Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Flowers

This was how the potted plant in front of Michaels looked today. Isn't it pretty.
There are Mums, and a Jeruselem Cherry and in the middle is either a black Coleus or an Ornamental Cabbage, not sure which. I looked around Micheals for a while and they had some very nice things. A lot of crafts this year for kids too. I got about eight or ten skeins of Sugar and Cream cotton yarn for a Knit Along that I have joined. The yarn should last through December.

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Autumnal Equinox will be here very soon

Summer is almost gone, the leaves have started turning and some are falling.
The Cicadas and Crickets are calling day and night now.
Already it is dark at 730, and even though it is not so the days seems to shorten by half hour each day.
Days are hot but nights are cold.
The bees and wasps are busier than usual.
I haven't seen any red winged blackbirds or robins for a while so they must be thinning out and leaving.
The Canadian Geese in the train yard are circling preparing for a long flight.
The smell of burning wood and leaves is in the air most evenings.
This is my saddest time of the year.

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

My Blue Period


I guess I am having what I fondly call my Blue Period.
I just recover from one kick in the old breadbox and another follows rapidly on its heels.
Summer is already dying as I can see the end leaves already losing color and falling.
Yesterday I saw a flock of red winged blackbirds headed south.
Today is Kiddy Carnival day, a day which signifies the end of the parkies at the city parks.
The last day of swimming is only 9 days away.
The Perseids are tonight.
I'd like to fly away too.

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Goodbye to you
My trusted friend
We've known each other since we were nine or ten
Together we've climbed hills and trees
Learned of love and A-B-C's
Skinned our hearts and skinned our knees.

Goodbye
My friend
It's hard to die
When all the birds are singing in the sky;
Now that the spring is in the air
Pretty girls are ev'rywhere
Think of me and I'll be there.

We had joy
We had fun
We had seasons in the sun;
But the hills that we climbed
Were just seasons out of time.

Goodbye
Papa
Please pray for me
I was the black sheep of the family;
You tried to teach me right from wrong
Too much wine and too much song
Wonder how I got along.

Goodbye Papa
It's hard to die
When all the birds are singing in the sky;
Now that the spring is in the air
Little children ev'rywhere
When you'll see them
I'll be there.

We had joy
We had fun
We had seasons in the sun;
But the wine and the song
Like the seasons have all gone.

Goodbye
Michelle
My little one
You gave me love and helped me find the sun;
And ev'ry time that I was down
You would always come around
And get my feet back on the ground.

Goodbye Michelle
It's hard to die
When all the birds are singing in the sky;
Now that the spring is in the air
With the flowers ev'rywhere;
I wish that we could both be there.

We had lives
We had fun
We had seasons in the sun;
But the stars we could reach
Were just star-fish on the beach.
Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Though wise men at their end know dark is right,
Because their words had forked no lightning
they Do not go gentle into that good night.

Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright
Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,
And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,
Do not go gentle into that good night.

Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight
Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
And you, my father, there on the sad height,
Curse, bless me now with your fierce tears, I pray.
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Dylan Thomas

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

It's Summer

Already the July 4th celebration is over.
But the weather is much too nice to stay in the house.
Gardens are on their own.

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Late Spring

The veggie garden is coming along good. All heirloom plants. The tomatoes have blossoms on them. I'm looking forward to tasting them as I hear they are all delicious.
Trying sweet peppers again this year. Don't have much luck with them but I have my garden in a new spot this year so maybe the sun will cause them to grow better.
Summer Solstice will be here before I know it and of course then the days start getting shorter. I am enjoying the long days of Spring.

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Through the screen

The back yard today. I love green things and flowers and restful backyards in the heart of the city. Working on the South yard tomorrow, trying to get it all planted before the heat shows up. Have to dig up some of the bushes the rabbits ate. I decided to keep my dead peach tree and plant Morning Glories around it. I have yellow tulips that turn yellow and orange after a week or so. My honeysuckle vine and clematis are about ready to burst into bloom. Got the hoses and sprinklers set out. Picked up a pretty rose to replace one of the pine trees. Looking for a Bridal Wreath to plant but everywhere I go they don't know what I'm talking about. I wonder if it has a different name these days.

Saturday, May 30, 2009

Still Spring

A pleasant and sunny day today, with a brisk wind.
Picked up my groceries I ordered from Share. This time I got cookout food and organic fruits and vegetables. Also Mrs. Smith's Apple pie. Kids helped me carry it all. We cut up the melon when we got home and mmmm mmmm it was very sweet and juicy.
Played LaCrosse in the yard for a while and then took the kids to their Dad's.

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Rose Breasted Grosbeak


This is a new bird to my yard, or at least I haven't noticed them before.

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Beans Cafe

I met my old chums at the Beans Cafe this noon. It was fun to do, they are so comfortable and easy. The food was good too. We made plans to go up north for a few days in June, that should be an experience. Beans Cafe is in a building that used to be called The Urban Frog. At that time it was all natural food but I never had a chance to go there. It's an interesting name though. Today I had BLT sandwich, I know, but it's comfort food with comfortable people. After we left there we went to one of our friend's houses for dessert. It was a delicious pie...peaches and cream cheese and whipped cream and cracker crust. They have a wonderful dog and we played catch. I sure miss having a dog. My dear friend has a beautiful sun room with blooming orchids. Very pleasant day.
I have two fish in a ten gallon tank. One is orange and black...Owen named her goldie and the other is a placostomas named Sam...the old man of the sea. When I was feeding them and 'bedding them down' for the night I had to do a double take. There in the fish neighborbood was a school of little eyes and orange tails sort of swimming. Goldie must have given birth...or hatched eggs or whatever. But who is the Daddy.
I ordered a garage door today. It will be good to be able to close the garage again. I use it for my garden shed most of the year. The man that came and gave me the estimate was very nice. It's going to cost less that I budgeted for it so that's a break. My next door neighbor stopped over at the time and said he had sold his house to a contractor who was going to remodel and sell it. It's been empty for almost five years now. Couple that with the one on the other side that got torn down.
I put out the outside table today and the new umbrella for it. It will be a good spot for tea when the fence vines grow in to hide the neighbors and the noise.
I wonder how a person starts to paint pictures. I wonder how you choose what medium to use. I think it might be a good experience to at least try. I'm such a dreamer with too much child still left in my soul.
Stop typing Janice and go to bed, it's late, tomorrow is another day.

Saturday, May 2, 2009

Saturday, April 11, 2009

Eggs


Jesus is risen
Oh what a glorious day
Live in peace and love

Friday, April 10, 2009

4,271 American Casualities of Iraq War to Date

They shall grow not old
As we that are left grow old,
Age shall not weary them . .
Nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun,
And in the morning,
We will remember them!
...Lawrence Binyon
"Into Battle"

The naked earth is warm with spring,
And with green grass and bursting trees
Leans to the sun's gaze glorying,
And quivers in the sunny breeze;
And life is colour and warmth and light,
And a striving evermore for these;
And he is dead who will not fight;
And who dies fighting has increase.

The fighting man shall from the sun Take warmth,
and life from the glowing earth;
Speed with the light-foot winds to run,
And with the trees to newer birth;
And find, when fighting shall be done,
Great rest, and fullness after dearth.
All the bright company of Heaven
Hold him in their high comradeship,
The Dog-Star,
and the Sisters Seven,
Orion's Belt and sworded hip.
The woodland trees that stand together,
They stand to him each one a friend;
They gently speak in the windy weather;
They guide to valley and ridge's end.

The kestrel hovering by day,
And the little owls that call by night,
Bid him be swift and keen as they,
As keen of ear, as swift of sight.
The blackbird sings to him, "Brother, brother,
If this be the last song you shall sing,
Sing well, for you may not sing another; Brother, sing."
In dreary, doubtful, waiting hours,
Before the brazen frenzy starts,
The horses show him nobler powers;
O patient eyes, courageous hearts!
And when the burning moment breaks,
And all things else are out of mind,
And only joy of battle takes Him by the throat,
and makes him blind,

Through joy and blindness he shall know,
Not caring much to know, that still
Nor lead nor steel shall reach him,
so That it be not the Destined Will.
The thundering line of battle stands,
And in the air death moans and sings;
But Day shall clasp him with strong hands,
And Night shall fold him in soft wings.

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

April

"The roofs are shining from the rain,
The sparrows twitter as they fly,
And with a windy April grace
The little clouds go by.
Yet the back yards are bare and brown
With only one unchanging tree--
I could not be so sure of Spring
Save that it sings in me."-
Sara Teasdale

Friday, March 27, 2009

March is ending

Spring is here. March is saying goodby with a snowstorm. They haven't named it yet so maybe it won't be a bad one.
I'm glad it's going to snow again as I forgot to save snowballs in the freezer for our annual July 4th snowball fight.

Friday, March 6, 2009

Welcome in Daylight Savings Time on Sunday

...with a cake!


It's quite easy....bake a yellow cake mix into two layers

Using vanilla frosting and red food coloring, make the frosting pink.

Using a pack of skittles make flowers on the cake...place one skittle and then place six skittles of a different color around it. Place several 'flowers' to look pretty.

And enjoy your extra hour of daylight, I know I will.

Sunday at 2am Spring those clocks forward.

Have a great tomorrow.

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Well it's still winter

Lots of snow
Lots of cold
Lots of rabbits
Lots of stars in the sky on winter nights
Lots of pretty sunsets
Lots of shoveling
Lots of playing in the snow
Lots of dreaming about spring

Saturday, February 14, 2009

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Melting snow

Of course it's still winter but the snow is melting very fast. Now the rabbits have access to other food so they are leaving what's left of my "Emerald" arborvitae alone. The temp has been in the thirties and forties all week and I've finally been able to take down my outside Christmas decorations that were covered with a few feet of snow. Very muddy out too. Haven't noticed anything starting to grow yet but Jenny called on Monday and told me she had a Robin at her window and she let me listen to it's cheer up cheerily sound. It's still light out at 5pm, the days are getting longer by the minute haha.

Friday, February 6, 2009

Critters

I love rabbits and squirrels and birds and chippies, and feral cats and all the other critters that occasionally stop by my chemicle free yard to chomp on some of the plants and berry bushes winter, spring, summer and fall. Three years ago I planted thirty little pine trees for privacy along the front and south side of my yard...fifty dollars a pop. They have more than doubled in size in those few years. This winter, the rabbits have decided to eat them. They have completely devoured two of them and are working on six more. They have also eaten all the bark off my new peach tree (I assume it won't grow anymore and I won't plant another). They haven't touched the dogwoods so I guess they are particular about their winter lunches.
Someone suggested that I fill gallon glass jars with water and place them where they enter the yard and next to where they are munching. However, this is Wisconsin and the water would soon turn to ice and crack the jar. I wonder if there is anything else I can do to change their eating habits. I even put rabbit food out for them...they eat that too and the bird seed and the squirrel corn and peanuts. They are pretty white rabbits, or are they hares, and I'm happy they are not starving. I like my little trees too.

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Today I am thankful for books;
I am also thankful that my furnace works and I have a warm place to live
I am thankful for my family and friends to chat with
I am thankful for farmers that grow vegetables so I can remember summer
I am thankful for TV to watch, especially programs that make me laugh.

Friday, January 23, 2009

Thought of the day...

SOME PEOPLE ARE LIKE SLINKIES; NOT REALLY GOOD FOR ANYTHING, BUT THEY BRING A SMILE TO YOUR FACE WHEN PUSHED DOWN THE STAIRS