The Good, the Bad and the Best of Westerns!

 

I grew up on westerns (and monster movies!), as did a lot of my generation. So when the first of Sergio Leone's westerns opened in NY, of course I went to see it. A Fistful of Dollars brought Clint Eastwood to everyone's attention and who started to see him in a whole new way. It was everything a western should be and that score! Ennio Morricone's brilliant soundtracks brought these films to a whole new level, underscoring the action and making them even more memorable!

I have a deep love for these films and for Lee Van Cleef, who really lit up the screen in every scene he was in beginning with For a Few Dollars More and the Good, the Bad and the Ugly, maybe one of the best westerns ever made, and Eli Wallach was great in that one, too!

Lee Van Cleef was well known as a character actor in numerous gangster films and westerns but he became a leading man through these Italian westerns.

I just rewatched The Big Gundown (directed by Sergio Sollima) , which I haven't seen since it came out, and is on Youtube. It has a great Ennio Morricone score and if you haven't seen it, check it out! Here's a link to the opening theme song!

The Fall and Rise of the Weeping Willow

 As long as I've lived in our house, a magnificent willow tree stood at the end of the garden. As the garden expanded, the willow tree stood guard!


Last summer I said to John, the Willow is having its best summer ever!

Then we had several winter snowstorms in a row. During one of them we were shocked to find... the willow had fallen over! Right onto the garden, no less!

When the snow went away, John and Bill cut the willow back to a stump and cut up all the wood.

Alas. was that the end of the road for the willow?

Surprise! This summer the willow started growing from the stump and became a magnificent willow bush! Will it become a tree again? Who knows?

In the meantime, we are happy to have our willow back  as it is!

Mother's Day!

 I had the best Mom and Grandma growing up and they were role models to me on how to be a great Mom! Sadly, my family photos from when I grew up seem to have been lost after my divorce. Still searching for them, so posting the pics I had, including some old Polaroids I found from our many trips to Florida, when my Dad was working there!

I am also lucky to have the very BESTEST of daughters! I just got home from a most fabulous time with her and my super son-in-law, who drove us everywhere including long walks at Meadowlark Botanical Gardens and also Huntley Park an interesting wetlands park with a boardwalk that winds through the swampy, water ways and put up with our shopping with no complaints!

She also surprised me with the perfect Mother's Day brunch! Back in the day, we used to go to Goldie's Deli in Portsmouth every Mother's Day and had bagels and lox and French fries! The perfect meal! She recreated it, down to the pickle sides!

So, Happy Mother's Day to all who celebrate... me, included!

Six Chix Catch Up!

 I am so behind posting my Six Chix cartoons on here, so here are all the ones from the last month!

HAPPPPPPY Birthday, Nico!

 Happy Birthday to the BESTEST of daughters!

A lock of 41 birds on wires all say Happy Birthday, Nico!

And some celebratory photos!

Catching up on Six Chix!

 I am always behind on posting my Six Chix cartoons here, of all places!

Anyway, here are the latest, including last week's Sunday! Happy Women's History Month!

Valentine Month Day 28 and a Special Surprise!

 I saved the best for last! A new Valentine Phantom mini graphic novel!

2025 Valentine's Day Cartoon Challenge Day 28 Plus Six Chix!

 Wow! I am waaay behind on posting my drawings and cartoons for the Valentine's Day Countdown, so here are all the rest of the drawings etc. in one place! I will do another post with a Valentine's Day surprise!

And Day 28!