Almost There

Bobbie has a new grandson

2011-09-08T10:17:00.001-04:00

I meant to post here for my mom's birthday (March 16), which my husband, son and I celebrated by sprinkling some of her ashes in Big Sur, CA. It was a lovely day; and thanks to my mom, a final opportunity to be there before we moved east to Massachusetts. -- that day, just before we were to drive home, there was a major landslide that blocked the road causing us to have to drive hours out of our way to get back. It was not fixed for weeks and weeks - until after we were out of time to visit - and was joined by other slides in the meantime. If it weren't for mom's birthday, we'd not have been in Big Sur on a random Wednesday in March and we would have missed saying goodbye to our beautiful coastline.

I also meant to post here on Mother's Day, when the memorial brick to be placed at Leaming's Run Garden was finished. Though I have yet to see it in place, the pictures I received of it look lovely. You can see it on my blog here.

And I meant to post here on the one-year anniversary of her passing in June. On that day, also Father's Day this year, my siblings were scattering the last of Bobbie's ashes on my father's grave in New York.

Finally, I am posting here. Four's the charm, I guess. On August 5, I had a little boy named Rhys who will depend on my stories and those of his big brother and others to know his grandmom. You can read his birth announcement here.

Thanks for reading and for remembering with me. Kitty

Memorial at Leaming's Run

2010-09-29T22:51:00.002-04:00

A memorial for Bobbie happened this past weekend at Leaming's Run Garden in Cape May County, NJ. It was just the kind of weather my mom would have loved - cool, breezy, the rain held off just long enough.

The garden we chose for the ceremony was looking really beautiful. We posted excerpts from some of her writing around the garden for people to mill about and read before we gathered - a few that were stories that appeared here, as well as from the other pages of writing she left us. We compiled those snippets along with others and some of her toons into a booklet for people to keep. Essentially, she wrote her own memorial. Part of the ceremony also included positive news bits that have come through in the last couple months on some of my mom's causes over there in the sidebar.

I took this picture of a hummer just after things wrapped up in the garden.
There will soon be a memorial brick with Bobbie's name, dates, and a silhouette of a humming bird in the path at the entrance to Leaming's Run.

I think Bobbie would have loved to have seen Isaac running down the paths of one of her favorite spots.

Peace to you all, Kitty

Article about Bobbie!

2010-07-13T07:54:00.001-04:00

The Atlantic City Press has done a little article about my mom in a column called "A Life Lived."

You can find it here.

I'm not sure how long the link will be good, but likely longer than a week, which is always when the links to my freelance articles expire... This writer is an honest to goodness staffer, so let's hope it lasts a while.

The writer, Michelle Post, became interested in writing up Bobbie after reading her obituary which talked about her blog and her causes. It's always tough to tell a thousand stories and see it shrink to a sentence, but such is the business of newspaper and overall I think it's a nice tribute. I'm excited that there is one more bit for the legacy, one more validation of my mom. Boy, do I miss her.

Peace all. Kitty

Memories and Memorials

2010-07-07T14:48:00.002-04:00

Dear Bloggers,

Thank you all again and still for your comments and support with the passing of our mom. Memorial posts have so kindly been posted by Dianne, Lily, Daryl, Michelle (in addition to this link, Michelle has posted other dedications as well), Singing Bear, Sylvia, Paz, Harriet, Lisa, and Christine. If I've missed any, please let me know. The blog world has been a loving, dear one for me in these first treacherous weeks.

**I missed Gina's tribute previously. It's here.**

I don't have access to all the photos I'd like to right now, but this is what I've found and hastily scanned. A few shots of Bobbie in her younger days, with her older sister and brother, and the last with her niece. Enjoy.

We are planning a memorial service for September at Leaming's Run Gardens, one of her favorite spots.

Bobbie & Isaac

2010-06-24T00:42:00.004-04:00

I've been overwhelmed with the beautiful responses and memorial posts about my mom. Thanks to all. There is still so much to do and on so little sleep. I'd like to get some pictures scanned in that I don't think I've seen her post on here -- like as a young woman with her sister. But for now, here are a few pictures of Bobbie with Isaac from the last three years. Some you may have seen before. Kitty

Bobbie

2010-06-20T10:38:00.003-04:00

Dear Blogger Friends,

Our mom passed yesterday afternoon. She went peacefully with all four of her children around her.

As it turned out, the surgery, always a high-risk idea, was no longer a viable option. Mom asked for them to remove the balloon pump on her leg that was helping relieve the pressure on her heart. She went soon after that. We all had a chance to talk to her and love her before she could no longer communicate.

Our mom has always touched people. Growing up, all of my friends referred to her simply as “mom.” She adopted them into our lives readily and with ease and never let them go. Old friends and more recent friends of mine alike ask me about her every time we talk.

And you, her blog friends, meant the world to her. She mentioned you all to us often in conversations and emails. We were frequently directed to check out so-and-so's post today. You taught her things; you made her laugh; you valued her input. It was a whole new world to her that opened at the end of her life and added a dimension she was immensely grateful for, and so are we. Not only did all of you give her so much, she was able to give a

gain, too – not just to you, but to us – we learned a great deal about what mattered to her, some of it reminders, other things new discoveries about our mom. She got to matter at a time when her body was failing and so much was out of her control.

Friendship is something that I have been pondering in a serious way for some time now. I don't have any real answers, but part of what I'm learning is that friends, love and support come from where they are needed, when they are needed.

The ultimate example of the importance of who cares when it matters most would have to be mom's nurse in ICU, Maryanne. She was with mom only the last day - for maybe the last eight hours before she died. Maryanne had to have been one of the kindest, loveliest people I have ever met. She knew just what to do and say to comfort mom and us at each stage. What more could a soul ask for but to be escorted to the next dimension by such a loving, compassionate being?

We all know about the value of old friends, but there are new friends that arrive also, some of them suddenly and perhaps only for the briefest of seasons, like Maryanne. These friends are just as important in a life as the long haul relationships. Though most of you only knew mom a relatively short time and only over the internet, you were key players in her life. There are, as one musical has put it, Seasons of Love. You all came into the picture in the final act; and what power you wielded!

Our mom was passionate about many causes as you know and can see from her sidebar – so laden with links it takes forever to load the page and was the single impetus for my husband to install flash blocker on our computer! But truly, she cared. She cared about the world and all of you deeply.

When I asked her for the last time what she wanted me to post on her blog, she said,
“A picture of Isaac.” I will be adding a photo montage to this page (not just of Isaac, but of my mom) in the next few days, so you can look for that. And I will undoubtedly be writing about her on my own blog. I am already filling journal pages with thoughts.

Speaking for myself at least, I am so very happy for the personal notes addressed to each of us, the journals and all of her blog stories she left behind. My mom and I shared a love of writing and words that ran deeper than I had even realized.

As difficult as this loss is for all of us to grasp and accept and as difficult as it will remain for a long time, she was ready to go. She is finally where part of her has been looking forward to being for the last 34 years – with our father.

She is no longer Almost There. She has arrived.

With much affection and gratitude from the family,

Kitty, Bobbie's youngest daughter

Barbara Joan Petruccelli

March 16, 1932 – June 19, 2010

Small update

2010-06-18T01:47:00.000-04:00

Kitty again. My mom has apparently changed her mind and is opting for the open heart surgery. She will likely be in surgery Saturday.

When she gave me administrative access to her blog, she seems to have left out the comment moderation privileges. I can't release the comments on these posts, at least until I get my hands on her very own computer. Until then, thank you for any good thoughts.

In the Hospital

2010-06-17T00:55:00.002-04:00

Hello. This is Kitty, Bobbie's daughter, writing. We thought we'd let you know that my mom is in the hospital. She suffered a major heart attack on Monday. To our great surprise and delight, early Wednesday afternoon, she was off the ventilator and talking and joking with us and the hospital staff. She has declined open heart surgery and things are obviously still very serious.

She says, “See you when I get back.”

Early Morning Train of Thought

2010-06-14T05:45:00.007-04:00

In the quiet of the morning, when I first awake - That is the time when I write down whatever pops into my head. At other times of the day, I may decide there is a subject I'd like to address, and I may schedule a post for another day. But it is in the early hours when I let my mind wander like this, and do not really know where it might go.

There is no title on the post. I haven't yet discovered what it will be about. Oh yes. I guess it will be about me, since my thoughts are turning back in time.

For the first twenty-three years or so of my life I lived in a quiet suburb of Philadelphia. "The Big City" was the Philadelphia of the forties, and even that was not really a part of my life until I had reached my twenties. It wasn't exactly "Mayberry", but not all that far from it either. I dreamed of traveling to distant places, but they were very romantic, unrealistic and unsophisticated dreams. My thinking was still pretty much governed by my own very little world, and influenced mainly by my mother and our immediate circumstances. I was still seeing the people in my life through the eyes of a child. I had not yet questioned them, nor myself. Nor my friends or neighbors or teachers, or the government. I think I was still following my mother's method of getting through life by not looking too closely, pretending that all was right with my world and we would all live happily ever after.

I think it was 1956 when I became restless enough that, when a friend from high school called to ask if I'd like to move to New York with her, without even thinking twice I agreed to go. I suddenly felt free, and wasn't even sure what I was freeing myself from, or why. Life changed.

In New York, I came alive. Things were happening around me. People seemed to have purpose and ideas that were new to me, and my own mind shifted into higher gear. I was delighted to learn so much more about my own abilities and to develop so many more interests.

And I met a man whom I recognized very quickly to be the one who would become the center of my life. There was no question. We would spend the rest of our lives together. Anything else would be unimaginable. I was home. We were married about a year later, and did, indeed, live happily ever after. - It was really only for eighteen years after, until his death, but it was my lifetime.

A couple of years beyond that lifetime, I moved to South Jersey with three of my children, to be closer to my sister and my mother. It seemed the thing to do. My husband and I had talked about this move for a long time. Just never seemed to go ahead with the plan. Life in New Jersey was very different than fast-paced New York. It was more relaxed. I was still in a sort of zombie-like state as a widow. My son was unhappy for a while, feeling he had been torn from his friends and the life he had known - although in truth, his friends had also left the home town to start their adult lives. My daughters thrived. We soon adjusted and slipped into the slower, easier way of life.

I like it here. I guess that's obvious, since I've stayed for thirty-two years now. It has to be obvious, even to me. But there are many things I dislike. There is the way-too-lay-back attitude of a large part of the population. The signs on the shop doors in the mall tell you that their hours are 10: to whatever. But If you arrive at 10:, they may or may not be open yet. When they straggle in they will tell you, "Oh, I didn't make it that early today. Something came up." If you call a contractor, he may - or may not - show up that day. "Well, the fishing was good." There are still an amazing number of locals who work all summer when the tourists are here, and then go on Workmens' Comp all winter. Between farming and fishing, it is only in very recent years that most of the kids do graduate from high school. Attitudes are changing. But slowly.

No, I don't like that attitude - especially when it extends to more important areas. Is it my imagination, or do doctors here not follow up on things as they do in New York or Pennsylvania? Is law enforcement just a little more lackadaisical? Well, that may or may not be so. (Pause here to look up that "l" word in the dictionary. That's what it says. A word I haven't used in a long, long time.)

But I like the quiet and slower pace, and the beauty around me. New development taking away so much farmland and forest makes me sad, but there is still much left. My mother and sister and many friends are gone now, but my own life is winding down and I find I have memories enough to get by on. My computer allows me to "travel" wherever I wish and to stay in contact with the rest of the world.

It's almost breakfast time. I should call a halt to this, find a title to fit if it's worth naming, and explore what my kitchen has to offer today. I may or may not decide to publish this. Not really very interesting. Oh well. Nothing else has presented itself. I always reassure myself with the thought that readers can always just hit "delete".

Shadow Shot Sunday

2010-06-12T07:00:00.001-04:00

Tracy, of Hey Harriet, is once again hosting Shadow Shot Sunday for us, and has many wonderful and fun shadows to show us. Follow the link to find them for yourself.

My shadows today are from my garden. Not too many flowers blooming yet, but these are a few of the early ones.

First, the day lilies are starting to open.

I do love Queen Anne's lace, and last fall I threw some dried flower heads into my garden.
It would seem that I had to get myself into the picture too.

And even the hanging basket had some pretty shadows.

BP Bailout?

2010-06-11T16:25:00.006-04:00

Can it be true that Republican leader, John Boehner is really suggesting that U.S. taxpayers help bailout BP Oil, to pay for the clean-up? That is what I am told.

If this is true, it is about the most outrageous thing I have ever heard. I understand that a petition is circulating on Face Book and Twitter, against such an idea. Who can tell me if this is true? To me, it is simply beyond belief.

I have not found anything about it on Fact Check or PolitiFact.

Nebula in My Garden

2010-06-11T05:14:00.004-04:00

That is what it makes me think of.

Nature repeats itself in many forms. When I look at Queen Anne's lace, I see outer space. When I look to the sky, I see flowers.

Another Point of View

2010-06-10T06:00:00.001-04:00

In recent weeks I have heard many views expressed as to possible fates to which those in charge of things at the infamous BP might be consigned. I believe I have expressed a few myself. But on June 9th, my youngest daughter came up with a really interesting one. In her blog post entitled Spiders and the Spill, she has said, "I think all the BP officials should be sentenced to a life of gardening." Yep. Gardening. It has something to do with her questioning the seemingly prevalent belief that humans are for some reason far more important than anything else living on our earth.

Give it a read. You might like it.

Butterfly

2010-06-09T12:02:00.007-04:00

On a rainy day, I decided to share a little sunshine.

My cousin Esther, in Ohio, sent me this lovely photo she took in her garden. She has orange butterfly plants, which came to her as a gift a couple of years ago. This beautiful fritillary butterfly paid her a visit, and she was taken with its match to the flowers. - As always, you can click to enlarge the picture.

I asked her if I might share it with you. Here is a closer look at the butterfly.

I have always admired butterfly plant, and this year I ordered some myself, along with a few other plants. Sadly, the nursery did not include it with my order, but substituted something else. I'll have to try again.

For this year, I will have to wait until my three year old butterfly bush comes into bloom. It's flowers are lavender. For orange color, this year I will rely on the daylilies and my nasturtiums, which are just starting to bloom now.

All Things Are Possible

2010-06-08T21:43:00.004-04:00

As I type this, I am watching a PBS program on the Schuylkill River. I did not know its history, although I do recall growing up knowing that this river with the odd name was dirty.

Tonight I am learning that at one time this river actually ran black. During the Industrial Revolution, it was polluted with human waste, debris and chemicals of all sorts. It was not until the Clean Water Act of 1972 that it began to turn around. It is difficult to understand how it was even possible that today it has returned to a state in which fish swim freely and that it is now the source for drinking water for more than a million people in Philadelphia.

My point is simply that all things ARE possible. As we view the horrendous mess in the waters to the south of us, which have made us all feel so frustrated and angry, and despairing that it will ever return to something near normal, we have to know that with determination and hard work and united effort, we CAN restore it.

I have been really feeling down about this. Tonight's program has lifted my spirits somewhat.

TV Survey

2010-06-08T06:00:00.002-04:00

Had an interesting telephone call a few days ago. It came from one of the major networks in New York, asking for my opinion on current events. Normally, I don't reply to such calls or forms in the mail. I would much rather the "news" programs just give us the facts and let us draw our own conclusions, rather than telling us what percent of their viewers feel this way or that. But I was curious as to what particular subject this involved.

The young woman first asked me questions about the oil spill. I was willing enough to give my opinion on that topic. I did find her particular questions less than challenging or even especially interesting. She wanted to know if I thought BP was doing all it could to stop the leak, and if the President was doing all he could to make them get it under control. And would I buy gasoline from BP, and if not, why not?

She soon abandoned BP, and started asking me about other topics. Now I was sorry I'd started with the whole thing. She touched on many subjects I cared absolutely nothing about. She wasn't too happy with many of my replies, since I told her several times that it was too trivial or absurd for me to even have an opinion. I resorted a few times to, "Who cares?" She asked if, under any circumstances, I would consider allowing a TV crew to enter my home and film a sort of "reality show". I answered that one by saying I never watch "reality shows" because they never have any resemblance to reality, so no, of course not.

When I questioned what possible interest some of her questions could have to any viewers, she told me simply it wasn't information for news programs alone, but for several other types of shows. And then she wanted to know, if I were to break a law, which law would I choose to break? She listed five or six for me, like speeding, or public intoxication. That was one I chose not to answer. It was just too preposterous. Nor did I tell her the amount of my income; and when she asked my race, I told her it was "Human". She sighed, and said OK, she'd type that in.

So, ladies and gentlemen, if your telephone rings some evening soon, and your Caller ID tells you it is a TV network calling, be forewarned. If you answer and agree to a survey, it will waste a whole lot of your time, and you may find yourself answering a long list of inane questions.

Thinking Green

2010-06-07T07:00:00.002-04:00

Thinking Green is hosted by Michelle, at Random Woods - the Road Less Traveled. She's looking for good news these days. If you've heard some really good news concerning our world and ways we can help to keep it green, why not share them with us. Make us all feel a little better despite things like the infamous oil spill.

The good news I've heard recently is that the State of California has a bill which has
already passed their State Assembly by 41-27 on June 3rd. The governor is all set to sign it. All that remains is for the State Senate to pass the bill, and it looks as if they will. This bill will eliminate all single use plastic bags. This is super good news. It isn't just old plastic bags ending up in our landfills. They have become a very serious problem when whales and many other forms of wild life swallow them and die as a result. As you can imagine, California is particularly concerned with this, being a coastal state.

Individual cities have passed such laws in the past, but this is the first statewide bill. Wouldn't it be great if we could see every state pass such a law?

Photo from MBA Sea Notes blog.

What Is So Rare....

2010-06-05T21:03:00.005-04:00

"....as a day in June. Then, if ever, come perfect days."

Unless of course there is a horrible, destructive great cloud of oil moving through our waters - And a major heat wave making our lives miserable - And of course we mustn't forget the wars still being fought - somewhere - over there - for whatever insane reasons.

Could Mr. Lowell ever in his wildest imagination have conjured up June 2010 when he wrote about "...the high tide of the year - And whatever of life hath ebbed away comes flooding back..."?

Still - it is a beautiful poem. And it makes me recall a time when a June day made me feel that life was, indeed, perfect. Was I ever that young?

Shadow Shot Sunday

2010-06-05T07:00:00.000-04:00

Shadow Shots are fun! Why not join us. Go to see Tracy at Hey Harriet to read about it.

I love trees. This one is definitely one of my favorites, and every once in a while I just have to stop and take its picture.

Hot and Humid

2010-06-04T18:39:00.001-04:00

Thinking Green

2010-06-03T15:00:00.000-04:00

Michelle is thinking green again. Please go to Rambling Woods - The Road Less Traveled and see what she has to say this week. And please join us with a post or photo on this beautiful, green world of ours.

I am so longing for my garden flowers to start blooming this year. It's barely begun. Summer time in our part of the world is like heaven to me, with its flowers, butterflies and birds. But it hasn't really got a good start yet here.My youngest daughter lives in California, where flowers bloom all year 'round. For today's post I just want to dream about such a place. Here are some photos she has taken of her own garden - some from last year, some from this. Enjoy!

She grows beautiful vegetables too!

Did You See It?

2010-06-03T08:35:00.009-04:00

I missed it. Didn't wait long enough yesterday morning.

Hoku fledged at 8:03 AM, Pacific time, on June 2nd. You can watch it on video if you like.

This little bird has been trying hard for a few days. We watched it perch on the edge of the nest, beating its wings.

Then finally, with a blur of wings.....

And now - an empty nest.

Nesting season in California is ended for this year.
We will be able to return in October to see it all once again.

......................................................

All three of the eaglets have fledged. They can still be seen on the branches near their nest. Sometimes very interesting, moving from branch to branch.

The redtailed hawks have not yet left the nest. They do explore the ledge, and are quite large. They are sometimes hard to see, since they are nearly the same color as the nest. They will be leaving soon.

Music on PBS

2010-06-03T07:52:00.003-04:00

It's pledge time again on PBS, so they are presenting some of their great concerts. I'm definitely a supporter of PBS and NPR. I think every penny you can scrape up to help them is worthwhile.
We are fortunate enough to receive three of their stations in South Jersey - one from Delaware, one New Jersey and one Pennsylvania.

Two of these aired two great concerts last night. BUT - somewhere between our receivers and where they were coming from, there must have been a really big storm, and when I played back the DVR's, I wasn't able to see or hear much of the first one. It was my favorite a capella group, Straight No Chaser. I only got to hear two complete numbers of that. I'm hoping the third station will be airing it soon.

The second concert was Carole King and James Taylor. The beginning didn't look promising when I played it back, but then the storm must have ended, and the rest of the hour and a half was a real pleasure. Great music! They are quite a pair! I hope that many of you got to hear it.

It looks as if today it's going to be our turn for the storms. Hot, hot, HOT, and humid. We'll be seeing thunder and lightning later.

Hoku

2010-06-01T12:36:00.006-04:00

I don't know who names these birds but the one remaining in the hummer's nest is being called Hoku. He's really big now - almost too big for the nest.

But as you see, Phoebe is still feeding him. Here he is, begging for food.

And here she is, feeding him again.

A moment after she had finished, and left him on his own again, he was stretching, and beating his little wings a hard as he could. He will fledge very soon for sure. He stands up on the edge of the nest, and keeps trying.

On the Lighter Side

2010-06-01T06:16:00.000-04:00

Time for more chicken jokes.

About Hummers

2010-05-31T10:58:00.005-04:00

I've been checking out the hummingbird site (see sidebar). The "Photos and Videos" link at the top is fun. Today I watched a video from last January of Phoebe actually laying her eggs. It was taken at 6:44 AM. Still rather dark. But you can see her clearly enough. I find it so amazing that this takes place in a nest about the size of a golf ball. When the chicks begin to grow, two of them are really crowded in the tiny nest.

Singing Bear asked me about the fact that there is the sound of running water in the background today. I can't imagine why, but it is there. Wasn't there yesterday. The nest is located in California, so will be blacked out depending on your time zone, early in the morning.

I hope many of you enjoy watching this as much as I do.

Hummer's Nest

2010-05-31T06:00:00.001-04:00

I am posting another hummingbird nest webcam on my sidebar. This is Phoebe, an Allen's hummingbird. She is non-migratory, and lives in Orange County, CA, where she builds her nests in a rose bush.

Nesting season out there is from October through May or early June, and she lays four or five clutches per season, so we should be able to watch this happen over and over if we start each fall. This year I guess we will see only one. The web site will tell you lots of facts about hummers.

Memorial Day

2010-05-30T04:49:00.008-04:00

I remember well the days of the Second World War. I was very young, and did not fully realize all that it meant. I remember the rationing and the black out curtains on our windows, the war bonds and savings stamps. I remember my brother in his uniform and his friends in theirs. I remember the newsreels shown before the Saturday matinee, and everyone standing up in the theater, singing the National Anthem as loudly and enthusiastically as we could, hands over hearts. To a child my age it was all very exciting. I remember the V-mail letters we sent off, and the strange censored ones we received in return.

But I also remember the little flag we hung in the front window. Thankfully, our little flag always held a blue star in the center.

But as the war stretched on, we saw more and more of those little flags with gold stars.

And then came Vietnam, and Korea, and the Gulf, and Iraq, and Afghanistan ......
Will it ever end?

Shadow Shot Sunday

2010-05-29T08:00:00.000-04:00

Shadow Shot Sunday again! Lots of fun shadows to be found on Tracy's blog, Hey Harriet. Go on over and take a look.

Today I have an assortment of shadows, taken over the past week or so.
There was a shady road that I traveled.

And along the way I saw an inviting shady lane.

And finally there is my hanging basket of petunias. On the other side of the pole is a hummingbird feeder.

Eaglets

2010-05-28T08:54:00.002-04:00

For those who have been watching the eaglets (see sidebar), all three have been sitting on branches above and around the nest, and last night one made his maiden flight. All three are flapping wings this morning, trying hard.

Oilpocalypse

2010-05-28T05:44:00.001-04:00

This is just beyond words.

Please visit Miss Moll at Wandering and Pondering to watch a video she has posted. It is from ABC News. Divers going UNDER WATER, into the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. What does it look like under there? How can anything survive this? How can BP dare to continue trying to wriggle out from accepting total responsibility for this horrific mess?

For Green Thursday

2010-05-27T15:20:00.008-04:00

This is the time of year when I am torn between being optimistic and frustrated. I've planted seeds in my garden - most of them too early because I am always anxious to get started. They are frequently washed away by storms or seedlings are frozen by unexpected weather. Then I have to either start over or give up. Then, by May, I am either replanting, or watching seedlings and feeling that frustration because they aren't blooming yet.

But mostly I'm optimistic. I do see many things starting to grow, and of course I do know they are showing promise.

And there are times when I completely forget I've thrown in some seed, and put in others - like this leaf lettuce growing in this container, along with heaven-knows-what-else. (but the lettuce tastes just fine.)

But I have to admit, I sometimes get too impatient and just have to add a few plants already in bloom. I haven't done that yet this year, except for the hanging basket. I know that this pretty little white flower will soon be dwarfed under the cosmos towering over it.

I guess you would have to say that my gardening these days is rather hap-hazard. I can't do much any more, so I just toss some seeds and say a prayer for good weather and healthy perennials. And my children are kind enough to help out with some digging. But I must have a garden of some kind. I can't imagine not looking forward to flowers and perhaps some vegetables in summer time. It would be a sad world without them, and the butterflies and other insects and birds that they attract.

Photo Nut

2010-05-25T17:33:00.005-04:00

I am one. I admit it.

Today Kitty arranged to call me on Skype after Isaac got home from pre-school. It was a first for me, and of course I had to immortalize it with my camera. Taking a picture of a picture on a Skype call has to be a little nutty. - And does not make for a very great photo either. But I did it.

Rita was here at the time, so we both enjoyed visiting with Kit and Isaac in California. Isaac played his guitar for us - and had his mom accompany him on the tamborine.

At one point he decided to crawl under his bed, so I also took one of him emerging from there.

I know - I'm a nut. But here are a couple of the pictures that I took, blurry and weird though they be. They are of our boy, and I love them.

And, yes, that's Rita and me in miniature, down in the corner.

The Future of Education

2010-05-24T15:07:00.003-04:00

Interested in the subject of Education? My daughter, Kathryn, has posted what I think is a very interesting video on her blog. If you have a few minutes, and an interest in the subject, take a look.

Pretty Visitor

2010-05-24T12:32:00.012-04:00

There was a very pretty visitor to my garden today. I was pleased to see her (or him) and decided to take a few pictures if she let me.

There isn't much blooming yet of course. That didn't seem to bother her.

In fact, she completely ignored this -

In favor of the cosmos, which have a long way to go before they bloom. She seemed to like them very much anyway, and came back to them again and again.

She is welcome in my garden any time. In fact, I hope she brings her friends.

Snapper

2010-05-23T08:00:00.002-04:00

Michelle says it is World Turtle Day today. I guess this is my contribution. Please follow the link to her blog for some excellent suggestions.

Took a ride the other day through a rural area nearby. As I rode along I spotted a big old snapping turtle crossing the road. She was moving very slowly. Fortunately, I was in no hurry either. I would have stopped in any case, but this time I sat hoping no other traffic would come by, since she was really taking her time. A pick up truck came towards us from the other direction. He stopped too, but he was in more of a hurry than I was.

He got out of his truck, and I warned him in case he didn't know that it was a snapper. He first tried to move it by its tail. No luck there. Then he tried to push it along with his foot. No luck with that either, and out came the long neck to make a pass at the foot that was being so annoying.

Finally the man got a crowbar or something of the kind from his truck. By this time there were at least a half dozen other cars and trucks backed up along the road. He managed to get the turtle moving, and off the road and well into the grass, and we were all on our way again.

I'm always happy to see people stop and try to care for any animal, whether hurt or just confused by traffic. And when it's being done by one good Samaritan, no one else seems to mind, and are in fact inclined to join in with the rescue. I cannot imagine why there are those who act differently when alone. We do see the sad results of their action along the highway.

I hope Mrs. Turtle went on to lay her eggs, or whatever her intentions, in some safe place.

Another good example of animal rescue is the redtailed hawk nest at the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia. When the hawks first started to build on a window ledge there, office workers reinforced the ledge with a platform under the nest, and watched over them. I believe this is the second year they have built there. The video cam on my sidebar shows it to you. This is a photo I took from the video on the 21st of this month. The chicks are growing fast.

Shadow Shot Sunday

2010-05-22T07:00:00.001-04:00

Our Australian friend, Tracy, is our host for Shadow Shot Sunday, and you will find lots of great shadow shots at her site. Stop by and see for yourself.

This week my daughter, Kitty, has sent me photos of her wonderful garden in California. I think they are beautiful. Hope you enjoy them.

The first is of shadows of lavender on her drive.

And I have always loved California poppies.

Colors of Spring

2010-05-20T17:17:00.013-04:00

At last - a few sunny days, and some color appearing on my doorstep.

The miniature roses that Lisa gave me a couple of years ago.

The hanging basket.

The pansies I received at Easter are blooming beautifully now.

A tiny birdbath from Mothers' Day.

Soon there will be nasturtiums.

My little snow peas - my concession to a vegetable garden this year.

Below the steps is a pot of lovely mint. Smells so wonderful!

\

And in the back, just a little phlox from last year is blooming.

I know the rest will be along soon. It just seemed such a long time waiting.

I have a few more things coming, and of course the long garden full of cosmos are growing very fast. I've even seen a few butterflies.

More About Chocolate

2010-05-20T09:41:00.005-04:00

When I posted earlier about chocolate, and specifically about Hershey, I had sent an email to Hershey asking why they did not participate in Fair Trade. I have received a lengthy email in return, from their Consumer Affairs Department.

In all fairness, I feel I should tell you that they told me that they are "...committed to ensuring that cocoa is grown responsibly." They went on to list programs in which they participate or fund, which strive toward this goal. And they referred me to their site: http://www.thehersheycompany.com/social-responsibility/sustainability/
It is impressive.

However, no mention was made at all of Fair Trade. It puzzles me that despite all they have told me, organizations like Green America, and others are still telling us that Hershey refuses to consider Fair Trade, and continues to buy from those using slave labor. These are reputable organizations working to eliminate such conditions. Someone is not giving us the full truth in this matter. Check it out for yourselves and draw your own conclusions.

Mmmm Chocolate - Think Green

2010-05-18T11:13:00.008-04:00

Time again to join Michelle in Thinking Green.

First, let me say that I am a chocoholic. And my favorite is a plain Hershey bar. I really, really love them. BUT.... and that's a very big BUT.

The Hershey Chocolate Company is one that it seems to me feels it is above things like playing fair or caring about the welfare of others. What else am I to believe, since they are very big on publicity for themselves, which of course adds to their popularity, and therefore to profit. This includes promotions which favor charities. I applaud their contributions to charity. But just how far does this go? Does it go beyond our shores and the children we know?

Far from our country, on the Ivory Coast, the big chocolate manufacturers and distributors must buy their cocoa beans. Many companies, which bring us very fine and very delicious chocolate, have become aware that on the Ivory Coast there are hundreds of people working under horrible conditions - a huge number of them mere children - slave labor. These children, like our own, deserve a better life. They deserve to be in school and playing happily, not toiling day after day to supply us with a treat. And many companies have pledged to buy only FAIR TRADE cocoa, which frees these children, and gives the cocoa farmers a fair price, raising their families' standard of living. Hershey refuses to do this.

In the United States we have a shameful history of slavery. But, thank God, our slaves were freed some time ago, and we like to speak proudly of that. Every time we indulge ourselves by buying from Hershey or any other company refusing the Fair Trade label, we deny the right to be proud.

As much as I love my chocolate, I will not buy it unless I see the Fair Trade logo. It's a very small gesture, but it seems to me the least I can do.

http://www.antislavery.org/english/

Feeling Nostalgic

2010-05-16T07:45:00.001-04:00

Guess it's because I just sent some old family pictures to my cousin. I started looking at still others and thinking about my family. They are all gone now. I am the last of the older generation.

I was very much the youngest. My sister, Margaretta, was fourteen years older than I. My brother, Bill, was eleven years older. So when these earliest pictures were taken, I hadn't even been thought of. Weren't they adorable?

Even in the sad looking swimwear of the era, they were cute. This was taken in the surf at Ocean City, NJ.

As they grew up, this was taken in front of the house where I was born - considerably later.

This is my sister and me in the sandbox. She must have been about sixteen.
She looks so much older.

Gee. I was kind of cute too in 1936

In 1939 they were still pretty smart looking.

And a year or so later, World War II had begun. Bill was in the Signal Corps. He was in the Battle of the Buldge. He was Army. His two best friends were, one in the Navy and one in the Marines at Iwo Jima.

I graduated high school in 1950. And just the other day, the mail brought me a notice of our sixtieth class reunion. Can you believe - sixty years!?

I can't.

OK. Enough of this. Back to the future.

Shadow Shot Sunday

2010-05-15T07:00:00.002-04:00

Tracy hosts Shadow Shot Sunday for us each week. Why not visit her blog to discover what fun shadows we have found? Why not go shadow searching yourself?

This week I had a doctor's visit, and as I left his office I stopped to take a few shadow shots.
First I looked toward the rear of the property.

Then down the ramp.

'
I enjoyed these lovely shadows very much.

Thinking Green

2010-05-14T17:17:00.005-04:00

Michelle has decided to have a weekly Thinking Green post, to be published at any time during the week.

Just a brief one. I was watching TV today and saw a short piece on the fact that the State of Delaware is having a day when everyone can bring all of their old, unwanted prescription medications to designated sites to be disposed of. I think this is a really super idea.

Dumping old medications into toilet or trash is really dangerous. It can contaminate our water supply. I'm pretty sure most of us at one time or another has been guilty of doing this, without thinking. Of course they can be taken to hospitals or some drug stores for disposal, but that just isn't done that often.

Wouldn't it be a great idea if all states, or municipalities would have such a day to clean out our medicine chests? They could do it once a month, or at least every so often, and our drinking water would be a lot safer. And we wouldn't be tempted to use old, out-dated meds from time to time.
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Lily has asked in her comment how we can dispose of meds safely ourselves.

We are told that we can mix them into kitty litter or coffee grounds, and put them into a sealed container in the trash. Personally, I don't understand how even that makes them safe, but that is what the experts tell us. I do not know how they are treated by the authorities after we return them to drug stores, etc. I'll have to investigate that.

The Age of Electronics and Me

2010-05-13T05:53:00.003-04:00

Maybe I just don't belong in the year 2010. Maybe I should have been born a generation or two earlier. Weird things happen to me involving these new fangled inventions.

I did so much better without things like cell phone cameras, computers and television. I really enjoyed the old Brownie box camera, and French phones with a party line and a friendly operator. The pencil and fountain pen were easy to control. And gathering around the old Atwater-Kent in the evening brought the family together, and Little Orphan Annie and The Lone Ranger didn't encourage children to experiment with sex or drugs, but to get out of doors and play hide-and-seek or to go climb a tree.

Now that we are more or less enslaved by electronics, I keep running into strange things that confuse me. The latest of these happened yesterday.

There I was, happily using my computer to search for more information about my great-grandmother, when a little box popped up in the corner of the screen. It informed me that my daughter in California was calling me on Skype. I abandoned my great-grandmother, and clicked on the Skype button. Immediately I was thrown into confusion. I had never used Skype before. When Mike installed it for me a couple of weeks ago, he had called me from my old computer to my new one across the room to be sure it was working. That was the extent of my experience with this. When I answered the call yesterday, there was no green button that said "Answer". There were only two green buttons: one saying "Call" and the other "Video Call". I tried one, then the other. Neither helped me. Finally I heard Kitty's voice. I did not see her picture, but my own appeared in miniature. We had a rather strange, disjointed conversation at first, because as it happened, she was in a public library in California when her laptop rang and a box had popped up telling her that I was calling her. She walked outside to talk to me. Neither of us had made this call. She did not have her clip-on camera with her. When we had talked previously about calling one another we had said it would be pre-arranged, so that my grandson would be present too. That was the whole idea.

So, how did all this happen? We may never know.

I do know that I have had several emails from Skype, encouraging me to "Make a Call - It's Free". Maybe they got tired of waiting for me and put one through for me. At first I wondered if I had hit the button accidentally. But then wouldn't I have had to select another button to reach the person I wanted to talk to?

That old fashioned French phone and the friendly Long Distance Operator are lookin' pretty good to me right now.

Waiting Rooms

2010-05-11T16:43:00.003-04:00

There are many kinds of waiting rooms. Some are filled with anticipation and excitement. Some are sad and lonely rooms filled with our greatest fears and anxiety.

Those I spend most of my time in these days are just doctors' waiting rooms where I am waiting to make a scheduled visit every few months. So many of them! This kind of wait can be boring, or can be fun. I never know who will be there ahead of me or how long a time I will be there. I really enjoy some of them. Great conversations sometimes with strangers.

One I visited this week was empty when I got there. I didn't have to wait very long. There was a brief chat with the woman behind the window. She's a very pleasant person to chat with. And I always get a kick out of the childish pictures tacked to the door. I asked the doctor about them long ago. It seems that one of his daughters had decided to add to the decor one day. Obviously, she was quite small at the time. She is now attending college, but he said that so many people seemed to enjoy them, he just never took them down. I like that. There is also a series of colored paper leaves on the window, probably from the same source. I like the doctor too. He also is very pleasant to chat with, and very conversational, unlike some others who almost make me feel that I am imposing just by being there.

I also enjoy my visits to my family doctor. She and her nurse and receptionist are all such nice people. I look forward to those visits.

I do remember one waiting room where the staff was almost ready to throw us out. It was in the hospital where I was to have cancer surgery. They weren't really ready for me when we got there, so we had a little wait. It was fairly small for a waiting room, and we were the only ones there - all of my children and myself. It may have been started by tension and worry on their part I suppose - but before long we were all kidding around and laughing. A nurse came in to find out what all the noise and merriment was about. She looked rather incredulous. That was a really nice hospital stay too. And I HATE hospitals. But there were no beds on the floor where I should have been, so they put me into a private room on Pediatrics. At Shore Memorial, the hallways on the Pediatrics floor are painted like the boardwalk - with all the colorful shops along one side, and the beach and ocean on the other. Each room has a bright, cheerful decorative theme and the nurses' station has a huge tropical fish aquarium. Of course, the nurses on that floor are exceptionally kind and cheerful. It was great!

My wish for all of you would be that, if you ever find you must be hospitalized, you find just such a pleasant place for it.

Guess I'll Be Bothering SOL Some More

2010-05-10T16:23:00.005-04:00

Very, VERY slowly, I am getting used to the new computer. I'm waiting until I am more proficient just typing on it before I bother son-in-law with too many questions. (I hit double letters about six times in that first sentence alone. Keyboard is so much larger than I'm used to.)

But now I've moved the printer over by the chair, so I can use them together. I had to send an SOS to SOL right away. I also asked oldest daughter, who seems to be really up on such things, but so far she hasn't been able to help either. Yes, I have cleared everything and set my printer as default, and all that good stuff. But it still spits out blank paper. I went to "trouble shooting" too. That explanation is long and complicated, and way beyond my limits of understanding.

It seems that Windows 7 is very different than any earlier version. I have yet to be able to print a photo, or even a letter. I know there must be an easy way to do it, but it has evaded me so far. SOL told me we could share a Skype call, so he could see what I was doing, and give me help that way, so I'm sure that sooner or later all will be well.
.....................................

OK. It seems he neglected to tell me, I can't install my printer with just the instructions in the computer. I need to do it differently for Windows 7. I should have guessed. Only I can't understand their instructions either.

Happy Mothers' Day

2010-05-09T05:00:00.002-04:00

I think it is only fitting that my thousandth post should fall on Mothers' Day. A mother is who I am, what I'm all about, all I ever wanted to be. Oh yes, as a child I thought for a while that I wanted to be a nurse. For a time I even aspired to being a deep sea diver. Or a pilot or a dancer, or a few other things that children dream of. But I always knew I wanted to be a mother. And I thank God that I am mother to four pretty wonderful children, and grandmother of three.

My own mother was, of course, very dear to me. She managed to raise me alone, for most of my life, despite total deafness, almost no formal education, and very little money. She surrounded me with love, and I grew up almost unaware of most of the difficulties she must have
experienced.

Thanks, Mom.

Accident?

2010-05-06T08:25:00.003-04:00

Click to enlarge

Hummer

2010-05-06T06:00:00.002-04:00

I am so happy that my little point and shoot camera has a five times zoom. I can sit in my recliner and watch the hummingbird feeder outside of the front door, across the room, and still take this picture. Not that it's really sharp and wonderful, but it's so much better than I could have managed with my old camera. Guess it doesn't take much to make me happy.

I've always wanted a Nikon. Even though it's only a little Coolpix, it's SO much better!

This little lady seems to have decided that this feeder is all hers.
I don't think she is the same one who claimed it last year. I have also had visits from a male, but not while she is around. I have another feeder at the foot of the steps, but it is out of sight from my chair, where I spend a lot of time.

Thinking Green

2010-05-05T14:00:00.001-04:00

Yes, I am still trying to think green, and my "green" is still the blue of the ocean.

The horrendous oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico has brought disaster to the residents - human and otherwise - of the area. It has destroyed the economy, taken away the livelihood of so many families, and caused dreadful suffering and death of wildlife as well as humans. Dr. Barbara Block, research scientist with the Tuna Research and Conservation Center, has pointed out that the Gulf is America's greatest fisheries nursery. The bluefin tuna was already in serious trouble before the spill.

The particular spot where the spill occurred is also the nesting area for endangered sea turtles.

Our President recently encouraged further development of off-shore drilling for oil. I believe this was a serious mistake on his part. I now believe the terrible "accident", if you care to call it that, is proof of this mistake. I urge everyone to make him aware of this in no uncertain terms. There are other sources of energy. And there is such a thing as restraint of indulgence and greed and gratification of our every desire regardless of consequences.

The photos are from the Monterey Bay Aquarium blog, Sea Notes.

Cinco de Mayo

2010-05-05T06:05:00.000-04:00

To my Latino friends - Enjoy your celebration!

For the youngsters - visit your local library - or visit www.apple4theteacher.com, where you will find lots of books such as this one full of poems in English and Spanish.

Summer Has Definitely Arrived

2010-05-03T16:36:00.006-04:00

Oh yes. It is here. And with it the humidity I could really do without. But I'm not planning anything very ambitious. I expect I will be spending most of this summer of 2010 indoors, like it or not.

All three of my larger azalea bushes have decided to catch up to one another. There for a while it looked like the white one might be finished blooming before the pink started. Then one pink was way ahead of the other. But this morning I looked down from my top step to see this.

And other good news is this. I don't expect that I will be exploring the whole garden at one time this year. And I will definitely have to do any exploring at all on days with very low humidity. But I always feel better once I have seen this sign go up.

Then there's the bad news. I understand from a friend (I do not do Face Book) that the "Social Network" now has a problem with a hate group, spewing their nonsense and actually praying for the death of the President. I was happy to hear from my friend that my oldest daughter had a few things to say about this, and signed a petition on Face Book itself to abolish this from the site. (I knew we must have done something right in raising those kids. They all turned out pretty good.)

Well, I think I will close for today and go put on the a/c and find something cool to eat for supper. Today may even call for ice cream for dessert.

Shadow Shot Sunday

2010-05-01T07:00:00.003-04:00

.
Shadow Shot Sunday is a fun meme, hosted by Tracy from Australia.

Since April 30 was Arbor Day, tree shadows seem to be the order of the day. These are from a drive by the lake in Cape May Point.

And then there's this. First of the season. Not a terrific picture, but nice and shadowy.

Today Is Save the Frogs Day

2010-04-30T13:16:00.005-04:00

And you can go to savethefrogs.com to learn all about it.

Or you can go to Michelle's blog. She has a wonderfully comprehensive post today. I hope she doesn't mind if I quote just a little of her post. I don't think she will, because it is an important topic to her and I think she'd like to spread the word. I've been trying to comment on her post and ask permission, but Blogger won't let me do that just now.

''Why We Need Frogs
Stopping the current wave of frog extinctions is important for several reasons:

Frogs eat mosquitoes, ticks and flies that carry vector-borne diseases such as malaria, West Nile virus, dengue fever, lyme disease and leishmaniasis.

Tadpoles eat algae and therefore act as a natural filtration system that keeps our drinking water clean.

Frogs serve as food to a diverse array of predators including birds, reptiles, fish, dragonflies and monkeys, and the loss of frogs from the ecosystem would therefore negatively affect these species as well.

Due to their permeable skin that absorbs chemicals and pollutants, frogs are accurate bioindicators, providing us with an early-response system that can tell us when something is wrong in the environment.

Frogs are important in human medicine: 10% of the Nobel Prizes in Physiology and Medicine have come from research that depended on frogs. When a frog species disappears, so does any chance of that species improving human well-being.''

I wrote a post on frogs the other day, but she says it so much better. As you can see from the above, frogs are really very important to us all. Please do what you can.

Long Over-Due Visit - Funny Book - Cartoon

2010-04-29T17:11:00.013-04:00

On Wednesday I woke up rather late to a really beautiful sunny day and feeling pretty darned good. Both of these things have been scarce lately. So I decided it might be a good day to try to visit my friend, Wyetta. It has been months since I have been to see her. For one reason or another it has just been impossible. I write letters and send pictures, but have not made the hour's drive up to see her in the convalescent home.

The drive went very smoothly. When I got there, lo and behold, there was a handicap space waiting for me near the door. "Hugo" was not in the car because I had not been able to wrestle it in before I left, but I did pretty well with just the cane. Only had to stop once to rest on the way down the long hallway to her room. She was happy to see me, and we had a nice, long chat. I have really missed that. I had taken her a basket of fruit that I made up in the pretty basket the Easter Bunny had brought me. She always complains about the food, and she does love fresh fruit.

I think we both enjoyed the time we spent together. I know I feel better for it. A good day!
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In the afternoon, after a nap, I read some more of a book Rita loaned to me. Highly recommend this one! Just a funny, easy read, easy to pick up and put down. Mo Willems is probably better known for his children's books. Also a six times Emmy winner for his work on Sesame Street.

Mo is also a talented cartoonist. A few years ago he traveled around the world. At the end of each day he drew a cartoon of something he remembered from that day. Funny, funny cartoons. The foreword to the book was written by Dave Barry - which was enough to get me hooked in itself. In discussing travel to foreign lands, Dave says, "...you of course want to see the famous sights, but in the end what you remember best...is what you did not already know you would find there." So true. And that is exactly what Mo shows us. Look for this book in your library. I think you will enjoy it. You Can Never Find a Rickshaw When It Monsoons - The World on One Cartoon a Day.
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And speaking of cartoons - I've been checking out the Savage Chickens again.

This one amused me.

Our Friend, the Frog

2010-04-29T05:00:00.000-04:00

Michelle, at Rambling Woods, has asked us to consider the frog in our posts, since April 30 is Save the Frogs Day.

I have always had a love of frogs and toads. I'm not sure why, but I have always thought them to be such sweet, harmless little creatures. At the last home that I owned, there were always many tiny toads in the yard. At my present home, I occasionally find one of the larger varieties. When I would walk along the nature trail through the wetlands up at Cape May Point, where the phragmitis grew very tall and thick along both sides of the trail, I loved to hear the hundreds of peepers singing in the spring. Michelle has quoted Adrian Forsyth as describing this as "...a song of poetry and emotion." I could not hope to describe it better. And whenever I visited Leaming's Run Gardens, I would search out the big old bullfrogs in and near the reflecting pool.

But our friends, the frogs and toads, as well as many other amphibian friends, are in trouble these days. They may not be with us very much longer.

Scientists are telling us that ALL frogs and toads may disappear from the earth unless action is taken very quickly. During the past ten years, 170 different species have already been wiped out completely. I find it staggering to think there ever were that many different species, let alone that many gone forever. There are several thousand more still with us, but not for long if present conditions continue. They are being lost because of pollution, global warming, and loss of habitat due to expanding agriculture and other development. They are also disappearing because of a terrible problem called chytrid fungus, which has been killing them through dehydration for many years now. A plan has been developed called the Amphibian Ark, which is asking all zoos, aquariums, and botanical gardens to accept 500 of one species each, to clean them and nurture them for as long as it may take to develop a means of controlling this fungus, and then releasing them into the world once again.

Why do we care? We care very much about our friends, the frogs, because they have a very important place in nature. They are, of course, part of the food chain. Other animals depend on them. They are also important to humans, helping to control mosquitoes. And most importantly, they provide extremely vital help in developing life saving medicines - even for the treatment of Aids.

If you are willing and able, you might want to contribute financially. You can donate through the Planet Ark, which is located in Australia. www.planetark.org/donate/

Hummingbird!

2010-04-28T07:44:00.004-04:00

First hummer sighting of the year! 7:35 this morning, as I opened my front door for the day, a pretty little male was flitting around the hanging basket of flowers at the foot of my steps. He did not investigate the feeder. I probably scared him off by opening the door.

Lisa had told me last night she had seen a pair. They're here! I'm so excited!!!

Not my picture of course, as you see by the markings, but I will
be trying for pictures soon. As always, click on photo to enlarge.

More Voices

2010-04-27T05:00:00.000-04:00

Those of you who have been reading my posts as far back as June of 2008 may recall that I talked about "Voices in the Attic". I still hear them. They are never distinct enough to determine what is being said. They are just faint and far away, and with the cadence of radio talk. I'm sure that is what they are - a signal being picked up somehow - perhaps by the satellite dishes on my roof.

At that time I was surprised at how many other people commented on similar experiences. And I've taken a lot of ribbing about these voices that I hear.

At some point during my family's recent visit, the subject came up again, and my daughter said, "Maybe that's what Isaac meant yesterday." It seems the five year old had asked who Grandmom was talking to - only Grandmom wasn't there. SEE! I'm not the only one who hears them! I'm not really crazy! - Or maybe it just runs in the family.

Poetry Month

2010-04-26T06:00:00.001-04:00

As we enter the final week of Poetry Month, here is my feeling, as expressed by someone at one of my daughter's poetry events recently:

Birds and Flowers

2010-04-24T16:57:00.004-04:00

Hope you have visited the red tailed hawks on the sidebar. I missed a few days, and when I got back to them there were three chicks in the nest instead of three eggs. The cute little things seems to be very healthy and active.

I don't seem to have found the right plug in yet on the new computer for the eagles. I'm sure I'll come up with that soon.

I did some planting on Saturday. Wore myself out. Rita does most of the work, and I'm the one who gets tired. We were pleased to see many cosmos reappearing from last year. We are getting rain again, so I won't have to water right away. My snow peas are sprouting very nicely too.

Still no hummers at the feeder. I must get a hanging basket of flowers to further entice them,

Shadow Shot Sunday

2010-04-24T06:00:00.000-04:00

On Shadow Shot Sunday, Tracy is our host. Please visit her and enjoy many wonderful shadows.

When my grandson came to visit, we took him down the Nature Trail at Cape May Point. I found lots of lovely shadows along the trail.

Earth Day 2010

2010-04-22T06:56:00.007-04:00

EARTH DAY - EVERY DAY

The photo of Sunrise Earth from Space is from NASA.

Catching Up

2010-04-21T06:00:00.005-04:00

I have lots of catching up to do. Because my family's vacation plans were side-tracked due to the volcanic ash situation over Europe, they arrived here unexpectedly. I haven't been able to do more than a quick look at blogs and even emails for a little while. Their flight was re-scheduled for yesterday, but again cancelled, so they headed up to Massachusetts for a couple of days, and then they will return to California. Very disappointing for them but I am so glad they were not in the air nor on the other side of the ocean when it happened. We do have friends who are now in Paris who were supposed to return soon. Who knows when they will make it.

On top of that, I have a brand new computer, for which I am very thankful. But it's a notebook type - nice big screen, but a very different keyboard. That's throwing me off balance. It has a touch pad as well, which I don't think I would ever get use to. Yesterday I got a wireless mouse, and am finding it so very much easier. Still, there are many things very different than I am familiar with. You know the old saying about old dogs and new tricks. It is so true!

While my son-in-law was here he taught me what he could, but there was so little time and so many distractions. So I am stumbling along as best I can. Photos are my first love, and I haven't managed to conquer that one yet. Many of our photos from the past few days have been uploaded only to this new computer. If they were on the old one I'd have no trouble. But then, I wouldn't be learning much either, would I? I can show you this one that my daughter took. We took Isaac to the Alpaca Farm.

I do love these creatures.

And we went up to the Point, which included a visit to the museum there.

Again, one of Kitty's pictures.

Isaac took this one, on the nature trail. I think he did a really great job.

I do have one of my own that I'm kind of proud of even though it isn't of family or our activities in the past week. I took it in my garden. I got lucky with this one.

Speaking of natural disasters, take a look at Kitty's current post. Pretty funny, and tells a lot about Mike.

Thinking Green Thursday (A little early)

2010-04-20T19:18:00.009-04:00

Thinking Green is hosted by our friend Michelle.

Let's make it EARTH DAY every day.

And our earth is largely made up of water. And that water is full of wildlife. FISH

Once again, my topic involves Monterey Bay Aquarium's blog, Sea Notes. In today's blog post, Julie Packard reminds us to vote with our dollars, when we purchase sea food. Try to be sure that what we buy is seafood caught or farmed in sustainable ways. It may be difficult to remember, considering the vastness of the oceans, that fish exist in limited numbers. There is not an endless supply. And there is much overfishing and habitat damage and poor management. This causes a threat to the world's food supply, to marine economies, and even to recreation.
Thankfully, the two largest food services in North America, ARAMARK and Compass Group, have long been working with Monterey Bay Aquarium toward sustainable sources. But there are many others who ignore environmental needs. We must try to be aware, and make our purchases accordingly.

Family Visit

2010-04-18T16:59:00.018-04:00

Is it all the kids of this generation, or is my grandson truly as amazing as he seems to me? Five years old. His vocabulary astounds me. His imagination soars. He talks on and on, making up stories, songs, games. Sometimes, when I start to explain something to him, when it seems to me that a five year old would require such explanation, he gives me that quizzical look of his, and sometimes says something like, "Or why not......" some other logical way to accomplish whatever it is. He does things like handling his mother's camera like a pro. And I'm sure he knows more about computers than I do. (Not that I know much.)

He is a ball of energy of course. That is common to most five year olds. His curiosity is endless. He seems to me to be wise beyond his years, almost always polite and compassionate and capable of quick, sensible decisions. When he meets a situation unfamiliar to him, he turns to his parents and asks quite clearly what he needs to know.

Those parents have much to do with it if course, along with the Montessori pre-school he's been attending for some time, where they teach their little charges self-sufficiency and responsibility, among other things.
I was very impressed on Saturday when we visited the local Alpaca Farm. The animals are usually a little shy and standoffish, but not with Isaac. They seemed as interested in him as he was in them, and accepted his offerings of grass through the fence. He was delighted by this.
This one leaned down to get a good look at him.

Of course, there is the occasional melt-down, as with any child. But Isaac is almost always a very happy little boy and a pleasure to have around

I'm very proud of my daughter, as I am of all of our children. I'm sure Ralph would be very pleased with them too. After all, he had a whole lot to do with raising them. Our other grandchildren were pretty wonderful too, but in the present world of technology and new things happening every day, this one of our youngest daughter's surprises me all the time.

Shadow Shot Sunday

2010-04-17T20:17:00.004-04:00

Why not join us at Shadow Shot Sunday, with Tracy as our host?

We did have sunshine most of this week. I didn't have a whole lot of time to look for shadows, but here are a couple I found right at home.

Enjoy your Sunday!

Visitors

2010-04-15T20:50:00.004-04:00

You'll have to excuse me for a few days.

Because of the volcanic ash from Iceland, European flights have been cancelled, so my daughter and family aren't heading out for a little while. They made it from San Francisco to Philly. But tonight instead of flying to Ireland, they are driving down here to see me for five days!

No doubt there will be stories and pictures after that. I intend to enjoy myself very much.

Death of a President

2010-04-14T04:08:00.002-04:00

The tragic death of the Polish President and so many others this week has started me thinking about the past. Today we learn of such events almost as they occur. It was not always so.

When I was a girl, no one I knew had television. Well, yes, there was one girl in my high school class whose family had TV when we were seniors. Once in a great while we would all go over to her house to watch something. But for the most part, it was radio, or movies on the weekend.

I was remembering the day that Franklin Delano Roosevelt died. It must have been a Saturday, or a vacation day. I'm not clear on that. But I know that I was wearing blue jeans and a man's shirt with the sleeves rolled up and tails tied in a knot in front. That could not have been school attire in those days. I had been listening to music on my old 78's all morning. Didn't have the radio on.

Around noon I decided I wanted an Italian hoagie for lunch, and walked down to the hoagie shop. No other customers were there, but the little old Italian lady who owned the shop had a line of sandwiches in front of her on the counter, building them as she stood there, crying - more like wailing. I asked what was wrong of course. Between sobs, she told me, "He's-a gone-a! He's-a gone-a!" I asked who was gone, and she told me, almost screaming it, "F-a - D-a - R-a!"

And that is how I learned of the death of the man who had been President of the United States for my entire life. He was elected the year I was born, and was still President when I turned sixteen.

I remember many other deaths of famous and infamous. We can all tell where we were and what we were doing on such days. But that is the one that will always stand out in my mind.

Elephant Seal

2010-04-13T06:47:00.003-04:00

We'll try this one again. I had posted this earlier, when I received it from my cousin. Then it suddenly turned into an entirely different video. He has now found it again and re-sent it. I hope this time it remains what it was meant to be, because I think you'll enjoy it.

Take a look at How To Cuddle With an Elephant Seal. (I think the penguins are pretty cute too.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=obYweW86iPU

.

Legos

2010-04-13T06:15:00.008-04:00

You may remember, I gave my grandson Legos for his fifth birthday. My daughter has posted some pictures of him with the Legos, and of course, I have to show you a few.

He's been busy out of doors too. Recently, they went on their first camping weekend of the year. It's one of their favorite things to do.

They also visited Pacific Grove. The purple ice plant that lines Monterey Bay isn't in full bloom quite yet.

Hummingbirds on PBS

2010-04-11T09:26:00.002-04:00

The cooler weather here has allowed me to get back on line more. My computer is behaving pretty well for now.

If you have not seen this video on PBS, I think you will enjoy watching it. It does take five or six minutes to view. A friend in Hawaii sent it to me today.

Poetry Month

2010-04-10T08:47:00.002-04:00

In honor of Poetry Month, I refer you to my daughter's current post, and to her recommendation of a site called Split This Rock Poetry Festival.

Once again, I am not staying on line too long these days because my computer is overheating. Although, since our weather has cooled, it isn't quite so bad. It still cuts out on me within a very short time. Sorry I can't visit too many of your posts.

Shadow Shot Sunday

2010-04-10T07:00:00.000-04:00

Shadow Shot Sunday once again, hosted by Tracy. Won't you join us?

Apple blossoms.

Aren't they beautiful? I just love this new camera!

And crocuses in full bloom at last.

Too Darned Hot

2010-04-07T20:03:00.003-04:00

Not only have we had temperatures outside of about 90 for two days, my computer is also overheating, and the alarm sounding off.

Needless to say, I won't be spending much time on it for a little while. Sorry about that.

Thinking Green Thursday

2010-04-07T09:55:00.008-04:00

Michelle has been our host for Thinking Green Thursday. When I read her post today I wanted to cheer, because she is championing a favorite topic of mine, and wanted to cry because it is such a sad topic.
I'm sure you have seen this logo on my sidebar in the past, and in several of my posts.

The story doesn't change. It only grows worse with every passing day. The owner of a mine, Massey Energy, once again found itself in the headlines this past week, when twenty-five miners died. Conditions for the miners are dreadful. Beyond that, conditions created by mining practices, particularly the practice of simply blowing off the tops of mountains, are so outrageously WRONG, I can't begin to express my feelings .

I quote from the site of ilovemountains.org:

"Mountaintop removal is a radical form of coal mining where entire mountains are literally blown up -- devastating communities throughout Appalachia, polluting drinking water and destroying rivers. And the worst part is, you're paying for it.

If your home or business is on the electric grid, chances are you are connected to mountaintop removal in the Appalachian Mountains. Find out how -- and then find out what you can do about it."

I urge you to go to this site and read the details for yourself. Learn how YOU may have a direct connection to mountaintop removal.

I also urge you to go to Michelle's post. It is full of excellent information.

The Hummers Are Coming!

2010-04-06T13:27:00.008-04:00

Lisa called to tell me it's time to hang up the hummingbird feeders. She's right. I checked the Migration Map, and they've been sighted in NJ, NY, PA, and even farther north.
I made up some nectar this morning and got a couple of feeders out there. Come on, guys! It's time! I'm anxious to see you back again! The feeders are here waiting for you. Not a whole lot of flowers ready for you yet, but the feeders are waiting. And the blossoms will be following soon.

I tried to get my taxes done this morning too. Gave up. It's just too hard when you have to use a magnifying glass for every line. I made an appointment with the Office of Aging. Nothing like cutting it down to the last minute, is there?

Today the temperature is supposed to go waaaay up! Before Thursday, that is, when it's supposed to come way back down again, with rain. Oh well. We'll enjoy it while it's here. All the more reason to hang the feeders. If it's going to get cold again, the hummers will need their nectar.

And have you seen how BIG the eaglets are now!

The hawk can probably be seen best in the afternoon, when the sun gets around to that side of the building.

Colors of Spring

2010-04-05T06:00:00.000-04:00

Aren't Nature's colors amazing! I am particularly happy with the many colors of the cherry blossoms.

This is the delicate coloring of a tree in West Cape May.

And this is a tree in the National Cemetery.

There are so many other shades as well. And of course this is true of most of the other spring flowers. How many shades of daffodils! From white to deepest yellow. Most of these are pictures from the American Daffodil Society. (The minis are mine.)

And the same is true of the forsythia. And the blues and purples and greens! Even white comes in different shades, which seems almost impossible, but it is true.

The colors sing to me.

HAPPY EASTER

2010-04-04T05:00:00.004-04:00

A very happy Easter to all

who celebrate this day!

Shadow Shot Sunday

2010-04-03T09:00:00.001-04:00

On Shadow Shot Sundays, Tracy hosts the meme for us. Check out the fun shadows everyone has found.

A lot of people seemed to enjoy my pictures of some of the Victorian houses in Cape May last week. It was a little cloudy then, but the sun came out during the week, and I decided to do some more of them.
One of my favorite places in Cape May is the Chalfonte Hotel.

The architecture is varied. I thought this one was unusual.

Many of the houses sit very high to avoid flooding during storms.

I like this one a lot.

and finally, there is this one.

HAPPY EASTER to all who celebrate it!

Happy Birthday, Lisa

2010-04-02T05:00:00.003-04:00

LISA

Hope you have a wonderful day and a nice long weekend.

I know carnations are your favorites, so here are a few.

A Busy Month

2010-04-01T23:43:00.006-04:00

Today begins Poetry Month. Always a favorite of mine.

It is also, as most of us are aware, the month of Passover, and of Easter.

But it also begins National Autism Awareness Month. Autism is a much misunderstood and often feared thing, experienced by many thousands of people. This should be a good time for us to read and talk and learn more about something that effects so many wonderful people among us. - Our friend, Linda, has a post today in which she refers to it as "Autism Acceptance Month" I like that so much better.

APRIL

2010-04-01T07:35:00.002-04:00

The "April Puzzle" is not necessarily so easy as it looks. Try it, but change the cut and the number of pieces. I suggest the 87 piece "Crazy" cut.

Hot Pink Flamingos

2010-03-31T12:20:00.003-04:00

Reading the information offered by the Monterey Bay Aquarium is always interesting and informative, and sometimes very sad. Today I read about Hot Pink Flamingos, the Changing Seas. More about the devastating effects of climate change.

It tells us about the Shishmarel community, native Alaskans, tribes of the Bering Strait, who voted to leave their ancestral island because it was literally dissolving beneath them.

It tells about the Carteret Islanders, who must do the same thing. They are the first climate refugees, but as the article states, they will not be the last. Can you imagine realizing that you have to pack up your things and leave the place where you were born, and your father and his father before you, and go in search of someplace safe to live? Here is a very short little video about these people.

Sun Come Up from Jennifer Redfearn on Vimeo.

Hot Pink Flamingos does list some practical things we can do to make a difference. Nothing new, really. Things we have all heard before, but most of us do not think about often.

Old Comments

2010-03-30T18:45:00.002-04:00

Here's one that's new to me.

Just now I went to my dashboard to see if there were any comments to be moderated. There were three. The odd thing is that all of them were on Sky Watch posts. I haven't done the Sky Watch meme for a while now. One of them was for Sky Watch #57 and told me "what a difference a few hours can make". The other two were for #74 and both told me about the wonderful colors in the photos. Well - thank you Sally, Daryl and Dianne, but I have no idea what dates those comments addressed, or why they are showing up now.

I didn't usually number my Sky Watch posts, so have no idea when they were done. I tried going to the Sky Watch site itself to find out what the current number might be. But the site came up on my computer as a jumbled mess. And there was no number for the current post.

Is this a problem with Sky Watch, with Blogger, or just some kind of fluke?
............................

How annoying. I can't get rid of them. I've tried checking "publish" and "reject" both, and Blogger tells me that no comment was selected.

Happy Doctors' Day

2010-03-30T13:27:00.009-04:00

Well, at least that's what the sign said in my doctor's office today.

Had to go up the Parkway in teeming rain. But it did let up on the way back. The Almighty doesn't seem to think we've had enough rain yet I guess. We are still trying to pump away the floods from last time, but yesterday and today we got more. Along the Parkway, we usually see the wetlands with all kinds of little trickling streams making pretty patterns.
Today it looked like this.

Breakwater Road was blocked off yesterday, but is passable today, but this is how Tabernacle Road looked today.

I don't think this homeowner will be able to get in or out of his driveway.

And this is just a small part of Mr. Wuerker's vineyard. You should see the rest of it!

Oh, but from sunny California, my daughter sent me these. She says he looks as if he just needs a tin cup beside him. No, he doesn't really play yet. That's his dad's guitar. But he says he might want to start a band.

But whatever the weather, the forsythia abounds, so it can't be all bad.

Dear Old Cape May

2010-03-29T07:00:00.002-04:00

Yesterday the sun did shine. It was breezy, but not too bad. Rita and I decided to take a ride down to Cape May City.

First, we saw flying fish above the beach.

Next thing we knew - Here come the Coasties!

You know, there is a big Coast Guard base here. When the Coasties are out in force, traffic stops and everyone watches them. And silly people
like me take pictures.

.

All the Bed and Breakfasts and hotels are getting spruced up for spring.

Don't think I'd be too happy living so close to my neighbors. Sometimes it seems like inches away. But their many colors are very cheerful.

They come in all shapes and sizes.

A lot sit high because of the flooding during bad storms. Others just seem to take their chances.

Some of these are actually private homes, but most are B & B's.

And of course, we rode on up to the Point. Here is what they call "a cottage" at the Point.

........................................................

Chapter 2 of our Story:
Then we ended at Lily Lake. Found a very interesting sight there. First we saw a lovely swan.

Then we realized, the swan was chasing a goose. I have no idea what their problem was, but they seem to have had one.

That swan stayed right on the goose's tail. Started at the opposite side of the lake from us. Came across quickly, and the goose came up on the grass.

The swan never left the water, but the goose marched along the edge, and the swan followed closely, back and forth many times.

The swan sometimes looked as if it would come up on land, ruffling its feathers, but never did.

Eventually the goose entered the water again, and the chase was on, back to the other shore.

Never did find out why this was going on.

But we enjoyed our afternoon.

Ralph

2010-03-28T12:48:00.001-04:00

Sunday, March 28, 2010

Today would have been my husband's 87th birthday. See - we're doing it again - reversing numbers. He 87. I am 78. He was born in 23, I in 32. We were married in 57. He died in 75. Strange, how these coincidences occur.

But this is my favorite picture of him. I just love it. He was growing up in Hempstead, NY. wasn't he the cutest darned kid you ever saw?

Happy Birthday, Darling. I miss you.

Labels: Ralph's Birthday

Just This and That

2010-03-28T07:30:00.001-04:00

I am enjoying learning and experimenting with my new little Nikon, when it isn't raining. There is an unbelievable amount to learn about it. I haven't even installed the software yet, but since I am able to put the pictures into my computer without that, I haven't tried to figure it out yet.

I am anxious to learn about the macro setting. I made a first attempt at that. Not too wonderful, but I'll read more and get better at it - I hope.

..................................

All of this is distracting me from getting my tax form done. I usually have that out of the way by the end of January, but just couldn't make myself do it yet this year. Technically, I don't even have to submit a tax form, but it's needed if I want the State tax rebate, since that form is attached. From the sound of things this year, there won't even be a tax rebate if the governor has his way, so it may be a total waste of time for me anyway. This governor is slashing everywhere. I could be happy about that if it meant getting rid of wasted spending - and there is plenty of that. But he seems to be adding spending on the one hand, for those who need it least, while he is cutting funds for things like schools and libraries and the blind and other disabled.

Well, I guess I wouldn't be happy if I didn't have something to whine about. But I'm afraid this one will cause a whole lot of whining for the next four years. Might save me filling out tax forms though.
.......................................

Wouldn't you think, since I am retired and have very little to do, that I could find lots of time to read books and blogs? Granted, my eyes won't let me read for long periods of time, but still... The camera does take up a lot of time of course. I do enjoy that more than anything. But the weather often prevents me from spending a lot of time on that. And yet I seem to be reading less and less. What on earth am I so busy at? I think I am just getting to be so old that I nod off, or sit and daydream too much. Soon they will have to find me a corner with a rocking chair.
.....................................

Speaking of blogs, my friend, Singing Bear, from Wales has a question. He gives us much wonderful music on his blog, but is finding that many of the U-Tube videos are just too big to fit. How can he make them smaller? Anyone have an idea? Actually, he asked this a while ago, and may have found a solution, but I'm interested myself. Every once in a while I run into this problem. I see that many bloggers place videos on their posts and they are a very small size. How is that done?
.........................

Enough of this for today.

Shadow Shot Sunday

2010-03-27T13:00:00.001-04:00

Shadow Shot Sunday again. Tracy may or may not have Mr. Linky up, since she is busy moving house. I'll have to check a little later.

I had hoped to find interesting shadows among the old Victorian houses in Cape May City. The sun wasn't cooperating too well for me that day, but here are a couple down near the Atlantic shore.

This is the Peter Shields Inn, which is a restaurant with an ocean view.

This is the Morning Star Villa. (The Evening Star backs it, on the next street, obviously facing in the opposite direction.)

And this is one of the two building of the Angel of the Sea.

I will have to try again another day with some of the other bed and breakfasts.

Earth Hour

2010-03-27T05:00:00.002-04:00

Tonight is the night! Turn off your lights for an hour at 8:30 PM.
.

It's Purple Day

2010-03-26T06:50:00.001-04:00

It is Purple Day today. Support Epilepsy Awareness around the world.

And don't forget to check out Michele's beautiful photos of the Rocky Mountains. She is an inspiration.

Thinking Green Thursday

2010-03-25T08:00:00.007-04:00

Michelle is hosting Thinking Green Thursday for us once again.

I would like to urge everyone to participate in EARTH HOUR on Saturday, March 27th at 8:30 PM.

This site will tell you all about it, if you haven't heard. It will be celebrated all over the world. You can also learn about so many well known sites who have participated in the past, and will again this year. Even if your town or state does not participate, YOU can do it yourself. Turn out those lights and turn off your TV and computer for just one hour THIS SATURDAY at 8:30 PM to call attention to a real concern.

About Earth Hour

"On Earth Hour hundreds of millions of people around the world will come together to call for action on climate change by doing something quite simple—turning off their lights for one hour. The movement symbolizes that by working together, each of us can make a positive impact in this fight, protecting our future and that of future generations. Learn more about how Earth Hour began, what we’ve accomplished, and what is in store for 2010."

New Camera

2010-03-25T06:00:00.000-04:00

My new camera arrived on Tuesday. Didn't expect it that soon. Of course it had to rain on Tuesday.

On Wednesday I had an appointment up the road. It was beautifully sunny, so on the way home I snapped a few experimental pics just to see how it worked under various conditions and distances.

Like - the road to Ocean City.

And this - still pumping after two weeks of trying to get rid of all the water.

And - Spring Is Here!

Not bad.

I have a whole lot of reading to do to learn all of the wonderful things it can do.

Attention: New Jersey Residents

2010-03-24T10:02:00.006-04:00

Our new governor is out to save money and "rescue" us from what he considers wasteful spending. Hey! I'm all for cutting out wasteful spending myself! But just what does he consider wasteful? We've all seen the commercials on TV protesting cuts to our schools in spite of his plans to cut taxes for the wealthy. Here's another one. If he has his way, many of our libraries will be CLOSING, and all of our libraries will have services cut drastically, including those to the blind and handicapped.

Click on this URL to take action now
http://capwiz.com/ala/nj/utr/2/?a=14842591&i=91602723&c=

Please at least go to this site and read all of the details. Find out just what services are in danger of disappearing, and decide for yourself whether you are willing to see them disappear.

And please spread the word before it's too late.

Human Nature

2010-03-23T09:18:00.002-04:00

I have been reading a blog post of someone who strongly opposed the Health Care Bill. He is a very fine man, and unlike the rabble-rousing, blindly conservative people we hear from all too often, he is an intelligent, thinking person who has looked at the problems and has arrived quite sincerely at a different conclusion than the one I have reached. I am truly sad that he is devastated by the passage of the bill, knowing that I would have exactly that reaction had it not passed. His feelings today are that the majority of the American people were NOT heard and that disaster for our country will surely follow. Just what I would have felt if the situation were reversed.

Only time will tell which of us has drawn the right conclusions. Without a crystal ball, no human on earth ever knows exactly what is the right path - for country, for family, or for personal action. Each of us draws on experience, observation, the teachings of those we believe in, and as much plain common sense as we can muster, and forges ahead, praying that we are doing the right thing.

Sadly, along the way, far too many of us choose to demonize "the other guy" who disagrees with us, hurling epithets and widening the gap between "my way" and "your way".

Why is it so difficult for us to agree to disagree? No one - absolutely NO ONE - is right all of the time. Not about political or social issues. Not even about religious issues - because everyone's interpretations differ. Each one of us has to think long and seriously, and once convinced of the right thing to do, make every effort to follow that path.

My personal feelings concerning this Health Care Bill are that it falls far short of what it should be. That there will be many problems and glitches along the way. But that it was way past time to make a start to do something - almost anything - toward bringing us closer to providing for millions of suffering people in our country. We still have such a long way to go.

Purple Day

2010-03-22T06:38:00.001-04:00

This Friday, March 26th, is a day dedicated to Epilepsy Awareness.

Purple Day was founded in 2008 by a nine year old girl, Cassidy Megan, from Nova Scotia, Canada. She suffers from epilepsy, as do fifty million people around the world. She decided that she wanted the rest of us to become more aware of the problems involved with epilepsy, and that one way to do that was to ask us to wear the color purple on one day a year.
You can read about her at this site. (T-shirts are available.)

The Bill Passed !

2010-03-21T22:49:00.002-04:00

YES WE CAN !

Thank you, God.
It's far from perfect. But it has been passed at long, long last!

We've heard the opposition tell us over and over that "the people" were against it. I am "the people", as are millions of others who are now daring to hope again that our needs just may be met sometime in the near future. I think that the surveys spoken of by the opposition must have been very selective.

Shadow Shot Sunday

2010-03-21T08:23:00.003-04:00

Tracy, of Hey Harriet, our weekly host for Shadow Shot Sunday, is in the midst of moving house. But I'm sure she will catch up with us as soon as she can.

I have been away too long. Before I return my borrowed camera, maybe I can sneak in one Sunday. I hope I will have my new camera by next week.

When I wake in the morning, I always enjoy the shadows made by the Venetian blinds.

Earth Hour

2010-03-21T05:00:00.002-04:00

Saturday, March 27, 2010 - at 8:30 PM

Earth Hour will be celebrated all over the world to show that we are united in our concern regarding a need for real action on climate change. We will all turn out our lights for one hour at 8:30 PM, local time.

To learn more about this show of unity, and to learn how many major actions were taken last year, please go to this link. Some who participated are as follows:

Empire State Building
Brooklyn Bridge

Broadway Theater Marquees
Las Vegas Strip
United Nations Headquarters
Golden Gate Bridge
Seattle’s Space Needle
Church of Latter-Day Saints Temple
Gateway Arch in St. Louis
Great Pyramids of Giza
Acropolis and Parthenon in Athens
Christ the Redeemer Statue in Rio de Janeiro
St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City
Big Ben and Houses of Parliament in London
Elysee Palace and Eiffel Tower in Paris
Beijing’s Birds Nest and Water Cube
Symphony of Lights in Hong Kong
Sydney’s Opera House

Pretty impressive, isn't it? It is a big concern and we do need action, and quickly. It is difficult to understand why more has not been done.

Please participate.

Delayed Account of My Week

2010-03-20T18:00:00.001-04:00

I've been going just a little crazy the past few days because my camera stopped working. I am lost without a camera. Good thing it has been raining so steadily, so I really haven't had too much to take pictures of. But still, I see some of my crocuses are blooming - well, would be blooming if the sun ever came out. They are up. Purple and white. All those I planted last fall are still just sprouting along with the daffodils and tulips.

But there are a few things I would like to photograph in the house. My darling grandson sent me a hug. He lay down and his mom drew an outline around him on paper. Then they cut it out and colored it. His arms are reaching out to hug me. I tacked it to the wall in the hallway, and I would like to take a picture to show him where I put it.
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I started this post last week. But now - the sunshine has returned, I bought a new camera, still to be delivered, and things are looking up. Of course the first thing I will photograph will be the hug that Isaac sent me for my birthday.

The sun shone again for my birthday too. Can't get better than that! Both of my out-of-state daughters called me, and the other two kids came bearing birthday cake . Lisa, my "other daughter" came too. Here are miniature roses that she brought me. So of course it was a great day for me. The crocuses opened wide in the garden as well. And the hawk laid her second egg on my birthday. - But I only see one egg left in the hummer's nest. - There was a real close up picture of the eagles, and as the parents changed places, the three chicks were easily seen. The biggest was craning its neck over the side. So cute!
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I bought another point and shoot - but its a Nikon with a stronger zoom and more megapixels. Always wanted a Nikon. Of course, I envisioned something more fancy, but this will do just fine. I'm past the point where I can go on real photo safaris. I don't have it yet. Staples let me down and didn't send it out when promised. But I'll have it next week. Meantime, I took pictures of my crocuses because Lisa was kind enough to let me use one of her cameras. Figured they wouldn't last forever. But, I should have another crop of them by the time mine arrives anyway.

I'm so grateful for these past few days of glorious weather. They say it will be chilly again next week.
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Today we had another birthday celebration. My son turned fifty! Rita and I enjoyed a visit there, along with their daughter, SOL, and the two babies. Jimmy is a pretty precocious two year old, and Joey is an adorable five and a half months. And of course, their dog, Eli. Here he is with Rita.

Thanks for the loan of the camera, Lisa!
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By the way. I removed the hummingbird nest video from the sidebar for now. After a couple of encounters with a lizard, first one egg then the other disappeared and I believe Phoebe abandoned the nest. Hopefully she will move to a new one.