window shopping

I'm not going out there. uh-uh, no way. It's cold and grey and you can't make me and this white stuff appeared sometime overnight. I would know these things ahead of time if I wouldn't have boycotted watching the weather.

See where this vehicle is parked? Until Mother Nature sees fit to make the air a little more bearable, it will not move... until tomorrow night that is. Rain, snow, sleet or shine, we hang out with friends Wednesday nights. I sure hope it gets a little warmer!

There is some good news on the weather front: The wind chimes have calmed down tremendously, so I guess the air probably doesn't feel *as* cold today, although at these temps I'm not sure how you could tell, but at least I won't be eating my hair and running to the car sideways if I have to go out there.

make up your mind already

and we're back to white. I decided to stop playing with the colors and graphics for now because I've been putting off where to continue this blog. When I signed up with Blogger and chose host on my own server, I don't recall seeing anything about having to upload the whole blog each and every time a simple change or new post is added. I'll either have to move it to blogspot or choose other blogging software. It takes a veeeerrrrry long time to publish a post.

When I was much younger, I loved learning new techniques, programs, software, whatever... now, not so much. Truth be told, I absolutely hate the techy side. I kept up with things successfully for 6 years after the internet began. My brain had lots less stuff inside of it back then and it was an outlet after everyone went to bed and I had some quiet time. I have got to figure out the easiest way to switch over a blog, not lose your archives... I'm not looking forward to it, but each day, as it takes longer and longer to post something, I'm that much closer to caving in and doing it. And what about all the people who link to you? I'd hate to make more work for someone else.

butterfly news

I joined NABA a little while back and just received my first newsletter. With the horrid cold spell passing through, and me back to hibernation status, it was a welcome gift. It's the Fall 2007 newsletter, so it's quite dated, but I didn't join just for the newsletter, so I won't complain too loudly.

Seriously though... Fall??? I know the past issue of any publication goes out to new members, but how in the past should a publication be before you decide it's too past? I only feel this way in part because it's unsettling to be reminded of last Fall since I'm so onto Spring right now. To think about last Fall means there is a whole winter ahead. I'm so over it and ready to move on. Pretty much any reference to 2007 is unsettling for me, so really, it's not them, it's me... pbbbttttt...

In other Spring related news, since I have this self-imposed-house-bound status going on, I began working on my Spring line of wreaths. I don't have a single one left over from last year, therefore no inventory to get me started. Time to go be productive.

*I lost lots of posting options on blogger? hmmmm.

casual sundays

Do not let the sunshine fool you! It did me today. It is cold and blustery. They're calling for a wintry mix, but it is now almost 7 p.m. and that hasn't started, although the air, if possible, just keeps getting colder and colder. It's crazy windy and it chills you to the bone if you go outside.

So pretty. The first of many new and exciting flowers that will be added to the gardens for 2008. I'm predicting an abundant, productive, and healthy 2008 for the people and the gardens here on our little plot.

I like the smaller print and I like the background. Is it hard to read? I don't think it is, but you know how everything changes from one monitor to the next...

What's for dinner? A delicious combo from the crockpot rounded out the day very well.

The Menu:
Pork Tenderloin, Onions, Green and Orange Peppers in a garlicky beef and tomato sauce
Sauteed Green Beans & Shallots
Mixed Green Salad

This morning I threw the pork loin into the crock pot, opened the cupboard and found a can of organic-low-sodium-99%-fat-free beef broth (I believe I might have needed two of those, and yes, I would write a cookbook if I could figure out how to keep track of ingredients while I cooked!), two cans of lower-sodium-organic tomato sauce, chopped garlic, red onion (although any onion would be just fine), green peppers and orange peppers. Turn the crock pot on low and let it simmer and smell good until dinnertime. Tomatoes, roasted or fresh juicy ones in place of tomato sauce, make this dish even better. In the winter, I use what I have in the cupboard and my family seems to gobble it up in no time no matter how I prepare it.

so, what does hope look like?

Well, it takes on many shapes and forms, and sometimes you can't see it at all, but I believe I spotted a big ole chunka hope right outside my back door...

Before I get ahead of myself, here's how it began:
I'm trudging along this morning, wondering if it will be anything but grey outside, and cold, like it has been, for like ever now, and I'm all about getting to the coffeemaker asap, then off to the basement, and to get to the basement, I must now go out the back door, down the hill, around the herb garden, around the milkweed garden, through some mud, and then as I whack the cobwebs away, I bang loudly on the door in the event there might be something lurking inside and I'm kind enough to give it time to scurry away... I've never spotted anything in the basement, BUT (see how big that but was?!), it's a 200-year-old-partially-unfinished-farmhouse basement. I just know something creepy and crawly must be making a home down there.
But I digress... so I'm all blah, blah feeling and not appreciating the day I was gifted with, when all of a sudden I was like, "OOOO OOOOOO OOOOO." Except there was no one to tell but the dog and he really doesn't care what's popping out of the ground unless it were a steak bone and steak bones popping out of the ground hardly ever happens around these parts.

It was a total attitude adjustment! I got over myself real quick and erased the shame from my head so that I could enjoy my little discovery.

My husband stopped in around lunchtime and I showed him and told him the great news, and he's all like, "You're too easy. " He tells me that a lot and thinks he's a very lucky man. And I'm just saying that he'll be a lucky man if I let him be my date tonight because right before he left at lunch, he informed me that the daffodils come up quicker there because it's right beside the dryer vent. I told him to get out. He tried to hug and kiss me but I told him that him and his little fund raiser could just go back to work now. They weren't appreciated here in Sunnyville.

I'm sorry, but I was a parade and he the rain. What else can I say? He had to go.

a time to mourn - a time to dance

Yesterday marked our 2nd funeral in just six days. Both funerals included mostly the same people. Two different friends in our circle had family members pass away.
Last Wednesday we attended the funeral of one young man, just 37 years old, who died after battling cancer for the past year and a half. His family grieves but I am in awe of their strength and courage. My friend lost his son and I just can't imagine the pain he must feel.
Another friend lost his mom and yesterday she was put to rest. She was a tiny, frail, little thing. So beautiful still at 88 years old. My friend is the last of his immediate family, having lost his sister about 20 years ago to an undiagnosed heart condition from birth and then his father after her. Now he is without his mother and feeling the pain.
I find it a blessing that I was able to be there for both families... just knowing that someone else would find comfort in my presence... it warms my heart. Funeral services are strangely comforting to me and I am more at peace with death when at funerals than I am at any other time.
Yesterday turned out to be one of the good ones (as in days. not funerals) after all, despite our feelings while we were preparing to leave and then driving there. After the services, my husband and I attended a luncheon, ate great food, reminisced, cried and laughed with our friends. We then came home, thought we'd relax, watch a movie and then cook dinner, but we both fell asleep for about 1/2 an hour, had all kinds of energy when we awoke, so we did some shopping together and looked for things to wear for a Valentine's Dinner Dance we'll be going to. Then we decided it was too late to want to go home and cook and we both wanted a really nice meal, so we went to a favorite place of ours and ran into a lot of the same friends we had lunch with. Two bottles of Pinot Noir later (don't worry, we didn't drink all that ourselves! we share) it was time to get ourselves to bed.

I haven't figured out what I'll wear to our Valentine's Day Dance, but hello!? What's not going to look good with these hot new red shoes I found!!

Yesterday involved just about every emotion there is and it may be draining, but to realize you are so very alive and have a good life, good friends to share it with and the marriage you dreamed about as a little girl...

winter tree blight

A couple years ago this strange-looking disease started showing up on random trees throughout our yard and surrounding wooded areas.

It just so happens to occur at that time of year when the resident and neighborhood teens are coming down with a blight of their own. Winteritis. Cabin Fever. It goes by many names and with the mass-marketing of paintball guns some years ago, this new symptom started to occur. The color of the blight varies depending on the color of bulk paintballs on clearance at your local Wal-Mart or paintball store.

This blight does not discrimate against type of tree, or other vertical object that gets in the way of flying paintballs. The first time it does occur, you will most likely have to sit the questionable teens down and have a little talk about the appropriateness of where said paintballs should/should not land. Heavy rains or blasting hoses will cure any problem spotting, however, the speed at which the paintballs travel will likely cause damage to certain surfaces. For example, a tree (not a sapling mind you) is very sturdy and can withstand the power of a fast-travelling paintball. House siding... no. Clothes line poles... yes. Younger children who want to hang out with and impress delinquent teens... no. Cars... no. Mailboxes... no.

This has been a public-service announcement from one mom of teens to another. If this blight should begin to show up on your trees, I hope I have been helpful with the diagnosis as well as yet another talk about what is/is not appropriate behavior with your own teenager(s). This mainly affects boy teens... I'm sure girl teens have a whole other set of issues and lectures parents must deal with. Some days I think I'm happy (and lucky) to deal with the tree spots!