Tuesday, March 31, 2009

About that Corgi

Huddled by the woodstove during the power outage, we played games and listened to the radio, which was broadcasting the local, weekly I got stuff to sell program, when we heard a woman call offering her Corgi — free to a good home.  About 5 minutes later, this call came to the show host:

"Earlier in the show, you had a woman who had a year-and-a-half dog to give away.  It was like a Yorkie or Dorkie or something like that.  Could you give me that number?"


The works of the Lord are great, sought out of all them that have pleasure therein.  ~Psalm 111:2

Monday, March 30, 2009

The Plum Gardens

[This post was written and in the process of editing Saturday morning, when the power went out...and was restored 30 hours later.  The ice encasement grew to between ½" and ¾" and made for an interesting weekend.  As I was saying, when I was so rudely interrupted...]

Thoughts of gardening, while the formerly beautiful peach and plum blossoms languish solidly and heavily encased in ice, may seem a bit disjointed.  Then again, this may be a perfect time to enjoy SugarPlum's gardening endeavors last weekend, when (*singing*) "the weather outside wasn't frightful."





Her Mama2 reports the second they were finished planting, the little darlin' said, "Okay.  Now let's wait," and squatted down to watch the seeds.  'Xcuse me for saying so, myself, but I think that's entirely too cute.


Gardening is a dirty job, but someone's gotta do it.


SugarPlum did it.




Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.  He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.  ~Isaiah 40:28

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

The Plum and the Polar Bear

We had a surprise, day-long visit from SugarPlum and her daddy last Thursday.  Such a wonderful surprise...well, maybe exceptin' for the fact I was still in my nightgown when they arrived.  Oopsie!

SugarPlum and the polar bear are both growing.  I daresay, though, Ruger is going to win this race and will soon be head — and perhaps even shoulders — above her.  Posturally, of course.  Only posturally.  [That's not a real word, but I like it, so go with it.]




This wonderful visit wasn't our only surprise of the week...

Friday:  Surprise!  Stomach flu in the house.
Saturday:  Surprise!  Your email client became corrupted beyond use yesterday.

I'm the only one who hasn't succumbed to the flu bug...yet.  And it only took me 24 long hours to chase the bugs out of my email client.

I've another new word to offer.  I got it from my daughter-in-law, who sent me photos recently, and in the second wave, she was sure to mention she knows how to spell the word "pictures."  In her defense, the emails were crafted late Sunday night, at the end of an eventful weekend; sometimes my fingers don't cooperate in the light of a good and quiet day.  I hadn't even noticed her slip of the fingers, so I had to go back and look for it:  PICUTES.  That's one of the best typos I've ever encountered, and as I've told her, it absolutely should be a word!  In fact, in the coming days, I'll be sharing the picutes she sent me.  ºÜº


Say not thou, I will recompense evil; but wait on the Lord, and he shall save thee.  ~Proverbs 20:22

Thursday, March 19, 2009

CowNot Hen

This little Ameracauna-Rhodie mix hen lives with Murdock and the CowNots.


A nice hen lives with them.  This hen is not nice.  She's mean as a snake.  We learned the hard way not to take all the girls' eggs, because they'll find a new place to lay, and it'll take us days to find their stash.  So we leave "salt" in the nest: 3 eggs with indelible X's on them.  X = Ucky old egg - Do Not Eat.


Poor Son4.  He has to fight the little spitfire every day for the eggs.  She bites.




For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.  For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.  But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.  ~Galatians 5:13-15

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Studied Neglect

Our family neglects Rome's celebrations, no matter how washed and repainted they've become or what peoples have enjoined themselves to them.  Yesterday morning we discussed Patrick's Day and researched the man's vaguely-known biographical information.  Whatever are the actual facts of his life, to be sure, he was at least posthumously adopted by Rome, and most historical accounts tether him squarely to her in life.

We don't get too fuzzed-up over these celebrations.  In fact, we're rather lighthearted about a number of them, including old Patrick's.  Imagine our dismay when we found this in the grass at the edge of our driveway yesterday afternoon, especially on the heels of studying Patrick:


We're mostly amused.  What a strange thing to be found the afternoon of March 16th.


Take heed to thyself that thou be not snared by following them, after that they be destroyed from before thee; and that thou enquire not after their gods, saying, How did these nations serve their gods? even so will I do likewise.  What thing soever I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it.  ~Deuteronomy 12:30, 32

Triplets







Cause me to hear thy lovingkindness in the morning; for in thee do I trust: cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto thee.  ~Psalm 143:8

Sunday, March 15, 2009

Global Warming in an Honest Light

Make that incandescent.

Going green can make you sick:Consumers in Dark over Risks of New Light Bulbs — Push for Energy-Saving Fluorescents Ignores Mercury Disposal Hazards

We'll shine that incandescent light on the facts vs. the hype or propaganda which brought the old fluorescent bulb to recent favor.  Here's a segmented film, Global Warming or Global Governance, worth every viewing minute.  Pop some corn and even turn off the lights, if you take a shine to theater ambiance.  Enjoy some sciencelight, which even I can understand and appreciate, and we know I'm not all about science.

[Notes:  1. One man in the film says, "...since the first day the earth evolved," which made my eyes roll and prompted me to warn of this and a perhaps mention of more thousands of years history than exist.  I'm so accustomed to ear-filtering that sort of nonsense, I could have missed some bits of it.  2. Zoomer, you keep talking to those seedlings, all up close and personal, because they need that CO2; they love it.  In fact, I'm thinking of assigning a chore chart in the summer, so we can take turns crawling through the garden, blowing on the vegetables.  Would that be a carbon kneeprint?]










The earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.  For he hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods.  ~Psalm 24:1, 2

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Good for You

They're good for your heart.
Eat up!



Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.  In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.  ~Proverbs 3:5, 6

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Sprout

When nurturing 294 potted seeds, the sprouting of plant #1 is an event.

And the winner is...



For as the earth bringeth forth her bud, and as the garden causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth; so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations.  ~Isaiah 61:11

Monday, March 9, 2009

GW Not

I first caught this on Son3's blog, so it's stolen — of sorts — but he took some of my wooden skewers (intended for rat-on-a-stick) to roast marshmallows over the smoothtop for s'mores.  All's fair in the family?  Keep your hands off my knitting needles!



Another installment under the Films label.  I know, I know, you've been achin' all over to discover What on earth is she watching?!


While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.  ~Genesis 8:22

[In case you haven't read the Book, God — not man — will destroy it.  How like fallen man, though, to think so highly of himself.]

Sunday, March 8, 2009

Burning Part III - The Dinner

Burn permit in-hand, we decided to set fire to our dinner, too.  No, we don't need a permit to burn in an enclosed space, but we were feeling all fired-up and didn't look or whiff like we should sit down at a dining table, so we roasted dogs for dinner.

These are bun length beef dogs.  There must be some reason why hotdog makers must tell us some meats have been mechanically separated, and as much as I like chickens on-the-hoof-foot, I really don't want to risk eating roasted chicken lips or toes, so I buy beef.  If you eat the others, that's plenty good, and I ate my own share of them before I got curious about that mechanical thing.

Dinner for Four


Tasty


A large, brown lab came strolling down the road.
Itsy-bitsy Pierre ran him off with aplomb.
He was so pleased with himself.
I was glad he lived to strut.


The galoomph polar bear lounged in the bushes.
He was awakened by the praise (and potato chip) Pierre received
and strolled over to join the party.
Plopped down.


I finally saw him run.
He lumbers.
He trips over himself and falls.
That's okay.


He's just a baby.


Pretty sunset to close the evening.


I love bands of color behind the trees.




Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God: thy spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness.  ~Psalm 143:10

Saturday, March 7, 2009

Redecorating

And I cooked a sizable turkey dinner, too.  Just look at me, all puffed-up and everything.  *snort*

Thankfully, the dinner was a snap compared with the decorating.  If you happened by in the midst of my midday mess, you'll be happy to learn I cook a little more successfully than I hang blog wallpaper and accoutrements.  In my defense, Son3 burst into gleeful laughter, when he saw the earlier, sculptured chickenflowerfabric concoction, and I'm always up for a laugh, so I let it sit here being all dumb and ugly for hours.  If you missed it, you missed a chuckle...or tears, depending on which direction you were leaning today.

Ironically, Laurel was having her own little decorating debacle today, which I learned just moments ago.  Go see.  Her place is right pretty, but she didn't get there so easily either.


Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.  But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.  Psalm 1:1, 2

Burning Part II - The BushNot

You may recall the story of the Maligned BushNot, which received resurrected life and favor after burning it to ashes last year.  Having learned how well the bushnot responds to abuse, it was time to do the deed again.  I bring you photos:


The fellows burn acres.  This is my little burn project.


I like it.


I made a big fire.


Big


It popped and crackled like crazy.


I'm all finished burning now.

CHICKENS!





Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.  ~I Peter 1:13