H & H

Remember a couple of days ago when I wrote about the hot shower, the coolness, the possibility of turning the heat on??? Well, forget I ever said anything. Today, the temps reached almost 100 and the humidity rose right along with the heat. Did I say turn the heat on....forget it, the AC is blasting as I write. It's almost too hot to sit on the porch, and when I say that, you know it's hot. Not much keeps me inside, especially on June 10th (aka early summer).

Drinking coffee and catching up with the news this morning was pleasant, but I could feel that H&H (heat & humidity) sneaking in. (and so could the squirrels)

By the time I was back home after posing for a portrait for our church directory, it was damn hot. I haven't posed for a portrait in probably 10 years and that too was for a church directory, only last time it was with my sweetie.  This time it's just me. felt a little off-balance. I had been told that there would be a black background, and not to wear black. Darn, that's so slimming....so I chose bright pink, the polar opposite. The photographer took about 7 poses and thru the magic of digital, I was able to choose the pose I thought was the most flattering immediately. And yes, the pink was a stand-out against the black and with my blonde grey hair the portrait was to my liking.  My kids are getting a 5x7 whether they want it or not.

I stopped on the way home at a park with the idea that maybe I could spy a bird or two with my new lens, but it was so hot and so windy, I didn't step foot outside of the car. Great adventurer I am?? As I was backing out of the parking lot, I spied red on a tree, hmmm. I grabbed my BIG lens and snapped a few pictures, and no, I still didn't step out of the car, merely rolled the window down, being the great adventurer that I am.  Can anyone tell me what kind of tree this is? It has those whirly bird/helicopter seedlings but they are RED, not green. The leaves don't look like a maple either. I could probably search the internet, but it would be easier if someone just told me.

Stopped at Walgreens to pick up a couple of "out of" items and passed by a display for Starbucks Frappuccinos. Decided quickly I needed one of those to enjoy on the back porch. Enjoyed the frappuccino, but the heat was too much and drove me inside. My body takes more than a day to adapt from the 60's to the 90's.

"Ah, summer, what power you have to make us suffer and like it."  ~  Russell Baker

Until next time.....

Hangin' Out

Good morning, I am hangin' out over at Focusing On Life today posting about my happy place. Come join me there.

"One of the things (Uncle Alex) found objectionable about human beings was that they so rarely notice it when they were happy. He himself did his best to acknowledge it when times were sweet. We could be drinking lemonade in the shade of an apple tree in the summertime, and Uncle Alex would interrupt the conversation to say, "If this isn't nice, what is?" So I hope that you will do the same for the rest of your lives. When things are going sweetly and peacefully, please pause a moment, and then say out loud, "If this isn't nice, what is?"  ~  Kurt Vonnegut

Until next time.....

A Good Full Day

Last week was our first week to meet at Barnes & Noble on Wednesday mornings now that Bible Study takes a vacation during the 100 days of summer.  We will be back with a new study in the Fall, but in the meantime, we ladies that can, sit around a table at our local B&N drink our coffee or tea and just chat.  We share our good times, good books, good TV, good movies, and also our not so good happenings that enter our life. We are there for each other with love and support. I feel truly blessed to have this group of women in my life.

Sue shared her latest artistry with us this morning. Every day, she sits with her husband, who has been quite ill for several years and colors "adult coloring books" with gel pens. And then she goes a step further by making origami cranes with her pages of beautiful colors. The Japanese Origami Cranes (according to Google) symbolize the hope for peace. We could all use more peace in our lives. Thanks, Sue for sharing your talents with us.

Our eldest member (93) of our "group" fell and broke her hip over the weekend, she has had surgery and already has been transferred to a re-hab center. In ICU one day, and the next out. Wow, it's frightening how quickly "they" get you out of the hospital these days.  Bonnie had a get-well card (Bonnie is always prepared with a card for whatever the occasion may be), so all signed with our messages of prayers and get well quickly.

After B&N 4 of us headed to our last book-club gathering until Fall.  This is the book group that "no reading required" except once a year. We choose one book to read over the summer months, this year we chose "Miller's Valley" by Anna Quindlen.  I do so enjoy her writing from her earlier days at Newsweek , with her bi-weekly back page to her novels of today. I was fortunate to hear her speak a couple of years ago and yes, she speaks as well as she writes.

Today's review (always presented by a member of our group) was a lovely little book entitled "Slowing Time" by Barbara Mahany.  Very short musings on life and how we need to slow down, observe, delight, and relish our time.  Our reviewer read several of the stories all tied to the different seasons of the year.  I am planning on buying this book, it touched me.

After a busy morning and afternoon, I returned home to find two hummingbirds drinking from the feeder....excitement!!  I grabbed LARGE lens and slowly walked into the back yard. Ofcourse, they would not return, but I did capture a couple of goodies.....a chipmunk with his mouth full of nest-making supplies and a new bird I have never seen before, the Blue-gray Gnatcatcher.

I identified this bird thru a really cool app for my I-Phone, the Merlin Bird ID.  It asks you a few short questions and then brings up a series of pictures of bird possibilities.  If you enjoy birds, I would definitely recommend the app. I can't remember if there is a charge, but if there is, it is minimal.

I will leave you with this from Flow Daily Moments (another app)

Tiny Pleasures List

*Learn Something New

*Listen to something beautiful

*Give away something that you're not using anymore

*Finish something successfully

*Have a tea break (or coffee, or wine... I added that)

Until next time.....

A Good Start

The first snips from the garden....Catmint and a new rose bush I planted right by the front door.  Well, technically I didn't plant it, my landscaper/grass taker-care of guy did, but I picked it out and paid for it.  I have been working in the garden over this past week and nothing beats the "hands in the dirt" feeling.  I still have some work to do in my back gardens, but it will happen, eventually.  Something happened to my huge area of monarda (bee balm), only the seedlings came up this year which is quite puzzling since monarda is a staple around here. So I have this rather large, rather empty space that I need to figure out what to plant in that empty spot.  Visiting the nurseries around here I'm finding, unfortunately, something in common....sadly prices keep going up up up.  Am I surprised, no. Do I like it, no.

I have two very distinct obsessions....books and flowers.  I guess if you are going to have an obsession, books and flowers are not by any means dreadful.  (Dreadful would probably fall into another category).   Perhaps dreadful on the pocketbook, but certainly not dreadful for the deep satisfaction I receive from both.  Sitting on the back porch, looking out at the garden and reading a good book is one of my life's greatest pleasures, along with vanilla ice cream with hot chocolate.

OK, switching to a totally different subject, this past Friday Bailey (granddaughter who is living with me) and I road-tripped up to the Milwaukee Zoo to meet up with Hilary and my great grand, Matilda Mae.  She is 20 months old (I know, how did that happen??) and is just a total delight. She had been to the zoo about a week prior with Hilary's Mom (aka grandmother) and loved it. It is a beautiful zoo, such a lovely setting, filled with just the right amount of animals but way too many peacocks.  I have no idea how many there are, but the males were definitely in the "mating mood".  Their mating call is definitely a turn-off, screechingly unacceptable. But I gotta admit they are stunning birds.

The animals were exceptionally active that day. Instead of the usual trying to spot them sleeping inside a cave we saw this....

A couple of "different" friends....

Matilda, did you enjoy the zoo??  And look, she has wisps of hair over her ears, won't be long until she has a pony tail.

Definitely a great start to the 100 days of summer.

"What good is the warmth of summer, without the cold of winter to give it sweetness."
                                                                                                                      ~John Steinbeck

Until next time.....

An Easy Countdown When You Are In Arizona....

It's countdown, only 2 days until my birthday and I have quite a list to complete. My last blog post brought me to the count of 50 which means I still have 23 more "happy" things to list.

I am writing this from sunny Arizona where the temps have been from the 90's to the 40's. Last week when I arrived, Arizona was in the middle of an early heat wave and temps were way up.  Sunday brought much cooler weather and yesterday as I wandered around the zoo for 4 1/2 hours it was a comfortable 68 degrees. Perfect.

51. Zoos make me very happy, especially giraffes.

52.  Pink Flamingos make me happy....how can you not love a pink flamingo?  Even their color is happy.

Since I have been here I have been out to eat about a gazillion times, saw 2 movies, The Lady in the Van being one which I totally enjoyed, shopped, went to a concert where the Tokens were performing....now you say "who in the heck are the Tokens?'  They had 2 hits in their entire career (PS they are now in my age category so you know how old they are, (think 1950's do wop music). Their greatest hit was "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" from the ever popular Lion King.  Click on the link and you can enjoy hearing the Tokens.

I've been to the Desert Botanical Garden and Butterfly Wonderland with my sweet friend, Terri, had a pedicure (ahhh), sat on the patio and snoozed in the sunshine, a wonderful time away from the not quite spring Midwest.

53. The desert makes me happy....there is great beauty to be found among the palm trees, the cactus, the birds,  And it especially makes me happy after a winter in Chicago.

54. Birds make me happy...their colors, their sweet sounds.

55. Happiness is living in the USA and proudly displaying our flag.

56.  Happiness is butterflies...

OK now on to more practical happy...

57.  Garbage disposals make me happy. I can remember the days when getting rid of kitchen garbage was nasty business.

58.  Campfires make me happy, sitting around, enjoying the flames, roasting a marshmellow or two.

59.  Daffodils in springtime.....

60.  Pasta of any size shape or form.

61.  Pedicures - having my toes. feet, and legs messaged, fresh polish on the toenails, and softened feet and legs is darn close to heaven.

62.  A car wash and a full tank of gas.

63.  Big Band Music....love Tommy Dorsey, Glenn Miller, Benny Goodman, watching Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers dancing "Sing, Sing, Sing"

64.  Baby Christenings

65.  Checking 2 bags free with Southwest Airlines makes me happy.

66.  Walt Disney and his talents - where would we be without Cinderella, Mickey Mouse, Dumbo, Alice in Wonderland, 101 Dalmations, etc etc

67.  Berries of any size, shape or color (but red is my absolute favorite)

Only 6 more to do. How completely satisfied this exercise has been.  Not only am I happy about so many wonders in my life, I feel I am totally blessed with all. It certainly helps erase any negativity in my life, when you count your happy's and your blessings. As good ole Louis Armstrong would say...."it's a wonderful life!"

Until next time.....

A Little Winter Weary in Pics....

It's so wonderful seeing the early signs of Spring in other parts, here....not so much.  Snow is still on the ground, getting to that really messy stage where the kid's feet are usually covered in mud everytime they venture outside.  I haven't seen Robins yet, and I usually always see them just about this time of year.  I bet they are here, I just haven't spotted them.  When I do, you will be the first to know.

By this time of the year I feel like I could really use a tan....how about you??

And I am so tired of wearing that heavy muffler around my neck...

I have definitely overeaten this winter...

I am really tired of stepping gingerly thru the piles of snow and slippery ice...

I am so looking forward to Spring colors....pinks & yellows..

A trip to the spa where I am preemed and pampered is probably a "must do"

Or a new hair-do would be just the thing....

I get really bored about this time of year, just waiting for that warm weather to return...

Where I can sit in the sun and just let the sunshine warm my body...

How about you, are you feeling the first signs of Spring in your neighborhood or are you still in a snowy mess as I am?  Hang on, Spring will come, I guarantee it!!  

The beautiful spring came; and when Nature resumes her loveliness, the human soul is apt 

to revive also.—Harriet Ann Jacobs

All images are from the Phoenix Zoo where my friend, Joyce volunteers twice a week.

Until next time....

The Glorious "Give"

Whoever introduced stretch into capris, jeans, and slacks should definitely be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.  I rummaged thru my summer drawers this AM looking for what to wear and pulled out capris that I had not worn all summer.  Needless to say they did not have the glorious stretch and the peacefulness of my morning was gone in a flash....struggle struggle to zip and snap.  And after finally reaching my goal, they were so uncomfortable that off they came with more of a struggle.  Now some of you probably can't appreciate that "give" that I'm talking about, that's because you probably are of a decent weight, flat tummy and are perhaps thin enough to wear skinny jeans, which is not even in my vocabulary.  But those of us that are not of the perfect weight, that may have a little more around the waistline that is needed or wanted can appreciate that wonderful give to our bottoms, again Nobel for those responsible.  Just sayin....

And speaking of glorious there are a few things that stop me dead in my tracks and beckon me to grab my camera and snap.  Among these glorious finds are.....

Interesting ducks at the pond across the street.  These are Cormorants, I have seen them in other parts of this area but never in our neighborhood.

Hawks absolutely fascinate me....

Sunflowers, they take my breath away....

Interesting faces, especially if they let me take their portrait.....

I guess I probably don't have to mention barns, especially old red ones....

And the beauty of a butterfly in my back yard staying still long enough to take a snap just makes my heart happy....

And then there are always horses....especially ones that are nuzzling.

And speaking of nuzzling, today is my sweeties birthday.  I am heading off to the care facility to deliver his birthday cards, give him birthday kisses, and throw in a few nuzzles too.

Have a happy, blessed week!!

"But the struggles make you stronger and the changes make you wise...And happiness has its own way of taking its sweet time."  ~ Gary Allen

Until next time....