Gnome Home

Mr. Gnome with Golden Bunny

While spending time with family on Christmas Day, we had a surprise visit from Mr. Gnome. He was delivering a special Christmas bunny to show his appreciation for being allowed to live in one of the backyard trees. {Mr. Gnome's home}

Snowflake Of The Week

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Our Mountain

An Add-On Poem by Kit & Johnnny
Title: Our Mountain
Date Written: September 19, 2009
(Line 1: Johnnny, Line 2: Kit, etc.)
Copyright © 2011. All rights reserved.

Our Mountain

Good neighbors are worth a lot
Count your blessings for what you got
All on a ship together we ride
North to forever, I'm on your side
Strolling together in any direction
Our hands reach each other for protection
Maintain our mountain to keep it safe
Like Vikings with swords, our hero Leif
He married his queen, mother of five
Their love kept the family more than alive
Every weekend was spent in a state park
The sun through the leaves ignited a spark
Fireside chatting in the moonlight til two
What won't we do? What will we do?

Pork Wellington

A resting pork wellington

Kit tried a pork wellington tonight. It's resting now. It's a pork tenderloin stuffed with semi-pulverized dried apple rings, then wrapped in prosciutto bacon, and then rolled up in a mustard-brushed puff pastry. Brush the outside with egg & cook @ 400 for about 40 minutes. Enjoy!

Snowflake Of The Week

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Green Tea Party

Sitting neath a big green tree
Sipping cup of hot green tea
Warm cool tracks to north daylight
Nicely resolve into neutral night

Originally posted as a comment at
Casey Klahn's: Green Tree

Snowflake Of The Week

Dartboard Snowflake

Snowflake Haiku:
Three darts in your hand
Thrown at six-sided snow flake
Quick before it melts

Christmas Tree 2011

Before Decorating (click to zoom in) 

After Decorating (click to zoom in)

Self Portrait

How To Hold A Camera

Snowflake Of The Week

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Pattern Of The Week

Oak Leaf Art

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A simple idea to create a quick table decoration is to put some oak leaves into a glass. I first formed the leaves into a cylinder shape in my left hand, and then pushed them down into an empty drinking glass. This is a simple and quick way of creating an attractive piece of art by using things available to you in nature. It helps to gather the leaves before the rain (or snow) moves in.

Pattern Of The Week

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Hallowed Eve

An Add-On Poem by Kit & Johnnny

Title: Hallowed Eve

Date Written: October 22, 2011

(Line 1: Johnnny, Line 2: Kit, etc.)

Copyright © 2011. All rights reserved.

Hallowed Eve

Sleeping in a haunted house

I woke to my pulsating blouse

Hallowed eve of ghostly meetings

Blooshot eyes and creaky greetings

Downstairs spiders catching other bugs

Boogey men hiding under rugs

Trick or Treat me with a scary song

Plagued with nightmares all night long

Witchy concoctions bubbling in a pot

Count up your candy and see what you got.

Twilight Zone

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October Haiku:
Autumn rainbow sky
Acorn trees rising so high
Glad to have seen it.

Driveway Art

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Pattern Of The Week

Hospital Linoleum

Pattern Haiku:

Pattern of the week

Hospital linoleum

How do you top this?

Apple Pie

Just add ice cream

Award Winning Recipe for Apple Pie Milk Shake:

Into a clean blender, add one (1) healthy piece of fresh apple pie (can substitute any type of pie here). In addition, into the same blender, generously add three (3) large scoops of vanilla ice cream. Finish by topping the mixture with 1/4 cup whole milk, 2% milk, or even some half and half. Blend well, but not ad infinitum. Spoon out into waiting small chilled bowls. Top with a cherry. Serve with spoon and napkins. Enjoy!

Fall is Falling

Reflecting back on our summer

Autumn must be around the corner, because Fall is starting to fall. Our neighbors' leaves are beginning to blow into our yard (as our leaves are blowing into the neighboring yards). The Minnesota ViQueens have already lost their opening game to the Chargers. Geese are zipping up their down jackets. Jack Frost has even stopped by for a short early-morn visit, a few daze ago. All these signs are a good indication that just around the corner, it is going to be: Spring (in the southern hemisphere)!

Pattern Of The Week

Cheek Bone

Prince Charles' Cheek Bone

Circuit Board

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Pattern Of The Week

Aloe

Open Door Policy

Follow your bliss and the universe will open doors where there were only walls.
--Joseph Campbell

Pattern Of The Week

Click on pic to zoom in.

Snowflake Of The Week

Elvis Aaron Presley

Looks just like Elvis.

Another Elvis sighting, never fail

Altho the King is looking a bit pale

This here dude's nearly an identical twin

All womanquins fall for this mannequin.

Pattern Of The Week

Happy 4th of July

LeeAnn Chin is a Win

Our New Favorite Chow

A new take-out food store just opened at our local mall on Monday. We now have a LeeAnn Chin in Fargo. I tried it for lunch. Then we both went back for take-out supper. LeeAnn Chin is our new favorite take-out food restaurant. Besides how wonderful the food is, they do not use any MSG. I was not paid to say any of this. Excellent chinese food, for very reasonable prices. Here is their menu: LeeAnn Chin Menu

Fan Club

Cool Lounge

Pattern Of The Week

Giraffe Pattern

The Joy Of Six

Villas For Rent

City For Sale

Highway Of Life

To All Graduates:

Congratulations on surviving skool.

As you drive down the highway of life,

watch out for bad drivers,

and pull over whenever you get tired.

End Season Ten

Scotty McCreery and Lauren Alaina

Season Ten of American Idol is winding down. Pia Toscano is gone. Stefano: gone. Casey Abrams is gone. Haley (and the Jets): gone. James Durbin is gone!? I would have liked to see either Casey and/or James make it 2 The Finale, but neither made it. Either Scotty or Lauren will be the next American Idol. Thoughts? Predictions? Reactions?

GooGoo GaGa

Lady GaGa is really starting to blossom

American Idol is just two weeks away from the Big Finale. After this week we will be down to our Final Three. Here is how I called their performances on tonight's big show. Round 1 was inspirational songs followed by Round 2 with Lady GaGa dodo mentoring.

• Tied for First Place this week: Lauren Alaina and James Durbin.
• Third Place: Scotty McCreery
• Bottom: Haley Reinhart

Show notes:

• James got a pair of #9s for Don't Stop Believing by Journey, and Love Potion #9. Awesome singing with great performances.
• Lauren hit a pair of homeruns. She really sounds like she has improved a lot in a short period of time. Seems to be peaking at the perfect time. Her voice on that first song (Martina McBride) just flew away. Loved it.
• Scotty "The Cashier" will probably not be going home. He picked two perfect songs that showed his range of comfortability (is that a word?). But on the first song, he did not stand out from the backup singers, and that just ain't gunna cut it, dude. 
• Haley double dropped the ball and it landed on my ears. Steven Tyler positively proved he is incapable of any negative criticism. Chances are very good Haley will be joining Casey in American Idol statistics. Both of her choices magnified her weakness(es).

Crow Your Boat

Let me mentor you

Our final five American Idol contestants were mentored by Sheryl Crow. Each singer sang one current song and one from the 1960s. Who do you like? Who should get eliminated this week? Who is going to win?

I have a three-way tie for first place this week: James Durbin, Lauren Alaina, and Haley Reinhart. Scott McCreery is in fourth place. For me, Jacob Lusk is in last place.

• James: Sometimes pitchy but like when he sings normally with a softer voice.
• Lauren: Always on pitch and picks good songs.
• Haley: Started out last song acapella and really nailed it. She can do so many things with her voice.
• Scott: Hopefully will not win but certainly is going to get a lot of country music votes.
• Jacob: Who votes for this guy? This ain't a High Note Contest. He loses control and repels me.

Queen King

You've Got A Friend

Our six American Idol finalists faced song of Carole King this week. Here is how I saw it, on a scale of 1-10: James & Casey topped the group, each with a 9. Lauren scored an 8. Haley & Scotty trailed with a pair of 6s. Jacob bottoms out the group with a 5.

• James: Incredible acapella start. Nice to see soft side of hard rock turtle.
• Casey: Can't get much better. Full package. Good entertainer.
• Lauren: Really sold it. Felt like a concert. Still improving.
• Haley: Trainwreck of a performance. Bad choice. Done poorly. Nothing worked.
• Scotty: Picked a great song and ruined it. Almost terrible.
• Jacob: Shrill yelling sounds like crying, whining, complaining. Enough already.

Back To The Future

  American Idol goes to songs of the 21st Century. Seven contestants will soon be down to Six. Here is how Johnnny ranked them this week: #1 Casey Abrams: A+ In it to win it. So frickin good. Matches his best so far. #2 James Durbin: A- Awesome as usual. Not that crazy about it. Bit extreme. Futuristically cool. #3 Haley Reinhart: B+ My favorite of hers so far. Not too growley. Bit of the yodeler. Great choice for her. Nicely confident. #4 Scotty McCreery: B+ Nice medium upbeat performance. On pitch. Safe but boring. #5 Lauren Alaina: B+ Enough to stay in competition. Just OK. Needs to step it up. Enough make-up for a week. #6 Stefano Langone: C+ Tone of voice is shrill. Stopped singing half way thru. Trying to be too sexy man. #7 Jacob Lusk: C+ Don't pick songs that make you start crying. Tired of Mr. Overly Dramatic Scream Fest.

Rewriting History

A curved flat roof prevents water accumulation

Back when Christopher Columbus first discovered that someone else had already discovered America, all the "experts" thought that all buildings should be flat. But after each heavy rainfall, these flat roofs had chronic leakage (the earliest form of domesticated running water). Then, when the Wright Brothers took their maiden voyage, their maid discovered that all this unwanted roof rain retention might be solved by curving the roof to emulate the earth's horizon. Now, normal flat roof construction has added a curve (or "convexation") thus allowing all the rain run-off to come down in a controlled area and be routed directly into your garden or fish pond.

Depth of Feel

3-D 4-Shortened Depth of Field

Songs From The Movies

The countdown continues with songs from movies

American Idol marches on with Songs From The Movies night. There are so many tunes from which to choose. How could you ever pick just one?

My notes in groups from best to non-best:
Top
James: I'm not a heavy metal fan. T'was incredible. He's being true to himself.
Casey: Great jazz version of Nature Boy. Successfully takes chances. True artist.
Lauren: Best woman left in the competition (only one other). Great song for her.
Middle
Paul: Crowd pleasing singalonger. Unique but limited.
Bottom
Stefano: Not pleasing to my ears. Strained. Wouldn't want his CD even if it twas free.
Scotty: Opryland here we come. (He should have sung his first choice.)
Haley: Average performance. Bad choice of song. Nicely dressed.
Jacob: Overly dramatic. Self indulgent. Predictably lusky.
Going Home
Stefano or Haley!

Through The Looking Glass

Read the directions and directly you will be directed in the right direction. --Alice In Wonderland

Rockin Roll Week

American Idols rockin the house

Tonight's American Idol show was Rock and Roll night. What a great theme for our nine singers to perform within. Everyone did well but someone will have to be eliminated. Sorry! I really enjoyed seeing Todd Rundgren (my favorite musician) get introduced from the audience, right after Pia had finished her yelling.

My performance notes in grouped order:

Top Group:
James Durbin sang Guitar Gently Weeps. Started a little boring but quickly got great. Very Adam Lambertish. Quite Durbinesque. Love that he takes chances.

Middle Group:
Haley actually did justice to Janis Joplin! Really liked it.
Jacob sang Man in the Mirror. This was the most that I have ever not disliked him.
Lauren did a nice job of Natural Woman, but bad hair and too mucho makeup.
Stefano: Surpri-sing-ly good sounding performance but could he ever open the eyes?
Casey sang Have U Ever Seen The Rain? Mist some due to a DVR pause mishap but saw the final recap. Why does he have to end every line with "eeee-ah" and look intensely evil for a second?

Bottom Group:
Paul McDonald had a farm: E-i, E-i, No! Johnny Cash would have gone thumbs down, but Rod Stewart probably loved it.
Scotty (beam me down) needs to learn how to hold the microphone normally. His Elvis didn't move the Pelvis.
Pia picked a nothing song that I didn't care for and she didn't do anything great with it.

Going Home: Paul. (Really going out on a limb!)

Sun Shade

Photon Mitigation Device

Here is another addition to my blog's Art Gallery. We're calling this Sun Shade. Any sunlight that makes it into the room, is painted a nice shade of peach. The scientific name for a window shade such as this is a photon mitigation device (PMD), but most folks still just call them curtains. As with any blog picture, you can click on the picture to see it a bit bigger. Happy Saturday!

Eleven 2 Nine

Follow the Yellow Brick Road

American Idol performance show on March 30 featured songs by Elton Johnny. Singing an Elton John song is a difficult task because he sings them so wonderfully. How do you think everyone did? Here are my notes in order of performance:

1: Scotty with guitar, Country Comfort, my favorite song by him so far. (B-)
2: Naima goes reggae, loved it, made it her own. (A-)
3: Paul tries Rocket Man, OK, but actually not OK. (C)
4: Pia sings yet another ballad, every week seems the same, getting old. (B+)
5: Stefano sings an excellent karaoke version of Tiny Dancer. Not great. (B)
6: Lauren attempted Candle in the Wind, nothing special, didn't do it for me. (B)
7: James leads an OK singalong version of Saturday, not my fav of his. (A-)
8: Thia sang Daniel, just barely OK, nuthin spec, average karaoke, pitchy. (C+)
9: Casey, Your Song, really nice, loved it, nice new look too. (A)
10: Jacob sang Sorry and that's what it was, way too overly dramatic, lusky. (D)
11: Haley with Benny and the Jets, started loungy, weak imitation, jets crashed. (C-)

Bottom Group Wish List: Thia, Haley, Jacob. Sorry!

Eleven 2 Ten

Ryan John Seacrest: The Next Johnny Carson

Ryan Seacrest will once again play host to American Idol. As a child, young Ryan would always have a little microphone and "do shows" at his home. On his next show, we will go from 11 to 10 finalists. The Top 10 finalists get to go on tour this summer. Who do you think will be eliminated this week? Going out on a limb, I predict Haley Reinhart will not make the Top Ten. Sorry!

A one-of-kind Ryan Seacrest tapestry