Nautical Photographs for the Coast House

I've been looking at black and white photograph posters to purchase for the walls at Star Fish Cottage. I found these at http://www.allposters.com/ The price and size vary. This one above is "Pix Creac'h sur Ouessant" 38x13 $29.99 or 59x20 $49.99. I think this one would look good above the door inside the bathroom.

I don't know the name of this one. It is 22x28 for $24.99

"J-Class Start" 32x24 $22.99

"Nautical Dream II" 16x12 $12.99. I love this one. I'm thinking of this one in the living room.

"Sailing V" 13x13 $17.99

"Valkyrie" 22x28 $24.99. Another good one I think for the living room.

"Velsheda Versus Endeavour" 24x32 $27.99. This one right above the bathtub.

So what do you think would be good ones? Do you have a source for other black and white sail boat pictures? I'd love to hear about it.

Until Next Time. . . . .

Kathleen

Prince Eugen

These are also photos by Andy. This is Prince Eugen (pronounced Oi-Gun) who really belongs to one of Andy's neighbors. Prince Eugen likes it better at Andy's house though so he is pretty much Andy's cat. One weekend Andy called me asking for the name of my cats vet. Prince Eugen's extra toes were all messed up. Turns out he wasn't able to dull down the nails on his own and they had curled around and was growing back into the paw. Ouch! The vet of course fixed him right up and now I believe Andy has to trim the nails every so often and remember the cat isn't even really his (yeah right!)

Okay time for a nap



If you must

I love a good cat tale so I couldn't resist the photos.

Until Next Time. . . . .

Kathleen

Bandon Lighthouse Pictures by Andy

Some more great shots from Andy. This one is my favorite.

Look at the clouds.

Another great one.

Fourth of July weekend will be my weekend for seeing the Lighthouse for myself. As I have mentioned before I haven't actually been to the lighthouse in the four years I've owned the little cottage. I will be watching the fireworks from the harbor area just like last time. I can't wait. I have new items to take to the cottage and of course more projects to work on while out there.

Thanks Andy for some more great pictures!

Until Next Time. . . . .

Kathleen

Good-Bye Farrah

I was one of those girls who wanted to have the Farrah Fawcett hair do in high school. I thought and still do think she was absolutely beautiful. So Farrah's passing is rather sad for me.

This is my all time favorite of Farrah. Yes - the "All American Girl" look.

I so admire her courage through her living and dying. I hope her family finds comfort with her memories. I know I will never forget her and the impact she had on my life.

This is a photo of me from high school taken in 1978-79. I hope you can see even a small amount of Farrah in me.

Until Next Time. . . . .

Kathleen

Bandon Pictures taken by Andy

Here are pictures a co-worker took out at our Bandon "Star Fish Cottage." Come on inside!

This one is looking back from across the Living/Dining room towards the front door. Well - yes we still have some working tools inside the house since we are not done yet. I just love the little rustic bench under the coat rack. I got it at the thrift store for a couple of bucks.

Looking inside from near the front door.

Another great shot from inside the door.

I need to find some good furniture for the front room. I actually refinished the cream rocker and sworn off doing large pieces ever again. I do have another ottoman to work on right now to take out there.

Just inside the kitchen door.

Next time I go out I will finish up the little shelf. I will put molding across the front and put all my pretty white stoneware pieces. You'll see I'll take a picture.

Looking into the bathroom right around the corner from the stove.

There is a picture of Andy in the mirror. It is great he has the nice wide angle lens for taking these shots.

I plan to hang a small chandelier above the tub along with putting a very large black and white sail boat print on the wall.

I hope you enjoyed the little tour courtesy of Andy. We have been working long hours at work so he took a little time off. I offered the house for him to stay at. I think the poor guy was half shocked that I did because he often pushes my buttons at work trying to get me to order things or get one of his orders into the computer system. I'm often telling him to go away and leave me alone. He also teases me when he catches me singing a little too loudly my Chinese Pop/Hip Hop tunes to my ipod. I'm sure it happens more often then I get teased though. I think everyone is use to it by now. Damian and I sure enjoyed the photos. Thanks Andy!

Until Next Time. . . . .

Kathleen

A Bowl of Ramen

Happy Father's Day! My niece moved back to California on Friday which has made me sad so I don't want to talk about Father's Day. Let me just say I miss my Father and leave it at that.

I'd like to tell you about the ramen noodle nights this movie inspired at my house over this last week. I got this movie last weekend and watched it on Saturday morning and then again Saturday night with Damian, Brittnee and Kelsey. I liked the movie so much that I had purchased ramen noodles at the Asian market in Medford during my Saturday grocery shopping. My family liked the movie too and was real excited about having ramen noodles for dinner.

Here is my bowl of noodles. I used chicken for the meat and spinach for a vegetable. I made a hard boiled egg and shaped it into a rabbit with one of my bento egg molds. I wish the photo had come out a bit better. I guess it is time for a new camera. This bowl was actually from my Wednesday dinner. Damian has French classes on Wednesdays so the girls and I had ramen noodles again for dinner Wednesday night. My niece Kelsey loves all things Japanese. Sort of like me with China - although I do like Japan a lot too. After all bentos are Japanese and lets not forget ramen!

This is what the package of noodles looks like. The noodles are soft not dried as they are in a cup-of-noodles. In fact I'm not sure I could ever eat a cup-of-noodles ever again after tasting ramen this way.

So if you want to watch a cute little movie - I recommend "The Ramen Girl." It is of course a Chick Flick but hey my husband thought it was cute.

Until Next Time. . . . . . .

Kathleen

Well - I sort of did it again!

It is a long story - well sort of a long story. When we were in Los Angeles area for my father-in-laws funeral well I sort of fell again. This time it didn't break. The family was getting the house ready for the reception after the service and well my husband sort of passed out and hit his head smack on the concrete. My sister-in-law Greer came in to tell me to call 9-1-1. Well, the phone wasn't on the hook and then I remembered to I had a cell phone. I called 9-1-1 but couldn't remember the house number I had to give the phone to one of my brother-in-laws. I was trying to get to my husband (down a flight of stairs) and I fell off the last two. I calmed down then and road to the hospital with Damian in the ambulance. Once there the nurses convinced me to get my leg looked at - I guess the softball looking knot on the side of my leg looked bad. Anyway, once Damian was squared away I let them take xrays and I'm fine just a bad sprain.

Damian is fine. They kept him in the hospital for two days. He got out just before the service. They ran tons of test on him and didn't find anything wrong. I think he was just stressed out along with the weather being hot.


I should had my niece Brittnee take another picture from the other side because it was completely black and blue. Not sure how I did such a good job of this.

Funny - when I broke my right leg last Summer I stayed so calm. After the initial hurt and crying on the side walk. I picked myself up and went back into the house (not sure really how I managed that but I did.) I then sat on a big chair and waited another 15 minutes until my husband's normal time to get out of bed. I then called and said that he would have to take me to the hospital because I was pretty sure I had broken my leg. I then had him get me a pair of sweats, my purse, and the phone. He got dress and I called my work, the insurance company and had him get me into the sweats and a different pair of shoes (I was only able to wear socks.) So my brother-in-laws kept asking me what happened - as to why I freaked out. I think because it was Damian and not me hurt.

When I broke my leg it didn't even look as bad as this (you can see old photo on the blog somewhere.) I am mending really well now. My leg still hurts and swells up but most of the bruising is gone. The leg really hurts by the end of the day but I'm okay and most importantly Damian is fine.

Well Until Next Time. . . .
Kathleen

Cuthbert Carson Mann - Aug 2, 1928 to May 15, 2009

Cuthbert Carson Mann, a journalist and philosopher who was known as the quick-witted Irishman, died May 15 at his Glendora home surrounded by his family. He was 80. A reporter and editor at the Los Angeles Times for more than 20 years, Mr. Mann dedicated his life to writing and literature, publishing numerous articles on subjects ranging from current affairs to history and religion. He spent many years researching and writing “Hitler’s Three Struggles: the Neo-pagan Revenge,” a book that contained many of the themes that interested him through his life.

The study where he spent much of his time contains not only the hundreds of books that he read, but photos of his four sons, two daughters, four grandchildren and the wife he has loved for more than 60 years, Veronica.

Born in Belfast, Ireland on Aug. 2, 1928, Mr. Mann spent time in England before he immigrated to Canada, working as a crane operator in the uranium mines. Within a short time and with only a high-school education, he began his career as a journalist on the Sault Star in Ontario, Canada.

After moving to Michigan, then to Los Angeles, he started his life over again, mowing lawns in Beverly Hills before finding his way back into newspapers. He worked at both the San Gabriel Valley Tribune then at the Times, where he spent much of his career running the one-man bureau in Pasadena.

In his fifties, he went back to school, receiving first a B.A. then an M.A. in English literature.

Mr. Mann is survived by his sons, Jeffrey, Damian, Kieran and Bradford, and his two daughters, Greer and Hilary. One grandson and three grand-daughters.

Veronica, Mr. Mann’s wife, plans to cast his ashes along the shores of Portrush, the seaside town on the Atlantic Ocean where they first fell in love.

Working as a newspaper reporter

Taken in Portrush, Northern Ireland

Cuthbert in his study

Veronica and Cuthbert

Veronica and Cuthbert at their daughter Greer's Wedding

Cuthbert and Veronica looking out over Portrush harbor

Hiliary, Jeff, Damian, Veronica, Cutherbert, Kieran and Brad Mann

Cuthbert with daughter Greer

Shoko, Kelsey, Cuthbert, Lauren and Thomas taken December 2008

Cuthbert with Grand
-daughter Brittnee when she was little

Wording in this post was written by Damian Mann for his father.

An eventful year so far -

Hello Blogging Friends -

It has been an eventful year so far. My father-in-law passed away on June 15th and needless to say we have been rather caught up with the saying good-bye of a loved one through out this first half of the year. I have lost family members on my side of the family as well these last several weeks.

This week I will be taking the time to update my blog. Each time I experience a loss of a loved one in my life I find myself examining my own life - past, present and future. I will make an effort to share these reflections and revelations with you as well.

I hope all is well with you and your loved ones.

Until Next Time. . . . .
Kathleen