Home Cooking!

My husband and I both enjoy cooking, although during the week it's often difficult to find the time and motivation to whip up something lovely for dinner. So we use the weekend to experiment with new dishes and fix old favorites. Last Sunday I tried a new pasta recipe: penne with sun-dried tomatoes, wilted spinach and goat cheese. It was delicious - we'll definitely put this one into our weekend rotation.

Albritons

Albritons is a Jackson institution. It's a jewelry store also located in the Highland Village shopping center. Although it's an upscale store, I've hardly ever seen it empty. I guess there's always a couple shopping for wedding bands or a husband looking for the perfect anniversary gift. I like their crest near the entrance. It might also be the only place in town with its own heraldry.

Up Close and Personal

My birdcam got a little turned around during some of the recent storms. It wasn't exactly pointed directly at the feeder, but it worked to my advantage for this photo. I love the close up on this little brother. He's a tufted titmouse and I've seen him quite a bit at my feeder now.

I'm very pleased with the results I'm getting from my wingscapes cam. I don't want to overwhelm my blog with bird photos though, so I'm thinking of dedicating one day a week to my feathered friends.

Crape Myrtle

My crape myrtle is in bloom. I'm not sure, but it seems to have less blooms than last year. I still think it's quite a beautiful tree though. It's just too bad we only have one in our yard.

Happy Friday everyone!

Neigh!

I found this piece of sculpture in the Highland Village shopping center. It's a very upscale area, I'm not sure who actually shops in most of the boutiques. And apparently there are problems with clientele since more of the spaces were empty last time I was there. They have wonderful landscaping though - sculptures, fountains, loads of beautiful plants and flowers. It makes for a very pleasant experience even if all you're doing is window shopping!

A Southern Affair

This is Jackson's premiere bridal dress shop. While I'm not so into the whole big, white wedding thing, they do have beautiful dresses and beautiful displays.

Tufted Titmouse and Woodpecker

I was just informed that the little blue brother is a tufted titmouse. Apparently they are quite common in this area. He's very cute in any case and has a wonderful song! You can also see the big woodpecker feasting on the other side. Our neighborhood is filled with old pines, so we have a lot of them around.

I'm really excited about the birdcam now. I think it just took awhile for the birds to get used to the camera. But now that they are, they're flocking to my feeder! I popped out the memory card this morning and there are several really nice shots (and plenty of bad ones too). I'll be sharing more in the coming weeks!

Pollyanna

This is going to be my last show for awhile. My golf has really been suffering from the overabundance of theater!

I played Monique, the local French townsperson. I'm not sure why a French lady would move to Beldingsville, Vermont. But I decided that every small town in the 1910s had a local saloon with dancing girls. Monique was obviously needed to teach them the can-can and to dispense fashion advice. (Of course that was not really in the script). This is my third time to play a French woman, I guess I should be thankful I have that special skill. It was a lot of fun though and I hope to work with some of the cast again, there were many talented people.

Wingscapes Squirrel

I listen to a local gardening show The Gestalt Gardener almost every week. A few weeks ago, the host Felder Rushing talked about something new - the Wingscapes camera. I finally decided to buy one and I've been experimenting with different set-ups. So far all I've caught is squirrels and mourning doves. But I'm hoping to get some of the nicer birds that come to my feeder. I'm starting a new tag for this series, they'll all be filed under Wingscapes.

Skywatch Friday

Here's another beautiful Florida sunset for you. There's no shortage of those in the sunshine state! This one was taken from the terrace of the Boathouse Oyster Bar. If you've ever been to Destin, you probably know what I'm talking about. It's the shack on the water where they have cheap beer and live music. The food is pretty good too.


Happy Friday everyone! Click on the skywatch link to see more skies from around the world.

Pensacola Beach

On our way back, we stopped for a few hours in Pensacola Beach. We thought we left Destin early enough to get in a little beach time and beat the tunnel traffic. We were wrong, but we enjoyed our last hours in the sun and sand. My question is, what did people do before they had umbrellas and spring-into-place tents? I don't remember having so much gear when I was young.

Magnolia Groove

We started our long weekend off on Thursday with a round of golf on the Robert Trent Jones golf trail in Mobile, AL. We played the Magnolia Grove Falls course. It was really nice, but I still think Capitol Hill in Prattville is more beautiful.

After two rounds, we headed east towards Destin. I doubt my husband and I will ever go back on such a busy weekend. The Mobile tunnel was a nightmare both going and coming. Ugh - it is no fun to be stuck in traffic!

Fireworks!

I hope it's not too late to show some of the grand spectacle I witnessed last Saturday night. My husband and I stayed at the San Destin Resort and their fireworks show didn't disappoint. The only thing I would have liked better is if they had included some music, or at least played the national anthem.

My pictures didn't come out as well as I'd hoped, but I think the video is quite nice!

Porthole View

Grrr... the automatic posting feature of Blogger did me wrong! Hopefully, you'll still enjoy these photos this week. This is a porthole-style window looking out of the Mississippi Craft Center. Hope everyone had a wonderful fourth of July weekend! I got plenty of sun in Destin and some nice pics as well. I'll show some of the fireworks show tomorrow.

Primo's Cafe

I am actually in Mobile, AL right now on my way to Destin, FL. We're stopping this morning for a round of golf before heading all the way over into the sunshine state! Until then, here's a look at Primo's Cafe. It's been voted as the best place to breakfast in the Jackson metro area for several years running.

I'm putting my blog on automatic posting, but I've been having some troubles with it lately - keep those fingers crossed. Hope everyone has a great Independence Day weekend!

July Theme Day: Empty

Jake's Seafood Grill is just one of the many empty properties that line the streets of the Jackson metro area. When I first moved to Jackson two years ago, this restaurant had an opening soon sign on it and I was pretty excited to try it. I don't think it ever did actually open though or if it did, it must have only been for a week or so because I drive by this place almost every day.


I took a peek inside the windows and it looks pretty nice. There's a large dining area in the circular part of the building and a nice terrace as well. But I guess this is a bad time to be opening a new business.


Perhaps the new price will tempt someone into buying the old Jake's!

To see other other interpretations of today's theme from cities around the world, click here.

Cannas

I caught these canna lilies at the golf course. I planted some in my yard last year, but so far they've only made leaves - maybe they're mot getting enough sun. Until mine start making some flowers, I'll enjoy these!

Moon Over Buffalo

After a four-performance run, Moon Over Buffalo is over. I will miss it, but it will also be nice to have some time back. We all had such a good time and I enjoyed working with some old friends and also meeting some new ones!

My husband also fared well in the Club Championship. He came in second in his flight. Unfortunately, I wasn't there to take any pictures but he was quite pleased with his play this weekend.

Skywatch Friday

This picture was taken on the the golf course - I hardly remember what that is anymore! My husband is playing the Club Championship this weekend while I do my show at Actor's Playhouse. I hope both us of will have good luck.


For more skies around the world, click on the skywatch link.

Richland

I work in the City of Richland and I never knew about the Community Center until we recently did one of our murder mystery shows there. It was a really nice space and we had a good crowd. My other show, Moon Over Buffalo, is opening tonight. I'm really excited. I hope lots of people come and they laugh alot!

Sushi

Just looking at this plate of delicious sushi is making me hungry! This work of food art comes from Sakura Bana - my favorite sushi restaurant in Jackson.

Lord won't you buy me a Mercedes-Benz?

My friends all drive Porsches, I must make amends. - Janis Joplin

Selling Porsches and Smarts on the same lot would be a sacrilege in Germany! I'm not really sure that these two brands appeal to the same type of people. But then again I don't see many Porsches or Smarts on the road around here.

Super Smart

My husband and I were driving around Sunday afternoon and decided to stop at a few of the local car lots just for the fun of it. I'm still not sure why they've opened a Smart dealership in Jackson. I think Smarts are a great idea for people who live in big cities where parking, and space in general, is limited. But I'm not sure why someone in a city like Jackson would want one. My MiL in Germany has one and they're not very comfortable for long distance driving. Not to mention these cars are not cheap!

Tomorrow I'll show you what else they had at the Smart store.

Mississippi Craft Center

I've featured a look from inside the Craft Center before and even some pictures of the wares for sale but this is the first time I've seen the boutique area from above and I thought I'd share.

Skywatch Friday

I feel so honored to have been chosen as this week's skywatch host. Sadly my photo did not come from Jackson, but from somewhere in southern Florida. Sometimes you're lucky and just end up at the right place at the right time.

To check out other skies around the world, click on the skywatch link.

Art Deco?

I like the look of the Bank Plus building in Fondren. It looks sort of art deco-y to me and I love that type of architecture.

Roses

The Fresh Market always has wonderful displays of flowers, plants and bouquets for sale. I actually think $8.99 for a dozen roses is not too bad. The Wal-Mart charges $19.99 for a bouquet and they're not nearly as nice as these. Sometimes my husband and I indulge ourselves in a beautiful bunch for our table.

Mackers!

My husband and I stopped at this McDonald's the other day for a quick snack. I usually don't frequent fast food burger joints since I don't eat meat, but I was pleasantly surprised with the look of this particular restaurant. I had one of those McCafe cappuccino things. It was quite tasty. Although I'm still not going to be a regular Mackers customer, the nice atmosphere certainly makes it a more pleasant experience.

Bedlam in Cabin B!

Poor Barbie Duhl is dead, but the party went on without her last Friday! We had a great audience for our latest murder mystery show at the Mississippi Craft Center - they were so lively. Audiences like that really make the shows so much better. Thanks again!

Father Demo

This is a look at the Father Demo cathedral on Bleeker Street. Father Demo was a beloved New York figure and this church and the square outside it were named in his honor.

Hope everyone is having a lovely weekend!