The Happy Couple!

Vic & I last Saturday, after the St. Patty's Day Parade.

Birds & Birds & Birds, Oh My!

A Tufted Titmouse, Chickedee, Morning Dove & Downy Woodpecker are just some of the visitors I've seen out back this morning!

Spring is in the Air!

Just the faintest sweet flowery scent in the air today! Yay!

11:56pm, Saturday 3/21/09

11:56pm
Can't sleep
Bagpipes playing in my mind
WIDE awake
Uneasy - why?
Long day yesterday
Long day today
No resting tomorrow
Xanadu is on?!

3rd Sign of Spring!

Our 2nd sign of Spring

I found this little hyacinth yesterday out by the grill, about 2 feet away from where I originally planted it (and 5 others) last Spring after Easter or Mother's Day. (Stinkin' squirrels). Pic taken this morning.

Our first sign of Spring

Taken 3/11/09, out back along the fence.

I thoroughly enjoyed our taste of spring today. I had the windows open from the time I got up until sundown. I wrote this morning. Was unable to identify a new feathered visitor out back and watched the Cardinals, the Blue Jay & the Morning Doves off & on (all day). Went to the library downtown with Mom & Aunt Judy this afternoon so they could check out the books for sale. Did LOTS of laundry. Hubby came home early. We spent the evening on the couch, having dinner & watching tv. I picked up knitting my earthy colors scarf.

I checked out 2 audio books this afternoon, "Pilgrims" by Elizabeth Gilbert (unfortunately not read by her) and "To Kill A Mockingbird" by Harper Lee, read by Sissy Spacek. (One of my all time favorite reads and I love Sissy so I couldn't resist!)

Needing another cup of green tea (decaff given the hour) & a snack, I heated some raspberry preserves & drizzled it over one of the angel foodcake cupcakes I got at Foodtown earlier on the way home. YUM!

The cats are all sleeping out here in the livingroom. Some are snoring! It's time for me to get some rest too. There's a spot on my right tonsil and a bit of pain going from that area into my ear. I used my Neti Pot after dinner to help cleanse my nasal & sinus passages as I've been clogged up for a couple of days now. (It really helps & I should do it even when I'm feeling alright). I'm doubling up on some vitamins & drinking extra green tea. I want to kick this - antibiotics aren't working at all for me anymore. So, I'll try do to it myself.

Happy St. Patty's Day!

"May you always be blessed

With walls for the wind,

A roof for the rain,
A warm cup of tea by the fire- -

Laughter to cheer you,

Those you love near you,

And all that your heart

might desire."

~An Old Gaelic Blessing

Did you know? Corned beef is English! Irish actually ate cabbage and thick, cured bacon on this day. (They didn't have corned beef). Also, blue is the "National color" of Ireland.

A link in keeping with the day: http://www.irishcultureandcustoms.com/

11:14pm

11:14pm (3/16/09)

Watching a documentary

Tennessee is so beautiful

Head & nose all stuffy

Out of ZyrtekD - sigh

Want to read but distracted by my clogged head

Hubby's snoring a little, restless a lot

I worry about him

He's so tired, works so much

Doesn't get to do what he enjoys often enough

(If at all)

He willingly took my burdens & made them his own

I'm still not used to being taken care of

Makes me uncomfortable, guilty

I took care of things for so many years

Are 2 persons "stuff" too much for 1 person?

Even a good, strong man?

I know what it is to do more than my "fair share"

Though the situation was completely different

Is the end result the same?

9:36pm

9:36pm

I'm craving insect noises
Sweet & sticky humidity
Grassy fields w/wild flowers
Southern drawls
Thunder rumbling off aways
A balmy breeze
Vic's damp hand around mine
Eyes closed
Listening to nature

11:36am

11:36am

Mourning Dove cooing

Downy Woodpecker chirping

Air chilling

Pinky kittie petting

Cardinal singing

Blue Jay calling

Windchimes tinkering

Hubby working

Nephew sleeping

I'm freezing!

5:53pm

5:53pm

Downy Woodpecker chirping

Hairy Woodpecker ra-ta-tat-tating

Pinky Kittie whining

Children yelling

Chilli bubbling

Hubby on his way home

Loving

A very short piece

A freewrite written this afternoon from Holli's prompt from last week over at CoW. (The front door slams shut behind me and I'm...)

The front door slams shut behind me and I'm...

Out on out front porch. The air smells like fresh rain, sweet & humid. I put the laundry bag down and turn to look at the mess Mother Nature has revealed with the recent thaw, Old Man Winter's last snow melted into the dirt, and sigh. Twigs & branches in and around everything. Bits & pieces of garbage blown from the dumpsters and what "accidentally" falls out of the cars in the parking lot. More, lots more of the same in the back yard, though little garbage. Too much to ignore, though too wet & mushy to do anything about today.

My mind is itching to be in Spring mode. What needs to be cleaned up, thrown out? Which pots need their paint refreshed? (All of them this year!) What's going to go where? (Veggies out front, full sun - but what else? Shade flowers out back). Another sigh. I haven't looked through all of the seed catalogs yet.

So much to do.

For now, I pick up the laundry bag and head to the basement.

Tootin' My Own Horn!

Ok, so when I should've felt good about how I looked I didn't (that damn hindsight) and I don't feel good about how I look at this weight very often, but today I think I look damn good!

The day started and ended the same: Sunny with a hint of warmth in the gentle breeze. The rest of the day was dim and chilly. Looked like rain.

Our tenants got off on a technicality thanks to Managments' attorney and the judge had no choice legally but to dismiss. (Property Manager VERY peeved to say the least. It's her (the attorney) job to know the laws and submit a complete complaint. She was given all of the required & necessary documentation by Management to do so). So that was a waste of 4 hours.

We didn't make it to Philly. We left court, had lunch near home, picked up Hubby's antibiotics and came home. He was asleep less than 15 minutes later & still is now, a few hours later. He promised me that we'll go tomorrow, but if he's still this sick, I'm not holding him to it. Worse comes to worse, we'll go Sunday. Or there's always next year.

A New & Uncomfortable Experience

I'm in the waiting area of our County Court House Civil/Tenant division. Hubby and our property manager are appearing today regarding a specific apartment and its' tenants, who, unfortunately, may be evicted as a result. (Please know they have been given every last opportunity & then some to change their situation, even long before Hubby took over the complex 3 years ago). I'm only here either to drive Hubby home (whopping sinus infection) or if he feels better, we'll head down to the Philly Flower Show.

So here I wait and listen to bits & pieces of conversations going on around me.

I nearly ended up here a few times in the past, only I would've been a defendant, not just here as a tag-a-long. What a humiliating experience it would have been. I can see that by being here today. There is such an obvious distinction, a line drawn, between the plantiff's and defendants. Plantiff's appear arrogant, high & mighty. Tenant's appear to have their tails between their legs, embarrassed & begging for more time. I thank God I never had to appear.

There's a chance I may have to speak with the judge re these tenants. I don't really want to but will if asked. They are the type to take this personally & be spiteful even though this has nothing to do with myself or Hubby and it's not personal.

Nearly time for bed. Early day tomorrow. Hubby has to appear with the property managment in court re: an apartment, then we're off to the Philly Flower Show. (Hope the second try is a charm).

Had my iv today. No bad reaction this go around. Just the usual wheezy-ness and feeling tired, thank goodness.

If you are a creative (no matter your outlet), try to catch the following on NJN/PBS or whatever your local public station may be: The Great American Quilt Revival and Craft in America. I have been watching both this evening. VERY inspiring.

Had hoped to get caught up on reading Jane (Eyre) and Edgar (Sawtelle) during & after my iv today but my nurse was chatty as was my mom who didn't leave until 2pm, 2 hours or so after my iv was overwith. Once alone, I decided to write my reply to my CoL pen pal who's letter arrived this morning. (Due to my anal retentive tendencies, this took a while). I've mailed out 2 letters so far and will be mailing another this weekend. (Will also be receiving a few more too!) I love snail mail!

Well, the ol' lids are starting to droop so I'll bid farewell & until I post again!

And Everything Nice

HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY BABY GIRL, B!!!

I'm so glad you're both healthy & doing well!

Congrats to you & yours!

Love, Jo :)

Miss Booper doesn't appear to be enjoying Jane Eyre as much as I am, lol!

Seems to me cats don't view books in the way we do!

March's Lion Finally Sleeps!

I love how the snow drifted againt our windows! I wanted to take this pic before the sun melted it. (Amazing that even in this frigid cold the sun can still melt ice & snow).

Yesterday's blizzard (yeah, I know, they're technically not blizzard's here anymore, they're Nor'Easters) brought so many birds to our backyard! The usual Carolina Wrens & Finches were going crazy for the Irish Soda Bread I threw out earlier. But we also had 2 huge Blue Jays, 4 Starlings, 1 Mockingbird or Cat Bird (couldn't tell since they puff themselves up so much in the cold) and 1 Cardinal up in the tree singing & calling to his heart's content! (The Downy Woodpecker re-appeared on Sunday when I put a new supply of Suet out). Unfortunately I also saw a Red Tailed Hawk - I say unfortunately because I caught sight of it w/something in its' claws as it took flight which I figured out shortly after was another bird because there were tiny black & grey feathers all over the snow!

Not the most fun snow day I've had with all the snow blowing, shoveling, salting & bringing the pickup and suv to the repair shop.

Thankfully the pick up was fixed yesterday but it took 4 hours longer than expected, 2 of those hours we spent waiting at the repair shop! I was annoyed to say the least since they were trying to figure out a "problem" Hubby told them about when he first dropped it off - it- an old quirky truck and it's not a problem! (Grrr)

The bright side to that was stopping at Duncan Donuts for hot cocoa and sour cream donuts!

Of course, my Mom went & cleaned off her car and SHOVELED out the back while we were at the shop. (As if she's going anywhere - I drive in the suv if she needs to go anywhere in iffy weather/conditions). She hasn't been feeling well lately to boot. (Grrr)

The temp dropped to 23 degrees as the sun went down and the wind chill made it frigid! Did that and the foot of snow in the back yard stop us from grilling steaks for dinner?! Nope! Hubby was out there with the lantern lit, bundled up & wearing his knee high rubber boots, a beer in a coolie! He was having a great time. (Yeah, we're just a little bit crazy!)

Today I've got to trudge out to the basement to finish yesterday's laundry, get cracking on my CoL pen pal letters and start reading Jane Eyre & The Story of Edgar Sawtelle for this month's group reads! Then around 4:30p we've got to pick up the suv.

March Comes In Like A Lion!

We're at a foot of snow already and round 2 is well under way now!