a blog in search of creativity… and dedicated to my mother for her artistic inspiration
I pulled up to the gas pump this morning and noticed the person who used it before I did spent $99. That is a first for me. I just cannot imagine having to spend that much for gas.
I remember my father complaining one day in the 70s that he had just spent $7.50 to fill up his car.
But here is my next – and quite obvious question: The guy couldn’t go just ONE more dollar to make it an even $100?
This is a section of Chattanooga’s National Cemetery.
It is a very quiet and respectful place, so I was trying to shoot it in that light.
My prayers, thoughts and thanks go to all soldiers and veterans.
I made my great grandmother’s homemade Angel Biscuits today mainly because I had some buttermilk left over from a cake I baked last week. They are REALLY good.
These are some of the tools I used and thought they made a good photo. . . not as good as the biscuits, of course.
Recipe: Buttermilk Angel Biscuits
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour (if you use self-rising, just omit the baking powder and salt)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup shortening (Crisco is what I use)
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 packet of dry yeast dissolved in 1 tablespoon luke warm water
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Dissolve 1/2 packet of yeast in 1 tablespoon of luke warm water and set aside. I go ahead and pour the buttermilk in a measuring cup so it can warm up a bit. I think that helps make the biscuits rise. (I could be wrong about that one)
Sift together the dry ingredients. Cut in the shortening with either two knives or using a cutter like the one shown in the photo. My great grandmother used two butter knives – criss crossing them to get the shortening down to the size of little peas. The cutter shown is a lot easier.
Pour in the dissolved yeast and then add the buttermilk. Mix until dough forms. Do not over work the dough. It will be fluffier if you don’t mess with it too much.
Roll out on a floured surface and cut with a cookie cutter or an upside down drinking glass (I used an upside down glass in college since I did not have a cookie cutter at the time)
Place in either cake pans, on a cookie sheet or a baking stone and bake for about 12 or 15 minutes – or until they are golden brown on top.
Slice and serve with real butter and honey. They are fattening, but Oh, So good!
I did a U-turn today to get this shot. The only problem was I did it right in front of a police officer. GREAT! Fortunately he did not seem to care, so my 34-year driving record remains ticket-free.
At any rate, this illustration struck me as very interesting since she resembles me a bit. And I especially like the slogan, “Shirt Service.” It has a bit of sarcasm to it.
I did fail to get the name of the dry cleaners that this window belongs to, so I apologize to them.
My father and I had lunch together today in our usual spot – Nikki’s. It’s a greasy-spoon that serves burgers and bottled Cokes. Among other things.
Oh, and they profess to serve the world’s best onion rings. If they’re not the best, they are pretty close.
Ok, this may not be the greatest photograph in the world, but I find it humorous.
I started to take this girl’s photo when she was sitting on the cart alone reading; but her father walked up, so I didn’t. But then he grabbed the cart and started walking. This little girl never looked up. She just kept reading. I had no choice then. I HAD to take the photo.
Joe and I had gone into Sam’s Club to buy me some Mexican Cokes when I saw this scene.
I have a Cherry Tree in the front yard of my old house, and I picked all of these up off of the ground there yesterday. ( I still own the house, so I was not stealing)
I brought these outside right after a thunderstorm today, and the bowl instantly fogged up due to the humidity.
Unfortunately, so did my lens.
Well, I suppose we all have our additions. Mine happens to be Coca Cola. Especially the ones bottled with pure sugar vs. corn syrup.
Ah! There is nothing like waking up to a cold, sugary, carbonated beverage that burns as it goes down.
But I digress.
This is a shot of the inside of the glass recycling bin today. I imagine there is a story with each glass container. Especially from the discarded liquor bottles.
This is a portion of the Volunteer Building downtown. My father used to work here for Volunteer State Life Insurance before they got bought out by Chubb Life.
It’s one of those really cool, old buildings that oozes history.
When we were kids and visited our grandmother’s house in Brainerd, our father would take us on walks through the neighborhood. We always had a ton of fun. Sometimes we would walk to the Clarence T. Jones Observatory.
A bit overgrown now, these are the steps that lead to the observatory. I ventured up most of the way, but I chickened out toward the top. It was pretty deserted. No need to get attacked – so I walked back down and got this shot.
But it did bring back lots of fond memories.
Photos and Migraines 