A strange...

I had the table all cluttered up with my laptop, tripod and various books and papers.  So, of course Stormy had to be in the middle of all of that.  She especially likes to get under the papers and scoot them all over the place.  Tell me, please, if you have a sure-fire way of keeping your kitty off the table and other places you don't want them!  I fail to have any luck in this area.  Of course, it doesn't help if my hubby laughs and thinks it's funny that she does this.  
                                                          
Now for the strange.  I spotted this poor little female Cardinal outside my window eating from my new bird feeder that was one of my birthday gifts.   At first glance I wasn't sure what it was.  Here she is followed by a closer shot.

The poor little bird looks like she's been scalped!  I've seen her several times at the feeder lately.  I can't help wondering what happened to her feathers.  Any thoughts?

About New Editor...I've had trouble this morning with placing photos where I want them.  The first photo was supposed to be in the center and it says "center" but as you can see it's not and it won't let me move it.  I've had this trouble before.  And other problems I won't go into now because it's time for me to get to work and quit playing with my blog!  Hope you have a great day.  It's going to be windy here, but at least the sun is shining.

Until next time...

A funny

This funny story has made the email rounds before and just recently again.  I wanted to share it with you in case you haven't seen it.  I laughed so hard I cried! 

Dear Diary,

For my birthday this year, my Husband (the dear) purchased a week of personal training at the local health club for me.  Although I am still in great shape since being a high school football cheerleader 43 years ago, I decided it would be a good idea to go ahead and give it a try.  I called the club and made my reservations with a personal trainer named Christo, who identified himself as a 26-year-old aerobics instructor and model for athletic clothing and swim wear.   My husband seemed pleased with my enthusiasm to get started! The club encouraged me to keep a diary to chart my progress.

MONDAY:

Started my day at 6:00 a.m. Tough to get out of bed, but found it was well worth it when I arrived at the health club to find Christo waiting for me. He is something of a Greek god – with blond hair, dancing eyes and a dazzling white smile. Woo Hoo!!   Christo gave me a tour and showed me the machines.. I enjoyed watching the skillful way in which he conducted his aerobics class after my workout today. Very inspiring!  Christo was encouraging as I did my sit-ups, although my gut was already aching from holding it in the whole time he was around.. This is going to be a FANTASTIC week-!!

TUESDAY:

I drank a whole pot of coffee, but I finally made it out the door. Christo made me lie on my back and push a heavy iron bar into the air then he put weights on it! My legs were a little wobbly on the treadmill, but I made the full mile. His rewarding smile made it all worthwhile. I feel GREAT-!! It’s a whole new life for me.

WEDNESDAY:

The only way I can brush my teeth is by laying the toothbrush on the counter and moving my mouth back and forth over it. I believe I have a hernia in both pectorals. Driving was OK as long as I didn’t try to steer or stop. I parked on top of a GEO in the club parking lot.  Christo was impatient with me, insisting that my screams bothered other club members. His voice is a little too perky for that early in the morning and when he scolds, he gets this nasally whine that is VERY annoying.   My chest hurt when I got on the treadmill, so Christo put me on the stair monster. Why the hell would anyone invent a machine to simulate an activity rendered obsolete by elevators? Christo told me it would help me get in shape and enjoy life. He said some other crap, too.

THURSDAY:

The Jerk was waiting for me with his vampire-like teeth exposed as his thin, cruel lips were pulled back in a full snarl. I couldn’t help being a half an hour late – it took me that long to tie my shoes.  He took me to work out with dumbbells. When he was not looking, I ran and hid in the restroom.  He sent some skinny broad to find me.  Then, as punishment, he put me on the rowing machine — which I sank.

FRIDAY:

I hate that Christo more than any human being has ever hated any other human being in the history of the world. Stupid, skinny, anemic, anorexic little aerobic instructor. If there was a part of my body I could move without unbearable pain, I would beat him with it.  Christo wanted me to work on my triceps. I don’t have any triceps! And if you don’t want dents in the floor, don’t hand me the stupid barbells or anything that weighs more than a sandwich.  The treadmill flung me off and I landed on a health and nutrition teacher. Why couldn’t it have been someone softer, like the drama coach or the choir director?

SATURDAY:

Satan left a message on my answering machine in his grating, shrilly voice wondering why I did not show up today. Just hearing his voice made me want to smash the machine with my planner; however, I lacked the strength to even use the TV remote and ended up catching eleven straight hours of the Weather Channel.

SUNDAY:

I’m having the Church van pick me up for services today so I can go and thank GOD that this week is over. I will also pray that next year my husband will choose a gift for me that is fun — like a root canal or a hysterectomy. I still say if God had wanted me to bend over, he would have sprinkled the floor with diamonds!!!

Until next time...

Happy April!

I've always loved the sound of the word "April".  Maybe because it says spring to me.  At any rate...Happy April!  No, I don't have any plans yet for an April Fool for my hubby, but I'm working on it.  My son will be sure to pull something, I know.  My daughter always gets her dad.  Have you been April Fooled today? 

I just haven't had a lot of time for blogging lately, but I've tried to do some visiting.  We have so many projects we're involved in or trying to get off the ground that it's becoming a bit overwhelming.  And that's why I'm here now, taking a break!   It is a busy time of year for everyone, I know.  Are you ahead of the game or overwhelmed with projects like we are?

The bathroom is yet to be started on, but we have measured and planned and now are trying to decide on the beadboard and a vanity.  We may keep our old vanity, just spruce it up a bit with paint, new hardware and a counter top.  Here are a couple of pix I got off the internet of different sizes of beadboard.

This bathroom is similar to ours but ours is wider.  So many pieces will have to be cut.  I wonder if we do-it-yourself-ers can handle this job?  Hubby thinks we can.  I'm not so optimistic.  Why don't we hire this work done?  I asked this too and got a "We can do this"!   Hubby will never let anyone else do something he thinks he can do.  Shh...don't tell him I said that. 

I'm showing this one because the beadboard is wider than in the other photo.  I like this wider look of the boards.  But not sure I can find this in 4X8 sheets.  I will have to look at Lowe's again, which is where we'll probably get our materials.  Decisions, decisions.  Narrow or wider boards, keep vanity or buy new.  Just the planning is hard work! 

This is not my living room but I just love the sofa.   I'm thinking it might be a slipcover which is something I'd love to have.   An impractical white slipcover!  A sofa has been ordered at a furniture store that looks like what I'm looking for.  They said I didn't have to take it if it is not the right color.  It's really hard to tell true colors in a brochure.  Keeping fingers crossed here.  Wonder what it costs to have slipcovers made? 

That's all my ramblings for today.   Back to work I go.   Hope you have a wonderful weekend.

Until next time...

Still hunting

What a yucky day we had here in mid-Missouri.  It started out very windy and cold then the snow began.  It was pretty heavy at first and looked like it could stick around, but luckily it tapered off to a lighter snow and hasn't accumulated much.  I hope it's over.  But the forecast did put a damper on my plans for today.  We wanted to go to KC to see our son and go sofa shopping but that didn't happen.   So I spent some time online looking.   Here are a few examples of what I've seen that are close to what I'm looking for.

 

I may be too picky, but I prefer a skirt on my sofa and I'm not too fond of the nail heads, but the color is perfect.  

 

I also like this color really well, but there are those pesky nail heads again.

This one looks very comfortable and is a Lazy-Boy reclining sofa.  It may be a bit too light in color.  I'm sure they would have other colors.

I did find a sofa with chair and ottoman that I really liked in CoMo, but it only came in one color and it wasn't one that would go with my living room color, and we're not painting again so soon!  I guess you can tell that I'm looking at a neutral colors or something in a light brown.  I want to be able to change the accent colors or use a patterned fabric on the pillows.  

Missouri bloggers, where do you shop for furniture?  Columbia doesn't have as many furniture stores as they once did.  A couple of my favorite stores have closed.   A friend reminded me of a furniture store in a smaller town that I hadn't thought of so I'll be checking it out soon.  I still hope to find a few more stores to look around in.  I like to think that I'll just walk in and a sofa will call my name.  So far, that hasn't happened.  

Hope your weekend is a good one!  Until next time...

Birds...

I had too much fun sitting on the patio in the warm afternoon taking photos of various birds.  So if you don't like birds, just skip this post!  This Bluebird photo isn't very clear, but I just had to include it.  I'll get this guy in a better shot yet.  We feel very fortunate to have a few pairs in our backyard.  Isn't he a beauty?

The female Bluebird.  

 Red-headed Woodpecker.  I could only get a clear shot of his back.

Downy Woodpecker. 

Looks like he's trying to decide which morsel he wants.

A Robin, looking sleek and handsome.

A Mourning Dove, whose voice is very distinctive.

Tufted Titmouse

Red-winged Blackbird.  The red isn't showing up very well in this not so 

clear photo, but I had to include him.  They are a favorite and are

always around the pond and love the cattails.  

Eurasian-collared Dove.  He looks similar to the Mourning Dove

but is a lighter gray and has a black collar on his nape.

I spied a pair of Meadowlarks walking in the pasture, but they didn't stand still long enough to get a photo that was clear.  I'll keep looking for them.  

I just love birdwatching and the biggest thrill of all yesterday was seeing my first Bald Eagles!  My hubby had gotten home from work and had joined me on the patio.  We were chatting and watching the birds when both of us spotted a pair of big birds or hawks of some kind flying toward our house.  We watched and saw the white heads as they got nearer and realized they were Bald Eagles.  They were flying fairly low, too.   I was so in awe that by the time I grabbed my camera and focused, they had flown over the house.   What a surprise it was to see them!   You can bet I'll be keeping a watch out for them again and try to be ready with the camera.

Have a good week, everyone.  Tomorrow I'm going to be hunting for a new sofa. 

Until next time...

In and over the pond...

Good Monday morning!  It turned out to be a beautiful warm spring day yesterday.  Today looks like more of the same.  I plan to enjoy it as much as I can, because this is Missouri you know.  Wait five minutes and the weather is sure to change!

While taking a break from cleaning the garage and cleaning out an outside storage building, I sat down at the patio table and gazed out over the pond.  I spied some little ducks swimming around and diving under the water.

I went inside and grabbed my camera and sat back down to try to get a decent shot.  They spent as much time under the water as above.  These little ducks are called a Bufflehead duck.  The male is the duck with the large white patch on the back of his head.   I haven't seen them this morning, so it was just a quick visit apparently.

I was disappointed that the skies were too cloudy Saturday night to get a photo of the perigee moon.  But last night around 9:30 I went outside and got a few shots even though it was a bit cloudy.   This moon was over the pond, but I zoomed in and didn't get the reflection of it on the pond. 

And the next shot was taken by the same camera even though the moon looks a different color.



Can you see the lighter area around the moon?  And there is still a lingering bit of clouds over this moon shot.  I'm not sure why the two shots show the moon in different colors.  Maybe someone with more knowledge of photography can tell me.  All I can say is that I'm so glad I didn't have to wait until 2029 to get another chance at the super moon...when I'll only be 83!

Until next time...

Friday thoughts...

It's Friday!  And Sunday is the first day of Spring!!  A day we've all been waiting for and especially for those of us who have just gone through an exceedingly long, cold and snowy winter.   And did you know that Saturday's full moon will be the biggest in almost 20 years?  It will be what is called a super "perigee moon."  When it's at perigee, the moon is about 31,000 miles closer to earth!  This full moon will rise in the east at sunset and should look especially big at that time.  Try to get a look at it as it won't happen again until 2029.  I hope to, but it's calling for rain here. 

My heart is so saddened by the troubling and terrible events going on all over world right now and in Japan in particular.  The stories are so heartbreaking, such as the 30 school children still waiting quietly in a classroom for their parents to pick them up, or the father who walked 8 miles to get his children some water, or the rescuer who returned home only to find his whole family gone.  There are many other stories and images that will not be soon forgotten. 

I am in awe of the dignity of the people of Japan and the respect they show their fellow man.  You do not read stories of looting or angry fighting breaking out among their people like I'm afraid would be all too common in our country.  Some of our people could learn some lessons in showing respect and being disciplined, if they just would.  I will be praying for the people of Japan and know that you are also.  

Until next time...

It's Wednesday already!

 

  This is a test.  

A Shamrock Shake and a Chocolate Shake...guess which one is mine?  

 Just seeing if you remembered anything from my list of 65 things.  :D

I just know you are all dying to know the answer.

It'll be at the end of the post.

This is what you see on the table in the photo above this one.  My daughter and I had the shakes and a game of Mexican Train going.  I lost.  I seem to be on a losing streak lately when it comes to games.  I also lost quite a few card games recently.  I don't even want to talk about it.  (Son, you can quit laughing now.) 

We had snow yesterday and I was worried about my geese that I know must be egg-sitting by the pond.  But today the sun came out and it warmed up and there they were taking a little swim on the pond.  I'm anxious to see how many little ones they have.  Just hope the coyote or fox don't get them. 

I'm not making as much progress on the spring cleaning as I'd like to.  I seem to get sidetracked all too often.  We cleaned in the basement and threw away a bunch of stuff and have quite a bit more to do.  Next on the agenda is to get someone lined up to put on the shingles.  I've We've decided on the architectural shingles instead of the metal roofing.  And  we will soon tackle a bathroom.  I'm still grumbling about that one...but Hubby thinks that we can do it fairly easily.  I know how these things go...this time next year, we'll still be trying to finish putting up the beadboard.  :D 

What projects do you have going this spring?  I hope to post more often than I have been, but you know how it is when you get busy and time slips away.  If I can't post, I'll try to at least visit!  Have a great Wednesday!

Until next time... 

*The flavor of choice is.....Chocolate! 

Thursday's three time thieves...

Here they are...the culprits.  It's all their fault that I'm not getting

all the work done that I had planned to do.  

They are so interesting and have such fabulous photos and ideas! 

And then I had to go by the Upscale/Resale shop while in Columbia on an errand.

And picked up these gardening/flower magazines and quite a few Southern Living. 

They entice me to start daydreaming about the beautiful flower gardens that I just

know we will have this year.  Uh, did I just hear Hubby grab his suitcase 

and leave in his pickup?  Hey, you come back!  I'll need the pickup to haul the shrubs in! 

How is one supposed to work with all these temptations around?  What?  Did I

hear someone say "Hide them"?  Great idea, but that's what I've been doing.

Trying to weed out all the stuff I don't love, need or use.

To make more room for things like excess magazines that 

I have a hard time throwing away and books that need bookcases. 

I guess in the meantime, I'll just shove them under the bed.

Oh wait!  It's already crowded under there, too!

I've also been busy in the kitchen rearranging dishes and putting away my sets of

winter dishes and getting out the spring/summer ones.  I bought a few plates 

of a Cindy Crawford pattern last spring on impulse.  I've decided that I don't

really love them, so I'm glad I only bought plates and not the whole set.  Do you

have impulse buys that you regret?  I think the main complaint I have about

the plates is that they don't stack well and take up too much room.  Each 

plate seems to be a different size.  

Okay, back to reading work.  I'll be away from blogland for a few days again.

Hope to see you next week.  Have a great weekend!

Until next time...

Marching along...

March...spring is coming in two weeks and a birthday is coming this month, too.  Yours truly will be turning the big 6-5 this month.  I really can't believe I'm that old until I start doing some things I've been too lazy to do this winter, then my ole achy joints tell me I am.  Anyway, to celebrate my upcoming birthday I will share with you 65 things you may not know about me.  So here are those 65 utterly non-earthshaking as you can possibly get, and in no particular order, things: 

  1.  I hate spiders.
  2.  I like to play the piano, when I have one.
  3.  My favorite season is Autumn.
  4.  I hate licorice.
  5.  I have a daughter and a son. 
  6.  One ankle is bigger than the other due to 3 breaks in the joint after falling on ice many years ago.
  7.  I never was a Girl Scout but was in a 4-H Club.
  8.  I drove 4000 miles on a 2 week vacation a few years ago.
  9.  I walked with a cane for a long time.  (See #6 above)
10.  I'm a Christian.
11.  My kitchen is always clean.
12.  I love card games and many board games.
13.  I rarely watch TV.
14.  I've lived in Missouri my whole life.
15.  I've been married nearly 40 years.
16.  I don't own a dress, but will wear skirts.
17.  I loved growing up on a farm.
18.  I've never had a speeding ticket in my life.
19.  I've had 3 warnings about speeding.
20.  My favorite soda is Pepsi.
21.  I hate dirty anything.
22.  I love chocolate anything.
23.  I was a middle child, between two brothers.
24.  I sleep on my right side.
25.  My favorite breakfast on the weekend is bacon, eggs and toast.
26.  I love music.
27.  I love fried country ham sandwiches with a slice of tomato.
28.  I love to read.
29.  I used to have a square grand piano.
30.  I love green beans right out of the garden.
31.  I wore contacts nearly 40 years.
32.  My eyes are green with some brown around the pupil rimmed with blue.
33.  I love Chinese food.
34.  I don't like humid weather.
35.  I hate icy roads.
36.  I have Meniere's.
37.  I've taught Sunday school classes for children.
38.  I love going to flea markets and garage sales.
39.  I attended a one room country school my first 6 years.
40.  I like to go fishing.
41.  I love to sit on my patio in the summer evenings.
42.  I've had several German Shepherd's for pets.
43.  My only pet now is a cat named Stormy.
44.  I love grilled steaks, beef or pork.
45.  I've been friends with V. for 50 years.
46.  I love flowers.
47.  I love to laugh.
48.  I never liked camping.
49.  I went to college for two years.
50.  I was bitten by a snake twice while swimming in a pond when I was teenager.
51.  Our house burned down when I was 9 years old.
52.  I'm scared of heights.
53.  Branson is one of my favorite vacations spots in MO.
54.  I was stung by a jellyfish in the Atlantic.
55.  I wanted to be a ballerina when I was a little girl.
56.  I was very shy when younger.
57.  I've worked part-time in a flower shop.
58.  I used to paint with acrylics.
59.  I didn't cook until I got married.
60.  The one job I hated growing up was washing dishes.
61.  I love my dishwasher.
62.  I could use more patience.
63.  I love quilts.
64.  My favorite decorating style is probably cottage style. 
65.  I like a little mystery, so I don't tell about everything I do, everywhere I go, or talk about everyone I know. 

Until next time...