Lo and behold, I caught a glimpse of something very familiar while going out to get the mail. It took off quickly toward the north side of the house. I rushed inside and went to the bedroom window. Sure enough, there he was...an Eastern bluebird perched in the tree by the little white birdhouse!
Well...I had not cleaned out the birdhouse last fall so I went out to do just that (I hear bluebirds don't like "used" nests) and all the while he stood watch nearby and chirped emphatically at me. What I presume was his mate echoed the chirping from a nearby power line. What a joyful sight and sound!
NOW spring is here!!!
21 March 2009
18 March 2009
Back to Something Old
The daughter of a friend of mine is expecting a baby boy in April so I thought I'd make a gift. It's been a long time since I crocheted anything but last week I ventured out to Hobby Lobby and found a cute baby afgahn pattern and some nice yarn. I set to working on it almost as soon as I got home.
This morning I finished Aiden's afgahn. I think it turned out pretty well.
The past two days have been wonderfully warm. Yesterday we even broke the record (70 degrees in town and a whopping 74 out here in the country)! All the snow is gone...for now. We're moving back to reality of the season though with a mere 48 degrees today. BUT there's no snow in the extended forecast!!! March did come in as a lion and it's looking like it will go out like the proverbial lamb. Can't complain about that!
This morning I finished Aiden's afgahn. I think it turned out pretty well.The past two days have been wonderfully warm. Yesterday we even broke the record (70 degrees in town and a whopping 74 out here in the country)! All the snow is gone...for now. We're moving back to reality of the season though with a mere 48 degrees today. BUT there's no snow in the extended forecast!!! March did come in as a lion and it's looking like it will go out like the proverbial lamb. Can't complain about that!
12 March 2009
Pictures of My Dad
Over a year ago I posted a "Smile Box" collection of a few pictures of my dad. Now I've created a slide show with several more pictures (and deleted the earlier post). Gosh, those really old photos are a bit blurry - oh well.
10 March 2009
This Cannot Be Spring!
It's been a week since I returned from visiting my friend in Florida. In the course of this past week we have gotten snowstorm "Kyle" with a good 8 inches of wet, heavy snow (which was preceded by freezing rain) causing travel anywhere to be next to impossible, more freezing rain, a downpour, and thick fog. Tonight there's snow in the forecast again followed by a cold snap for the next couple of days. March has sure been a weather roller coaster ride so far and we're getting pretty tired of "severe weather" warnings. This is so far removed from what I experienced in Florida - even though it was cooler there than my previous winter visits.
While away, my friend and I did have opportunity to return to the beach for the weekend. Mother Nature was kind to us on Saturday and gave us 80 degree sunny weather - just right for a barefoot walk along the beach.
While away, my friend and I did have opportunity to return to the beach for the weekend. Mother Nature was kind to us on Saturday and gave us 80 degree sunny weather - just right for a barefoot walk along the beach.
I added a few shells to my collection and spent much time gazing at the ocean mesmerized by its vastness. I know someone, a classmate, who lives in Spain and fancied us facing each other while standing on opposite shores across the miles and miles of the Atlantic (though I have no idea if they even live near the ocean). I pondered the ocean waves and how the ebb and flow of the tide transforms and reshapes the beach landscape. Two years ago tons and tons of new sand was loaded onto the beach, I guess in an attempt to rebuild it after or prepare it for hurricanes. All that piled high sand is gone now - the beach leveled to its original state.
It was a most pleasant and restful weekend and a very good trip. And yet it felt good to return home to my own rural rhythms. Urban, or suburban, life is nice to visit with so many different things to see and do and so many different places dine but it's not for me on a long term basis. Give me rural back roads and wide open spaces any day...guess I've really turned into a country girl! Well...except for this darn March weather!!!
21 February 2009
Cabin Fever Day
As predicted, it's snowing and blowing and drifting today. Supposed to last all day too. Guess the weekly grocery shopping will have to wait for another day - like tomorrow perhaps. For today it will be one of those wintry days that necessitates being home bound. But...perhaps it's a good day to stay in anyway.
Thursday evening I wasn't feeling well and, after a trip to the ER, I found myself admitted to the hospital over night with a barrage of tests ordered. Needless to say it was a pretty sleep-deprived night there with blood tests occurring periodically throughout the night. All the tests came back with good results (whew!) and the cause of my physical distress turned out to be the need for an adjustment of one of the prescription meds I take. I was able to come back home yesterday afternoon and got a whole lot of rest and sleep since then.
My trip to Florida is still on. I'll be leaving here on Tuesday and am more than ready for some of that warm, snow-free Florida weather and the good company of my friend.
9:20 pm: The snow is coming to an end...finally. We racked up at least 8 inches and with the 20+ mph winds it's really blowing around and drifting. Such winter fun...huh?
Thursday evening I wasn't feeling well and, after a trip to the ER, I found myself admitted to the hospital over night with a barrage of tests ordered. Needless to say it was a pretty sleep-deprived night there with blood tests occurring periodically throughout the night. All the tests came back with good results (whew!) and the cause of my physical distress turned out to be the need for an adjustment of one of the prescription meds I take. I was able to come back home yesterday afternoon and got a whole lot of rest and sleep since then.
My trip to Florida is still on. I'll be leaving here on Tuesday and am more than ready for some of that warm, snow-free Florida weather and the good company of my friend.
9:20 pm: The snow is coming to an end...finally. We racked up at least 8 inches and with the 20+ mph winds it's really blowing around and drifting. Such winter fun...huh?
12 February 2009
Time...Resolve...Plans...
Time:
At the end of the day I often wonder where the day went and just what it is that I've actually accomplished, because by outward appearances it often appears to be little or nothing. And yet, my days are pretty full (even though I'm not employed for pay outside the home at present).
So...what fills a "typical" day? Depends on the day. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays (and sometimes more) are my visiting dear Auntie in the nursing home days. I combine these days with running errands, other appointments and the weekly grocery shopping. Since we don't live in town, it's most often a pretty full day away from home. Tuesdays I work on my other blog in the morning and try to get about half of the housework done. It's also a day for phone calls - the necessary ones to check on this, that, and other important things. Thursdays are for the other "half" of housework - like today I'll be engaged in the dreaded task of cleaning out the largest of closets in our house. Most late afternoons are cooking time - now that I'm not employed (for pay) I have the time to prepare "decent" meals for a change. Today I'm going to try out a new soup recipe. Gosh, I'm actually enjoying cooking again! Evenings are reserved for Dan and watching some of those favorite TV shows. Weekends are up for grabs but this is the most space I have for me - to read, ponder, dream, work on stained glass projects from time to time and reconnect with myself. Of course, every other weekend (as a rule) grandson Simon comes over Saturday afternoon through Sunday evening - spending time with him is such a joy.
Resolve:
Last night I discovered my sister began a new blog on her weight loss journey. And...my inspiration was renewed. After going back faithfully to South Beach, I was discouraged with the results this time around. So I've resolved to work on increasing whole grains and using the treadmill more (until warm spring weather comes and I can comfortably and safely do my walking outside). Strenuous exercise isn't really an option for me considering how hard it is on my rheumatoid arthritic joints, so walking is the best and most painless option I've found. I have long been drinking lots of water each day but I really like my sister's goal for the week to not eat anything beyond 7:00 pm, or two hours before bedtime - I can live with that, and have decided to be more conscious of including more whole grains daily. So here we go...
Plans:
Life may change in a significant way around our house within the next month. Dear Auntie is not doing well in the nursing home. Just yesterday she complained to me, for the first time, about the lack of care she is receiving from the staff. And she told me she has been noticing that other residents are not being attended to in a timely manner when they call for help. She spends most of her time just staring at the walls with little or no social contact (except for Dan's an my visits and a very occasional visit from one or two other people). Her outlook and morale have declined significantly over the past month (and she's only been there a month, which she says feels like 4 months). I have to ask: Is this any sort of quality of life? And I have to answer, "No, not for a person who has all her mental capacities intact". So...how might life here change for us? Well, after considerable conversation between Dan and me and a whole lot of discernment and inquiries to heath care professionals, Auntie may be coming here to live with us. Dan will speak to her about it tonight. We both realize this will be a lifestyle change for us but view this possibility as our opportunity to return the kindness and generosity she has shown and given to us for so many years and by offering her a much better quality of life and the chance to be around people so much more than she now is experiencing.
In 12 days I'll be heading to Florida to visit with my friend for a week. Time there will renew my spirit, as usual, and give us the opportunity to reconnect in person. We do email each other every day. Besides, I could use some of that 80 degree daytime weather they're having right now.
I'm also finishing up on the two online education certificate programs I've been enrolled in for the past couple of years. One will be finished in April and the other mid May. Time will tell where all that may lead me. I've been dabbling with the idea of officially running a home-based consulting type of business - but that's just in the dreaming/pondering stage at present.
Gosh, I would say life is pretty full and very rich!
At the end of the day I often wonder where the day went and just what it is that I've actually accomplished, because by outward appearances it often appears to be little or nothing. And yet, my days are pretty full (even though I'm not employed for pay outside the home at present).
So...what fills a "typical" day? Depends on the day. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays (and sometimes more) are my visiting dear Auntie in the nursing home days. I combine these days with running errands, other appointments and the weekly grocery shopping. Since we don't live in town, it's most often a pretty full day away from home. Tuesdays I work on my other blog in the morning and try to get about half of the housework done. It's also a day for phone calls - the necessary ones to check on this, that, and other important things. Thursdays are for the other "half" of housework - like today I'll be engaged in the dreaded task of cleaning out the largest of closets in our house. Most late afternoons are cooking time - now that I'm not employed (for pay) I have the time to prepare "decent" meals for a change. Today I'm going to try out a new soup recipe. Gosh, I'm actually enjoying cooking again! Evenings are reserved for Dan and watching some of those favorite TV shows. Weekends are up for grabs but this is the most space I have for me - to read, ponder, dream, work on stained glass projects from time to time and reconnect with myself. Of course, every other weekend (as a rule) grandson Simon comes over Saturday afternoon through Sunday evening - spending time with him is such a joy.
Resolve:
Last night I discovered my sister began a new blog on her weight loss journey. And...my inspiration was renewed. After going back faithfully to South Beach, I was discouraged with the results this time around. So I've resolved to work on increasing whole grains and using the treadmill more (until warm spring weather comes and I can comfortably and safely do my walking outside). Strenuous exercise isn't really an option for me considering how hard it is on my rheumatoid arthritic joints, so walking is the best and most painless option I've found. I have long been drinking lots of water each day but I really like my sister's goal for the week to not eat anything beyond 7:00 pm, or two hours before bedtime - I can live with that, and have decided to be more conscious of including more whole grains daily. So here we go...
Plans:
Life may change in a significant way around our house within the next month. Dear Auntie is not doing well in the nursing home. Just yesterday she complained to me, for the first time, about the lack of care she is receiving from the staff. And she told me she has been noticing that other residents are not being attended to in a timely manner when they call for help. She spends most of her time just staring at the walls with little or no social contact (except for Dan's an my visits and a very occasional visit from one or two other people). Her outlook and morale have declined significantly over the past month (and she's only been there a month, which she says feels like 4 months). I have to ask: Is this any sort of quality of life? And I have to answer, "No, not for a person who has all her mental capacities intact". So...how might life here change for us? Well, after considerable conversation between Dan and me and a whole lot of discernment and inquiries to heath care professionals, Auntie may be coming here to live with us. Dan will speak to her about it tonight. We both realize this will be a lifestyle change for us but view this possibility as our opportunity to return the kindness and generosity she has shown and given to us for so many years and by offering her a much better quality of life and the chance to be around people so much more than she now is experiencing.
In 12 days I'll be heading to Florida to visit with my friend for a week. Time there will renew my spirit, as usual, and give us the opportunity to reconnect in person. We do email each other every day. Besides, I could use some of that 80 degree daytime weather they're having right now.
I'm also finishing up on the two online education certificate programs I've been enrolled in for the past couple of years. One will be finished in April and the other mid May. Time will tell where all that may lead me. I've been dabbling with the idea of officially running a home-based consulting type of business - but that's just in the dreaming/pondering stage at present.
Gosh, I would say life is pretty full and very rich!
27 January 2009
New Addition!
It was a bitter cold weekend here again. Temps were below zero during the day and well below zero during the night. The wood furnace got a good work out indeed and kept the house nice and toasty. There's nothing like wood heat and...the best perk are the warm floors, allowing me to run around barefoot if I feel like it.
Dan and I braved the bitter cold Sundy afternoon and headed to Lowe's to purchase a new vacuum cleaner since the old one was definitely not doing it's job any longer. It was a case 
of "you get what you pay for", being a rather inexpensive model. This time I chose an Electrolux Versatility upright. Never had one of that brand before but have used an older model elsewhere and was always impressed with it's cleaning power. Besides...I liked the colors - a lime green accented grey. It works great! No problem getting under the low tables in the living room without having to move them any longer. What a treat that is! And it's so easy and convenient to use. Definitely a 5 star item. Almost hard to fathom I'd get so excited about a vacuum... I took the picture in the little sitting/reading corner we made near the patio doors.
of "you get what you pay for", being a rather inexpensive model. This time I chose an Electrolux Versatility upright. Never had one of that brand before but have used an older model elsewhere and was always impressed with it's cleaning power. Besides...I liked the colors - a lime green accented grey. It works great! No problem getting under the low tables in the living room without having to move them any longer. What a treat that is! And it's so easy and convenient to use. Definitely a 5 star item. Almost hard to fathom I'd get so excited about a vacuum... I took the picture in the little sitting/reading corner we made near the patio doors.18 January 2009
Project Done
I took time yesterday to wrap the tropical fish stained glass piece I had started with copper foil. Well, wouldn't you know it, I just couldn't leave it at that. So...after supper I headed down to my craft area and worked on soldering it together until it was finished. (I've included the picture in my slide show and it can be viewed also by clicking "My Photo Albums" on the right.) Today we worked on rearranging some furniture. Dan and I moved the old computer cabinet into the basement - it will make a great storage cabinet for stained glass supplies! Then, of course, I had to mop the floor. When finished, I moved one of the recliners into the dining area and put a 6X8 carpet in place. Since for the most part it's just the two of us here, I wanted an area near the patio doors to just be able to sit and relax, read, and/or watch TV. "Down-sizing" our dining table gave me the room I wanted. Then I rearranged some of the living room furniture too. Our small home looks a lot more spacious now.
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