Christmas Match Box #1

My #1 Christmas Matchbox came to me from Kelly at :

         http:cherrykingdom.blogspot.com

It is precious. The top says "Happy Holidays" with lots of silver tinsel, inside is an old ticket with a crown stamped on it, and the goodie is the cutest little homemade snowman pin...a great box for #1. Tomorrow you’ll see #2.

This  Christmas Matchbox Swap is sponsored by Linda over at "A Swap for All Seasons.”

Pink Saturday ~ 11-20-10

How would you like to ride around in this truck? I think it’s pretty cool!

Go to Beverly's "How Sweet the Sound" to see more pink from around the world.

“Christmas Matchbox Swap for All Seasons" Boxes Have Arrived

The wonderful Christmas Matchbox Swap for All Seasons is now entering its final stage.....the opening, photographing, and sharing each of the 25 boxes with all of you. It was great fun making the boxes, but it is much more fun receiving them. The ones I got are absolutely precious. Check back starting December 1st to see a new box each day running through the 25th. It is time to get into the holiday spirit.
      

Rednesday ~ 11-17-10

You never know when you are going to see something red, but spotting a red truck on the trail in the middle of our hike was most unexpected. The berries were just a bit of icing on the cake.

You can see other photos featuring red at:

Sue’s “It’s a Very Cherry World”

Macro Monday #23 ~ Bridge Graffiti ~ 11-15-10

There is more “lover” graffiti inside this old covered bridge than I have seen anywhere else. I just could’t resist trying to take some macro shots. The graffiti goes along the railings leading up to the bridge, up the interior side beams and across the ceiling beams.

Hump Back Bridge ~ Allegheny County, VA

To see more marcro shots, go to:

Macro Monday at Lisa’s Chaos

Monday Mosaic ~ 10-15-10

Here is a hodgepodge of some of my favorites shots taken this week. Possibly some of you have seen a few of them, but I thought it would be neat to takes my picks and group them all together.

To see more mosaics go to:

Mary Carroll’s Little Red House

Mr. Sam on a Mellow Yellow Monday #95 ~ 11-15-10

With nothing better to do with his time these fall days, I thought Mr. Sam might like to go for a ride on Buddy’s push tiller ~ aka “Buddy’s Baby.” He wants his mom’s pal, Angie, over at Free Spirit Haven to come riding with him!

Go to DrowseyMonkey’s Mellow Yellow Monday to see more yellow... http://mellowyellowmonday.blogspot.com/

PInk Saturday ~ 11-13-10

Last weekend while driving on a back country road, I spied this old trailer. Needless to day, I informed my husband I wanted to return to the spot after our hike so I could shoot it for my Pink Saturday post .  Even though it is in terrible disrepair, I think the old trailer is pretty cool and funky.

To see more “pink” from around the globe, visit Beverly’s "How Sweet the Sound.”

Happy Pink Saturday !

Veteran’s Day ~ 11-11-10 ~ In Memory

Eugene Marseilles Hornot
Born 1893

My Father’s WWI Portrait

Corp of Engineers

France
The Great War

This picture was taken outside the Smithsonian Museum of American History on my daddy’s last visit to VA. We pushed him into where the aging American Flag was hanging in all of it glory. My frail daddy sat erect in the wheelchair, removed his beret, and saluted his flag never saying a word. In 1993, he died at 100 years 7 months of age. He did not talk about the war, but I know he never really got over what he experienced while serving with the Army Corp of Engineers at the height of WWI. On this Memorial Day in the USA, Remembrance Day in Canada, and Remembrance Day on Sunday in The United Kingdom, please let us not forget the sacrifices our American, Canadian, British, Irish, and Scottish veterans made while serving their countries during what was known as “The Great War.”

This special post is linked to Coloradolady’s Vintage Thingies Thursday.

Aphabe Thursday ~ 11-11-10 ~ The Letter "F"

Back when I was still REALLY teaching middle school, I always had a "Word of the Day" up on the blackboard for my students to discuss and then enter into their reference guides. For as long as I can remember I have been intrigued by new and unusual words, so this week I decided to borrow the BIG dictionary from our library and look for “H" words which were unknown to me, sounded sort of neat, and ones whose definitions were interesting. Here we go, and at the end of each definition I have added a little commentary of my own.


holt -  n. wooded hill or rise; a planted grove of willows ~ In our neck of the woods “holt" is used like this....”Don’t holt me up, Ms R, ‘cause I’m gonna  miss the bus!”


howdah - n. a seat or covered pavillion on the back of an elephant or camel ~ I am so glad to finally find out what those little carriage thingies are called...pretty cool name if you ask me!


hydriotaphia - n. burial  in an urn ~ Now this one is really wierd. Are my parents “hydriotaphias” because they are buried in urns...or...were their graveside services hydriotaphias? I am really befuddled with this one.


hyoid - n. shaped like the letter upsilon; having a "u" shape; a bone that is situated at the base of the tongue and developed from the second and third visceral arches supporting the tongue and its muscles ~The “U” shape definition is understandable, but geeze...I never realized I had a “U” shaped bone in my tongue.


hyperphagia -n. an abnormaly increased desire for food frequently resulting from injury to the hypothalamus ~ I’ve not had any injuries to my hypothalamus, but from time to time I certainly am consumed with hyperphagia.


hent - v. to lay hold on; seize; catch; to take away; carry off ~ Let’s see. I am going to “hent” this nasty mosquito and send it off ‘a flyin’!


hircismus - n. having smelly armpits ~ Wait...I thought that was B.O. The next time some boy comes in my room after PE sweaty and smelling so awful I think I am going to get sick, I will tell him he has a serious “hircismus” problem. Then I will hand him the stinky “man deodorant” and send him on his way to the bathroom to remedy the situation.


hobblehehoy - n. awkward adplescent male; a gawky youth ~ Boy, do I see a lot of these. I think this one is a very comical sounding word.


halation - n. the spreading of light beyond its proper boundaries in a developed photographic image (as around a window facing the sky in an interior view or around other bright objects) ~ Have any of you photographers out there ever heard of this one? It is certainly new to me.


hapax - n. something said only once; a word or form occuring one and only once in a document ~ As a former English teacher, I really liked this one. It’s another cool word with an even cooler meaning.


hummock - n - a ridge or pile of ice in an ice field or ice floe ~ When I first saw this one, all I could think of was....”Oh, dear, he just ran “hummock.” Only kidding! LOL


hebdomad - n. dullness; lethargy; the absence of mental alertness or physical sensitivity ~ Oh, my goodness? The dullness and mental alertness bit hits right at home with me at age 71...not so good..


heliosis - n. to be exposed to the sun; be sunburned ~ “Halitosis” I have heard of, but “heliosis.” I think the mean ing should be...the state of being filled with hot air!


hendiadys - n. the expression of an idea by two nouns connected by and  (as cups and gold instead of by a noun and an adjective (as golden cup) ~ This is another one of those new words that fascinates an old English teacher...don’t think I ever knowingly used a “hendiadys,” but now I think I will give it a try.


hebdomad - n. a period of seven days; week ~ I think the word “week” makes a lot more sense than this new one, but it is a neat word to throw out there to confuse someone.


hegumen - n. the head of a religious order (as a small monastery or nunnery) in the Eastern church ~ I cannot imagine calling the Mother Superior "Hegumen Anne Catherine”...am glad here in the western world we use  “Mother” or “Mother Superior.”


O.K...you are done! That’s it for this week. Be sure to study these words ‘cause there just might well be a pop quiz next Thursday.

Happy Alphabe Thursday to all of you happy little students of Miss Jenny. Hope you all learned at least one new and interesting word to add to your vocabulary.

Be sure to stop by Jenny’s blog ~ Jenny Matlock ~ to view more entries for the 

letter “H”.

I WON X 3!!!

     Last month I WON Vicki’s giveaway over at Cherry Chick. She sent me the cutest Mary Engelbreit package filled with green M.E. goodies and a precious little green pendant she made especially for me. Vicki is just the most talented jewelry creator I have ever known, and she is the sponsor of the meme, M.E. Monday. 
     Two weeks ago I bought a raffle ticket from my principal as I do every year to support his Lions Club annual fall fund raiser. I was really surprised when he showed up at school with a bag full of goodies for me. I WON two of the neatest, state-of-the-art squish/rubbery muffin tins (each one will hold 6 muffins) and a huge-state-of-the-art oven mitt. 
     Now, just a few minutes ago I found out from Angie over at Free Spirit Haven that I WON her CSN giveaway.  I cannot believe it, and I can’t wait to spend my moolah. This is all quite unbelievable considering the only other thing I ever won was a popcorn popper over 45 years ago while playing Bingo. Suddenly I have hit the jackpot 3 times in a row, and I am one happy camper. So, once again I want to say a HUGE “Thank You” to Vicki and Angie. You are both special GF’s that I would not have met and grown to know and love had it not been for my little Buttons for Baga blogging. 


                                                               THANK YOU!


For any of you who have not visited their blogs in the past, be sure to take a moment and pay them each a visit. You will be glad that you did.

              Angie’s Free Spirit Haven Blog             

                                                            Vicki’s Cherry Chick Blog

                                                                               

Mosaic Monday ~ 11-8-10

 Hike from Roaring Run Iron Furnace to Waterfalls 11-7-10

Rich Patch ~ Botetourt County ~ Virginia

~

Visit Mary Carroll’s Little Red House to see more mosaics from around the world.

Pink Saturday ~ 11-6-10

This week I am sharing some of the squares from my Counting My Blessings sampler with continues to be “under construction.” There are many of us participating in the project from all parts of the globe. If you would like to see more of this sampler and read about the meanings of each of the squares I have completed to date, please visit my other blog which I call “Flossing My Blessings.” Listed in my sidebar are listed some of the other girls participating in the stitch along.

For my post this week, I am sharing some of the squares from my "Counting My 100 Blessings Sampler” which continues to be “under construction.” There are many of us participating in the project from all parts of the globe. If you would like to see more of this sampler and read about the meanings of each of the squares I have completed to date, please visit my other blog which I call “Flossing My Blessings.” Listed in my sidebar on that blog are listed some of the other girls participating in the stitch along.

This post is linked to  Beverly’s Pink Saturday over at "How Sweet the Sound." Be sure to stop by and enjoy other pink posts from around the world.

This post is linked to  Beverly’s Pink Saturday over at "How Sweet the Sound." Be sure to stop by and enjoy other pink posts from around the world.

Sepia Scenes ~ #107 ~ 11-3-10

Shades of Fall

To see more sepia shots, go to http://sepiascenes.blogspot.com/

"Man's heart away from nature becomes hard." 

 ~Standing Bear

Alphabe Thursday ~ “G”

This week our letter is the Great and Glamorous G. I immediately thought of my name ~ Genie ~ but then I realized I had already covered it when I wrote about “Eugenia.”

 “Oops!” I said to myself. “I can’t use that one again...if I do I won’t get a passing grade on my assignment.”

It was time to start thinking of what I could write so I googled “G" words to find the one I wanted to choose. Well, much to my amazement I hit upon the neatest site called “Your Dictionary." Not only did it send me to other sites devoted to the letter “G”, but it said everything I wanted to say so well I decided to use it word for word. There is no way I could say it all any better. I know as a student I am not allowed to pass off another’s words for my own ~ that is plagiarism ~ so I am telling you in advance that these are NOT my words but rather those of “Your Dictionary.”


"The letter G is a pretty good letter, all things considered. The most famous baby talk words begin with the letter G: ga ga goo goo. Lots of other words begin with the letter G like God, gorgeous, grand, and golf (we all know how much golf lovers love their golf!).If you are hungry, you might like to eat some Good n’ Plenties, and if you are sleepy, you might like to get a good night sleep; in both cases, you would need letter G to describe your activities. Since the letter “g” os so important, lets get going on naming great G words.(yourdictionary 1,2,3)

GET YOUR G FACTS STRAIGHT:

- G is the 7th letter of the English alphabet and the fifth consonant

- The letter “G” is one of the least geometrical letters in the alphabet - ironic, since the word geometry starts with a g

-G, in its original form, was considered to be sacred by the Pythagorens

-G is used today as one of the letters in the Masonic emblem

-There are 3 G’s in the scrabble tiles in the English version of the game, each worth 2 points

WORDS THAT BEGIN WITH G:

Since G is such a great letter, you would think that G words would appear often on the list of top 100 most common words in the English language. After all, this list makes up approximately 1/3 of all printed material in English. However, you’d be wrong. Despite all the grand G words - like grandparents and gigantic and giraffe, G appears only twice on the list of top 100 words.

     1. Go (#74)

     2. Get (#96)

Give G a little credit though, when we look to the top 300 most commonly used words in the English language. G appears 7 more times. Since the list of the top 300 most commonly used words accounts for 65% of all printed material in the English language, G words don’t seem to gleam the glory they deserve, do they?

     1. Give (#114)
     2. Good (#122)
     3. Great (#127)
     4. Got (#246)
     5. Group (#248)
     6. Grow (#263)
     7. Girl (#288)

GRAMMAR WORDS THAT BEGIN WITH G:

Even though G words may not be top on the list of commonly used English words, G sure is an important word when it comes to Grammar. In fact, grammar itself starts with the letter G! Grammar is defined as the system and structure of language. I’d say that’s a pretty important concept for a G word!

GREAT PLACES TO GO TO LEARN ABOUT G:

     - Adjectives that Start with G: Your dictionary provides some background on the letter G, some rules about how to say this great letter G, and a list of some of the glorious G adjectives.

     -Words that begin with G: Word Over provides a gigantic list of G words. The list is grouped by the first three letters of the G words, and also provides definitions. There are some well known G words on the list, as well as obscure G words to get your attention.
  
     -Unusual G Words: The Phrontistery provide a glorious list of unusual G words, from the gabardine to gyve, there are sure to be some G words on this list you’ve never seen before. Definitions are provided as well.”(yourdictionary 1,2,3)                              
                               ~

In closing, I hope all of you have been as fascinated by this article on the letter G as I have been. I think it is great, and I loved reading it the first time, the second time, and the third time as I was typing it in for Ms. Matlock. I know it is not my words, but there was no way I could have paraphrased it to have the finished product turn out as interesting and informative as the original. So, Ms. Matlock, I hope you like the work I have done and the way I approached the assignment. Please note at the end of the last paragraph I made reference to the internet site where I found the material. The civics teacher was kind enough to show me the NEW way to do what I used to do in a totally format.  It looks pretty silly to me, but that is the way the children reference back to an internet site. I learned a lot and had so much fun doing it. My hope is you and my classmates had fun reading it and learned something they didn’t know before.

   

Go to  Jenny Matlock’s Alphabe Thursday to read all the “G” writings from around the world.

Watery Wednesday #112 ~ 11-3-10

One of my greatest pleasures is watching my son and my 5 year old granddaughter playing in the creek where he played as a child. Eloise is fearless and loves jumping from rock to rock. On Sunday they first skipped rocks across the surface of the water, and then they went hopping from rock to rock down the creek. This was a great way to end our wonderful 3 days at Douthat State Park. As always, it was sad and lonely here at the homeplace after they left for their drive home, but that was a MUST because Eloise HAD to go “trick or treating” that night.

 To see more watery shots from around the world, go to

Watery Wednesday ~ Get Your Eyes Wet.

Dorothy and Her Magical Red Slippers

Visit Ruby Tuesdays over at Mary’s “Work of the Poet, and Sue’s Rednesday at “Sue Loves Cherries” to see more interesting reds from around the world.

Mosaic Monday~ 11-1-10

The Never Ending Study of Mushrooms

Stop by Little Red House to see more interesting and beautiful mosaics.

M.E. Monday ~ 11-1-10

M.E. Monday is here again. Stop by Vickie’s Cherry Chick Jewelry and see more fun and whimsical items from Mary Engelbreit or with a M.E. theme. 

I have been using Mary Engelbreit notecards and Christmas cards for years. I had never known about these cards until  a few months ago. I love the tin, and I am enjoying using the precious cards...but then, any teacher would like these cards. These are 2 of the 4 designs included. I have used all of the other 2 styles.