Stormy Weather

Thunder rolled over the house last night just as I got into my bed. The house shook and it sounded like it would last forever, the roar, the boom, the desire to jump out of bed to see if lightening strikes were flashing across the sky, but that was just a thought, I was much to comfortable to leave my warm haven and my good book. Our weather pattern is one of storms, one after the other, rolling in from the north with cold air and teeming rain, even snow at low elevations this week. Easter is coming on Sunday and it means heavy coats to cover all the finery, the flowered hats and going on an Easter egg hunt. Well, that is what used to be, I wonder if the celebration of Easter is still as traditional as it used to be.


Easter
The time has come at last/to give up the Lenten fast/this week is holy/filled with awesome sights/the blessing of holy water/the PASCAL candle to light/the purple colors of the penitent/change to glorious white/for He has risen/our favorite acolyte. The dove of peace, serenity/the air is filled with song/choirs/organs/church bells ring/for He has come along.


The children dressed in frocks of organdy/Mary Jane's upon their feet/Easter hats with flowers/gloves and purses that are neat/long pants and ties/dressed up little men/waiting to slide down/and show their knees again.

Colored eggs and chocolate bunnies/hide out in the grass/and soon the air is filled/with children knowing how to laugh. Easter ham/escalloped potatoes/baskets filled with chocolate/ tied with ribbons true/jelly beans/candy eggs/a treat for me and you.


So today the sun will peek out long enough for you to get to a store and do some Easter shopping. I hope you find a big Easter Basket filled with all of your favorite snacks and a lovely Easter lily to grace your table as a reminder that there is always love and light at the end of the tunnel. Make your Easter Sunday a beginning.

Color in our lives

On any given day, a little color goes a long way in making us change our attitudes. This floral picture certainly has a variety of shades that you would not think would mix and match, but they do, as nature shows us the way to present ourselves. There is darkness and light, soft and bright and the innate feeling of pleasure.

The 1932 Helicron was built in France and placed in a barn for six decades. It is propeller driven and can get up to 75 mph. It is now owned by the Lane Motor Museum in Nashville, Tn. So if you ever get to Nashville put it on your list of 'things' to see. At least it is colorful and shows that we have many brilliant minds, even back then, trying to resolve the transportation problems. I wonder how it got to Nashville. I wonder if it was meant to be a racing car. It is just one of those 'dreams' that was shelved many years ago and we may never know all of its history.

Speaking of history, daughter Pat just felt the pangs of disappointment. She was planning a trip up to Alaska and would go by the ferry route, then on to drive her brother's jeep up through many long miles of 'backwoods' roads. The fact that she was going alone bothered me as I could think of so many reasons it would be dangerous. The caribou are coming down by the thousands, the animals are coming out after a long winter and a woman was just killed by a pack of wolves, just this week. The bears are out of their caves and the big 'antelope and deer' are out roaming around hungry and waiting for a tasty morsel to drive by. I admire her adventuresome spirit, something she has always had and hopefully the trip has only been postponed, and maybe, just maybe some of her family and friends can make the trip with her. I'm thinking in terms of someone riding shotgun in case of a break down in the wilds, or at least a companion to help with the driving. Right now I wish I had my driver's license back, but then the last time she let me drive her car she took ten minutes to get over the shock of my 'landing'. Well she let me drive on the curviest part of the mountain drive and I slowed down. The five cars behind me had to wait a minute until I could find a place to pull over. I did and she immediately got out and took over the driving. I don't imagine she would think that my desire to help drive all that way was a good one considering I haven't driven in twenty years. The spirit is willing but the body is weak.

So today my advice to you would be to continue to drive your car as it is freedom especially if you live in isolated places. In the city the transportation is there for you, inconvenient at times, but at least you can get around. So go outside and take your 'buggy' for a ride; if you are in my neighborhood, stop in the coffee pot is on. As for my friend who just bought a new "cobra", I expect to see it in my driveway before the summer is over. It almost looks like the Helicron but in red. I'm joking, I'm joking. Ride in good health. Make today a good one.

Art on Feathers

Can you imagine being able to paint such awesome pictures on feathers? I have no idea who the artist is or his history, but I
think you will agree that, although the feather art has been around before, it is worth a second or even a third look. The detail is fabulous, the colors bring to life the subjects and it brings about humility for those of us who have tried to paint and find that we are lacking. I guess we have to try when our heart and fingers itch to create. I personally have always wanted to draw and paint portrait pictures and have tried. I didn't do badly for the attempt but I lacked the within heart talent. I did take a charcoal class at a high school in California, many years ago. The model failed to show so the teacher talked a visiting friend to model for us. For the first time we used charcoal and I found it had a will of its own. I drew the face and I shaded and I worked and worked trying to make the face of the model come alive The teacher walked around and checked our work. He did not explain anything but took the charcoal from our hands and marked our pictures as he thought they should be. I resented this as I thought he should 'teach' not 'do' as it made our drawing his. I didn't do badly as the wife of the model came over and told me she had seen the expression I caught many times on her husband's face. I should have kept on and attended more classes as I loved to paint, in fact I even sold a couple, but, I lacked the will power or patience it took to continue with classes. I'm not sure why I held myself back, afraid of criticism or I had no confidence in myself, but I did knowing I could never achieve perfection, or what I considered perfection. Along the way in my travel through life, I discovered that there really is nothing perfect in our world and that is what is meant to be. We can strive for perfection and almost make it, but we were never meant to achieve it The beauty that surrounds us that we try to copy proves that imperfection is perfect

So today accept your own imperfections and know that they are an integral part of what makes you special. Go about your business today with a clear mind, a loving heart and the will to do whatever you are doing to the best of your ability and be satisfied . . . leave perfection to the higher power that has already proven that imperfection is perfect. Go with God! Via Condios.

More signs of the times

For whatever reason the head of the turtle didn't come out and I want to get a pen and sketch one in but don't know how. I had seen some of the signs before but, as always, there is a chuckle to be had if your mood is a good one. The turtle reminds me of an elderly man who lives in the neighborhood and goes out every day to run. He has to be in his eighties and he shuffles along like he was the marathon runner of the year. I want to stop him and tell him to walk as the exercise would be just as good for him, in fact better, as he looks like he is about to fade off into the sunset. He is really in no condition to run, but it really is his decision to make and not mine. I just have to learn not to worry about him.

The signs although meant to be funny, like most comedy there is a sad side to it. I realize that for some hot flashes are far from funny and those vain enough to lie about their age are silly as it is just a number. It is how you feel inside and out that wins the game in the long run. Those who want to be sixteen forever pay an awful price of never growing up while those who muddle and fume over being old waste their the time they do have. We are strange creatures, some learned, some by habit, some willing to struggle to improve and grow and enjoy the fruits of their labors.

I have several friends in the last throws of cancer. They are to be admired and given a medal for bravery as they take one day as it comes and make it the best they can. Each one has been through several sessions of 'chemo' and survived this poison that kills the growing cells. It has to be hard on the body but it gives them one more day to appreciate their family and friends. The sun looks brighter and the rain and wind become friends they never knew they had. They are grateful for one more day of life. I feel very small when I gripe and groan over a few minor pains that are far from life threatening. the candle stays lit for them and the glow is to remind them that they are in good hands.

So today start musing about yourself. If you are afraid to grow old, don't be, it is a fact of life and it starts the day you are born. If you are 'hiding behind a bushel', stop it and give yourself permission to show what you really are made of. I've mused about this before and I firmly believe each of us has a talent, all we have to do is be wise enough to recognize it and then live up to your potential then you wont have time to worry about beauty and age. You will be too busy living the life you were meant to live. Today is a great day to start, make it a good one. Who said, "Go get 'em baby . . . knock their socks off." Someone smart enough to live.

Yesterday

Spring is officially here as we head into the last week of March, 2010. Our skies have been magnificent to watch as they change minute by minute each day. I wake up in the morning and look outside to see 'rain, oh dear, another rainy day', only to find that if I am patient the sun comes out, sometimes only for a few minutes here and there, or maybe for the rest of the afternoon and everyone, I mean everyone, heads for the outdoors. Yesterday was a day like that. My attitude was a bit dreary as I saw the rain falling one more day of a long wet spring, cold too, but when I saw the sunshine, my spirits soared, I put on my coat, grabbed my cane and went for a walk. A walk for me means a trip to Fred Meyers store and as I walked along a car pulled up offering me a ride. A perfect stranger was showing kindness to this octogenarian hobbling along. I thanked her and told her I was out for my exercise and she smiled and wished me a good day. I found a special card for my friend who has just moved to a new home. She has been finding it hard to make another move at her age, but she isn't all that unhappy as she is going to have a nicer room in her son's new home. She said it would be her last move and most likely it will be as she nears the ninety mark. She is excited about the new house and the big yard and the three car garage where they have been able to stock their boxes until the painting and carpeting are finished. Moving is not easy for anyone which brings me to the fact that we have new neighbors who moved in this week. My friend, Maxine, would be happy to know her house did not stay empty for long. Her beautiful rose garden will be taken care of. It was good to see lights on last evening for the first time in a very long time.

I am content after a walk as I met a friend who stopped to have a few words before going home to make her dinner. A few minutes of conversation does lift the spirit especially when a friend looks you in the eye and shows that it is good to 'bump into you'. I looked over a dozen things in the deli counter thinking I would have a hot fast meal but then I remembered the meat loaf I had baked in the morning just waiting for me to slice it up and eat it. My neighbor, LaVerne, came in with fresh leafy green chard from her garden which I cooked up with vinegar and a bit of garlic powder and it was very tasty. Then to top it off , daughter Pat came in with two lucious trout she had caught and I am going to cook them up for my breakfast. I'm not sure how to fix them but I am sure one of those cook books will give me a clue. I am not even sure I like trout, but I am about to find out.

So today whether or not the weather is good, bad or indifferent, be patient and wait and see what surprise is in store for you. I hope you find rainbows in your skies today. Make today a good one, the kind that brings a huge smile to your face . . . the face I love to see smiling.

Patriotic

The bedraggled eagle got into a fight with a fellow eagle over a duck swimming in a river. Both fighting for the tasty bird who was smart enough to duck every time they swooped down. The two eagles fought each other while the little duck got away. One eagle got tired of the fray and the other you can see, in this picture, had to sit quietly until his feathers went back in place so he could fly off to battle another day. The author of the written article thought the eagle reminded him of America today.

America was once the greatest nation in the world but there have been inroads to make us less than what we really are. We are a naive people and have big hearts and wait much too long to stand up to the 'ills' right here at home. We always seem to learn the hard way. Our veterans need all the help they can get and the 'system' has needed fixing for a very long time.

It took many years to finally build a memorial to our World War II veterans who gave their lives, their limbs, their minds to saving not only our allies but ourselves from the tyrants of our world. Medals for bravery but poor quality care for a lot of those men and women who fought so long and so well. There has been no stop to war, it continues today in a different part of the world and our young men and women are out in the front lines suffering, once again, their limbs, their minds and we hear less and less about what is really going on.

Back in World War II something of a small miracle happened when a company in England made special Monopoly games to send to the prisoners of war through the Red Cross. The games had the usual board and pieces but it had a secret too. It was a hidden map showing those that escaped how to get back 'home' and even the little pieces were tiny tools to help them on their way. It was a story that never got into print and the secret was kept for well over fifty years. There was help and hope and thousands made it home. I wonder if there are 'helpers' working for our young men and women today.

So today when you are out and about, take a minute to offer a small prayer for those that are over in Iraq and Afghanistan doing the hellish job of trying to survive one day as it comes as they track the terrorists in unforgivable country sides. Write a letter, donate to the 'red hats' in your neighborhood who send packages to our troops, and pray a lot for each and everyone of them. Soon it will be Poppy Day and the Veterans organizations will be out there selling the small red poppy as a reminder that help is needed now. So give generously. Semper Fi . . .

Attitude

Here are three photographs that made it to the top of the list for the annual Geographic Magazine in 2009. There were many more, all really great pictures and worthy of recognition. The photographers who took the pictures know their 'stuff' and we are all the better for it because we can enjoy, learn and muse about the contents.

Cherries are probably going to be at least three dollars a pound at the store and now we know why. That had to be a cruel morning for the growers. It does make a lovely photograph though. I am not a lover of cherries although I wouldn't turn down a hand full of those big beautiful 'Bing'. I lean more towards apples and after lent I am going to bake some hot apple turnovers and enjoy, not only the aroma, but the melt in your mouth cinnamon and sugar that coats the apples in their doughy shell. If you are close by I'll share.

I found the blue birds interesting. A little reminder of our current political posturing. Nope, not going there this morning. I have friends in deep depression over the shenanigans of our illustrious leaders who sold out for 'pork' for their home towns . . . aah . . . election time is coming, although a lot of folks have already joined the 'other side', freedom to change, well, that is the American way. The picture itself is beautiful as the birds are gorgeous. I love that shade of blue and the spirit of independence.

When I saw the picture of the buffalo going over the fence, you know the words that came to mind . . . yes . . . 'don't fence me in'. Are you humming along? I hope so. It must be time for a little romance and 'Romeo' is not about to be denied in his quest for 'Juliet'. From the expression on her face he may have to work a little harder at getting her in the mood. All that hopping the fence may scare her a bit . . . or not! Taking a second look at the picture I may be wrong, 'she' may be going after 'him' but being city bred how can I tell. Let's just hope such exuberance goes well and the romance is a true one.

So today be of good cheer. Spring is here and new beginnings are in the offering. We will have more sunshine and our spirits will lift after the long winter doldrums. We will have more time to enjoy the sunlight and start in on all those outside chores. As a young child on Easter vacation from school, my friend Marno and I volunteered to wash windows. She on one side, me on the other, drawing pictures, playing tic-tac-toe in the window cleaner, making the windows sparkle. Now that comes full circle as Ma was an apple turnover baker and that was our payment for doing a good job. So today is a good day to make your work list for your Easter vacation and Spring cleaning. Make it short and sweet then go outside and enjoy the day.

No Secrets

A doggy door is open and in walks a fawn
to make a new friend. A pink piglet is saved by a loving new mother teaching her pups to share, and then there is a secret liaison between a zebra and a donkey and the results are perfect . . . a new mixture showing what love can do. Animal pictures and stories, don't you love them? I do. If we had the patience and tolerance with our fellow man our world would certainly be different. We would celebrate our differences and learn a whole lot about living and loving.

So, today when you are out and about look around you and see if you can find that someone different and look them in the eye and see the person within for they have so much to offer your head will spin and you will have a day to remember. Make your day a good one, a better one, even a best one for the moments fly by so quickly you will want it to last forever.

Ready or Not

It is the 23rd of March already and Easter Sunday is about to 'spring' on us. It is early this year and so far the forty days of lent has been flying by. I gave up sweets and have been tempted several times but, so far, I have stayed the course. I know I will feel very good about myself for having spent forty days without chocolate and all of the favorite 'goodies' I usually imbibe in, but the truth is I want to lose a couple of pounds . . . I don't, for I make up in other ways for the sweets I do not eat. I have found over the years it is a losing battle and the loss is not where I want it to be. On the other hand, my 'pride goeth before a fall' and I have to pat myself on the back for having sense enough to test my 'mettle' and that alone is worth the small sacrifice I try to make and maybe, just maybe a couple of souls get in through the garden gate.

Soon it is time to check the cupboards and make sure you have a coloring kit and be ready for the annual Easter egg coloring. It is such fun, especially if you have a house filled with children to help you. You can be as creative as you please and fill a basket for your Easter morning breakfast table. Over the days hard boiled eggs to eat in hand, or make an off season potato salad or even an egg salad sandwich is tasty and our minds are filled with good intentions for new beginnings. Easter a holy holiday, like Christmas . . . we have lived the life of Christ one more time and in spite of all the commercialism, we find one more chance to pick ourselves up and get on with our lives.

So today be of good cheer even though we are reeling from all the negative and frightening winds of politics as usual. A price has to be paid for poor choices. We will need every ounce of strength to find a way to survive in this world of change, and giving in to depression and worry is not the way of faith. So pull yourself up by your 'boot straps' and get on with your life. Start today by making it the best you can for today is all you have, enjoy it because tomorrow becomes a 'today' and you get to do it all over again. Look for that silver lining, it's there waiting for discovery. You may have to shift through a lot of camel dung to get to the bunny pellets but think of the fun you will have watching the mighty fall when you get out and vote in November of next year.

Signs of the Time

Instead of finding humor in these signs, I feel a sense of sadness. I am not going into a discourse on education but I have strong opinions about what has been done to our children over the last half century. The cry from early childhood development on to college is a scream for money and although more than half of our taxes goes into education funds, more is always wanted and our children have come out of our schools semi illiterate. Some thing is very wrong when politics rears its ugly head in our education system. There are two sides to every story and the 'blame' goes full circle.

So today, look at the children in your circle and pay attention to what they are, or are not, learning in school. Attend the PTA meetings and go to their games and listen to what they have to say . . .you may tune into a problem that you can help solve. Grandchildren of the 'lost generation' are making these signs and are paying a terrible price for those who 'dropped out' and now struggle to survive in a technical world they could not even imagine. The teacher's job is to teach. The parents job is to discipline, for discipline is love, and if both are doing their job the child reaches up and out to its full potential. If you are making signs today, be sure and have a dictionary handy . . . I have one built in on the computer and all I have to do is hit the spell check button. Humor, thy name is 'jean' today. Have a good day, all day. Hugs to you!!

Climbing

You guessed it, I received an e-mail yesterday with all kinds of stair pictures, some to make you dizzy and some to make you wonder what the builder was thinking. I found it very interesting and am very happy I do not live in any of these homes as my stair climbing days are long gone. I am lucky I can make it up the three steps into my front door.

Good way to store your book collection. Daughter Christine has a stair well similar to this along with about ten bookcases filled with all of her favorites.

I find the tree fascinating and wouldn't mind having a stair well like it. I'm not sure about the dusting though, wrought iron would be tricky.

How about stairs that float . . . wonder how the builder did that.

Years ago in a cottage there were stairs leading up to the bedrooms and as you rounded the curve the stair almost disappeared it became so narrow.

All I can say is I enjoyed seeing the different kinds of stairs and marvel at the creators of such wonders. I thought the shoe box stair was clever, wonder why we never thought of that. There was one of carpeted colors that would make you dizzy so I didn't print it out. I got sick just looking at it and cannot imagine anyone having it in their home. Well, I guess some folks like color and can stand it drizzled in a pattern that make your eyeballs cross.

So today as you climb the stairs in your life, take a deep breath and get to the top. Hopefully you will find a friend waiting to share a meal with you, or a movie, or just a little gab session, whatever it is, make it a good one and enjoy the whole day, all day!

Spring

Why, I wonder is the President pushing so hard for the health bill that is creating such animosity and wrath . . . why is Harry Reid, according to the latest blurb of political chicanery, inserting a paragraph that says there can be no changes made once the bill is signed; no possible way to make some of the big mistakes written within changed for the better. why, indeed, is the offer to follow the carrot on the stick being rammed down our throats whether we agree or disagree with this thousand page bill packed with something for everyone, even if each of us, who followed the rules of the road, paid or taxes, bought and paid for out own insurances have to accept a bill that we know is detrimental to us and our voices go unheeded. To go against our constitution is wrong, yet it is being done . . . back room deals . . . lies. . . a split between parties. . . a world gone mad. There will be a price to pay and each one of us from the highest to the lowest will pay for it . . . so far trillions of dollars is the buzz word . . . trillions. . . mind boggling as most of us gush over a fifty dollar bill if we are lucky enough to see one. A high price to pay for generations to come because Politicians are playing Politics.

Aah . . . on to a scene of serenity, hopefully taking away the stress of the everyday political words and deeds being played out in our world. This picture means hope, so say a prayer that today, the first day of Spring, will bring a season of new beginnings of peace and prosperity. It has been done before. We have been through a lot of hopeless times and survived and we will again.

So today as you listen to the news and do or do not like what you hear, make up your own mind to be the best you can be and know that in another year you will be able to vote for a 'change'. Go out and plant a few flowers, take the dog for a walk, give yourself a day off from political harangue and have some faith that God will remain in charge and as the old Irish joke reminded us to ask that He give 'them a limp' so we will always recognize 'them'. Peace be with you today . . . we can all use a bit of that.

Out and About

Spring is coming the hardware store has barrels out for sale. I had to take the picture of them as they were filled with rain water which settled in their overturned rims. Pricey little devils too.

The footprints in the sand were of the gulls and there was not one to be seen in or around the water. I wondered where they were and finally found them, lolling around like visitors, on the roadway leading away from the beach. There are field areas over by the river that they seem to find more pleasing than the ocean sand, maybe they are hoping people will park there and feed them people food.

The ocean was roaring so no fishing boats got out from the Port. The power and the size of the waves are mesmerizing, and the air is pure making breathing easier. There is a sense of peace and serenity as you sit and watch the change of patterns as the waves break.

We made it to the hardware store to pick up some stakes and wire to put around the new apple tree Pat planted a few weeks ago. It seems as though Emma thinks it is good eating. and has already devoured the lower branches, not to eat, but to use as a play toy. Just pick up a stick and toss it and she will bring it right back, panting, watching for you to throw it again and again. Emma brings a lot of pleasure into our lives and as the old saying goes, she's growing like a weed....big and beautiful.

The attachment to an e-mail yesterday was this picture of a tug boat leading a coal barge down a river and the boat got caught in the swiftness of the river and had to unleash the barge. It drifted into the bridge, which was not open to let it through, so the boat hit the bridge, actually went under the bridge and came up on the other side, bobbing up like it was something it always did. It was nothing short of a miracle and the pictures went on to show it rising from the river with all of the water flowing from its windows. It went on as if nothing happened and the caption had to do with the builders of this tug boat should be building big ships.


So today when you have a chance to stop, look and listen to the sights and sounds around you, slow down and take time to see what surrounds you. You may not have an ocean to visit, but you do have parks and you do have places to go where you can find 'down' time to catch up with yourselves. Be good to you . . . you deserve it. Why? Because I said so !!!

Spring is coming

Beautiful flowers growing up in Alaska. The elk are moving in the meadows and my rhody bush has been blooming for at least three weeks, rain and all. It must be an early bloomer. The others are budding and the weeds are sitting out there among the rocks enjoying the little bit of sunshine that has been peeking in and out of the clouds this week. I spent money on a gallon of weed killer and went around dousing weeds, grinning as I thought I had the perfect solution, that was Monday, Tuesday it rained cats and dogs and the weeds are out there looking healthier than ever.

The wild turkeys are out and about in the meadows of the high country but safe, at the moment, as it is not turkey shooting time. I wonder what they taste like. I probably would treat them with the same disdain I did when, many years ago, my husband went duck hunting with friends and brought back a big duck with feathers for me to pluck and cook. It sat in a bucket of water for a day or two and the more I looked at it, the less motivation to touch it . . . so I didn't, I threw it in the garbage can and fed the great white hunter ham and eggs, something I could do in style. What can I tell you . . . I grew up in a city, have no idea of farm life and if I did I would have made pets out of every animal on the farm.

Yesterday daughter Pat picked me up and we drove over to Sporthaven beach to watch the waves. They were awesome to watch as they pounded into shore. I doubt a boat could go over the bar, they were that big and powerful. The seagulls were not flying around but huddled in a back field away from the ocean. My first thought was that there was a medium sized earthquake in southern California the day before and this may be the aftermath, but then I would be guessing. The birds are big and beautiful and always hungry.

Speaking of hungry we had lunch at 'Sebastian's', an old restaurant at the Port taken over by new people and the name changed. We thought we'd try it out and much to our surprise, found the food excellent but very pricey. It was St. Patrick's Day and I had a corn beef sandwich with slaw on the side so had my corn beef and cabbage. I didn't cook one this year as we have had it several times, as I told you yesterday, um. . . I have to watch that repeating business, the mind seems to slip into gear and thoughts spill out sometimes more than once. Anyway, the sandwich was delicious. Pat had salad and chowder and both were very good. We will return but only on special occasions as we do know where to go for good chowder, fish and chips and sandwiches which are equally as good at half the price. It is like 'they' say, you pay for the ambiance and the windows there in the dining room face the ocean and you can eat and enjoy the scenery at the same time.

So today do yourself a favor and treat yourself to some delicious food that you have been craving. Make today your day and do just one thing you have been meaning to do that makes you feel good about yourself. As my cartoon friend, Maxine, tells me on my calendar page today, "If I had a nickel for every time I've misplaced my keys, there'd be a jarful of money that I'd also have to look for" . . . Oh my, we have all been there. So with keys in hand, go out the door and have a good one. Hugs to all.

Just Musing

I would love to have on boots and a heavy jacket and be out walking along this pathway this morning. A picture speaks a thousand words and recalls a memory or two of Nevada. I realize more and more just how much I did love living in Nevada, a state of no beauty I was told, but you can see from this picture, and I am not sure where this picture was actually taken . . . it looks like one I have in an albumn of a spot on the Carson river, and it brought to mind that Nevada has as much beauty as any other State, even more. When I walked along through open range land to the river and watched the wild mustangs come down from the foot hills gamboling and showing their beauty and strength, I found peace and contentment.


Speaking of beauty and strength, I had an e-mail from friends this morning who have had a year of doctoring with bad knees and a shoulder, all time consuming, painful and a long convalescence and not a word of self pity. Both have been there for each other and I am so proud of them. It is nice to know that finally they are seeing the light of the tunnel and enjoying their own home after so many trips away for medical treatments. It has been a long year for them but their love and devotion has been a gift to share.

As for me, on this St. Patrick's Day, I am,for the very first time in my life, not cooking corn beef and cabbage. It is a favorite dinner dish of mine and I serve it often during the year. I just recently cooked an Irish dinner and now that I have a reason to do it all over again . . . I don't want to . . . now how is that for having a fairy or two hanging around me. Stubborn Irish . . . nah . . . just thought going out would be a treat and I'll be sorry tomorrow when there is no left overs to enjoy. . . and, by the way, if I am correct, the real Irish dinner is a Lamb stew and brown biscuits.

So today give an Irish hug, or an ethnic hug of your choice, they are no different unless you hold back and then you would be 'the lesser' of the two; so hug away, enjoy the day, eat hardy and 'may the good Lord keep you in His hands'. Walk out and enjoy the weather, no matter what nature has in store today. Meet with a friend or two and visit a 'pub' and have a green beer or two. Make today special . . . yes . . . just like you.

Fantasy

The little fellow is a hedgehog, cute, reminds me of one of those boot cleaners left by a door. Speaking of doors, how about the little Hobbit House . . . friends are in Ecuador and have been keeping me posted on their travels. How long they plan to stay has not been mentioned, as yet, but so far this is the third or fourth stop in their living space. They stayed in a small apartment when they first arrived there, then went on to live with another person in a house for awhile in one of the cities, then moved on to where they are right now and rented this little house. The owner is an architect and I would say he has a fetish with "The Hobbit" and designed the little house, which is whimsical, and I understand well presented. Joyce and her husband, Ken, are not the least bit unhappy and have rented the house for their stay. Joyce tells me the house is close to shopping and the center of the town they are in. It cost twelve and a half cents to ride the bus and the drivers have no sense of stopping gently. Last I heard she was taking a class in Spanish so by now, some six or eight months down the road, she is able to converse with some of the local people. She hasn't complained about the food although she did mention fresh fruits and vegetables are not readily available in the shops but at a special stall . . . probably like our open fresh markets when our local farmers bring in their specialties for us to buy. All in all, they are having the time of their lives and I am having a good time also as I read the e-mails and see some of the pictures they send. Joyce invited me to visit them while they are there but the legs are holding me back . . . oh for a good pair of legs right now. Well, if I cannot get away, then I can enjoy the trips of others vicariously. John is sending pictures from London. Ken and Joyce from Ecuador, now if I could get the rest of you 'on the road again' I'd have it made.

So today if you travel take your camera along and remember that I love to travel one way or the other. Arm chair travel isn't my first choice by it will have to do. Speaking of travel, daughter Pat is coming over later and taking me out to lunch and a ride. The morning sky is a promise of brightness and maybe sunshine. We had one of those remarkable spring days yesterday and I used the big wide broom to sweep the driveway of all the wind debris. Um. . . wonder if that is a sign of rain today? Like washing your car? One never knows what the day will bring, whatever it does bring, enjoy it for all its worth . . . make it a good one! Hugs to YOU!!

Sleepless in Brookings

I knew the change in the hour would do me in, it always does, for a night or two I walk the floors all because I'm a creature of habit and when things change my body clock does not go along with it. I've been up since two a.m., bright eyed and bushy tailed as the old expression goes. I had tea at three, not bad as it was green tea and I really wanted to eat something as I thought I should, but I knew better and held off until five a.m. I checked the e mail to find some pictures son John took in London where he is attending a week of work sessions with the new company bosses. He is not one to sit around so took himself out on the town and had a sight seeing trip around London. He took a bus to the express train and went to Paddington Station, walked to Hyde park up to the Marble Arch. He saw Kensinton Palance, Royal Albert Hall and went down to the Wellington Arch and all around it. He caught some of the St. Patrick's Day Parade and then on to Nelson's Column, passed Buckingham Palace and walked through Green Park and Constitution Hill and the Mall. He stopped in the Parliment district at a pub and had fish and chips, then on towards the river to Westminster Abbey, Big Ben and walked along the Thames. He saw the London Eye then walked backup the hill to catch the underground back to Heathrow, then the bus to the hotel. I got a kick out of his pictures of the doors and the knobs. Ireland isn't the only place where doors are the talk of the town, although I thought each one was more beautiful than the last and would love to have seen these door knobs when I was visiting London many years ago. And I was worried that he wouldn't get to see any of London!!!

We missed Peat's birthday dinner last evening . . . Happy Birthday Peat ! Pat has had a week of migraines, not fun and I twisted my bad knee yesterday showing off my walking ability while shopping for groceries. I get carried away as the baskets are just the right height and it gives me the illusion I can just run around like I used to . . . ah, the proverbial 'used to'; well I found out leaning on the basket is fine but I'm not supposed to turn around and pick things up from the bottom shelves without thinking first. I think that is what got my knee in trouble in the first place, I 'used to' bend from the waist to weed the garden and pulled muscles . . . Dr. Sullivan knows better but does she listen . . . nah, a waste of energy when one thinks one knows it all, but then I do pay a price for stupidity. Do you get the idea that I do not like having a bad knee? I cannot figure out how you would come to that conclusion.

So today be of good cheer, plot and plan your summer vacation and take yourself off to some place you really want to see. Maybe you can stop off at at the travel bureau and pick up a brochure or two, then sit back with a 'cuppa' and enjoy the thought of upcoming travels . . . Brookings isn't a bad spot. Make today a good one and smile through your tears. Well, it is not my fault you didn't save for your vacation.