I have decided to start a monthly (or slightly more often) animal of the
month (maybe it should be animal of the moment). There is a two fold for
this:
1- It will help us all learn a little more about the animals
2- It will get my sorry butt to the zoo more often (and seeing as I have
a membership...)
Today Sharon and Roy are getting married;
I wish them all the wonderful things that go along with that. Being
married to Jim is one of the most wonderful things in the world - it is
having a best friend that I know won't leave because he doesn't like
something I have said or done. There is a great amount of calmness in
having him beside me "For better or worse" and the best wish I can send
to Sharon and Roy is that! Enjoy the minutes, the years fly!!!!
In honor of their wedding I thought I would pick an animal that had a
beautiful train and walked every aisle as though she owned it.
Introducing "Madame Peacock" - the day I took this picture was hot and
humid and most animals were hiding inside or laying as though dead (or
wishing they were)
Peacock information:
The Peacock is the national bird of India.
Because of human encroachment into their natural territories, peafowl
and humans have come into increasing contact. Because of their natural
beauty some are reluctant to classify the birds as pests but their
presence can be disturbing.
Peafowl are omnivorous and eat plant parts, flower petals, seed heads,
insects and other arthropods, reptiles, and amphibians. In common with
other members of the Galliformes, males possess metatarsal spurs or
"thorns" used primarily during intraspecific fights.
The male (peacock) Indian Peafowl has iridescent blue-green or green
coloured plumage. The so-called "tail" of the peacock, also termed the
"train", is not the tail quill feathers but highly elongated upper tail
coverts. The train feathers have a series of eyes that are best seen
when the tail is fanned. Both species have a crest atop the head.
****Okay so this means that "Madame Peacock" is a Monsieur Peacock but
really he is walking around with a train so I am sticking with
Madame!****
Lastly, we had the best time at the zoo... Jim was a sport (he was dying
of heat) and walked all over with me, he allowed me a million pictures
AND he made sure I didn't see even one snake. What a hero - Yup THAT'S
why I married the boy!
CONGRATS SHARON AND ROY!
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Through my eyes
I try (though I most certainly do not always succeed) to make this a cheerful blog – a place that people can come and read and not leave wanting to harm themselves (or others). For the most part this means I avoid talking about my mom these days. But today I have something to share and it IS cheery and about Mom – mine or yours, it doesn’t matter.
Last night I was talking to a friend who has a sick Mom and has BEGUN the process of realizing your parents’ mortality – this is such a hard thing to do your mom is the person who is always there when the world isn’t. Well I stumbled through offering what support I had (visit often, make memories, remember the person not the disease, and from Dr. H I remembered “Accept her decisions like the lady she brought you up to be”) and she had to go finish dinner so we hung up, literally not a minute had passed when it occurred to me that I hadn’t said to her what needed to be said so I called back and said something like this
“Having your Mom die will suck, there is no denying that. There will be sadness and questioning but there is also this one little glimmer of coolness in it, I never again have to wait to get home to tell Mom I saw the cutest _______ she sees it with me, I never have to call her to tell her to look at the _________ (rainbows and sunsets were my favorite to call for) she enjoys them as I do, I don’t even have to show her the new clothes I bought and tell her the deal I got them on – she is there with me. Mom and I? We share a set of eyes and she sees all that I want to share with her”
Of course this made my friend cry but in a good way (I think and hope). Then I called Robyn and I was telling her this (HEY! I was rather proud of me for this one) and she said that she wished someone had said that to her that it would have made her feel a little less alone and that it was a great way to *look* (pun intended) at it…
I probably won’t have time to write again before the weekend so have a great father’s day and if your Dad isn’t available for a hug I hope you can find something special to share with him through your eyes – a whole new meaning to double vision.
Last night I was talking to a friend who has a sick Mom and has BEGUN the process of realizing your parents’ mortality – this is such a hard thing to do your mom is the person who is always there when the world isn’t. Well I stumbled through offering what support I had (visit often, make memories, remember the person not the disease, and from Dr. H I remembered “Accept her decisions like the lady she brought you up to be”) and she had to go finish dinner so we hung up, literally not a minute had passed when it occurred to me that I hadn’t said to her what needed to be said so I called back and said something like this
“Having your Mom die will suck, there is no denying that. There will be sadness and questioning but there is also this one little glimmer of coolness in it, I never again have to wait to get home to tell Mom I saw the cutest _______ she sees it with me, I never have to call her to tell her to look at the _________ (rainbows and sunsets were my favorite to call for) she enjoys them as I do, I don’t even have to show her the new clothes I bought and tell her the deal I got them on – she is there with me. Mom and I? We share a set of eyes and she sees all that I want to share with her”
Of course this made my friend cry but in a good way (I think and hope). Then I called Robyn and I was telling her this (HEY! I was rather proud of me for this one) and she said that she wished someone had said that to her that it would have made her feel a little less alone and that it was a great way to *look* (pun intended) at it…
I probably won’t have time to write again before the weekend so have a great father’s day and if your Dad isn’t available for a hug I hope you can find something special to share with him through your eyes – a whole new meaning to double vision.
Friday, June 06, 2008
A time of growth
That title sounds like so much more than this post is about :-)
(I am talking about plants here)
But first, for the past 7 years I have watched Alicia’s gymnastic recital and each year she does an “okay” job. She doesn’t excel but she also enjoys herself so it’s always been a great way to spend a night. THEN came along last night where my shy and not too talented young niece left and this direct, thinking, calculating girl took her place. Before she does anything she stops plans it in her head (I swear you can watch it happen) and nails it! Not a wobble on the balance beam (she was the ONLY one to not fall off at all), a floor routine that was exactly what was asked for, tumbles that were flawless, and a back walk-over that is levels above where she is! But if you ask me her biggest accomplishment of the night was that she got on the podium, accepted her medal and stopped, smiled and let us take a picture! Way to grow up Ja-Belle, I have enjoyed watching you blossom into this amazing confident young lady – keep up the good work!
Speaking of blossoming lets talk about my plants! I have growing for my vegetable garden 08:
Tomatoes (red and yellow)
Squash (winter)
Peppers (Cayenne and Jalapeno)
Leeks
Strawberries
Raspberries
Watermelon
Cilantro
Parsley
Thyme
Basil (green and purple)
Dill
Mint
Chives
And Stevia
So far everything is looking great I have at the very least seedlings but in most cases I have good sized plants, and I got some information on how to store some of this for winter use – I plan on making some sun dried tomatoes since I have like 5 or 6 tomato plants and drying the peppers was on my list though I really don’t know if that will happen.
And for my “regular garden” everything is planted and looking pretty darn solid I am sure that in a couple weeks it will be a thing of beauty right now that it looks like a garden that just got planted and needs to get more work done it… I will post pictures now and again in a few weeks so we can check the difference. This is technically my rose garden but last year’s neglect (I was busy) added to this winter’s beating means that out of 10 bushes I lost 7, I am happy for the 3 I have left and will slowly grow back the garden but meanwhile it is a rose and annual garden (instant color).
Lilac season has passed which is always so sad to me since I think for those weeks my yard is gorgeous, but this year I actually looked forward to it passing since my neighbor and I are taking shoots from each other’s bushes so that we can have more variety in both of our yards – so he will take a couple of my French lilacs and I will get one or two of his white, I can’t wait to see how gorgeous that looks in a few years, I will have a hedge of pale purple, white and French (almost black purple) lilacs – I think it will be a thing of beauty!
Enjoy your springs and all the new growth around you!
(Tricia that means baby Christmas growth for you)
(I am talking about plants here)
But first, for the past 7 years I have watched Alicia’s gymnastic recital and each year she does an “okay” job. She doesn’t excel but she also enjoys herself so it’s always been a great way to spend a night. THEN came along last night where my shy and not too talented young niece left and this direct, thinking, calculating girl took her place. Before she does anything she stops plans it in her head (I swear you can watch it happen) and nails it! Not a wobble on the balance beam (she was the ONLY one to not fall off at all), a floor routine that was exactly what was asked for, tumbles that were flawless, and a back walk-over that is levels above where she is! But if you ask me her biggest accomplishment of the night was that she got on the podium, accepted her medal and stopped, smiled and let us take a picture! Way to grow up Ja-Belle, I have enjoyed watching you blossom into this amazing confident young lady – keep up the good work!
Speaking of blossoming lets talk about my plants! I have growing for my vegetable garden 08:
Tomatoes (red and yellow)
Squash (winter)
Peppers (Cayenne and Jalapeno)
Leeks
Strawberries
Raspberries
Watermelon
Cilantro
Parsley
Thyme
Basil (green and purple)
Dill
Mint
Chives
And Stevia
So far everything is looking great I have at the very least seedlings but in most cases I have good sized plants, and I got some information on how to store some of this for winter use – I plan on making some sun dried tomatoes since I have like 5 or 6 tomato plants and drying the peppers was on my list though I really don’t know if that will happen.
And for my “regular garden” everything is planted and looking pretty darn solid I am sure that in a couple weeks it will be a thing of beauty right now that it looks like a garden that just got planted and needs to get more work done it… I will post pictures now and again in a few weeks so we can check the difference. This is technically my rose garden but last year’s neglect (I was busy) added to this winter’s beating means that out of 10 bushes I lost 7, I am happy for the 3 I have left and will slowly grow back the garden but meanwhile it is a rose and annual garden (instant color).
Lilac season has passed which is always so sad to me since I think for those weeks my yard is gorgeous, but this year I actually looked forward to it passing since my neighbor and I are taking shoots from each other’s bushes so that we can have more variety in both of our yards – so he will take a couple of my French lilacs and I will get one or two of his white, I can’t wait to see how gorgeous that looks in a few years, I will have a hedge of pale purple, white and French (almost black purple) lilacs – I think it will be a thing of beauty!
Enjoy your springs and all the new growth around you!
(Tricia that means baby Christmas growth for you)
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