Sunday Stealing: Shop on the Corner Meme

I don't usually steal, but I thought it would be okay if I stole this meme from Blue Country Magic.

Shop On The Corner Meme 

1. What kind of job did your mom have when you were growing up?

A. My mom was a stay-at-home mom until my teenage years. She then decided to become a real estate agent so she could finally get us out of the attic and into our own home. She hated the job. In fact, the one apartment she did rent she had to go to court for and return the pittance she made. As soon as she found our home, she quit.
 
2. Have you ever known anyone that’s been on tv, including you?

A. Yes. I have been on tv a couple of times and so has my daughter. The most "famous" person I know on tv is Lou Ferrigno aka The Hulk. When I lived in my  home in Brooklyn my next door neighbor was his aunt...nice guy.

3. What was the most interesting animal you have seen in the wild?

A. A huge moose on the side of the road while driving through Maine. We made eye contact as we passed each other. What a majestic creature. One step in, and we would have been goners!
 
4. What holiday do you enjoy the most?

A. Christmas, especially when the kids were young. As they got older, it sort of lost its magic. This will be the first year neither of them are living home and I don't know what to expect...hopefully no tears.
 
5. What was the first video game you ever played?

A. Pong. We had the first console which went to husband # 1 in my first divorce.
 
6. What is the one thing you own, that if it got lost, you would be bummed?

A. My mind...and it's starting to show signs of leaving.

7. Do you have a favorite breakfast item?

A. Slice of fresh Italian bread with Breakstone butter. Can't get "real" Italian bread here in Roanoke so I settle for an English muffin (poor substitute) instead.
 
8. What do you find yourself buying all the time?

A. Hair products, still looking for that magic one.
 
9. When was the last time you got a real letter in the mail?

A. Last week...it was a short note with a John Cale CD that my cousin sent me.
 
10. Do you have a most prized piece of jewelry?

A. Although most people would probably say wedding band, I won't since I've gone through a couple already. My prized possession is a $5 medallion of the blessed mother holding the baby Jesus on a long chain that I bought in 1990 at the Vatican. I never go on a road trip without it on my neck. If we hit bad weather, or any other type of dangerous situation, I find comfort in stroking it while saying my Hail Mary's and asking for help. Never fails. 
 
11. Do you own any board games?

A. Yup, you name it, I have it. However, here in Roanoke, I do not have anyone who wants to play them with me. Any takers???
 
12. What chore seems the most daunting right now?

A. Cleaning the basement so I do not become a hoarder. I have grand plans to put so much stuff on eBay, or Etsy, or whatever, but I just don't know where to begin.
 
13. Were you born in the state you live in?


A. No, living in Virginia, but I'm a New Yorker, forever and ever, Amen!
 
14. Have you ever lived in a house that has been broken into?


A. Yes...it's horrible, you feel violated.

15. What is your favorite cheese?

A. Blue Cheese, but it has to be good blue cheese, not the crap that comes in the wax in Food Lion.
 
16. Who do you know that watches the most sports? 

A. My husband...professional football. Thank God that's all he watches. I couldn't stand if he watched college sports or basketball or tennis or soccer or whatever. I can deal with 16 weeks of Sundays to myself ;)

Thanks Anita...that was fun!

Leaves

We removed as many leaves as feasible from Bella's yard. It took 15 39-gallon trash bags. The only reason I want those leaves raked is to prevent fleas and ticks from living in them and hitching a ride on Bella when she digs through them on her quest for the largest rock her little mouth could carry.

I know, that's a freaky picture; I had it on dramatic setting. See that rock in the right hand corner? That's the latest edition to the pile. Pretty big, huh?

And there lays my dear Max who is sorely missed.

I could never rake up all the leaves from my property. Look at all the trees I have.

See that nest up in that leaning tree? Here's a closer shot.

I always thought it was the ravens' nest, but I discovered today it's the squirrels' home. I saw one leaping from limb to limb with a leave-filled branch from the oak tree in his mouth which he brought to the nest.

I don't quite understand the zeal of people to remove every single leave from their yards. Why? The decaying and decomposing leaves is what makes Appalachia soil so rich as to create a forest unlike any other in the world, except for one small province in China. I watched a documentary on Appalachia recently. I learned that each tree is "designed" to lose their leaves at different intervals from other species. This allows the nutrients from the leaves to sink-in at different intervals, one following the other...mixing, mingling, morphing.

The leaves that wind up in our pond keep the fish fed through the winter, as well as hidden from the long arm of the raccoon. The composted bottom keeps frogs warm, and the tadpoles who emerge in the spring, protected.

I don't have a problem with leaves. I will never own a leaf blower. Sorry if some land on your property, but that's just the nature of things.

I probably should bring my hammock inside before the squirrels cut up the rope for their nest.

Brighton Beach

With winter breathing down my neck I thought I would warm up the day with a couple of shots from Brighton Beach in Brooklyn.

On the Brighton Beach Boardwalk looking towards Coney Island. The parachute and ferris wheel  loom ahead.

From Bay Ridge it's a quick jump (if there's no traffic) on the Belt Parkway, a nice drive along the shore, just a couple of exits down. Be warned when exiting the Belt to immediately slow down as NYC has put speed cameras on many of the exits, and if you do go above 25mph, in a couple of weeks you may find yourself the recipient of an expensive love letter...

And just like that...the seasons change...the shore, sun, sky, and sand stay the same, yet, as the sun changes its mood, so does the shore, sun, sky, and sand.

At the top of the shot there are two seagulls standing sentry...one on each side.

That's the elevated train, now called the B from the D which takes you to Brighton Beach.  I can't figure out why they switched the B & D line names and it drives me crazy,

This used to be the lobby to an old movie theatre, now it's the entrance to an expensive food forum of sorts.