You Are Invited To The North Pole!

There was so much fun at the Muse-Swings Christmas In Bloggyland Tour, that one of my other wonderful bloggy buddies has decided to "host" her own bloggyland party. With all these festivities and delightful food, I'm never gonna lose weight! This one will last from December 22nd to December 24th (Christmas Eve). What a splendid idea!

These are the rules:
1. If you're interested, inform Linda by replying at her blog. Place this invitation on your blog .. so we can make sure you are visited also.
2. You may give the reindeer carrots and sugar cubes.
3. The elves are friendly, but please remember, they are very busy.
4. Finally, have fun! And remember to laugh and smile.

I don't know about you, but I'm bringing LOTS of vino [uh hum] again ... and, I guess, a little food. Don't want anyone keeling over in the snow from hunger. [tee hee] It's doubtful if Gregory (of Peck and Paw Tours) will be able to attend. He's probably off somewhere with LL and her *borrowed* credit cards. But I'll be sure to sequester Santa for a moment, as he is a special friend of mine, for a visit before he's off on his travels. Don't want to delay him too long though, he does have to bring me that dirt bike!

So, please sign up at Linda's Life's A Calling blog today! It's going to be fun, fun, FUN!!

♥ ∞

A Christmas In Bloggyland Tour

Welcome! To the 1st Annual Christmas In Bloggyland Tour! Hosted by the lovely and gracious MuseSwings.

Wahooo!! Y'all saddle up! I'm all set!
It's time for Christmas In Sparky Land.

Sweetie, and a few unemployed elves, helped me decorate our humble abode in preparation for your arrival ...

... and Santa stopped by to help decorate the 2 wheeled conveyances ...

I've even put the dogs in a spare room for the evening. They'll be happier in there anyway. TVLand is showing back-to-back Lassie reruns. That should placate them for awhile.

I've got my bestest togs on (note the new motorcycle in the background for quick getaways) ...

So, don't be shy.
Help yourself to the vino and chocolate treats while you're here.
I have Jury Duty and have to skedaddle,
but I don't think they'll mind if I have a little nip?? .... [hic - 'scuse me]

I drug out the extra sofa to crash on for those who imbibe in a little too much with the hair of the dog (I'm looking at you Linda … ha ha). [hic - pardon me AGAIN!] Pass a cordial would ya? Maybe that'll mask that happy odor on my breath.

And to pass the time, a little photo show of Christmas' past featuring Sparky and Wiregrass Steve. That's me above in 1961 (I was 5 years old). Look at that pose. Gosh, even then I was a little ham. "Pam the Ham" is what they called me. If the camera was on, I was in front of it! ...

... and Sweetie's photo was taken in 1952 (he was 4). He was cute even then. :o) His mom said he was telling Santa he didn't believe in him. Pretty nervy for a kid approaching the Zero Hour of Christmas I would say! [lol]

Y'all come back soon now! Thanks for stopping by! 'Bye 'Bye!
Have A Very Merry Christmas!!
♥ ∞

A Christmas In Bloggyland Tour

Our dear bloggy friend in the strange far off land of Florida is hosting a Christmas in Bloggyland Tour on Monday, December 15! Everyone - and that means you - is invited to participate and share your holiday spirit with your bloggyfriends - however you wish - on the 15th.

Show your decorations, your memories, stories, pictures, recipes, music, art, poetry, nature - anything - whatever you like on your Christmas in Bloggyland post for the 15th.

1. Leave a comment on the MuseSwings post saying you'll be there!
2. Make a copy of the invitation and post it on your blog!
3. Add the HTML back to this post or to MuseSwings.
4. Tell your bloggiebuddies and bring more friends! Party! Party! Party!

MuseSwings will post the names of all of the participants on the 15th so everyone can take the Bloggyland Tour and visit all of the wonderful Christmas in Bloggyland posts.

Travel from blog to blog to see what wonderful things our bloggyfriends have done to celebrate the holidays. Leave comments! Have a wonderful adventure.

As always, the tour lasts all day and evening and covers every time zone and country.

I personally will only be able to participate half a day as I have Jury Duty in the afternoon. I love having Jury Duty here, it's actually fun! I get to see who's doing what to whom and why. I enjoy that but I'm nosey. [tee hee]

So jump in! The water's fine (or snow, if the case may be). See ya there my friends! Hope you can make it.

♥ ∞

On-Line Typing Test

I've slowed down a bit due to arthritis, but, I've still got it!

67 words

Speed test

Years ago, in the early 1980's, when taking the test to work for a job with the State of Florida Vital Statistics, I was clocked at over 75 wpm. That was with youthful fingers and long polished finger nails. I guess, the 'ol girl has still got it. :o)

Hey, how do you like the new background? It was time for a change.

It has rained cats and dawgs all day. It rained so hard earlier that it was actually raining sideways! Southeast Georgia was under a tornado watch but thankfully that has passed uneventfully. Well, can't go outside. Decorations are up. Everything is done. Sweetie is on a western Georgia hunting trip.

Not much going on today. [sigh]

Maybe tomorrow will be more fun.

God bless y'all!

♥ ∞

Southeast Georgia Alien Plant Life

Stepping through the sliding glass doors, rather than being greeted by the deliciously sweet aroma of dried autumn leaves to which I am accustomed, I was repulsed instead by a most odious smell. I searched around this area of the house, attempting to locate the perpetrator of my nose hair burning.

Finally, I pin pointed the source.

Under a back stoop, lo and behold, there was a freshly born alien plant life. I screamed at the top of lungs "Sweetie, come here! What is this!?"

My husband came tearing outside, "What's wrong?!" Probably thinking I had cut my hand off or something.

I asked him, "WHAT is THAT!" pointing at the odious offender.

He calmly responded "Oh, that's just a Stinkhorn. We used to call it 'stink cabbage' when I was kid." Then he continued to relate how they as youths would throw these horrible things at each other! [sigh] Boys ...

I had to look this thing up on the internet.

At the web site MushroomExpert.Com, the little monster has a rather fancy name of Clathrus columnatus, aka Stinkhorn.

"Ecology: Saprobic; growing alone or gregariously; often near woody debris (and apparently sometimes growing right out of the sides of living trees); in lawns, gardens, cultivated soil, and so on; from North Carolina to the Gulf coast, and in Mexico (reported as far north as New York); October through March."

Sure enough, there's wood mulch under the stoop and it's the right time of year.

Well, next time my nostril radar picks up one of these, I'm running the other way! The mushroom is a lovely orange color but it smells like dog doo on steroids. So, it just goes to show one, you can't judge a mushroom by it's color.

♥ ∞

Chestnut-Sided Warbler

Photo Graciously Donated by Kirk M. Rogers

♥ ∞

Este Blog Investe E Acredita Na Proximidade! Yeah, It's Another Award.

NanaTrish (also known as Blue Foot this week .. ha ha) of Nana's Living The Dream has honored my humble bloggy home with another award! Nana lives in Blog Land that I am priviledged to call Friend.

This is the special "Proximidade" award. This award is a fine one because it focuses not on the glory and fanfare of blogging, but in the PROXIMITY to one another through this on-line world (kind of a Six Degrees of Separation sort of thing).

I wonder who the guilty party was that started all this award giving?

Anyway ...

"Blogs who receive this award are 'exceedingly charming' say its authors.This blog invests and believes in the PROXIMITY-nearness in space, time and relationships. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in prizes or self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers! Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this cleverly-written text into the body of their award."

Nearly everyone I know has this award. I could only come up with 5 recipients (sorry) but I am proud to pass this award to:

1) Steviewren at A Little Birdie Told Me So

2) Rosezilla at All About Whatever

3) Linda at Chicken Soup

4) Marie at Cpaphil Vintage Postcards

5) Steve at Wiregrass Musings

Y'all enjoy! And thank you for being my Bloggy Friends (especially my husband, Wiregrass Steve).

Off subject, it has been EXTREMELY cold here in Southeastern Georgia! Last night it was 29 degrees! Every morning we awoke to frosty grounds. I know I got some giggles from some blog friends because they live further north. :o) Well, that's cold for us! I wish now I had been keeping track of how many days of frost we've had.

Motorcycling has been put on the back burner .... one would REQUIRE a burner in one's pocket to ride comfortably ... because of the cold. Try imagining 65 mph wind in one's face for over an hour at a time. Extreme weather can wear one down physically and that can be so hazardous on 2 wheels. I try to always dress appropriately but it's still tiresome, so, we keep them parked until balmier days.

Is it Spring yet?

♥ ∞