Friday Dog Blogging

Shadow
Originally uploaded by KenCalvino

It's been a miserable couple of days. The local furniture store came and got my recliner. I stopped over today to find out what was going (since they told it would take them one to two days to fix it and it's now day five). They can't seem to fix it and not sure what to do. In the meantime I'm stuck without a chair. And the guy was all like "I've spent too much time trying to fix it - it's not worth it." I told him it had a lifetime guarantee and it was only 4 years old so it was worth it to me. He then takes me around to show me a brand new chair and didn't I want to purchase that instead because the other chair is "shot." Nope. I'll wait for my chair. So he's like well I'll call the factory direct next week. I told him that it was only 1:30 in the afternoon - why couldn't he do it today. I guess it will be a miracle if I get my chair back at all! In the meantime, the Frog Wrangler is very upset that her sleeping place is gone. I finally was able to remedy the situation a bit by placing her favorite blanket on the floor and putting her pillows on it. She lays there and looks forlornly to the blank spot of where her chair use to be. Let's hope it gets back soon. Otherwise she's been doing really well and enjoying her new treats - Snausages Paw Prints.

Tuesday without my chair

Another day without my chair - I've been alternating between sitting on the bed listening to the radio and sitting in my office chair to watch television. I'm hoping that it will be back tomorrow. Even the Frog Wrangler is out of sorts - she couldn't settle down last night without her chair to lay down on.

It was nice to hop in my car and drive down to the bank and post office - no taxi! I missed my car.

A quick note to AB, whose having surgery tomorrow morning. Good luck!

Monday Madness!

It's been a really busy Monday here at Frog Central. I received a call first thing from the furniture store that is going to fix my La-z-boy recliner. They were on their way to pick it up - the part they ordered had come in. They no more than left when a car pulled into the drive - my car! Come to find out the only thing wrong was a small little piece of plastic that lined the gear shift to the transmission. So now fixed and returned, I can't wait to try it out later with a quick trip to the bank and post office.

I mixed up a batch of fruitcake this afternoon and tomorrow I'll bake it off. One last batch of fruitcake to be made then that will be it for the season.

In the midst of all that was going on today I decided to make a couple slices of toast. After I put out the fire I found out that the only thing toasted was the toaster! (The bread was burnt). I seem to be going through appliances at an alarming rate. Almost very kitchen appliance has been replaced in the last year. Most of it thanks to AB!

Saturday Dog Blogging

Shadow
Originally uploaded by KenCalvino

My Friday Dog Blogging is morphing into Saturday Dog Blogging. I absolutely love this picture of the Frog Wrangler. She is in her favorite chair, snuggled up with her favorite blanket - how could life get any better! Because she can't really hear any more when I came out in the morning it didn't wake her up. I turned on my radio and started my morning and she still was sound asleep. So I snapped a couple pictures and about 10 minutes later she woke up, her eyes growing wider to see me up and about without her not having known it.

The Frog Wrangler has had another really good week. She just loves this colder weather and it's hard to get her to come in from the outside. Especially the other night when it was snowing, she came in covered and you could tell she just loved it and a couple hours later she was pestering me to go back out again. When she comes back in she loves to cuddle up with her favorite blanket to warm again. This last week I gave her the old pillows off the bed as I put new ones on and she is in heaven. I put them in her favorite place to lay down and she has a lot of fun getting them just right and fluffing them up before she settles down on top of them.

Snow

First Snow
Originally uploaded by KenCalvino

Yesterday morning I awoke to find some snow on the ground - the first snow of the season. It was gone by early afternoon as the temps made their way into the 40's. We're supposed to be on a warming trend now until Wednesday when we'll top out at 60! I'm trying to keep my heat set in the house at 68, but it feels a bit cold in the evening. Thank goodness for flannel sheets on the bed.

Last evening the television was turned off by 7 p.m. and I was in bed by 10 working on a Times Sunday crossword puzzle. I woke up this morning with an extremely painful back. I had to take some pain killers because I had to make it to our little Sears here in town to buy an upright freezer - a Christmas present from Mom and Dad (Thank You!!). Can hardly wait until it arrives on December 12th.

Have a good weekend everyone!

Frog of the Day

Ganz - Happy Frog
Originally uploaded by KenCalvino

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. Here at Frog Central it was turkey with all the trimmings. Yummy! And instead of pie for dessert I of course broke out some of my homemade fruitcake. Late last night the Frog Wrangler went out for her last run of the night and when she came in I was like what is all over her - it was snow! The first snow of the season fell overnight. It was just enough to lightly cover the ground. It will be gone later today as the temps move back up into the 40's. So while it looked nice for a minute I'm glad that it will be gone!

This frog collectible is from Ganz and it is the second Happy Frog sun catcher that I picked up from the resale shop. The flower is added to the front of the frog giving layers of depth to the piece. The flower has a little crystal center. Hanging from the flower is a medallion that says "Welcome Friends." There are a number of sayings available and I look forward to adding more of these to the collection.

Macy's Parade

Kermit at Macy's Parade
Originally uploaded by KenCalvino

I just received this picture from someone who was at the Macy's parade. Kermit was near the end of the parade - saving the best for last! Happy Thanksgiving!

Go to iVillage and vote for Kermit as the best balloon in the parade.

Happy Thanksgiving

Thunder has been rolling all morning here at Frog Central, and the weather is supposed to turn nasty - they are even calling for snow flurries! - so thought I'd put a quick note to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving. Whether you are having a tofurkey, a turduckin, or an old fashioned 20 lb. butterball - The Frog Wrangler, The Frogs, and I hope that it is the best. We'll be back on Friday with both a new frog and some dog blogging. Enjoy!

Frog Wrangler Extra!

Shadow
Originally uploaded by KenCalvino

While I was setting up today's frogs, the Frog Wrangler had to come over and check them out and made sure they were sitting in just the right spot. You know she's saying to the frogs Sit! I have a great picture that I took yesterday morning that will be going up on Friday so be sure to come back and check it out.

Frog of the Day

Boyds - Jeremiah...Jellybean Pondhopper
Originally uploaded by KenCalvino

Hope everyone had a good weekend. Finally got a day to just sit back and relax a bit, read the newspaper, and enjoy a cup of hot chocolate. The only thing that had to be done was to check the wraps on the fruitcake and add a little more brandy. This last batch I kept one of the loaves out to eat and it is delicious!

These two frog collectibles I found at the resell shop. Although they didn't come with their boxes, I got these little guys for just a $1 a piece. I thought that was a pretty good deal. They are from Boyds Bears and Friends Wee Folkstone Ribbit and Co. The piece is called Jeremiah......Jellybean Pondhopper. These are limited edition pieces that are edition and piece number. The first is 2E/2768. The second is 1E/7423. Great little guys.

Saturday Dog Blogging

Shadow
Originally uploaded by KenCalvino

Better late than never...... The Frog Wrangler has had a really good week. The colder the temps the more active she seems to be. I've always said that she knows when I'm not feeling good and yesterday afternoon I went in to lay down and she crawled up on the bed next to me and rested in the crook of my arm, resting her chin on my shoulder. You just knew she was comforting you and saying in her own way that everything would be ok. This afternoon she wasn't anywhere around and so I knew I'd find her on the bed - her favorite place to be. So I laid down next to her and was able to snap a few pictures. I really like this one because she's showing off her smile and looking happy. Have a good rest of the weekend!

Saturday Update

I had originally planned to put a picture of the Frog Wrangler last night, but I had a bit of a fall yesterday morning and that has thrown a frog wrench into everything. I jammed my left arm and it is really sore - I think I've definitely sprained something. The whole arm right up to and including my neck is very painful. And of course my back, which has been in a constant throb mode for the last couple months, stepped up to a constant scream. So yesterday I spent pretty much recuperating. The pain pills have done their job this morning and so this afternoon if the Wrangler is cooperative I'll try to get a pic of her up this afternoon.

One thing that had to get done yesterday was the baking off of the latest fruitcake batch. Two loaves were wrapped in brandy, but a small loaf was kept out to enjoy - mighty tasty as that little kid on the commercial would say. OK, I'm going to go take a little nap with the Wrangler.

Hope everyone is having a fun weekend and is not running around in a panic over Thanksgiving this next week.

Frog of the Day

Ganz - Happy Frog
Originally uploaded by KenCalvino

A very cold and windy morning this morning. Thank goodness I put a new door sweep on the front door - anything to keep that wind at bay. I have to give a big shout out to AB who after reading my blog entry the other day about my vacuum cleaner meltdown has arranged for a new one to be delivered in the next couple of days. Many thanks AB! I finally got a call from the local vocational school - they are picking up my car today. Hurray! This week has just flown by - each day has just been filled with things to do. Maybe it's the rush to the Christmas holiday - only what, 39 or 40 days away. I think I better go have a cup of hot chocolate and relax.......

This frog collectible is from Ganz and the tag says it is called Happy Frog. It is a sun catcher. The flower is added to the front of the frog giving layers of depth to the piece. The flower has a little crystal center. Hanging from the flower is a medallion that says "Kiss Me, I'm Yours." There are a number of sayings available - I also bought a second one, which because it also has a different colored flower I'll put up later. I got this this month - November 2007.

Mid-Week Update

It's been a busy couple of days. The basement guy showed up and said that a sump pump wasn't needed. We've had a couple days of rain and the basement stayed dry - so hopefully I can start using the room for storage. I think I'll wait out a couple more storms first though. In the meantime I got caught up on some wash - all morning yesterday. A couple more days and I hope to be all finished! Another batch of fruit for fruitcake was stirred up yesterday via telebaking with AB. This morning I'm paying for all the running up and down the basement steps with my back screaming at me. So now I'm waiting for the pain pills to kick in and start all over again!

Frog of the Day

Mary Meyer - Froggie Keepsake Purse
Originally uploaded by KenCalvino

Today has been busy already! I was up before the sun rise this morning because a man is coming to look at the basement and give an estimate for putting in a sump pump. It would be nice to double the amount of space - I want to be able to use all that valuable space in the basement for storage. I would have so much more space up here on the ground floor. The Frog Wrangler wasn't happy with my working so hard first thing and I think she gave a little smile when the vacuum cleaner broke for good. A large clunk and metal pieces were flying everywhere! Thankfully nothing was broken by the flying pieces and the Wrangler and I weren't hurt. Thankfully the majority of the floor was finished before it broke. The weekend was nice and quiet - on Sunday the fruitcake was unwrapped and the cheesecloth re-soaked in brandy. The one cake that is being sacrificed for taste testing was yummy and soon the cake should be ready to sit and mellow to get ready for Christmas.

This frog item is from Mary Meyer and is called a Froggie Keepsake Purse. The plush frog has a zipper across the top that opens a small compartment where a child could put a few items. The large clip can be used to attach it to a backpack. I purchased this item last week (November 2007) at a resale shop. As you can see, it still has it's original tags.

Friday Dog Blogging

Shadow
Originally uploaded by KenCalvino

The Frog Wrangler has had a really good week. She's spent a lot of time running around with her toys and keeping watch out the window. Of course her most important duty is keeping the floor held down - i.e. naps!
Here she is earlier today. She was so tired that she didn't even wake up when I snapped her picture. A nap sounds like a good idea......

Frog of the Day

Frog Thermometer
Originally uploaded by KenCalvino

What did I tell you - new frogs are always coming into the collection. Yesterday I had to go to the pharmacy to pick up a prescription and I had to wait a half hour for the ride home - so I went into the resale shop next to CVS and found quite a few frogs. Winter has definitely arrived here at Frog Central. The temps had dropped into the 20's the other night. Brrr! Even the Frog Wrangler, ever the lap dog, gets all excited when she sees me getting out the afghan to cover up. She's a little heat factory so I don't mind her crawling under the covers for a bit. You get all nice, warm and toasty - and it only takes a 60 lb. dog to do it! LOL

This frog item I found at the resale shop yesterday. It is a frog thermometer. There is a made in China sticker on the bottom. It is rather heavy - it feels more like an artificial stone rather than resin. A great little addition to the collection.

Fruitcake, Telebaking and other such stuff

Told you I'd be back with news and an update. The last several days have been filled with making fruitcake. I love a good fruitcake and this year AB and I decided to make our own. So we did what we are calling telebaking. She lives in New Jersey and I'm in Illinois - so we compared our progress as we went along via telephone. 31 ingredients in total went into making the fruitcake. Several days of soaking fruit, making the cake and letting it set overnight - and finally a morning of baking. The loaves are now wrapped in cheesecloth that has been soaked in rum. Six weeks from now - right before Christmas - good eating will be had!

I was going to write about this yesterday but I got involved in a writing project and lost track of time. And with the writer's strike there is nothing on television - so I just left the tv off and kept writing. The next thing I knew it was 11 pm. I was up early this morning and did a quick revision here and there and sent a proposal and abstract off to be approved. I went out to put it in the mailbox at 8:30 this morning so the mailman could take it when he comes - and there he was! I couldn't believe it. One day I get the mail at 6 pm and the next day first thing in the morning. That's the way it goes in Tidy Town.

The Frog Wrangler is whining this morning. I took a piece of hard candy from the candy dish and she came running over thinking that she should have some too. So the morning has been spent with her yelling at me and me saying no way.

Yesterday afternoon the furniture company showed up to look at my La-z-boy chair. Their warranty is a piece of crap but hopefully it will be finally fixed. The parts should be here in a couple weeks. Let's hope for the best.

It's weird not having a frog of the day - or a frog with this post. Sunday I saw a couple frogs at Walmart and this coming Sunday I may pick up. Don't forget to send me pictures of your frogs and I'll showcase them here as Guest Frog of the Day.

Changes to this blog

Three years ago I decided I wanted to catalog my frog collection. And thus I started this blog to do that. Along the way I started writing about my daily going-ons. It was a great way to keep in touch with friends and family. After three full years I've reached the end of my present collection and have been showing you what is out there in the blogosphere. Mainly I want to keep this blog my own collection though. So change is thrust upon me and I think in the end will be a good thing. I'll continue to post new frogs as they come to the collection. And when everyone knows that you collect frog items, they come in on a regular basis. I'd still like to see readers send in pictures of their own collections or prized frog item. It's fun to see what other people are collecting. To my friends and family who don't really come for the frog but to catch up on what is going on in my life - don't despair. I'm sure that from time to time you'll be getting a post to update what I've been up to.

I hope that you, my dear readers, understand my decisions as to these changes and will continue to check back to see what's new in my little corner of the world. I've been amazed and surprised by the location of those who check in to see what's new. I think that almost every country has been represented over the last three years. I love connecting with all those who have written or just came to look. We'll see you right here very soon.

Frog of the Day

Beware of Attack Frog Sign
Originally uploaded by KenCalvino

Very late in the day indeed! This morning and early afternoon was spent stirring up the fruitcake batter, mixing it with the fruit, and getting it into the pans. It now rests and mellows until tomorrow morning when it will finally be baked off. Then 6 weeks of booze soaked cheesecloth and then it will finally be ready for eating. It all smells really good and I'm sure it will definitely be worth the wait. It created so many dishes that I'm actually using my dishwasher for the very first time since I moved here. Being one person I usually just have a few plates and silverware to worry about and it's not enough to load into and run the dishwasher, but today created lots of mixing bowls and baking utensils. The Frog Wrangler is about as tired as I am and I think I'm going to go take a little nap......

This frog item is a Beware of Attack Frog sign. It measures 3 x 12 inches and costs $4.95 at The Frog Store. You know I love all they have to offer and Froggy is the nicest - do tell her I said hello.

Friday Dog Blogging

Shadow
Originally uploaded by KenCalvino

The Frog Wrangler has returned! It's been a couple of weeks and she's had some ups and downs. She got rather mad at me this last week because I had to move the dining room table to accommodate a couple pantry racks. The rearranging has cut into her nap space along the wall. Here she is after I moved the table to give her a bit more room. Nap time!

Froggy Extra

Frog with Snail Hitchiker
Originally uploaded by KenCalvino

I received this picture as part of one those endlessly forwarded e-mails of animal pictures. I don't know who took the picture or if it was computer generated, but I thought it was pretty cute...

Frog of the Day

Bamboo Wind Chimes w/Antique Frog Design
Originally uploaded by KenCalvino

Last night had a touch of excitement. About 10 o'clock last night I was watching television when the power went out. Thankfully after an hour it came back on and it only took a couple tries to get the computer back up and running. It's amazing how much you can't do when the electric is out. I sat here and I thought what would they do in olden times to fill some time - and I had to chuckle because I imagine they would have already been in bed for a couple hours.

This frog item is an interesting piece. This is Bamboo Wind Chimes with and Antique Frog Design on them. The chimes come in three sizes - with the longest tube being either 12, 17 or 22 inches. You can find this wonderful item at Four Winds Kites. Check out their kites while you're there - they look awesome!

Frog of the Day

Austrian Crystal Frogs
Originally uploaded by KenCalvino

Today is looking to be a good day. The Frog Wrangler is feeling much better and even brought me her toys this morning. Of course thirty seconds of play and she was ready for a nap! Now that it's November the plan is to begin making a fruitcake. Today starts the process of soaking the fruit and nuts in alcohol. I hope it works it out as well as the apple pie did yesterday - yum!

This frog collectible is Austrian Crystal Frogs sitting under a mushroom. They are made with Swarovski Crystals. This set stand 3 inches tall. I found this over at Austrian Crystal. It sells for $100.00. They have a nice collection of crystal frogs - do check them out.