IPYPIASM - The End

I just squeaked in under the wire to post this last poem in a shop. Thanks to Niamh for this great festival! You should definitely go to her site so you can check out all the other participants. I think Ireland won the "not" competition this year. I might have to make a concerted effort to get the US higher in the standings next year!

Anyway, I had a gift card burning a hole in my pocket, so I dragged Dr. M to Kohl's this afternoon. Yes, I totally removed the gotcha factor by leaving this in the dressing room. But I signed it, sort of, so there's that little risk.

I didn't buy the sweater - it was HUGE!

Here's the text in case you can't read the picture:


In this mirror

you are a whey faced

pig-eyed crone.

Your thighs are members

of the redwood forest

sisterhood.

Your ass is an

entire mountain range.

This mirror lies.

Repeat after me:

I am beautiful

and I deserve

beautiful things.

I am beautiful

and I deserve

beautiful things.

I am beautiful.

  --The Bug, Bug’s Eye View

2011 Project 365 – Week Fifty-Two Too

Well, 2011 is almost over. I have no good or bad feelings about the year (although my hip surgery was pretty cool). It was a year of trying to pay down debt and trying to be productive in our jobs. It was a year of singing in the choir and influencing the youth of today (guess who did which of those – ha!). It was a year of poetry for both of us. It was a year of many many many pictures which brought us much joy. I’m kind of hoping that 2012 brings more of the same (minus the surgery).

So, Happy New Year to you & yours!

P.S. Since week one of this year had just one day in it we’ve ended up with an “extra” week. I’ve decided to call it Week Fifty-Two Too, because it sure ain’t week one of 2012. Of course, I could do like I did last year & call it Week 53 – ha!

Sunday, December 25^th    

Merry Christmas – again! I shared a couple of pictures from this day last week, but decided to put a few bunch more on this week’s post too. First up, Christmas birds! Dr. M took these pictures at my dad’s house.

Another picture of my gift from Dr. M – I’m loving the Burt’s Bees stuff.

My sister-on-law gave Dr. M this sheep pez dispenser, which he hooked on his rear view mirror. Now he really does have sheep wherever he goes. This is my first unsuccessful attempt at a picture – did you know that things dangling from rear view mirrors move while the car is moving?

These are from the sing-along at Dr. M’s uncle & aunt’s house. The State of the Bug – caroling!

 Monday, December 26^th

Rasta sheep. I really love how sheep always stare when you take their picture. To see more sheep and other pictures, check out Dr. M’s blog post here – you’ll enjoy it, promise!

Check out this post to find out what this picture is all about.

Tuesday, December 27^th

Driving back to Ohio today – and guess what we saw?

And ducks.

My second unsuccessful attempt to take a picture of the pez sheep – isn’t it cool?

Wednesday, December 28^th

A squirrel picture for Ellen.

Thursday, December 29^th

Dr. M documented some interesting sparrow activity today. Aren’t these about the coolest pictures ever?

Click on the picture below to enlarge it - go ahead - it's just such a great shot (to me anyway):

Friday, December 30^th  

Synchronized squirrels – too cute.

The Tax Time Pig is tired!

As I was leaving work I saw a double rainbow, which basically “followed” me all the way home – and then I saw the ends of a full rainbow when I drove into town. Fabulous! Of course, I couldn’t get a great picture of any of the phenomena…

Saturday, December 31^st – The Last Day of the Year   

I plan to go put a poem in a shop later this afternoon, but I’ll do a separate post for that. For now, here are a couple of pictures from this morning. Our little tree has attracted quite the following lately!

And, finally, a decent picture of the pez sheep. I know that you were hoping that I’d get one. Ha!

Go to Sara’s blog here to see the blogs of all the other Project 365 participants. Have a great week!

Most of our photos are taken with a 12 megapixel Nikon D5000 DSLR, using a 55-200mm zoom lens. This is the camera that Dr. M takes with him most days. We also take pictures with our old reliable 7 megapixel Canon Powershot A710. This is the camera that the Bug uses most of the time. If you’re interested in which camera was used for a particular shot, just ask!

Heart Tales

1st Grade Bug

Heart Tales

It’s been years in the making.
The small child said,
“I don’t do pain.”
And so she coated
each slight until
the pain was gone.

Both wild and cultured,
the pearl of my heart is
iridescent and lovely.
Your tender sleeve
is no match for this
glorious fortress.

Yet your heartbeat
drowns mine out
every time.

Good Friends...

I have over 200 unread blogs in my blog reader. 200! I may get caught up sometime next year. Hey - you people who post every day? Stop! For about three days. Thank you.

Today I went to lunch with some friends from college. Although in recent years we've dragged along brought our husbands and children (if applicable), this year we decided to have a girls' lunch out. We didn't stop talking for about two hours - bragging about our kids (well, Jenny & I bragged about our brothers' kids), talking about work, and realizing how long we've been together. We met in college & started the tradition of having a meal around New Year's Day or Christmas back then - 26 years later our first "baby" is graduating from college. Her mom was pregnant with her in my wedding 21 years ago. Wow - I feel old!

One problem with banishing the guys - my arm wasn't quite long enough to get a great picture

I wrote a haiku for each of my friends as part of their Christmas present. They're kind of one-dimensional because I had a "theme" - and also because the haiku form is a bit limited (to a non-professional haikuist like myself - and yes I know that a haiku is more than just 5-7-5, but hush you purists!). Anyway, it was fun to do. Wonder if I'll do it again next year?

Jenny

Strong willed Jenny P
Creating beautiful fun
My friend forever

Sherri

Strong minded Sherri
Keeper of our memories
My friend forever

Kim

Strong hearted Kim Jane
Comforting the sorrowful
My friend forever

After I got home from lunch Kim called me because she had thought up a haiku for me - she didn't like that I didn't have one. Thanks Kim!

Dana

Strong witted Dana

Chronicles life with humor

Our friend forever

Project 365 - Week Fifty-Two!

It’s Christmas! And the last week of Project 365. Until next week. I’m not sure if Sara’s going to continue to host, but I’ve enjoyed doing it so much that I’m going to keep on taking pictures making Mike take pictures next year too.

Sunday, December 18^th       

Someone had asked to see a picture of our anniversary barbecue & red velvet cake, so I took pictures of the last of them.

After lunch we went on a ramble. Dr. M took these great pictures (oh, wait I think maybe I took the sheep pictures). He posted some more on his blog here.

Monday, December 19^th  

Tis the season – Ill Penguin was greeting me when I get home from work.

Tuesday, December 20^th

Here’s the Tax Time Pig, in his new Christmas outfit. I wondered why the picture was worse than usual, but then I remembered that I had rolled down the back window instead of the driver’s window when I took the picture.

Go to this post to find out what this is about.

Wednesday, December 21^st

We drove to NC today. And apparently the only picture we took was of me eating this mango lollipop.

Thursday, December 22^nd       

My cousin & her husband brought their new baby by to visit. The State of The Bug: gazing into a baby’s eyes. [Note: yes, I’m wearing the same flannel shirt as in yesterday’s picture – this was the one that Dr. M insisted I bring because maybe I would get cold. Amazes me how often he’s right.]

Friday, December 23^rd

Dr. M took these pictures on his way to visit his dad.

Saturday, December 24^th - Christmas Eve!

Lot's of pictures this day. We had dinner at my brother and his family's house. The meal was fabulous - thanks J & B for all your hard work, cooking & hospitality! I made green bean casserole - it was a bit on the soupy side, but was pretty tasty anyway. It was supposed to have almonds, but I left them unattended in the toaster oven - thank goodness daddy was there to carrying the smoking pan outside!

Here are my nephews. B1 is a computer genius, working on his degree in some sort of computer something-or-other (I know - I'm so technical). B2 is heading to the army after his high school graduation this spring - he wants to do something in the medical field. 

Here is my brother & his wife - & you remember my tumbling niece:

I caught Daddy & Amy with food in their mouths - I know they appreciated me interrupting their dinner!

Dr. M and me.

My sister-in-law is a bit of a hippo fanatic (in the same way that I am a penguin fanatic). Here was her big find this holiday season - isn't he cute?

Sunday, December 25^th - Christmas Day!

Since I'm writing this post between gigs on Christmas Day I decided to go ahead & add some pictures from this morning - I'll add the rest next week. This morning Dr. M & I went with Daddy & Amy to his nursing home ministry (leading hymns before Sunday School). Dr. M played some pre-singing dulcimer tunes, then I (sort of) played the piano while we all sang (including my aunt Mimi- loved hearing her & Amy sing alto). Then Dr. M & I headed back home for a bit before heading to his dad's house. We exchanged our gifts - I got a Radio Flyer wagon filled with Burt's Bees stuff! Dr. M, of course, got sheep & cow stuff :)

I wish you all a fabulous Christmas!

Go to Sara’s blog here to see the blogs of all the other Project 365 participants.

Most of our photos are taken with a 12 megapixel Nikon D5000 DSLR, using a 55-200mm zoom lens. This is the camera that Dr. M takes with him most days. We also take pictures with our old reliable 7 megapixel Canon Powershot A710. This is the camera that the Bug uses most of the time. If you’re interested in which camera was used for a particular shot, just ask!