Ravelings

February 14

2012-02-14T02:00:00.000-08:00

You can find love in the most unexpected places, can't you?

Happy Valentine's Day!

Tropical Monday: Snow

2012-02-13T13:48:00.000-08:00

In honor of our first (and only?) snow of the season, a little snow for tropical Monday.

My walk to work:

Someone had a "donut" this morning:

Reader Request: House Numbers

2012-02-10T10:41:00.000-08:00

Thanks, Reader, for your request for house numbers. I really didn't think that there were that many unusual house numbers in my neighborhood until I went out this morning with my camera. I was amazed by the variety. And now, of course, I am completely unsatisfied with my boring house numbers. Dear Reader, you may have just created more work for yourself.

Most houses seem to feature this look. This company must have had a monopoly on house numbers for about three decades:

A few featured this clean look:

Definitely unique. (Dear Reader, this one also meets your request for mailboxes.)

When in doubt, cut it out:

Love the painted numbers on the transom!

A little tile magic:

They really don't want visitors to miss their address.

Recycling .... and a whimsical screen in the background.

Made to match.

Up in your grill

2012-02-09T03:30:00.000-08:00

Back when they cared about adding decoration to office buildings.

In my building at work! Now that the elevator in the library has stopped working, I believe that this is the oldest elevator on campus.

Charleston, where my love of grills blossomed.

Tropical Monday: hot things

2012-02-06T13:46:00.000-08:00

a volcano:

standing sentry in San Juan:

Hot time in the old town. This town has a fish-fry every Friday night, where I imagine it gets very festive:

Water Tower Park

2012-02-05T06:39:00.000-08:00

What did you expect to see? A silo?

Some creative genius on the city council must have named this one.

stairs that don't inspire confidence

2012-02-04T01:30:00.000-08:00

There's not much about this house that says "Welcome."

Corner View: Light

2012-02-01T02:00:00.000-08:00

Some light and magic as the performers have one more rehearsal before the "Descendants of the Dragon" Chinese New Year's celebration.

Well, I didn't stick to my Western new year's resolutions. I broke those resolutions again when I thought I'd try to start over with Chinese New Year on January 23rd. Any chance that there is another new year in February where I can try again? (It's not my fault, really .... I just seem to have misplaced my treadmill.)

I'm looking forward to seeing other interpretations of "light" on the Corner View this week, hosted by Francesca.

Tropical Monday: Sunrise/Sunsets

2012-01-30T13:40:00.000-08:00

Dog-as-human

2012-01-29T04:45:00.000-08:00

I really wanted this guy to be holding a coffee cup in his paw. Doesn't he look like he's just out enjoying a quiet Saturday morning on his porch?

Dear yard art buyer,

2012-01-28T08:10:00.000-08:00

I hate to tell you this, but it's actually the reverse of what you think. Adding more yard art does NOT make your house look more charming. Hurry, though, I hear that Lillian Vernon might have one or two things that you haven't bought, yet. I'd hate to see a free inch on that porch.

On the other hand, I've always liked the overabundance of windchimes on this porch.

Corner View: January

2012-01-25T02:00:00.000-08:00

The quiet days in January make it a good time to reflect. To reflect on the past year and to imagine the future one.

For more looks at January around the globe, visit the Corner View, hosted by Francesca.

Tropical Monday: Boats

2012-01-23T02:00:00.000-08:00

Sailboats in Barbados, St. John, and San Juan

Fishing boats in Santa Lucia

Big boats

Crimson & Blue

2012-01-22T02:00:00.000-08:00

A new semester has begun, so I thought that it was time for a few riffs on Crimson & Blue:

The original:

The barn version:

Corner View: Black & White

2012-01-18T02:00:00.000-08:00

Recently, my mom's cousin shared these photos of the White family. All four of the children were adopted. My grandmother (the oldest girl in the picture) was orphaned during the 1918 Influenza Pandemic in San Francisco and the oldest boy was one of the children sent west as part of the horrible social experiment called the Orphan Train. Have you ever seen a more fabulous collection of hats in one family?

My great-grandmother always answered the phone, "The White House!"

Now I need to go find a Black family....

Tropical Monday: Colors

2012-01-16T02:00:00.000-08:00

Here's a bright dash of color for a dreary winter Monday:

what do you see in the trees?

2012-01-12T03:00:00.000-08:00

Does this look like a Viking ship to anyone else?

The Gateway Arch?

An alligator's jaws and snout?

Tropical Monday: purty posies

2012-01-09T13:27:00.000-08:00

Guess what? more old cars around town

2012-01-08T03:00:00.000-08:00

A Skoda?

Vampire car

I can just imagine a Grandma driving to the hair salon in this one.

This one I had seen back in a driveway a while ago, and I kept walking past, hoping to catch it out on the street one day. Gotcha!

This Rover didn't seem too old, but it had antique plates, so, of course, I had to pull out my camera.

This one was in a Wendy's parking lot in Warrensburg, MO. I wish it had been in front of an old ice cream parlor.

Not in a Wendy's parking lot.

Old car lovers must be shivering in horror for this one.

Two pics of this Pink Lady.

A little shot of red.

too organized?

2012-01-05T10:19:00.000-08:00

How OCD are you if you need to have not one, but TWO filing cabinets in your yard?

Tropical Monday: Beaches

2012-01-02T12:31:00.000-08:00

During the cold winter months, I thought it would be nice to remember the tropics....

Jalosie Beach, St. Lucia

Honeymoon Beach, St. John's

corner view: seasonal

2011-12-21T01:00:00.000-08:00

Seasonal cheer from my town:

Seasonal flora:

I don't think my poor, patient dog loves this season:

Seasonal lights:

From my house to yours, Merry Christmas! For more looks at "seasonal" around the world, check out Francesca's Fuoriborgo and follow the links in the comments section.

sending a letter to the Apostles

2011-12-17T02:30:00.000-08:00

Have you ever wanted to send mail to one of the disciples? (Me, neither, but you never know when you might need their address.) On a quiet Sunday morning, I found their mailboxes.

No, not this one:

Nor these:

These:

I bet the letters to John are really freaky.

Guess the song title

2011-12-15T02:00:00.000-08:00

#1: "Take Me to the River"

#2: "Old Man River"

#3 "Sunrise, Sunset"

#4 "Moonshadow"

Missouri is a weird state

2011-12-13T02:00:00.000-08:00

Shovels grow on trees:

Dogs run on rooftops:

And Santa rides on bulls:

Make-your-own signs

2011-12-12T13:00:00.000-08:00

Here at the Lake of the Ozarks there's a long tradition of making your own signs and naming your own streets.

Probably, a very accurate name:

A veritable school of addresses:

The family name is Rudolph, but I still don't understand this street name (and why such an elaborate sign):

Worst name ever for a B&B:

Oh, duck!

2011-12-11T03:00:00.000-08:00

Ah, nuts!

2011-12-10T12:47:00.001-08:00

Guess who I saw in a Lawrence alley

2011-12-02T13:01:00.000-08:00

There's no graffiti like Lawrence graffiti. I don't think this is Jerry Lewis. Does anyone know who he is?

corner view: JOY

2011-11-29T08:45:00.000-08:00

For me, JOY=Christmas, so an early Merry Christmas to everyone!

Fences that aren't making the grade

2011-11-27T07:59:00.000-08:00

Let's face it. We're just not a fence kind of town.

Here a bungee cord is trying to hold things together.

Com'on, guys. You gotta at least try.

Full disclosure. This is part of my fence...classy.

perseverance

2011-11-26T09:24:00.000-08:00

perseverance, even in the face of futility

fun

2011-11-25T07:28:00.000-08:00

I don't know who lives here, but when I see a skateboard ramp ending in a pile of leaves, I can only assume that the kids in this family know how to create their own fun. No video games!

corner view: a different corner

2011-11-23T16:57:00.000-08:00

Since I take most of my blog pictures while I'm out walking my dog, I thought I'd make my different corner a different point of view--my dog's.

-------
What are you? What secret powers do you have that you make my mom delay our WALKS? Can't you tell her that it is time for a WALK? (Did someone say WALK?)

What? Did someone say there was a car in the street? Even a cool, old car? What do I care when there is a SQUIRREL on the other side? Mom, why are you stopping? Don't you see the SQUIRREL???

SQUIRREL, SQUIRREL, SQUIRREL

Why are you barking? Did you see a SQUIRREL, too?

Here. I tried to take a picture of myself after a WALK.

So, in conclusion, WALK, SQUIRREL, SQUIRREL, SQUIRREL, WALK. Goodnight.

For more -- and different -- corner views, visit Francesca's site.

A Sunday Morning on Campus

2011-11-20T06:50:00.001-08:00

Dog and I went on a long walk (aka, squirrel hunt) on campus today. Arriving at 7:30 on a Sunday morning, we saw two retired-professor-looking-types jogging and .... no one else. We did see a lot of Natty Lite cans, though.

A bridge to worlds of insight.

The gateway to knowledge.

Students, wake up! Start studying! Write those papers! Do your homework!

Why the chicken did NOT cross the road

2011-11-13T09:49:00.001-08:00

He couldn't read the directions.

When did we lose all of our common sense?

country roads

2011-11-13T09:24:00.001-08:00

I was so pleased to come across this bucolic scene just a thirty-minute walk away from my home.

Of course, with life -- and memories -- it is often just a matter of picking the right angles to find what you want. This was the scene at my back as I was taking the picture. I-70 is not exactly a country road. Well, it does run through the country. And it is a road...

duck hunting season

2011-11-13T09:18:00.001-08:00

Duck hunting season came a little early to my house.

my distinguished-looking hound

2011-11-10T05:02:00.000-08:00

I was trying to work dog into the picture of this gate when a guy came up and told me that I have a "distinguished-looking hound." Should I trust his opinion? He was wearing a t-shirt that said, "Really, I'm not wasted."

It was nice, however, to hear some kind words about my girl. I used to have a cute, blonde dog. We couldn't go for a walk without having people send us benevolent smiles and -- truly, this happened often -- stopping their cars and asking me what breed she was (answer: mutt--the best breed). Now that I have my big farm dog, we get more worried looks -- admittedly, she does look a little single-minded darting down the sidewalk in quest of squirrels -- than complimentary words. I guess blondes do have more fun. Or is there truly a prejudice in America against black dogs?

regrets

2011-11-10T04:58:00.000-08:00

Why didn't I do this for Halloween? Awesome! I guess I'll just have to wait until next year when I will regret not remembering to do this for Halloween.

corner view: home sweet home

2011-11-08T21:39:00.000-08:00

I had moved 15 times by the time I turned 23, so I find it pretty amazing that I currently live two blocks away from the house where my maternal grandparents were living when my mom was born. Charming house, isn't it?

And, I am three blocks away from where my paternal grandparents met. He was a boarder, and she was a daughter of the family that rented out rooms to university students. This is their double wedding (my grandmother and her sister were the brides), held in 1933. (The picture was ispired by Dear Photograph -- a fun place to visit.)

For more looks at home sweet home around the globe, visit Francesca.

redneck town or hippie town?

2011-11-06T08:29:00.000-08:00

Redneck town evidence #1: All the trucks in town

Hippie town evidence #1: VW busses

Redneck town evidence #2: This house sign [TRESPASSERS: WE CALL .223 INSTEAD 911 RESPONSE IS A LOT FASTER] Needless to say, this sign isn't very clear because I was hesitant to trespass in order to take a picture.

Hippie town evidence #2: Another Neighbor for PEACE.

And all of the Buddhist prayer flags:

Redneck town evidence #3: McDonalds (with the prettiest flowers in the area -- is that french fry grease a natural fertilizer?) surrounded by Burger King, Taco John's, Dunkin' Donuts (opening in one week!!!!!!) and Taco Bell.

Hippie town evidence #3: Local Burger

Redneck town evidence #4 Dollar General (when I enter here, it takes days for the taint of quiet desperation to wash off).

Hippie town evidence #4: Love Garden used records store (when I enter here, I fail to acquire any hipness). It's located next to the Global Cafe.

Organic pet foods.

Redneck town evidence #5: Cigarettes

Hippie town evidence #5: Head shop (Sorry, I mean purveyor of natural herbs.)

What does the jury say?

Disturbing or chill?

2011-11-06T08:12:00.000-08:00

Old cars around town

2011-11-05T15:35:00.000-07:00

This one...

and this one....

This one deserves two pictures:

Dad, does it make you feel old that the car you took to college now requires antique license plate tags? (Hello, kitty.)

Do these count?

A blue Buick:

How about a car from the 70's?

No straight lines in nature....

2011-11-04T16:00:00.000-07:00

There are no straight lines in nature ... or in Lawrence sidewalks, it appears.

weather report

2011-11-03T10:05:00.000-07:00

So, it was a little windy last night.

corner view: dream

2011-11-02T04:34:00.000-07:00

My mom's bedroom was a tower room when she was a little girl, and I always dreamed of having one of my own. At first, I probably had visions of living in one like a princess who needed to be rescued.

Then, I had visions of living the life of an artist in a French garret (until I realized that I'm not artistic and je ne speak pas francais).

(I wish that I had (a) an i-phone and (b) the hipstamatic app to take these pictures with a long-ago, dreamy look.)

Now, I walk around town and see these great tower rooms and hope that the women of the house use them in a Virgina Woolf Room-of-Her-Own sort of way: as a place to breathe, create, and, yes, to dream.

Sweet dreams, everyone! For more dreams around the world, visit Francesca's site and follow the links in the comments section.

why it is good that I don't have a boss....

2011-11-01T15:34:00.000-07:00

... I saw this joke sign and my knee-jerk reaction was: "Don't tell me what to think!" I may have a few issues with orders and authority figures. (Anyway, I did think it, so what are you going to do about it?)

Dear trick-or-treaters,

2011-10-30T05:22:00.000-07:00

Why don't you ever come to my door? I've got lots of candy for good boys and girls. Bwahahah!

corner view: exotic

2011-10-26T04:50:00.000-07:00

Exotic is a matter of perception. When I lived in China, my colleagues couldn't believe that I was taking pictures of people buying cabbage, hair salon signs, and mah-jongg players -- all very ordinary things to them. Like most people, I guess, I don't think of my hometown as being that exotic either. However, when I have foreign guests visit me, I'm always fascinated by the exotic things they find on my streets:

(1) Squirrels....the bane of my existence; hours of delight for my friends:

(2) Fire hydrants. "You really have them? They aren't just in the movies?"

(3) Why all the fire hydrants? Because our houses are made of WOOD!

(4) Drive-thrus. Yes, I've taken foreign guests through the fast-food drive-thrus and the bank drive-thrus so that they could go home and say that they had done it. Here's one you might not have expected: a dry cleaning drive-thru.

(5) Farms. When my friend from NYC visited, we had to find a field and a large grocery store for her -- two things they don't have in her Manhattan neighborhood.

(6) Antiques. My Chinese students are fascinated by these family hand-me-downs. Since their grandparents had to dispose of their old furniture or be persecuted for holding on to manifestations of traditional thinking during the Cultural Revolution, my 19-year-old students have never seen antiques in homes. (P.S. I just learned that the nickname of the houseplant in this picture is "Mother-in-Law's Tongue.")

I'm really looking forward to seeing other interpretations of exotic this week for Corner View. Why don't you hop on for a ride around the world?

Lawrence sheds

2011-10-23T09:43:00.000-07:00

Lawrence: Where "I'm taking you to the woodshed" is a truly risky proposition.

The house with this shed is on sale. Who would want to deal with this structure in the backyard?

Help! I need an intervention! I can't stop taking pictures of scary-looking sheds.

As long as the mice stay in these sheds and not in my basement, that's good enough for me.

Front porches!

2011-10-22T13:32:00.000-07:00

If one is good, isn't a double one better?

Half-wrap.

And here, the granddaddy of them all, the full wrap:

Art deco love

2011-10-19T17:52:00.000-07:00

Fire Department!

Office building

Elementary school. I want to give them an anonymous donation of art deco address numbers.

Two of the best things I've ever seen for sale at a flea market. (Florence, Italy).

Coolest fence ever?

2011-10-17T04:46:00.000-07:00

I can't believe I wasted my time trolling around my neighborhood searching for cool fences, when possibly the coolest one ever was just across the river.

The homeowner caught me taking this picture and was proud to tell me that the fence is made out of the insides of pianos. How cool is that? (Answer: very)

Dear white picket fences,

2011-10-16T06:04:00.000-07:00

A white picket fence done right! Love every cottage-y inche (<-- that's the English spelling) of you.

And another one done right!

And a third done right. If you are going to have a white picket fence, put colorful flowers in front of it, I say.

And one just kind of undone.

Centennial Park

2011-10-14T05:17:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago another town asked that we donate our submarine-launched Polaris missle to a park and museum that they are building. People were outraged, OUTRAGED, I say, by such an outrageous request. Anyway, I felt it was time to check out the missle in person. It's definitely an odd centerpiece for a park (although, I guess cannons are equally odd, now that I think about it). I wouldn't mind donating it to the other town, except for the fact that it would leave us defenseless against the Commie submarines lurking in the Kaw River.

Here it is, in all its phallic glory. Now I understand why all the men in town were so upset about the possibility of having this taken away.

I was pleased to see this skate park, because I had always wondered if Lawrence had one.

This park also hosts a disc (frisbee) golf course. I thought it was a joke and was surprised to see three different people (on a Thursday morning) out practicing. I even saw one guy stretching before he got to the first tee. I wonder if they have caddies? It probably wasn't cool to take my dog out in the middle of their frisbee course, but someone had to rid the park of squirrels, right? Certified squirrel-free:

fence variety

2011-10-13T09:02:00.000-07:00

Why did I start creeping around the alleys in my neighborhood, camera in hand? Well, I don't like my boring panels of fencing, and was looking for a different design. Man, did I hit the jackpot. Who knew that there could be such a variety in fences?

Now, all I want to do it see what is so worth blocking the view.

Do you have a favorite?

Corner view: October

2011-10-12T04:05:00.000-07:00

When I was a kid -- 30 (or so) years ago -- decorating for Halloween meant carving a pumpkin a few days before the 31st and putting a candle in it. Now, it's a whole other world. A few samples from my corner of the world:

I saw the dad setting these up. I have to say, he seemed a lot more interested in it than his son did.

These decorations look more friendly than scary.

I hope these are Halloween decorations and not unwanted guests!

For a little less scary look at October throughout the world, visit Francesca's website for more corner views.

International Lawrence

2011-10-10T05:59:00.000-07:00

We are a pretty quintessentially American small town, so it is difficult to find many things that look like they don't belong on the set for Bye, Bye Birdie, but here's my best shot...

Stonehenge?

Tahiti?

Southeast Asia? Southeast corner of Pier One?

The Netherlands? It was a long time ago, but I'm sure I saw these same signs in Amsterdam.

Japan? A tori gate with aluminum? (No, nothing like the real thing.)

A French farmhouse? I fear that the cars give this one away.

mid-century modern

2011-10-08T15:35:00.000-07:00

Popped dog in the car and traveled two miles to a little pocket of town that has these beauts. There's only about three blocks of these, and the other side of the street has ranch after ranch after ranch after ranch.

But for the mid-century modern, I have to say: you are just swell.

This house was for sale when I moved to town. I might have bought it, except for the fact that I clearly was looking for something more expensive and that would take more time, money and effort to rehab.

Here's one that snuck into my neighborhood.

Here's a mid-century surprise found in the alley in my neighborhood.

Dear church-turned-house,

2011-10-08T06:11:00.000-07:00

How could someone not love your sweet, sweet self? It's a good thing I didn't buy this house--major lightning risk.

Dear President Obama,

2011-10-06T19:45:00.000-07:00

Things aren't looking too promising for 2012.

And this is supposed to be your bastion of blue for the whole state.

All chopped off...

2011-10-02T09:18:00.000-07:00

The roof is chopped off. The top of the tree is chopped off. I don't know, fellows, if I were you, I wouldn't walk around here with any appendages hanging out.

Hi, Mum!

2011-10-01T20:00:00.001-07:00

corner view: music

2011-09-28T04:22:00.000-07:00

I created an operatic itinerary for myself in Italy this summer.

PUCCINI! I've always loved Lucca, Puccini's hometown, so I knew that it wouldn't disappoint, but Lago di Massaciuccoli, Puccini's later home, was a revelation. The decorations in his home had all the flair and style of the art nouveau posters that advertised his operas. And having the audioguide recorded by the Maestro's granddaughter was just icing on the cake (just like the icing on the cake in the competition for the best Puccini-inspired store window in Lucca). The lake, itself, was a serene jewel. I wish that I had had time to go to its nature reserve.

ROSSINI! Thanks, Rossini, for "forcing" me to go to Pesaro. There, I discovered the beach (for some reason I didn't think Pesaro was right on the beach); the lovely late 19th-century Italianate houses (at least we call them Italianate. I guess Italians just call them houses?); and the life al mare. Rossini's museum was .... well, underwelming. Most appalling, two rooms of his house were dedicated to an exhibition called "L'ingrassamento di Rossini." It showed a series of portraits of how he had gained weight throughout his life. I have made all my close relatives swear to me that, should I ever create world-famous works of art, they never let my museum put my weight gain on display. Poor Gioacchino. (My family, by the way, thought it was a pretty safe bet to agree to my conditions.)

VERDI! Dear, beloved Giuseppe, until I have access to a car in Italy (and the nerve to drive one), I'm afraid that I won't be able to visit your homes. One day, we shall meet. Ti prometto.

GALILEI? The idea for opera--Hey! rather than a whole chorus singing about something, how about having one person sing at a time?--was developed among the Camerata de' Bardi in the late 1500s. (In an interesting side note, one of the members of the camerata was Vincenzo Galilei, Galileo's father.) Even knowing the address where the camerata met, I walked by this tiny, faded sign a few times in Florence before I located it. When you have a city as loaded with history and significant artistic events as Florence is, I guess poor opera gets second billing. [My town, in contrast, was briefly home to a young Langston Hughes (a poet in the Harlem Renaissance). We have two plaques marking where he lived and have named an elementary school after him. When you don't have a lot of history in your town, you have to exploit it with all you have.]

Puccini on opera: I will feel it as an Italian, with desperate passion. I think it's time to put on some Butterfly...

Corner View's theme this week is music. To experience ~~a taste~~ a note of music around the world, please visit Francesca's site and scroll through the comments.

Alley love mystery

2011-09-25T07:42:00.000-07:00

Were you the heartbroken or the heartbreaker?

Dear Victorian killer,

2011-09-24T17:23:00.000-07:00

You bought a big, bold purple Victorian monstrosity and you tried to civilize it. Shame on you. Do you think all that expensive stonework will get your Victorian curves in line?

And then you painted it tan? TAN? in Lawrence??

And then Mission garage doors? I'm pretty sure that they cost more than my entire house. It's good to know that not everyone is suffering in this economy, but do they really go with your house?

So, what allows me to be so judgmental? I'm an anonymous blogger. I have a license to say anything. Duh.

Al Jolson?

2011-09-23T04:58:00.000-07:00

Is this Al Jolson? Why is it stenciled in a back alley of my town??

corner view: silly

2011-09-21T03:26:00.000-07:00

I've been told that my very un-silly great-grandmother would not have approved of this, but I smile every time I see my silly old farm dog trying to fit on her repurposed dog bed.

For more silliness -- and, really, who doesn't need some silliness in their lives? -- take a hop, skip and a jump over to Francesca's blog.

Details matter

2011-09-20T07:55:00.000-07:00

I think these are used to tie up your horses. Details matter ... in Florence.

sad, sad sign of the times

2011-09-18T10:01:00.000-07:00

I do my own ballet with the poverty line, so I know that a trip to the market is getting more and more limiting. But when your local grocery store uses this sticker as a marketing device, that's a sad reminder of what your neighbors are facing as they walk up and down the aisles.

Gray house and...

2011-09-16T16:50:00.000-07:00

This house is for sale. Can I appeal to my Realtor-friend to get me in? Because I want to see if the inside is as mod as the outside.

I really, really, really, really want to love this acqua, but...

Sunshine.

Dear elephant ears,

2011-09-15T05:31:00.000-07:00

YOU.FREAK.ME.OUT

corner view: iconic

2011-09-14T04:02:00.000-07:00

I'm not really a truck person, but for my corner of the world, few things are more iconic than a good ol' red Silverado Chevrolet pickup truck.

These days, pickup trucks look more like this one, and cost more than luxury sedans.

I drive a pickup truck. I always back in. I don't have to park on concrete. I drive a pickup truck, dammit. I make my own rules.

Of course, I prefer the older ones. If loving you is wrong, I don't want to be right. Bonus: towing notice on the driver's window.

They don't make cars this color anymore. Why not?

Those headlights look like they could blink.

A little creepy that I found you in the funeral home parking lot. A Lawrence-style hearse?

Pea green

Butter yellow (I think I just got hungry looking at these trucks.) I don't think this one is too old, but I dig the hubcaps.

For more iconic images throughout the world, visit the comments section on Francesca's site.

project's done

2011-09-12T04:29:00.000-07:00

The post-it note features the name of a book that I came across while working on this project at two in the morning called The Energy Bus. I have a feeling that only one thing in this picture is recommended by the author. But it got the job done, didn't it? I only drink sodas when working on projects.

Chicken/egg question. Is the American economy where it is today because of Diet Coke? Or is the American economy where it is today because of Diet Coke? Deep. Better pour a cup of coffee and contemplate this.

Dear optimism,

2011-09-10T21:47:00.000-07:00

You must be what fuels this gathering of supplies. I can't wait to see what project requires that many ladders and that much scaffolding. Was a new highrise going up in my neighborhood that I didn't know about?

This is the same house with the boat and not-so-effective fence, so I'm very intrigued by this seeming burst of activity.

Dear neediness,

2011-09-08T05:34:00.000-07:00

FOUR welcome signs? I just walked by briefly and started getting phone calls and text messages asking me when I was going to come back. Can a house be clingy?

corner view: indispensable

2011-09-07T00:00:00.000-07:00

Sad to say, but with the Mediterranean in the background, my computer is my indispensable piece of equipment. Hello. My name is Debra, and I'm an Internet addict. (By the way, friends with amazing vacation homes are a pretty indispensable thing in my life, too!!)

To see what else is indispensable around the globe, please visit Francesca's site, the host of Corner View.

Dear blah new housing,

2011-09-05T20:34:00.000-07:00

For those of you who live in new housing developments whose exterior paint choices are limited to only three colors--cream, tan and taupe--I offer you Lawrence's rainbow:

RED:

ORANGE: You might think that it is difficult to find an orange house, but there are two orange houses on the same block, almost facing each other. How odd that when giving directions you can't simply say, "It's the orange house."

YELLOW: Here's a mustard yellow, but I could offer you a butter yellow if you prefer.

GREEN: Lots of greens to choose from, but I went with this one:

BLUE:

INDIGO?

VIOLET: We should, intrinsically, be an anti-purple town, so I was afraid that I would have to venture a long way to find some violet examples. However, while the other houses in this post are all on my walking route to work, these two homes were just three blocks off my regular course. UPDATE: Just saw another purple house in the neighborhood yesterday! UPDATE (2): And another one!

So, after a few days of walking around, taking pictures of rainbow houses (and HOURS uploading the pictures here), I discover that I could have taken a much easier route.

No, thanks

2011-09-04T08:42:00.000-07:00

Do ya wanna hang out on top of my porch?

Do ya wanna hang out in my treehouse?

Dear towel,

2011-09-04T06:15:00.000-07:00

You belong on a towel rack in the bathroom, not on the back of a chair in front of wide open windows where my sad, dripping body has scuttled over to grab you TWICE in the last week.

Dear local weatherman,

2011-09-03T04:43:00.000-07:00

Kudos to you for using the word igneous to describe the weather today. But now that you have built up the vocab of the local youth, don't you think it's time for a halt to this igneous summer? I mean, fall usually ends before December 2 and spring ends before June 2. Can't summer end by September 2? 104 degrees! I can't wait until you describe the weather as algid.

Ok, so these sunflowers are kinda pretty. But are they worth the spirit-sapping heat? See you next year, sunnies.

Dear dog,

2011-09-01T05:10:00.000-07:00

Yes, you can come in.

No, you can't go out.

corner view: change

2011-08-31T04:26:00.000-07:00

Revelation from Obviousville. Change doesn't come about as a result of whining and wishful thoughts. Change requires action. The picture below is a result of six years of thinking that I didn't like my side garden and that I should do something about it. Three straggly spirea bushes and three burnt arborvitae. The orange paint is not really lines for the new garden design; it is a police outline of dead grass.

Now, after some inspiration (a trip to Charleston), three months of planning, and six hours of hard labor from sister and mother (and when I say "hard labor" I mean stinging-sweat-in-your-eyes type of hard labor), we have this result:

Lesson: Change happens through inspiration, planning, ACTION, and having an awesome support system.

Dear lazy sign writer,

2011-08-28T20:55:00.000-07:00

Really? It was too much work to write an "o" to try to sell tailgte spots?

Dear half-assed,

2011-08-28T06:55:00.000-07:00

Here's a house doin' you proud...

Given the full-assed smell of pot coming out its windows, this result doesn't surprise me at all.

Dear Indiana (Street),

2011-08-26T03:24:00.000-07:00

You host my two favorite blocks in the city.

Reason #1: It begins with this overgrown, untouched "park" dedicated to a crazy mathematician/hermit. Have you ever seen a park more suited to its namesake?

"After losing his position as Professor of Mathematics at Rittenhouse Academy in Washington, D.C. for abolitionist sympathizing, Hugh Cameron eventually walked westward. Cameron arrived in Lawrence with the first party of settlers in August 1854. He served as justice of the peace and one time ran a ferry. He served in the Union Army during the Civil War. He returned to Lawrence and published a journal for the working man, but it failed. He became an eccentric who did not cut his hair from age 55, perhaps because of a failed romance. He walked to Washington, D.C. for every inaugural ceremony. In 1907 he moved from a hollowed out tree trunk at Cameron's Bluff to an elaborate tree house and cave he built at this site. Cameron died penniless in 1908 at his sister's home in Topeka."

Reason #2: Jayhawk flamingos.

Reason #3: Not-so-ordinary house numbers.

Reason #4: This is your backdoor neighbor (as opposed to, say, a member of an unimaginative garage band with Monday night rehearsals).

Reason #5: And your backdoor neighbor's backdoor neighbor.

Reason #6: This lovely lady at the end of the street. When you look at the ages of the other houses surrounding her, you can tell that she was made by the third little pig with some serious masonry skills.

Reason #7: A little inspiration. Why not paint your garage door?

Dear sis,

2011-08-24T16:24:00.000-07:00

This rock formation is older than you.

This wall is older than you.

This pot is [probably] older than you.

Gift for your birthday? A little perspective. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Dear neighbor boys,

2011-08-23T04:25:00.000-07:00

You must be Eagle Scouts, because I've never seen a group so prepared for an early snowfall. You know that it is August, don't you?

Dear across-the-street neighbors, is that why your Christmas lights are up? Because you want to be prepared in case Christmas sneaks up on you? Oh, a-t-s neighbors, there must be thousands of Americans out there who hate you. You leave Christmas lights up (showing you probably don't give much attention to the upkeep of your house), you haven't weeded your garden in--I don't know?--ever?, your front sidewalk is crumbling, and yet you sold your house in under three months. Somehow I have a feeling the inside isn't perfectly staged either (unless staging entails moving the dirty dishes from the bedroom to the kitchen sink). At the very least it makes me feel pretty confident about our location ... or pretty concerned about price comparables on our street.

Dear would-be yard artists,

2011-08-21T06:40:00.000-07:00

Some people can rock the blue-bottle tree.

And some people can't.

Dear park,

2011-08-19T05:12:00.000-07:00

Your one little part of town looks like the Old World, and for that, I love you. And, though it is probably a result of budget cuts, I like the fact that there are no guard rails or concerns for safety about your crumbling walls.

However, I hate that I have to visit you for our not-mandatory-but-really-mandatory departmental picnic tonight.

Oh? And park? Your squirrels aren't acting strange because they have rabies, they are just terrorized by a fierce black-and-white hunter who stalks EVERY SINGLE ONE of them.

Dear neighbor,

2011-08-18T12:00:00.000-07:00

Thanks for having such a pretty garden for me to admire on my walks. And your chocolate lab is adorable. I never see a wife. You wouldn't be single, would you? Of course, you wouldn't buy a house like that if you lived alone with your two dogs, so I'm sure that there's a wife. Maybe she has a terrible disease and can't leave? Or maybe she is horribly disfigured and only goes out at night? Do you only eat food that she orders online or buys at the 24-hour mini-mart? No wonder you spend so much time working on your garden. It must be hell inside those walls. I guess if I had a terribly disfigured spouse I would have a nicer looking garden, too. [And once again I am able to make it all about me.]

Dear neighbors,

2011-08-17T12:26:00.000-07:00

I want to knock on some of your doors and become best friends with you. Here's why:

House #1: YEW are so clever!

House #2: You have a Rastafarian tree in front of your uber-traditional house. I bet that you are fascinating.

House #3: You have done yellow and gray so much better than I have. Would you mind if I just took a quick tour inside your house?

Dear spirea,

2011-08-16T14:51:00.000-07:00

Sorry. I really thought that putting suntan lotion on you would protect you from sunburn.

Dear summer, I still think that we're going to win the war, but man did you win this battle.
Dear Better Homes & Garden, whaddaya think? Ya wanna go ahead and crown me gardener of the year?
Dear dog, yes, I know that it is cruel to hold your leash and my camera in the same hand.

Dear crop feature,

2011-08-16T07:59:00.000-07:00

I love you! You have made so many of my poorly-composed pictures look half-way decent. You have removed all traces of modern life from medieval castles. You have cut out annoying people in the background of shots. Here, you even took out the trash. So, crop feature, since you are so awesome, I was wondering if I could use you on my inner thighs? (Please get back to me soon, because I would hate to actually exercise if I don't have to.)

Dear balcony owner,

2011-08-13T10:24:00.000-07:00

I envy your sprezzatura. [sprezzatura, from Baldassare Castiglione: “a certain nonchalance, so as to conceal all art and make whatever one does or says appear to be without effort and almost without any thought about it.”] If I tried going for this look, it would just end up looking like a mess. Of course, if I tried going for this look, it wouldn't embody the whole idea of sprezzatura, would it? I also can't pull off hats.

Dear grass,

2011-08-10T05:35:00.000-07:00

Funny thing. If you were in my back yard you'd be cut down every week (ok, every month or so--I hate to mow the lawn). If you were in my gravel driveway you'd be poisoned, stomped on, peed on from dogs walking along the alleyway, and torn from your roots. But here you are showcased in a botanical garden as an exotic display. Hmm. Wonder which stalk of grass I am??

Dear succulents,

2011-08-08T06:41:00.000-07:00

I'm thinking of changing your name to suck-u-don'ts.

Dear pirates,

2011-08-07T05:04:00.000-07:00

There will always be a home (or two) for you in my neighborhood! You can bring Johnny Depp with you, if you want.

Dear simplicity,

2011-08-03T07:46:00.000-07:00

You got overabundance beat.