Life

Haven't felt like writing anything but here are some pictures from the past week. Went on a couple walks with momMA, grilled out, JP worked on yard, growing herbs and vegetables in containers, watched a sunset...

Face Masks

Today in Girls' Club, Megan brought supplies for homemade face masks. The one everyone chose to use was made of coffee grounds and chocolate. It sure smelled good in my classroom!

You can click on this picture to see it better.

Nature and Stuff

JP was busy outside today. He has the backyard looking so much better. The aroma of food grilling wafted up to my bedroom window so I went downstairs where he had prepared grilled chicken, corn on the cob, summer salad and strawberry lemonade. Our birds, Emma and Alan, were on the deck enjoying their wild cousins who kept flying by. Right now I'm wrapped up in a warm blanket, barefoot, typing this while watching chickadees, a goldfinch, junco and towhee hover around the plate of seed JP put on the deck rail. It's getting cold, though, and I'm beginning to lose feeling in my fingers so I'm going back inside. 

Umm...apparently this "educational challenge" was NOT fun for a certain pet owner who shall remain nameless...JP.

Walking and Picture Taking

Pain

When the pain of staying the same is greater than the pain of change - then you will change.

I don't know.

I wish this was true.

I wish I could have my thyroid removed.

I wished medicine worked to control it.

I wish I didn't have to be on steroids for inflammation.

I wish 1,000 different things weren't working against my metabolism.

I wish leading a healthy life was rewarded by having health.

I wish things that were important weren't taken away.

I wish the process of being refined didn't hurt.

BBs and Arrows

I'm not positive but I think a deranged red-winged blackbird has taken up residence in the tree outside my bedroom window. I also think it follows me to my momMA's house. It takes great delight in waking me up at 5:30 EVERY. SINGLE. MORNING. with its raucous, repetitive call. 

I love listening to the birds in the morning. I love walking the boardwalk and watching the red-winged blackbirds flit from cattail to cattail. I love fishing on my lake, taking the boat into Shoe-pac Bay where the weeds and marsh surround us. The sun glints off the water, small birds call (hidden from view), and the red-winged blackbird balances on tall blades of grass. It is peace and nature and life.

I DO. NOT. LOVE. the red-winged blackbird that lives outside my window. NOT. AT. ALL. It lacks the happy trill before the caw. It lacks the lilt in the call. It lacks the soprano chirp. It is a song on crack. A repetitive song on crack. An every-five-seconds song on crack. For two straight hours. Did I already mention EVERY. SINGLE. MORNING?

This is me today (head covered, trying to block out the sound), moments before throwing off the covers, jumping up semi-clothed, and screaming out my window, "SHUT UP! SHUTUPSHUTUPSHUTUP!!!!!!!" at 6:15 a.m. Yeah, I'm sure the neighbors loved that. Probably thought some domestic dispute was taking place up on the hill.

On a brighter note...it's bright outside today. Absolutely beautiful. Of course, I don't get to enjoy it because today is my long day at school BUT it is supposed to be like this all week so I have that to look forward to. I get my momMA back tomorrow. I don't like sharing. We have company this week from NYC. I have ratatouille for lunch. And ice chips. If I can just convince that durn bird to relocate, all would be well. If not, it better start cawing with one eye open. I am my mother's daughter. All it takes is one well-aimed shot.

P.S.  Annie Oakley is my other mother.

Tulip Fest 2013