Popular Ice Cream Flavors

She considered, debated and studied her choices, 

taking a longer and more serious

deliberation over ice cream on a stick than she had over a

five-hundred-dollar brooch. After weighing the pros and cons,

she settled on chocolate and nuts wrapped around a slab of vanilla.

Loving Jack

_______________

By Slashme - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, 

https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=30505073

It turns out the classics are still as popular as ever.

Better Homes & Gardens

healthy alternatives to those breakfast foods you shouldn't eat

"Sit down, you can have some cereal." 
 "Cereal?" 
 "Man doesn't live by hotcakes alone, Nathan." 
She kissed him quick. "And some bananas."


Loving Jack 

_____________________

By Carissa Gan carissagan - 

https://unsplash.com/photos/YlwOMESLPQo, CC0, 

https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=61665613

There are alternatives to some of those popular breakfast foods like granola bars or bagels that will give you the same satisfaction plus more nutrition that will keep your energy up all morning while leaving you feel fuller. Here are a few healthy breakfast alternatives.

mother nature network

_____________________

She turned, narrowed her eyes as Fiona took a box of Froot Loops out of another cupboard. “You’re not having that processed sugar for breakfast.”

“Fruit, as in Froot Loops.” Smiling hopefully, Fiona shook the box. “There has to be fruit in here.”

“Sit down. I’m fixing you a decent breakfast.”

“Syl, this is fine.”

“It might be, on occasion, if you were ten. Sit,” she repeated, and, at home, opened Fiona’s

refrigerator. “Um-hmm, um-hmm. I can work with this. You’ll have a nice egg-white omelet on whole wheat toast.”

“I will?”

The Search

H...Y 🎂 Scrabble

 "It's worse than pitiful for a grown man to cheat at Scrabble."

 "I don't have to cheat." J.D. MacNamara narrowed his eyes and focused them on his daughter."Zuckly is an adjective, meaning graceful. As in the ballerina executed a zuckly pirouette."

 "That's a load of you-know-what," Jackie said, and scowled at him. "I let you get away withquoho, Daddy, but this is too much."

 "Just because you're a writer now doesn't mean you know every word in the dictionary. Go ahead, look it up, but you lose fifty points if you find it."

 Jackie's fingers hovered over the dictionary. She knew her father could lie beautifully, but she also knew he had an uncanny way of coming out on top. With a sigh of disgust, she dropped her hand. "I'll concede. I know how to be a zuckly player."

 "That's my girl." Pleased with himself, he began to add points to his score.

Loving Jack 

_____________________________

By thebarrowboy (Flickr) [CC BY 2.0 

(https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Scrabble celebrates 70 years of word power

Scrabble is one of the world’s most popular and enduring board games and 2018 marks its 70th birthday.

4BC

_____________________________

 Jackie pushed her letters around. "You know, Daddy, I've just began to think about it, but you and Mother, you're so different."

 "Hmmm?" He glanced up, distracted from the creative demands of inventing a new word.

 "I mean, Mother is so elegant, so well groomed."

 "What am I, a slob?"

 "Not exactly." When he frowned, she spread out her letters on the board. "There, hyfoxal."

 "What the hell is this?" J.D. waved a blunt finger at the word. "No such thing."

 "It's from the Latin for sly or cleverly adept. As in 'My father is well-known for his hyfoxal business dealings."

 In answer, J.D. used a brief four-letter word that would have had his wife clucking her tongue. "Look it up," Jackie invited. "If you want to lose fifty points. Daddy," 

Loving Jack

How to Get Rid of Hiccups

Picking up the glass, she drank while running her

finger in circles over the bottom.

"What the hell are you doing now?"

"Getting rid of the hiccups. Surefire." 

She set the glass down and

waited. "See? All clear." 

Loving Jack

__________________

By Sarah R. Webb (U.S. armed forces) - 

This Image was released by the United States Air Force with the 

ID 091130-F-8115W-005 (next).This tag does not indicate the copyright status of the attached work. 

A normal copyright tag is still required. See Commons:Licensing for more information.

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Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=14958995

Home Remedies That Actually Work

Hiccups come at the most inconvenient times, and when you're in public, you might need to use some very subtle methods to control them. Here are seven time-tested techniques to get rid of hiccups in a hurry.

Reader's Digest

Reasons You Should Spend More Time Alone

"Will you stay?"

"No." Meg pulled the drapes, spoke into the shadows. 

"I don't hate being alone. And I need to be."

Northern Lights

__________________

By U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Headquarters - avocet

Uploaded by Dolovis, Public Domain, 

https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=31315824

There are a multitude of studies that tout the benefits of solitude. Here are just a few science-backed reasons for spending time alone:

FORBES

__________________

Nathan had been perfectly happy catching up on his back issues of Architectural Digest. He burrowed in his office, content simply to be there with the warm paneled walls and the faded Persian carpet. Terrace doors opened onto the patio and out to the garden. It was his

refuge, with the faint scent of leather from books and the sharp light of sun through etched glass. If a man couldn't be alone in his office, he couldn't be alone anywhere. 

Loving Jack

Tabbouleh (Parsley & Cracked-Wheat Salad)

Jackie decided on a cracked-wheat-and-parsley salad for the lunch break.

Loving Jack

___________________

By cyclonebill - Tabbouleh, CC BY-SA 2.0, 

https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=8818537

It’s important to chop the ingredients by hand; the food processor tends to make mush. Make sure the parsley is washed and dried well. If you’re making this ahead of time, don’t add the lemon juice until just before serving.

Fine Cooking

___________________

"I hope you like this. It's called ta-bouleh. Very popular in Syria."

Mrs. Grange settled her bulk on a stool and eyed the bowl

doubtfully. "It doesn't have any of that funny stuff in it, does it?"

"Absolutely not."

Loving Jack

Find your passion? If only it were that simple

She was creative and

competent. The problem had been, as it always had been, that

once the first rush of excitement was over something else had

caught her interest.

Loving Jack

This was different.

Jackie cradled her chin in her hand. How many times had she said that before? The  photography studio, the dance classes, the potter's wheel. But this was different. She'd been fascinated by each field she'd tampered in, and in each had shown a nice ability to apply what she'd learned, but she was beginning to see, or hope, that all those experiments, all those false starts, had been leading up to this.

She had to be right about the story. This time she had to carry it through from start to finish. Nothing else she'd tried had been so important or seemed so right. It didn't matter that her family and friends saw her as eccentric and fickle. She was eccentric and fickle. But there had to be something, something strong and meaningful, in her life. 

_____________

CC BY-SA 2.5, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=11979

New study challenges the idea that your lifelong pursuit is just buried inside you somewhere — but a new mindset can help.

Sounds great, doesn't it? 

In fact, finding your passion has become a big business, with colleges, self-help books and courses, and experts lined up to help people discover their one true path. 

But for many people, that specific passion can be awfully elusive. 

That's because, contrary to how the idea is popularly understood, most people don't just magically find their passion one morning. That truth can be frustrating and discouraging. 

Mother Nature Network

_____________

But that wasn't the point, she reminded herself as she stared at the pendant. She'd lost that job and all the others, and now Margaret was giving her a chance to prove she wasn't a complete moron.

Which, Allena feared, she probably was.

"You need to find your place."

Blinking, Allena managed to tear her gaze away from the pendant and look back into the old woman's eyes. They seemed so kind and wise. "Maybe I don't have one."

"Oh, there now, each of us has one, but there are those who don't fit so easily into the world the way others see it. And us. You've only been looking in the wrong places."

Ever After

10 Reasons to Sail down the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW)

With that she pulled smoothly away from the dock. "How do you feel about St. Thomas?"

"Jack..."

"Only kidding. I've thought what a kick it would be to travel the whole Intracoastal. 
Take a whole summer and just cruise."

He'd thought of it, too, as something he might find time for—someday. 
After retirement, perhaps. When Jackie said it, it seemed 
possible it could happen tomorrow.
And it made him wish it would happen tomorrow. 

Loving Jack

________________

By Skipper Michael 16:21, 12 May 2007 (UTC) - 

Self-photographed, CC BY-SA 3.0, 

https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2096873

The Intracoastal Waterway, or ICW, is a 3,000-mile (4,800 km) inland waterway along the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coasts of the United States. It runs from Boston, Massachusetts, south along the Atlantic coast and around the southern tip of Florida, then following the Gulf Coast to Brownsville, Texas.

Sailing Britican

CELEBRATE 💮

“They’re wonderful. Charming and fun. Batman and Robin?”

Kay strolled over. “Mal gave me those for Mother’s Day back when he was about twelve. 
Gave me those humping dogs, too—didn’t think I’d put them out. 
He was sixteen then, I think, and trying to get my goat. I got his.” 
She glanced back, grinned at him and the

memory. “Embarrassed the hell out of him when I put them on the shelf.”

Happy Ever After

________________

By Scott Darbey from Canada - Mother's Day Flowers, by Melody, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=42235841

We’ve also got 10 great ideas to treat your mom right—from a yummy breakfast in bed to a beautiful bouquet made of symbolic flowers.

ALMANAC

________________

"Right after I find something tasteful for my mother," she promised, and she proved as good as her word.

Some fifteen minutes later, she chose an ebony pin crusted with pearls. It was a very mature, very elegant piece in faultless taste.

Loving Jack

Compliment Your Mom

Jackie grinned and blew her hair out of her eyes. "I love you, Mother."

Instantly, and in the way Jackie had always adored, 

Patricia's eyes softened. "I love you too, darling." 

Loving Jack

__________________

By I, Alvesgaspar, CC BY 2.5, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2502964

20 Simple Ways to Compliment Your Mom

MSN

__________________

 “My family is important to me. Three Willows is important to me. And so are you.”

 “Well.” Naomi reached for the glass herself, and her hand was unsteady. “Thank you.”

 Kelsey resisted, barely, the urge to kick a pot of geraniums. “It’s hardly a matter for gratitude. You’re my mother. I care about you. I admire what you’ve been able to do with your life. Maybe I’m not satisfied about all the years between, but I like who you are. I’m certainly not going to go scrambling back and pretend you don’t exist because Milicent would prefer it.”

 To keep herself from buckling into a chair, Naomi braced a hand on the table. “You can’t imagine, can’t possibly imagine what it’s like to hear from a grown daughter that she likes who you are. I love you so much, Kelsey.”

True Betrayals

H.A.P.P.Y

"Daddy," she said to distract him again, "how do you and Mother stay so happy?"

"I let her do what she does best, she lets me do what I do best.

Besides, I'm crazy about the old prude."

Loving Jack

_________________

By vastateparksstaff - https://www.flickr.com/photos/vastateparksstaff/30655149541/, CC BY 2.0, 

https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=57474281

Surprising Secrets That Happy Couples Know

Steal the "musts" from the winning playbook.

It's easy to fall in love, but to stay happy in love is a challenge. 

MSN

Home

He was dead tired, and happy as hell to be home at last. The final leg of the journey had seemed interminable. Being on American soil again after six months hadn't been enough. When Nathan had landed in New York, the first real flood of impatience had struck. He was home, yet not home. 
For the first time in months he had allowed himself to think of his own house, his own bed. His own private sacrosanct space.


Loving Jack

_____________________

But I want to go home

May be surrounded by a million people I,

Still feel all alone

I want to go home

_____________________

He drew her close. Her scent, so needed, was all around him. 
It was only then that he understood that you could come home even without the familiar walls.

Loving Jack

How To Be A Tourist In Your Own City

Stepping outside, Ariel took a deep breath of New York. She loved it—
had always loved it in a way usually reserved for tourists. Ariel had
lived on the long thin island of Manhattan all of her life, and yet it
remained an adventure to her. The sights, the smells, the sounds.


Dual Images

___________________

By Paolo Neo [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

No doubt about it, discovering other cities is an unbeatable experience - but a stressful one too (think traveling for hours before reaching your destination, packing your things or dealing with airport security). 

So why leave for another place, when there's so much yet to discover in your own town? 

Because staying at home doesn't necessarily mean you're not going to have a good time. 

Here are a few tips for spending a day exploring your hometown that will help you see it with fresh eyes!

BLOGLOVIN'

___________________

He'd never pictured himself biking along the oceanfront—much less enjoying it. The fact was, Nathan rarely even came to this section of town. It was for tourists and teenagers. Being with Jackie made him feel like both. She was showing him new things not only about the city where he'd lived for nearly a decade but about the life he'd had more than thirty years to experience.

 Everything about her was unexpected. How could he have known that the unexpected could also be the fresh? For a few hours he hadn't given a thought to Denver or penalty clauses or the responsibilities of tomorrow. He hadn't thought of tomorrow at all.

 This was today, and the sun was bright, and the water was a rich blue against the golden sand. There were children squealing as they played in the surf, and there was the smell of oils and lotions. Someone was walking a dog along the beach, and a vendor was hawking nachos.

 Across the street, beach towels waved colorfully over rails, making a tawdry little hotel seem exotic. He could smell hot dogs, he realized, and some kind of colored ice was being sold to children so that it would drip sticky down their arms as they slurped it. Oddly enough, he had a sudden yen for it himself.

 When he looked up, he spotted the black-and-yellow colors of a kite shaped like a wasp. It had caught the wind and was climbing. A light plane flew over, trailing a flowing message about the special at a local restaurant.

 He took it all in, wondering why he'd thought the beach held no magic for him.


Loving Jack 

picnic

Shutting down again under the shade of bending palms and cypress, she took out Jackie's idea of a picnic.

 There was Pouilly-Fuisse in paper cups, and cracked crab to be dug out with plastic forks, 
and tiny Swiss meringues, white and glossy.

Loving Jack 

_______________________

By Hartmut Josi Bennöhr (user:josi / de:user:josi) - self made by Hartmut Josi Bennöhr, CC BY-SA 3.0, 
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=133571

THE PARISIAN PICNIC: IT’S AN ART FORM!

The Parisian Picnic is a Fine Art.

Not to be taken lightly,  it takes the right amount of preparation, 
thought and planning to Master the Perfect Picnic like the Parisians 
manage every time.

WORLD OF WANDERLUST

_______________________

He flipped open the lid of the hamper, took out the blanket folded on
top. She helped him spread it open, then sat on it cross-legged.
“What’s on the menu?”
He pulled out a bottle of champagne snugged in a cold sleeve. Surprised, touched, she laughed.
“That’s a hell of a start—and you just don’t miss a trick.”
“You said champagne picnic. For our entrée, we have the traditional fried chicken à la Marg.”
“Best there is.”
“I’m told you favor thighs. I’m a breast man myself.”
“I’ve never known a man who isn’t.” She began to unload. “Oh, yeah, her red potato and green
bean salad, and look at this cheese, the bread. We’ve got berries, deviled eggs. Fudge cake! Marg gave us damn near half of one of her fudge cakes.” She glanced up. “Maybe she’s in love with you.”
“I can only hope.” He popped the cork. “Hold out your glass.”
She reached for it, then caught the label on the bottle. “Dom Pérignon. Iron Man’s car and
James Bond’s champagne.”
“I have heroic taste. Hold out the glass, Rowan.” He filled it, then his own. “To wilderness
picnics.”
“All right.” She tapped, sipped. “Jesus, this is not cheap tequila at Get a Rope. I see why 007
goes for it.”



Chasing Fire

More in Love

 "You know what I'd like?" she asked him.

 "Hmmm?" If he hadn't been so dazed, it would have amazed him that he could be dozing in bed this close to noon.

 "To stay here, right here in this bed, all day."

 "We've got a pretty good start."

Loving Jack

_____________________

By The Library of Congress - [Portrait of June Christy and Bob Cooper, 1947 or 1948] (LOC), 

Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=42835958

9 Things That Make Him Fall Even More in Love With You

You might not think #3 matters, but to him, it's HUGE.

GOOD HOUSEKEEPING

_____________________

"Is that my shirt?"

"Well, yeah. I can't go walking around naked."

"Don't see why not. But since you didn't ask if you could borrow it, which is pretty damn rude, I think you'd better get your ass back upstairs and give it back to me."

"You're absolutely right." Everything inside her relaxed again. "I'm so ashamed."

"Ought to be." He took her hand, walked her back up the steps. "How would you like it if I paraded around in your clothes without permission?"

"I don't think I would. Although, it might be strangely fascinating."

Angel's Fall