Fun Monday, Our Best Vacation, Ever

Today's topic is Best Vacation EVER!  This is a really hard topic for me, but I decided to post and stop being a slacker.  Why is it hard, you ask?

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It's difficult because I've been going on vacation for as long as I can remember.  Some of my favorites with my Dad and Mom, were going to the magnificent Redwoods.  A favorite recollection is sitting on a split rail fence, with my sister, waving at the truckers who hauled logs that had just been harvested.

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Because I had so many happy memories of camping with my family, when Bob and I had children of our own, we camped, too.  Carrie's first camping trip happened when she was about 6 months old.  We took her to the river, around here if you say the river, it's understood to mean The Colorado River.  The trip was for Bob to go waterskiing, it was a great family outing and the beginning of our many family camping trips.

A couple of decades ago, Bob insisted that he no longer wanted to camp.  My favorite vacation after that wasn't a cruise, and we've been on many, or one of my annual trips to Book Expo America, it was a baseball tour we took two years ago.  What fun to pay your money and have someone else organize EVERYTHING.  Transportation, hotels, game tickets, everything.  The only thing we really had to take care of was what to eat.  We wore each home teams' logos when we visited, so we didn't look so much like "foreigners".  I did my research and picked Jay Buckley Tours.  I don't think I'd bother with another company.  Jay Buckley Tours was great!

Thanks for stopping by and sharing my life with me,

Fun Monday, the projects.

Today's assignment:  Fun Monday topic for June 23rd - Everybody's got a project of some sort going, whether it's reading a book, knitting a scarf, painting a picture (or a room), or planting a garden. What's your latest project?  Better late than never!

When we returned home from our vacation, we immediately adopted/rescued two guys from our local shelter.  They have been a real project and have been keeping us very busy.

This is Ben, one year old, he's very small, 10 lbs, he's a terrier mix and looks like a tiny Cairn Terrier.  He had to stay in the shelter an extra day, to be neutered.

This is Frisco, seven years old, he's 32 lbs. and we think he's an American Cocker.  We were told he was already neutered, so we brought him home right away.  They made an error, we had him neutered last Friday.

They both are very good dogs and get along very well.  Neither guy was leashed trained, but both are now, after 3 weeks.  Frisco wasn't housebroken, so we've fixed that problem, too!

My other project is quilting.  Right before I left on vacation I picked up four quilts from my long-arm quilter.  When we returned home I finished them up, by adding the binding to each one.  You can read about that here, if you're interested.

Thanks for stopping by and sharing my life with me,

Fun Monday

It's time for Fun Monday!  Todays' theme is "Post a photo of your non-human children".  One picture or however many it takes.

On June 1, I returned from a six week trip, it was a combo of celebrating our 50th with a four week cruise and attending Book Expo America in NYC.  We had had no non-human children since February, when Dudley died.  We made the decision to wait until after this extended trip to adopt more dogs.

On June 2, we adopted two new dogs.  They're wonderful additions to Casa Prytz.  We're very lucky to have Frisco and Ben as part of our family.

This is Frisco, he's 7 years old, an American Cocker and previously lived outside.  Now, he's an inside dog, and loving it.  We haven't weighed him, but we're guessing about 40 pounds.

This is Ben, he's one year old, a terrier mix, I'm guessing Yorkie-mix and he's house trained.  Ben is small and weighs 10 pounds.  He was neutered on 6/3, and had to wear "the cone of shame" for one week.

The dogs are getting along famously, and they're really keeping us busy.

Thanks for stopping by and sharing my life with me,

Fun Monday

A bird, specifically Favorite Birds is what Sayre posted about, today.  We'll I'm not a birder, but I'm an animal lover and I do feed and watch the birds in my backyard, usually thru the patio door; so I don't disturb them.

I miss doing Fun Monday, I thought I'd join her today, and show some of the birds that show up in my backyard.

Some Lesser Goldfinch.

House Finch

Coopers Hawk, on a blustery day

A wren.

Since we don't have a dog at the moment, these mallards have been frequent visitors.

Yes, I know this is not a bird, but bunnies visit us frequently.

I think this is also because we're dogless.

No, we didn't get flamingos in the backyard, these are at the Zoo.

We will be rescuing a dog or two, in June, when we return from our trip.  We didn't think it'd be fair to recuse, then leave.

Thanks for stopping by and sharing my life with me,

Fun Monday

Whoop, whoop.  Fun Monday was the first meme I participated in when I started blogging, six years ago.  I "met" a great bunch of bloggers, and was really disappointed when Fun Monday became more of a writing exercise than a fun sharing of our lives and photos.

I've just met Lisa, she's from New South Wales, Australia and she's hosting, this Fun Monday.  The topic is your favorite indoor or outdoor plant.

I'm a real plant lover, and though I have a small yard, it's packed with beautiful plants.  For today, I'll pick my Fourth of July rose.  Here's some shots.

I used this part of the yard when I did a video for our Parkinson's Support Group.  It's one of my volunteer gigs; I lead them once a month in some Tai Chi, the best exercise for Parkinson's Patients.  Bob and I made the video so they could do the exercises regularly.

And, I'm going to cheat and show my other favorite rose, Sally Holmes.

We have two of these, right outside our master bedroom.  They're real climbers and each stem carries it's own bouquet.

Thanks for stopping by and sharing my life with me,

Celebrity Sighting.

My cousin W., sent this photo out in an email, today.  How many do you recognize?

This is a promotional photo of many of the actors under contract with MGM at the studios 20th birthday party.

Here¹s who you¹re looking at:

1st Row: James Stewart, Margaret Sullavan, Lucille Ball, Hedy Lamarr, Katharine Hepburn, Louis B Mayer, Greer Garson, Irene Dunne, Susan Peters, Ginny Simms, Lionel Barrymore.

2nd Row: Harry James, Brian Donlevy, Red Skelton, Mickey Rooney, William Powell, Wallace Beery, Spencer Tracy, Walter Pidgeon, RobertTaylor, Pierre Aumont, Lewis Stone, Gene Kelly, Jackie Jenkins.

3rd Row: Tommy Dorsey, George Murphy, Jean Rogers, James Craig, Donna Reed, Van Johnson, Fay Bainter, Marsha Hunt, Ruth Hussey, Marjorie Main, Robert Benchley.

4th Row: Dame May Whitty, Reginald Owen, Keenan Wynn, Diana Lewis, Marilyn Maxwell, Esther Williams, Ann Richards, Marta Linden, Lee Bowman, Richard Carlson, Mary Astor.

5th Row: Blanche Ring, Sara Haden, Fay Holden, Bert Lahr, Frances Gifford, June Allyson, Richard Whorf, Frances Rafferty, Spring Byington, Connie Gilchrist, Gladys Cooper.

6th Row: Ben Blue, Chill Wills, Keye Luke, Barry Nelson, Desi Arnaz, Henry O¹Neill, Bob Crosby, Rags Ragland.

I'm sure you picked out a few.

I have many cousins, and W is a great guy, and a little zaney.  I frequently call him Crazy W.  He's a retired high school principal but his emails aren't up to high school standards.  We're Norwegian and W writes like an ol' Norsky.  I'm going to paste the rest of his email below, in case you want to read about growing up in SoCal in the 40's, 50's & 60's.

"THIS pic IZ a KLASSIK !!

i was born n' raised in Culver City - the motto of which was "THE HEART OF SCREENLAND" = it was the home of MGM - RKO / SELZNICK - HAL ROACH - INCE studios...
and 20th Century Fox was in Cheviot Hills - about 5 miles away...

my Dad started working at MGM in 1937 - after he & my Mom moved out from Duluth, Minn...

he started there az a nite custodian - in the Thalberg Bldg = where Louis B. Mayer& the big-wigz had their offices...

in a couple of yrz he got a job in the Storeroom = it was like a hardware/stationary store for the ENTIRE studio...

in 1962 or 63 he got a job in the Sound Dept Storeroom ( a tad more $ ) - he retd in 1965...

i have the very nice gold Hamilton watch that MGM gave him - inscribed on the back...

whilst in hi-skool ... "we" ( a group of 6-8 budz & i ) would oft "hop the fence" on MGMz Lot 3 ... on a Fri or Sat nite... and "explore" ? climb in and around the various sets on that lot -- they included a HUGE "water tank" that contained a full-size Mississippi paddle-wheeler used in Gone With the Wind & other flix about the South... Andy Hardy Street where Rooney & Garland starred as kid-actors... a European village... sets for war movies... etc... annnnnnnnnnnd our REAL fun came when the MGM cop/s who "guarded" the lot would see us --- and CHASE US !!!
... we NEVER got caught tho' !!!

after hi-skool - i got a job az a laborer at MGM ... and worked there & other studios while going to college ( nites / days = depending on classes )... also summers when i was a teacher...

after MGM - i worked at Disney (my fav lot / studio) - Four Star - Republic - Paramount - Columbia - Sunset-Gower...

NOWWWW... THIS pic !! = tiz a klassik !!

from this era - to the mid-50z -- MGM had a "stable" of the TOP stars (incl singers) !!

during the summers of 1952 & 53 - i hung-out across the street from MGM's Thalberg Bldg / Main Gate to Lot 1 ... and got autografs of stars - directors - etc...

i have 2 autograf boox of them... including (17) of thoz in this pic !

i also went a few tymes down Washington Blvd to RKO/SELZNICK & got a few autografs there... i got Robert Mitchum there - twice...

my VEREE 1st autografs i got in 1944... from Frank Sinatra & Peter Lawford = my Mom & i had walked from our abode on Duquesne to "downtown" C.C. - to the Culver Bowling Alley... to watch the studio bowling leagues bowl on a Fri nite... annnnd ... in walked Sinatra & Lawford -- my Mom took a blank postcard out of her purse - gave it & a pencil to me... and said - "Go get their autografs !'.... i walked over & asked them... and they both signed the card ! -- i still have it !!

oft tymes U would see various 'stars' & 'character actors' shopping / hangin-out in downtown C.C. = ANNND even some of the midgets/dwarfs that had been in THE WIZARD OF OZ...

when we moved to Ojai in the mid-80z ... it was common to see 'stars' there... incl thoz who lived there ... 1 was June Allyson (who wuza all-tyme fav of mine )... annnd ... one of Lynnz bosses... ( a ped-dentist ) had bought June Allyson'z hubby's practice in Ventura... soooo... her boss & hiz wife would invite them to their annual Xmas party - annnnd they alwayz came ! -- soooo - i got to meet her & talk to her at a couple of parties & showed her the autograf she had signed for me in 1953 ... she luvd it !!!

working at the various studios i saw & even got to chat with a lot of stars over-the-years = what a GR8 experience that all was !!"

What do you think?

Thanks for stopping by and sharing my life with me,

Fun Monday

This week's theme is SHOES. What would we do without them? So please tell us about your shoes and pictures are encouraged.

At work, I'm on my feet for up to 8 hours, each shift, so my shoes have to be comfortable, not beautiful.

Knocking around the house, and teaching Tai Chi, I wear these.

All summer I wear these. They are my favorite.

To see what the other participants wear on their feet, visit Thom.

P.S. I won't be around for Fun Monday, next week, Bob and I are going to the Book Show, in NYC.

Fun Monday

This is the challenge from Joangee of Musings in Waffle:

Fun is the theme this week. Toys, games and pass-times. If like me you have pets, and/or children which are their favourite toys? Photos please... Or what are your favourite pass-times?

I have no children living at home, so I'll show you some of my pass-times. My life is about:

Books - I won't show any, you all know what a book looks like!

Quilts (fabric) - I've always been a seamstress, but I started quilting last June. I've built a large stash of fabric to work with.

Photography - This is one of my favorite photos. I took this at a baseball game, with this beautiful girl's Dad's permission.

Happy Fun Monday, everyone.

Fun Monday

The FM assignment this week is from the beauteous Sayre: "It's a photo challenge - I want to see your pet(s) up close and personal."

We've had 10 dogs, during our married life, and tons of other critters. Two Cairn Terriers currently reside at Casa de Prytz, Dudley and Lizzie. They are both rescues, and they are great dogs. Here are their close-ups.

Lizzie is first, she's the oldest at 12 years old.

We're her second owner, the first owner treated her as an object, not a pet.

She doesn't play, and it took us years to make her feel loved.

I showed her cute little foot, because when we first adopted her, her feet bled

when we walked her; she wasn't use to being walked on a sidewalk!

Two shots of Dudley's nose. Dudley is 10, and he's a great boy, and a boon companion.

We're his third owner, he's always been in a family situation and he's a great

watchdog and loves to play ball.

I'm cheating, here. This is how we usually see our dogs.

Dudley, running like the wind, with a tennis ball in his mouth

Lizzie, with her butt in the air, hunting for critters.

Bob and Oden, getting ready to walk these two.

Thank you Sayre for hosting this week.

Go visit her to see who else played.