Heaven!

Okay, I'm not trying to be cruel with all these photos of chocolate and deliciousness, I swear, but tonight I found out that they sell GRAETER'S ice cream at Kroger here! In Texas!! Graeter's is a fabulous Cincinnati brand of ice cream that I haven't had since.. well, since I was in Cincinnati. Everyone's favorite flavor, in my experience (because it is amazing!) is their black raspberry chocolate chip - which I have only ever heard referred to as "black raspberry chip." The chocolate is frozen into the ice cream in big sheets which they then break up into big chunks! It's soooo good :D

The way I found out is by happening upon a post from someone I've never met on a mutual friend's facebook wall. She and I got into a whole conversation about where they sell it. She's a fellow Xavier person, and now lives a half hour away from me here in Dallas, it turns out! Small world. So, facebook is useful for some things. Namely ice cream ;)

Pleasant surprise

LOOK WHAT I FOUND while foraging in my fridge tonight!





Know what it is??





It's Ghirardelli chocolate! Don't worry, it hasn't been in for there very long. Just long enough for me to have forgotten it was there. I'm eating it RIGHT NOW. :)

Late ABC Wednesday! S is for...

S is for Saint under some Spanish Moss


At least, I think he is a saint. Does anyone happen to know which one?

Update: He is St Francis of Assisi, patron saint of animals and the environment :) I think it might be the exact statue pictured on wikipedia, in fact. Thanks to Janie and an anonymous reader!

We find Spanish moss all over the South, but especially on our Live Oaks. Don't let its pretty face fool you - it's actually harmful to the trees. It is also not a moss (or a lichen), but I guess it looks like some varieties; hence the name.








I took the first shot at the previously featured Destrehan Plantation in New Orleans. The second is from kayaking on the South Carolina barrier islands last Thanksgiving.



I guess Saturday night is a bit late for ABC Wednesday, but I'm headed over to the site now to see what 'S' posts we have this week, so I thought I ought to go ahead and post mine, too ;P



abcwednesdayround3.blogspot.com

Brave lizard!

I can't believe how long he sat completely still for me while I took photos just a foot from his face!

I saw him as I left my apartment for the gym (yes, I am back on my way to a regular schedule! It feels great!), and I IMMEDIATELY ran back inside for my camera. The neighbors seriously must think I'm insane. Just this morning I was out stalking a bunny down on the grass. He was much less brave, though, than this little lizard, so I didn't get a good shot.

The lighting was VERY poor, but I couldn't resist posting this even though it's not as clear as I would like. He's just so adorable, how could I resist?!

Nutritious and delicious :P

I accidentally had the camera on a weird white balance setting, but I kind of like how it makes the food look cold and unappetizing. After all, we should none of us be eating this crap, should we? :P I am just so tired after work every day that it's hard to find the energy to cook - this Real Life stuff is hard!

Lazy weekend

Nothing interesting going on here this weekend. Just laundry day today.





Although I suppose it is a bit interesting that I climbed up here to take that photo.. :P

Cardinal

I love cardinals! I think it's because we don't really have them where I grew up in Colorado, so they always seem so exotic to me.

ABC Wednesday: Q is for...

Q is for Quilted with love :)


When I was younger, my grandmother used to crochet all the time. Everyone in the family owns multiple crocheted afghans. Several years ago she switched to quilting, and now we all have some beautiful quilts to join our Gram-made blanket collections. She made this one for me when I was in college.

I just love the colors and patterns in the fabrics she used!





But I think my favorite part might be this little tag:





Isn't it cute? :) (We call her 'Grandmere,' by the way, because when I was little I couldn't pronounce 'Grandma' correctly, and my mispronunciation stuck.)



ABC Wednesday is brought to us by Mrs Nesbitt. For more 'Q' posts, visit the ABC Wednesday site!


abcwednesdayround3.blogspot.com

Wasp & flowers at Destrehan Plantation

I'm not sure what kind of flowers these are.. :(

Peek-a-boo

Sitting in the window of the gift shop at Destrehan Plantation, in New Orleans. I had to hold the camera in one hand and tweak her tail with the other to get her to look at me ;P

Beignets at Cafe du Monde

The state doughnut of Louisiana is DELICIOUS.

(and pronounced "ben-yay," for those non-Louisiana dwelling non-French speakers out there)

Nightclub by day

I'm in New Orleans this weekend for my cousin's college graduation - hooray! Today he showed us around town a bit. This is where he used to work.

Another strange utensil

This is even sillier than the ForkStick I got a couple months ago. A foldable fork, really?

Well, I'll put it in my purse.. just in case, you know? I often have full-sized utensils in there anyway. I'm not sure why; they just seem to wander in on their own. I may as well replace them with the more compact kind. ;P

And now you know what kind of junk I eat when I'm too lazy to cook.

ABC Wednesday: P is for...

P is for Popcorn!


Kettle corn - it's my favorite! :D



Please visit the ABC Wednesday website for links to more great ABC posts!


abcwednesdayround3.blogspot.com

Orange Star

This weekend I drove out to Nashville to visit my friend, A, who gave me this beautiful South African plant! It was a long drive, but I enjoy road trips, I wanted to get out of Dallas for a bit, and I wanted to see A before she leaves to do research in France for the summer. (!!!)

Saturday and Sunday's photos are posted on Saturday and Sunday even though :-0 I really posted them today. I hope you don't mind my lies. ;)

Motoman

On Saturday I got to see this really cool robot! A professor that my friend A knows at her university has been working with him. Of course I wanted to bring my camera along, and he was kind enough to let me take all the photos of Motoman that I wanted :D

ABC Wednesday: O is for...

O is for Basil.. no, really!


Oops, I am so very late for ABC Wednesday - it's nearly Friday here now! Can I get this posted before the stroke of midnight?

Yesterday, I inadvertently learned my basil plant's scientific name while browsing websites on how to care for it: it's Ocimum basilicum :)

This morning when I opened my blinds, they managed to grab my Ocimum by its leaves and pull it straight up out of its jar! I have it in a jar of water to sprout some roots, which it is doing beautifully. It is a cutting from Central Market, that grocery store of recent Picture Each Day fame.




More ABCs at ABC Wednesday!

Apparently it's lizard season.

I wonder if I'll be seeing them every day now..




See him?





I saw one last fall in Houston that looked like this guy, but was much less bashful - he is here.

Baby steps

(Click on photos for larger versions)




Who's that outside my window?!





I'm not sure what kind of lizard he is, but isn't he interesting looking? His back legs look very froggy to me, and he's missing his tail!





I turned off the autofocus for these photos and focused manually - look at me and my baby steps in learning how to use my new camera! My other camera would have insisted on focusing on the window screen, so I was very happy to have the manual option :)

Mourning Dove preening

I am thoroughly enjoying my new camera.. in auto mode still ;)