Friday, October 13, 2023

Letter "O" -- Friday's Weekend Roundup 11 and Reflections and/or Street/Candid Captures

This Week's Prompts Starts  with "O." A Favorite. "O"ne. Reflections and/or Street/Candid Captures. 
 _ _ _ _ 

Starts with "O"Onions, they are a part of many of my recipes.  I was pretty proud of this sandwich.  Mrs. Jim was having eggs and grits for lunch.  I opted out of those although she volunteered to hard boil an egg for me with hers if I wanted.  I wanted.

Before the egg was finished I had decided that I would like an egg salad sandwich.  I said that I would make her one also but she stuck with having her beloved grits.  (Note:  I had my first serving of grits at a Holiday Inn restaurant where I was staying when I first came to Houston from a three year duty with my company, Philco Corporation)

My Ingredients, yours may vary:
 - One hard boiled egg
 - One hot dog bun
 - A piece of onionOne large purple plum, One teaspoon tartar sauce, Mayo as needed for consistency (I used light), One teaspoon yellow mustard if you want, I did not, Salt and Pepper, I used a couple of pinches each.(mix all these together and make the consistency suit yourself by the amount of mayo and mustard
- Other items that you yourself would add to make a deviled egg or egg salad can be used 
 - Two fairly large Romaine lettuce leaves

I cut the center out of the hot dog bun to replace that part with my egg salad.  Dice the egg and onion into fairly small pieces, the fruit into larger.  Put in the lettuce, add the salad.  Yummy!



A Favorite:   This little Hibiscus has been having a pretty bloom about one every other day, all spring and all summer.  Once in a while it has two blooms at the same time.  I took this picture from right our back door window, it is full length. 

Growing in the box are seven little volunteer Vinca flowering plants that I rescued from being covered with the new mulch put on our flower beds.  BTW, rabbits do not eat vinca plants or blooms.



Tom's choice, "One": One good great sandwich. 
This was our supper the other night. Almost a sandwich, for the picture, Mrs. Jim had hers open faced, for mine I completed with a covering slice of toast to complete its being a sandwich. The French would call hers a "Croque Monsieur" with ham and cheese.

It takes about ten minutes to make for two. Here goes.
Ingredients: (makes two)
    Two eggs
    Four slices of deli ham
    Four slices of cheddar cheese
    Four slices of bread (Mrs. Jim's used only one)
Cooking and assembling:
    Cook the eggs one at a time;
    Open and stir the egg in a square bread slice sized microwaveable Pyrex type bowel (I should add to spray the vessel with vegetable oil, and cover the egg with a paper towel as it will likely pop a little-that doesn't hurt a thing)
    Microwave 75 seconds at 60% power
(This was my supper the other night. Almost, the Mrs. has hers open faced as shown in the picture; I completed mine with a covering slice of toast to make the sandwich.
It takes about ten minutes to make for two.)
    Flip them upside down
    Layer the ham, then the cheese
    Turn them right side up so that the pretty egg is on the top.
(I put a little ketchup on each bite when I cut it. For me, ketchup goes on a lot of things.)
    Pronto!!
_ _ _ _

[click on photo for larger sized viewing]

Reflections and/or Street/Candid Captures:   My son, Tim, took this photo back in 2016 while at his work.  He is a Boatman and had just untied this ship from the dock five minutes before.  

The ship, leaving the Houston Ship Channel with its cargo, struck an obstruction in the water, leaking gallons and gallons of flammable liquid.  Somehow the liquid floating on top of the water caught fire.  Causes and damages are still under investigation when he gave me the photo.  No life was lost.

 The fine print:
 - [Click on any picture for larger, click it again for extra large] 
 - I am linked with Tom of "Backwoods Travel" (Link here to click for Tom's Weekend Reviews)
- I am also linked this week with James of "Weekend Reflections" (click here for his Reflections Photos).
- The pictures mostly are all mine and rights are reserved to me under Copyright Law.  
This photo in 2016, February 8, was formerly posted by me, at 
and was posted today again on  my other active blog at http://jimmiehov6.blogspot.com/2023/10/i-have-this-fear-poem-now-for-friday.html
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Friday, May 05, 2023

Letter "R" --- Friday's Weekend Roundup 10 / Reflections and-or Street/Candid Captures

  - Tom's Requests: Starts with "R"; A Favorite; and Tom's suggestion, "R"obust. 

 - James' request, Reflections and/or Street Photos/Candid Captures. 
 _ _ _ _

Houston Chronicle page D7, March 24, 2023 

Starts with "R": "Rhyme" starts with "R".  This Comic, "RHYMES WITH ORANGE", is one of the ones I have on my 'Read Daily' list, the others are: FAMILY CIRCUS; ZIGGY; PEANUTS; F-MINUS, ARGYLE SWEATER, MOTHER GOOSE AND GRIMM, HAGAR THE HORRIBLE; BEETLY BAILEY; B.C.; and BLONDIE.  Some days I also read BIZARRO; none is top on the list unless it's BEETLE BAILEY because I have pity on his life as I was in the U.S. Army for five years.   

The Army did however merit a job, me a college dropout, with Ford Aerospace Engineer using my Army 43-week schooling in their NIKE Missile Fire Control Systems Maintenance School.  There I was third in my class of 47 students.  I used that job for 19 years, ending as a Senior Aerospace Engineer at the NASA Houston Johnson Space Center; that was until I changed careers to be a College Business Professor. 

A Favorite:   Recipes would be my favorite today.  I have them scattered on my various blogs, both in use and mostly dormant now.  These links will get a few of my favorites, 
https://jimmiehov.blogspot.com/search?q=recipe  

Do that with my other blogs as well.  Some have a "Label" for "recipe".  Here for this blog: 
https://jimmiehov.blogspot.com/search/label/Recipes 

And for another blog still.  My favorite Recipe here is the "Jim's Quick and Easy Apple Pie".
http://jimmiehov7.blogspot.com/2021/12/recipe-jims-quick-and-easy-apple-pie.html


[large picture] [super sized]

Being a "mid-term bachelor", i.e. single, for three years, I developed as many shortcuts as I could to save my precious time between work, sometimes 50 or 60 hours a week, during astronaut time in space, and other.  (I worked in the  "Mission Control Center" at the NASA Houston facility.) 

You may run into a Recipe for Jim's Easy Stuffed Bell Peppers when you are viewing the others.  I made that yesterday for a noon lunch, they turned out really good.  There are some pictures I took too, for when I put that on 'again'.  

A Lagniappe:  So I developed a "Quick and Easy" method of cooking.  One example is my microwave cooked egg.  James thought that sounded good.  Here is my recipe for "Egg and cheese sandwiches": 
.  


These are the Last two pieces of my egg and cheese sandwich.  

    I cook the egg in the microwave in a sprayed dish of bread slice size (if it's a lot smaller, you can slice the cooked egg through the middle and make thinner pieces to fit the bread). Cook the egg for 66 seconds at 60 percent power.  
    
    Stir the egg a bit before until the yolk and the whites are in close proximity throughout.  (If you just wish to eat an egg fast cooked, don't stir, leave the yolk be in the middle and cook for 56 seconds.)
    
    Cover either way while cooking as it may "pop" one time, or more.     
    Use one slice of toasted bread for open face, two for a regular sandwich.  

    When finished cooking lay a slice of American cheese on top while still hot in the dish.  
    Remove it and lay it down on the cheese (I use one slice of American cheese) on the prepared toast.  
    
    Then, or earlier, prepare the bottom slice with low fat mayo, the top with a couple of restaurant packs of catsup.  Slice into two pieces. 

    VoilĂ !! A wonderful sandwich in less than 10 minutes preparation, even for two.  You could embellish with a slice or two ham, chicken, or even a sausage patty.  They are good on a biscuit if you have some.


Tom's suggestion, "Robust":   "Seven Extremely Robust Car Brands and Why You Should Buy Them" URL . These Seven Extremely Robust Car Brands are 
    1. Toyota 
    2. Subaru 
    3. Ford 
    4. Chevy 
    5. Dodge 
    6. Jeep 
    7. (Seems that Mr. Gordon only had six in his list 
        but had seven in his title and writing???)


Our younger daughter lives across the street from these houses


Looking to the west, we live about a half mile deeper than what you see 

Before there were homes here it was cultivated 
rice fields--these are 12 and 13 years old


Its purpose is water retention as flood control 


Our Beagle dog, Adi, would have loved this walk.

Reflections and/or Street Photos/Candid Captures I thought I'd share some of our walk pictures with you.  Over three miles.  Both Mrs. Jim's and my doctor's orders, not known to each other, are to walk a half hour and to do those five days a week.  

Guess we doubled up this time because this walk took well over the doc's half hour.  That might be a bit far for some of you but we are getting in practice 'in case' we go more traveling this summer.

All this and more walking trails are within a three-mile radius our home.

Not only our hearts got warmed but our entire body
_ _ _ _ 

The Fine Print:   

 - [Click on any picture for larger, click it again for extra-large.] 
 - The pictures mostly are all mine and rights are reserved to me under Copyright Law. 
 - I am linked with Tom of "Backwoods Traveler" (click here, Link, for Tom's Weekend Reviews) 
 - I am also linking again this week with James of "Weekend Reflections/Street Photos" (click here for his Street Folk and Reflections Photos).
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Friday, March 24, 2023

Letter "L" --- Friday's Weekend Roundup 10 / Reflections and-or Street/Candid Captures

Lots of Grapes for us, our home consumption 

 - Tom's Requests: Starts with "L"; A Favorite; and Tom's suggestion, "L"oud. 
 - James' request, Reflections and/or Street Photos/Candid Captures. 
 _ _ _ _ 

Starts with "L":   Little is my "L" word for my 10th go around for Tom's alphabetics blog.  I used it first in naming this blog.  Even at that time back in 2005 there were several "Jim's Blogs" so as to make mine different I named it "Jim's Little Blog".

[Click on pictures for larger visit, the picture alone.]

My first post back in December, 2005 is shown above. It now has 2322 blog posts online and 919 drafts for various reasons they weren't published.  I write for my readers and have been doing versions of this blog since it started.  I have way more readers than those leaving comments. Quite a few are you friends and relatives who read to see what is going on. 

I've left my blogging contacts listed on the right margin for memories sales.  Most don't blog anymore; several have died as well.  Some are Facebook Friends now.  Readership has really dwindled on this Weekend series, now in the 17th year for me.  I was thinking of changing format this time for more readers but now plan to continue until the final "Z" word now.

I have also added James, "Weekend Reflections/Street Photos" (click here) although there isn't much sharing by bloggers there.  I could perhaps find another blog site in additon to bolster my comment count.  Most of the time James will return my comments with his. Tom, owner of Friday's Weekend Roundup, here, almost always shows up.

My other Little Blogs:  JIM'S LITTLE PHOTO AND POEM PLACE(Poems, Pictures & Other), jim1Jim1 (my YouTube)Jim's Little Reading Place, Jim's Little Song Place (very little action), and JIM'S LITTLE HAPPY PLACE 

Grapes for Mrs. Jim's bridge group 


Grapes for us, our home consumption 

A Favorite:  Lots of grapes today. 


 
Tom's suggestion,"Loud":  Here is "Mom's" 1974 Mustang II GhiaIt is Loud as I replaced the original rusted out mufflers with straight pipes, only the resonator mufflers are on now.  The Ghia's had a V6 German Ford engine and I had put dual exhausts on it.  

I was the first owner, Mom wanted me to buy her a stick shift Ford car from the lease cars turned in for the Spring of 1975.  I worked for Ford Aerospace at NASA Houston then and some of our executives were encouraged to lease a new Ford every year.

Mom didn't trust the automatic transmission in the car Dad had purchased as she couldn't tell what gear it was in and was afraid it might be choosing the wrong gear at times.  

Oh yes, it only has 67K miles, Mom didn't take it out of town.  She died in 1999 and when Dad died in 2009, at age 97, I became the owner again.  



Reflections and/or Street Photos/Candid Captures:  A "Walk Picture" that I took Saturday evening; it is a pedestrian trail bridge over the now fairly low water stream but come a heavy rain the water could be up to the top of the excavation sides.  Its purpose is for rainwater retention as a means of flood control. 

Both sides of the ditch have a sidewalk like trail for walking.  I used the one on the left Saturday night as I walked the mile plus a little home from church.  There are several miles of trails.  

O yes, there are a multitude of turtles that hang out under and near the bridge.  Also, the black ducks like to be near in hopes a walker or runner will stop to feed them a bit.  Click on the picture to make it larger and you will see better one of the ducks on the right side bank just before the bridge.  Also at the end of the bridge are a man and a boy with their dog.  


A Lagniappe: These are the Last two pieces of my egg and cheese sandwich.   I cook the egg in the microwave in a sprayed dish, 66 seconds at 60 percent power.  Cover it while cooking as it may "pop" one time, or more.  Use one slice of toasted bread for open face, two for a regular sandwich.  

When finished cooking lay a slice of American cheese on top while still hot in the dish.  Remove it on lay cheese down on the prepared toast.  I prepare the bottom slice with low fat mayo, the top with a couple of restaurant packs of catsup.  Slice into two pieces. 

VoilĂ !! A wonderful sandwich in less than 10 minutes preparation, even for two.  You could embellish with a slice or two ham, chicken, or even a sausage patty.  They are good on a biscuit if you have some.  
_ _ _ _  
The Fine Print:   

 - [Click on any picture for larger, click it again for extra-large.] 
 - The pictures mostly are all mine and rights are reserved to me under Copyright Law. 
 - I am linked with Tom of "Backwoods Traveler" (click here, Link, for Tom's Weekend Reviews) 
 - I am also linking again this week with James of "Weekend Reflections/Street Photos" (click here for his Street Folk and Reflections Photos).
..

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Friday, September 04, 2020

The Letter "J" -- Weekend Roundup and Reflections

The thirty-sixth issue of Weekend Roundup for this year, 2020...
(THE TENTH LETTER FOR THIS SERIES)
- the Letter "J" Prompts are:
(A) Starts with the Letter "J";
(B) "Junk" (Tom's Choice);
(C) A Favorite; and
(D) Reflections.
_ _ _ _



(A.1)  Jivey starts with "J".  Aren't we about the Jiviest couple you know,  Mrs. Jim and me at the doctor's office?   We were waiting in the little examination room at the doctor's office.  Nothing major but if you aren't seeing us around you could try the obits.



(A.2) Starts with the Letter "J": Jalapeño Peppers start with "J".  They are very hot although not the most hot.  Photo is a 'screen print' taken from Wikipedia, "Jalapeno Peppers" (link).



(B) "Junk" (Tom's Choice):  You've heard of Junk Food?  We had no idea that all this. would come to our ship's table when we ordered a "Sampler".  Some of it was good, other items were J..nk.


(C) A Favorite:  A Jumbo Texas Grown Watermelon.  Watermelons are one of our favorite foods.  

That won't displace a nice ice cream dish, with strawberries or?  But we do like watermelon a lot.



(D) Reflections:  The Reflection of the TV screen is on the glass topped coffee table.  I did not stage this shot but as soon as I saw what was going on I knew it would be fine posted here.. 

"As seen on TV," the show that comes on at our house, 10:00AM, "The Price is Right".  She wanted the Price to be Just Right.  She only had a "40" from her spin so she spun again to add up to a nice large number.  A 60 would be Just Right as 100 is as high as you are allowed to have.  Higher and you lose out, you are gone.  But her 60 as total was good enough to win a place in the prize bidding. 
_ _ _ _

Bonus Questions:

What is your favorite "J" word?   Mine is Jim, James, Jimmy, Jimmie, or Jimbo.  I was named after my dad, his name was Charles Vernon H...  But his father and brothers called him Jim.   I am officially James Vernon H...  .

Tell about one of your experiences with peppers.  I have a recipe for "Quick and Easy Stuffed Bell Peppers." 

Use precooked boudin, it consists of Cajun spiced sausage and rice, perfect for stuffing precooked (boiled) cut in halves Green Pepper. One link will make two stuffed half bell peppers, a package of Cajun Budin generally comes with two or more links. 
Boil the cut peppers, stuff the peppers, and bake in the oven, probably about 350 degrees until nice and hot, I do seven to ten minutes. (If you've just defrosted the budin and softened the peppers they will be somewhat warmish already>)
You can garnish the top with bread crumbs or even put ketchup on the tops.  Yum Yum.
_ _ _ _  

The fine print:
 - [Click on any picture for larger, click it again for extra large]
- I am linked with Tom of "Backwoods Travel" (Link here to click for Tom's Weekend Reviews)
- I am also linked this week with James of "Weekend Reflections" (click here for his Reflections Photos).
- The pictures mostly are all mine and rights are reserved to me under Copyright Law.

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Friday, March 01, 2019

Weekend Letter "I"; Icicles, Inside, Ingredients (Hot Dog)

The 6th issue of Weekend Roundup for this year...
the Letter "I". Prompts are:
(A) Starts with "I"; (B) A Favorite; (C) Inside; and (D) Reflection(s).

.
(A) Starts with "I": Ain't she cute! We got down to 22°F that night here, so we dripped the outside faucets.  [Adi was our Beagle dog, she died in 2012.]

Icicles start with "I", so look closely for the icicles. The big one, about 18 inches long, fell from the faucet and broke. I have a piece of it sitting on the sprinkler pipe. The other icicles (not Adi's) are on that weed to Adi's left, your right.

It was just recently that day in 2007 on Groundhog day when Adi saw her shadow (
picture link). I had it mixed up there, the groundhog saw his shadow and was scared. He ran back into his hole for six more weeks of winter.

You might have to click on the picture above to make it large enough to see the icicles. Another picture where she didn't look so happy
is here.

Lastly, if you're from Florida or southern California and don't know what icicles are,
go here to Wikipedia. We didn't have any hanging from the roof because we didn't run the hose up there.

And it didn't get cold enough here this year for icicles.  2007 may have been our last year.

(B) A Favorite:  Hot Dogs are my favorite (I know, H's were the thing to post last week), but I hadn't eaten or not even made this one yet.   


Ingredients were two hot dogs, sliced and cut to fit my toasted hot dog bun scraps, one and a half slices of American cheese, ample amounts of sauerkraut, and mustard.  Mrs. Jim adds sweet pickle relish to hers, just a little bit.  It pulls out the other flavors. 

Before the mustard I heat the array (they were already fairly hot by heating individually before assembly) in the microwave until the cheese begins to melt.
  
[click picture for larger view, it's really pretty]

(C) Inside: When it's cold outside stay inside.  We did have a little snow last year, no icicles though.  No snow either this year, we had a little frost so far. 
 
(D.a) Reflection(s):  This wintery pool picture above is also a very pretty Reflection.  [click on pictures for a larger viewing size]


(D.b) Reflection(s):  Last Saturday night we attended the musical stage show, "Mamma Mia" (read about it here), at our Hobby Center for Performing Arts in Houston (named after  former Texas lieutenant governor and Houston businessman, William P. Hobby, Jr.) .  I really didn't enjoy the going down there and driving in the dark but we made it with all the paint staying nice on the car.

We got there a bit early and I happened to notice all the Reflections in the glass windows of the building.  While waiting to be admitted to the auditorium I took some pictures.  The side picture on the right shows down on the ground floor and some of the height perspective.

The upper may be the best of all I took.  It shows the traffic, pedestrians, and some of the taller buildings THROUGH the windows.  But it also shows a bunch of us INSIDE the lobby on ours, we were on the 4th floor of six, but walked down to the front part of the mezzanine.
 . . . .

The fine print:
- I am linked with Tom of "Backwoods Travel" (Link to Tom's Weekend Reviews) - The pictures are all mine and rights are reserved to me under Copyright Law.
- I am also linked this week with James at Weekend Reflections, http://weekendreflection.blogspot.com/ for my Reflections Photo.
- Photos and Poem Copyright, © Jimmiehov 2019, All Rights Reserved
- Click on most any picture to make it "full screen" sized. Click on your "Back" button to get back here.

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