"Paris Music Map" - Tag

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This week's Tag Tuesday challenge was "Paris."

I created this using GIMP 2.10.14.

The vintage images are from an Internet search. (See the side of my blog for links.)

Postcard and Envelope - Photograph

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I mailed a printed copy of my Red Flower Woman postcard to Iris last week, and she received it this week.

I was originally going to mail the postcard as is to her, but I was worried it might get scuffed up as it traveled through the postal systems between here (United States) and there (Germany), so I decided to send it inside an envelope.

I have an envelope template that I made a few years ago, so I used that and added a border image to it, as well as two birds. The address area is covered over with green. I didn't take a photo after I added the stamps.

Dog In Car Driver Seat - Photograph

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I took these photographs in the local Connecticut area this past week.

This dog caught my eye, because it looked like he/she was sitting in the driver's seat of this vehicle, ready to use the steering wheel to go for a drive somewhere. The vehicle was parked and the dog was observing the nearby activity. But I must have been in his/her peripheral vision, because then he/she turned to look at me looking at him/her (with my camera). The dog's owner was actually seated in the vehicle, too, but from my initial angle, that wasn't apparent (but I assumed it had to be the case).

"Mardi Gras" - Postcard

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I created this using GIMP 2.10.14.

The vintage images are from an Internet search. (See the side of my blog for links.)

"Jester" - Postcard

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I created this using GIMP 2.10.14.

The vintage images are from an Internet search. (See the side of my blog for links.)

"T Stands For Teddy And Love Your Mug And Tea Pot" - Photograph

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I am joining Bleubeard and Elizabeth for this week's T Stands For challenge found here.

This is my summation of the past week:

Happy Mardi Gras everyone!

Note: Although my pre-scheduled post is up, I'll be late joining the T-Party today, as well as leaving comments for everyone.

Teddy will be serving double duty as my main image plus as my "T-Day ticket" for my T-Day posts for awhile. Teddy said he's getting bored with showing this series of photographs we took of him with this catalog a few months ago.

Weather-wise, it continues to be a mix of cold and "warm", so I'm hoping we can get to Spring without any more snowfalls. (I'll take rain over snow any day, during Winter, but that's not usually how it is in Connecticut US.)

It was another week without much to show for online. But my Mardi Gras artwork will pop out after this post does.

This week I have the honor of hosting Sunday Postcard Art, and I chose the challenge theme "Airplanes." You have until Friday, if you want to join in the fun.

Postcard: Airplane.

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Photos: Fairfield Metro Conservation Area.

Movies:

Eyes in the Night (1942) (Roku - Movie Archive - no commercials) very good

The Strange Love of Martha Ivers (1946) (Roku - Movie Archive - no commercials) excellent

The Osterman Weekend (1983) (Roku - Tubi TV - some commercials) very good

Deceptions (1990) (Roku - The Archive - too many commercials) bad / okay and partially implausible

Serpent's Lair (1995) (Roku - The Archive - too many commercials) okay

Intolerable Cruelty (2003) (DVD) good

A Good Marriage (2014) (Roku - Popcornflix - too many commercials) good

"Airplane" - Postcard

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This week I have the honor of hosting Sunday Postcard Art, and I chose the challenge theme "Airplanes."

I created this using GIMP 2.10.14.

The vintage images are from an Internet search. (See the side of my blog for links.)

Fairfield Metro Conservation Area - Photograph

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I took these photographs at the Fairfield Metro Conservation Area in Fairfield, CT this past week.

I discovered this little gem of a waterfowl viewing area by accident. The trail here provides nice views of birds nesting and swimming in this section of Ash Creek, and is located across from the Fairfield Metro Train Station.

I saw a Great Blue Heron, Mergansers, Ducks, and Canadian Geese here, as well as small foraging birds. Unfortunately, I also saw graffiti.

Two of its three access points are located as follows:

Ash Creek Blvd
41.159360, -73.233465

Kenard St Parking
41.157172, -73.237089

"T Stands For Teddy And Elephant Honey For Tea" - Photograph

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I am joining Bleubeard and Elizabeth for this week's T Stands For challenge found here.

This is my summation of the past week:

Teddy will be serving double duty as my main image plus as my "T-Day ticket" for my T-Day posts for awhile. Teddy said he loved the adorable elephant on this jar of honey.

Weather-wise, it got very cold for the Valentine's Day weekend, but we still keep getting lucky and have rain instead of snow. (At least, I think it's lucky. Skiers probably disagree.)

But Teddy and I both have cabin fever and hope it warms up enough for us to go for an outing soon.

Valentine artwork: Red Flower Woman, Black Red Valentine Bird, Valentine Bird Basket, Valentine Couple. (I'm going to mail a copy of the Red Flower Woman postcard to Iris later this week.)

Other artwork: Exotic Green Flower Woman, Literature Great Expectations.

I also made Magic Cookie Bars.

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Movies:

The Quiet Man (1952) (DVD) romance, drama: very good

Love Happens (2009) (DVD) romance, drama: very good, and a little sad

Couples Retreat (2009) (DVD) comedy: very funny

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children (2016) (DVD) adventure, drama: very good

Kong: Skull Island (2017) (DVD) sci-fi: pretty good

Replicas (2018) (DVD) sci-fi: pretty good

Instant Family (2018) (DVD) comedy: pretty good

A Dog's Way Home (2019) (DVD) adventure, drama: very good

"Literature Great Expectations" - Postcard

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This week's Sunday Postcard Art challenge was "Literature."

I created this using GIMP 2.10.14.

The vintage images are from an Internet search. (See the side of my blog for links.)

Magic Cookie Bars - Photograph

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I made Magic Cookie Bars this week, using the Eagle Brand recipe, which I've also included in this blog post, with my additional notes:

Ingredients
        
non-stick cooking spray

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup butter, melted (=1 stick / 8 tablespoons)
1 (14 oz.) can Eagle Brand® Sweetened Condensed Milk
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (~1 11.5 oz bag)
1 1/3 cups flaked coconut (~2/3 of a 7 oz bag)
1 cup chopped nuts

Instructions

HEAT oven to 350°F.

Coat 13 x 9-inch baking pan with no-stick cooking spray.

COMBINE graham cracker crumbs and butter in small bowl.

Press into bottom of prepared pan.

Pour sweetened condensed milk evenly over crumb mixture.
(Maybe pour milk on last, on top of everything else?)

Layer evenly with chocolate chips, coconut and nuts.

Press down firmly with fork.

BAKE 25 to 30 minutes or until lightly browned. (~18 minutes in my oven, on middle shelf.)

Loosen from sides of pan while still warm; cool on wire rack.

Cut into bars or diamonds.

For perfectly cut cookie bars, line entire pan with foil, extending foil over edge of pan. Coat lightly with no-stick cooking spray. After bars have baked and cooled, lift up with edges of foil to remove from pan. Cut into bars.

VARIATIONS

SUBSTITUTE chocolate chips or nuts with candy coated pieces, dried cranberries, raisins, mini-marshmallows, butterscotch chips, or peanut butter chips.

"Valentine Couple" - Postcard

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I created this using GIMP 2.10.14.

The vintage images are from an Internet search. (See the side of my blog for links.)

"Valentine Bird Basket" - Postcard

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I created this using GIMP 2.10.14.

The vintage images are from an Internet search. (See the side of my blog for links.)

"Black Red Valentine Bird" - Postcard

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I created this using GIMP 2.10.14.

The vintage images are from an Internet search. (See the side of my blog for links.)

"Red Flower Woman" - Postcard

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I created this using GIMP 2.10.14.

The vintage images are from an Internet search. (See the side of my blog for links.)

"Exotic Green Flower Woman" - Postcard

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This is my entry for this week's Tuesday's Treasures.

I created this using GIMP 2.10.14.

The vintage images are from an Internet search. (See the side of my blog for links.)

"T Stands For Teddy And Cold Days, Hot Tea" - Photograph

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I am joining Bleubeard and Elizabeth for this week's T Stands For challenge found here.

This is my summation of the past week:

Teddy will be serving double duty as my main image plus as my "T-Day ticket" for my T-Day posts for awhile.

Weather-wise, we continue to get lucky where this Winter's precipitation continues to fall as mostly rain, instead of snow. But we had some wild weather on Friday (2/7): we got to an unseasonable high of 50 F (10 C), then winds came in, with a max gust of 48 mph (77.25 kph), and a late afternoon unforecast snow squall, with bitterly cold temperatures and wind chills ushered back in. But by Monday (2/10), it was warm enough for us to get rain again. Thursday morning might be an icy mix for the morning commute, though.

I still haven't been doing much online nor with my artwork, so it's another week with not much to mention. (Although I do have some Valentine's Day and Mardi Gras artwork completed and scheduled to pop out on the appropriate days.)

Postcards: Pentacle Raven, Amour.

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Movies:

Paul (2011) (DVD) very funny

Going in Style (2017) (DVD) very funny


Sunset Boulevard (1950) (DVD) excellent

Runner Runner (2013) (DVD) pretty good

Our Brand Is Crisis (2015) (DVD) pretty good

Independence Day: Resurgence (2016) (DVD) pretty good sci-fi action / thriller

"Amour" - Postcard

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This week's Sunday Postcard Art challenge was "Amour."

This is also my entry for this week's Try It On Tuesday challenge "Share the Love."

        Izzy: Una Furtiva Lagrima by Gaetano Donizetti

I created this using GIMP 2.10.14.

The vintage images are from an Internet search. (See the side of my blog for links.)

"Pentacle Raven" - Postcard

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(Click on image to enlarge)

I created this using GIMP 2.10.14.

The vintage images are from an Internet search. (See the side of my blog for links.)

"T Stands For Teddy And Say It With Tea" - Photograph

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(Click on image to enlarge)

I am joining Bleubeard and Elizabeth for this week's T Stands For challenge found here.

This is my summation of the past week:

Teddy will be serving double duty as my main image plus as my "T-Day ticket" for my T-Day posts for awhile.

Weather-wise, it continues to be a mixed bag of cold and sometimes slightly warmer than normal temperatures here in Connecticut. We got lucky again this past weekend, and had rain, instead of snow, although Sunday morning there were some snow flurries.

local news: In exciting local news, a fourth Revolutionary War skeleton has been found in that burial site in Ridgefield, Connecticut! The news article came out January 20, but I didn't see it until now:

"“We were able to remove this individual completely and he turned out to be most interesting,” [State archaeologist Nicholas Bellantoni] said. “Burial No. 4 had 28 brass buttons associated throughout his chest and arms, including cuff buttons. All buttons were badly corroded and need to be cleaned in the lab to look for insignia.”"

"The recently unearthed artifacts will undergo testing by a team of forensic experts at the University of Connecticut, Quinnipiac University, Yale University, the University of Florida and the University of California-Santa Cruz."

I still haven't been doing much online nor with my artwork, so it's another week with not much to mention.

Postcards: Red Green Bird, Imbolc, Dragons (4x6), Dragons (6x4) , Romany Gypsy.

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Movies:

The Man with the Golden Gun (1974) (DVD) okay entertainment. Not one of the best 007 plots, so just okay.

Sudden Impact (1983) (DVD) very good, but intense too

2 Guns (2013) (DVD) very good

The Adventurer: The Curse of the Midas Box (2013) (DVD) very good

A Walk Among the Tombstones (2014) (DVD) very good, but intense too

Secret in Their Eyes (2015) (DVD) good


The Signal (2014) (DVD) okay / good, then became odd, then had a disappointing ending.

It's All About Love (2003) (DVD) awful, made no sense. it was a jigsaw puzzle with pieces from four different puzzles. only good part was the classical music:

     Izzy: Una Furtiva Lagrima by Gaetano Donizetti

"Romany Gypsy" - Postcard

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This week's Take a Word challenge was "Gypsies."

I created this using GIMP 2.10.14.

The vintage images are from an Internet search. (See the side of my blog for links.)

"Dragons (6x4)" - Postcard

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This week's Sunday Postcard Art challenge was "Dragons."

I made two similar pieces for this.

I created this using GIMP 2.10.14.

The vintage images are from an Internet search. (See the side of my blog for links.)

"Dragons (4x6)" - Postcard

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This week's Sunday Postcard Art challenge was "Dragons."

I made two similar pieces for this. For this piece, all I did was add the text and dots on top of the original image, so I can't take much credit for this one.

I created this using GIMP 2.10.14.

The vintage images are from an Internet search. (See the side of my blog for links.)

"Imbolc" - Postcard

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I made an Imbolc theme piece.

I created this using GIMP 2.10.14.

The vintage images are from an Internet search. (See the side of my blog for links.)