source: Wikimedia Commons / ABC Television

Ugh. It's at this point in the year when I really start feeling down about how quickly the year's flown by. Let's not even talk about it and jump straight into my favorites, something I'm happy to talk about.

"Gidget" the TV show
While channel surfing not too long ago, I accidentally pressed a wrong button and stumbled across a channel called "Antenna TV." I don't have cable, so my television-watching is pretty limited. Antenna TV is a gem for someone like me, who grew up on reruns of "I Love Lucy," "Bewitched" and "The Brady Bunch" on Nick at Nite. My favorite show is "Gidget," starring a teenaged Sally Field ... as a teenager, I loved the "Gidget" movie (about a teenaged surfer girl in Malibu, CA) starring Sandra Dee, but I'd never been interested in watching the TV show. I miss corny teen comedy ... they don't make stuff like this anymore.

Bath and Body Works Tuscan Herbs candle
I know I'm always talking about candles ... I've always been into candles but hadn't bought many until I returned from Taiwan. It wasn't until last year that I learned that in order to burn a candle properly, you're supposed to allow it to burn for at least an hour to achieve an even wax pool. Anyway, I visited Bath and Body Works during its Semi-Annual Sale (which is still going on, if you're interested in checking it out) earlier this month and found a small size of the Tuscan Herbs candle I'd been eyeing. I'd read that it smelled of pesto sauce while burning and not like the fresh herbs it claimed to smell like. I'm sorry I believed the reviews. People must really not know what the difference between fresh herbs and pesto sauce is! Let me tell you: olive oil, pine nuts, garlic, cheese, and sometimes even black pepper. I love this candle so much; it smells of parsley and basil: light, fresh and sweet. It's like a breath of sweet, fresh air without smelling like cologne or linen.

"The Fosters"
I actually started watching this show because, out of nowhere, I heard about this young Australian actress named Maia Mitchell. Do you ever watch an interview of a celebrity, or maybe even just see pictures of him or her, and know you'd almost definitely love the artistic choices he or she makes? I can't explain it. It's happened to me with Emma Stone, Jennifer Lawrence, and a handful of other celebrities. I'm just going to chalk it up to the Hollywood Hype Machine. Long story short, Maia seemed extremely charming in whatever it was I saw her in, so I checked out her new ABC Family show, "The Fosters," and whaddya know? I like it. It's about two lesbians who parent one of the women's biological child, two adopted twins, and take in two more children at the start of the show. I also ended up checking out "Twisted" -- which seems like "The Fosters"' sister show on ABC Family -- after having seen a commercial for it while watching "The Fosters." I like that one too ... it's really soapy, and a teen/town whodunnit kind of show.

June flowers
I don't know why, but my garden is looking extra spiffy this summer. I don't ever remember it having as many blossoms as it does this year. Along one fence is an intermingling of honeysuckle and raspberries, and another the opposite fence is a rose bush and more honeysuckle. Between, there are lilies and roses and buttercups, etc. I feel like I live in a compact English garden, and I'm not complaining! I have so many photos that I'll make a post for all of them later on ...

A couple of videos that made me smile ...