The Car of the Thousand Dollars

If you look at my car

            sideways

(in a manner that could be

construed as rude)

it gets its feelings hurt

and Something inside

               it dies.

And whatever that

Something is, will

cost (at least)

one thousand dollars

               to fix.

The end.

I’m being extremely unfair to my almost 12 year old car. It has over 150,000 miles on it & still gets great gas mileage. It can’t help it that it’s elderly & over-engineered. Oh, and you might think I’m exaggerating, but this time it will actually need over $2,000 of work done.

I would use this as an excuse to get a new(er) car, but darn it I LIKE my car. It’s comfortable, I can mostly park it, and it has tumbleweeds in the corners that I would miss if it were gone.

From 2008, in happier times :)

So Ms. Saturn enjoy your week at the spa – I’ll be putting you through your paces when you get back home!

Wordless Wednesday

Relay for Life Wrap-Up

As you are no doubt aware (ad nauseam at this point), Dr. M & I participated in his school’s Relay for Life event Friday night. By the time I got up there at around 6:45 Dr. M had already been at the event for over 4 hours (on campus since 7:30 or so). We grilled some hotdogs, walked the loop, waited out the cold in the tent, walked the loop, crocheted (well, that was just me), walked the loop. There was music most of the night & they had some raffle drawings. It was a pretty small event – no doubt because of the cold weather.

When I wasn’t practically trotting I remembered my plan to walk mindfully. I slowed down and considered the path before me, and thought of the people I was there honoring. I’m a stomper (just ask our former downstairs neighbors – oy!), but I tried to tread lightly. Frankly, the loud music & cold wind weren’t really conducive to meditating. I’m going to try again the next time we go to our local fen.

By the end of the evening I was using a cane to walk. The event was supposed to end at midnight, but other folks were packing up at 10:30, so we decided to pack up too & left a little before 11:00. Dr. M was so tired and I was pretty sure that I couldn’t feel my thighs anymore. It took about 2 hours under an electric blanket for me to thaw out. Yeesh.

Then I spent the next two days in quite a bit of pain (unrelated? Not sure, really – lower back/butt/thigh pain). But today I’m feeling a lot better. I’m pretty sure I’ll survive – although at one point in the night I was not the least bit sure.

So, would I participate again? Absolutely! But next time I’m going to remember my long johns…

2013 Project 365 – Week Fifteen

So last week I was crowing about how it felt like spring, and this week it’s COLD again. That’s Ohio!

Sunday, April 7^th    

Pinky the geranium REALLY wants to escape out the window!

Goldfinch!

Dr. M set up our tent so it could air out – we used it at the Relay for Life event on Friday.

Monday, April 8^th     

Dr. M took a lot of great pictures today. You can go to his blog to see some of them or you can check out my Wordless Wednesday post if you haven’t already seen it. But here’s a teaser for you.

Tuesday, April 9^th           

Doves

Daffodils!

Wednesday, April 10^th   

Downy woodpecker.

Tis the season – a sparrow with some nesting materials.

Thursday, April 11^th    

We had a gullywasher Thursday night!

Friday, April 12^th  

Today Dr. M & I walked in the Relay for Life event on his campus. It was SO COLD – when we got home I got into bed with the electric blanket on & it still took me two hours to get warm! It was a good experience - walking around the quad, checking out the other tents, listening to the music… We didn’t quite make it until midnight. Dr. M had been on campus since 7:30 a.m. & at the event since 2:00 – he was worn out. So we left an hour early. Here are a few pictures.

The State of the Bug - cold!

One of Dr. M’s coworkers died of cancer a few weeks ago. Her family & students painted the campus rock with messages. Very poignant.

Saturday, April 13^th    

Around the yard – our daylilies are coming up and the Easter lilies we planted last year – I hope they bloom. My primrose is getting ready to be overtaken by the daisies.

The moon!

Go to Mamma Fran’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. He also takes pictures with our old reliable 7 megapixel Canon Powershot A710.  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! 

Kissing the Earth

When we walk like rushing, we print anxiety and sorrow on the earth. We have to walk in a way that we only print Peace and Serenity on the earth... Be aware of the contact between your feet and the Earth.

Walk as if you are kissing the Earth with your feet.

~ Thich Nhat Hanh

I just read these words on another blog (here – Jan is always making me think!). I often walk like my mother these days – full speed ahead as if there will be a prize (like maybe cake!) if I get there more quickly.

[No, I’m not cake obsessed – what makes you say that?]

Anyway, as I’m walking tonight I’m going to try to keep Thich Nhat Hanh’s words in mind. I’ll walk with peace and serenity, caressing creation instead of stomping on it.

Relay for Life

It’s a list I hold in my heart. Slim, Nadine, MaryAnn, Jeanine, Barry, an 18 year old girl from Kentucky for whom I prayed for two years, Lee, Ruth, Denise, Kathy…  these are the ones who’ve left us. And then there are the ones who are still here, maybe in remission, maybe still fighting, but always & forever living in its shadow. Sherri, Jenny, Bev, Terri, Kate… I am one person, with a smallish sphere of friends, (and a terrible memory – I know there are folks I’ve left off this list!). Let’s multiply me by a number too large for me to contemplate and then imagine how many people those folks know who have been affected by cancer.

I can’t really. I really can’t.

Dr. M & I are participating in his school’s Relay for Life event on Friday night, with the department of Social and Behavioral Sciences (they call themselves the Social Deviants). It’s gonna be chilly, and we’ll be there until midnight. But it’s such a small effort on our part. We’ll be laughing and mourning, walking and resting, eating and drinking, and then we’ll drive an hour home.  Piece of cake. (ooh I hope there IS cake!). It kind of sounds like a wake – maybe if we all do this often enough it will be a wake – for cancer. Boo yah!

Dr. M & I have already met our modest goals – but if you’re interested in helping out send me an email. Thanks!

Wordless Wednesday

Prayer Shawl

Unable to articulate

the prayer of my heart

my fingers fly

Single stitch

Chain chain chain

Double stitch

Double stitch

Double stitch

Yarn over and over

until fear and rage

turn into love

This shawl is going out to a friend, a breast cancer survivor, who is now in treatment for colon cancer. 

50x50 Update

It's the long awaited progress report on my 50x50 project! I know you've just been beside yourselves with curiosity wondering how I'm doing. Well, first of all, here are some more items for the list (if you'll recall, I'd gotten up to 35 before).

36. Finish reading the Mary Russell books.
37. Cook something new once per month (yeah – I’m not aiming for the moon here – ha!).
38. Go through my closet with a fierce and brutal eye.
39. See Anne & Ken face to face again.
40. Write my 1000th blog post.
41. Take Dr. M to Trader Joe’s
42. Write down all the movies we watch (so I can remember if I’ve watched the movie – sheesh!).
43. Go see Spam-A-Lot
44. Go to a performance at the Schuster center.
45. Visit Siebenthaler Fen once per season (Spring is done)

46. Go to the NC Outer Banks
47. Write & post 40 poems no matter how bad they are.
48. Come up with two more things by the time I’m 50!

So, how am I doing? Well, let's just say that all the personal improvement goals are a work in progress. I have worked hard to do more things than just hang out on the computer, and I've been gazelling semi-regularly. And I've actually lost some weight, so I think the food battle is a little more under control.

There are some things that I've accomplished (or have scheduled) & to make myself feel better I'm going to list them here :)

2. Go see the Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit at the Cincinnati Museum Center.

4. Go to an exhibit at the local historical society museum. (Scheduled)
11. Go see Les Miserables in the theater.
12. Go to a Cincinnati Reds baseball game. (Scheduled)
20. Get my hair trimmed at least twice! (this is half completed)
43. Go see Spam-A-Lot (Scheduled)
45. Visit Siebenthaler Fen once per season (Spring is done)
46. Go to the NC Outer Banks (scheduled)

I have to say that all of this list making & checking is exhausting - I just hope I can keep track of it all for the next year!

2013 Project 365 – Week Fourteen

Finally it feels like spring around here! We did still have some pretty cold temps in the mornings (it was 19 when I left for work one morning), but the afternoons have warmed up nicely. Right now it’s 73 degrees – woot! I think I need to do this post in a hurry so I can go outside & enjoy the weather!

Sunday, March 31^st    

Easter at church – we all put a flower in the cross.

The State of the Bug: I wore another one of my grandmother’s hats to church. As I said on facebook: I'm intrigued by the sassy tassel - I'm not sure I ever knew sassy tassel Mamaw :)

Monday, April 1^st    

The campus herd. I like the green eyes…

These dudes make me laugh out loud – especially the one on the right. Ha!

Tuesday, April 2^nd           

On Monday one of my coworkers had us convinced that she had resigned effective immediately. She was even putting her things in a box. Of course it was an April Fool joke. We told her that she had to bring us cake to make it up to us – and this is what she brought – carrot cake cupcakes. It’s as big as my head! (Ok, I exaggerate, but really – it’s huge!). Thanks Mary!

Meanwhile, Dr. M was stalking doves against a gorgeous blue sky.

Wednesday, April 3^rd   

The moon!

Chickadee at a birdhouse – now you see him, now you don’t!

Squirrel.

Mama cardinal.

Nuthatch, in a rare upright position.

  

Thursday, April 4^th    

We rarely see bluebirds up here – it was really cool that Dr. M was able to capture one.

The flowers of spring – ah!

Friday, April 5^th  

Dr. M’s picture of the early morning moon…

Meanwhile, I was taking this picture of the sun…

Pinky is about to burst through the window – she’s ready to head outside…

As I was getting ready to leave work, my cousin Kim called. We had a great 20-30 minute talk. After it was over I noticed that I had phone ear – and it reminded me of all the times my mom would get off the phone with her best friend Sue, red ear blazing. Made me smile.

Saturday, April 6^th    

On Saturday Dr. M & I went to see the Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit at the Cincinnati Museum Center. It was pretty fascinating (if CROWDED!!). I enjoyed seeing all the artifacts – it’s amazing to think of putting those broken jars together with the shards they found. We weren’t allowed to take pictures of the actual scroll fragments, but my main thought about them is I didn’t realize how small they are. All that tiny writing – makes my head hurt to imagine trying to make sense of them!

As we left the exhibit we saw this artifact – ha! It was in an exhibit about the role played by Hebrew Union College in Cincinnati with regards to recovering the scrolls, etc. This is the desk of Martin Abegg. The computer is the one on which he assembled the "bootleg" copy of the scrolls that broke the long monopoly on full access to them.

After we finished the exhibit we impulsively decided to watch the IMAX movie about the Flight of the Butterfly. VERY interesting tale about the migration of the monarch butterfly – I highly recommend it.

Go to Mamma Fran’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. He also takes pictures with our old reliable 7 megapixel Canon Powershot A710.  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!