Opening Ceremonies 2014 Olympics ~ The Alphabet

Did you watch the Opening Ceremonies for the Olympics last night? I must admit, I am a ceremony junkie! If there's any pomp and ceremony attached, I watch! The Olympics are no exception -- and they were fantastic, let me tell you!

Snowflakes that turned into....

the Olympic Rings!

Ooops, that one silly snowflake wanted to stay a snowflake!

I'm also an Olympics junkie and will be watching every night! Love the ice skating and snowboarding especially, oh and let's not forget the luge! How anyone can go that fast on a tiny track on their backs and feet first is beyond me!

I took these pictures from my TV, by the way.... and so as not to have complete Olympic overload, I've decided to post them over four days (I know, I know, that's a lotta pics!!) But this was so fabulous, it's gotta be shared!

So it is my hope that you'll come back for more over the next several days. If you didn't see the opening ceremonies, this will give you a taste, and if you did, well maybe you'll see something you didn't before.

This will  be the line-up....
Today -- Beginning with the alphabet
Sunday -- Athletes entering
Monday -- Carnival and Russian history performances
Tuesday -- Lighting of the torch

Enjoy!

The start of the performances showed the Russian Cyrillic alphabet, told by a most beautiful child as she reads her alphabet book. When the athletes enter, they will be in the order of the Cyrillic alphabet, rather than our own as is the norm.

Years ago a Russian friend of my brother gave me an English-Russian handbook and inscribed it with my name written in Russian. Since it is Sarah, he told me that it did not translate into Russian since it was a Biblical name, but that it was pronounced the same as in English. Anyway, in the Cyrillic alphabet, Sarah is written Capa. There's no individual letter for the "h"

S

A

R

A

Even though many of the Cyrillic letters look like ours, they stand for an entirely different letter. And then there are the letters that have symbols....

F for fish

the letter with pronunciation of "ZH"

YO

Hey, you've gotta have a cute little hedgie pic!

and a kitty!

I missed the letter, but he's a (big) cutie!

"Russia" in Cyrillic alphabet

You can see how the girls are standing on graphics on the floor. This was a new technique and was absolutely fabulous! I don't have the knowledge to explain it, but trust me, it was unbelievable! The graphics moved and changed with whatever was going on above the floor. 

Can you see that tiny white dot just below the center cloud?

That's the little girl who read the alphabet and then soared above -- 

the platforms and clouds are actually hanging from the roof!

Here she is floating over to the platform which is the third one you see in the first shot

Still a tiny white dot!

and here she will land on that floating platform -- 

seven of these platforms floated through showing scenes from Russia's history.

Of course there was singing and beautiful costumes

OK, that's it for today... next up will be some of the athletes entering. You'll see some very colorful uniforms! I hope you'll come back tomorrow to see!



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Lady Love Bugs

Did you catch ladybugs when you were a kid? How about love bugs? 

Ladybugs are the ones with red wings and black spots -- as in Ladybug, Ladybug, fly away home..... and love bugs are the ones that are *stuck together* if you know what I mean.

I remember catching love bugs but I was one of the nice kids who didn't pull them apart... yeah sure, you say -- but it's true! I had no idea why they were stuck together, just that they were! I wonder if I ever asked my mom why they were like that -- and even better, I wonder what she answered if I did!

Anyway, with Valentine's Day right around the corner, and those love bugs madly dashing about with their girlfriends or handsome beaus, I have made a little crochet buggie to remember the day.

She's actually a Ladybug, but because of her special heart spots, she's also a Love Bug!

Here she is waiting for her special love beau to come along...

She thinks the birdhouses on the chair will attract him : )

She has rather buggy (get it?) eyes, 

to keep the little ones safe when they play

She even has her own cute bag to sleep in!

Her own ladybug cousins and some butterfly friends are on the bag,

and it says "Girl Bugs" all over it!

Miss Lady Love Bug likes it very much!

 PS -- she resides in my Etsy shop and does hope that she will soon find a little friend to fly home to!


sharing Miss Lady Love Bug over at Miss Jenny's for Alphabe-Thursday where we are studying the letter L


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Wordless Wednesday ~ Camouflage Cali

Now you see me....

 Now you don't

sharing at Aquariann's Wordless Wednesday and on Camera Critters

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Kite Flying ~ A Look Back

I vaguely remember flying trying to fly a kite when I was a kid. I think my older brother probably tried to help me, but ended up flying it himself.... What I actually remember is tying on pieces of fabric for the tail and running a lot.

So when Noli got a kite several years ago, I was excited that she and Papa were able to get it to fly. It was such a pretty kite -- a big Monarch butterfly.

She even had on an almost matching dress for the occasion!

Noli's job was to hold the kite string and to run a lot (following in my footsteps, ya know)!

It's fun to look back on that kite-flying day -- she is so much more grown up now at seven-going-on-eight. (I can hardly believe it!) She had just turned four in these pictures -- just a little kid!

Sometimes the trees almost catch the kite....

Sometimes the string catches Noli!

But then she gets it back....

Sometimes Noli catches the kite

Her other job is to point out where the kite is -- she also likes to show us just how windy it was.

You can just see the pretend tattoos on her leg and arms -- she takes after mommy and daddy with that!

 All in all, a glorious kite-flying day!

Sharing Noli's kite flying over at Miss Jenny's for Alphabe-Thursday where we are studying the letter K


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Just for Laughs ~ Groceries, Less for More

I thought I'd start to share some silly stuff -- sometimes on Friday, sometimes on Saturday, depending on my mood, the weather, the moon last night, whatever strikes my fancy.... Don't hold me to it though.... ha!

Anyway, a few nights ago, hubby made a quick run to the grocery store -- we were out of coffee for the morning and that can't possibly EVER HAPPEN!

We are nothing without our coffee in the morning! He can hold out longer than I can, but if I don't have a cup within 5 minutes of waking up, there will be consequences!

We do most of our everyday shopping at Aldi (eggs, milk, bread, English muffins, canned stuff, potatoes, cheese.... regular stuff, plus NO plastic bags) but go to Kroger for most fruits and veggies (Aldi is pathetic in the produce department)....

and Albertson's for our coffee because they are the only store to sell it in the BIG 32 oz size which is much more economical than the regular size. And they are pretty close by for those late night *Oh no, we're out of coffee!* runs  :p

When he came back, he said he didn't think he had ever spent so much for so few items... almost $50 for 7 items --- seven!!

He bought two Tropicana oj's (no other brand will do), peach preserves, tp, a furnace filter, motor oil and, of course, the coffee. And we won't speak of prices for tp these days....

You can see that we've already hit the oj and the preserves (and the coffee)... and he immediately used the furnace filter and the motor oil.

But $47.71  for THAT? At Aldi, we can spend less and have so much food we can't find places for it in the fridge or pantry!

But, hey, we saved  $3.47!!

And about that furnace filter? That's a story in itself! He took out the old filter, which had gotten sucked up inside -- because it was a tad too small. He knew about this one, but unknown to him was the fact that THREE of those filters had gotten sucked up inside the furnace. We had bought a pack of three that turned out to be an inch too short, but every time he changed it, he thought the previous one had fallen to the floor since it was too small and just put the new one in. But actually, they all got sucked up inside! He was pretty funny laying on the floor, digging filters out of the furnace!

And needless to say, our furnace is now purring like a kitten!

Hope your day is full of giggles!

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An Interlude of Rest for Funny Face

Last week for Alphabe-Thursday I told you the story of Funny Face's hurt leg -- today I'm bringing you up-to-date. So many sweet comments were left wishing Face well (and he did appreciate all those get well wishes!) that I thought you might like to know the outcome :)

We kept Face in the cage for four days -- the vet said three but it had rained for a couple of days and was wet outside so I decided to keep him for a fourth day to let the ground dry. Didn't want him to be limping around on wet ground cover! I don't think Face was too happy about that fourth day though!

So the morning of the fifth day, we opened the cage inside and closed off the sun room to see what he would do. Bowl of food a couple of feet from the cage door to entice him. No such luck. He was determined to lay there and look sad. (I think he was missing his brother and sister)

Then the crowd gathered to have their breakfast...

Bottom left around -- Cali Jr, Cali Mae, Patio Jr, and Patio. 

I know, crazy names!!

Heads up for air!

Boy, I'd like to take a comb to that Cali Mae -- she always looks so ragged!

He finally got brave (or curious) enough to come out -- still limping but putting a tiny bit of weight on the foot. Just testing the waters. (Note the Priority Mail box used for them to cozy up. They keep getting on top and now it's about to fold up on them!!)

Getting some breakfast -- see his foot still sticking out?

Cali's going for water.

Still eating as Cali looks on. 

See what I mean about needing that comb?!!

The steps could use a good hosing too!

Should I?

I'll just hold my foot up and try....

Wait! I'm not too sure about this....

OK, deep kitty breath...

and he's on his way!

Yeah I know the leaves need to be raked...

but the kitties have told me that they like the crunching sound and to leave them...

Leave the leaves!! haha..

Pretty soon he was walking pretty good on it and it got better and better every day, as we knew it would :)

Now, he pretty much acts as if nothing ever happened. That his leg was bitten all the way through by some vicious animal -- probably a bigger cat -- and we saved him from further hurt, or worse. But as in the way of cats, he can completely ignore us.... but he sure comes running for breakfast and dinner!

Actually, he lays about the yard most of the day, finding sun puddles and playing with his brother (Patio Jr). His sister (Cali Jr) is the most skittish one and is out of sight most of the time. But her markings are beautiful!!

This morning, laying in a leaf sun puddle  :)

I do think he's getting a bit more friendly -- he doesn't run away as much when we open the back door; only zips a little ways and then comes back. Maybe there's hope for him yet!


sharing the second act of Face's ordeal over at Miss Jenny's for Alphabe-Thursday where we are studying the letter I.


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