Noli is attending a kids' camp this summer -- it's part of the after school program at her school and they have a special session during the summer. Anyway, when she and my daughter stopped by one afternoon recently, Noli was excited to tell me about an experiment they were doing.
We're growing crystals! she says.
So how do you grow crystals, I ask.
Let's do it! I'll show you how!! (She's jumping up and down at this point!)
First I got a plastic refrigerator container (I wanted to use something that could be thrown away)
Then Noli put in a bunch of salt (how much salt, Noli? A bunch, Mumsie!)
Now we put in some food coloring, she says. What color, I ask. Red and blue so we can make purple! she says. So we look in the pantry..... only red food coloring there.
OK, I guess we use red! she says. (She is a very "go with the flow" child, thank goodness!)
We add water.... again I ask how much.... and again she says "I don't know..... a bunch!"
We're kinda winging it here.
When she left, I told her I would watch it grow and keep it until she was back. So I nurtured that crystal growing factory just like it was my own, watered it so it didn't get dried out, smiled and said encouraging things to it daily...
.
It grew up the sides.
and looked like little trees
and kept growing until it was lapping over the sides
and little sparkles were in the bottom
She came over on Sunday which was a little over a week later. How are the crystals doing, Mumsie?
Whoa! They really grew, didn't they!
And look at all the tiny crystals in the bottom! So shiny like little diamonds, she says!
Next time she's here we're going to do the "Sparkly Explosion" -- she doesn't know it yet, but she'll love it!
It's got glitter!
sharing Noli's Growing Crystals experiment over at Miss Jenny's forAlphabe-Thursday where we are studying the letter G
and on Blue Monday at Smiling Sally's
and on Grand Social at Grandma's Briefs
I think most everyone who can remember November 22, 1963 can pinpoint the place they were when they heard the news of President Kennedy's assassination.
I was in 10th grade, on my way to my civics class when the announcement came over the intercom. The halls were instantly silent, except for quiet weeping and shocked gasps. When I walked into my classroom, the teacher was sitting on his stool as usual at the front of the class, but this time he had a radio playing and a stunned look on his face. We listened to the radio and he did his best to console us. That year our class paper was to be on either the assassination or on some other subject that I don't remember -- I think all but one student wrote about Kennedy. I still have my report.
Like the day the space shuttle Challenger exploded and 9/11/01 when our world was forever changed, I will always remember the day Kennedy's life was cut short and where I was and how I felt.
Our local ABC station was the one that broadcast the news that day to the citizens of the Dallas area and it is now doing a series of news stories and videos that are behind the scenes looks at the history of that day -- then and now -- leading up to the 50 year anniversary. Although I didn't live in the Dallas area at the time of the assassination, I have lived here for about 35 years and so am very familiar with such landmarks as Dealey Plaza, the Texas School Book Depository (which houses the Sixth Floor Museum) and the Texas Theatre.
One day recently I was happy to see that the story was about the Texas Theatre (check it out, there's a great video!) -- and am proud to say that my son, Adam, is a partner with three others in the ownership of that theater.
The Texas Theatre was first opened in 1931 in Oak Cliff (a Dallas suburb) and was part of a chain of theaters owned at one time by Howard Hughes. It was an upscale theater and the first with air-conditioning in the Dallas area.
It was also where Lee Harvey Oswald was arrested.
Three rows up, five seats in
After a series of ups and downs and almost demolitions, the Oak Cliff Foundation purchased the building, did some renovations and offered it up for a permanent lease. Enter Aviation Cinemas (the name is a nod to Howard Hughes) of which my son is a part -- which took over the lease and has done more renovations, turning the theater into a venue for art films, indie films, and blockbusters in 35 mm. No digital there! The Texas Theatre is old-school! They are helping to revive their area of Oak Cliff, focusing on the arts and participating in local happenings. Go here for some interesting facts on the theater!
Checking out the 35 mm film
The theater itself has become an enjoyable hangout for the artistic set with a bar where only vinyl albums are played on a funky little portable record player....
and walls where local art is displayed.
Art like crazy movie posters
Old cartoons are shown on the wall in the lobby. You can watch while you're enjoying a beer or cocktail and a visit with friendly folk.
A sea of red seats
There are 645 seats downstairs and there will be 300 to 350 more in the balcony when they get that opened. It was Dallas' largest theater when it was first built.
blankets are there for the patrons' use
(the theater gets cold!)
Sometimes you can play chess
Previous owners had walled over some of the great old architecture, but our guys scraped off what they could without jeopardizing the structure. Now there are "peep holes" that show the beautiful craftsmanship of old.
This shows the original stairs going to the balcony
Note the scroll work on the stair ends
If you would like to see videos and read more of the history surrounding that fateful day in Dallas, you can check out "JFK: Dallas, 50 Novembers." It's a pretty interesting read! I have bookmarked it so I can keep up with it if I miss one of the WFAA newscasts.
Please note: with the exception of the photos of Kennedy and Oswald, all of the photos were either taken by me on excursions to the theater, or from my TV as the story on the theater was aired.
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---- For this week's music ----
"Abraham, Martin and John" by Dion
sharing over at Miss Jenny's for Alphabe-Thursday where we are studying the letter F
and at Cottage Sweet Cottage for Rednesday
With July 4th getting closer and closer, I thought I would put together a patriotic red, white and blue treasury to show off some of that American spirit!
Many of these wonderful items are from the Blogging Business Artisans team and the rest are from around Etsy -- I found some beauties don't you think?!!
I hope you'll click on the title and go to the actual treasury on Etsy and leave me a comment! And comment here too, of course!! : )
And have a great Fourth of July when it gets here! We'll probably cook out and see what fireworks we can see from our backyard! (We stopped going to fireworks displays once the kids were too old to be seen with their parents!) Our town has a fireworks display every year that is not too far from us so we can usually see quite a few explosions in the sky!
But no, Earl Grey is one of our outside kitties -- kitties that have just shown up in our yard and decided to stay! Earl Grey was originally called Big Grey but that morphed into Earl Grey and sometimes Big Earl.
He's a large cat and, until recently, visited us in the late afternoon for dinner. He apparently has found better digs for now -- I've seen him walking across the street so I know he's okay -- he's just not coming here anymore.
Old Earl first showed up when (as it turned out) the two outside kitties that were already here (you've already met Cali Mae and Patio) decided that it was that time for them.... I didn't even know that Patio was a girl for crying out loud (they are too skittish for us to get near)! Anyway, Earl came a-calling and decided that Cali Mae was his bestest girl.
Earl's a pretty laid back guy
Can't you just let a guy have a sun puddle nap?
There, I'm turning my back on you!
I can't see you so you can't see me.....
Long about the same time, Blackie came on the scene and set his sights on Patio. This is when I was shocked to find out that Patio was a she!
So in a lovely outdoor wedding, the two man-cats took their new brides on a backyard honeymoon, and some months later, kittens were born. Two mamas, same day, five kittens.
Oh the papas were so proud!
But, and here's why Earl Grey no longer comes around to visit his bride and offspring... Blackie has taken over as top daddy cat! Earl only comes in the front yard from time to time and mourns the loss of his fatherhood. (Yeah, right!) I kind of miss him -- he's a handsome man-cat with a beautiful grey coat!
This is one of Earl's kittens -- he and Cali had two -- this cute grey one and another that looks just like Cali. The kittens are about ten weeks old now.
Cali and Earl Grey, Jr
(no, we're not naming any of the kittens!)
(I'll show you the rest another day)
Earl Grey is a great tree climber. Can you spot him?
There he is!
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and, drum roll....
----- For our musical moment today..... The Eagles! -----
singing "Hotel California"
♥♥♥ Hey! I'm now using Bloglovin' in addition to Google Friend Connect so I'd love for you to Follow my blog with Bloglovin
Sharing Earl Grey and The Eagles over at Miss Jenny's for Alphabe-Thursday where we are studying the letter E and sharing Earl Grey on Camera Critters
