Prayer request

Am praying for those with neurological problems today. During work, I got five reports in a row for the ALS clinic. Haven't gotten a report for that clinic since July, so it's funny I got five in a row...What a bummer disease!!! They have a life expectancy of two to five years after diagnosis. Imagine being asked about if you will want a feeding tube or to be put on a respirator when the time comes when you won't be able to swallow or breathe on your own!

I can tell I'm more empathetic when my hormones are fluctuating and reports bother me more. That's why I didn't volunteer to transcribe reports for the cancer center. Talk about depressing.

So please pray for those with neurological diseases and their caregivers and care providers today.

Scenes from my yard

Where saffron comes from

Planted five bulbs a couple years ago, and only one comes up. They need good drainage, and I didn't amend the soil enough. The saffron comes from only this type of autumn crocus (Crocus sativus), not the spring ones.

Justin McRoberts Stoopid Kam

Okay, since I'm on the sign subject, Justin McRoberts has these and more on his website at http://www.justinmcroberts.com/photo_stoopid.html. I have his first two CDs, but haven't seen his other CDs in stores...So now I know what to put on my Christmas list. That and the T-shirt that says "And they'll know we are Christians by our T-shirts".

Sign

Shot these pictures yesterday.

Sorry, but do you mean the winter to come or last winter?

Reminds me of the time we went to a Chinese buffet and they served "pudding of chocolate", at least that's what the sign said.

Triangle book

Thanks, Mel, for teaching me how you do your cool photo montages! I tried two and will do more later...

Was going to post some pictures, but blogger won't finish uploading my images...Humpfh. Let's see if words upload.

More pots

Okay, the tall one I technically didn't do because I was messing it up and Gracie came and helped me.

Commentary

Okay, now I'm trying a commentary for something different---

Listened to the new Sting CD and was pleasantly surprized. The music comes from an Elizabethean songwriter. Sting reminds me of my voice teacher from long ago, Kevin Lambert. His voice is accompanied by a soft acoustic guitar or possibly other stringed instrument. Isn't this also called chamber music?

It's good for background music. I can imagine people drinking grog with a roasted turkey leg in their hand. I might just have to buy some apple cider this week. Too bad the renaissance festival was two weeks ago.

Speaking of renaissance festivals, I always have to remember the time I went when it was at Newman University. Here was this statue of St. Francis with his hands cupped together, and someone placed their roasted turkey leg in them. It looked pretty funny.

Bug on a gumball

We have two sweetgum trees that I haven't seen up north. The fruit or "gumball" (as I quote from Wikipedia) where the seeds are found turns brown later on, and there are a whole bunch of these things under the tree. I wanted to take a picture of them, and the bug was just a bonus. Last year I saved them and used them as filler in my plant containers. I think the little orbs are cool! Yes, I'm weird.

Answered prayer

I wasn't having a good attitude about someone this past summer and have been praying about it. Just this past week my prayer has been answered and I just got off the phone with them (they called me). This is my testimony and reminder to myself---I knew my prayer would be answered and it has; my heart has softened into forgiveness.

In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation. Psalms 5:3

Ecclesiastes 9:10

Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the grave, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom.

Don't feel like working today...My allergies don't like the rain...I'm thankful I work alone this morning so I don't have to worry about being crabby around anyone...It's Boss' Day on Monday...When will they have National Peon Worker Day? I do like my boss (or "leader" as they are calling it now).

Enough whining already, right? Repeat Bible verse, repeat Bible verse...

Pottery

So it's been a month since I've been taking a pottery class and only have the three ugly pots on the right on the firing shelf so far...BUT, I'm trying really hard to learn the technique and not thinking about how many pots I create...Lord knows my mom has enough of them from the first time I did "Ceramics" in junior college.

My teacher, Gracie, has a wonderful attitude about the ugly pots and says we need to think of them as our children and our creations. So, I'm trying to adapt that mentality.

All that aside, I'm really excited to get back to the clay!!! I used the excuse every time the park board flyer came around that either I didn't have enough money or had higher priorities...This time I'm making it a priority. Some of it is coming back--like riding a bike, but then again it was 12 years ago and I used a kick wheel back then. So after the first couple of classes of having the wheel turning a different way from what I'm used to and realizing that I throw left-handed, it's a lot better.

Will be posting pictures of some of my pots as I promised my sister, Jackie. Maybe my mom will finally get rid of my "paperweights" that I made 12 years ago if I give her some current ones. She just loves them...Talk about unconditional love of a mother. We all need that once in awhile.

Yes, I'm getting the spiritual euphanism (is that the word I want?) of "I am the potter and you are the clay" and all clay is beautiful in its own right and that should love my own creations like all of humankind.

Part 2

Spiders Part 1

Been having a fascination with insects lately...Am very frustrated with Photoshop Elements 4. It creeps along, and I have a good computer and have only been using it to mostly organize my photos since it takes some time to do anything. Got so fed up that I copied these pictures to Microsoft Works and then to Paint in order to put them on this page...wanted to have a collage. There are more pics, but I'm frustrated...

Ebullient, Coquette, and Volition

Three words used in dictation in the past two weeks from a psychiatric doctor...I frequently have to look up the spelling on his nonmedical terminology...Don't get him very often.

Ebullient: adj.: 1: Boiling, agitated.
2: Exuberant.
Coquette: n.: Flirt.
Volition: [L.volo, to wish:] The conscious impulse to perform any act or to abstain from its performance; voluntary action.

Please comment and use one in a sentence if you'd like--Thanks!

Weekend recap

Husband homecoming, tail wagging, anniversary celebrating fun!!! A whole month, just a month...Can't imagine a whole year and what the soldiers' families are going through. I got to experience 1/12th of it with no single-parenting involved.

This is a picture of the view next to my husband. We were waiting in front of Outback for our beeper to go off. I promised him I wouldn't "exploit" him on my blog and am respecting his wishes.

If you haven't realized by now, I love looking at pictures and other peoples' blogs so mine will not be just five pages of little words.

One more

Monarch emerged

Walked into the kitchen this morning, and it was already out. So I transferred it outside. What a way to lighten up a Monday!
Used a tripod and what a difference it makes-









Butterflies will always remind me of Grandma, Easter, and Pete Peterman who made a gigantic one for the sanctuary one year!