Friday Fragments - How Was Your Week?

Welcome to my contribution to this week's Friday Fragments. This is a wonderful place to write about the different things going on with you, each of which would not necessarily make an entire post by themselves. Mrs.4444 (Mrs. Fours) of "Half-Past Kissin' Time" is the lovely host of this blog which often reveals bits and pieces of us through our rambling...well, my rambling, anyway!

As you can see by the pitiful photo above, we didn't have the best of weeks! Poor Ed, she and the bus said howdy to a brainless SUV who must have been temporarily blinded and clueless to traffic due to the rain... Praise the Lord, Ed is fine. After five hours of exams, tests, poking & prodding, she was told that she had a few bumps and bruises, but would be okay. I felt like it was me that had the accident!

We have four more weeks of school. Yessssss!!!! I just know that they will zoom by in no time! There's such a wonderful feeling when one can "see the light at the end of the tunnel!" State testing is over, as are class field trips. No more lonely days in the Guidance Office. The kids are so wired that they just can't keep those nasty words in, nor can they keep their hands off of the other kids who have been bugging them all year. Every day this week I have had two or three guests because they "just can't function" in the classroom. That's okay. I have just as much pent-up stress as they do. We have a lot of fun. I make them alphabetize papers, sharpen pencils and organize the books in the Lost & Found. After a day with me, they are happy to return to class so they can "function!"



I am sending thoughts and prayers to all of the tornado victims in the eastern part of the country. We had some damage here in St. Louis, but all lives were spared. My heart aches for those families who not only lost property, but also family and friends. May the days ahead be filled with the assistance needed to carry on with their lives.



I didn't wake up to watch the Royal Wedding, but was getting ready for work so I caught the ceremony and the trip back to the Palace. I thought it was wonderful, tasteful and filled with very interesting hats. What's up with that? Doesn't anybody over there get "hat hair?" I can't even wear a scarf for more than 20 minutes without having to wash & blow dry my silver locks.

Thanks for hanging in there while I rambled! I hope you have a wonderful weekend watching all your TV shows that were taped during the week!

Please stop over and say hello to Mrs.4444. I know she would love for you to enjoy some of the Fragments from her other friends!

"B" is for Butterfly House

BLUE MORPHO BUTTERFLY
The Butterfly House
Faust Park, St. Louis

Lunch is served!

Ed has been volunteering at The Butterfly House (click above) and decided to take her posse for a Saturday afternoon adventure. It's been a little rainy/gloomy/humid lately, causing her pictures to look as though they were taken in a steam bath. They actually were taken in a steam bath, but this bath belonged to butterflies!

Over 1,000 blue Morpho butterflies have been added to the collection this month. Their color, as evidenced above, is magnificent! Because there are so many of them, it was a little difficult to catch them while at rest. They don't rest. They are so excited to be here, they cannot control their erratic and mesmerizing dance. Here are a few more pics of this beautiful creature.





The House also has interactive exhibits like this! Ewwwwwwwwwww! Those suckers are huge!



(This is a post from about a year ago. I thought you might enjoy the beauty of this magnificent creature!) Thank you, Jenny Matlock, for hosting this always interesting weekly classroom assignment using letters of the alphabet as prompts for writing posts. Please stop by Jenny Matlock, Off On My Tangent, by clicking on the logo below and enjoy some very entertaining assignments from others!

Last Chance for Love!

Good morning all you Saturday Centus fans! For those of you who are not fans, you should really follow Jenny Matlock, Off on My Tangent. She has the most fun with her followers. In honor of this weekend's Easter holiday, Jenny has given us a photo from which to create a writing piece of no more than 100 words! There are many extraordinary writers who contribute to this weekly meme. Please check them out. Just click on the Saturday Centus logo at the bottom of this post!


"Sweetheart, I know you don’t like costume parties in April," she said to her 45 year-old daughter, "but it's a great way to meet people and you never know, Mr. Right could be there!"

“I know” Becky replied, “but I’m happy with my life. I do what I please, sleep all day if I want, and I love travelling for my job. I won’t give that up.”

“Yes, dear,” said mom, “but please just do this for me? Put on this blue velour bunny suit. You never know who will be there. It could be your last chance for love!"


Thanks for stopping by. However you celebrate this weekend, I hope you share happy moments with friends and family!

Click below to hop, hop, hop over to Jenny's!

A is for Arch

It's Alphabe-Thursday and we are starting all over again with the letter "A". I realize that I am a day late and a dollar short (the IRS took my last dollars), but I just couldn't let this landmark go unnoticed! Behold, the Gateway Arch, St. Louis, Missouri!


The Arch from the ground up on a sunny day!

The Arch is 630 feet tall and is the tallest man-made monument in the United States. Construction began in February of 1963 and finished in October of 1965. The Arch is a public memorial to the men and women who made possible the western territorial expansion of the United States, hence the name "Gateway to the West."



The ground from the observation deck at the top of the arch!



The Mississippi River and arch steps from the observation deck at the top. During the summer, there are concerts at the bottom of the steps with the audience sitting on the steps.



Here's a closer look at the steps leading up to the Arch grounds. Sometimes the river will rise high enough to cover most of the steps.



In 2006, special lighting was applied to show St. Louis' support for Breast Cancer research.

There is a museum, theatre and various historical exhibits under the Arch (and underground) as well as the elevators that lead tourists to the top. If you visit St. Louis, you MUST stop at the Arch, and take the tram to the top!

Please hop, with all of the other spring bunnies, over to Alphabe-Thursday hosted by Jenny Matlock, Off On My Tangent. Just click on the logo below and join the rest of the class with their "A" assignments!

Saturday Centus - May & April

Here we are once again where our friend Jenny Matlock, of Off On My Tangent fame throws us a nice & easy slider (it's baseball season, okay?). This week we need to write a 100 words or less using the prompt, April showers bring May flowers. We could write about the obvious, or we could get step outside the box and write something really silly! You decide! Here we go! The prompt is in bold.


It was hot. Nola and her sisters had just finished their chores. Tired and sweaty, they walked home.

"I want to shower" April shouted. "It is so dang hot!" Poppa had built an outdoor shower next to the garden. All the run-off ended up in the garden, and during spring, they would grow some amazing Marigolds. Fernmae worked the garden.

April sang “99 Bottles” during her shower. The run-off was so heavy that Fernmae asked Nola to help. It flowed fast and the Marigolds uprooted ending up at the back door. Mama came out, picked up the flowers and put them in a vase on the sill. You could say that April's Showers sometimes bring Fernmae's Flowers!

My inspiration for the story is this picture. Nola is in the middle.



Thanks for stopping by and humoring me a little! Please flow over to Saturday Centus and see what other masterpieces have been offered. Just click on the logo below.

Friday Fragments of My Imagination

It's been a while since I've participated in Friday Fragments. This is a wonderful place to write about the different things going on with you, all of which would not necessarily make an entire post. Mrs.4444 (Mrs. Fours) of "Half-Past Kissin' Time" is the lovely host of this blog which often reveals bits and pieces of us through our rambling...well, my rambling, anyway!

My week began in a sort of down spiral from events of my weekend. On Saturday, I attended the memorial service for the daughter of a good friend who recently passed away. She was only 23 years old and her death was a shock to many. The service was beautiful, with many tears shed. My friend was very courageous and compelled to comfort those of us who came to comfort her.

As I returned to my car, I turned my cell phone back on and saw that I had missed a call. The call was from a dear and long-time family friend, whose mother I had called a week prior. I knew immediately that the call was not going to be good news, so I drove straight home and called my friend. Our parents had been very close friends for about 40 years. We grew up thinking we were all cousins. Yes, my aunt had passed on about two months ago.

As the week passed and the sun came out, I felt a little more human and actually, felt just a little spunky! I'm not normally spunky, but I began to feel that way. I think spunky is when I do my best writing. Let's see what happens with that.



The American Idol extravaganza is something I look forward to every January. I send out a Lost & Found email to my fellow workers almost every day, and good material is sometimes hard to find. I enjoy being a "Joan Rivers" when commenting and keeping everyone up to date on the show. Last night's show was "true drama" in its best form. The contestants this year are too talented, too smart and too nice to really fulfill the producers expectations of high drama. So, they create their own, by picking the performances apart, or spicing up relationships, etc. I know that the people who vote for the shows contestants probably have an IQ that averages out to about 50. Some can appreciate the talent, and some just have their favorites for whatever reason. Since there is not enough contestant drama, the producers create their own by kicking off some of the better talent. This upsets a lot of people and then the next week, the numbers are way up! When friends at work discuss the show with me, I find myself talking as if I know everyone on the show. Pretty sad, isn't it? Oh well, I'm having fun with it, and I hope most people are, too!

Please click on the Friday Fragments logo below to read about what others have been up to, as well as having a great visit with Mrs.4444!

Thanks for stopping by today!

Z is for ZAPATOS!

"Z", the last letter of the alphabet! We made it!! Alphabe-Thursday, by Jenny Matlock, Off On My Tangent, is a clever weekly meme that I look forward to writing. I pondered over many "Z" words, but wanted to share my love for Zapatos (shoes). The "to-die-for red number above is "Bloom" at Bakers.


Mojo Moxi - Poppy (Bakers)

I can't wear most of these, but I do love them. There are a gazillion companies making the most fabulous shoes out there, but I chose two companies with which I am familiar; Bakers Shoes and KM2 Shoes to Live In (see my sidebar). Hope you enjoy!

Now remember, these shoes are NOT for wearing to the beach, or to a family picnic! "Nancy" - Bakers.



And for a special occasion, like sneaking around with your guy!


Jill - KM2 Shoes to Live In I'll bet they will make these in white for a wedding!


Brylee - Now this is more my style! This next one is too!



And so is this! I just might be able to wear this pair to work!



Here's a pretty Spring shoe. Treat yourself to a pair of these!


Wild Pair - Gerri

Please bunny hop over to Jenny's and see what other zanies are writing about! Just click on the logo below!



Have a great weekend, and remember to get plenty of zzzzzzzzzz!

Saturday Centus - A Not So Sunny Day

I love Saturdays! I love Sundays, too, but on Saturdays, I know I have two more days until I'm back at work. I chuckled this morning as I read Jenny Matlock, Off on My Tangent. She said that she forgot to think of a prompt for today's morning ritual. Her very nice Mister volunteered the first thing that came into his head, which was from a highway sign coming closer to them. It read Exit 181, 1/2 mile ahead. I was in a bit of a funk this morning, so I waited until the afternoon to write my contribution. I'm still in a bit of a funk.


It was a sunny day, but I didn’t feel happy. I dressed, poured some coffee and then started the car. I thought about the fact that I was on my way to a funeral, and forgot to bring tissues.

“Brilliant!” I said to myself, “now I will have mascara dripping all over me. Good thing I’m wearing black!” While stopped at a red light, I found a fast-food napkin and quickly tucked it into my pocket. Once on the highway, I saw the church in the distance. The next road sign read Exit 181, ½ mile ahead. I arrived, saw the hearse, and lost it.


Thanks for stopping by. Please hop over to visit Jenny by clicking on the logo below. Enjoy the rest of your weekend!