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