2012 Project 365 – Week Thirty-three

It’s been a pretty quiet week around here. There was another sign that summer is almost over – Dr. M had to go to school this week for meetings & convocation in preparation for the start of classes next week.

Saturday, August 11^th

Our heirloom Mr. Stripy tomatoes aren’t pretty but my goodness are they tasty!

Sunday, August 12^th  

Mr. & Mrs. Goldfinch had a date in our front hanging basket. You can read all about it in Dr. M’s post here.

Monday, August 13^th   

Our second sunflower is looking pretty. Hopefully the squirrel will leave this one alone.

The miniature rosebush has been so lovely all summer long.

You can read about this meal here.

Tuesday, August 14^th

I followed this van on my way to work. I never did see what company it belonged to, but I had to laugh at the cows staring at me.

The bird feeders have been busy as usual.

Our pet chickens (actually these chickens seem to belong to the whole neighborhood – ha!)

Wednesday, August 15^th   

The State of the Bug – looking like a homeless fisherperson on Hat Day at work.

The Tax Time Pig – I wonder if this is what Jezebel looked like?

Sunflowers that Dr. M gets to see on his commute – so pretty.

Thursday, August 16^th         

Roses on Dr. M’s campus – I love their cotton candy lemonade colors. You should check out Dr. M’s post here with more rose pictures.

Common Buckeye butterfly.

I saw these frowny face cookies at a local bakery. They were marketing them to moms to put in back-to-school lunches. Of course I had to get some for Dr. M.

Friday, August 17^th          

Ah, a peaceful end to the week – these ladies know how to relax. 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. 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! 

At the End of Summer

The sun is warm on my face

And my belly is full of ripe fruit.

If my eyes drift shut

And I murmur your name

As if in a dream

We can blame the cantaloupe.

Almost Wordless...Tuesday

Shouldn't that be Taciturn Tuesday? Am I even able to be taciturn? I see you smirking out there. But really, my dinner from last night was almost too beautiful for words...

Chicken Salad Platter from Bob Evans. With a side of banana bread - of course!

I ate about half of that - I'm eating the rest for lunch today. Yum!

Sundays in Zambia - the Croc Farm

This post originally appeared in February 2010.

One of the duties as a Journeyman was to help run herd on oversee the missionary children at our annual Mission Meeting held at Lake Kariba. This particular year we decided to take a field trip to the local crocodile farm. We saw lots of different sizes of crocodiles (including huge Satan) and the kids made me hold one. This is another example of being picked on because I was loved. It was love, right? Right? And that's the end of the story.

Here we come – watch out!

Wait, I'm too short – what are you guys looking at?

Satan!

Don't I just look thrilled? At least they didn't ask me to hold Satan.

2012 Project 365 – Week Thirty-two

As I’m working on this post on Saturday afternoon it is 75 degrees outside. 75! In fact, I was sitting out in our swing reading a book & had to come in because it was too cool for the shorts I was wearing. Wow.

Saturday, August 4^th

Last year around this time I wrote about our out-of-control geranium (you know – the 5 year old one). Apparently pinky decided that last year’s out-of-control was just a warm up for this year’s out-of-control!

Sunday, August 5^th  

Dr. M & I visited a wildlife management area Sunday afternoon. I saw this graffiti in the parking log – reminded me of Steve Reed!

Here is Dr. M doing what he does best. I’m including a couple of pictures from our walk, but to see the others check out his post.

Monday, August 6^th   

I’ve gotten behind on my birthday letter writing project – I had to mail out five letters today. Oops!

Chicken chilling out in our back yard.

Our great horned tomato!

This was the same day as the great squirrel escapade. I love this picture of the sparrows against a blue blue sky.

Tuesday, August 7^th

Pinky the geranium isn’t the only out-of-control flower in our back yard!

Wednesday, August 8^th   

Another in our series of Cows Staring At Dr. M.

The State of the Bug – messy bun head!

Thursday, August 9^th         

A lovely hummingbird visiting our backyard hanging basket.

Dr. M is the pied piper of chickens. Every time he fills the bird feeders (like our new fancy schmancy red roofed feeders?) they come running to get their handout. Yes, they’re spoiled. Is it any wonder they think they belong to us?

Friday, August 10^th          

As if Monday’s squirrel escapade wasn’t enough, here is another example of squirrel intrepitude (did I just make up a word?). He looks left, and then right, and seeing that the feeders are empty, decides to just leave.

It was cool enough last night to have a fire in the fire pit! In fact, I had to come back in the house & put on long pants, shoes & grab the shawl that Robin sent me after my surgery last year. It was lovely…

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! 

Thankful Thursday

Here is a picture of me from last August 9th:


Who takes pictures of themselves in the hospital? Bloggers! That's who!


Yesterday was the one year anniversary of my hip surgery. One year! I had planned to have cake, but I forgot. Fortunately I went out to dinner with my friend Joanne & had ice cream, so that was good.

I still walk kind of sideways when I get tired, but otherwise I'm so pleased with my new hip. I'm walking for exercise every day and the only thing slowing me down is my natural sloth.

Feeling kind of nostalgic, I looked back at some posts from last year. Here is some commentary from a post from August 31:

"...I didn’t really know when I walked into the Evendale Medical Center and sat up on the bed in pre-op that I would never feel that peculiar burning, throbbing pain again. I climbed awkwardly upon that bed, swung my legs up onto it, and that’s the last time my hip hurt in that way.

Not that I’m pain free now. The eight & a half inch scar apparently will take some time to heal. And I’m doing all these exercises which, you know, can make you sore if you haven’t been working out (hint: I haven’t been working out). So my entire body aches at various points during the day.

But not that one searing, jabbing, can-I-just-sit-down-now pain. That one’s gone.

Can I have an amen?"

The scar is healed. My hip is great. And that's pretty darn thank-making on this Thursday.

Your Mission, Should You Choose To Accept It...

A squirrel on a mission...

Skulking through the shadows...

His goal is in sight...

Now what?

I wonder if he hears this music in his head? I know I do when I watch him!

Sundays in Zambia - Cross Stitch

This post originally appeared in February 2010.

The Women's Ministry missionary talked me into teaching a class on cross stitch at their annual Women's Missionary Union meeting. Teaching is not my spiritual gift. (I haven't quite figured out what my gift is, although at the time I thought it was bookkeeping J). I picked a simple pattern, although that ended up not mattering at all. After picking the pattern I had to figure out what we would be using for fabric. I decided that mealy meal bags were just the ticket! I cut them into squares & put tape around the edges.

Please note two things about this picture: The roll of pink toilet paper beside me on the floor. I had a bad cold and this was my "Kleenex." Also, the picture on the table behind me is of my parents, my brother, Mom's dog, and me. This picture has traveled with me from office to office. My current office only has room for one picture so I don't have it there – but if I ever have more room it's going back to the office with me.

The rest of the pictures are of me explaining and of the women sewing. I thought I did an ok job. However, the next morning some of the women brought their work to me to review. It was some of the most beautiful embroidery I had ever seen. Embroidery is not cross-stitch. Hmm. I think my career choice as NOT A TEACHER was the correct one LOL. Sadly, I didn't take any picture of the embroidery.

Just look at those ginormous glasses! I usually wore them when I traveled if I wasn't sure about electricity (I had to boil my contacts each night in a special contraption. No, I didn't even consider going a night without boiling them. I was a good girl. Except for that business about the Intercontinental Hotel).

Next week – our trip to the croc farm!