It's the Weekend in Black and White , hosted by the lovely Dragonstar. Come along with me to check out B&W photos by participants from around the world.

My ABC Wednesday theme: The Mama and Her Authentic Green Thumbs. . .and Fingers Three weeks ago, I showed you, dear readers, a photo of my tomato plant that got broken by the wind and the Mama put back into the soil. Quite a few of you expressed faith that the Mama's wizardy would help nurture it back to life. Well, here's what the tomato plant looks like as of yesterday evening. Vibrant! I helped a bit by plucking off the dead leaves that you see in the top photo. Maybe I inherited some of the Mama's authentic green thumb and fingers gene. I want to show you another wonder in the Mama's garden—the Blenheim apricot trees. She started with one tree, which is the one on the right with all the drooping branches full of apricots. The first two or three years that the tree produced, the Mama collected many of the apricot pits and planted them around the backyard. See that tree on the left with the lone apricot. That's the first fruit of the second generatio

"Hello!" called the Husband. "Are you in there?" Giggle. Today, I'm linking up to the NatureFootstep Catching Light meme. To visit other participants, please click here .

My Alphabe Thursday theme—Places I've Been The Husband and I stopped in Baker, California fifteen years ago around this time of the year. Baker is a small town located at the point where Interstate 15 and California State Route 127 meet. Highway 127 takes you to Death Valley National Park, while Interstate 15 heads to Las Vegas. Each place extreme in its own way. We were heading back home from Las Vegas, which was our first visit there together. Talk about surrealism. Las Vegas, that is. But, that's for another day. Baker is in the Mojave Desert. It's known for having the tallest thermometer in the world—134 feet high.  The electric sign was built in the early 1990s to memorialize when Death Valley recorded 134 degrees Fahrenheit on July 10, 1913. You've heard the saying, "It's so hot you could fry an egg on a sidewalk." Standing next to the thermometer is a sculpture of a pan of fried eggs. How appropriate. Alphabe Thursday i

My  Alphabe Thursday  theme -- The Dude, The Husband This month marks 20 years of the Husband and I knowing each other. Was it true love at first sight? I don't know. I definitely felt an electrical current running between us, and it was a cool, overcast morning in San Francisco when we met. Our first play outing was a week later. We hiked up Mt. Tamalpais in Marin County. Hmmm, I think I mentioned this before. It sounds familiar. So, I'll just say this: We talked nonstop all the way up to the top and back down. And, we've been together ever since that day. A Few of the Things We Had in Common When We Met • We were widowers. • Our first spouse was older than us. • We each drove an old Volvo. • We spent time in Santa Cruz during the summer when we were kids. • We liked puns. (We still do.) Today is the letter Z at Alphabe Thursday , which is hosted by the lovely Jenny Matlock. Please click here to check out other participants of this weekly ABC meme.

My  Alphabe Thursday  theme -- The Dude, The Husband He may be collecting his pension and social security, but that doesn't mean the Husband is old.  Not at all. Today is the letter Y at Alphabe Thursday , which is hosted by the lovely Jenny Matlock. Please click here to check out other participants of this weekly ABC meme.

The Blogging from A to Z April Challenge is over. Thank you very much. A part of me would like to say, "See youse all later, alligators." But, I'm not ready to throw in the white flag of posting every day in 2015. I will, however, take a break from doing original posts and instead put up past stories from deep inside my archives. For a few days.  In honor of the Husband's and my first adventure together (I didn't do dates.) 20 years ago in May, I give you this piece that I published on January 31, 2010.  Where Romance Is Where is the most romantic destination you have visited? I've come across this question several times during the last few days, both in print and online. Some publishers say that if I write about it in a minimum number of words (usually between 100 and 200) or less and it gets published, then they would send me money. Easy, right? Writing about something in so many words is no problem. I may ramble, but I can edit unmerc

My  Alphabe Thursday  theme -- The Dude, The Husband Is that too much PDA (public display of affection) on the blog? What can I say? I love the Husband. See ya next week at Alphabe Thursday , which is hosted by the sweet and amazing Jenny Matlock. To check out today's participants, please click here . If you've come from Blogging from A to Z April Challenge , my Z post is over here .

Earlier this month, the Husband and I entertained ourselves while he washed dishes and I dried them. The result was a rundown of the utensil choir. This is the make up of the choir, according to the Husband, a musician at heart. The soup spoon sings bass.   The special spoon, which is a Korean soup spoon, sings baritone.   Teaspoons sing soprano, while tablespoons sing alto or tenor.   Forks sing four-part harmony, of course. Salad forks? Three-part harmony! Knives are tone deaf. When they sing, the sound cuts to the heart. I didn't want the knives to feel left out, so I let them hold the music sheet for everyone. Click   here  to find other A to Z challenge participants.

My  Alphabe Thursday  theme -- The Dude, The Husband The Husband enjoys walking, whether it's in the wilds or a park, down the street, or through the neighborhood. The kind of walking that's tough for him is slow walking like when we're browsing through a museum or a shop. That tires him out. He has an easy gait with a long stride. I have a slower place than him, so I tell him to go stretch his legs. Until recently, I was usually half a block behind him. These days, I can keep up with him or just be a few steps behind him, some of the time. I love walking with the Husband. I also like taking photos of him on our walks and hikes. It's Alphabe Thursday , hosted by the sweet Jenny Matlock. Today is the letter W. To check other participants, please click here .  By the way, if you're coming from the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge , my T post is over here .

My  Alphabe Thursday  theme -- The Dude, The Husband The Husband is very articulate and precise about saying what he means. I love that about him. I also like how he questions things and is not afraid to vocalize his thoughts, especially about the illogical thinking of others who want to impose their agenda upon everyone. The Husband does that a lot on his Facebook wall. And, today, he's letting me share a few of his posts, with which I whole-heartedly agree.  Thank you, The Husband.  If you're not interested in reading about religion and politics, then scroll down to read the Husband's third post. The Husband is a great punster. By the way, if you're coming from the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge , my N post is over here . Today is Alphabe Thursday , hosted by the sweet Jenny Matlock. To visit other participants, please click here .

My  Alphabe Thursday  theme -- The Dude, The Husband A couple of years ago, I sewed a tunic for the Husband out of a cool green ukulele print. The  Husband wears it almost everywhere. He says it keeps him cool when it's hot and warm when it cold. I think the Dear Husband likes his ukulele tunic. What do you think? It's Alphabe Thursday , hosted by the sweet Jenny Matlock. Today is the letter U. To check other participants, please click here .  By the way, if you're coming from the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge , my H post is over here .

My  Alphabe Thursday  theme -- The Dude, The Husband The Husband is the reason that he and I, the Mama, and Molly the Cat are living together today. About 12 years ago, it became very clear to me that the Mama's health was failing. Her nutrition was poor. Her body was tiring out. Worse of all, living alone, she was lonely.  The Mama moving into a nursing home or a residential care facility was out of the question. She had a horrible time living in a skilled nursing facility for six weeks after she broke her hip. A permanent move to a residential care facility would've killed her spirit, straight and simple. At the time, the Husband and I lived about a two-and-a-half hour drive away in an urban environment. City living was not for the Mama. We were tiring of the mayhem, so we were open to moving to the rural area where I was born and raised.  The tough question was this: Could the Mama and us live in the same house? The Mama is a unique character who can be difficult

My favorite sweets are lemon chiffon ice cream, cherry pie, chocolate cake, and, of course, the Husband! The other week when I posted one of the Husband's cartoons of Quagmire the Slacker, I mentioned that Quagmire's girlfriend's name is Granola.  Some of you were curious about how she looked.  I asked the Husband if I may share my favorite cartoon of the duo for the letter S in my series of him for Alphabe Thursday .  "Sure," he said. "What's the word?" "You'll have to wait," I said. "So, you can be surprised." Can you guess why this cartoon of the Husband's is one of my favorites? Yup. Because it shows how Quagmire is so sweet. Just like the Dude that is the Husband. To check out other S posts in Alphabe Thursday , hosted by the lovely Jenny Matlock, please click here . 

Cu'Pie Baby Bird says "Chirp. Chirp." was the first blog I wrote and published. That was back in 2007. Did I really say, "back in 2007"? It was only eight years ago, but it certainly seems like much longer. I bet I still have things left to do on my To-Do list from back then....Oh, yeah, I do! The big one: Have a garage sale. Hmmmm. Where was I? Today, I decided to share a post from my first blog. Here thou goeth. Movin' On Up   Originally posted Sunday, June 17, 2007 We are moving up in the world. Or maybe the cliché should be -- we’re keeping up with the Jones’s. (Edit from Dick: “You can say either. It means the same thing.**) Yesterday we stopped at Bed, Breakfast, and Beyond. (Another edit from Dick: “No. It’s Bed, Bath, and Beyond.”) This was our second stop in over a month, a very unusual thing for us. The only stores we grace more than once in a blue moon are the grocery store, the drug store, and the bookstore. Our mission this time r

My  Alphabe Thursday  theme -- The Dude, The Husband "I must take a photo of the lupine," I said to the Husband as I got off Tilda-Hilda, my trusty pink cruiser. "Have you seen it?" The flower voluntarily chose to grow by the side of our driveway. It's the first lupine ever to grace our yard, so, of course, I had to record it. I had a difficult time getting the right angle because of bright sunny day. I tried casting a shadow on the lupine, but when I bent over to take a photo, there went my shadow. Then, the Husband was suddenly by my side, admiring the purple beauty. "Would you please put your shadow on it so I can take a photo?" The Sweet Husband did. I'm a fortunate woman, I am. It's the letter R  at Alphabe Thursday , hosted by Jenny Matlock. Please click here  to read other posts by bloggers around the world.

Quagmire the Slacker is a figment of the Husband's quick-witted mind. Three of the many things I love about Quagmire are 1) he wears his suit of powder blue and a white ruffled shirt to important functions; 2) he thinks in puns; and 3) his girlfriend is named Granola.  By the way, both Quagmire and his creator are also quick on their feet. I'm participating in  Alphabe Thursday , hosted by Jenny Matlock. My theme is The Dude, The Husband . This week, the letter is, you guessed it, Q. Click here to check out other Q posts. 

My Alphabe Thursday theme -- The Dude, The Husband The Husband drives as I hang out the window clicking away at the scenery. While we are walking, the Husband stops and waits nearby when I suddenly stop to take photos. The Husband is a very patient man. I'm a fortunate wife. By the way, should you be curious, click here to see the mural next to which the Husband is patiently posing at my request.  Today is the letter P at Jenny Matlock's Alphabe Thursday . Come check out other P posts with me by clicking here .