Hands Intrigue Me

You Are a Ring Finger

You are romantic, expressive, and hopeful. You see the best in everything. You are very artistic, and you see the world as your canvas. You are also drawn to the written word. Inventive and unique, you are often away in your own inner world. You get along well with: The Pinky Stay away from: The Index Finger

What Finger Are You?

Observed at Kathryn's "middle-finger" blog.

A Gift

My niece Tulip is quite crafty. She made these pots and . . . gave them to me, for plants out here at the farm. I was very touched. (You must know Tulip to catch the immensity of this *grin*)

Next Life

Diane lays down the question:

I am tagging each one of you who read...
to say "what would you do in your next life?"

That's easy:
I'd be a FARMER!!! I'd live in the country!!!
I'd have chldren. I'd have a piano in the front room.

Happy Memorial Day!

For those of us in the States, this is a holiday. I'm hosting the family picnic in about five hours, so . . . see ya! Have a great day?!!!

Waitress

I saw the movie Waitress last night. It's a bit of a riff on Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore, minus the terrific Kris Kristofferson character but with a main character who has lines like this:

Jenna: Dear Baby, I hope someday somebody wants to hold you for 20 minutes straight. All they do is wrap you up in their arms without an ounce of selfishness to it.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jenna: I don't want you to save me. I don't need to be saved.

A sad note on the film: The writer/director was murdered during the post-production of the film. Adrienne Shelley's death was first assumed to be a suicide, but the perpetrator confessed. Shelley also has a role as one of the three waitresses.

Andy Griffith plays Joe, the elderly owner of the pie restaurant, to perfection.

Unconscious Mutterings

Fell asleep early last night, so my Unconscious Mutterings are a little more conscious.

I say, and you think:

Dancer :: My nieces, especially Hannah
Intellectual :: Being an intellectual is fine, as long as you retain your heart. (Can you tell I have issues with this one?)
Direct :: Deposit
Tolerate :: Some things are hard to accept, but I've learned to tolerate them
Post :: Blog!
Instinctive :: Reaction
Brink :: of despair, the edge
Regain :: Control
Repulsed :: Turned off
Distressed :: Wood

Toxic Co-Worker Defined

What characteristics does the toxic or manipulative individual possess, and how do you recognize the species? Manipulators, or those who tend to make our lives miserable, in this case in the work milieu, tend to possess certain personal features that make them act as they do.1 These individuals have an overwhelming need to improve their own positions or purposes and to further their own personal gain at any price to others.2 they have stalwart needs to obtain power and dominance in relationships with others,3 and these individuals have the unavoidable need or wish to feel in control.4 These are people who want others either around or under their “command” to have the same feelings and judgments that they have in a certain contained milieu. The recipients of these “command” emotions or thoughts generally feel minimized because they do not adopt (at least outwardly) the party line, and tension in the group grows. Unfortunately manipulators may or may not even realize or be conscious of their tendencies to fall into one or more of these categories.

Many who manipulate or pressure those around them feel that those they cannot manipulate or control are not “team players,” and thus the group tension can escalate and/or those “not on the train” may find their career path derailed. It also is important to note that these individuals may not act this way 100 percent of the time, making it even more difficult for the rest of the group to “read” when and if their guard should be up and how to respond to interactions with such people. Additionally the manipulator also is an individual who may have been or is a “mark” for other manipulators, thus causing a truly unhappy person who may threaten or try to hurt others in inappropriate ways.

http://www.asahq.org/Newsletters/2003/12-03/whatsNew12_03.html

I Guess I was Supposed to be Country

This is the house I was brought home to upon being born.

Down the Path

On fine spring days, it is great to take one's lunch hour over at the Nature Center.

Clouds of Words

Word Cloud for New Era:



Get yours here.

Year of Living Gorgeously

The lovely Paola and Helen have the delightful Year of Living Gorgeously. It's a wonderful design blog, chockful of interesting tidbits. Each month they also sponsor a photo contest on flickr. I was lucky to win the March contest, and received some fantastic french-milled soap that smells dreamy! (Thanks,Paola and Helen!) Anyway, I know that most of you are photographers, so I think you should go sign up for their May contest here.

Monthly Flickr Favorites

Once a month I like to share photographs from photographers around the world that I've favorited on flickr. As always, click through to get the links.

And I thought MICHIGAN weather was bad.

Bryn had a May snowstorm. Wow. DID she!!!!
Gas prices are rising. We're up to $3.65. Just in time for tourism season. Yikes!

Things Could Get Ugly Around Here!

Just saw a skunk cut across the backyard. I hope that's not what plays under the back porch. Ewwww! Stay tuned!

Reminder to self: Google page on skunk remedies is here.

Peas, peas, eating all those peas

We've had a lot of laughs at work about my "pea patch". It's a very tiny patch. Last year it looked as if maybe a couple of moles had dug it. This year it has expanded, and looks as if a family of moles has been working on it.

One of the joke gifts I got from the office was a pea pitcher, with a recipe for pea salad on it. Today I had the office out for supper, and dadgum if that recipe wasn't mighty good.

10 oz bag frozen peas, thawed or 2 cups fresh shelled peas, cooked for about 4 minutes
1 c. cubed cheddar cheese
2 hard cooked eggs, chopped
1/4 c. celery, chopped
3 green onions, chopped
2 T. pimento, chopped

1/3 cup mayonnaise
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp saltI
1/8 tsp pepper
1/4 teaspoon bottled hot pepper sauce

2 med tomatoes, chopped
1/4 lb bacon, chopped and crumbled.

Combine first six items in a large bowl. In a small bowl, combine the next five ingredients. Add to the large bowl and toss to cover. Chill several hours or overnight.

Before serving, sprinkle bacon and tomatoes over top.

It turned out ask for more good!

You've Heard of Mini-Me?

Let me introduce Many-Me!

When I Was a Little Girl

I lived in a house that had a "horse tree" in the side yard. It was really more bush than tree, and little kids could get into it and play. There was a doorway, with a little cubby above it where you could hide berries and leaves. There was an arm that you could sit on and ride, hence the "horse" tree. There was a branch going straight up in the middle, like a fireman's pole.

Now I am an old girl, and at the south end of the corn crib is a huge trumpet vine that is tree-like. It has branches and swirls, and a perfect place to tuck a pot of geraniums. As I secured the pot I was drawn to remembrances of that earlier tree. What we see and feel as little ones has such an impact.

It's Amazing!

What an updated computer can do! It even connects faster to the internet, even though I am still on dumb old dial-up. Everything works. I should have done this a year ago!!!!

Catching up!

Even though I had planned a busy vacation, I had saved some time for internetting. Alas, 'twas not to be. Friday morning my computer died. So, Friday afternoon I purchased a laptop, something I've been wanting to do for a long time. Today I picked it up . . . no wait, that would be yesterday, as we are already on Sunday. I'm breaking it in now. (Or maybe it is me that is breaking . . . bear with the typos, please!)

I've been working with my flower beds. There is the wall garden bed, the tractor tire bed, the glad bed, the pea patch, and the lilac bed. This doesn't include the beds Great-Grandma Alty started oh so many years ago. It was Alty and Oscar who built this farm back in '08.

It is typical for farm gardens to have gladiola. I knew I had to have them when I found two varieties, one named MY LOVE and one named OSCAR. Seemed perfect for the founding parents of the farm. (Also, they are red/white and red, Alty's favorite color.)

The tractor tire bed is made out of an old tractor tire with dirt and a flag pole in the middle of it. (Those of you of a certain age and heritage will know what I'm talking about.) That bed is the Cana bed.

The Wall garden has been a toughie. Carol and Mom and my sister have all contributed to it. Some of the plants were a little shocked on their transplant. I'm anxious to see how that works out.

The lilac bed is under the old lilac in the back yard, and includes tulips, iris, and some bulbs I just planted that my sister calls peacock orchids. We'll see.

The pea patch is . . . peas! Looks like the bunnies have found it, so I put up the chicken wire this week.

Like the ditz I am, I invited 8 people from work and their spouses, friends, enemies or whatever for sancwiches and shuffleboard Monday night. No rest for the wicked, I guess.

And how is your weekend going?

Unconscious Mutterings

I say ... and you think ... ?

Coastguard :: Great Lakes
Buddies :: Pals
Nap :: Lovely! I missed mine today
Groan :: Moan
Sitcom :: Lucille Ball
Reader :: Writer
Heroes :: are made, not born
Amazing :: Race, Grace
Woman :: May
Don’t! :: Stop

Question?

Does anyone say davenport anymore?

Vacation!

I'm off work until next Tuesday!! Yay!

Only, this is a working vacation. Lots of chores to do around here to get ready for the summer season. But that's cool, 'cause living out here on the farm seems like a vacation every day!

Mind Games

Saw this at Julie's. You can snag it here. I'd be interested to read how yours came out.

Shirl, your hemispheric dominance is equally divided between left and right brain, while you show a moderate preference for auditory versus visual learning, signs of a balanced and flexible person.

Your balance gives you the enviable capacity to be verbal and literate while retaining a certain "flair" and individuality. You are logical and compliant but only to a degree. You are organized without being compulsive, goal-directed without being driven, and a "thinking" individual without being excessively so.

The one problem you might have is that your learning might not be as efficient as you would like. At times you will work from the specific to the general, while at other times you'll work from the general to the specific. Sometimes you will be logical in your approach while at other times random. Since you cannot always control the choice, you may experience frustrations not normally felt by persons with a more defined and directed learning style.

You may also minimally experience conflicts associated with auditory processing. You will be systematic and sequential in your processing of information, you will most often focus on a single dimension of the problem or material, and you will be more reflective, i.e., "taking the data in" as opposed to "devouring" it.

Overall, you should feel content with your life and yourself. You are, perhaps, a little too critical of yourself - and of others - while maintaining an "openness" which is redeeming. Indecisiveness is a problem and your creativity is not in keeping with your potential. Being a pragmatist, you downplay this aspect of yourself and focus on the more immediate, the more obvious and the more functional.

The Last of the Crabapples

Early spring is so fleeting. The tree blossoms are gone now, the lilacs fading fast behind them. I'm glad we've had some sunny warm days to appreciate the beauty. Here is the last crabapple shot.

Transplanted Wildflowers

Happy Mothers Day

Let's Give a Hand!

There was a Flickr Day in the Life Project on May 5th. You are supposed to submit your best photograph of the day. I kind of got sidetracked, thinking I'd take pictures of hands for the day. It was a fun exercise.

Unconscious Mutterings

I say ... and you think ... ?

1. Film :: Movie, Camera
2. Dragon :: Lady
3. Hunger :: Thirst
4. Plucked :: Chicken
5. Dissolving :: Melting
6. Executive :: Order
7. Ridiculous :: Silly
8. Mist :: Fog
9. Minority :: Majority
10. Map :: Atlas

and I MAY be first?

One Year

From my old Blog, Other Side, the post for a year ago:

Signing off now from the East side of Lansing. Catch up with you sometime next week, on the other side of town! Love ya!

What a year it has been!

Sunshine and Rain

Diane is coping with hard times. Her indomitable spirit is amazing. I swiped this quiz from her.

I took the "The Nine Muses" quiz on gURL.com
		My muse is... Calliope Calliope is the patron goddess of epic poetry. She is often depicted holding a writing tablet and wearing a golden crown, for she is the oldest of the muses and their leader. Her name means "The Fair Voiced," but Calliope inspires eloquence in writing. Read more... Who is your muse?

The Jacks are out in the Woods

Jack-in-the-Pulpit

boring boring

We're doing the after-inventory adjustments at work, so there are long hours and not much going on. Plus, I'm still recuperating from having the nieces for the weekend. Where DO teenagers get all that energy! I'm kind of boring this week. Say, anyone want to help with the lawn?

Spring Zooms

Oh, and I should have been saying: The last three photos are from my mother's garden.

And a Flowering Quince

Sounds about right

Your Taste in Music:

80's Rock: High Influence Country: Medium Influence 80's Pop: Low Influence 90's Hip Hop: Low Influence 90's Pop: Low Influence

How's Your Taste in Music?

Found via Julie.

Flowering Almond

Oh man, it's impossible to choose. Flowering Almond, violets, lilacs, lily-of-the-valley, yikes! What is your favorite spring flower?

Unconscious Mutterings

I have the nieces again for the weekend, but two of them are still sleeping, and one is wrapping birthday presents, so I'll mutter!

I say ... and you think ... ?

1. Tumor :: Growth
2. Bunch :: of grapes
3. Gratitude :: Thankfulness
4. Feel alive :: Once I hit west of M-100
5. Connect :: Join
6. Temptation :: Resist
7. Brighten :: Lighten, whiten
8. Jewelry :: Ring
9. Tough :: Rough
10. Harmless :: Tame

Miracle

You remember my aunt N, who was close to death back in March? Her stomach had become strangulated, part of it caught up in her chest cavity. She wasn't getting enough blood flow, and the original prognosis was that surgery to correct it would kill her. So all her nephews and nieces (she has no children) made their way to the hospital to say what we thought were our good-byes. She was at peace with the decision, and gave everyone little happy tidbits to remember.

Well, another surgeon was called in. He thought he could do a simpler surgery. Aunt N. had the surgery done two weeks before Easter. On Good Friday, her brother, Uncle H., checked her out. She wasn't through rehabilitation yet, but he thought his rehab plan would work better.

Yesterday I was out in the yard, burning branches, and a car beeped and pulled into the driveway. Out one door popped Uncle H. Another door opened, and it was his wife, AuntM. And a third door opened, and there was Aunt N, walking under her own power. Wow!

Lilacs

The lilacs are early this year.

The Farm - 1941

From the May 2004 archives

Take the What Fruit Are You? test by Ellen!

Looking at Old Archives From Other Side

Finding this from May 2005. It had been created using instructions from Mandarin Design. meg passed on in June of 2006. Time remembered.

REMEMBERThem

And time
remembered is
grief forgotten.

It Wouldn't Be Spring

. . . without me posting this. Thanks for putting up with me!

For winter's rains and ruins are over
And all the season of snows and sins;
The days dividing lover and lover,
The light that loses, the night that wins;
And time remembered is grief forgotten,
And frosts are slain and flowers begotten,
And in green underwood and cover
Blossom by blossom the spring begins
- Algernon Charles Swinburne.

Close Cousin?

Here's the honeysuckle, which looks a lot like the pear blossom, I think. However, the scent of honeysuckle is out of this world! (Unless you're allergic.)

Pear Blossoms

Happy May! This is the grandest appearing month in Michigan . . . as long as we get some sunshine! *grin*

Full Moon Coming

Once again, Bryn (thank you so much!) gives us the full moon information.

Full Flower Moon - May In most areas, flowers are abundant everywhere during this time. Thus, the name of this Moon. Other names include the Full Corn Planting Moon, or the Milk Moon.

What do they call the full moon in your part of the world?