I'm going to the backyard to look for a pretty picture," I said to the Husband this morning, grabbing the camera. I had planned to post part two of my favorite movie characters today. But, I didn't get around to writing it. Lots of other stuff needed to (and still needs to) get written. Soon, part two will come. We need a pretty picture for today. I need to see a pretty picture. As I went down the stairs, I wondered what could I take besides the Mama's roses, daisies, veggies, trees, and other lovelies that the world has already seen. I wanted something different and pretty. I stepped outside. Molly the Cat came over to greet me. "I want a pretty picture. What do you think?" She complained about the bully of a mockingbird squawking menacingly as it swooped at her. I told her to catch the bird. She rubbed her face against geranium petals. Molly is a believer in "Make love, not war." But, she wouldn't mind if I got rid of the mockingbir

My Alphabe Thursday theme—Places I've Been I visited Hawaii for the first time in Fall 1984. A girlfriend and I had plans to backpack the trail in Kauai, but she dropped out a few weeks before our departure. My vacation days were already set, so, I took the plunge and went to Hawaii by myself. The moment I stepped off the plane in Honolulu, I felt like I'd come home. The warm breeze, swaying palms, the sultry air, the local people. They all spoke to my being. Unlike the Philippines that I'd visited 10 years earlier. Unlike Hollister where I was born and raised. Unlike San Francisco where I was then living. The first time I drove into a sugar cane field, I wondered if the Daddy may have worked there long ago. The Daddy lived in Hawaii from his early 20s to his early 40s. I asked him once, "Where did you live?" "All over," he said. "Maui. Hilo. Kauai. Oahu. All over." He signed a three-year contract to work in the Hawaiian sug

Tilda-Hilda and I had a double digit morning: 11.11 miles in 66 minutes. Too bad, today wasn't 7/7. We zig-zagged through the neighborhood to the edge of town and looped back home via downtown for a photo opp in front of the Veterans Memorial Building. The handsome landmark was built in 1927 to honor the local members of the military who died during WWI.  If you would like to read more about our Veterans Memorial Building, please click here . Onward and upward.

I was using football terms to keep Tilda-Hilda and me inspired as I pedaled us up the hill this morning. First down, second down, third, and fourth. Touchdown was getting to this parking lot for the new hiking trails-to-come. We got an extra point by pedaling about 100 feet further to the traffic sign that said 2 miles of curves up ahead. Hurrah for us! Our numbers today: A bit over 10 miles in 60 minutes. We also got a thumbs up from a motorcyclist coming down the hill.

Today is the end of the 16th round of ABC Wednesday , which was begun by Mrs. Denise Nesbitt eight years ago. Thanks to Roger, Di, Wil, and others for keeping the meme going. For this round, I have been writing about The Mama and Her Authentic Green Thumbs. . .and Fingers . With this last post, I give you photos of the zen and zip of the 93-year-old Mama in action over the last several years working her magic in her gardens. Look at this! I actually caught the Mama resting yesterday. Of course, it was at the end of the day. But, if I didn't tell it was almost time for dinner, she would've kept on going. Molly the Cat helped to get her to stop by weaving in front of her. To check out Z posts by bloggers around the world, click here .  See you next week with a brand new theme for ABC Wednesday .

Birgit of BB Creations wrote a list of her 10 favorite film/TV characters and invited other bloggers to come up with their own list. Two things I like to do—making lists and watching movies.  It took me awhile, but I finally came up with 10 of my favorite movie characters. I didn't want to try ranking them, so I present them to you alphabetically. And, because I ramble, I give you my first fave five today. I'll post the second five this coming Saturday. Bruce Garrett in Cuban Fury (2014) Bruce Garrett (played by Nick Frost) is a teddy-bear English guy in his 40s who wants to win the heart of the new woman (Rashida Jones) in his office. Until she entered the scene, he had been going through the motions of living ever since he stopped dancing in salsa competitions as a young teen. When Bruce learns that she loves to salsa, he finds a reason to salsa again. That's the premise of this British romantic comedy movie. Frost took salsa lessons everyday for several weeks bef

Day 28 was on July 4. Tilda-Hilda and I went out with the Husband and his flashy chartreuse bicycle. I wonder if he'll name his cruiser one day. I wasn't going to count this as a work-out ride because we rode our bikes as transportation to two events in town. Then I thought they were separate events at different locations, and we went home after the first one before going out again. So, why not. The first event was the Independence Day Kiddie Parade . You can see Tilda-Hilda and Chartreuse Flash (my name for the Husband's bike for now) at the left top corner in the photo. A couple hours later, we all pedaled downtown to check out the motorcycle rally . Altogether, our bicycling and walking added up to five-and-a-half miles. Day 29 This morning, Tilda-Hilda and I pedaled for a bit over 12 miles in 70 minutes. We went further and longer than I had planned. That's good. It means we can go more than 10 miles without having to go too far away. It was hard gettin