Postcard Friendship Friday #10

I found an Easter Postcard for today's Postcard Friendship Friday The little brown chickens appear to be having an Easter worm hunt with their Mom on this lovely embossed card decorated in bright colors and gold trim.
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The card was mailed from Attica, Kansas to Ottawa, Kansas on March 23, 1913. Attica, which lies about 75 miles SW of Wichita is a town of less than 600 people. There is little information about Attica on the Internet, so I checked restaurants. One came up - the Dari Cone on W. Avenue. If you plan to go there, eat first.
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Ottawa Kansas, a city of 12,000 was founded on September 6, 1864. It was located in the midst of the Ottawa Indian Reservation and is about 150 miles NE of Wichita. The town was incorporated in 1866 and rail service arrived on January 1, 1868. Wikipedia says that the Ottawa tribe donated land for the town. Donated is such an interesting word here.
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Among the accommodations listed is the Scrapbook Inn Bed and Breakfast. Click there for pictures of the three rooms - all with with tropical themes. It is a get-a-way dream for scrapbookers and is located just 3 blocks from a scrapbooking store. Several restaurants are listed in Ottawa, including Allegre's Pharmacy & Lunch Counter.
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The message on the postcard reads:
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March 23, 1913
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Attica Kan.
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My dear Galdys (sic)
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I was very glad to get your card. Papa got home yesterday noon. Well, are all well.
I have got to go now to practice for Easter.
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Write soon

With Love,
Ethel
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I did a search on Gladys Keith in Ottawa KS and found her listed as a graduate of Ottawa High School in 1920 which would make her about 9 or 10 when the postcard was written. Ethel's handwriting appears to be that of a child as well. Perhaps they were cousins or best friends parted by a family move.
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Were these not children, and were this not Good Friday, I would be tempted to write my usual back story. There are lots of possibilities - what with the Easter program and all. Instead I will meditate on the meaning of Easter. I'll also pay another visit to the Scrapbook Inn website to check out that Blue Hawaii Room. Tempting. Maybe order some carryout from the drug store, and look up the word for donate in the Ottawa language.
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For more Postcard Friendly Friday fun, visit our host Marie of Voila, Vintage Postcards! She has links to all of the PFF participants.

An Unsolicited MeMe

heh heh

Due to a deep commitment to direct lack of direction and underlying underachievement I've been spending time that could be better spent elsewhere taking those fun little quizzes on Facebook.

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Here are some of my results:

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What's your IQ: 147 (heh heh heh) There were about 7 or 8 questions, so I'm sure this is legit. Is too.




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What would your hippy name be: Freedom Daisy Sunshine (far out!)

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How honest are you: Extremely



You are extremely honest. In fact maybe a little too honest at times. You should be proud of your honestly but don't forget, sometimes a little white lie is a good thing, not a bad thing
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How will I die:




Cynthia just took the How Will I Die Quiz
I am going to die when I am 101. I will be killed by assassins when they mistake me for someone famous.




What does your birthday say about you:



Suave and compromising. Careful, cautious and organized. Likes to point out people's mistakes. Likes to criticize. Stubborn. Quiet but able to talk well. Calm and cool. Kind and sympathetic. Concerned and detailed. Loyal but not always honest. Does work well. Very confident. Sensitive. Thinking generous. Good memory. Clever and knowledgeable. Loves to look for information. Must control oneself when criticizing. Able to motivate oneself. Understanding. Fun to be around. Secretive. Loves sports, leisure and traveling. Hardly shows emotions. Tends to bottle up feelings. Very choosy, especially in relationships. Systematic.



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Cynthia completed the quiz "Are you a true Floridian?" with the result Yes.
You would rather be wearing Flip-Flops. You know to avoid Disney during the summer. You can name all the seasons: tourist, hurricane, sea lice. You've taken a day trip to Key West. You prefer Publix to Albertson's. You have a tan year-round..

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Cynthia completed the quiz "Are you a Michigander - ADVANCED version" with the result Petosky stone.
You are a Petosky stone among Petosky stones! You probably have memorized all of Michigan's counties AND their county seats! Way to go!



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Cynthia completed the quiz "Which Steel Magnolias Character Are You?" with the result Truvy Jones (Dolly Parton's character).
You are Truvy. You're the essence of southern charm! Your door is open to everyone, and people often confide in you their deepest secrets. You have a heart of gold and love getting caught up in other people's lives! Laughter through tears is your favorite emotion, and you have a strict policy that no one cries alone in your presence! Sometimes, though, you spend more time entering into their joys and sorrows than recognizing your own. You may feel that you have let others down if you're not smiling through it all! Friends are your lifeline, and teasing and girl-time are like the air you breathe...you can't imagine living without them! Recognize your beauty and value. Just because you're always there for others, doesn't mean they're not there for you. If you need to share a heartache, let your best friends know! You don't always have to be the encourager...we all could use a little encouragement sometimes! .

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Plague Doctor

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Cynthia completed the quiz "What time period should you be living in?" with the result Renaissance.
The Renaissance is remembered at a turning point in history, where a bridge from Medieval to Modern culture was established. Art, science, architecture and sculpting, all changed during the Renaissance. People starting thinking outside the box and taking matters into their own hands. Headstrong and determined people set their name apart in history for making changes in their various fields. Newton and Galileo in changed the face of science, while Da Vinci and Michelangelo changed the very meaning of art. Architects created domes and unique cathedrals and sculptors brought stone to life. You think outside the box and are resourceful. When you set your mind to something, you cannot rest until you see it done and you aren't afraid of change.

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Cynthia completed the quiz "The Political Idealogy Quiz" with the result Moderately Liberal.
You're right around the middle, but you are leaning to the left. The donkey would be proud of you..



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Cynthia completed the quiz "The Ultimate Grammar Quiz" with the result Grammar Master.
You are at the top of the heap when it comes to grammar and spelling. Even the tiniest error in the newspaper disturbs you. You proofread billboards, don't you?.
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So there you have it. Is the laundry done? no. Windows washed? uh uh. Easter dinner planned? What? Straighten up the officette yet? naw. Did you prepare a post for Thursday? Oh uhm that's why I had to post this MeMe. It's all about meme.

New Lows In Reality Shows

The last time I woke up all grouchy and headachey, as I did this morning, I wrote about Billy Mays. There must be a pattern here. Perhaps I associate him with headaches, nausea, the plague, festering sores, lice and whatever ails me. Something really bugs me about that guy.

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Billy Mays - the ad man who screams at us like he was born with his CAPS LOCK on is going to have a - are you ready for this: r-e-a-l-i-t-y show starting 4/15 on the Discovery Channel.

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The reason I know this is I was minding my own business, reading Flappers and Philosophers by F. Scott Fitzgerald and next thing I know, Billy Mays is screaming at me.

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He's not saying all the key phrases, like "BUT WAIT!" "OXY CLEAN" or "HERCULES HOOKS". So I look up to see what he's up to this time and he's doing an infomercial about his upcoming reality show. He wants to show folks how to be an ad man. Just like him.

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(I won't even comment on the fact that there's going to be a reality show about ad men. Lets just let this thought sit over on the side here and you can mull it over later while you're caramelizing the sugar on your Creme Brulee with that tiny blow torch of yours.)

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My concern is that I'll be sitting next to the Mister while he's flipping channels and just as he gets to the Discovery channel the battery will die in the remote. And there we'll be, stuck with Billy Mays showing us BUT WAIT! YOU CAN BE JUST LIKE ME!

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Eureka! Just as I'm typing out that last paragraph I had a revelation. An epiphany as it were- to the question of the day: Besides the fact that Billy SCREAMS AT ME several times a day, what is it that irritates me so about him? I was going to ask you to help me here - but I had a sudden vision!

LET ME JUST POUR POPEYE'S SPINACH ON THIS WHITE TABLE CLOTH AND I'LL SHOW YOU WHAT OXY CLEAN CAN DO.

I'LL KISS YOU LIKE I'VE GOT MIGHTY PUTTY ON MY LIPS

He looks like Bluto.

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I feel much better now, thank you.

BTW: Vince Shlomi, da shill dat screams at us about da ShamWow is in trouble wit da law. But dats another story.

What's Blooming Now!

This Epidendrum radicans - a native of Mexico - grows like a weed and is nearly always in bloom with these small but pretty purple flowers. There is also a bright orange version. The word epidendrum comes from the Greek epi meaning upon and dendron meaning tree. There are over 1,000 species of epidendrum.

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A hybrid Miltonidium - a cross between a Miltonia and an Oncidium. A similar looking orchid that can be found in most nurseries this time of year is called "Sherry Baby" and smells of chocolate. If you see one, buy it!

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A dendrobium hybrid "Dusty Dawn". The flowers last for weeks. This is on a large plant that has many blossoms along each of the stems. There are over 1,000 species of dendrobiums and countless hybrids.

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A new aquisition - a hybrid cymbidium with large long lasting waxy saffron flowers. No scent but plenty of good looks. These are vigorous growers from India and China. Cymbidium is from the Greek kymbos, meaning boat shaped cup. There are 44 species of cymbidium orchids.

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Hybrid Phalaenopsis "Daniella" Has many buds and will be in bloom until the end of summer. It is in the larger pot in the lower right. Just in front is a small bright yellow hybrid getting ready to bloom. Phalaenopsis is from the Greek phalaina (moth) and opsis (appearance). These are sometimes referred to as moth orchids. There are about 50 species of phalaenopsis.

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Dendrobium aggregatium - a species rather than hybrid - blooms smell faintly of honey and are native to India and Thailand. I've had it growing in a hanging orchid box for 7 years. Dendrobium comes from the Greek dendron meaning tree and bios meaning life.

Species orchids are those that occur in nature. Many species orchids bloom just once a year.

Hybrid orchids are crosses between 2 of the same species or between 2 or more species. Hybrids are grown for color, size, shape, scent etc. They are also grown to increase the number and frequency of blooms and to create more vigorous plants.

Orchids grown from seed - which is best left to the professionals - often take up to 5 years to mature and bloom.

All orchids bloom. It's all about the flower. If you own an orchid that does not bloom, there's a problem. I have a couple of orchids that will not bloom for me and I have not yet figured out why. The leaves and growth are healthy, but they are being stubborn. It could be not enough of or too much of any of the following -or a combination of any of the following: light, food, water, cool temperatures, warm temperatures, elevation and humidity. I find the easiest way to get an orchid to bloom is to threaten it with extinction.

Michigan Mallards On Spring Break In Florida

A couple of impudent mallards stopped by my yard. They looked just like the one's I saw by Shelly's at Birding In Michigan. I grabbed my camera and dashed out back.


Me: Yo! Mr. Duck! Didn't I just see you and the missus over at Shelly's place?
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Walter: Yep - but your pond is a heck of a lot bigger than that poor excuse of a hot tub she's got. There's no "hot" in that tub either.
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Me: May I take a few pictures of you for Shelly?
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Walter: Whatever, but snap it up. The missus is a bit famished from our trip.
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Walter: Loretta! Get your head out of the sand. We're having our picture taken here.

Loretta: Fine. Cheeeeeeeeese.





Loretta: Now where was I?

Saturday Salubrious Signs - Scorpio

Scorpio

April Horoscope for Scorpio:

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Ok, so you might not exactly be in love with your career right now, but that does not mean that there is no bright light shining in your professional future. You are paying into an account of good karma that is going to pay off sooner or later, so just keep plugging away. You will get rewarded -- the universe assures it. It's important for you to keep thinking about the goal farther down the road, and not to get too emotional about your situation right now.

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Keep that grin on your face
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Your job,in April, is to try not to try to control everything around you. Sure, this might seem like a tall order. But it's pretty much a guarantee that, if you succeed even a little in restraining your need to be the boss of everything, your stress levels will plummet. So at least give it a shot this month. You could end up a lot less stressed out! You could be sensing an impending career shift.

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Loosen up Scorpio!

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If you are sensing this shift, embrace it. No one knows what the future holds, but if you stay confident about your ability to volley whatever comes at you, you'll be in a very good position. A little patience pays big dividends, particularly when it comes to romance. Trust your instincts. They are right on, as usual. You are going to need to back off from that old draconian way of doing things at home or face the consequences (it will not be pretty). The end of the month is a good time to compromise in a relationship. Stay on your toes on the 30th. The boss is watching.

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Hank Scorpio demonstrates a good career shift for Scorpio

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Your Get Real Horoscope for April:

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The rest of us are on to you. Don't be such a stickler for trying to get the last word in, okay? Anyone who shares a sign with the likes of Winona Ryder, Prince Charles and Pliny the Elder needs to get a grip on humility and remember that there are other folks out here too.

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Your tendency for destructive behavior and back stabbing is not a big plus these days when jobs are on the line and your co-workers are already looking over their shoulders. Granted, you are by far the most enigmatic, charismatic, smoldering, intelligent, resourceful, destined for greatness, and good looking person around - but try and put that to good work for a change. Bake a damn pound cake or something and put it in the break room with a cutsey little happy face note.

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Don't worry, it will still be there at 5:00 - untouched and intact - which under normal circumstances would be nothing short of a miracle in the average "Do I smell cake????" office environment. Nope - in this case it was left there because of sheer terror. If a crumb or two is missing it's only because it was sent off to the local CSI lab for heavy metal testing. It's not that no on trusts you, Scorpio. heh heh heh.

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If somehow, some way you were recently given your walking papers it's okay to sit there and plot death and destruction because you, the best employee to ever occupy space there should have been the last to be laid off. You thought the boss was calling you in the office for that promotion, right? And the worst part is they let that Doreen whatshername who can't even string a sentence together without saying "like" and " so he goes" in it stay on while you're out in the street looking for work with a bunch of losers.

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Just don't take anything out of the house. Leave the bombs in the basement and think happy thoughts. Get that resume together. Actually, have a professional do it for you. Your own version makes you look nothing short of world leader material, and for a career file clerk and copy room attendant that's a little suspicious to say the least.

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As for your romantic life - what you see as smoldering sensuality, others may see as professional stalker material, so quit texting every 2 minutes and check out a few self help books while you wait for calls from potential employers.

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Your tendency for nonconformity enhances your chances for unique career opportunities. Good luck with that.

(Taurus - keep an eye on these Scorpio's for us, ok?)

Postcard Friendship Friday #9

Miami Beach

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It's Postcard Friendly Friday! Today's postcard, from my ever growing postcard collection, features a view of Miami Beach, looking south from Lake Pancoast. The hotels pictured include the Surfside, Breakers, Wofford and Roney Plaza.

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Art Deco Design.

Miami Beach has been a tourist mecca for nearly a century. The historic Art Deco District was highlighted in the pastel police drama, Miami Vice.

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Stop by and see Don any time.

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Watch out for gun fights and explosions when the new season of Burn Notice begins in June - a full 16 episodes for you yogurt loving spy wannabe's.


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The postcard message is dated April 1, 1937 and is addressed to Miss Verna Blatz of Bridgeport Connecticut.The Message reads:

Hello Verna,

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Tell Maga I have the pussy willows. Thank her for them. They are lovely. So glad you all liked your Easter gifts and tell Maga she CAN'T have your mother's gloves! The very idea!! Shocking! The old gent's picture with me is good. He's 84 years young. It's cool here too but SOME nice weather - am out in a dress. Wish I had you ALL here too. Dan will be in Cleveland till next Monday. He'll miss you all.

XXX to all

Aunt Lee"

The Back Story: Aunt Lee has been humming around Miami Beach for the entire winter. She suffers from acute chilblains and can no longer tolerate the Cleveland winters. Actually she can't tolerate Cleveland and most certainly cannot tolerate Dan. So, she is living in the land of sunshine and dictating life according to Aunt Lee to the nieces she has taken under her wing since the unfortunate passing of her sister, their mother, in an freak crop dusting accident 3 years earlier.

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The battle for Mother's gloves has been going on for the duration but goes into full swing every Easter. Verna and Maga both have their heart set on the lovely pink kid gloves and the elbow length black satin with the 3 mother of pearl buttons. Maga feels she is entitled to them as she, unlike her maiden sister Verna, has married well and has many social obligations. Everyone know's Maga's hands are much lovlier, with her long tapered fingers. The gloves would be a much better fit on her than on Verna's chubby little sausages.

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The very day of her mother's passing, Verna, snatched the gloves out of Mother's top bureau drawer along with the cameo broach featuring Napoleon at Waterloo, and hid them in the cubby hole in the hall closet until the matter of ownership can be settled. Maga has been on a search frenzy every chance she gets and has made a complete mess of the upstairs and the attic. Verna just stays in the kitchen where she shells peas and smiles ever so slightly to herself as she listens to sounds of hat boxes and cedar chests being opened and searched.

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Verna doesn't know what to make of the remark about the 84 year old gentleman. Her first assumption is that Aunt Lee has found herself another sugar daddy. Verna suspects he is not the first, nor will he be the last to keep her company while Dan is in Cleveland. Aunt Lee feels it is not socially acceptable to be seen in public of an evening without an escort, despite the fact that the 84 year old escort may raise more eyebrows than a lone Lee.

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At least Aunt Lee is in agreement about the gloves......or is she....perhaps Aunt Lee is planning on laying claim to them. Thus the plans to visit in July....... Verna stops shelling peas just long enough to make sure all of the knives are properly sharpened.

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For more Postcard Friendly Friday Fun, visit Marie at Voila Vintage Postcards!