Flawed Beauty

Here's to a fun-filled Labor Day Monday!

The summer's been wonderful - short - but wonderful. 

~~~

xoabb

expect anything!

Sunday Serenity

Peace Rose

It isn't enough to talk about peace.

One must believe in it. 

And it isn't enough to believe in it. 

One must work at it. 

~Eleanor Roosevelt

xoabb

expect anything!

Sharing the Bounty

When you're organic, sometimes ~sharing the bounty~ means sharing with the creatures of nature. There's still enough to go around! You just have to wash those veggies very very well.

Pickles before...

Can't you just taste that eggplant parmesan?

~~~

xoabb

expect anything!

P. S. Those are certainly not my veggies.  From my parents garden. 

And all were delicious!

Free Flight

While eating dinner, we hear and then see this overhead.

Wonderful!

I'm not sure if this is a dance of love...or a dance of 

your-in-my territority-and-get-out-already!

OK...this is looking just a bit serious!

(Last two photos taken several days apart from each other.)

But doesn't it make for excellent Sky Watch Friday photos??

~~~

xoabb

expect anything

P.S.  It' Sky Watch Friday. Do join us!

Fossil, Fountain, Fruit, & Floating

I discovered this rather large rock by the side of the creekbed in the valley below where my parents live. If it had weighed about 40 pounds less, I would certainly have brought it up to the house. It didn't, and so it remains by the side of the creek bed. I'm thinking this is a fossil of a backbone of some sort of creature, but...I'm a fossil idiot...HELP!!! If there's anyone among you who knows what fossil this is - LET ME KNOW!!!

My mither-dearest is a gal with a very deep soul. Mom and dad spent winters in Grand Cayman in a home by the beach for many years and fell in love with the sound of the sea splashing on the beach. I think this is the reason mom designed and had built this fountain that resides just off the edge of their deck in Missouri. In the warmer months, it is constantly running and gurgling...such a peaceful sound...water flowing is the most soothing sound I know...

This is a fruit dessert we devoured one of the nights we were in Missouri. The peaches were local and so sweet they made us cry - ok we didn't cry, but we did say ummmm a lot! Not a better dessert to be devoured!  

And then there's floating. Our parents' most excellent new doggy, Cody, (please don't be bored with her yet - there's more to come!), has determined that whenever any human is in that little john-boat she has to be in it too.  Her navagational skills are most excellent - usually she's standing on that end platform as if she is captain of ~her~ ship. Didn't matter who was the human paddler, Cody was there to lead the way!

~~~

xoabb

expect anything!

Booche's is....FFFFFFabulous...

I have to admit that though I grew up in Columbia, MO, I had never been to or even heard of Booche's. Where the hell had I been??? Both my sis, Carrie and bro Bill knew it well and had been there many times - was I in a time capsule??? Anywho, this trip to Columbia, bro Bill informed me that it was well and good time that I visited Booche's and drown in its glory. So we did:

Sliders.......possibly the original slider? Courtesy of:

Do NOT try to see my reflected image above - do NOT!

My Brother Bill: "Ann, we must go to Booche's for lunch.

Me: "Why?"

Bill: "Because they have the best damn sliders you'll ever eat!

Me: "Bill, I've eaten sliders from White Castle???"

Bill: "You have no idea! Booche's are the very best ever"

Me: "Whatever!! I've never even heard of Booche's." (really...so embarrassing)

Booche's, (which is in Columbia, MO on S. 9th Street, for those who are interested), has been around since 1884. I lived in Columbia Missouri from the time I was about 4 (about 1959, for all you date-hungry people, ugh!) until the Fall of 1973 when, (much to my parent's delight), I graduated from Hickman High School and went off to KU. I've come back to visit regularly over the ensuing years....but never until this very summer have I even heard of Booche's, let alone visited this esteemed establishment. My God! I am bereft at what I've been missing all those years! (Can you believe this place has been in business for well over 100 years!?!?!?!)

Off to Booche's my hubs GB, brother Bill and I go.

Bill: "They have the coldest beer I've ever had, GB, you'll love it!"

GB: "Whatever..." (GB, unspoken, "Like I care!")

Young, scruffy bearded waiter (YSBW): Hi, uh like, what do you want to eat?"

Bill: "I'll have 2 sliders."

YSBW, very enthusiastically: "Great! Our sides are onions, pickles, mustard and catsup."

Bill: "I'll have the works."

YSBW, looking at GB: "And what will you have?"

GB: "I'll have a cheeseburger with lettuce and mayonnaise.

YSBW: "Uh..we don't have any sides other than onions, pickles, mustard and catsup."

GB, muttering and with a touch, just a wee little touch of sarcasm: "What kind of place is this??! Just give me a cheeseburger and a Michelob - if you're in Missouri you should always have a draft Michelob and you do have Michelob, don't you??"

YSBW: "OK, true about the Michelob in Missouri, and we have it on draft, but the sliders are really small - you really might want two of them."

GB: "OK, whatever!" GB was definitely not a believer at this point...

I order my one burger and then say: "Do you think they have French fries?"

YSBW, overhearing what I said: "MAN, we don't, but wouldn't we have made a ton of money by now if we did???"

Several minutes later our burgers are carried to our table on their little squares of wax paper with a napkin on top - no plates or cutlery, thank you - as you can see above. Bill knew how good they were...GB took his first bite and, well, if I'm honest, (however embarrassing it is to admit), he began to purr. "Damn! This is the best burger I have ever had!" He then promptly ordered a third burger.

See that grill hood on the far left?

That's the entire ~kitchen~, if you can call it that.

And it's where all the great grill goodness comes from.

A pool hall in the back...

And no sniveling!!

They're on Facebook!
Booche's: Burgers, Beer & Billiards

~~~

xoabb

expect anything!

First Day is Done

Driving around this CT Northeast area I live in, I came across the above. A sculpture on the grounds of an estate in our ~Gold Coast~ area. The homes here, which are all directly on Long Island Sound, can't even be seen from the road, but in this case, their sculpture can! (UPDATE - mom just informed me that Claes Oldenburg created the above sculpture. You can learn more about him here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claes_Oldenburg.) How appropriate for my evening sighting after the first day of school! It's really quite impressive. At least 25 feet tall and true to the last detail. If I had that on my front lawn, it would be my front lawn! (BTW, how long has it been since you've actually seen an eraser - normal size - like that? Does this date me to ancient times?? Yes? OK!! I'm OLD!)

~

On another note, a fellow "former native of Missouri" blogger has honored me with the following award. I really appreciate this because she managed to describe what this blog of mine is all about when I haven't really been able to. Louise of the very readable and wonderful blog Potted Frog bestowed this on me and described me as follows:

"Another "expect anything" blog with lots of ~great~ [her word not mine, tho it pleases me immensly] photos. She is from my home state (as is Lisa from above) and that makes her (and Lisa) extra special."

Thank you thank you! I so very much appreciate this, Louise! Louise's blog is much the same as she described mine - never know quite what will be there, but it's always entertaining (I hope) and, in her case, simply wonderful. (Lisa's is so very good too.)

I can easily pass this on to Mary, Helen, Michele, Kate, Daryl and Lyn, and, oh yes and my brother Bill, among others...let's not forget Klaus, and, of course that mental friend of mine...well, just sometimes.

O alright already! I obviously could go on and on! There are many places I visit that have outstanding photos and words - these just happen to be a few of my very favorites. Hope you can visit a few of them, too.

~~~

xoabb

expect anything!

P. S. Don't even ask me how Weight Watchers went this week!

Summer Done

Back to school!  Summer

seemed to be so very short. 

Calm days are over...

Cody misses us,

But here's a boy for her to love

Isn't that just grand?

~~~

xoabb

P. S.  As you read this, I'm back to work - first day!  (pooh!). 

It's been a wonderful - and short - summer!  

Here's to a good year for all of us involved in school systems!  

Sunday Serenity

Age-worn, or perhaps battle-worn, but still beautiful. 

The entire time I was in Missouri, I was hoping to take a photo of a monarch butterfly. No matter how long I waited for one to "pose" for me, it just wasn't happening. On the last day we were there, this beauty posed for me for a good 10 minutes! 

Thank You, Most Majestic Monarch!

~~~

xoabb

Southern Comfort

Claysville General Store.

The. Best. Southern. Fried. Chicken. Dinner.

EVER!

Outside of Columbia, MO, (and you'd never find it without a detailed map), Claysville General Store is open Friday and Saturday night and Sunday for brunch.  It is a must do if you're in the area.  All the food is fresh and homemade - and delicious!

~~~

xoabb