2011 Project 365 – Week Thirty-Eight

Well it turned fall here in Ohio – it’s just about time to break out my electric blanket. Hope you all had a good week – mine was pretty quiet, just the way I like it.

Sunday, September 11^th   

A big anniversary today. Go here to read my story about it. Dr. M hit the hummingbird jackpot on this day. He posted these pictures to Facebook & I’m just going to use his captions. Pretty hummer!

Life is pretty good.

Sunday brunch at Chez Rhyne, yes?

I say yes!

That hit the spot!

Just going to top off the tank with some geranium…

I LOVE this place!

Monday, September 12^th

This sunflower field is just about done. I wanted to have Dr. M take a picture of me standing in front of it so it looked like they were bowing to me, but we never made the time. Darn.

Full moon.

Tuesday, September 13^th  

The Tax Time Pig remembers.

Wednesday, September 14^th  

The State of the Bug. I finally dug out the earring that I lost in my car. It was surprisingly easy – I just moved the seat all the way up & there it was. Why I couldn’t figure that out in July is a mystery to me. I was really trying to capture my hair in this picture – I thought it looked really old fashioned the way it sort of drooped over my ears. But you can’t really tell. Just think Ma Ingalls.

Dr. M took a picture of a hawk he sees frequently. He’s named it Tecumseh because it hangs out around the historical marker for Tecumseh’s birth place.

This soybean field totally looks like fall, doesn’t it?

The neighbor told us about an albino squirrel sighting. He & Dr. M tracked it down so he could take some pictures – isn’t it cute? He put more pictures & talked about albino & white squirrels on his blog - check it out here. 

Thursday, September 15^th        

Mom & kids.

This flower (snapdragon?) just spontaneously grew between the house & the hedge out front. Dr. M just happened to look back there the other day & saw it.

Friday, September 16^th

We’re finally seeing some goldfinches pretty regularly.

Dr. M had a rough week. When he got home he put on this tshirt which reflects his feelings exactly.

Saturday, September 17^th

Happy birthday Daddy! Your card is probably going to be late. Dr. M took a picture of one of our last daisies of the season.

Flags. It’s Constitution Day – did you know? Dr. M told me yesterday that it would be today, and yet when I was reading my “This Day in History” widget on my google homepage I announced to him, “Today’s the day the constitution was signed!” Um, yeah Bug, that would be why they call it Constitution Day.

We spent most of today up at the Piatt Castles. This year begins the commemoration of the 150^th anniversary of the Civil War. The Castles are participating in the events being held as part of Ohio’s Civil War 150 commemoration. Today there were talks about medicine in the Civil War (I skipped that one), Ohio women in the Civil War (excellent), and a poet connected with the Castles who lived during the Civil War (Sarah Piatt – again an excellent talk). There were other exhibits & activities. And it was a beautiful day. We had a great time!

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

Monday Miscellany

Last night just before I drifted off to sleep I said to Dr. M, “I did jack all this weekend, didn’t I?” And it was true. I got groceries. Washed dishes once. Wandered around the yard looking at things. Took a two hour nap yesterday. Nevertheless, I do have a few miscellaneous things to mention.

• Saturday night Dr. M & I went up to the Piatt Castles to hear a talk given by a man who has written a biography of Donn Piatt – one of the brothers who built one of the castles. Donn was apparently a piece of work and not afraid to speak his considerable mind. And he fought in the civil war, having had to enlist as a private because he annoyed Mr. Lincoln too much to be appointed a general. Afterward I heard him compared to Rush Limbaugh, but I still plan to read the biography once it’s published.
• On our way home from the Castles we saw thousands of lightning bugs. Well maybe not thousands, but it sure looked like thousands. And then we passed by an airfield & they were having a balloon glow. It was kind of a magical ride home (possibly less magical for Dr. M, who was driving).
• I’m pretty sure the Reds need a new closer. Not that I’m an expert or anything, but 3 blown saves out of 4 games might be a sign. Just saying.
• Upon the advice of my former boss I’ve been using baby wipes to wash my face at night (I may have mentioned this before). Wow, they are a lot cheaper than my Olay Facials. And they come in all these delicious flavors (I got cucumber aloe or some such yesterday). I had no idea, having avoided the baby aisle for lo these many years.
• My surgery is four weeks from today. Yikes! I had another round of “I’m not decrepit enough to need surgery. I’m getting around just fine. I don’t wanna!” And then I remembered that I take 2400 mg of ibuprofen and one vicodin every day and that maybe that’s not really good for me, long term. And also, vacuuming did me in for two days afterward. I know, I know, I’ve gone through this before but I’m sure this will not be the last you hear of the subject before August 8th. If the surgery weren’t so early I’d probably get up & post the same refrain that very morning!

OK, that’s enough miscellany for today. What are you guys up to?

P.S. Here's a link showing a picture of a balloon glow.

Just Another Afternoon at the Castle

Dr. M & I had a really nice day yesterday roaming around the Ohio countryside. The day was beautiful – if just a bit chilly (in the 50s & windy). We had to make a “quick” trip to Cincinnati in the morning & made it to Dr. M’s school at the end of the 4th quarter of the homecoming game. His team won! Always nice to win your game on homecoming. After standing by the field for about 5 minutes I was quite grateful for that unexpected trip to Cincinnati in our warm car – not sure I would have survived sitting on those cold exposed stands for the whole game! I was ill-prepared for the chill – even though I thought I was. Next game I’m taking my version of the Snuggie! There will be a whole post dedicated to this garment in the near future.

After the game was over we headed to West Liberty, Ohio to visit the Piatt Castles for their Halloween program: Ghosts & Goblins, Literature to Scare & Delight. We had a great time. It’s a program really designed for children – there were games & scary stories from 19th century poems – but Dr. M & I enjoyed the old house and the staff dressed in their ghostly costumes. They put on a play about a ghost wedding, and there was a tour of the spooky basement. Then we all stood around warming our knickers by a bonfire. We each made a wish & threw parsley into the fire. I’m not telling you what my wish was! I did make sure that this was not some sort of fertility ritual. Heh.

The program was held at Mac-A-Chee castle. The other castle, Mac-A-Cheek, is about a mile away. The names are derived from a Shawnee village called Mackachack. Construction on the homes began in the 1860s. They’re not actual castles – they are chateaux built in a gothic design. Perfect for Halloween! Note - this tiny history lesson is courtesy of Wikipedia and the Piatt Castles website. Please visit those sites for more information.

They’re having the same program next Saturday beginning at 4:30 – if you’re in the area check it out! *There is an admission fee.