Author: Becky

Tiny Tuesday!

Today’s Tiny Tuesday post is dedicated to our late nephew Aaron. This is the anniversary of his death, so I chose to clean up Aaron’s Garden while I thought about him. Tom and I got a couple of new things to put there, including this little horned toad (or horned lizard?) for a bit of whimsy.


I picked him up at the nursery, then I reconsidered and set him down. Before I turned away, I patted him on the head and back in a kind of apology.

Two women were shopping nearby, and one of them saw me, laughed, and said, “You just patted him so gently.” “I don’t want him to think I’m rejecting him,” I said. I meant it.

We walked away, continued shopping, and then when we went back that way, I chose him again. It wasn’t until we got him home that Tom told me he was missing a foot (not noticeable in this photo). It confirmed for me that I was right to get him; I never saw a flaw.

I don’t know why I anthropomorphize objects; from childhood, I felt energy in places and things. It’s why losing some, not all, things can sometimes be hard on me emotionally.

Losing a person however, is always hard, especially Aaron, who was so young and had so many things yet to experience and do, so many people to meet and affect and be affected by. He was, and is, deeply loved, and even now, in objects he never saw or touched that are in his garden, I feel an energy connected to the love he gave us all and we all continue to give him.


We also added a colorful dove wind chime. It has a lovely, delicate sound. I like the look and the music of it.

Still writing

Here’s the recent Neverending Saga Listening Playlist. I’ve finished the ‘M’s in the box, which means I can now finish the ‘M’s in the binder before moving to the ‘N’s.


Hall & Oates: The Very Best of Daryl Hall and John Oates; George Harrison: All Things Must Pass, the 2001 remastered version which I bought soon after the Harvey flood took my vinyl; Jenny Lewis: The Voyager and On The Line; Mammoth WVH: self-titled debut release; Dave Matthews Band: Away From The World (the DMB CDs in the binder are filed with the ‘D’s, but somehow I missed that when I put this one in the box).

Mood: Monday

This art is in the public domain.

Portrait of Félix Fénéon, 1890
Paul Signac, France
oil on canvas

Today, April 24, is the date my parents were married. Among favorite recollections of that day, as they attempted to be married in a civil ceremony, they were told they needed two witnesses, and they stepped outside to stand on the sidewalk to figure out what to do. As it happened, my mother’s niece Pat and Pat’s boyfriend Herb were walking down the street. My parents spotted them and asked for their help, which was readily given.

I’m not sure how many years later, Pat and Herb were also married, and a few decades after that, they came to the wedding when Tom and I married. They’re the ones who gave us the lime coasters which have provided so much fun and playfulness through the years–inadvertently beginning what would become a recurring motif among a few of us: lime and lemon slices on all kinds of decorations and home goods.

Button Sunday

Pay no attention to that silly button. With few exceptions, I like eating vegetables.

April 23 is National Asparagus Day. Asparagus is full of vitamins and minerals, rich in antioxidants, and high in protein and fiber. What’s not to love?


I just happen to have fresh asparagus. Some of this will be part of Sunday night’s dinner. =)


P.S. I know I’ve shared this collection on here before, but Portrait: The Music of Dan Fogelberg is the four-disk collection I’ve been listening to while I write. VERY little writing because it hurts my eyes to look at the computer too much. I’ve found that by not straining too much, I can watch TV. So over the past two or three weeks, Tom and I finally caught up to the paused Season 5 of “Yellowstone” (it resumes in the summer) and watched the second season of “Bridgerton.” I’m glad we waited on “Bridgerton” so that I wouldn’t still be thinking of intrigues and characters from the first season. Ultimately, this one was satisfying, as evidenced by the way we watched the last four shows at two a night because I NEEDED TO KNOW how things would be resolved!

Photo Friday, No. 854

Current Photo Friday theme: Life

A hashtag I frequently use on Instagram is #artislife, and one of the things I love about Houston is the abundance of art: in museums, in galleries, in graffiti, on train cars that pass by, and in many varieties of public art. I haven’t been to a museum since 2019, so a lot of my art appreciation has become drive-by.

This was a day when traffic light timing gave me a chance to shoot with my phone. The artist is Joy Matheson, and she’s done several mini murals throughout Houston. NASA is such a big part of Houston’s history (how many times have you heard or said the line, “Houston, we have a problem?”).

Art is one of life’s gifts.

As promised…


Here are the ingredients for Thursday’s fantastic salad. I’ve shared this on here many years ago. It was taught to me by my college roommates (I love seeing my recipe card written in Debbie’s handwriting). The closest salad that might be familiar to some people is tabbouleh, also spelled tabouleh, tabbouli, tabouli, or taboulah, but this one I make was taught to me as sof-sof (also sometimes spelled sufsoof). Parsley (that will be wrapped in leaves of iceberg lettuce and chopped), lemon juice, a tablespoon of oil, salt and pepper to taste, cracked wheat (soaked for at least an hour; you’d find it in most grocery stores as bulgur wheat), and tomatoes and green onions. It is truly one of the most refreshing salads you can eat. Though I guess it’s a little labor intensive with the chopping, the scent of parsley being pulled from the stem is divine.

Ready to serve.

Served it up tonight with some long grain and wild rice and baked salmon.

Bonus: Using the lemon peels to grate lemon zest for future use.

imitation is…

We are trying to eat healthier on a more regular basis. This was part of my pandemic goal for myself, and I’m probably a little more devoted to it than Tom has been. But he’s on board now, so last week, I created a salad that closely mimics my favorite chef’s salad from my favorite Houston eatery, Barnaby’s.


Ingredients common to Barnaby’s and my creation are: lettuce, carrots, cucumbers, green onions, chopped boiled egg, leftover slices from a ham I’d baked, fresh chicken nuggets I cooked, bacon I fried and crumbled, and grated cheese. One of Barnaby’s toppings I didn’t include is croutons (we each had a dinner roll), but our toppings were chopped walnuts, pecans, and sunflower seeds. Had some fresh fruit on the side.

Nothing beats Barnaby’s salad dressing, but I had a small container left from a recent to-go order, so I was set. Tasty!

Tomorrow, a different favorite salad.

Tiny Tuesday!

April 18, the anniversary of my father’s death, never gets past me. I always remember both of my parents’ birth dates on the day of, but most years, I overlook the date that my mother died until sometime after the fact. I think because that anniversary is on the first day of the month (June 1), and I rarely notice month changes in general. I do remember infinite details about both those days, in 1985 and 2008, but I agree with the concept that time is a great healer; even the saddest memories are much softer and always tempered by the better ones.


Because it’s Tiny Tuesday, I woke up with the idea of sharing this lacquer cigarette box, a gift to my father from the chief of police where he was last deployed in Korea before he retired. It’s been packed away for a while, and I’ve decided to display it with my other boxes.


A look inside. On the left is a compartment for holding a pack of cigarettes, maybe even some of the smaller cigar brands. That’s a cigarette lighter with a University of Alabama emblem I was given when I was in college, and since Daddy and I both graduated from there, this seems like a good place for it. On the right is an ashtray in pristine condition, so I know it was never used.


Inside the top is hand lettering to show the names of the giver and my father.

I wish one of his grandchildren or great-grandchildren would want this memento, but to date, none of them seem to have my sentimental (possible hoarding?) tendency. But as long as I’m around, this piece of my father’s history has a home.