"Tomato, Tomahto"...

How's it spelled?

Good "eclair" Friday, all bodies.

On our trip in France, we arrived in Amiens just in time for lunch. But, all we could find in the university section of the town were Burger King type fast food joints. Therese found a boulangiere called, "Nature de Pain."

It wasn't a store that fancies black leather outfits, masks, whips or chains, I found out. It was a French bakery.

We stopped and shared a salad, but I couldn't help noticing that small, soft, log-shaped pastry filled with cream and typically topped with chocolate icing. In New Orleans, there was a bakery well appreciated, especially on Sundays after mass. It was Lawrence's Bakery on Elysian Fields and they had the best eclairs I've ever had as a kid.

"I'd like that eclair," I said, pointing to the ones in the glass case. I pointed at it assuming the three college aged ladies didn't speak English. The server pointed the eclair back at me and I nodded in the affirmative.

She giggled.

"Yes, that "A-Clair!"

She pointed again and again she giggled, but this time she whispered into the other servers ears and the two other women giggled along.

"Aw, c'mon now," I said. I ain't no long tall Texan sportin' a ten gallon hat!" I said with a smirk and the best shit kickin' cowboy accent I owned.

They laughed some more as the one server bagged the tasty bit and rang me up.

"So, how do you pronounce the word, "A-Claire", I asked.

She just smiled and gave me our lunch complete with my A-Claire.

"Well, we're from Nouvelle Orleans and that's pretty much how this pastry is pronounced there."

I never did get the correct pronunciation.

"A-Clair", "E-Clair" or e'clair, who knows.

It sure was good!

Copyright 2018/  Ben Bensen III

"An Apple A Day..."

It Gets Around...

Well, Good "apple a day" Monday, all bodies.

Whew... talk about the fallout when one returns home from a two week vacation.

So irresponsible! It's not like we haven't had the time to enjoy reliving our trip together. Therese and I spent the afternoon at Giddy-Up talking about our good times and sifting through photos, but the mail, the paperwork, grocery shopping, clothes, the yard, filing away receipts, throwing away brochures... Sheesh!

One constant that has followed me all the way from London is this one lone apple. It is the last of four that I took from our Hyde Park hotel in London. I am not quite sure that it goes that far back because many of the rooms had prepackaged fruit in the room, but at one time having left Paris, I had four apples in my computer bag. I either ate the other three or they escaped somehow. This one made it through customs, TSA's, baggage checks, passport lines, underground rails, and two flights.

I had the chance to eat it in the many long boring lines one must endure to get around these days. I just never got around to eating this last one. It kinda became a symbol of our "bon voyage!"

Twenty days old and going for a record.

I made a fruit salad with yogurt this morning, but didn't have the heart to cut it up...C'est la vie!

First cup and then, Gus's...

"Everybody's A Star... Including Captain Marvel!"

Not the guard mentioned here...

Good TGIFriday Day, y'all.

Gosh, it's been over a week since we completed our tour of Edwards, AFB. But I remember what I consider a rather cute incident that occurred as we enter the North gate of that high security airspace.

Over my "career" as an Air Force artist, I've entered, with or without an liaison, many an air base gate. The guards there are a courteous, smartly dressed, but rather intimidating maitre'd's, so to speak.

Usually dressed in camo fatigues, they are bristling with gear strapped to their person. Flak jacket, intercom, holster and pistol, "go to hell" sunglasses, billy clubs, ammo belts, and all kinds of intimidating equipment and topped smartly to the right side of the head a security forces beret... All to welcome you.

And, rightly so!

But, on our last day of the tour, we stopped to show our identification cards and was greeted by a female guard dressed in the standard security forces outfit.

Now, maybe the other guys did or didn't notice, but I sure did.

As the the guard returned our I.D.'s to Colonel Pestana, and crisply shared salutes, I noticed this guard was wearing a bit more makeup. Certainly understated, but noticeable to someone like me who kinda overdoses on all the testosterone that exists among the sights, sounds and smells of airplanes.

I even had to voice my observation to the guys.

"Gee, I guess I should've awakened a bit earlier this morning to apply my face before breakfast," I said with no response!

It all came to light when our schedule was a bit adjusted. Greeted by museum curator, Tony Moore, and apologizing for the crazies and being late, Tony mentioned, as two F-15's and one F-16 screen across the sky, that, today the base was being invaded by a Hollywood film crew shooting scenes for the new film,"Captain Marvel."

It suddenly appeared to me why the front gate security guard was so, so... so feminine!

Everybody is a star including me... First cup!

Copyright 2018/Ben Bensen III

"Aw, So Cute... Iitty-Bitty, Teeny-Weeny Ball of Trouble!"

Awwwww!

Good "earless chocolate bunny" Monday, all bodies!

I hope everyone enjoyed their Easter/Passover Weekend and saved a bit of that chocolate bunny "for later!"

Our little nest of baby bunnies has broken camp and absconded in the night except one. There always seems to be one in the group that just doesn't get the memo till it is too late.

I let our dog, Pierre le Pooch, out Easter Sunday morning to do his 'le Poop thing, but got distracted straightening up le Kitchen only to hear le screams emanating from the garden below le kitchen window.

( I beg for your patience as I am taking French lessons online... Can't you tell? )

"That damn dawg is harming those baby bunnies again. I can't let him out of sight for a moment," I said to myself as I ran out the back door to see the damage done.

"HEY YOU, get away from that, that... that clump of grass there!"
"HEY!"

Sure enough, Pierre had somehow found the one loner bunny hanging around waiting for the rest of the gang to show up!

My wife finally came out to inspect the bunny and do her "Aw, so cute... so soft, little biddy this, and little biddy that" Mommy kinda thing as I dragged "le pain in the ass" back inside the studio!

Later in the day, she

came back out to do some gardening and found the little biddy, teeny-weenie, so soft to pet with a fuzzy white tail... so cute bunny had split town!

And, if you think this is the end of a beautiful little 'le story, forgetaboutit!

Somewhere on this property romps five or six furry little bunnies and Pierre is determined to seek and destroy them. And, where is that little hussy of a mother? Probably, out entertaining another alpha male in the bushes somewhere!

Nature...h'rump!

Second cup!

Copyright 2018/Ben Bensen III

"It Was A Cold,Blustery Day, All Day!"

Good "Cyber" Monday, all bodies!

The goldfinches are back. Guess I better check the feeder!

I finally got something completed yesterday while the Saints were losing. This painting is, in sketch form, one I started at the World War Two museum airshow under the protection of the gigantic B-29's wing.

It was a cold, blustery day, all day!

On the Sunday of the Three Rivers Art Festival, November 12th, I decided to bring my easel and attempt to finish the painting, demo-style, but all I did was smear the paint in transit home that evening.

Anyway, I finally finished and am pretty happy with the 9"x12" oil painting of a Navy C-45 transport named,"Texas Doll."

First cup...

"Just Be Glad!"...

C'est La Vie!

Good Sunday morning, y'all.

I'm early this morning for a change.
I don't see why not. I'm sitting here with that old matchbox hole trying to figure out exactly what I accomplished yesterday. I slept a lot!

Brings to mind when my dad use to say things with a bit of a twinkle in his eye that I should be grateful for having shoes with no holes in them. Though I know it was probably true that he experienced stuffing paper in his shoe to keep the dirt and water out, in hindsight, he could always make light of such things. 

My retort was, sardonically,"Sounds like a pulp fiction to me, Dad!"

But nowadays, especially since it nears Thanksgiving, we all need to be a bit more grateful. Thinking rather disgustedly at all the nothing I did yesterday, dad words ring true.

Be glad you could take a nap. Many people can't sleep. 

I did pay a bill and begrudgingly drove it into town. Again, dad's mantra reverberated. "Be glad you have money to pay it. Many folks are robbing Peter to pay Paul. 

I know, dad, and a car with gas in it to take to town.

I managed to take the dog for a walk 'cuz I felt I needed to do something. Be glad that you have a dog that demands you get your fat ass out and walk. 

Be glad that you can walk! Some folks wish they could.

Naturally, as it always occurs in nature, naturally, my walk shows me all the branches and weeds that need to be addressed. Well, be glad you have a really nice home and weeds to pull out. Many people only have concrete!

Leaning over to grab a few chinese tallo saplings that are not native to Louisiana and yank them out of the ground, my hair drops down over my face. I know, I know, I need a hair cut and... 

Okay, okay, I get it. I'll be glad that I still have hair to cut!

Pouring my first grateful cup...

Copyright 2017/Ben Bensen III

"Aircraft Paintings And Sketches At The Three Rivers Art Festival"

Honoring the vets!