It’s the first Monday of a new month which means TBB “The Blended Blog“  linkup time.

~ TBB ASKS ~

MAY Entertainment Edition

Comedy or Drama?

Drama

Definitely Drama.

 

Fiction or Non-Fiction?

Fiction

 

 

Movies in Theater or At Home?

At Home

Who could resist that?

 

 

Musical or Play?

Musical.

I especially love the Alhambra Dinner Theater!

 

 

Which Meal of the day is your favorite to eat out?

Dinner.

Which happens at least once a week.

 

 

 

Favorite Book ever read?

Let me think… I’ll come back to this one.

 

 

 

Game Night: Yes or No?

Yes.  LB and I spent many Thursday evenings with friends at Gators Dockside sharing appetizers and playing trivia.  Those were fun times!

 

 

Favorite Outside Game to play?

Softball?  I can’t think of any outside games so I must not have a favorite.

 

 

Favorite TV Series ever?

Hmmm…

I don’t know that I’ve truly loved a TV series since Little House on the Prairie.

 

THAT was a great episode!

 

 

Sitcoms growing up or Sitcoms of today?

Growing up I watched The Brady Bunch, I Dream of Jeannie, and Bewitched.  They just don’t make ’em like they used to!

 

 

Miniature Golf or Bowling?

Um… neither.

 

 

Favorite Movie Theater Candy?

IF I happen to find myself in a movie theater, I probably will not visit the concessions stand.  Too many calories to consume while remaining in a fixed position.  HOWEVER… my favorite candy is M&Ms.

 

 

How do you like your popcorn?

Hot and Buttery! But, alas, I don’t remember the last time I had popcorn with butter.

 

 

3D movies with glasses: Yes or No?

I’ve only experienced one that I can recall: A Christmas Carol at the IMAX Theater in World Golf Village near St. Augustine years ago.  I thought it was very good.

 

 

Favorite Genre of Books to Read?

Self-help

 Because I need all the help I can get!

 

 

Favorite Book ever read?

I’m thinking it is probably Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss.

I have my own special edition copy!

 

 

Thank you for taking time out of your day to stop by my blog.

…that Run for the Roses.

I do not like to ride horses, nor do I like to be near horses, but I LOVE to watch them run.  Horses are majestic and beautiful.  I admire them from afar.  And I dearly love the event that features these beauties every first Saturday of May.

The Kentucky Derby

has been deemed the most exciting (fastest) two minutes in sports.

The race features three-year-old Thoroughbreds that run a distance of one and a quarter miles at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky.

 The Kentucky Derby has been run every year since 1875.  It is the first leg of the American Triple Crown and is followed by the Preakness Stakes, then the Belmont Stakes.

My first pick was Mendelssohn.  Mendelssohn’s odds were 5-1, but before I knew that, I chose him, just because I like his name.  When the race began, Mendelssohn was bumped out of the gate and never recovered.

Mendelssohn came in LAST.

My other pick was Justify.

Justify finished much better.

My tendency is to stand in front of the television to observe sports events that have my interest, and like many others have watched the Kentucky Derby from my living room for the past several years.

This year LB decided that we should get dressed up and go out to enjoy the race in the company of others.  He does a good job of getting me out of my comfort zone.

LB made arrangements for us to go to the

Cowford Chophouse

in downtown Jacksonville to watch the 144th Kentucky Derby.

We enjoyed a rooftop party filled with guests wearing fancy hats and bow ties.

Some day I may find myself enjoying the company of others on the first Saturday of May at Churchill Downs.  With a man like LB in my life, it wouldn’t surprise me.

 

 

Thank you for taking time out of your day to stop by my blog.

 

Another Friday is upon us and today is the first Friday in May!

I won’t beset my post by using the obvious May the Fourth memes

 

Because after all…

 

If you know who this is, then you likely know what that means.

 

And although “ITS JUST MAY”… I’ll always celebrate Friday.

 

As I do every Friday, I’m sharing my

Friday Favorites

 

Favorite # ONE

Tomorrow is

Cinco de Mayo

A Mexican day celebrated mostly by those of us in the U.S.A.  Most people just want a reason to have a party and Cinco de Mayo is good motivation.

  LB and I enjoy La Nopalera regularly.  Last year LB and I enjoyed dinner there with friends.  In that post I selected some appropriate outfits and accessories to wear for May 5th celebrating.    You can check them out here.  They are perfect for partying.  And speaking of partying, this party playlist is perfect for a Cinco de Mayo party.

This Cinco de Mayo party playlist posted by blogger The Queen in Between  on The Blended Blog Friday Loves post is great.

Found at the bottom of the playlist is a link to a site providing step by step instructions for making your own Cinco de Mayo sunglasses.  You won’t want to miss that!

 

This year, instead of the Cinco de Mayo party, LB and I will formally observe

 

Favorite # TWO

The Kentucky Derby

Also known as The Run for the Roses.

Here’s my hatand dress.

 I’m looking forward to getting all dressed up and enjoying the fastest 2 minutes in sports.

Also the horses’ names are amusing and clever.  Some of the recent winners include: California Chrome in 2014, American Pharaoh in 2015, Nyquist in 2016 and Always Dreaming in 2017.

 

Favorite # THREE

Springtime means gardening

and gardening means

MULCH

I must get the obsession from my Mama.

While she opted for a truckload, I’m filling my landscape with one bag at a time.

With any luck I’ll be finished in time for hurricane season to blow it all out into the grass.

 

 

Favorite # FOUR

I love this little girl.

While I was visiting with her last night, she noticed my Fitbit which I usually wear around my ankle.  She announced, “I need one of those!”

This morning while I was at work, Mama sent me this text message:

Just like Glammy.

 

 

Favorite # FIVE

My new gingham pants from LOFT.

Regularly 69.50, I purchased them for $28.03 using Honey.

The yellow blouse that is paired with these pants pictured on the website looks very cute on the LOFT model.  However I prefer this look:

In comparison, mine is slightly lacking.

 

 

Thank you for taking time out of your day to stop by my blog.

 

means

Spring Foods

in Spanish.

Food is unquestionably one of the most frequently contemplated topics.

The subject of Spring Foods [put forth by The Blended Blog] brings to my mind, first and foremost:

Salad

Light, cool, fresh, and satisfying for the warm season that will be getting warmer every day until November.

I have a salad every day for lunch.  LB and I had salad for dinner last night.  Every time we go to a Mexican Restaurant we split an order of Fajitas Texanas.  LB will enjoy the tortillas and I will use most of the lettuce to make a SALAD.

 

 

Another springtime favorite

Grilled Vegetables

LB and I have always enjoyed finding a spot on the beach or near the river to grill.

We have a small grill that LB has named “R2” that we will pack up to take along.  When a suitable place has been found, we will set up R2, light him up and load him up with with turkey sausage dogs, sweet peppers, onions, and corn on the cob.  On a few occasions we have grilled kebobs.  Passersby will almost always comment on the appetizing aroma.

 

 

Carrots

are typically a favorite springtime food.

Speaking of carrots, today is

National Bugs Bunny Day

Back to Carrots.

Carrots are a vegetable that I like, but not typically a first choice.

Carrot Cake Trifle, however, is a preferred springtime food.  I’ve made it for Easter Sunday dinner two years in a row.  And as luck would have it, the Carrot Cake Trifle is one of the recipes that I have posted on my blog here.  And the cream cheese frosting is one of the recipes that I have posted in my blog here.   I remember “testing” this frosting and thinking it is rich enough to top any dessert that calls for cream cheese frosting.  For the Carrot Cake Trifle, 16 ounces of cool whip is folded into the cream cheese frosting to layer with the walnuts and the cake in the trifle bowl.  It is delectable!

Did I ever get back to carrots?

Talk about DIGRESSING!

 

 

 

 Thank you for taking time out of your day to stop by my blog.

Hello Friday!

I’ve said it before… just when I think I couldn’t be any happier to see Friday… I become happier than ever to see Friday!

 

Favorite # ONE

Flowers from Wendy

and her Nana.

This week Wendy graciously presented me with amaryllis from her beloved Nana’s garden.  With Nana’s house on the market, Wendy is collecting as many of the precious plants that she can.  Wendy gave me three bulbs that will someday grow beautiful red flowers and two plants that will produce white flowers.  I brought them home with me on Tuesday and planted them right away.  I’ve added the red bulbs to my very small flower garden in the front yard.  The [white amaryllis] plants have a new home in the screened enclosure out back.  Wendy explained that the white flowers are rare and would need to be kept in a place where they aren’t likely to come into contact with bees so there would be no cross pollination.  I haven’t been able to find this same information online, but I’ll give Wendy credit for knowing what she is talking about.  After all I give her credit 94% of the time at work (hee hee).

Also I love her dearly!

To Wendy’s Nana:  I promise your amaryllis will have a happy home!

I can’t wait to see them bloom!

 

Speaking of flowers…

 

 

Favorite # TWO

This Floral Blouse

Once again I’ve fallen victim to online shopping this week at LOFT.com.  This top is regularly $54.50.  I managed to get it for $21.97 (and free shipping) using Honey + 2% cash back from Ebates.

The Package Fairy will be visiting me soon.

 

 

Favorite # THREE

Guess How Many M&Ms contest

There are typically contests of some sort at work.  On occasion there will be a FUN contest.  This week brought about that exception.  A bottle similar to that of a wine bottle [slightly smaller] filled with plain M&Ms was presented to our team as a prize to the person who could guess the number of M&Ms inside.  I counted the M&Ms on the bottom of the bottle and the number of rows up to the neck and multiplied.  Then I added that product to the number of M&Ms I counted in the neck.  The number I came up with was 597.  Since a regular wine bottle holds about 3 cups and there are supposed to be 200 plain M&Ms in one cup,  I thought 597 was a safe number to submit.  So I did.

I was wrong.

 

 

At this time I do not know the total number of M&Ms, but the winner submitted the number 725.

I’ll celebrate with Kathy because she is my friend.

Enjoy your M&Ms Kathy.

 

 

Favorite # FOUR

M&Ms in a Bottle

I’m going to buy my own bottle, fill it up with M&Ms, and set it on my desk.

Apparently I’m a sore loser.

 

 

Favorite # FIVE

 Date night with LB

Thursday at 3:40PM, I received this text from LB:

 

LB: Are you free tonight? I’d like to take you on a date!

Kimberly: I am free and would love to go on a date with you! The only plans I have are to be with you wherever you are!

 

LB:

 

 

 

 

 

Kimberly:

 

 

 

 

 

LB: show starts at 7:30… doors open at 6:30

Kimberly: I can be ready!

LB: we’ll shoot to leave 630-645

Kimberly: will you be picking me up in your fancy red car?

LB: Absolutely!!!

 

The date would turn out to be an evening with Johnny Mathis “The Voice of Romance Tour 2018” which deserves a post of its own.

 

 

Thank you for taking time out of your day to stop by my blog.

 

Once again the Blended Blog has provided a topic for today:

Spring Where You’re From

is meant as an opportunity for members of the group and those that link up to share “what spring looks like in your corner of the world”.

As I mentioned in a previous post, when I begin to see robins in the yard, I know spring has arrived.   The robins have moved on, but there are other little birds everywhere.

One such little bird made a definite impression. LB happened to need to check the pool pump first thing yesterday morning.  What he found was unbelievable.  So tiny you can barely see.

A Little Hummingbird

had flown into our pool enclosure and his beak was trapped in the screen. 

As he began work to free the little fella, LB snapped this picture.  I watched as he gently pushed the little beak out of the screen while assuring his “little buddy” that everything was going to be okay.  The hummingbird hastily soared upward and took a much needed rest in a tree.  So quickly that I couldn’t get a picture.  I was so glad that he wasn’t hurt and grateful that LB bypassed his usual routine, and stepped outside to check on the pool pump.

Springtime in my town has been abnormally cool for Florida this year.  Spring 2018 has brought with it more rain than I remember ever having in April.  At the moment my yard is holding enough water to qualify it as waterfront property.

We were fortunate enough to have a few dry days before Easter Sunday and the Easter egg hunt went on as planned.  There have been a few exceptionally beautiful days, like this one when we had brunch by the river surrounded by pink petunias.And we have found time to plant a new dogwood tree

and transplant a Chinese Privet that Mama wanted to have relocated from her yard to mine.

My daylilies have bloomed as has the much loved [by Lydia] azalea bush in the front yard.

Speaking of Lydia, the spring “cidal” took place yesterday afternoon.  Lydia loves to be on the stage.

She is

The Perfect Little Ballerina

 

If you have never had the opportunity to see a two year old dance in a ballet recital, you don’t know what you are missing.

As her teacher mentioned in her opening address, “sometimes in life you have to choose joy, but today it is presented to you for free”.

 

 

 

What is spring like where I’m from?  It is like wonderful!No hummingbirds were harmed for the production of this blog post.  We love little birds.

 

 

 

 

Thank you for taking time out of your day to stop by my blog.