2011 Project 365 – Week Eighteen

Wow – lots of pictures this week. Hope you enjoy them! (Yes, this is what I said last week. And the week before.).

Sunday, April 24^th

Here’s the weekly squirrel.

Doves in a tree. They’re usually on the ground under our feeder (check out Saturday’s picture).

Monday, April 25^th

I wandered around the yard taking pictures. Here are a couple of four leaf clovers (actually one of them has at least 6 leaves – I kept checking & there was only one stem).

This silly dandelion thinks it’s a daisy.

Tuesday, April 26^th

Dr. M took a couple of pictures on his way home from school. Here are some lovely tulips.

Here’s the Mad River – there’s a LOT of extra water in there!

I took this one on my way home.

This one is self explanatory. Sigh.

Wednesday, April 27^th

On Wednesday I spent some time during my lunch hour listening to my audio book at a local park. It’s still just a tad too cool to sit out at one of the picnic tables under the trees so I sat in my car. I did get out to try to get a good picture of all the little flowers.

Thursday, April 28^th       

The State of the Bug. I was so cold in my office that I decided to take my break out in the car listening to my book. The bright sun created a nice warm sauna in the car & I very nearly nodded off – so I thought I should document that. Do you know how hard it is to simulate nappishness while holding your arm up to take a picture?

On my way home I saw Clifford, the Big Red Truck! I love Clifford.

A rainbow! It was sort of gauzy looking one. I think if you click on the picture to make it larger you can see it better.

Dr. M caught a finch enjoying the cement pond.

Friday, April 29^th  

I took a picture of the Simpson’s sky on my way home from work.

Dr. M took a lot of pics on his way home – I narrowed it down to these.

Saturday, April 30^th

This morning Dr. M took a picture of the bird feeder ground clean-up crew. They work diligently to rid the ground of any trace of bird seed.

Yes, last week he had bunny ears on. This week he’s wearing Martha Goose’s gardening hat.

I’m going to try to go soft drink free. However, since I don’t drink coffee I thought I might want another caffeine source. I’m heating up water to brew tea. We’ll see how that goes!

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

Thankful Thursday

Here are the things making me smile this week.

It’s been a stormy April – and I haven’t been loving all the rain – but these moody skies are just gorgeous to me. No overcast sky here – we’ve got big billowy annoyed looking masses of fluff. It’s beautiful to me and somewhat cancels out the rain. Not really, but I’m trying!

I’ve been doing my pre-op “exercises” for my hip and I think that, combined with the extra ibuprofen I’ve been taking, they are helping with some of my hip pain. It’s been holding steady at a 4 (instead of a 9) for a few days now. But, shhh! Don’t tell Dr. M – he might want me to mow {and all of that is ludicrous because a. he reads my blog and b. he has a lot more pain on a regular basis than I do}.

I spent some time the other day outside roaming around our yard taking pictures of things. This is noteworthy because it was warm enough to roam around outside taking pictures of things and there were things to take pictures of!

Now, enquiring minds want to know - what are you smiling about? If you want to link up just leave a comment with your link & I’ll insert the link here.

Kaleidoscope

Kaleidoscope

I stole your shirt,

remember?

The button down with

gray and white stripes.

It was yours and then

it was mine.

When I finally let it go

it was so soft and

faded to white

I nearly cried.

That gray and white,

lovely as a rainbow.

A kaleidoscope

of our lives.

This is a Magpie Tale and a One Shot Wednesday. Please go to those sites to read other authors.

Monday Miscellaney

Well I can tell it’s going to be one of those weeks – I almost forgot to write a Miscellaneous Monday post! I know you’ve been wondering where it is…

We had a nice service at church yesterday. Our choir director is retiring after 25 years so it was pretty poignant to sing that last anthem with her at the helm. Not sure what we’re going to do now, but I for one am probably going to take a break from choir. We’ll see.

I don’t know if it’s because it’s Monday, or because it WILL. NOT. STOP. RAINING. but I’m feeling rather melancholy & blah today. So instead of a list of reasons why my life is annoying me, I’m reposting a poem I wrote back in November. I apologize if you’ve already seen it, but I needed to read it again. So there!

A Psalm

I.
Unsayable and unformed prayers
Carom off of hope and dread
Until there is no part of my being
That doesn't commune with God


II.
By day I see your face
In the crowd around me
By night I am wracked
By doubt and insignificance


III.
The dark swallows
Communion and joy
But in the morning hope
Perches by my bedroom door


IV.
I will close my eyes
And dream of the ones
Who love me and
The One who loves me


V.
Come morning I will
Take hope's hand
Once more.


P.S. Hmm - I think it worked - the sun is trying to peek through the clouds just now...

My Last Easter Dress

NanU is driving the bus again this week & has given us a mission “Of Excess. Of Far Too Much. Of Going Over the Edge.” If there was ever a time in my life that was “too much” it was the days surrounding my mother’s death. On Easter Sunday 2005, six days after her death, we held a Celebration of Life service. Several people had prepared remarks & then others just got up to talk about what my mom meant to them. I read a short essay about her & then I actually attempted to sing the last bit (...the memory that says “Mom” to me is the one where she would come into my room at night to tuck me in and sing, “When I was just a little girl, I asked my Mommy what will I be? Will I be pretty? Will I be rich? Here’s what she said to me: Que sera sera! Whatever will be will be. The future’s not ours to see. Que sera sera!”)

Knowing in advance that we were going to have this service I spent some time several weeks before her death thinking about what I would wear. This is what I ended up with.

My Last Easter Dress

I am choosing a dress

to wear to my

mother’s funeral.

I search the racks

for the correct.

The sober.

The dress

that shows

respect.

How can I choose

what to wear for you

when you’re not here

to give me that look?

What would you want

for this public tribute?

I know you don’t

want to talk about it.

So we don’t.

In the end

I make my wildly

inappropriate

choice and feel

a secret glee

because I hope

that you would

think it was

too much.

My final rebellion.

2011 Project 365 – Week Seventeen

Wow – lots of pictures this week. Hope you enjoy them! (Yes, this is what I said last week. I think it’s safe to say that it will be this way until at least midsummer – it’s the drama of all the flowers & birds we can’t resist). 


Dr. M has a post today which is really hilarious - about a couple of "lovebirds" sitting on the bar above our swing. He really is a nut - you should definitely check it out. Who doesn't need to see fat doves making eyes at each other? Click here.

Sunday, April 17^th

Here’s the weekly squirrel.

Cardinal.

This robin is really enjoying the cement pond.

Monday, April 18^th

We have a lot of pictures for Monday. This is the first of what I’m sure will be many pictures of redwing blackbirds. Dr. M finds them fascinating. I love the contrast of the red & black.

Dr. M took flower pictures on his way home from school.

And I took a picture of one of the trees in the parking lot at work.

One of these things is not like the others… We were amused at the really large dandelion in this picture :)

Tuesday, April 19^th

Dr. M got to paint a rock as part of his school’s Relay for Life campaign. He has named the rock George – I think he’s great!

Wednesday, April 20^th

As you may be aware, we are sheep lovers in our household. I got the bright idea to put bunny ears on this one. I think it’s too cute!

Thursday, April 21^st       

Continuing the bunny theme, my old boss at work dressed up as a bunny to promote a kid’s “Pictures with the Easter Bunny” fund-raiser they were having that evening. This is the State of the Bug – highly amused!

Dr. M took pictures of ducks at a park on his way home from school.

Friday, April 22^nd  

Well, here we are again with the Tax Time Pig dressed as, guess what? A bunny! I don’t know how I missed this one last year.

Dr. M took some more flower pictures. Love love love tulips!

A starling enjoying the suet holder our neighbor gave us.

Saturday, April 23^rd

Yesterday was a sad day in the Bug household. The power company came through & lopped off the tops of a couple of trees in our neighbors’ back yards. We’re just hoping that there were no nests in the trees. Here is a woodpecker wondering where the rest of his tree is.

Fortunately he found our next door neighbor’s suet to help soothe his anxiety. Wow, that’s what I use food for too!

Dr. M attended an awards luncheon at school on Thursday & won this award! He was nominated by another employee & the committee selected him as the winner. I think he is a most worthy recipient. He’s worked hard this year.

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