NIcole B's Scavenger Hunt
Today is the last day of May and time for the BIG REVEAL in Nicole B.'s
2nd Scavenger Hunt! This has been sO much fun! I really struggled with a few of the items... and may be pushing it for a couple... but I had a great time looking! This is the last one she's doing for awhile - but she plans another one for in the Fall - so if you think you'd be interested - keep your eyes and ears open! Without further ado, here are my finds!
1. A souvenir
This was the only souvenir I brought home from my
recent trip to Wisconsin, etc. -- other than cheese!
2. A fish
This one was found at the Washington National Harbor.
3. A religious building.
I was so glad to see this on the list because I have wanted to investigate this building. I thought it was probably a temporary mosque just because of it's unusual design. But when I got there I found that it is actually a Christian worship center - the book under plexiglass is a Bible - opened to the book of John.
4. A fire department
I used it's little firetruck mailbox for a Ruby Tuesday
earlier this month. I didn't save the mailbox for this hunt because
I thought the "requirement" was a whole fire department!
5. A manhole cover
A boring old manhole cover... I'm hoping someone
has a really cool one!
6. A postcard
This is actually a whole slew of postcards I sent to Mar
from my travels. She collects postcards. I do my best
for her!
7. Water
A pretty little pond in somewhere, Ohio!
8. A communication device.
My kids don't use these to "talk" -
only to text!
9. A life event
The final event.
This stone belongs to my son's best friend.
I visited last week, right before Memorial Day
10. A foreign Stamp
Since I am American, this is definitely a foreign stamp!
An easy task for me, as I collect stamps!
11. A tree
A beautiful
birch sycamore tree!
12. The living space of a non-human
Sad but true... this is his space...
13. A street mirror
Bet I'm one of the few people who have one of these
IN the neighborhood!
14. A decoration FIXED on a house.
I think this was my hardest find! I was starting
to think I was going to have to go BUY something
and fix it on to MY house!
15. A foreign flag
I believe that is a flag of Mexico up
on the roof... beside the American
flag!
16. A fire
I love when my meal is served HOT!
17. An antenna
I wonder if this is what Nicole B had in mind...
found it in a butterfly garden!
18. B ... this is NOT my telephone booth...
but I WISH it was! Krysti came home
from Europe with it and I was sO jealous!
18. A telephone booth.
THIS is my plain ol' stupid American telephone booth.
Ella was with me that day - so she modeled!
19. A "verboten" sign
LOOKS friendly enough, huh?
20. A beach
This one happens to be on Lake Michigan
21. A cityscape
Milwaukee
22. Something Goofy!
They don't come any goofier than this one!
23. Something carved.
I have to tell ya -- my husband is a really GOOD wood
carver. But he didn't carve this. His UNCLE did! His
uncle is an even BETTER wood carver! And he painted
it too!
24. An eye.
I just thought this eye had character.
25. Something rural.
I guess a flower and vegetable stand counts as rural.
I didn't see any in the cities I drove through!
Nicole B... this has been sO much fun, and I really THANK you for hosting it! I don't participate in the voting thing... not asking for votes anyway... but I will vote FOR someone! I'll have to wait and see who I find worthy! I really can't wait to see what all the others came up with! This was a really good - and challenging list!
It's All Greek To Me...
So we went to the Greek Festival yesterday! It did NOT go as planned! (smile - what's new?) I thought it was kind of odd that they advertised this festival starting on FRIDAY and running from 11:00 - 11:00 Fri & Sat, and from 11:00 - 7:00 Sunday. I was just really rather wondering WHO would BE there on Friday as honestly mOst people WORK! But Amanda & I decided to go at 2:00 and I drove past it on my way to Amanda's and there were LOTS of cars, so I thought well, okay! But when we got there, not much was happening. There was PLENTY of food -- and lots of people coming and going getting take-out! There was a few little booths set up selling jewelry and books and things... but no music... no dancing... nothing that
I came for! So, I finally asked and found out that the music and dancing events would not be happening until evening! We decided to head to the mall and come back in the evening. That was a GREAT plan! Luz & I got to go to Build-A-Bear and Ella got two new outfits, and so did Luz's bear! LOL!
Sooooo... we went back to the festival at around 6:30 and the music was in full swing, as were the dancers! As a matter of fact, we walked in, found them, and never left that spot for the rest of the night! Luz was totally enthralled with them! Sadly, we MISSED seeing the little children dance. We got there during the middle school age kids and stayed through all the adults! Each group was fabulous! And OH their costumes! I just love this!
Young ladies dance...
... and the young lads!
This must be a Greek Do-si-do!
Amanda and I were talking about how COOL it is that all these other cultures HAVE these very special songs and dances that they pass down from generation to generation -- and they KEEP them going! It's important to them, and they take care of it! WE of the Great American Melting Pot, have no such things to pass on to our children. Some of us have become such a mix of this and that and everything else that there IS no ONE culture we identify with. I'm not a racist, and I'm NOT prejudice - but this is something that has always bothered me about the mixing of different cultures... is the things that are LOST along the way. Yes, true ... there are certainly benefits too --- but I wish that everyone had certain "cultural" things to hang on to! But not to use them as an object of "pride"... but just for the sense of knowing WHO you are and WHERE you came from. Anyway... it was just thoughts we had...
Inbetween dance groups, we got to listen to some live
Greek music. Ella and Bear really enjoyed that!
And the dance floor was then open for anyone
who felt the urge!
Then the "young adults" danced...
When they came out, Ella quickly grabbed
herself a handsome one! He promised
her a dance all by herself when he was
through with the show!
These are the adult women.
Each of their costumes is representative of a different
Island of Greece.
I forget where this one came from - I was trying so
hard to get a single of each of them - but they move
so quickly and the lighting was not great - I was
really LUCKY to get what I did!
So, anyway... we just sat there all evening and Amanda and I took turns saving seats so we could go get something to eat. I forgot to take a picture of my food -- but I'll tell you what I had and you can look it up on google if you want! I had moussaka, hot dolmades with meat, and a spanakopita -- and let me tell you, not one bite went to waste! I LOVE greek food! Truly! I DID take a picture of the desserts I brought home!
From L-R:
A diple, baklava, and galaktobouriko!
Now that's a mouthful!!!
Baklava should be against the law!
One more shot of my little dumplin'....
I caught her jumping off the stage -
when she saw the picture she said
"WOW! I was FLYING!"
Of course she was!
It was just a GREAT day!
I hope yours was too!
One Last Day in London...
Yea... I got nothing. Mom and I didn't do much yesterday - just hopped out for a few minutes to take some final needed pictures for the scavenger hunt due in a few days... so, I will thank my daughter once again, for providing me with blog fodder of HER life! LOL! I wish
all my kids were that forthcoming! :)
A cityscape of London -- showing that it truly is foggy!
And Krysti said it
was like that the entire time!
Living proof that Krysti did visit
Westminster Abbey
*which she calls West Minister Abbey*
The Tower of London
(doesn't look like a tower to me... looks like a castle!)
This is the place where the Crown Jewels are stashed!
The Brits would NOT be happy to know that Krysti felt
that all of their most famous jewels looked "fake"... LOL!
She said "I'm sure they're not Mom... but they looked
like they were fake!" ROFL!
The Tower Bridge --
which Krysti wondered why THIS one is not the
LONDON Bridge!? She says it's far prettier
than the London Bridge.
I said that's GOOD ... because the
London Bridge is falling down!!! hehehe...
Here is her "artsy" shot of the Tower Bridge!
Good one - huh?
There is hope for her!
Annnnnnnnnnd....
Are there any Harry Potter fans out there???
This was her passing fancy at the King's Cross Station!
Of course it was...
Quilly... Jientje... grab your cameras girls!
I'm going to a Greek Festival tomorrow - you're
both invited!
Baltimore Aquarium
Yesterday Mom & I joined Amanda & Luz for a trip to the Baltimore Aquarium. It is such a great place, and soooooooo much to see! And it EVEN has a rain forest! I just love it! Here's a few pics from the day... (a few too many?) LOL!
This was when we first entered the aquarium...
Luz was so excited!!!
We told her "you ain't seen NOTHIN' yet!"
This is looking down on the BIG tank - that was our first stop. This was just to spend some time before our 1st "event" - which was a 4D movie - with sounds and smell and pokes in the back and icky feelies around your ankles! I don't really care for those things - but Amanda wanted to take Luz, so we all went! Mom was funny! She did NOT like being sprayed or splashed in the face - and after about the 4th or 5th time she piped up "I'm gonna DROWN before I get outta here!" ROFL! Then she leaned over and whispered to me ...
are you gettin' wet too? hehehe....
After the movie came ...
The DOLPHIN show!
We did NOT sit in the splash zone!
(I was guarding my camera!!!)
But we had a great time! Dolphins are just so cute!
This one was dancin' backwards...
And this little fella wanted us to count his teeth!
Then we moved on to look all around the aquarium.
Here, Luz was finding "treasures". If yo BIG it, you
will see she found a tiny little BRIGHT orange and
purple fish... awww... he's so cute!
And here she goes nose to nose with the big guy!
I had never seen a BLUE starfish before...
isn't it gorgeous?
I forget WHAT this one is called... but she was spectacular!
(must be she - she's pink!) This picture does NOT do her
justice!
I bet I took 100 photo's of the jellyfish! They are,
for the most part, the MOST cooperative things in
the entire aquarium! And the designers gave us such
perfect backgrounds to really capture them well!
These were my favorites!
I call them Polka Dot Jellies!
I have NO idea what they're really called.
We didn't find
much in the rain forest today...
But the little blue poison dart frog was posing nicely.
And this mama sloth did not WANT to pose... she was really hard to get a decent shot of... I waited quite a while for this one! If you BIG her you can see the baby's head just under her chin.
Between the fact that they stay upside down, and the fact that she was having a hard time figuring out where to go next... and the fact that she was not crazy about us seeing her baby... she was having a tough time of it! And giving US a tough time too! At least those of us with a camera!
We did get to see the sharks and big BIG fish - but it was realllllllllllly hard to get good pictures down there. SO hard that I never succeeded! I took a lot - but none worthy of being shared... or even kept! Fish are tough subjects!
I think I'll hold off posting any of Krysti's Euro trip today... this has probably been more than enough to munch on!
1. A souvenir
2. A fish
3. A religious building.
4. A fire department
5. A manhole cover
6. A postcard
7. Water
8. A communication device.
9. A life event
10. A foreign Stamp
11. A tree
12. The living space of a non-human
13. A street mirror
14. A decoration FIXED on a house.
15. A foreign flag
16. A fire
17. An antenna
18. B ... this is NOT my telephone booth...
18. A telephone booth.
19. A "verboten" sign
20. A beach
21. A cityscape
22. Something Goofy!
23. Something carved.
24. An eye.
25. Something rural.
