I need to put up my "Gone Reading" sign more often. I got some good reading done yesterday. It did take awhile before I actually ran to the bedroom and escaped into another time and place but when I did I read for two hours before it was time to make dinner. In the evening, I went back to the mystery I was reading until I turned the last page of the book, which I will tell you about another day. To feel okay about going reading, I decided to cross a few things off my To-Do list. I finally put the photos I had scanned back in the Mama's albums. Some of them even went back on the correct pages. Hopefully, the Mama won't notice. I filed away some documents and put papers to shred in a neat pile on the floor. I even researched what kind of milkweed grows in our area and where to purchase the milkweed seeds. Milkweed is what monarch butterflies munch on as they pass through from here to there. When I was a kid, monarch butterflies were a common thing to see around

Does anyone put up a "Gone Fishing" sign anymore? I think it's a good idea to check out now and then. So, I'm posting my sign. Hopefully, I'll get some good reading done. See ya tomorrow.

I've got something short and sweet for you today. And, hopefully, amusing.  Here's the first riddle I ever memorized, way back in fourth grade! What colors do you paint the sun and the wind? Answer: The sun rose and the wind blue .   Nyuk, nyuk, nyuk. If I repeated myself, oh well. That's what comes of being another year deeper in senior citizenry.

When I was a young thing living in San Francisco a long time ago, I thought it would be fun, neat, and so very cool to be a street artist. Alas, I was no artist nor a crafter of pottery, jewelry, candles, hand sewn clothing, or other items that I thought I would like to make and sell.  Still, a young thing can dream. Okay, fantasize. Four decades later I am finally exploring that artsy-craftsy part of me.  Some of you already know I like to take photos. And, last year, I threw caution to the wind and illustrated my stories during the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge. That was very scary. Drawing, that is. Here's an example of my new found artistry. Last week, I decided to doodle a daily calendar. Storybeader at Stroll Through Storyland planted the seed in my head when I read her post about calendars. Then, Tony, a photographer/artist friend from my young-thing days, shared a doodle page from his art journal on his blog . That clenched it for me. So, for now, I'm r

Jump . That was Molly the Cat. She jumped onto my not-so-organized desk, tip-toed across my arms as I was tippy-tapping on the keyboard, then crawled through spaces that were crammed with stuff. Of course, I had to stop to watch her. And, I had to take her photo when she decided to rest her tail on my keyboard. "Get the picture," said Molly the Cat. "Then, get me my lunch, Missus." Molly and I are hooking up with The Weekend in Black and White , hosted by Dragonstar. Come check out other black and white photos with us by clicking here .

My Alphabe Thursday theme -- The Dude, The Husband Once upon a time, the Husband was part of the marching band in both high school and college. He played the trombone. He totally loved the experience from what I can tell. And, he still has his marching skills. Sometimes when we go walking, he marches ahead of me, turns and marches back, and when we meet, he turns quickly face forward. I have to say, his precision makes me swoon inside. Last year, we walked over to the hardware store to purchase a couple of pieces of long lumber to shore up the back fence.  The husband marched them most of the way home. Check out his style. Can you just see him in a marching band playing the trombone once upon a time? Today is the letter M at Jenny Matlock's Alphabe Thursday . Come check out other M posts with me by clicking here .

My ABC Wednesday theme: The Mama and Her Authentic Green Thumbs . . .and Fingers In the late 1990s, when the Mama was in her mid 70s, her doctor prescribed her one and only medication -- a pill for low thyroid. The doctor started her with .05 mg, a very low dosage. But, in the Mama, woooo-weee! It made her run the marathon, jump over the moon, and lift several 100-pound bags of soil every day. Essentially, taking the medicine made her tired. And, of course, after awhile she stopped taking it. A few months went by before I discovered she was not taking her medication. While visiting her one weekend, I noticed she was looking very tired so I checked her bottle. She was very good at not refilling prescriptions.  The bottle was the one I had ordered months ago and it was still full. The Mama admitted that she stopped taking it. Sigh.  "Why?" I asked. She shrugged. Her usual answer to questions to which she was not ever going to respond. "That's why you