Hmmmm.

You May Be a Bit Borderline...

Your mood swings make a roller coaster look tame! When you're up, you're a little bit crazy... And when you're down, your whole world is crashing Scary thing is, these moods can change by the minute!

What Personality Disorder Are You?

Thursday 13

Well, this week it's time to list 13 things I like that begin with the letter Q, as Julie did. Here we go.

1. Quiet. One of the many reasons I like living in the country. The quiet is wonderful. (However, tonight it is broken by the chirrup of a cricket in the heating ducts. The cats can't reach it.)

2. Quality. Quality in anything or anyone.

3. Quizzes! And doesn't the internet have a lot of them!

4. Quilts. Beautiful, old, hand-pieced quilts. Great for snuggling in on cold winter nights.

5 & 6. Quivers and Quakes (that go with that O word I couldn't say a couple of weeks ago)

7. Quotations.

8. Quacking of ducks.

9. Quickness. Not that I possess any.

10. Quaint little villages.

11. Quantum Tea.

12. Quartz.

13. And, with football season coming on, let us not forget Quarterbacks! (Though linemen are my absolute favorites.)

Back to Work!

Now blogger will probably work fine.

See y'all!

Do you dare?

Summer Movies in Review - No Reservations

I've never worked in a restaurant, and I had never considered the behind the scene mechanizations until I read Elin Hildenbrand's book, Blue Bistro. Set on Nantucket, the book takes the reader behind the scenes of a fictional first-class restaurant and the people and chefs that make them the signature places to visit. No Reservations takes us to the same place in film.

This movie got terrible reviews, and I'm not sure why. I loved it. Catherine Zeta Jones role as a tough chef and scared aunt was well played. Her love interest is played by Aaron Eckhardt, whom you may remember as the lead in Thank You for Smoking. Abigail Breslin, "Little Miss Sunshine", portrays the niece, and continues to provide real kid performances. And then there is the food. Perhaps that's it. Perhaps I am a foodie after all.

Shirl's Rating: 3/4

Summer Movies in Review - Ocean's Thirteen

Ocean's Thirteen. Boys having fun. Eye candy for girls. 'Nuf said.

Shirl's Rating: 2.5/4

Non-related. I kept hearing "Oprah is coming" on the Today Show this morning. Wrong. "Okra is coming" is what they were saying. Oops.

Queen Elizabeth I

Another Cate Blanchett as QEI movie is coming out. In 250 words or less, tell me what I need to know about Queen Elizabeth I in the comments.

Summer Movies in Review - Evan Almighty

Speaking of Steve Carell, he played the lead in Evan Almighty. I found Evan to be a pleasant diversion. Carell is perfect as the perfectionist congressman who becomes a modern day Noah. Morgan Freeman plays God with a laughing seriousness that is wonderful.

Evan Almighty lacks the heartfeltness of the death scene of Bruce Almighty, where Bruce learns to pray. I still think that prayer is the most beautiful prayer scene I've seen on the big screen:

God: Grace. You want her back?
Bruce: No. I want her to be happy, no matter what that means. I want her to find someone who will treat her with all the love she deserved from me. I want her to meet someone who will see her always as I do now, through Your eyes.
God: Now THAT'S a prayer.

oh Great! Now that I'm looking at imdb.com on this, I see they really do go together! Evan Baxter was in Bruce Almighty! He got Bruce's job. Oh man. I am so forgetful. Wow!

Shirl's Score: 2.5/4

Summer Movies in Review - Knocked Up

Knocked Up was written and directed by Judd Apatow, who performed the same duties on last year's 40-Year-Old Virgin. While Virgin was quite bawdy, I enjoyed it and had high expectations for Knocked. They weren't met *sigh*. I think Virgin worked in large part because of Steven Carell's turn in the lead role. He looks like a normal guy, where the male lead in Knocked looks and acts mighty strange. There is a lot of drug usage in Knocked Up, which may put me off quite a bit. And now that I've imdb'd both movies, I see that Carell is also listed as co-writer of Virgin. That might really have something to do with Virgin's success.

Shirl's rating: 1.5 out of 4.

Speaking of flickr

Click through for the links to this small sampling of great pictures on flickr.

At The Zoo

I like to flickr. It's fun to see how people react to different pictures. Sometimes I'll work hard to set up a picture exactly right, clean it up in photoshop, and get few comments on it. Sometimes I have my camera in the right place, grab a quick shot, do nothing to it, post it, and it draws lots of comments. One of the latter type of pictures is below.

Looking for Elderberry recipes

Anyone know of any?

For Kim

Now I'm Hungry

You Are a Grilled Cheese Sandwich

You are a traditional person with very simple tastes. In your opinion, the best things in life are free, easy, and fun. You totally go with the flow. And you enjoy every minute of it! Your best friend: The Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich Your mortal enemy: The Ham Sandwich

What Kind of Sandwich Are You?

Spotted this over at Patti's. She's a Grilled Cheese too! *smile*

Wanna Bet on That Ten Minutes?

Blogger Status
Monday, August 20, 2007

Blogger and Blog*Spot will be unavailable Monday (8/20) at 4:00PM PDT for about 10 minutes for maintenance.

All Better Now

Tony, the glass guy, just left about half-an-hour ago. The car looks better than it did before. And it is in the garage!!!!

Addictive little game here.

Sometimes It Doesn't Pay to Take a Vacation

So . . . I went back to bed. The kitties are so cool for morning naps. They arrange themselves in comfortable places. I was starting to wake up again, when my cell phone rang. It was Mom. "Are you okay?"

"Um, yeah, just waking up," I smile.

"Oh good." She sounded nervous, but I was kind of sleepy. "Maynard called." Maynard lives on Mt. Hope, and he can see the farm from his backyard. He's got bad arthritis, and drives around in a little golf cart chasing deer and checking out the neighborhood. He has had a drinking problem through the years, but he is a good-hearted person. "He said that a branch fell on your car, and your back window is broken."

"What??????" I hopped out of bed. The poor kitties didn't know what had hit them. I ran to the office window. Sure enough, Maynard hadn't been telling a story.

Oh well. These things happen. Insurance will pay most of it, the glass people make mobile calls so they will be here this afternoon. Kind of an expensive lesson but I think I have learned it now: PARK IN THE GARAGE, IDIOT!!!!

Monarch coming . . .

I saved milkweed in several places in my yard. The closest was behind the garage. I've checked them frequently for Monarch activity, both this year and last. Saturday I finally spotted this:

Time Off

for bad behaviour! (Not really.)

I have three days off. The weather forecast is for rain each day. Guess who will be getting inside chores caught up!

I still woke up at the regular time, but . . . I can go back to bed, or take a nap. I LOVE naps! How about you?

Looking for Purple

You Are a Yellow Crayon

Your world is colored with happy, warm, fun colors. You have a thoughtful and wise way about you. Some people might even consider you a genius. Charming and eloquent, you are able to get people to do things your way. While you seem spontaneous and free wheeling, you are calculating to the extreme. Your color wheel opposite is purple. You both are charismatic leaders, but purple people act like you have no depth.

What Color Crayon Are You?

Spotted at Meowminx. Now . . . who will be the purple????

Good Sunday Evening!

Busy Weekend! Mom turned 79 yesterday! We took her to dinner last night, and today we had cake and ice cream out here at the farm. We were getting around for the cake, when we saw a truck drive in the second drive and disappear between the garage and the horse barn. Whoa. "I need some guys," I said, as I headed toward the door. Boo beat me, followed by his daughter, and Crits was right behind me. We were ready to check this vehicle out! Boo rounded the corner first, and started laughing. It was our brother from upNorth! He had a new truck.

Mom must have been watching from the office window, because next thing I know, here she comes running (well, okay, hobbling) out the door.

A good time was had by all!

Unconscious Mutterings

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

Darling :: Dear
Majesty :: Mountains
Pebble :: Stone
Fate :: Destiny
Instant :: Coffee
Screen :: Computer
Unplugged :: Guitar
Dairy :: Farm
Benefactor :: Gifter
Market :: Stock

More Mine Tragedy

Oh dear. Three of the mine rescuers have been killed in an accident. This is so sad.

More Memory Lane

So as I was googling and imdbing Sandcastles for the previous post, I had to do the same for the star, Bonnie Bedelia. And then I remembered! She was Little Joe's wife . . . well, for an episode. Bonanza was my absolutely favorite show growing up. My friend Linda and I would stage weddings when we were in 4th grade. She would marry Adam or Ben, I would marry Little Joe or sometimes Hoss. (Such fickle young ladies we were, way more interested in the wedding than the marriage.)

Our other favorite was Rawhide. Clint Eastwood, when he was only known as Rowdy Yates.

Were you a western fan?

Dating Myself

For some reason I thought of this TV-movie today. I was 20 when I saw it. Yikes! When I imdb'd it, I couldn't help but identify with this reviewer:

I remember watching this movie on TV when I was in High School, probably in 1972, and I remembered it all these 33 years. I was amazed when I found it for sale on E-Bay. I remember it being fascinating in 1972 because it was obviously filmed on video-tape and had a very different look. I was disappointed it was transferred to film, but I guess it had to be, to be transferred to DVD, possibly? This movie made me cry when I was a teenager, and did again at 47. Jan Michael-Vincent was so beautiful then. And, as a 15 year old, I didn't appreciate Hershel Bernardi's performance as much as I did today. It is a very moving film, and if you are a romantic you will want to view it. I believe it is a very underrated film

What old (and that is a relative term) movie/tv show/song still lingers in your memory?

Fenner Nature Center

Probably did this one before

Your Five Factor Personality Profile

Extroversion: You have medium extroversion. You're not the life of the party, but you do show up for the party. Sometimes you are full of energy and open to new social experiences. But you also need to hibernate and enjoy your "down time." Conscientiousness: You have medium conscientiousness. You're generally good at balancing work and play. When you need to buckle down, you can usually get tasks done. But you've been known to goof off when you know you can get away with it. Agreeableness: You have medium agreeableness. You're generally a friendly and trusting person. But you also have a healthy dose of cynicism. You get along well with others, as long as they play fair. Neuroticism: You have low neuroticism. You are very emotionally stable and mentally together. Only the greatest setbacks upset you, and you bounce back quickly. Overall, you are typically calm and relaxed - making others feel secure. Openness to experience: Your openness to new experiences is high. In life, you tend to be an early adopter of all new things and ideas. You'll try almost anything interesting, and you're constantly pushing your own limits. A great connoisseir of art and beauty, you can find the positive side of almost anything.

The Five Factor Personality Test

Happy Hump Day!

We're having just a Grand Week at work. We have two employees at work who are married to each other. They are both very hard people with which to work, controlling and angry and very negative. They are on vacation this week! Yay!

It's pretty obvious fall/autumn is coming. It's dark when I get up in the morning now, and it's dark an hour earlier at night. *sigh* Soon I'll only be able to garden on the weekends. However, we're getting close to the start of college Big 10 football.

I Ate It!

I finally got my nerve up, and ate some nasturtium blossoms. These didn't have much taste, more like a light lettuce. Next up, the leaves! And this page has more ideas of how to use this wonderful plant.

There are seasons and changes of generations. I don't have children, but I do have ten nieces and nephews that I kinda like **big grin**. The youngest is 13, the oldest is 28. We had lots of years of babies in the family, and then the end of that period came.

Now the new generations have started. One of the activities this weekend was a baby shower for niece #2. She's expecting her first in November. This young fellow is Caleb Jeffrey. He's niece #1's 7-month-old son.

We're passing those babies around again, and it sure feels good!

Meteor Shower

Will you be watching? I think I'd better go to bed.

Edit the next morning:

I woke up at 2:30, and decided to go out into the backyard to see what I could see. I have some big old mucking boots, so I slipped those on, in case creepy crawly things were out. I stayed out for about seven minutes, but, sad to say, saw no meteors. The stars were very pretty however.

The Cure

Okay, I'll admit it, I don't know who they are, but Julie does, and she was just at their concert. Wonderful energizing review and pics!

26things

For those of you who do photography, a new 26things has been posted for August.

Thursday 13 on Sunday

See, I AM behind!

Julie plays, so Monkey See, Monkey Do.

Thirteen things I like that begin with P.

1. Paul my nephew
2. peas
3. Popcorn
4. Pens and pencils
5. People
6. Pumpkin Pie
7. Petunias
8. Pork Chops
9. Paris
10. passion
11. pickles
12. pancakes
13. pewter

Well! this was quite an edible list!

Unconscious Mutterings

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

Voyage :: of the Dawn Treader
Patricia :: Patti
Transformation :: Chrysalis to Butterfly
Vocabulary :: Language
San Francisco :: Golden Gate Bridge
Edward :: Family Name
Sawyer :: Tom
Literary :: Book-loving
Tiger :: Zoo
Seal :: Letter

I'm back! Busy busy weekend, but I've settled down now!

The Monarch

I seem to learn things slowly. Take the Monarch butterfly, for instance. A few years ago I learned that this beautiful butterfly likes milkweed. My mother shared this with me as she was coaxing me into helping her transplant some milkweed for the Monarchs and some thistles for the Goldfinches. (What would grandpa have said about transplanting weeds to her garden? One can only wonder.) The caterpillar eats milkweed to make itself unpleasant for predators. A side note: I had only ever known about milkweed pods. I didn't realize they had flowers!



Somewhere along the way I also learned that the Monarchs migrate to Mexico each year from the mid and northern United States. That, in itself, is an amazing feat. However, when you consider the life cycle of the Monarch, it becomes downright Magical.

Monarchs generally live about six to eight weeks. The egg stage is about four days, the caterpillar stage is about 14 days, the chrysalis stage is about ten days, and the butterfly stage is about 2-6 weeks.

There are four generations in a year. The first generation returns to the north, and does the eggs/caterpillar/Chrysalis/butterfly thing. Generation two and generation three follow, about every two months. Generation four hatches in September/October, and it is THIS batch that migrates.

Now I wanna know: how DO they know?

A Different Angle on the Chicken Coop

Usually I take pictures of the chicken coop from the door side, which faces west. This is the south side. My brother Boo and his crew painted this side this spring. They figure one side a year, they'll have this building painted by 2010.



The preferred siting for chicken coops is to have the windows face south, here in the US. It's something about maximizing winter sun exposure and minimizing winter. Is it reversed in Oz?

I Guess I'd Better Get my Eyes Checked

I had this idea to catch a bunch of fireflies in a canning jar, then remove the lid and take a picture of them as they leave. There's a slight trick to it. Fireflies aren't always lit up: they twinkle. So you spot the twinkle, then track them and snatch them. I see the twinkle, I track them, then they fall out of my visual range (dang bifocals). Only caught one in ten minutes. There goes THAT picture idea!

And a Poem!

Based on myitc.blogspot.com, Rob has made this poem:

you. had much practice,
said One believe impossible things. that
Lighthouse song Monday, August
03, 2007 From the road They
know What Sticks: Why Mom told you are
Different Today was the store
and commenced to acquire knowledge
and I settle into the road.

From the 2004 archives

I've changed again!

Hogwarts Sorting Hat: Based on Myers-Briggs Personality Typing

You are a RAVENCLAW!As a Ravenclaw and as an NTJ, you are intellectual, independent, and value excellence in yourself and others. You are naturally curious, and can usually see many sides to the same argument or issue. You are driven to acquire knowledge and set very high standards for yourself and others. You excel at and enjoy strategizing, planning, and focusing on the big picture. You enjoy being challenged, and can accept constructive criticism without taking it personally. You are excellent at organizing yourself and others.
Take this quiz!








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Anyone Know?

What type of cow this cute little guy is?

Lighthouse Lyrics

Diane asked if I knew the name of the song the lady sang in the preceding post. I didn't, but it must be Lighthouse, as these are the words. Found them here.

There's a Lighthouse on the hillside
That over looks life's sea
When I'm tossed it sends out a light
That I might see
And the light that shines in darkness now
Will safely lead us o'er
If it wasn't for the Lighthouse
My ship would be no more
Chorus:
And I thank God for the Lighthouse
I owe my life to Him
For Jesus is the Lighthouse
And from the rocks of sin
He has shown a light around me
That I could clearly see
If it wasn't for the Lighthouse (tell me)
Where would this ship be?

Everybody that lives about us
Says tear that Lighthouse down
The big ships don't sail this way anymore
There's no use of it standing round
Then my mind goes back to that stormy night
When just in time I saw the light
Yes, the light from that old Lighthouse
That stands up there on the hill

Repeat Chorus (x2)

Sunday Night Drive

About every six weeks I like to take a drive out into Amish country, over in the next township. I have a routine for these drives. I go west on Vermontville Highway, and stop at Jones Country Store (non-Amish). Here I buy a bag of "funyums" and a diet Vernors. I chat for a few minutes with the lady who owns the store. She is always dressed in layers, and looks just this side of bag ladydom, but she is quite interesting.

Last night I was wearing a tee-shirt with lighthouses on it. "I like that," the proprietess said. "Reminds me of that song at church, do you know it?"

"I'm not sure," I say.

She closes her eyes, clears her throat, and begins to sing the chorus of it. She has a lovely voice, and I tell her so. "If you wait a minute, I'll get the words and sing the whole thing for you."

Well, I had the time, and so I waited inside the door and sipped my pop. She came back into the store and commenced to sing. Another customer came in, returning bottles. He then got his beer and waited patiently at the counter while she finished.

It was a lovely song.



The evening was kind of gray and damp. There were plenty of horse tracks on the road. The little town of Chester has a blacksmith (non-Amish) and he was busy. As I came down Kinsel, I could see that the Sunday gathering must have been held at the place above. I turned to drive past the house. The menfolk were walking toward the barn. Several waved. I think they know folks are curious.

Montana is Burning

My second favorite state is burning, and close to my beloved Glacier National Park.

Highway 2, the major route across the southern boundary of the park, was closed to traffic. It is now open, but the vehicles are being escorted across Marias Pass as the fire is only about a mile away. (Note: Marias Pass is the lowest elevation pass across the United States Rocky Mountains.)

The Number 1 Montana fire is burning near Gates of the Mountain Wilderness, an area immortalized in Lewis & Clark's diaries. This area was the site of the terrible Mann Gulch fire in 1949, in which 13 firefighters lost their lives. Norman Maclean's last book was Young Men and Fire, an accounting of this terrible tragedy. (Norman Maclean's most famous book is A River Runs Through It.) On our trip to Montana in 2003 Mom and I visited this beautiful area.

From the Bad Cookie Fortune Site

Save Now for future calamity.

oh great!

Unconscious Mutterings

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

Voices :: raised in song
Have to :: Must
Machine :: Vending
Seventh grade :: Long long time ago
Beach :: where I'd like to be, sand
Roommate :: Been a few years . . .
Cyclone :: Tornado
Theater :: Movie
Pregnant :: Kathryn
Phoebe :: Aunt

Up from the 2002 Archives

You are 25% geek

OK, so maybe you ain't a geek. You do, at least, show a bit of interest in the world around you. Either that, or you have enough of a sense of humor to pick some of the sillier answers on the test. Regardless, you're probably a pretty nifty, well-rounded person who gets along fine with people and can chat with just about anyone without fear of looking stupid or foolish or overly concerned with minutiae. God, I hate you.

Take the Polygeek Quiz at Thudfactor.com

Reviewing Other Side archives

Alice laughed. "There's no use trying," she said. "One can't believe impossible things."
"I daresay you haven't had much practice," said the Queen. When I was your age, I always did it for half an hour a day. Why, sometime I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast."

Lewis Carroll, Through the Looking Glass

From the August 2002 archives

Purple, eh?

What color is your soul painted? Purple Your soul is painted the color purple, which embodies the characteristics of sensuality, spirituality, creativity, wealth, royalty, nobility, mystery, enlightenment, arrogance, gaudiness, mourning, confusion, pride, delicacy, power, meditation, religion, and ambition. Purple falls under the element of Earth, and was once a European symbol of royalty; today it symbolizes the divine. Click Here to Take This Quiz

Quizzes and Personality Tests

Found at Blue Gail's.

August Holidays

Cassie-B has her August unusual holidays calendar posted. August 5th is Sisters Day. Hug yours if you have one!

Thursday Thirteen on Friday

Julie won't let me play in her comments any more! *grin*

13 things that I like that begin with the letter O. In no particular order.

1. Orchids.
2. O's. (I can't write the word, but Julie can.)
3. Olives.
4. Onion.
5. Oscar - Great-Grandpa.
6. Orioles - the birds.
7. Opals
8. Orange
9. Old people
10. Old Things
11. Opera (sometimes)
12. Ontario, the Lake and the Canadian Province.
13. Orchestras

This is Why Mom told you to Chew with your Mouth Closed

Mississippi River Bridge Goes Down

amidst evening traffic. Heard it as a bulletin first. AOL story here. Yahoo News here.

The Great Wall Garden - View 1

This spring my friend Carol and her husband helped me build a retaining wall next to the barn bridge wall so that I could have a garden there. (Oh, all right. My friends Carol and her husband built the wall, and I toted bricks.) I've been tending it all summer, as we've had no rain. Each night, I load up the wheelbarrow with three buckets, then tote the whole business out to the wall. Some things are doing well, others aren't. But it really is cool, this gardening business. And it is something to chat about with the neighbors that pass by on an evening walk.

Contented Sigh

In May of 2006 I embarked upon a great personal adventure. After years of living in a tiny student apartment I moved to the country, to live in an old farmhouse that had been in the family for 98-years. My mom had had renters, but it was hard to find the right person, and after a particularly bad renter, her manager had kind of pulled back. I got up the gumption to ask: what would you think about me renting it? (It has always been my favorite place in the world, but I tend to keep secrets, I guess. Plus, I thought, a single woman in the country? But then I began to think of all the women who did live out this way, and with the addition of an alarm system, I've always felt incredibly safe here.) And so the adventure began.

The experience has been incredibly positive, other than the horrendous heating bills in winter. My life has expanded in so many ways. I tend my gardens and my projects around home (most of them half finished, but hey) and . . . I have company! I have drop-ins, and I have people I invite. This is way beyond what I was accustomed to, and it has been so great! Tonight twelve folks from work came for an impromptu shuffleboard tournament. I'm probably the goofiest hostess most of them have encountered, but everyone is so kind and I think everyone had a good time.

I can't believe the risks I've been taking and you know, I have to lay a lot of it to blogging. Reading about how others deal with life, how they pick themselves up and keep going, trying new things, has been very inspirational. Life handed me a few knocks in my twenties that I didn't adapt to very well. But it is great to know that even in the 50's, life can change and be changed for the good.

And thank you all for your inspiration!

The Moon, II

Speaking of the moon:

The Moon

Bryn always stops by and gives me the full moon information. Up from the comments:

July 29th
Full Buck Moon
8:48 pm
The Full Buck Moon - July July is normally the month when the new antlers of buck deer push out of their foreheads in coatings of velvety fur. It was also often called the Full Thunder Moon, for the reason that thunderstorms are most frequent during this time. Another name for this month's Moon was the Full Hay Moon.

I had just been wondering when the new antlers push through, so this is very informative on two levels!

Unconscious Mutterings

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

Traditional :: Wedding
Popeye :: spinach, the sailor man
Gin :: Rummy
Harsh :: Strict
Topless :: Beach
The thing :: It
Defiant :: Rebellious
Huge :: Large
Food :: Craving
Lenny :: Bruce

Finally!

Caught Cyrano in Motion!!!!

Thursday 13

Julie plays the Thursday 13 by going through the alphabet and listing 13 things she loves that begin with that letter. I usually play in her comments, but the comment keeper doesn't like me today. Therefore, I'll stick them here!

Nina, niece
Nate, nephew
Natasha, niece
Nancy, sister
Nieces - all the rest
Nephews - all the rest
noses
necking
North Dakota. If you're ever there, be sure to stop in MINOT. (Pronounced mynot)
Niagara Falls.
Neckties. Loosened, with a tuft of hair showing
naps
neighbors.

Ack! My Comments won't let me post today.

That happens sometimes, sorry about that. To add to the comments below:

I'm a dinosaur too, 'cause I remember the "do blondes have more fun"! Em likes it blonde . . . she adores Tinkerbell and now, she looks just like her! Oh those 15-year-olds.

The internet is such a fun way to keep track of relatives and friends and perhaps bridge the generation gap a bit.

Flickr

Flickr is so cool. I just found out my niece has turned from redhead to blonde. Too fun!

Good Morning!

Not a lot to report in my world. Monday folks from work are coming out for a Shuffleboard Tournament here at the farm. We're going to explore our inner geezer!

Flickr Favorites

I'm a little behind times. Here is this month's Flickr favorites. Click through to visit these photographers.

Back to Work

The alarm went off at 5:30. Up to feed the cats, then back to bed for a 6:00 a.m. real get-up. The alarm went off, I opened up the front porch . . . and there were the deer playing in the cut oat field. I hadn't seen them since Tuesday night. The field being cut has changed their schedule. I thought it was a good sign to see them on my way back to work. (Get up at 6:00 a.m. during vacation???? Not on your tintype!) (I believe that's a quote from Music Man on "not on your tintype". I'm living in a different century, I think.)

Thursday I visited a friend who had had reductive surgery on her chest. Ouch! This seems like a lot of pain to go through, and of course I would need enhancement, not reduction, but wow. I don't think I would elect to do it. Any thoughts?

Friday I took Mom to lunch, then went shopping, so the urges for fine dining and shopping were satisfied on this vacation.

And Saturday and Sunday, well, I just enjoyed the farm. That is its own special magic.


From the barnyard

Restorative

When I need to relax, I go to Lake Michigan. Do you have a place that by its very essence calms you, makes you happy?

Things That Make Me Sad

No one ever carved their initials with mine on a tree.

Unconscious Mutterings

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

Deputy :: Barney Fife
Name :: Rank and Serial Number
Arrested :: Development
Trade :: Barter
Old :: New
Fingerprint :: Footprint
Dwarf :: Pygmy
Newspaper :: Journal
Gabriel :: Angel
Certificate :: Birth

I've Got Blossoms!

My Cannas and my Gladiolas are showing a tinge of color. I'm doing a happy dance!

Too Cool!

In the book I just finished, Geri, the almost 50-year-old sister, is looking for ways to celebrate her 50th birthday. On the web-site www.lifesabeachboutique.com, the author has provided tons of cool links for places to go.

I wanna go to Hersheys for the chocolate spa package. Oh my.

And Now the Last Day of Vacation

. . . and it's very quiet. I'm spending this morning on my front porch, reading Life's a Beach, by Claire Cook. It's a cool morning, but the porch is warm. The kitties are asleep, Sierra out on the porch with me, Snuzzles on his pad by the door. Every ten pages or so I go do a minor chore. I'm on the second load of wash. I probably still would have been in bed, but I could hear farmer Donny, who works the fields across from me, making hay in the hay field.

Okay, just finished the book. I had ordered it from Amazon because:

1. Any chick lit book with the word Beach in it grabs my attention.
2. It was touted as a good summer read.
3. It was by Claire Cook, who wrote the book Must Love Dogs, which was made into a 2005 movie starring John Cusack and Diane Lane. I liked the movie.

The book was the third I've read this week. I'm glad I saved it for last. It's about a 41-year-old sister and an almost 50-year-old sister, and how life works. It's a great book for those who don't have "perfectly planned" lives. I identified with the younger sister and there were some good points about "not deciding" is deciding. So if I appear more decisive in the future . . . nah, that's not going to happen.

So far . . .

this has been an interesting vacation. I've had a day trip of Grand Ledge area parks, a day trip to Lake Michigan, the Sears man came for my annual maintenance on my washer/dryer, the Verizon guy came to fix the jack in the dining room, I visited a friend who had had surgery, the assesor came (poor mum), the cats went to the vet, and I've worked in the yard some.

If I could do this for another 2-3 weeks I might get a little aught up.

Corn, the 2nd

I was going to take a picture of the corn I bought over by Lake Michigan today, but I ate it instead. It was good!

The Rich Are Different

Want to peek into the lives of the wealthy? Check out this blog. The author has just written a new book about the wealthy, called Richistan.

Today was supposed to be my Tourist in My Own Town Day

But the weather is threatening, and we sure could use the rain. Maybe I'll head out this afternoon, just to ensure we get some rain. *grin*

Catching up!

Hello there!

Light blogging going on. I've been a little under the weather for the last week, and I'm on vacation this week, so I've been kind of missing in action.

Traumatic experience on Saturday! I was driving home from the grocery store about 1:30 p.m. Suddenly, right in front of me, was a fawn!!!! I swerved one way, it swerved the same way. I was sure I was going to crush it with my left wheel. But she rolled over twice, then got up and scampered over to the woods on the left. I stopped and tried to find her, to see if she was hurt, but I couldn't.

Last night in my north field there was a fawn dancing around. I'm going to say that was the same one. I shirley do hope so!

Added: Lots of deer/car accidents in Michigan. These are just the reported ones.

Hmmm

You Are Not Prissy

You're the furthest thing from a princess - and you probably stay far away from any princess types you know. You have an easygoing approach to living. It doesn't take a lot to make you happy. And when life requires it, you're ready to get your hand a little dirty. There's no problem you're too prissy to tackle!

How Prissy Are You?

It's time for the Unconscious Mutterings!

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

Situation :: Normal All Fouled Up
Theme song :: Rocky
Kelly :: Green
Club :: Fight
Swerve :: Veer, try to miss that deer
Couch :: New! Naps
Bigfoot :: Sasquatch
Arbitrary :: Random
Inventor :: Thomas Edison
Blazer :: Chevy

Family History

I've always had it in the back of my head that when I retire I would write a generations novel set in mid-Michigan. One of my reasons for wanting to move to the farm was to soak up atmosphere. That has worked out well, as living daily in a homestead set up 99-years-ago raises questions and provokes thoughts about the past. I can never tell what the trigger might be. For example, my mom checks out my flickr pictures. She really likes this lily one. I explained where I had taken the shot: down the road near the big old oak tree, as I was walking back from the woods.

I could hear her smiling over the telephone. "Those have been there for the longest time," she said. "My folks used to let me walk down there and pick some when we visited Grandma and Grandpa."

When I write that novel, I'm sure there will be a scene with a lonely child walking down to a halfway point between her grandparents and great-grandparents, picking a bouquet of lilies.

My neighbor across the road

They Missed Glacier National Park, but it's close!

Travel Horoscope for Capricorn

When you travel, you like to really wear yourself out. You want a vacation that keeps you on the go, otherwise you'll feel bored. You should travel to: Aspen Disney World The Appalachian Trail Yellowstone Park The Grand Canyon

What's Your Travel Horoscope?

Spotted at Julie's.

Fairy Pavillion

To follow a fairy, they say walk on tip-toe holding your left ear between your left thumb and forefinger. I found some fairies in the back yard tonight, and followed this one. It appears it is going into some sort of pavillion or shelter, certainly not a house, but a pleasant place for a fairy to stay on a hot summer night.

Fairy Village

Diane and her boys have made a wonderful fairy village. See it here. I predict all Michigan fairies will be headed for their home soon!

To Check Out

The new magazine Somerset Life featured three creative blogs.

The first is Tongue in Cheek.
Next is Michelle Ward.
And third is Heaven & Earth.

***

Any thoughts on the New Seven Wonders of the World?

Unconsciously Muttering

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

Happen :: Dance (A dance group that my niece belongs to)
Terribly :: Horribly
History :: One of my favorites
Master :: Mistress
Petrified :: Forest
Moan :: Groan
Attack :: Assault
Picture :: Photo
Students :: Learners
Potter :: oh, okay, Harry

Beware

It's supposed to be a good year for poison ivy. I had it last year, and I shirley don't want to go through that experience again. However, playing in the woods and fields as I do, it could happen.

Grandma Lora used to have us wash with Fels Naptha soap if we thought we had been exposed. What "cures" have you used?

07-07-07

We can all agree, yes?

hmmm

Your Kisses Are Medium-Hot

Your kisses are definitely sexy, but you're not about to make anyone gasp for air. You take it slow and steady... and you ramp things up when you get the right signals. Your kissing style is adaptable and adept. And people who kiss you love it!

How Hot Are Your Kisses?

I was trying to take the gemstone quiz I saw at Cindy's, but it wouldn't load properly, so I took this one instead. I need some more practice. *grin*

Cats

When I think of cats walking, I used to think of slinking and pussyfoot and all those silent types of words.

My cats do that, sometimes.

And sometimes they thunder and gallop when they're playing.

Just saying.

Corn

A thought occurred to me yesterday. Do they raise corn in Oz, Julie?

The old adage here in Michigan is that the corn should be knee-high by the 4th of July. I'll take a picture later. It's way beyond that.

Plans for the Weekend

I think I shall make a fairy house.

True Foodie

My youngest niece is 13. She invited all of us (her dad's and her mom's families) to a 4th of July party yesterday. She's a real foodie: she organized not only the standard cook-out of burgers, brats, and dogs, but also had shrimp skewers, champagne salad, baked beans, and a flag cake.

For her 13th birthday both sides got her food items. She's sort of a baby Rachel Ray. Tuesday night, at the fireworks, I realized just how much of a foodie she is. We were watching someone get arrested as we waited for the traffic jam to ease up. "I wonder what they feed people in jails on holidays," she said.

A true foodie

Blog Running

Happy 4th of July!!!

Cassie-B has her list of July's bizarre holidays here. I'm sure you'll find one to adopt. I'm thinking I'll go with July 15th: cow appreciation day. Speaking of cows, I had a picture of a cow I liked so much that I had it made up into first class stamps over at zazzle.com. They really work!

I'm glad I stopped at bryn's this morning, or I never would have known this:

My Peculiar Aristocratic Title is: Milady the Most Honourable Shirl the Spurious of Frome Valley Get your Peculiar Aristocratic Title

Diane has a meme I'm going to nab later today.

And Julie passes on an EBC link to William Kamkwamba's Malawi Windmill Blog.

And with that, I'll close this part of today's blog trail. Catch ya later!

Sometimes It's Hard to Tell Which Way is Up

It Grew!

My nasturtium grew. It blossomed! Unbelievable. Actually, now that I'm reading about them here, I guess it is quite an easy plant to raise. It's also wholly edible, which I think is really cool.

Boring!

swiped from the R-rated Susan!

Mingle² - Online Dating

July 1 Laws

New laws around the country that went into effect today were highlighted on aol.

Would that be with Whipped Cream?

Your Scent is Pumpkin Pie

Warm, comforting, and a bit old fashioned You've got what men want - believe it or not!

What's Your Girl Smell?

I was visiting other Unconscious Mutterings and found this at The Gal's.

Going-to-the-Sun is Open.

Glacier National Park is a beautiful park situated in the Northwest corner of Montana, on the front face of the Rocky Mountains. The Going-to-the-Sun Road is the only road that crosses the park. It's a beautiful 52-mile alpine drive, hand-carved out of the side of the mountains during the Great Depression. Road crews start clearing it in April. It is finally open today.

Unconscious Mutterings

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

Partner :: Law firm, in crime
News :: Paper
Foam :: Sea
Paycheck :: weekly
Me :: You
Eight :: is enough
Dairy :: Farm
Exciting :: Energizing
Hockey :: Puck
Socialite :: Hiltons