Monday, May 31, 2010

His Name Was John


Daddy's wife Amy wrote this essay about her first husband for the Literary Arts section of the local Senior Games this year – she won the gold medal for her effort & is entering it in the state Games later this summer. I know I was impressed! I decided it was appropriate for Memorial Day.


HIS NAME WAS JOHN
Army Serial # 14196510
A True Experience of an American Prisoner of War in Germany
World War II




He walked, slowly and painfully, shuffling his tired, sore feet over the dusty ground, head bowed, eyes unseeing, just moving forward, always moving. His body was emaciated, covered with dirt and vermin, his clothes in rags, and boots worn thin. He was tired, so tired. It was tempting just to lie down and sleep for a time, but he knew he would be left to die. Some of his fellow prisoners had already fallen, too weak from hunger to go on. Hadn't his best friend dropped to the ground a few days earlier? Ignoring the guards order to move on, John turned back for his friend, carrying the limp body on his own tired shoulder until the soldier could walk again. 

How long had they walked? He couldn't remember, and there was no strength to dwell on anything but survival. Having endured months of interrogation, torture, cold, hunger, and fear, he would not allow the enemy to win now. After all, he was an American soldier, trained to survive in any situation, even as a dreaded prisoner of war. His shoulders straightened slightly and he moved forward with new resolve. He would survive!

He was so hungry. He'd had nothing to eat for days. There was no food for anyone. His thoughts went back to the camp they'd left at Nuremburg, before their long walk into the German countryside. They'd had a little food then, a bit of moldy cheese, a raw turnip, and an occasional bowl of thin cabbage soup. How he hated cabbage! Once free, he vowed never to eat that vile tasting vegetable again. He took comfort from that decision.

Glancing at the guards walking beside him, he realized that they were tired and hungry too. They were old men, too old to fight in combat, but they had guns and orders to keep the prisoners ahead of the American forces at any cost; thus the hurried movement with little sleep and less food.

To help pass the time, John willed his mind to focus on earlier days in his life, before this war began. The images were vivid now. He could almost smell his mom's cooking, feel his warm bed, and see the farm with its vast corn fields, the earth warm beneath his bare feet. When he was older, he played on a semi-professional baseball team. He had a good pitching arm. There was an old car, friends, and enough money to enjoy life. The happiness he had known then surrounded him now like a warm blanket.

Was it just three years ago? What had happened? Pearl Harbor! His country had been invaded by the enemy. Soon he volunteered for service, choosing the Army Air Corps. He'd always been fascinated by planes. His mind went back to the day he left for basic training, his mother's sad, tear-filled eyes and his father's rough face filled with pride as they said goodbye. He'd promised them he would return.

For basic training, he was sent to Fort Bragg. Then came the rigorous routine – the skills needed for combat and survival, instilled with the mindset of a soldier, and then assignment to the elite crew of a B-24 heavy bomber. The crew was stationed in England, becoming part of the European Theatre of Operation. They worked as a close-knit team. Their mission – provide cover for allied ground troops and destroy enemy strongholds. As nose turret gunner, he was highly skilled and took pride in his abilities and in his B-24 bomber, which they had nicknamed "Jest for Laughs." He remembered how they would fly out over the English Channel in the early morning fog, complete their assigned mission and fly back to base under the cover of darkness, often with just enough fuel to set down safely. They were aware of the danger involved, but nothing would happen to them. They were indestructible.

Seeming to lead a charmed life, the "Jest for Laughs" and its crew had completed twenty six successful missions. Four more assignments and he would go home for a long furlough. It would be nice to be back on American soil in the safety of home and family for a change. Air raids, enemy fire, and exploding bombs were increasingly stressful.

One day, his crew received orders for their next assignment. The briefing was detailed. If the mission went as planned, it could change the course of the war. The bombers would help clear the way for allied ground assaults, a massive invasion of strategic enemy strongholds. He knew the Germans were fierce and relentless opponents, but there was no doubt that the Americans would be successful. He was confident and ready.

On Tuesday, June 20, 1944, in early morning, the crew left its base. They were all in place, John with his long frame folded into the nose turret. He could feel their strength and determination. They were a team with a single purpose. All was well.

As the crew flew low over Politz, Germany their first bomb drop, he saw anti-aircraft fire. The sky around him was filled with a deafening sound. He felt a jolt as the big plane lurched to its side, then straightened slightly. One engine on fire, the bomber started a slow descent. At that time, the pilot gave the order to bail out. John's trap door was jammed. Pushing with all his strength, his head and shoulders emerged into the cockpit. Near the hatch lay the lifeless body of his co-pilot. There was no time! He was told again to jump. The pilot would go last.

As the parachute opened, he looked below and saw German soldiers, their guns raised, following him down. He was scared, very scared. He saw his beloved "Jest for Laughs" in the distance as it exploded into flames. He knew the procedure. He would not divulge any information that would endanger even one fellow American soldier. He would only give his Army serial number. As his body hit the ground, he felt a searing pain in his leg. Looking down, he saw his pants leg soaked with blood. He had been wounded by flack.

Next came the rough treatment, interrogation in a language he could not comprehend, punishment when he could not or would not answer, threat of imminent death, torture, and lies, lies, lies. Put in isolation, with little food or sleep, he was interrogated and punished daily. He was told repeatedly that the Americans would never look for him. He was presumed dead. He did not even have a name, only a number. Later, he and a dozen other prisoners were moved to a camp at Nuremburg and assigned to one small room. As staff sergeant, he was responsible for the group. Each day was recorded by a scratch on his wall, but these days were also etched in his mind. Had it really been ten months?

One day, as he worked in the fields, John overheard a guard giving orders for the camp to move out quickly. The Americans were advancing ever closer. The war in Germany was coming to an end. German officers, however, were determined to keep the prisoners, as perhaps a bargaining tool. Very little time was needed for him to break camp. There were only the tattered filthy clothes on his back and a worn blanket which also served as his bed. He had no identification or any personal belongings. One thing he did have, however, was his determination to survive. The Germans could not take that from him.

Just the fact that they were on the move was encouraging. He liked being out of that camp. Also, after months of infection in his leg, the flack wound had finally healed. He would never forget the kind German farmer who had wrapped the open sore in plantain, a leafy wild herb. The wound had healed quickly then. Walking was easier now. His body felt stronger and he had renewed purpose to stay alive until rescue came. He looked around at the sad, pathetic men who were left from his camp. They were so young, some only eighteen. He willed them to be strong and have courage.    

A nearby noise got his attention. He turned to see that an old German guard had fallen, his rifle clattering on the ground. Without hesitation, John helped him stand again, picked up the rifle, took the man's arm and continued to walk. The other guards did not attempt to take the rifle from him. They were too tired to care.

Planes were circling overhead – American planes. The prisoners waved in anticipation. Leaflets were dropped with the message that liberation was near.

In minutes, John heard a loud rumble. He couldn't believe what he saw. Moving toward his pitiful group was a convoy of Army trucks. He was amazed as the trucks stopped in a cloud of dust. The 3rd Army had arrived. A few prisoners had been picked up from other camps and were already on board. He spotted the pilot and bombardier from his old crew. He felt his heart would explode with gratitude and relief.

American soldiers jumped from the trucks to assist the prisoners, some of whom lay on the ground, too weak to move. Others crawled, walked, or ran toward the trucks. There was much laughter and tears. John stood, stunned, as the legendary General George Patton himself stepped down from the lead truck and walked toward him. Staff Sergeant John Sides, Army Air Corps, pulled himself erect and stood at attention to salute. Eyes moist with tears, General Patton said, "At ease, soldier.

What's your name and in what camp were you detained?" John replied, "Serial # 14196510, Sir!" General Patton, grinning broadly, responded, "I'm proud of you soldier, and I should be saluting you. Thank you! Now let's go home."

John was overcome with emotion. He was safe now. It was over. He had fulfilled his duty as an American soldier. He had survived. The date was May 8, 1945. He was not yet twenty one years of age.

Sunday, May 30, 2010

Behind the Scenes at Love is On the Bus

As promised - here is the sentence I used for The Poetry Bus prompt this week:

Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.

I enjoyed playing this game - & expect I'll try it again when I've got Brain Cloud.

I've had a VERY busy weekend, but there's a special Memorial Day post scheduled to go up in the morning. I think you'll enjoy it.


I hope to catch up on everyone's blogs this coming week when life calms down a bit.

Thursday, May 27, 2010

Love Is On The Bus


I missed the poetry bus last week – I apparently only had the one poem in me. This week's prompt was the perfect antidote to writer's block - & in fact I may use it again if I run into problems again. The driver is Bill from Usually Confined. Go to his blog to find the other riders. Here is the prompt he gave us:


1: Think of (or find) a sentence.

2: Delete the second half of it.

3: Think of as many different ways of finishing it as you can.

4: Now, delete the first part of the sentence, leaving only a collection of "second halves".

5: Play with these and concoct a poem out of them. You'll probably want to mess about with the grammar, leave bits out, put bits in, etc. Feel free.


For the rained upon bride
and the boneless dog
a newly freed oil well
and the mother of a soldier
For a fighter who is dying
and a sleep disturbed old man
that threatened racist
and a lonely heart

Love is the answer
Love that puts the whole world
In the palm of its hand
is the answer

Love is
the only answer


Can anyone guess what sentence I used? I'll post the answer this weekend.

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Hot Dog Heaven


Well, this morning I took my Notary Public test. I was very nervous. It was supposed to be an essay test & I never have very much to say. Heh. As I recalled from taking tests when I was in school a century eon many years ago, I was succinct almost to a fault. I had professors express amazement at my ability to answer the question in so few words. It worked well for me.

Today I sat down to take my three page essay test and finished about 12 minutes later. Now I realize that maybe I'm just fabulous – but I suspect that in this case it means I didn't know enough to answer the questions fully. We'll see. I'll find out in about 2 weeks. If I don't pass I can take the test again next month.

Once I pass the test I'm going to mail in the study guide they gave me. On every page I found about 5 – 10 typos. There were 19 pages – so that's almost 200 typos!! I think they had a hard copy of the document & scanned it in & used OCR software to turn it into a document they could edit (poorly) in a word processing program. It was very distracting and I plan to blame the typos if I don't pass the test. And then I'm going to offer to fix it for them. For a small fee.

In other news, I passed this on the road today.



Hot Dog Heaven. I'm skeptical. What do you think?

Monday, May 24, 2010

Magpie Tales - Week 15


I am Pisces, but not.
I was due on
February 29
but decided to
take my time.
Still a fish,
but really?
My mirror
doesn’t show
depth
imagination
overcautious
unselfish
gullible
(well, that one’s true).
I wonder if my
non-appearance
on that lost day
made me lose my way.
Or if this fish-ness
is just so much hooey.



To participate in Magpie Tales, or to read other entries (you won't be sorry!), just click here.

Saturday, May 22, 2010

Project 365 – Week Twenty-One



First, I'd like to talk about my funeral experience today. The singing was fine – I'm no Susan Boyle, but I'll do. When we practiced, the director asked if I had any more volume. I said, "potentially." And I did when the time came. My jell-o salad was just ok – not much got eaten, but if you could have seen the spread they had you wouldn't have wanted the weird looking wobbly green stuff either LOL.

The hard part was that, even though I didn't know the deceased, I was watching her daughter throughout the service. She was wrecked. And so was I. As the tears ran down my face I was thinking of my own mother. I was concerned that singing would be a problem, but in the end it wasn't. It did make me think that I don't want to sing at very many more funerals. Rough morning!

OK – now onto the pictures for the week.

Sunday, May 16th

We have our first blossoms from the wildflower seeds Dr. M planted in our front flower bed. We're very excited to see what all comes up.

  
Monday, May 17th

Tomato update! Dr. M put some of the plants in pots outside & kept these inside (we still don't trust our May weather just yet). I feel like such a proud mama.



Tuesday, May 18th

Dr. M took a picture of a lamb in the twilight. It's a little spooky looking. Some of his Facebook friends called him Twi-Lamb, but one of them thought he was a Weresheep.


Wednesday, May 19th

Dr. M took some more nature pictures on Wednesday. I was highly amused by the gray squirrel chasing the fox squirrel away.



Here is a blue jay – I thought he got a nice shot.


And I just love this flower picture!



Thursday, May 20th

On Thursday the Twi-Lamb picture was freaking out too many people on Facebook, so Dr. M replaced that picture with this one of our sock monkey with a Serta Sheep in a half-nelson. It's Dr. M's summer break (although he's teaching one course a week right now), which means large amounts of silliness on Facebook. Can you tell?



Friday, May 21st

Here's the latest pig picture. I think the frog has a fishing pole. That made Dr. M & me think of the Crawdad Song :

You get a line and I'll get a pole, Honey,
You get a line and I'll get a pole, Babe.
You get a line and I'll get a pole,
We'll go fishin' in the crawdad hole,
Honey, Baby mine.


I also took a picture of the sky after a thunderstorm. I just thought it was cool looking.


Saturday, May 22nd

Today Dr. M surprised me by taking me to Lowe's to get a swing for our back yard. We had a nice time putting it together (I was #1 assistant).


And then afterward we sat on it while I read the paper. I envision a lot of evenings like this – heaven!



Go here to see the blogs of all the other Project 365 participants.

Friday, May 21, 2010

Gifts

Tomorrow our choir is singing for a funeral. I didn't know the lady who died, but I know how hard this moment is for her family. I'm singing one of the verses by myself (I hesitate to call it a solo because it's just a few lines in the middle of a song). We were going to sing this particular song for the first time the second Sunday of June. Plenty of time to practice. But now it's tomorrow.

For some reason, 13 hours before the event, I feel less nervous than if we were singing it for Sunday morning. I think it's because the Sunday service is a time to showcase my "talent" – show them what I have (it's not really that much). But singing a song this family requested during their time of grief – it's a gift. I might not be perfect, but who cares? I'm a small cog in this day. I'll be singing as if I'm talking to those grown children about how we don't need to be afraid. I can do that.

You need not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day. Though thousands fall about you, near you it shall not come. And he will raise you up on eagle's wings, bear you on the breath of dawn, make you to shine like the sun, and hold you in the palm of his hand.

On another note, I'm not afraid of singing (yet – ask me again at 9:55 tomorrow), but I am afraid of the age-old custom of bringing food to a funeral. The food coordinator said, "Bring a salad – maybe a jell-o salad." I said, "I do not cook. No problem!" But then I remembered my Mom's lime jell-o salad from about a thousand church and family dinners. Apparently it was really Greatnanny's recipe. Here it is in the Brookford Baptist Church cookbook:


I've made it. It's in the refrigerator congealing "setting up." It's one of my very favorite things that my Mom always made. Another gift, but not from me. Thanks Mom.


Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Wednesday Random Dozen



The Random Dozen is hosted by Linda at 2nd Cup of Coffee. Go there to check out the answers other folks gave to these questions.

1. What is one really fast, know-by-heart "go-to" meal to fix in a pinch? I don't cook, really, so it would be something VERY simple, like grilled chicken (on the Foreman grill – I don't mess with our outdoor grill), my dad's green beans & rice. We usually add bell peppers to the green beans. I know – very exciting!

2. What is one item you won't leave home without. (Purse and license do not count.)
My current audio book. If I am forced to listen to the radio I can't be held responsible for my driving actions. Really.


3. Where is one place you never tire of visiting?
My dad's house. Sure there are lots of other places I like to visit, but where else can I sleep in my old bedroom, eat Amy's cooking, and just hang out & do nothing? And if I need excitement I can head next door to my brother's house :)


4. Share one factoid of your family's history.
My dad pointed out to me the other night that the village where my mom grew up is the only one with its name in the U.S. I did an internet search & I think he might be right. Brookford, North Carolina is one of a kind. And should perhaps remain that way Uncle David? Heh. It was a mill town – her parents worked in the mill & so did she when she grew up. It was a hosiery mill. I think she sewed socks. What's interesting to me is that although neither of his parents worked in the mill, Dr. M also grew up in a mill village. So instead of marrying my father, did I marry my mother? Hmmm – I think I should just stop this line of thought right now.


5. Complete this sentence: "Once upon a time I ...."
thought I would get into shape someday. I guess that could still happen.


6. If you could win a one year's supply of anything, what would it be?
Gasoline! I would say some food item, but I'm NOT a hoarder – I would just eat whatever it was until it was gone, which would be about three weeks months.


7. "One quirky thing you may not know about me is ...."
I have to leave the room or cover my eyes when there's a lot of tension or scary stuff going on in a show I'm watching. Like, I remember when I was a kid, watching Little House on the Prairie, and the scene where Mary is in the tree with what's his name – I could NOT stay in the room. Just couldn't stand it. Now I don't remember why (was it their first kiss?). But I still do that. Dr. M laughs at me.


8. You have one dollar in your pocket. What will you buy?
Something chocolate I'm sure. Or a lottery ticket.


9. "One thing that always makes me laugh is ...."
The sheep I drive by every day. I don't know why – I just think sheep are funny. Or maybe that pig – that's pretty funny too.


10. What is one thing you could do today to help yourself reach a personal goal?
Exercise (see number 5 above).


11. What is one thing you could do today to bless someone else?
Call someone I haven't talked to in a while. Or maybe the blessing would be if I don't call.


12. What is one thing you're looking forward to soon?
Going to NC to see the family at the end of the month. I'll be staying at my favorite place!

Monday, May 17, 2010

John Parker




Into Ripley Ohio John Parker came
Not on a white horse
But in a john boat


His namesake slicing through
That salvation water
To bring souls to the
Almost free side of the river.



Almost free.
100 souls
300 souls
500 and more
almost free souls


500 miles from freedom
John Parker
In his john boat
Opened wide
That freedom gate


Although this is a bit of a romantic view, John Parker was a "conductor" on the Underground Railroad & really did rescue hundreds of slaves by ferrying them across the Ohio River. The fugitive slave act meant that, while Ohio was a "free" state the runaway slaves couldn't stay there. Canada was their only hope for freedom. 


John Parker was more than just a freer of people - he was a former slave who had purchased his own freedom. He owned a foundry and held three patents. Five of his children graduated from college (his daughter Hortense was the first African American graduate of Mount Holyoke College).


Parker wasn't the only conductor in Ripley - there were four (I think our docent said) on his street alone! And that didn't include Reverend Rankin who lived on "Liberty Hill" at the top of the 100 steps to freedom. Here is what he said about his work: "My house has been the door of freedom to many human beings, but while there was a hazard of life and property, there was much happiness in giving safety to the trembling fugitives. They were all children of God by creation and some of them I believe were redeemed by the blood of the Lamb."

Sunday, May 16, 2010

Project 365 – Week Twenty




Sunday, May 9th
Our tomato seedlings are taking off! And Dr. M planted some yarrow seeds too. You should see it today – I am amazed at how fast things grow once they get going. I'll have another picture one day next week.


Monday, May 10th
On Monday Dr. M took some wildflower pictures. I love unexpected color as you're driving along!



Tuesday, May 11th
On Tuesday I finished the book I was reading (A Fortunate Child, by Elizabeth Wix from World Examining Works – excellent book!) & now I'm ready to start the next one. I'm a bit of a Nora Roberts fanatic – I've pretty much read every book she's ever written plus all the ones under her J.D. Robb pen name.


Wednesday, May 12th

Martha Goose would like to say Congratulations to all the graduates out there!



Thursday, May 13th

Here's Mr. Pig again – but now I think maybe it's really a girl pig who sometimes dresses as a boy. I don't know – transgendered maybe?


Friday, May 14th

On Friday Dr. M grilled chicken & corn, which we ate with rice & my dad's green beans. It was SO GOOD!


Saturday, May 15th

Today we took a road trip to Ripley, Ohio to visit the Parker House and the Rankin House – both rather important stops on the Underground Railroad. This trip deserves its own post, so you'll just have to wait to see the pictures. But here are two other pictures from the day. The first one is a snake we saw on the road on our way down from the Rankin House – I'm glad I was in the car!!


The second picture is a riot of flowers in front of one of the churches in Ripley – gorgeous!

Go here to see the blogs of all the other Project 365 participants.

Friday, May 14, 2010

The Poetry Bus Dishes a Magpie


I decided to combine the two prompts again this week – I just couldn't resist because they immediately seemed to be quite related in my mind. Barbara from Barbara's Bleeuugh! Is driving the poetry bus this week & has told each of us to start our poems with the same phrase. I can't wait to see what all the other bus riders do with it! Here's my take.




I got down on my knees and smelled the new linoleum.
Its scent is un weary and miles away from the tension in the air.
I appreciate its blue & white pattern and unmarred surface briefly
before I sweep the shards into the bin, before I sink into that chair.

What are these shards, exactly? I peer into their jumble
as if to read the leaves or perhaps only to read your mind.
Blue & white, they match the floor and I wonder if I got them
all or if I left a jagged edge for an unsuspecting foot to find.

Is it cruel to wish it were your foot, the flinger of innocent dishware?
The linoleum isn't weary, but I am weary of this battle waged
in a pretty kitchen with heirloom china and heirloom tempers –
And no, don't smile at me – my fury will not be assuaged

by love and laughter and sorry and I'll get the vacuum.
Or maybe it will – I hate to vacuum and love watching the bent
arm of my lover cleaning the anger from the new linoleum,
now baptized with fire and impulse and the heat of the moment.



To participate in Magpie Tales, or to read other entries (you won't be sorry!), just click here.

Thursday, May 13, 2010

Foggy Morning




The future isn't actually as murky as this picture. I've been anticipating big changes at work which it appears will not happen.* Other than the helping in HR - that did happen - but isn't really a change per se. I'm all deflated. Not that I really knew what was coming down the pike. But it was going to be new! And different!

The thing is that I love my job. So it staying the same is a good thing. Apparently I'm just craving change. I think this weekend at home I'll switch the blue filing cabinet with the cream colored one. I know! I think that's pretty radical too. I'll let you know how it goes.


*In the interest of full disclosure I should say that any anticipation of change on my part was based entirely on my own fantasies and not on actual inside knowledge of said change.

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

This is just an excuse to show my high school graduation picture


I was answering the random dozen questions. I talked about what I wore to my high school graduation (white dress with turquoise polka-dots – I thought I was the stuff). I referenced my terribly cute penguin umbrella. I talked about how I tried to help Dr. M with the mowing, but after pulling the cord 10 times I gave up. But then I ran out of steam & bored myself. So I decided to spare you guys. You're welcome.

Dr. M is teaching a class at a satellite campus this summer. One night a week – five hours. I'm pretty sure that he'll be tired of hearing himself talk after five hours. Pretty sure. He had his first class tonight. Two people were registered & one person showed up. Now that's some intense one-on-one teaching there.

I actually did some exercise last night. I listened to my book on tape & used my Gazelle. And then my hip hurt extra so I was tossing & turning in bed. My arm has been hurting more lately too (opposite side from my hip). And if I'm on my back one of my knees starts hurting. So I'm thinking, you know that sling that they use for horses who've broken their leg & they're trying to save? I figure if we rig it just right I could have a comfortable night's sleep. But I will not let hip pain keep me from exercising – I think the key to easing that pain & the one in my knee is to get some weight off. My arm will just have to fend for itself.

The Braves are last in their division. The Reds are second (behind those annoying Cardinals). So I feel like singing the song that legend says the British band played when they surrendered at Yorktown – The World Turned Upside Down.

Dr. M & I are planning a trip south at the end of the month. It'll be nice to see the fam again. Hopefully our pictures from the journey won't have snow or flooding in them.

Well, I'm sleepy & need to wrap this up. It's the 7th inning & the Braves are winning for a change. Woot!

Monday, May 10, 2010

Bacon on the Bus!


Padhraig Nolan at The Scaldervillage Voice is driving the poetry bus this week. He instructed us to pick a number from 1 to 14 (mine was 8) and then click on this link. He said that these photo archives are part of a larger project called The Commons on Flickr. He warned us to "Be Careful! You could quite easily spend the rest of your day (and then some) browsing the visual riches therein." We were to go to the collection that matched our number & then go to the picture that matched our number. Here is my picture and the haiku it inspired (you really should click on the picture to get the full effect).

Crowd surrounding a woman skating around a giant skillet with slabs of bacon tied to her feet, holding a giant wooden spatula, Chehalis, Washington, ca. 1929-1932

She wanted to go
To the winery fest
But bacon is cool

Grapes would be cooler. Literally.

Sunday, May 9, 2010

Magpie Tales – Week Thirteen


What I want to know is where is Big Brother?
Shouldn’t he already know my druthers?
Yes I’m a married woman of a certain age
But the ads are nonsensical on my Facebook page.

I’m not an Ohio mom and I served my college time.
I don’t need to go to school on the POTUS’s dime.
I’m a liberal, green, marriage equality freak -
One more Michelle Bachman ad’ll make me shriek!

Where are the ads for reusable bags?
Where are the ads for gay pride flags?
Where are the ads for immigration reform?
Where are ads for off-season candy corn?

Big Brother is not the all-knowing eye.
That whole idea is just pie in the sky.

To participate in Magpie Tales, or to read other entries (you won't be sorry!), just click here.

Saturday, May 8, 2010

Project 365 – Week Nineteen



Sunday, May 2nd
On Sunday I had yet another Chipotle Steak Taco Salad from Taco Bell. I think we eat at least one per week. We're just a little bit addicted.


Monday, May 3rd
On Monday I took a picture of the Tax Day Pig's newest outfit – he's a dinosaur! I missed the next two outfits – he had one for election day & another one for Mother's Day. Who knows what he'll be wearing next week?


Tuesday, May 4th
On Tuesday I took surreptitious pictures of the neighbor's flowers – poppies & irises. I saw them later in the week & they said that I should just open the gate & come on in instead of standing outside the fence. I told them that I certainly would – their yard is lovely!



 Wednesday, May 5th
It's now a Wednesday tradition for Dr. M to take pictures of burros. I love the look this first one is giving him. Are you lookin' at ME?


Thursday, May 6th

This vine belongs to the neighbors on the other side of our house, but it's decided to come through & share some of its loveliness with us. I wonder what it is?


Friday, May 7th

Here is that silly toad again (click on the pictures to enlarge so you can see him better). He's staring at Dr. M just to the left of the pansy.


I'm amazed at how he blends in with the mulch.


Saturday, May 8th

Today was graduation at Dr. M's university. Here he is heading out this morning. You might be able to infer it from the picture – but I thought I'd just point out that THEY CAME & FIXED OUR GARAGE DOOR YESTERDAY!! This one is even insulated. We feel like the stuff!

Go here to see the blogs of all the other Project 365 participants.

2024 Project 365 – Week Thirty-eight

This post will be a little different than usual. I do still want to share a few pictures from last week, but Hurricane Helene derailed our l...