leelee's Lamps

We've been acquiring antique lamps lately. My husband is the antique buyer for our business and when he comes across a great lamp he buys it. I just love them. None of these are "Tiffany" but they are all good examples of 1880-1920's vintage pieces.
Thought I would share them.

Reverse painted glass shade on Bradley & Hubbard base

Thistle design leaded glass shade on fancy bronze base

Dogwood Flower motif in leaded glass shade on bronze base

Colored and slag glass leaded shade on bronze base

Colored glass shade leaded shade with diamond drop design on bronze tree trunk base

Glass vase base with glass fruits wired to frame with light inside.

PS: Hubs asked me to post that we are always interested in buying more antique lamps of this quality as well as any quality antiques and paintings. (Shameless self promotion)

Hurricane Blog

I started this , then took it away...now it's back...thankfully it's not riveting!

leelee's Hurricane blog

Movie Date Night

Sure we watch tons of movies at home, thanks to Netflix, but occasionally I want to see something on the big screen. Late night R and I went to see Little Miss Sunshine and honestly I don't remember the last time I laughed hard enough in a movie to bring tears to my eyes. I was not alone, the whole theater was cracking up. What a fun film. The whole theater was smiling as we exited.

The story is about a family who is going through a rough patch, financially and emotionally. They come together to give their 7 year daughter Olive (I love that name) a chance to compete in a beauty contest. Having no extra cash they decide to drive an old VW mini-bus from Albuquerque to Southern California. Needless to say, hi-jinx insues.

I loved the whole cast...Steve Carell (we love him in The Office), Greg Kinear (who I recently saw in a great movie The Matador), Toni Collette (never heard of her), Alan Arkin (an old time pro..sooooooooo funny), Paul Dano as the teenage son (has a very poignant moment, which any parent of a teen can relate to) and Abigail Breslin who plays Olive. This child was really, really great, adorable without that over the top Dakota Fanning syrup.

Anyway...the movie is hysterical..go see it!!

leelee gives Little Miss Sunshine a BIG

This downsizing has just gone too far!

Scientists decide Pluto’s no longer a planet

Historic new guidelines approved by astronomers in Prague

This lineup shows the 12 planets that were proposed last week, with a wedge of the sun at far left. Ceres, Pluto, Charon and 2003 UB313 are barely visible. Now Charon will continue to be considered Pluto's satellite, and the three other worlds will be dubbed "dwarf planets" rather than full-fledged planets. The planets are drawn to scale, but without correct relative distances.


PRAGUE, Czech Republic - Leading astronomers declared Thursday that Pluto is no longer a planet under historic new guidelines that downsize the solar system from nine planets to eight.

C'mon now!!!!!!!

I guess my crystal ball DOES work afterall

On tuesday evening, I posted this about my Iran/Iraq theory.

Look what I just saw TODAY/Thursday..I guess I am not alone in my theory.

Yikes!

American Pie

This afternoon on my way home from work...I heard American Pie..I cranked it up..and sang along as I know every word by heart, who, my age (or thereabouts)doesn't???

The song was not finished when I pulled into my driveway...so I sat there..and sang with Don till it finished.

One doesn't turn off American Pie before it is done...it's just isn't done.

My lawn guys must think I am weird...

I was watching the news this evening...

and the anchor was reporting that The Marines were calling for an involuntary call-up for 2500 Marines for another possible 2 year tour!!. The talking heads were saying that the military is weary of fighting on 2 fronts and that the fact that we didn't go into Iraq with enough troops to begin with has really turned out to be a problem. Also there are far less soldiers and Marines volunteering and they have raised the maximum age for new recruits to 42 years old.

So as I was listening to all this I had a thought...could it be..that Iran NOT Al Qaeda..is fueling the insurgency and the civil war there in the hopes that we will NOT leave, but we will stay longer and longer and continue to send more and more soldiers and money into the Iraq war, thus tiring and eventually weakening us to the point where we wouldn't be able to fight Iran of we had to.

Iran is basically giving everyone the finger these days in regard to their nuclear enrichment program and in essence there is nothing anyone can do about it.

Could Iran be behind this civil war in Iraq? we know they are funding Hezbollah...hmmmmmm who "won" that little skirmish in Southern Lebanon..??

In any case...I am no war scholar and although I do follow politics, I tend to be mired in my own opinion and I often run on emotion too. But I thought..this "theory" was somewhat plausible..are they are weakening and dividing this country??..the split appears to grow more and more each day...

what do YOU think? Plausible? or am I totally off my nut?

Last Night's Movie - Tsotsi

P is right, I listed this with no review..silly me..

TSOTSI is a jewel of a film. Though set in Johannesburg, South Africa, the story is unfortunately so universal that the film could have been made in any country in the world: the lost children of abusive parents who survive life by relying on crime fill the streets of the poor neighborhoods of all major cities. TSOTSI is a tragedy but it carries a sense of hope and redemption that makes it a powerful statement indeed.

OUCH!!! DON'T......STOP.....DON'T.....STOP

Book Meme

I read this Meme this morning over at PJ's. It sounded like fun so I thought I too would give it a try.

1. Grab the nearest book
.
2. Open the book to page 123.

3. Find the fifth sentence.

4. Post the text of the next 4 sentences on your blog along with these instructions.

5. Don’t you dare dig for that "cool" or "intellectual" book in your closet! I know you were thinking about it! Just pick up whatever is closest

6. Tag 5 people ( I don't know how to do that, so I'll leave it to you all.)

Ok here's mine:

Tolland pointed kitty-corner across the dome to a far wall where a press area was being set up.

There was blue carpet on the ice, television cameras, media lights, a long table with several microphones.

Someone was hanging a backdrop of an American Flag.

"That's for tonight," he explained.

I finished this book weeks ago and decided to pass it along, I haven't gotten any takers as of yet. It still has not been moved to the spare room, to join the collection of books I want to pass along. It was an excellent book as I find all of Dan Brown's works to be.

It's So Easy!

Last week, I answered a meme, telling you all some interesting facts about me (interesting is the subjective word here) One particular answer (#3) spurned a comment about how my husband was lucky to have me. I really do have the secret to a happy marriage. I use the following article as my guide and my light. It's timeless, don't you think??





The Good Wife's Guide
Housekeeping Monthly - May 13, 1955

1. Have dinner ready. Plan ahead, even the night before, to have a delicious meal ready on time for his return. This is a way of letting him know that you have be thinking about him and are concerned about his needs. Most men are hungry when they come home and the prospect of a good meal (especially his favourite dish) is part of the warm welcome needed.

2. Prepare yourself. Take 15 minutes to rest so you'll be refreshed when he arrives. Touch up your make-up, put a ribbon in your hair and be fresh-looking. He has just been with a lot of work-weary people.

3. Be a little gay and a little more interesting for him. His boring day may need a lift and one of your duties is to provide it.

4. Clear away the clutter. Make one last trip through the main part of the house just before your husband arrives. Run a dustcloth over the tables.

5. Over the cooler months of the year you should prepare and light a fire for him to unwind by. Your husband will feel he has reached a haven of rest and order, and it will give you a lift too. After all, catering for his comfort will provide you with immense personal satisfaction.

6. Minimize all noise. At the time of his arrival, eliminate all noise of the washer, dryer or vacuum. Encourage the children to be quiet.

7. Be happy to see him.

8. Greet him with a warm smile and show sincerity in your desire to please him.

9. Listen to him. You may have a dozen important things to tell him, but the moment of his arrival is not the time. Let him talk first - remember, his topics of conversation are more important than yours.

10. Make the evening his. Never complain if he comes home late or goes out to dinner or other places of entertainment without you. Instead, try to understand his world of strain and pressure and his very real need to be at home and relax.

11. Your goal: To try and make sure your home is a place of peace, order, and tranquillity where your husband can renew himself in body and spirit.

12. Don't greet him with complaints and problems.

13. Make him comfortable. Have him lean back in a comfortable chair or have him lie down in the bedroom. Have a cool or warm drink ready for him.

14. Arrange his pillow and offer to take off his shoes. Speak in a low, soothing and pleasant voice.

15. Don't ask him questions about his actions or question his judgment or integrity. Remember, he is the master of the house and as such will always exercise his will with fairness and truthfulness. You have no right to question him.

16. A good wife always knows her place.


WHAT DO YOU THINK GIRLS?? GUYS??

Crack Me Up!!

Don't look for a Meme today

I'm all questioned and answered out this week.

8 things about me

I read this on Puerileuwaite's blog so I guess I too have been tagged. The problem with these things is..I read other people's answers and some may be the same as mine, then I think I don't have an original thought...what's up with that? Anyway, here goes:

1. I love peanut butter and mayonnaise sandwiches on white bread. I know, I know, you are all screaming EWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW! but I have to tell you, this is a fantastic combination.

2. I taught myself all I know about using a computer, I bought my first PC in 1996 (my god 10 years ago) No one I knew had one, I built a web site , I learned to "chat", the rest is history.

3. I am the 4th wife of my husband. Yes #4. We've been together for 21 years. I guess I got him figured out. He is the only husband I have ever had.

4. I am 1/2 Italian, 1/4 Swedish and 1/4 English decent. I've been told it's a sexy mix. I think it is too.

5. I too am a dog person, don't care for cats at all.

6. I am a very loving person. I give my heart easily and without regret. I don't believe we have only one true love. There are just too many people in the world. Now this doesn't mean I would cheat on my husband. I am a committed and loyal person. But I believe there are many facets of love.

7. I've got wanderlust, and am feeling the need to travel and have some new experiences.

8. The only sitcoms I watch are The Office, My Name Is Earl and Seinfeld reruns. Everything else is crap...except for old stuff like Taxi, M*A*S*H, I love Lucy, The Honeymooners.
PS: I Like Curb Your Enthusiasm too

9. Speaking of Curb Your Enthusiasm, I met Larry David in 2004 at a Miami Beach Deli when he was campaigning for John Kerry. He was very tall and had extremely soft hands.

OOPS that's 9...oh well, and here I thought I couldn't come up with anything..

News I like to Read

Prohibitively High Rocket-Fuel Prices Bring Mideast Crisis To Standstill
August 7, 2006

BEIRUT, LEBANON—As the cost of rocket fuel soared to $630 per gallon Monday, Middle Easterners who depend on the non-renewable propellant to power 10-kilogram rockets have been forced to severely restrict their daily bombing routines, bringing this latest round of fighting to an unexpected halt.

"The way things are going, I won’t have any money left over for other necessities, such as anti-aircraft missiles, land mines, and machine guns," said Hezbollah guerrilla Mahmoud Hamoui, who is just one of hundreds of Islamic militants compelled to scale back their killing until rocket-fuel prices return to their pre-2006 levels.

.

Frustrated Hezbollah fighters face astronomical rocket-fuel prices at the pump

Friday Meme

I'd like to try to be consistent and add a meme for you to partake in each Friday. Please feel free to answer them in my comments...

Ok here goes:

Q: What are four of your favorite words?

1.Peace
2. Love
3. Absolutely
4. the F word. I try not to use it, but I do love it. It's fits in so many situations, the good, the bad and the ugly.

Q: What are four things you hope to do this weekend?

1. Makes Italian Biscotti
2. Go shopping
3. Putter around in my house
4. Start a new book

Q: What are the four things you say most often?

1. Yes dear??????????????
2. May I help you? ( I own a shop)
3. I love you
4. Of course

Q: What are four things you wish you could do right now?

1. Have a leisurely morning in bed with my honey
2. Have coffee with my best friend
3. Swim in the ocean
4. Book a trip

Q: What are four things that turn you on?

1. My honey with a freshley shaved face..a hint of cologne..mmmmmmm
2. Kisses on the neck
3. Having great conversation, deep, but interspersed with humor with an attractive man.
4. Compliments from an attractive man.

Q: What are four things you know you can't do?

1. I know I can't lift a piano
2. Climb Mt Everest
3. Achieve world peace
4. go caving

Q: What four sounds or noises do you absolutely hate?

1. super bass in a car
2. Whining
3. the sound of a eraserless pencil on a piece of paper( you know that metal band where the eraser should be??? aaaaaaaaaack)
4. Personal sounds

Q: What are your four favorite things to do?

1. Travel
2. Swim
3. spend time with my family
4. read, books, blogs, whatever

Oh no..here we go again!

UPDATE: THURSDAY 8/03 -

Hurricane threat fades as Tropical Storm Chris weakens, turns from South FloridaAssociated Press Posted August 3 2006, 1:23 PM EDT

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico -- Tropical Storm Chris rapidly ran out of steam Thursday morning as it pushed across the eastern Caribbean, and forecasters said it could weaken by evening to a tropical depression

YIPPEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I live in South Florida, which means I live in the hurricane belt. I know this, I chose this, I am prepared for this and yet..I HATE THIS..don't like the worry, don't like the preparation, don't like the clean-up and I especially don't like losing power.

That being said...here we go again...Tropical Storm Chris is headed this way. We are definitely in the "cone of concern" .

Looks good to me!

PS:This one's for you YB!

What I did on my summer vacation...Jersey Style

First stop..Northern NJ, to visit the family

All kidding aside, first stop was to my home town. Typical North jersey suburb. about 14 miles west of NYC...thought this picture was typical, isn't it fabulous?


Went out for cappuccino and cannoli with my friend...this flyer was on the table. The walls had pictures of the cafe owner posing with Joe Pesci...gotta love it. Entertainment of the highest quality, you can't make this stuff up.
After spending a few days immersed in my past and freshening up my NJ accent (what accent, I TAWK like everyone else heah), I drove north to my brother's house in Orange County NY. So beautiful..can you believe 45 minutes north of NYC. Amazing, it's like another world!

View from NY/NJ boarder. Not one refinery to be seen!

While visiting, my bro and I decided to go tooling around the countryside to find some of our old childhood haunts. We came across the infamous Gingerbread Castle in Hamburg, NJ. No longer operational, rumoured to be haunted (of course), it was once a major attraction in the area. Ahhhh Roadside America at it's finest.


We poked around the castle for a bit, till we got creeped out..then headed to a beautiful spot called Lake Gerard. My parents, the suburbanites.."belonged" to this little bit of heaven for the summers. We all piled into the Rambler and drove about an hour to get away from the heat and humidity,into the mountain air.. I am so glad the state of NJ has deemed this a preserve.

Check out this bit of nostalgia:
little leelee on the wall at Lake Gerard circa 1963 leelee today on the SAME wall at Lake Gerard (cool huh?)

After a couple of nights with my family, I headed over to Highland Lakes, NJ to visit my girlfriend. She lives in another "Lake Community"

Still considered a suburb of NY, who would think? check out the wildlife

Yes those are BEARS in front of my girlfriend house in NJ..YES, NJ!!!!!

We were standing on her deck...YES IN NJ!!!!!!!!!!

But alas, all good things must come to an end and my 8 day vacation finally came to a close. I had a marvelous time on my own, visiting those I hold dear, soaking up some local color and generally came home feeling rested and refreshed.

Thanks for taking the time to look at a few of my photos.