Mellow Yellow Monday--- I did it

Welcome everyone to this week's edition of Mellow Yellow Monday hosted by Drowsey Monkey. To join in the fun or visit other Mellow Yellow participants just click here.

Apparently Blogger has been suffering today with some type of problem. I have been trying all day to download my photos. Finally it has worked and I can now ask all of you good folks out in yellowland to give me your best advice. After doing hours of research on what colors are the current trend for painting my front door. And figuring out which colors give the best Fung Shway. I did it. I painted our front door yesterday.

I took dozens of photos in different lighting and all are actually a tad darker then the actual color. The bottom corner in the sunlight is actually the closest match.





I decided I wanted a bold but cheerful color. I also wanted a color that no one else in our complex had to make it easier for guest to find us among the plethora of doors in this condo complex. So I picked a bright Marigold shade. Here is where you come in. The Old Salt does not like the color at all. He would rather I painted the door a chinese red. But, If I insist on following the decorating trends and painting the door yellow, he has suggested I either add some white to the leftover paint and redo the door in a toned down shade. Or, better still, purchase a new can of paint to match this paint sample that he downloaded from the web. We have agreed to to leave the decision up to all of you, the knowledgeable and savvy folks in Mellow Yellow-ville. So what say you? Do we leave it as it is, or change it to color A. a toned down version of the current color, or B. the pale yellow sample?



I will show you the finished door with the winning color next week On MYM.

Thanks all for the help.

color Carnival #43 --- push those cars

Color Carnival is a meme hosted by Martha at Martha's Menagerie that celebrates all the colors in God's rainbow.

Afraid I did not have a photo to enter for this weeks color Carnival. Then this morning as we were driving past the Ford dealership in town there it was. Rows and Rows of brightly colored balloons tied to each rear-view mirror. I remembered reading something in the local paper about a big promotion that was going to take place there this week-end, with hot dogs and a drawing for a new propane grill. Plus they were going to be giving two scratch-off lotto tickets to all that visited. Apparently the whole town turned out because the Old Salt could not find a parking place, so I had to settle for the shots I could take through the windshield as we drove by. I would have loved to get one of the entire row of balloons but was at the wrong angle.





I have never know this dealership to have this type of promotion so they must be hurting for car sales. I did read that sales nation wide were down by forty percent.

To join the fun or to check out all the colorful entries of other players, visit Martha and her friends at Color Carnival.

Pink Saturday ----- Pink Sisters

Welcome everyone to this week's edition of Pink Saturday, hosted by Beverly at How Sweet the Sound. Last week I shared several emails with a dear lady and fellow blogger concerning the power of prayer. That conversation reminded me of a very special group of women living in north St. Louis, who have devoted their entire lives to spending time in prayer. They also happen to be a group of ladies that would be perfect for Pink Saturday.
I am, of course, referring to the the Holy Spirit Adoration Sisters who enjoy the distinction of being perhaps the most recognizable religious congregation in the St. Louis region, Although many people, Catholic and non-Catholic alike, might not know them by their formal name, simply mention the "Pink Sisters," and they'll know who you're talking about.



The "Pink" Sisters, named for the bright color of their habits, are a cloistered-contemplative missionary congregation. Intercessory prayers are offered for all, through perpetual adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. The rose colored habits represent a devotion to the Holy Spirit as the Third Person of the Blessed Trinity. The sisters were founded in 1896 by Saint Arnold Janssen, a German priest.


Except for medical treatment and three annual visits to family, the sisters do not leave the convent. A gray habit is worn outside the convent. While the sisters do not take a vow of silence, generally it is quiet outside of recreation times twice a day. At these times, sisters do a variety of things together, from crafts and hobbies to outdoor sports.



The Pink Sisters do not often allow themselves to be photographed so all of the attached photos have been taken from their website and from newspaper articles the nuns and the archdiocese have approved. The Pink Sisters also have convents in Corpus Christi and Philadelphia plus several other countries. Click here to see their website.

To join in the fun or check out the pink post of others visit Beverly and her friends at Pink Saturday.

Maxine on Saturday #11 --- Spring

"Maxine on Saturday" a new meme started by Mary over at "Work of the Poet" and dedicated to one of my favorite ladies. Maxine is someone you either love or hate. She is a gal I can't help but love and who makes me wish I had the chutzpah to copy. After all, we all think like her but usually don't have the nerve to say it out loud.

Where I live is starting to show small signs of spring. There are bits of green popping up from my mulched bed and I've noticed a few new buds on the shrubs. But, the biggest way I know that spring is here is by the constant sneezing I have been doing each time I go outside. So, I was delighted to find that Maxine and I are kindred spirits .

c John Wagner

Hallmark, Inc.

To post your favorite words of wisdom from Maxine, or just to check out others favorites hop on over to Mary's blog

Theme Thursday -- Signs

I want to give a big hand to the committee over at Theme Thursday for this week's much ado about signs. You can click on the name above to visit all the participants. I can guarantee you will find lots of unique interpretations on this weeks subject.

It is impossible to do anything in today's world without being confronted by some form of sign. Signs identify the places we need to visit, keep us on the right track when traveling and remind us to use safety in everything we do. Signs, you need them but that doesn't mean you have to like them. The signs I find excessive are the ones that keep people from being sued. We are the most litigious society in the world. Thanks to that fact, a step stool I recently purchased came with no fewer than six safety signs.

Now here are some the the signs I captured.




Some signs can be informative as well as humorous, as with this one I captured at the outdoor eatery when visiting Scripps Institution of Oceanography in La Jolla, Ca.

Then there are signs like this one that have no apparent reason to exist. I captured this one written on the door post of a church hall while waiting in line to enjoy their sausage supper.




This sign hangs on a tree across the road from my brother's church. It is something for the owners to be proud of so I can certainly see why they would hang it for all the world to see.


A visit to the local high school can provide an abundance of signs promoting a variety of events and activities. The ones captured on the parking lot are often the most interesting. I collected these while waiting in the car pool lane to pick up the foreign exchange students we chauffeur home several days a week.

This shot was taken at the Catholic High School. I have been meaning to inquire if it belongs the the Principle.

Could this vehicle belong to a high school band.

And, who can't help but adore the advertisement of a first love. I hope Meg and Ian's relationship made it to the end of the semester.

There are folks that like to name their personal property. I learned later that this van actually belongs to a lady from Dublin who owns an Irish import store in town.

I am including this last sign because I think it is not only a fun take on a very old joke but a lot of fun to do. Kids especially like to ring the bell when visiting this drive through pizza restaurant located in a double decker bus.

Have a great Theme Thursday everyone.

Yard art Thursday -- Moo gas

Mary T. at the Work of the Poet is hosting a new meme called Yard Art Thursday. This meme features just what the title implies, all those unique and unusual things that we homeowners like to display in our yards. To check out the yard art discovered by others visit Mary and her friends at Work of the Poet.


I live in a small rural town that was one of the first American cities west of the Mississippi River. We are located on the Missouri River at the point where the River reaches its most Southern point. While not officially founded until 1839, there were settlers living here when Lewis and Clark started their trip to the west in 1804. We are fortunate to have many historic homes from the late eighteen hundreds and early nineteen hundreds that have been preserved and are still in use as family homes today.

One such house is a large two story brick sitting on a corner lot of a busy intersection. Built around the time of the 1904 world fair held in St. Louis I suspect this home was once a country estate on the outskirts of a once bustling river town. Today this home is in need of a coat of paint and extensive revamping of the landscaping. After the worst winter in the last decade many locations like this one and the one I put in my Outdoor Wednesday post have lost so much of their vegetation to the ice and snow that passersby are taking note of things that could not be seen before.

Recently, I was surprised to notice the usually vine covered slopes and arbors of the side yard had been hiding the following collection of dairy cow art.

"Grow old along with me, the best is yet to be."

Today, March 24th, the Old Salt and I are celebrating our third wedding anniversary. For most couples this would not be a milestone to write home about. But, my Frank and I are not your average newly married couple. For those of you who are new to my blog, you can check out these posts to get our history.

I became Alice sliding down an endless rabbit hole.

Life after the Wedding for Frank and Me.

What a Difference a Year Makes

Our life updated

But, here are the cliff notes. Frank and I met on Yahoo Personals. He first contacted me on Black Friday 2006. I knew from the first e-mail that he was someone special. I soon learned he had agreed to meet another woman from North Carolina over the Christmas season and realized I had to arrange for him to meet me first. Frank lived in San Diego, California and I was in the heart of Missouri wine country, about fifty miles from St. Louis. I worked nights at a big box store and was about to have my last weekend off for the next three months. I was thinking about this man honoring a commitment he made before we met and how he would go off with only a photo of me and lots of conversation to meet a real flesh and blood woman. I am normally a conservative, careful person but not this time. I called Frank and on my last free weekend took my first ever airplane trip. The rest as they say, is history. We were married the following March.

This was taken the day we first met

Three years later we have moved as many times as I did with my first husband in the 37 years we were married. We started out in my small apartment and just purchased our second house together. But, houses do not make relationships work or last, do they?

Conventional wisdom says the honeymoon part of a marriage is about one year. The Office for National Statistics says that, on average, working couples spend 2 to 2.5 hours a day together, including weekends. That is roughly 913 waking hours in one year of marriage. The old salt and I reached that milestone 57 days into our marriage because we are retired and spend almost every waking hour together. I've been told by many of the retired ladies I know that there is no way they would spend that much time with their spouse. We both worry about it and have asked each other if a break is needed or the possibility we should try to find separate interests. We both agreed that, so far, we have no desire to be apart even for a few days.

Frank and I know we embarked on this journey together in the autumn of our lives. There will be no fiftieth wedding anniversary for us or thirtieth for that matter. All we can do is try to make every day we have together as full and wonderful as we can.

Happy Anniversary darling.

Grow old along with me! The best is yet to be, The last of life, for which the first was made: Our times are in His hand Who saith, 'A whole I planned, Youth shows but half; trust God: see all, nor be afraid! Robert Browning

Outdoor Wednesday. Long Forgotten

Outdoor Wednesday is hosted by Susan at A Southern Daydreamer. To check out what outdoor shots others are sharing this week visit her blog by clicking here.

My post for Ruby Tuesday and Rednesday this week tells the story of how I came to capture the photos of the old Red Barn and water pump that I posted on this week's edition of those memes. The post can be found here. I am posting the remainder of the photos I took at that same location to this week's Outdoor Wednesday.

I took all of these shots behind this building that is facing the Hawthorne Inn Restaurant in the small historic town of Labadie, Missouri.



I noticed a glimpse of red behind this building that led me to take my camera and investigate. Besides the red photos on the above link I found this wonderful old truck. The cab was full of cut logs and appears to have been long forgotten. I travel past this restaurant quite often during the warmer months, so that explains why I have never noticed this old truck or out building before. They would have been hiding behind the lush greenery that this winter has temporarily removed.


I sure would like to know what kind of old vehicle that spot of blue belongs to. But, the ground was so marshy I could not get any closer to investigate. Perhaps next trip.

Ruby Tuesday and Rednesday --- a flash of red

Tuesday is the day that Mary at "Work of the Poet" hosts Ruby Tuesday. Rednesday is a Wednesday meme hosted by Sue at "It's a Very Cherry World." Both memes are dedicated to the color red. To join the fun or just check out what Red others are excited to share visit Mary and her friends at Ruby Tuesday and Sue and her friends from Rednesday

Last week we were traveling home from the city on a chilly but sunny afternoon. We decided to avoid the rush hour traffic by getting off the interstate and taking a slightly longer but very scenic route home. Since that detour would take us near the Hawthorne Inn located in the small historic town of Labadie we decided to go there for dinner. As I was getting out of the car in the restaurant parking lot I noticed a patch of red poking out from behind a building across the street. Naturally, I was headed that way, camera in hand before the Old Salt realized I wasn't headed into the restaurant with him.

I came back across the street a few minutes later (with the following photographs in my camera) to find the Old Salt standing by the restaurant door shaking his head and grinning at me. I knew I was about to receive another of the Old Salt lectures about the trouble my trespassing ways will get me into one of these days.




Yes, it was probably private property but the buildings were crumbling away (one was actually sinking into the soft wet earth and canted to one side like a ship in a storm). I was sure no one would object to my wandering over and shooting a few photos.

Pink Saturday --- antique mall finds part three

Welcome everyone to this week's edition of Pink Saturday, hosted by Beverly at How Sweet the Sound.

This is week three of my posting the pink items I photographed when we visited a few St. Louis area antique shops a few weeks ago. One of the shops had an entire corner dedicated to nothing but pink items that I have been sharing with all of you.

I have mentioned here before that pink is not one of my favorite colors, so I do not own a lot of pink items. I do, however, have a small collection of one type of item that happens to come in pink. I did a PS post on that collection a while back. Now with that admission, I will say there were several items in the following photos that I would have purchased. But, since I was short on cash and did not have my credit card with me I had to settle for only one item. Can you guess which one it was? I gave you the clue above.





The answer is:
This little Hull Art Vase in the first photo.
It is on the top shelf on the left.

To join in the fun or see the pink post of others visit Beverly and her friends at Pink Saturday.

Maxine on Saturday #10 ---

"Maxine on Saturday" a new meme started by Mary over at "Work of the Poet" and dedicated to one of my favorite ladies. Maxine is someone you either love or hate. She is a gal I can't help but love and who makes me wish I had the chutzpah to copy. After all, we all think like her but usually don't have the nerve to say it out loud.

My sister-in-law visited the Hallmark Headquarters and brought me back this photo of the Maxine sign that was in lobby.


I sure hope that Maxine is right on this one. I would hate to think I am wasting my money on lotto tickets.

c John Wagner

Hallmark, Inc.

To post your favorite words of wisdom from Maxine, or just to check out others favorites hop on over to Mary's blog