Magic Wands

Hello my magical raviolis.  I have learned that some of you are reading Harry Potter.  He is a character in one of my favorite book series and the boy who learns he has special gifts and attends a school for wizards. What fun adventures he has with his friends and they can do magic with their special magic wand or wizards stick.  That sounds like so much fun and I began to think about the type of wand they would have. 

This is a picture of Harry Potter's magic wand.  It looks like an old tree.  I like this wand, don't you?

This is Hermione Granger's magic wand.  It has a pretty trailing leaf and vine pattern.

Here is a pretty magic wand with crystals and wire at the bottom.  I like the way it looks, do you?

Here is a pretty wand cast in metal. 

If you carried a magic wand, what would your wand look like?  You can leave a comment to share with everyone.  Have a magical Sunday my ravs.  Hugs and kisses.  Grandma-ma

Play Date for Grandma-ma

Good morning my Saturday raviolis.  Today is a play date for grandma-ma with Aunt Renee.  We have both been working very hard and grandma-ma is also over her bout with the flu so she is anxious to do a little antiquing, some Easter shopping, a trip to Goodwill for treasures and maybe a quick ride to Trader Joe's for blood oranges.  "Blood Oranges"!!!  What could those be, they don't sound very pretty or appetizing...or do they?

Well, they look like an orange on the outside, but a little smaller and some rinds have a distinct red color to them. 

But when you slice one open, now you can see why they are called a "Blood Orange." 
They are brilliant, deep red on the inside and the juice has a blood red look to it.  Why how wonderful.  Did you know that blood oranges also have a sweet taste with a hint of raspberry to them?  That is why grandma-ma loves to eat blood oranges and they also have a really cool name - blood orange.  They taste like raspberries and oranges - yummy.  And their juice is blood red - also neat!

Blood oranges are the sweetest and most flavorful of the orange fruit family.  And they are grown in the Mediterranean part of the world.  Three raviolis live in that part of the world where they grow and they are the most popular table orange in Italy.  The Tarocco (blood orange) is one of the world's most popular oranges because of its sweetness and juiciness. It has the highest Vitamin C content of any orange variety grown in the world, mainly on account of the fertile soil surrounding Mount Etna, and it is easy to peel.

The juice from a blood orange is also very good and you can smetimes find it in your grocery store.

You may be able to find these at your favorite grocery store as they are NOW in season.  If you have eaten a blood orange, let grandma-ma know with a comment.  Love to you all my ravs.  Grandma-ma 

Snow follies

It's Friday my happy raviolis and lots of places are receiving snow again.  Not here in Atlanta, but it is bitter cold out and feels like it could snow here.  Denver and New York will be getting snow and it may be snowing their right now.  I thought it would be fun to see some happy animals playing in the snow.

This is a sweet, short video of a long haired doxsie puppy (wiener dog) playing in his first snow.

Polar bears and Huskies on the ice in the Alaskan Wilderness.

I hope you enjoy viewing these two videos of animals in the snow. Keep warm my huggable ravs and know that Grandma-ma and Grampy love you. 

Report card day in Denver

Hello my raviolis.  Some of my raviolis go to school and some are still young enough to stay at home with their mom.  This week was report card week for the raviolis living in Denver. When I was a little girl, I was always scared during report card week.

We were handed our report cards in school and had to bring them home and have our parents review and sign them and then return them to the school.  Grandma-ma went to a Catholic school so the parish priest would come into each grade and look at each report card in front of the class and you would walk to the desk where he sat at and wait for him to hand you the report card.  The priest was always very serious and if you did not have a good report card he would ask you why in front of the entire class.  Grandma-ma would shake in her boots until the priest said "Good report card, Dari Ann."  Now, grandma-ma always had a good report card for learning, so she never had to explain why she didn't do her best.  However, grandma-ma always had to explain why she had low marks in "self-control."  Grandma-ma liked to play loud, talk a little too much at times and especially loved to color and draw pictures of the Catholic saints and angels during class instead of listening to the nuns.    I would be shaking and so nervous as I tried to explain to the priest why I preferred to jump on my pogo stick then play dolls with my girlfriends.  He never understood grandma-ma and thought she should play more like a little girl then a loud, little boy. 

So Denver raves had report cards this week and it sounds like good grades for everyone.  One, special Denver rav admitted that he did not do his best even with what may look like good grades.  This was an honest thing to share with those who love him.  As grandma-ma said to him last evening, when you don't do the best you can in something, you short change and let yourself down the most.   Learning and acquiring knowledge may seem like work at times, but you never know what important information you will need to pull out of your "knowledge bag of tricks."  Sometimes, knowing that special little piece of information can be the answer you are looking for to solve a problem.

A favorite TV show of grandma-ma's and Jason and Aaron when they were little was called MacGyver.  He never stopped learning and we all loved what he could do with a stick of chewing gum, an eraser or paper clip.  It was always fun to see how he would solve problems using simple tools around him. 

Here is a secret that grandma-ma will share with you.  Grandma-ma loves to be around people who know interesting things.  She loves to hear about nifty tricks and bits of information and special skills that you may learn about or acquire.  One of the reasons why I like being around people who know interesting things is that they like to share what they know and then grandma-ma can learn all about them too.  I hope you will always want to share the interesting things that you know, my raviolis, with grandma-ma.  I love you all and special report card hugs and kisses for the Denver raviolis.  Love grandma-ma

Word of the week Wednesday

Good day my Wednesday raviolis.  You guessed it, once again, Word of the Week Wednesday rolls around and today's word is:

"Globe"

 A globe is a three-dimensional scale model of Earth (terrestrial globe) or other sphere (round) celestial body such as a planet, star, or a moon.  The word "globe" comes from the Latin word globus, meaning round mass or sphere.  Grandma-ma really likes the word "globe" because it brings so many neat images to her mind.  Here are a few:

A desk globe of the earth.

The moon is also round or spherical and here is an example of a moon globe.

Antique map of the earth globe.  Grandma-ma likes to look at old maps.  I think they are interesting to see how our land has changed over the centuries.  They are like finding hidden treasure...just like a treasure map. You can locate rivers and lakes, trails and highways, cities and vast empty spaces. 

I also like this globe made from two hands held together.  I think this is a nice description of our world.  If we hold hands and work together, we can keep our globe happy and healthy.  There is something unique about this hand globe.  You must look very closely to see what it is.  Here is a hint, can you create this globe with "your" two hands?  If you know the secret, please leave comment and tell grandma-ma what you think it is.

So, remember to use the word "globe" in three sentences today.  Grandma-ma's first sentence is:  "I would travel the globe to visit each of my raviolis just so I could play with them." 

Have a wonderful day my rows and global hugs and kisses to you.  Grandma-ma

Animals having fun

Hello my raviolis.  Grandma-ma was looking at Victorian postcards to use in her store and found these funny pictures of animals having fun just like you and me.  Look at these sweet puppies throwing snowballs at their puppy friend.  He did not see them hiding behind the fence and got beaned on the head with a snowball.

I wonder if these sweet kitties play well or if they just sound like "caterwauling."

This big, brown bear needs a morning dip in the water.  I like his saucy red and white swim trunks.

Here is a whole group of happy pigs playing all kinds of lawn games.  They are jumping rope, flying a kite, playing badminton and stick and circle.  It looks like fun doesn't it?

Grandma-ma loves animals and the funny things they do.  Of course, real animals don't throw snow balls, or play musical instruments or lawn cames or even wear swimming trunks...but it is fun to see them live like us.  Love Grandma-ma

Good News my raviolis!

Hello my raviolis.  Grandma-ma just came from the doctor and the doctor said:

NO SWINE FLU!!!!  yea, queue the happy, squealing piggies.

Well, it also helped that grandma-ma spoke with Cristi (mother of the raviolis living in Denver) who also happens to be nurse, and explained that it was most likely a varient strain of flu that masks as H1N1.  Cristi was correct...it's so nice to have a smart nurse in the family. 

So grandma-ma is still at home recuperating and resting and will do so tomorrow too.  Love to all of you my healthy raviolis and stay that way too.  Squealing piggy hugs and kisses to you.

Where is grandma-ma?

Hello my Sunday Raviolis.  Where is grandma-ma? Her last post was on Thursday when she wasn't feeling very well.  Seems like Grandma-ma caught the H1N1 or swine flu and has been home sick for the last two days.

Fever, chills, headaches, coughing, difficulty breathing...all of those nasty flu symptons.  Poor Grampy is very worried about Grandma-ma.  So grandma-ma is going back to bed to rest and hopefully will feel better tomorrow when I can send you a happy posting.  Love you all my ravs and stay healthy. 

Sluggish Thursday

Hello my raviolis.  Grandma-ma is moving a little sluggish tody.   She went to work not feeling very well and after two hours she came home because she was feeling like a sick puppy. 

 Straight to bed for grandma-ma and lots of rest. 

Love to all my raviolis and I will have a happier post tomorrow.  Love grandma-ma

Word of the Week Wedneday

Hello my raviolis.  Yes, it is Word of the Week Wednesday again.  Can you guess what today's word is? Here is a hint:  It is a word that you see every seven days on raviolis for lunch.  That word is:

"Wednesday"

Wednesday is the day in the middle of the work week and is named for the Norse God, Odin.  Pronounced "Wodenz" in middle English it became known as Wodenz Day which then became Wednesday.  Below is a picture of Odin, the Norse God.

Did you know that Jason and Aaron were born on a Wednesday?  Yes, both of my sons were born on a Wednesday.  You can check your birth day by going to this link:  http://www.dtna.org/funstuff.html

Leave a comment and tell us if you were born on a Wednesday too.

  Did you know that only one holiday typically recurs yearly on a Wednesday?  That day is  Ash Wednesday and is the official beginning of lent. TODAY IS ALSO ASH WEDNESDAY.   It is called "Ash" Wednesday, since the 400's, and is the day when the faithful of many Western Christian churches mark their foreheads with ash. This is done to mark the beginning of Lent which ends with  Easter Sunday.  When grandma-ma was a little girl, she would receive ashes on her forehead from the priest at St. Josephs Church in Lincoln Park, New Jersey.

This is a picture of a little boy who just received his ashes at his church.  So my raviolis, be sure to use the word Wednesday in three sentences today.  Here is grandma-ma's first sentence:  "Uncle Aaron will celebrate  his birthday on Wednesday, February 24th."

Love to you all my Wednesday raviolis. Grandma-ma