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BB and I got this fancy new Scrabble board for Christmas. I thought I might miss our old traditional board with it's brown wood tiles and wood tile racks, but I've quickly become fond of the way this new board swivels so smoothly and how snuggly the tiles fit in their spaces.

This is a photo of our first game on the new board. We've been on quite a Scrabble kick since the new year, and we've had some especially challenging, competitive games.

BB has been reading a book about the world of Scrabble tournaments, studying the official Scrabble dictionary, and browsing Scrabble sites online. As a result she's been kicking my butt.

During our last game she used the word haji, even though she didn't know what it meant. Which I don't think is fair. She's also learned that Ka, Xu, and Hm are acceptable! Who knew that?!

Another new decade

I remember when the 60s became the 70s, the 70s became the 80s, the 80s became the 90s, and then the turn of the century. But I remember those occasions as seeming much more significant than the beginning of a new decade seems to me now. And I wonder why this is?

Is it just because I'm getting older? Or does it have to do with leaving behind a decade that still doesn't quite have a name? Was it the Oughts? The Oughties? The Ohs, or the OhOhs? And what are we entering? The Teens?

You rarely hear references to the 20th century's teen years as the Teens. Why is that? When we refer to "The Turn Of The Century" do we mean the years 1900-1909, or does it go all the way to 1919?

I have a hard time imagining how the years 2010-2019
might distinguish themselves from the years 2000-2009. Though I'm sure they will, and I'm sure it will be interesting.


How funny to think that there will be a day when photos taken in the Oughts and the Teens will be as distinctive and representative of their decade as the photos on this post are of theirs.

I think another reason the change from one decade to another seems less significant to me than it used to is because new decades now make up much smaller percentages of my lifetime.

I was 25 when the 70s became the 80s - so the ten years of the 70s had comprised nearly half my lifetime. In contrast, the Oughts took up less than one fifth of my life so far. And the Teens will be even less.

There's a cheery thought for the new year

Winter blooms

My Christmas Cactus and African Violet are both in bloom. Such a nice winter treat of color. That's our first snow outside the window, though we didn't get much. Just a dusting of the lawns. I'm so glad the big blizzard missed us.

Nine truths, one lie

One of my favorite bloggers, Willow, of the Willow Manor blog, recently posted a list of ten personal facts, one of which wasn't true. It was fun, so I thought I'd give it a whirl, too.

Nine of these things about me are true, one is a lie.
Can you guess which one?

1. I need the sound of a whirring fan in order to go to sleep.
2. I don’t like shrimp.
3. I can catch a stack of quarters off my elbow.
4. I once arrived at a party in a limo, dressed as Anna Nicole Smith.
5. I was once a rural librarian.
6. I sang karaoke in a New York City bar on my 50th birthday.
7. I have no interest in sports.
8. I hate Winter.
9. My first car was a 67 VW "Bug".
10. I’d rather be body surfing.

I'll reveal the correct false answer when I get at least three guesses. So, come on, click on the comments link and take a guess.

Friday Favorite photo: Blue Heaven

I took this photo in May, 2004 at one of my favorite places on Earth: Blue Heaven, a Key West restaurant. BB and I have been there twice and both experiences were memorable. I especially remember the carrot & curry soup - so delicious.

The food at Blue Heaven is outstanding and the ambiance, an outdoor courtyard paved with slate pool table tops from the property's days as a billiard hall, is quintessentially old Key West. The courtyard features a tropical almond tree and there are cats and chickens wandering about.

I'd sure rather be there than here on a cold, grey December day like today. Though I'm grateful we haven't had any snow - yet.

She's gay!

I was never a big fan of the TV show Family Ties, and never thought much of Meredith Baxter as an actress, but I was surprised to hear that she'd come out. I admire her honesty in this interview and relate to her story of coming out late.

Friday Favorite Photo: Groove

This is one of my all time favorite macro abstract photos. I call it groove and I think it's pretty groovy. Taken at the junkyard in my hometown, it's part of some discarded, rusting machinery. I think the colors are really beautiful and I love that curving groove.

I sometimes get funny looks when I'm crouched down in front of some piece of junk with my little point and shoot. It can take a long time to get just the right shot. I tend to approach dumpsters, alleys, and rusty objects slowly and study them carefully; it's necessary to really look in order to find these kinds of abstracts. But they are everywhere!

I love pomegranates

I'm so glad I finally discovered pomegranates. I love them, but have only been eating them for the last four or five years.

It's funny how a food can become a fad. I don't remember seeing pomegranates in stores in the past the way you do now. Or maybe I just wasn't paying attention? In any case, they sure are plentiful now, and sure do help make the winter months tolerable.

I was in grade school the first time I saw a pomegranate, but didn't know what it was. My friend, Maria Mucci,  had been born in Italy, and I remember her father, who spoke very little English, showing me this weird fruit.

Mr. Mucci held half a sliced pomegranate in his hands and laughed at my reaction as he split it open. I must have had a look of horror or revulsion on my face as all those red seeds were revealed. I'd never seen anything so strange!

Many years later BB and I were in Key West and I watched in fascination as a woman at our resort pulled a pomegranate apart and added it to her yogurt for breakfast.

Not long after that I bought one for myself, sliced into it, and ruined a good shirt when the bright red juice splattered everywhere. My kitchen counter and walls looked like a crime scene.

I was glad to learn the trick of slicing a pomegranate: while it's immersed in a bowl of water. And now I find pleasure in the process of separating the seed from the skin - the work of it so worth the sweet, tart, crunchy, juicy goodness.

The lull is over

My lull of quiet solitude has ended, BB has returned with stories to tell of her travels, a car with a smashed rear end, and a little something she picked up along the way.

Our calendar has suddenly filled with activities. Which is not a thing I'm complaining about - though it does leave less time for creative pursuits, personal projects and deep thoughts.

I made this photo yesterday. It's a collage of two photos layered together, one is of leaves, the other is rust.

Solitude & Iris

While BB is away on a trip I've been enjoying the solitude. Today is the fifth day and I'm not the least bit lonely or in need of company. I'm getting tons of things done and appreciating the quiet & calm. It's a lovely little lull.

I rented three movies this weekend, Away We Go, which was a big disappointment, Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day, which was only mildly entertaining, and Iris, which I loved.

I missed this movie when it was released (and nominated for several Academy Awards) in 2002. It tells the story of Brittish novelist Iris Murdoch, played by Kate Winslet as the 1950s Iris, and Judy Dench as the 1990s Iris.

In back and forth scenes between the decades the young, vibrant Iris is contrasted with her older self as Alzheimer's takes hold. It's a heartbreaking film, but the performances are incredibly good.

Here's a clip of Kate as Iris singing :