My Aunt the Marine

This isn't exactly what I was going to write about today. As is the case with many Americans, I have some veterans in the family - my uncle John was in the Army, and my nephew Brandon is planning to be a veteran at some point (I know, he just started his training - it will be a while yet). And I was going to write a little bit about that, but I was looking for some other pictures and found this one, taken I'm assuming at my aunt Marilyn's graduation (or whatever you call it) at Quantico. Look at the pride on my grandparents' faces! (And look at Mamaw's handbag - I have lust in my heart for that bag).

This was stamped on the back - I think that the picture was from 1961.

I always thought it was just about the coolest thing that I had an aunt in the Marines. I mean, she had been in Japan - ooohhh... And yet she always seemed like a normal person to me. 

Normal people, signing up to do extraordinary things. I'm not sure we can ever thank them enough!

2012 Project 365 – Week Forty-Five

This week has the fewest pictures ever (well, maybe not ever). I’m not sure why, but we were just not digging the cameras out as much for some reason. One reason is that we’re very concerned about Dr. M’s uncle Barry (the uncle Barry who came up to visit in the summer & fed Buffy the Buffalo). He’s in the hospital and not doing well at all. Please keep him and his family in your prayers. Thanks!

Saturday, November 3^rd  

We had our Trick or Treating tonight – and it was miserable! Cold rain mixed with some snow – yuck! We thought we were having it on Tuesday the 30^th, so Dr. M had prepared our candy bucket. Unfortunately, these guys might look menacing mildly threatening, but they didn’t keep us from dipping into the bucket, so I had to buy more candy on Saturday.

I posted this picture last week – cold Dr. M ready for the goblins.

Sunday, November 4^th

Looks to me like this sparrow & this squirrel are having some kind of discussion.

Monday, November 5^th   

Sheep!

Tuesday, November 6^th  

We still have some nice flowers.

We were glued to the television.

Wednesday, November 7^th     

The Tax Time Pig is nekkid! Perhaps he was in mourning from the election? Earlier in the week he did have some clothing on.

I, on the other hand, was not in mourning. The State of the Bug: Relieved!

Thursday, November 8^th        

Dr. M saw this Red Tailed Hawk today. And someone who was not a hawk who is perhaps trying to blend in with the woodwork :)

And I saw the giant setting sun on my way home from work.

Friday, November 9^th          

Dr. M saw this guy with his family.

Lots of chickadee activity these days!

I spent a couple of days in Columbus representing my church at a Diocesan Conference. Friday night I spent some time before bed in that nice chair reading a book.

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. The Bug uses our new Nikon Coolpix S6200 most of the time. If you’re interested in which camera was used for a particular shot, just ask! 

Live Breathe Love

Inspired by this article.

"Even after the networks called the race for President Obama, people in South Florida remained in line."

I think you might

have to say that

(in some places)

we were out in

droves hordes masses

multitudes flocks (!?)

This was no listless

“it doesn’t matter

what I do” affair.

It mattered.

WE mattered.

And in the end

I wore blue today

and you were

maybe seeing red.

And I know it’s

easy for me to say,

but it’s ok – we all

live on the marble,

breathe the same air

and (I have to believe)

love each other.

Thankful Thursday

For November I’m just going to copy & paste my daily Facebook thanks-status. So if you’re my Facebook friend feel free to ignore Thursdays!

November 1: I may or may not remember to do this every day, but I'll start out anyway: Today I'm thankful for my husband, who is shamelessly passionate about any number of things - life is never dull around here!

November 2: Today I'm thankful for a job that I enjoy, and the fact that my commute is long enough that I get to listen to a LOT of books!

November 3: Today I'm thankful for my electric blanket - and Dr. M is also thankful for it since I don't jab him with cold feet. When we were first married & I would snuggle up to him with blocks of ice on my feet, he was startled, but gallant about it. I think after almost 22 years of marriage he wouldn't be quite so polite if he felt those chilly toeses!

November 4: Brace yourself - this is going to be a long one: Today I'm thankful that our anthem (a blending of the Hallelujah Chorus & When the Saints go Marching In) went well & that I didn't start giggling until after we were done - so much fun! I'm also thankful that since it was All Saints Sunday I got to sing the hymn about queens in the church, which reminds me of my Episcopal spiritual home, Church of Our Saviour in Cincinnati, and the safe haven that it has always been for gays, lesbians & transgendered individuals. And lastly, I'm thankful that we put on such a good feast for the Bishop's visit.

November 5: Today I'm thankful for friends who are sending my niece postcards for her geography project. And if YOU'D like to send her one just let me know.

November 6: Today I'm thankful to be going to dinner with my friend Joanne so I can be distracted from the election for a few hours. I think that it's ok to have ice cream on election day, right? To calm my nerves? No?

This is from last spring - but the overwhelming Facebook response was YES to ice cream, so we had milkshakes - she had chocolate & I had banana pudding - yum!

November 7: Today I'm so thankful that the election is over, and yes, most of my people won. And I voted my conscience according to my religious beliefs.

P.S. In all the excitement Tuesday night I went to bed without washing my face, brushing my teeth OR FLOSSING! Gah!

Wordless Wednesday

10:15 p.m.

Let the Voice of the People Be Heard!

Image from here

Some Blerg* and a Thanks

In a daring feat of agility, I am climbing down off of a couple of high horses. It’s kind of scary, and contrary to my personality, but I’m just going to let go of “right” and move the heck on. Both of these situations involve work issues, and especially there I want Everyone to know that I Was Right. If this quality about myself annoys me, you can imagine how my coworkers feel. So I’m letting go and Making Changes. I will adjust daggonit if it kills me! [Note: It won’t kill me.]

Our 17 year old washer is having “issues.” The agitator isn’t working (I think it transferred its powers to me!). So we’re considering what we’ll do about replacing it. Since this one lasted 17 years I don’t really want to “make do” with something that’s not really what we want. I am kind of excited about getting a front loading one because the washer is in the kitchen & who doesn’t need more counter space in the kitchen? I think we can limp along with our current one (washing small loads) for a bit, so maybe a new washer will be our Christmas present to each other.

I’m feeling more melancholy than usual today. Some of it has to do with the first paragraph up there, because one of the issues I’m letting go felt like a personal slap in the face (I am Letting. It. Go.). Some of it is because Dr. M's uncle is not doing very well and it's worrisome. But I think that mainly it’s because yesterday was All Saints Sunday, and while I got to sing one of my favorite hymns (about queens – I know I’m not right, but it tickles me to feel like I’m acknowledging my liberal gay rights side in church), we also read aloud a list of those who have passed on before us. This year I had put my mom’s name on the list. Sometimes missing her is just so sneaky & fierce.

-------------

Here's the thanks: Many thanks to those of you who volunteered to send my niece postcards. It’s for a geography project & she’d really like to get one from every state, so she’s thrilled with the response. If you’re interested & haven’t already contacted me, shoot me an email (address in my profile). Thanks!

  *Definition of Blerg here.

The Campfire

Charis, Lake Ediza, California, 1937 by Edward Weston

Some secrets wait for campfires.

Eyes focused on flames and

the browning marshmallow,

I tell the tale, disguised

as a ghost story:

“It was a dark

and stormy night,”

is a metaphor for

“I can’t see my way

on this winding path.”

And “there was a

one-armed man,”

means “how can I

help you move

past this pain?”

Later, coming down

from the sugar high,

I lean back in your arms

and contemplate

dying embers.

I can just see my

worry waft away

to the moon.

This is a Magpie Tale.

2012 Project 365 – Week Forty-Four

We had snow and rain, cold and sunny skies, and one of the weirdest Halloweens ever! Dr. M has a post with a lot of the pictures I didn’t use here – and if you want to see any critters you’ll have to go there!

Saturday, October 27^th

Dr. M took pictures of our mums today.

I went to the benefit I talked about here. Jenny was radiant – in fact her mother said that she didn’t look sick enough to need a benefit. But she was between chemo treatments so she was feeling pretty good, all considering. She had her last treatment this week.

Sunday, October 28^th

We moved Pinky inside for the winter.

Monday, October 29^th   

Dr. M took pictures of what the middle of autumn looks like around here.

Tuesday, October 30^th  

This was the day our town was having Beggar’s Night (Trick or Treating), but Sandy gave us this, so it was postponed until Saturday (see below about how that wasn’t such a hot idea).

So I pulled out my heavy winter gear. It tickles me to wear stuff that I made. On the other hand, all that wool is itchy!

I rarely wear these penguin earrings – they’re over an inch long – but I try to pull them out close to Halloween.

Water fowl enjoying the foul watery weather.

Wednesday, October 31^st     

My coworker Mary dressed as a junky with a monkey on her back. I told her that she should be drinking Red Bull so she could be jittery for the role.

I was a witch.

The State of the Bug, in my natural attire. Heh.

Thursday, November 1^st        

I saw this by the Kroger where I was getting gas – pretty!

It was such a pretty day & Dr. M got some nice pictures on his way home from work.

Friday, November 2^nd          

Dr. M was stopped on the side of the road Friday evening & took these shots. Lovely!

P.S. Here’s a preview of next week – Dr. M handing out candy on Saturday afternoon. In the wintry mix precipitation event that we were getting (while I sat inside & babysat laundry & worked on this post – ha!). We didn’t want to disappoint the kids!

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. The Bug uses our new Nikon Coolpix S6200 most of the time. If you’re interested in which camera was used for a particular shot, just ask! 

TGIF

We use this program at work to keep track of legal matters and it makes me smile every time I log in. See?

This one's for you Bren!

These are the pictures I would have liked to get when I was on that photo safari in Zambia.

It's Friday! We made it! Or don't you feel like you've won some kind of bizarre race when you reach the end of the week?*

*Retired persons need not respond. Heh.

Mishmash

I’m fighting a war with myself today. On the one hand it’s very tempting to take November off like Annie is. On the other hand, it’s very tempting to join NannoBloggo (or whatever it’s called) & post every day in November. The second option actually fits my personality better, but would you thank me for it? I think not! But we’ll see how it goes. I’ll post something today & then we’ll just see. And I might take a month off in the summer. But probably not. See? Now I’m just confused!

My niece is working on a school project and needs postcards. I thought I would wield my Vast Influence & see if any of you might be interested in sending her one. If so, send me an email (address in my profile) & I’ll give you her address.

Note: we’ve got Ohio covered.

I am getting ready to open a can of spam (heh), but I decided to do a little Public Service Announcement. I very rarely get spam on my blog. And I don’t make my commenters jump through the captcha hoop. So how do I do it? I don’t allow anonymous commenting on my blog (sorry to folks who don’t want to have to register!), and I moderate comments on posts older than 14 days. That’s it.

Now that I’ve posted that on my blog I expect that I will henceforth get at least three spam comments a day.

Lastly, Dr. M’s birthday is less than two weeks away & I have no idea what to get him. He wants a katana, but that’s not really in the budget. Ideas, anyone? He’s a sheep-loving history professor with an interest in weapons and piracy.

Admit it – if you saw that description on Match.com you’d snatch him right up! (Love you, dear heart)