would worry about how many creepy crawlies are nestled in all that Ivy. Yucky!!

If you're interested in joining the Friday Foto Friends you can visit Debbie by clicking on her name. Until next time dear friends have a lovely and blessed weekend.

Questions And Answers

Here it is Wednesday of the first week of January 2017 and with nothing much going on here in my little world I thought I would post two different memes for us to play along with. The first is Unconscious Mutterings and the second is my Tuesday 4 Meme.

I say ... and you think ...?1. Farmer ~ Jones
2. Ambition ~ Life's
3. Dinner ~ For One
4. Blind ~ Spot
5. Privacy ~ Please
6. Listening ~ To Music
7. Portrait ~ Of Jennie (1940's Movie)
8. Flannel ~ Shirt
9. Responsibility ~ Claim It
10. Idea ~ Bright Thought
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Daily Doings
1. Where do you usually eat lunch?: At home
2. How many hours a day do you watch TV?: Too many, especially in the winter months when I'm mostly apartment bound.
3. How often do you write letters?: You mean by hand???? LOL! Does E-mail count??
4. How often do you speak on the telephone?: Rarely as I'm not a phone person at all but my daughter calls me everyday (the phone is permanently attached to her ear).

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Now you can try answering either one or both on your own blog or answer here in comments. And until next time dear friends, have a day of blessings ahead.