Happy (edited) Tuesday Potty Tale

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Early December our guest toilet was making crazy swishing noises in the middle of the night.  Did we have a ghost upstairs?  We did not want SIS and BIL of Angel Madi awakened by this when the came for Christmas.

  I called Midtown Plumbing.  I told the lady it was flushing randomly all by itself.

Tim the plumber took off the tank top, flushed it several times.  Finally he said

your tank is leaking 😱😰. Not something you want to hear about second floor toilet.

What ???we haven't seen any water on the floor.

No not that kind of leak. 

Turns out the water in the tank was leaking into the bowl, of course using extra water. The swish was the tank auto refilling itself when it got below the minimum water line.

  Tim assured me it would work fine. We just needed to make sure to keep the tank level at the maximum line.
We live smack in the middle of the City. However, nothing says Red Neck Christmas better than asking your visitors to do routine potty maintenance.  I had a pitcher on the tank.  Favorite SIL of Angel Madi took on the task of filling the tank a couple of times a day.  

FULL DISCLOSURE!!!

You know I'm shameless.  Angel Madi and  I would do anything to enhance a story!!!
I had photos of our vintage 1983 model and sleek, trim and taller 2019 model and a seven second video of the soft close potty in action.
When I told my editor (aka Dad of Madi),
about the post, photos and video..he immediately switched from  editor to manners police.
He asked  "are you really gonna post photos of the toilet"?! Yes I replied... I got a soft humph from the manners police.  Alas dear readers, you must use your mind's eye instead of using photos.

Any complaints regarding this censorship, should be sent to 
'dadofangelmadiakamannerspolice.com'


HAPPY NEW YEAR'S EVE TO YOU ALL

Awww Monday

Hosted by Comedy Plus

I wanted to learn a new block called

Card Trick.    

I Found a great video by Jenny at Missouri Star Quilt

I worked on it off and on for about 2 weeks.

I had a fist full of coupons too.  I
bought a *Jelly Roll, some white and off white fabric...

Jelly Rolls (2.5" Precut Strips)

A *jelly roll is a curated bundle of 2.5" strips of precut quilt fabric, featuring an array of coordinating fabric from a designer's collection. Jelly rolls make sewing up a cute strip quilt a snap! Use the filters to shop a wide selection of jelly roll colors, themes & styles from top fabric designers. Jelly rolls are how we roll!

I fired up Jenny's YouTube Video,  the race was on.
In the video, she is making a quilt for a queen bed.  I don't have the space (or
desire to make anything that large).   I made four card trick blocks.
Below is a close up of one below.
Each figured block is made with 6-4 1/2" strips
and 6-2 1/2" blocks, white fabric completes it

I made the 4 center blocks and then added the white to each.

I used the other 2 1/2" strips to join them together down the center and for the border.

Ironically, I had matching buttons in my button stash for accent

Card trick refers to the figured fabric in the center.  It gives an illusion of cards on top of each other.
There are a few humility areas just to remind me...that nothing has to be perfect...
one just has to try.

Jelly Roll is in a roll, thus  I could see basic colors but not details.

I decided not to buy backing fabric until saw all the colors.

It was about taking a trip in a Wheelie House...

Lots of strips had Route 66 on them.

Lo and behold I found the perfect backing fabric

This quilt's home is here on the couch in the family room. One of Angel Madi's favorite places.
If she heard us coming down the steps, she would sit on the left side.  Extend her leg just 
enough that we would play get her toesies with her.  
In my mind's eye, I could see her there.  I photo shopped her into the photo.
After I downloaded the photo,  I saw the octagonal window behind me reflecting in the
hanging picture above the couch.

Easy Sunday

69 DEGREES IN DECEMBER🙌😻

We had lunch on the porch earlier...just a glorious late April day in December.  Knowing this was a fluke, I decided to sit on the porch one more time.
These photos were taken on Saturday, December 28, 2019 at 4 pm.

I was sitting here reading.  I also had my trust iPad too.

I heard children's voices coming from many directions.

In this age of computer games, etc I rarely see/hear children outside.

All of a sudden I felt a sneeze coming on...FYI...my sneezes have been know to make the ground rumble.

From near by I heard 

"Bless You"

I turned to the direction of the voices.  This is what I saw children on a blanket having a snack and it sounded like playing a game.

I waved and said, Thank you.

Saturday Stuff left in December's folder

Inside decorations at Crabtree Valley Mall

Lots of 'selfie' areas

 Take a photo with Santa

Close up of the sleigh in above photo

 Gifts hanging from the ceiling on very strong cables

 The Lego store did a little sprucing up on the exterior of the store.

 Winter sun peeping through the skylight nearly giving a full shadow of my hot air balloon

Nature, Final Friction and Feline Friday

We had a Christmas Miracle on December 22, 2019.

Our Camellia bush has a beautiful bloom.

She has bloomed several years; however, only a few blooms and in February.

Presenting Cammie

Isn't she just a perfect bloom?

If you look closely at the photo on the left, you will see Cammie is loaded with buds. This is the front side. There are buds all over her.  The most ever!!

Thanks Comedy Plus for hosting

Thanks LLB Gang for hosting

Angel Madi and I were all about laughing and poking fun at one another. We are about to enter the months where ice, and sleet and nastiness happen. So I thought I'd post this TRUE story for Final Fiction Friday.    If I were a betting woman, I'd say Madi was sitting right there and her Sissy's bed watching us as this story came to be.

********************************

Flashback 2015

Necessity is the Mother of invention 

FYI this TRUE TALE is proof positive.

I promise it is the last post I'll show of snow

BUT trust me it is gonna tickle your funny bone.

Often when the peeps leave I take up my sentry post from the guest bed this
 window looks out onto the driveway.

 During the last few weeks of February we had sleet, snow,

ice and freezing temperatures all with in a few days of each other. All this made 

our driveway and front yard nearly impassable!!!

That is unless you are very clever...and my peeps are.

This picture shows very little white stuff but what you see is

ice and it is solid.  Mom and Dad needed to go to buy groceries...

they had to get to Gracie at the bottom of the driveway.

But they can't ice skate so they did the next best thing

they used their noggins to think of a safe way down

Dad had already fallen on the ice earlier.

They used a pitch fork and a golf umbrella as their walking sticks to 

walk down through the ice to the grass. Before they left

Mom thought to herself... how will we get the groceries back up to the

 porch.

Easy peasy...they took two laundry baskets and two bungee cords

to the car when they left.  

 When they got back home with the groceries they loaded the

groceries in the baskets and pulled them up the hill with the 

bungee cords in one hand and the pitchfork and the golf umbrella in the 

other hand

Nobody fell...they got the groceries in the house

The End

Madi was an Olympic Jumper

Thoroughly Poetic Thursday and Christmas Cards P II

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday!!

Today we join Two  SPOILED CATS 

Angel Sammy and Teddy for their poetic pictorial poem.

Here is today's inspiration and it brought back some wonderful members of
meeting these 

Gentle Giants

(full disclosure I borrowed this title from a TV program we watch on RFD channel)

Their clop, clop, clop easily traveling the miles

Happy to work, or play or just be.

Their soft neighs barely audible

The puffs of breath from their noses of velvet.

As I watch them prance, I smile!

oh the stories to be told

By these gentle giants 

with hearts of gold.

Close encounter of the Personal kind with the Gentle Giants

In the mid 1980's The Budweiser Clydesdale Hitch came

to Raleigh.  I don't recall the time of year; however, for some reason

they were to be on display under a covered deck in Raleigh's Cameron Village.

We arrived early for a good spot.  We were eagerly awaited their arrival,

when all of a sudden, we heard the thunderous, synchronized clop, clop, clop of 

24 hooves. They rounded the corner, we were awestruck by their beauty and of their size.

Their gorgeous chocolate eyes and quiet gentle neighs.  Shaking of their heads
as if to say Hi nice to meet you.
 There was a brief bit of info on them.  Then if we wanted we could come up closer.
BOY DID WE WANT to.  If I remember correctly, my 5'3" came to their shoulders.
Looking into their eyes it was obvious why they are called Gentle Giants.
Fast forward to our first trip to Busch Gardens in Virginia.
One of my must dos was to visit the Clydesdale Facility.
They were in their element....no duties except to be beautiful that they were.
Seeing them run about in their paddock with their feather fur blowing in the breeze.
In their stalls with their heads hanging over as if they were greeting us.
Several of the adolescent Clydesdale were about the size of a
regular horse.


Christmas Cards 2019 part II rec'd as of December 24th

Greetings from the Western US of A

And a PDF file from Kismet in Arizona
Thank you Kismet et al I could not get it to post here
but it was A most beautiful lime tree and Desert Cacti wearing Santa Hats

Christmas 2019 Thank you for my Cards

Hosted by Comedy Plus

Cards snail mail and email as of December 23, 2019

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for each and everyone...

All because of my Diva Angel Madi I met you all and for this I am grateful.

 If Angel Madi were here, she would once again win the prize for the Mostest!!

Snail Mail Card Collages

Ecards collages

I wish you blessings and much joy this Christmas.

Hugs and love from the MadSnapper, the Hubby and the BIG dog.

Dear friends and your families,

We wish you all HAPPY HOLIDAYS! May your holidays be filled with lots of treats and nip! Thank you for your friendship. We ♥ you all!

Purrs...

Ernie, Zoey and the mom Sue

The Island Cats

online eCards 

From Speedy and peeps

Speedy the Cheeky House Bunny (rachel.dejong28@googlemail.com) has sent you a Jacquie Lawson ecard. You can view your card here.

Wishing you and yours all best 'howliday' wishes.

Hugs and tail wags.

ღonika, Sam & Elsa 🐾Live, love, bark! 

Big Thank you to the The Book of Barkley and Staff

Starring:

Abby the Lab and Larelei

They sent a most beautiful eCard with lots of RED on it

The Trout Towne Tabbies

13 December 2019 Dear Cecilia , da tabbies o trout towne (weebumme3@msn.com) has sent you a Jacquie Lawson ecard. You can view your card here.

From my Celestial Side Kick Angel Madi and I

Favorite Sis and BIL of Angel Madi will be here today and half of tomorrow
I'll be back bright and early on December 26 with my Thoroughly Poetic Thursday post.

Sparks for Christmas week

Easy Sunday and Plates

Below is a circle collage of several photos I featured in December

Luminaries on our street December 15, 2019

1. FOXY FIT, no clue

2. ND1RISH, Notre Dame Irish

3. NJOYLIFE, Enjoy Life

4. SWEDES, from Sweden

5. GRAMAOF3, Grandma of 3

6. MACANI, Ma can I??

7. SLOSLO, no clue

8. FIREPHOT, no clue

9. CAPTAL L, Capital L for Love

this one is for YAM-Aunty
10. 4SBW/U, no clue
11. SPICY PA, 'Hot' Physician Assistant
12. PACK82, Graduate of N C State University 1982
13. IRGUE, I argue...maybe a lawyer
14."MR.JAG", on a Jaguar SUV and it was very pretty

Saturday Symmetry and 2 funnies

Beautiful stone stairs near the Lake at Angus Barn

Front view of Hayes Barton Baptist Church in the 

Five Points area of  Raleigh

Five points refers to five streets that come together at this intersection
This method of intersection might have been fine in the 1950's
but it is plain crazy nowadays.

Very tall pine grove outside at a home.

I sure am glad they aren't in front of my house.

Pines do not do well in ice storms

The one they call HER/SHE from Downunder Daisy shared these next two pics with me after 

SHE saw the photos of Angel Madi aka Bag lady
I say thank you to HER