Couple of Words Wednesday

It's my old bugaboo, Fall come to tap Summer on the shoulder 
saying it's time to bow out head south don't let the door kick you...

And I am sad. Sad because Summer drags the sun with her and it's just rude. 

On the other hand, is there anything lovelier than a spent flower? It draws me in and says that dark things can be beautiful too, as if I don't know that that black is beautiful, and that night contains magic and ok ok maybe fall isn't as tragic as I think it is.

Goodbye Summer. Hello Fall. Keep your fat mouth shut Winter!

2022 Project 365 – Week Thirty-five

Last week I was sleepy from being full from my church potluck. This week I’ve waited so late to write this that it’s practically my bedtime (however, I have tomorrow off, so I’m sure I’ll stay up later than usual). What I’m saying is that I’m STILL SLEEPY. Proceed with caution.

Sunday, August 28^th           
Food from the aforementioned potluck at church. I got what I thought was quiche only to find out it was tomato pie. DELICIOUS! And yes, my dessert plate had as much food as my dinner plate.
 

Meanwhile, Dr. M rushed out of the house to take butterfly photos & had to wait on his camera lens to unfog.
 

Monday, August 29^th  
No photo.
 
Tuesday, August 30^th       
I arrived at work to find my lunch bag entwined with my purse. I am not at ALL sure how that happened – I had to go through some gyrations to get them separated. This was also the day that I moved into my new office, but did I take any photos of that? Reader, I did not. Maybe after I get my wall hangings up.
 

Wednesday, August 31^st               
No photo.
 
Thursday, September 1^st          
My evening hair situation.
 

Friday, September 2^nd         
My hair doesn’t look too bad in the first photo; however, it flopped in my face & made me a little crazy (I really do have a ridiculous amount of hair). Anyway, I got all that chopped off. This is the shortest it’s been for a while! These are terrible photos – maybe I’ll do a dual new office new hair photo shoot next week.
 

Flowers from the deck, looking a little bedraggled.
 

Saturday, September 3^rd          
Dr. M did some porch sitting with his dad.
 

I took a not very good picture of our spider friend.
 

And then when Dr. M came home he had a visitor! It’s always fun to see Free Range Roy. It doesn’t happen as often as it used to – he’s getting older like the rest of us.
 

So, let’s talk about how it’s September and how the heck did that happen? As usual, I’m a little salty about it (more on that on Wednesday). And I think not only do I talk about this every fall, but we discussed it on this very blog already this year! What can I say? At least I’m consistent. Or a broken record. Something like that.
 

2022 Project 365 – Week Thirty-four

I am still so full from our church potluck this afternoon that I’m typing this with one eye open halfway to NapLand. So let’s just see how coherent I will be!
Sunday, August 21^st           
No photo. As I recall I went to my dad’s house to work the puzzle again, and then I went to the grocery store. It was a very exciting day.
  
Monday, August 22^nd   
Things blooming around the house – Sulphur Cosmos, Encore Azaleas in two colors, and the mum I was given after my hip surgery 5 years ago.
 

Tuesday, August 23^rd      
No photo
 
Wednesday, August 24^th              
When you scroll through your Facebook memories it shows the times you changed your profile pic, but it has your current cover photo in the background. I was so amused when I saw this profile pic I posted 3 years ago. I posted it on FB saying I look like a demented elf – but actually I think I give more of a demented cherub vibe. Hahaha!
 

Thursday, August 25^th         
Dr. M went out our back door to fill the bird feeders and saw this delightful gentleman garden spider! So gorgeous – and he’s still hanging around (possibly trying to attract a mate).
 

Friday, August 26^th         
I got talked into changing offices (the new one has a window, but because I’m nosy I’m more excited that I can see down the hall into the lobby). However, the new office has a couple of very full filing cabinets that need moved and for some reason emptying those became my job. I filled up 14 boxes of files. Reminded me of the old days at my job in Ohio where I had to take files down to the archives every January. Oof.
 

Went by my dad’s DETERMINED to finish the puzzle, but only made it to 8:00. Sigh.
 

Spent some time crocheting the other monster during the baseball game. I timed how long each row is taking. There are 79 of this length of row, then it starts decreasing (I’ve already done about half of the 79).
 

Saturday, August 27^th          
I couldn’t stand it – went back to my dad’s house & FINISHED THE PUZZLE! HUZZAH! It’s 1040 pieces, 150 cm long (59 inches), and 25 cm (9.8 inches) high. Whew!
 

It’s too late for a nap, so I might as well find something to do that doesn’t require me to be very sharp. I think I’ll change the towels and then maybe crochet a while. We shall see. What’s on (or was on) your agenda for Sunday afternoon?
 

2022 Project 365 – Week Thirty-three

Greetings from soggy North Carolina! It was a good bit cooler this week, but with rain almost every day it was pretty humid. August in the south – gotta love it. I mostly watch it from inside my air conditioned life. I was thinking the other day about what it was like when I was a kid when we had fans, but no air conditioning. I apparently survived, but how? It’s a mystery.
Sunday, August 14^th           
Another Sunday, another butterfly. This one is a dark form Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, and the photo of it behind the Sulphur Cosmos is my new favorite thing.
 

Went to my dad’s & worked on this beast (there’s a situation with the border which hopefully we can figure out). As I said on FB, this puzzle’s fate is similar to the Farm Boy’s fate in Princess Bride. Dread Pirate Roberts: “Good night, Westley. Good work. Sleep well. I'll most likely kill you in the morning.” Then I came home & worked on another beast.
 

Monday, August 15^th   
Terrible photo of excellent chicken fried rice. Dr. M always adds extra stuff (zucchini, mushrooms) and it is yummy.
 

Tuesday, August 16^th        
No photo
 
Wednesday, August 17^th              
Our two kinds of morning glories – common and Japanese/Ivy. I love that Dr. M’s new camera captures their true colors.
 

Thursday, August 18^th         
No photo from today, but I was fiddling around with this one to show someone my outfit. It was taken back in 2003 when digital cameras left a LOT to be desired. This is baby Danabug, dressed as a missionary for Halloween, wearing the custom dress I had made when I worked for the Baptist Mission in Zambia back in 1987. I have ALL KINDS OF FEELINGS about this whole situation. Mission work in general is a complex minefield to me, and wearing an "African outfit" for Halloween is all kinds of nope to me now. Also, are those OCTOPI on that fabric? What in the world! On the other hand, I was so thrilled to fit back into that dress.
 

Friday, August 19^th         
Had the day off from work and ordered new glasses, worked on the puzzle some more at my dad’s house (Sue made me another grilled cheese sandwich – yum!), and was in line at the pharmacy when one of my friends posted that it was World Photography Day & for us to post our photographs. This is what she got from me. Ha!
 

Saturday, August 20^th          
My mom’s oldest friend passed away this week. She was the Ethel to my mom’s Lucy – they were SUCH a hoot together. I went on many an adventure with them – concerts and shopping and eating and laughing and laughing and laughing. I went to her visitation this evening & then stopped to pick up some Mexican food on my way home.
 

I’m starting to feel my “summer is almost over and it will be winter in 5 minutes” ennui. What is life? Why do anything? Where are my penguin pajamas? It’s ridiculous. Fall is lovely around here. And I like my boots. But still… How about you – which season is your favorite?

2022 Project 365 – Week Thirty-two

This week is all about food and selfies. Thank goodness Dr. M took a few other photos so there’s a wee bit of variety.
Sunday, August 7^th           
A gorgeous Red Spotted Purple butterfly.
 

I found a zipper to put one of my zipper pulls on – wore it to church. Then I went to Daddy & Sue’s & had a photo shoot of the temperature blanket on their king sized bed. It’s a monster!
 

Monday, August 8^th   
Common buckeye butterfly. It’s so pretty and cheerful on the Sulphur cosmos.
 

My dinner – toasted naan with sliced tomato, some parm, and a fried egg. Yum!
 

Tuesday, August 9^th        
I got the necklace that matched my newest pair of earrings. Love love love!
 

Wednesday, August 10^th              
The Braves called up one of their young’uns from triple A and he hit a home run! I always love getting to see the family’s reaction when their kid does well. Also, he is ADORABLE. Ha!
 

Thursday, August 11^th         
I parted my hair slightly differently and I am not a fan.
 

This is why there’s no Super Moon photo this week. Sigh.
 

Friday, August 12^th         
My snack for the day – black cherry yogurt, sliced banana, and dark chocolate chips. Oh my was that delicious!
 

Saturday, August 13^th          
Today’s lunch – edamame, Frito twists, and lemon Nekots. It was good – although at least one of the edamame pods squirted water all over me when I tried to squeeze the bean out.
 

Dr. M had a rough week – he had some (non-medical) dad drama, and our nearly 20 year old version of Quicken stopped working so he had to come up with a new solution. I guess nothing lasts forever anymore. Harrumph. What’s the oldest piece of software or technology that you have?

Book Reviews – the July Edition

I looked the other day to see how many books I read in July (6!) & the idea of writing this post exhausted me. So, I will probably write it in chunks and then try to get it posted by the end of the month. OR I’ll finish it right now. We’ll see!
 

Busted (Will Trent #6.5) ★★★★, by Karin Slaughter. Will Trent is on his way to an undercover assignment when he makes an ill-fated decision to get an Icee at a convenience store. While he’s waiting on the machine to work someone comes in to rob the store, and all heck breaks loose & basically doesn’t stop until the (very surprising) end. A nice little short story romp into Will’s world that I listened to while waiting on another book to become available from the library.
 

The Maid ★★★★, by Nita Prose.  Molly Gray is on the autism spectrum (I think – the word autism is never mentioned) and her way of looking at the world is a bit different. She’s a maid at a swanky hotel and LOVES her job. Her main goal in life is to return each room to a “state of perfection.” One day she enters the room of a frequent guest and finds him dead. Due to a series of unfortunate events she ends up being charged with the crime. It took me a while to get into the book, but I reached a point where I was VERY HOOKED. I was invested in making sure that Molly didn’t pay for a crime she didn’t commit. Even though I wasn’t 100% sure she didn’t commit it. Lots of twists & turns – I recommend you check this one out.

Good Enough: 40ish Devotionals for a Life of Imperfection ★★★★, by Kate Bowler and Jessica Richie. Kate Bowler knows a lot about imperfection – she was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer a few years ago. She has a whimsical way of writing, and her Instagram blessings are fabulous. This book has chapters like, Mourning a Future Self (about a future that will now not happen because circumstances have changed), and The Tragedy Olympics. At the end of each chapter is a blessing, and a “good enough step” with a practical thing to do. Here’s one of the blessings: A Prayer for When You Don’t Know What to Say Blessed are you when you realize you are way out of your depth and you have no idea what to say. Blessed are you, confronted with suffering you can’t imagine, but you don’t say it. You do not say you can’t imagine their pain, because you do want to imagine. You want to be there with them, in your heart and mind, imagining what they are feeling and what they might need. Blessed are you there, silently, longing to bring comfort and ease. Your presence itself is prayer, and may the words that come be simple: I am so sorry. I love you. You are not alone. Blessed are you who refuse to join the throng of the un-suffering. But choose instead to hurt beside those suffering. And love them right there without fixing or teaching or rescuing or bright-siding. Blessed are you, there. In the love that waits for the dawn. Amen.
 

Yellow Wife ★★★★★, by Sadeqa Johnson. This book is about a slave girl who is sent to jail to be sold as a fancy girl. However, the master of the jail decides to make her his “wife.” The story is about all that she does to survive and keep her children safe. I was going to say that I had some “white woman’s tears” as I read this, and yes I did cry. But my over-arching feeling was RAGE. How in literal God’s name did people think chattel slavery was ok? Such a tough read, but such a good story, well told, about a time in our history that I don’t want swept under the rug.

 
 

This Here Flesh: Spirituality, Liberation, and the Stories That Make Us ★★★★★, by Cole Arthur Riley. Here is part of the book description from Goodreads: “[The author] boldly explores some of the most urgent questions of life and faith: How can spirituality not silence the body, but instead allow it to come alive? How do we honor, lament, and heal from the stories we inherit? In this indelible work of contemplative storytelling, Arthur Riley invites us to ponder the site of soul by examining our capacity to rest, wonder, joy, rage, and repair, and finding that our humanity is not an enemy to faith but evidence of it.” This is a GORGEOUS book. I highlighted the heck out of it, but here is just one excerpt: “I want a faith that loves the whole of me. And if I make it to the table of God, I hope it has cornbread stuffing and comfortable chairs. I mean no offense to the desert mothers and fathers eating locusts and honey and itching with camel hair, but I hope God knows how my cousin’s baked mac and cheese tastes. I hope he puts ham hocks in his greens and feels no shame.” Whew. READ IT.
 

Caraval (Caraval #1) ★★★, by Stephanie Garber. Scarlett Dragna lives on the Conquered Isle of Treesda (sp? Not sure – I listened to it) with her sister Donatella. They are oppressed by their father and dream of attending Caraval – an annual performance where audience members participate. On the eve of Scarlett’s arranged marriage they finally receive their coveted invitations, but immediately upon arrival Tella is kidnapped as part of this year’s performance. Scarlett has to find her sister to win this year’s prize – one wish. Scarlett worries too much and takes too long to find her own voice, Tella seems like a spoiled brat, and the “clues” for the mystery seem to not actually lead anywhere. But it was an interesting enough story that I might read the second book. We shall see!
 
Well, as I expected I would, I wrote this all at the same time and will go ahead & post. Tell me something good that you’re reading!

2022 Project 365 – Week Thirty-one

I’d like to apologize in advance that apparently I thought you guys would want to see me eating things this week. I don’t know why I do that, but enjoy?
Sunday, July 31^st           
We had an actual gulley-washer Sunday evening! The ditch out back was trying to do its roaring river impression. We have had a lot of rain this week.
 

Monday, August 1^st  
I took a picture of my salad at family dinner, but there was a lot of Thousand Island dressing involved and I’m not sure you need to see that. Instead, here are a couple of screenshots from my phone. First, I was pretty annoyed that Wordle wouldn’t accept my offering of uboat (it said it wasn’t a word – the nerve!). The winning word was quart, which was my next guess. Next, a new book series that my brother recommended. Has anyone else (Pam) read these?
 

Tuesday, August 2^nd       
It’s the 25^th anniversary year of the best ice cream in all the land (I know some folks dispute this). It was excellent!
 

The moon!
 

Wednesday, August 3^rd             
A battered Spicebush Swallowtail enjoying the Sulfur Cosmos.
 

Thursday, August 4^th         
This is a terrible photo taken through my dirty windshield & the truck’s dirty windshield, but I have questions. Does the fact that the second license plate is upside down signify that the driver is a Satanist? Looking for the Antichrist? Does Jesus NOT save?

 

Friday, August 5^th         
Seen around the yard…
 

I had the day off of work & went to my dad’s house to work the Puzzle that Shall Not Be Named. I asked Sue if it would be ok to have a cheese sandwich & she made me a GRILLED cheese sandwich. Yum! (Note: that’s Miracle Whip on there, not another kind of cheese. I don’t usually put mayo on my grilled cheese sandwich, but since we don’t keep Miracle Whip at home I try to have it at Daddy & Sue’s house.)
 

Saturday, August 7^th          
I got some zipper pulls from my friend who sells jewelry, and a couple of them might actually show up on zippers, but I’m really excited to use at least one of them as a stitch marker.
 

I’m “test driving” a new schedule at work where I get every other Friday off. It means working extra hours during the week, but I think it’s going to be worth it. Do you have anything new going on in your life?