When the World Goes Crazy

With the events of this past weekend, I have felt sad, mad, troubled and depressed.  There are things I thought about saying, most likely not what you might think.  However, I was reminded during last night's Mass for the Feast of the Assumption, there is but one thing to do.  It is time to turn to Mary, patroness of this country.

 

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;
my spirit rejoices in God my savior.
For he has looked upon his handmaid’s lowliness;
behold, from now on will all ages call me blessed.
The Mighty One has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
His mercy is from age to age
to those who fear him.

He has shown might with his arm,
dispersed the arrogant of mind and heart.
He has thrown down the rulers from their thrones
but lifted up the lowly.
The hungry he has filled with good things;
the rich he has sent away empty.
He has helped Israel his servant,
remembering his mercy,
according to his promise to our fathers,
to Abraham and to his descendants forever.

Luke 1:46-55

 

Perhaps it is time to commit to prayer, even just one Hail Mary, one Ave, each day.  Won't you join me?

 

AMDG

WIP(#8) - Garden Goodies

The man standing in his own kitchen-garden, with fairyland opening at the gate, 

is the man with large ideas.

― G.K. Chesterton, Heretics

The gardens and yard have been a joy this year.  It may have taken us a dozen or so years to figure out what it takes to keep it up, but we learned.  Slowly.  It's been fun to wander out, pick a spot, and futz.  There are any number of jobs that need to be done.  I've spent more than a few evenings recently watering and weeding and deadheading spent blooms.  

Last night the Hummingbirds weren't too happy as I tended to the area around the butterfly bush. They buzzed my head trying to shoo me away.  That made me want to stay even more, to be near this flurry of flying energy.  What a treat!

We are beginning to see the fruits of our labor, literally.  Tomatoes and peppers are ripening and are ready for picking.  They are as pretty as they are delicious.

Taking care of the gardens, and fairlyland, has truly been a labor of love!

AMDG

Funny Foto #20: Rats!

Yesterday morning one of the women with whom I work asked me if I had seen the sign on the ladies room door.  Another one started laughing and told me I needed to go take a look.  I was just a little surprised at what I saw.

We think the cleaning lady left the note.  When we ventured in later in the morning, the offending rat was nowhere to be found.  I'm not sure I want to know where it went.


AMDG

Photo Blogging Challenge (July 2017) - Perspective - Timothy

Tim once again had great pictures for this month's theme.  Here is his guest post.
 

A peach and herb covered chop with a garden-fresh cucumber and potato salad lies awaiting my attention.  I took the photo to taunt my brother-in-law who is a devotee of my lovely bride’s culinary skills.  Point of view: “Git in my belly!”  

This next shot is from the perspective of our scare-crow looking over the vegetable garden.  The term “scare-crow” is a bit of a misnomer, though.  We have pictures of birds from the size of wrens to hawks sitting contemptuously on his hat.

We have been trying to simplify the gardening process over the years.  This season Donna suggested the use of annual rye-grass as a weed block and end of season cover-crop.  Awesomeness ensued!  A tenth of an acre of corn, potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, and carrots are progressing wonderfully.  Fifteen minutes of mowing beats hours of weeding.    

This is my point of view of the garden.  Love that annual rye-grass and the subsequent saved time for more important activities.  

I missed the different lenses and cameras challenge last month.  I intended to connect the Canon 7D to my 6” Celestron Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope.  So, this month I took a shot of the waxing gibbous moon with that same set-up.  The terminator line where day meets night often offers some interesting features.  Here is an unique profile perspective of a lunar crater.  The upper-left corner of the shot shows the curled edge of the debris from impact which formed the rim.   

These two fawns recently visited and seemed to have different points of view on which way to head for a tasty snack before the next feeding time with mom. 

To see more, visit A 'lil Hoohaa

 

AMDG

Have a Nice Trip

We decided to have an Independence Day party this year.  And, you know how it it.  There's always one more "project" that will make everything just perfect.  I decided that my never-ending-but-it's-going-to-be-finished-this-summer landscaping project that I thought was done still needed a little something something.

I bought a new clay pot and and bunch of coleus.  Since the the supplies I needed were in the garage, I put the pot together there.  Six plants and a bunch of dirt later, it was looking pretty good.  It just needed some mulch.  I always mulch my outdoor pots as it helps keep them moist.  It also keeps the dirt from splashing out during rainstorms or waterings.

Instead of bringing the mulch to the pot, I decided to carry the pot to the wheelbarrow full of mulch on the other side of the garage.  I had to walk out past the cars and then go back in.  Big mistake.

The garage floor is maybe an inch higher than the driveway, if that.  I've walked in and out of the garage hundreds, if not thousands of times.  I didn't do so well this time.

Have a nice trip!

Do you know how many things you think of in that time between tripping and hitting the ground?  A lot.

I hope this pot doesn't break.

I don't have time to go to the hospital if I get hurt, there's too much to do for the party.

Don't hit your face and break any teeth!  (That's my mom in my head.  She broke her front two teeth as a teenager when she fell roller skating.)

I hope the bruises don't show.  

Ugg, I'm going to have to redo this pot.

Did the plants fall out?

That's the snow blower there, don't land on it and break it.

There were more things I thought of in those two seconds.  Really.

The good news is that I wasn't badly hurt.  I had a few aches and pains and a bruised ego.

The better news is that the pot didn't break!

See you next fall!

AMDG

Lost and Found

When I was digging out the last shrub of my never-ending-but-it's-going-to-be-finished-this-summer landscaping project, the shovel hit something that clunked unlike any of the roots that I was aiming for.  A couple more jabs and I pulled out a white plastic something coated in dirt and mud.

After I wiped off the muck, I discovered that St. Joseph has been right outside our front door for the last thirteen years!

Over the last few years we have developed a special devotion to this saint.  He is our "go to" guy for all sorts of prayers and petitions.  Every morning, Himself and I pray the following prayer:

St. Joseph, 

you provided for those who were 

given to your care in this life.  

Intercede on our behalf, 

so we may receive the grace we need 

to provide for those whom 

are given to our care, 

whether for a moment or for a lifetime.  

Amen.

Now I understand.  He's been standing guard all this time.

I cleaned him up and found a better home for him than the dirt in which he was buried.  He now resides in the flower pot just outside the front door.  If you visit, don't forget to say hello!

AMDG

Are You a Whale?

A couple of weekends ago we were at Sis' house taking advantage of their pool.  BIL had just opened it up for the season.  As I came up from swimming the length of the pool underwater, Sara asked "Are you a whale?  You look like one."

 

I could have been insulted, being a lady of larger proportions.  But she continued with her observations. 

 

If you were a whale you would have to be an Orca or a Beluga.  They swim underwater and blow bubbles like you did.  You couldn't possibly be a Humpback because they swim in groups and circle other fish that they are trying to eat.  Yep, you are either an Orca or Beluga.

 

Interesting observations from an almost-five-year-old.  You can tell what she was learning in pre-school that week.

 

Next swim, I going for the Dolphin look!

 

 

AMDG

Time Marches On

I look at the calendar and am amazed that we are two thirds of the way through June already.  It feels like it should only be sometime in May.

 

In a couple of weeks we are going to celebrate my niece and God-daughter's fifth birthday.  I remember Sis and BIL bringing her home from the hospital and now Sara is about to start kindergarten.

 

Again I look at the calendar and remember that twenty years ago today, I met the man with whom I would spend the rest of my life.  Who knew that spinning the “Lucky Number Wheel”  at the parish carnival would pay such great dividends? 

 

The invitation I received in the mail recently reminds me that my college thirty year reunion is coming up this weekend.  College, people, not high school.  And thirty years?  That can't be. 

 

There's no stopping time.  I'm not sure I would want to if I could.  But, I often wonder if I am using whatever time our good Lord has given me on this earth well. 

 

Do the things that I do, and not do, honor God, my family, my faith?  It's as simple and as complicated as that.

 

 

AMDG 

WIP(#7) - Digging It

Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.

A friend posted this quote along with a picture of his adorable toddler on his Facebook and LinkedIn pages.  Two year old Sammy rocked the overalls.  Me?  I don't have the overalls, but I certainly have had the opportunities.

I got the last of the shrubs dug out and new ones, along with a Weeping Redbud tree, planted.  Hostas were split and transplanted and everything was mulched.

I'm happy that it's all done, but you know what?  As hard, and dirty, as this job was, it was fun!  I had an idea of what I wanted to do and it came out even better.  The sore muscles and loads of dirty laundry were definitely worth it.  More pictures to come.

AMDG

Photo Blogging Challenge (May 2017) - Look up - Himself

Himself was inspired by the theme for this month, Look Up, had some great shots.  Actually, he took a ton of excellent photos that I have been enjoying as backgrounds on my monitors. 

Harriet was a young wife who died in the mid 1800s at the age of fifteen.  Her tombstone collapsed recently in a local cemetery containing many old graves including those of Revolutionary War veterans.  Harriet was looking-up at a bouquet of daffodils earlier this month which someone planted near her grave.  I’ll be looking-up the local cemetery caretakers to see if we can raise up her headstone.

It seems every time we looked up this spring, down came the raindrops.  One of our redwood trees caught a few drops before they could reach the ground.

Various pollen seeds challenged the raindrops for supremacy of the skies this year.  Here’s a dandelion that did about all it could to contribute to the aerial combat.

A retired farmer recently donated his land to our county park system.  This is one tree in the many acres of trees which we now enjoy thanks to his generosity.

We’re looking up from the bottom of our favorite sledding hill.  It is deceptively peaceful on a quiet spring morning.  A few winters ago we terrified a cousin’s daughter from Florida with her first sled ride down the back of the beast.    

To see more, visit A 'lil Hoohaa

AMDG