White

This is my second annual attempt at taking pictures of my dog with the daffodils, but her eyes are always squinted (facing the sun) and we don't communicate with our eyes when we're outside. She listens to me and is usually busy sniffing and doesn't look up.

Good news!

My mom just called with her CT scan results. The report stated that the tumor didn't grow and actually looked necrotic (dead)...So we are going to see the surgeon in Minneapolis on April 9th and are hoping they will schedule surgery soon. My mom sure is glad she doesn't have to have another round of chemotherapy!!!

Crocus and daffodils

Angie's lid

This is what can happen after working 9 or more hours making a lid...


Another lady did the bottom and said she was going to use tinfoil for her lid. I might be able to do something like this in about five years. It's a chicken cooker.

Daylight savings

Yeah guys, did your computer time change on its own? I had to manually do it. Just wondering...

Muscari or grape hyacinth

This bloomed today in my "Zone 7" area or south side of the house. We are in Zone 6, but everything on that side is sheltered and blooms earlier than the rest.

p.s. You would not be impressed at my yard if you saw it in person...I only show you the good parts.

Quote from Organic God

I sometimes think that if we focused on an icon of Christ with the kind of time and intensity and focus that we give our mirrors, we would be highly devout people. But instead we agonize about our own bodies, never realizing that a human being is not really designed to look at its own person. We were meant to find beauty in one another. --Kate Moorehead

Thanks, Michele T., for introducing me to this book!

Onomatopeia

My new word for the day---Thanks Melanie! Did you know I'd have to look that word up? Where have I been all my life?

Onomatopeia-Using words that imitate the sound they denote.

Blog questions

After some great dialogue about blogs on Darla's blog, I would like to state that I could probably figure out how to put one of the free counters on my blog, but have a feeling I would become obsessed with checking how many people look at my blog daily. I'm not obsessed with seeing how many comments I get, but I do think I would have a weakness of judging myself on that aspect.

Iris reticulata

This bloomed yesterday.

Watch my fingers/watch my mouth

May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight. O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer. Ps.19:14

This is my prayer today.

Hyacinth emerging

I'm praying for patience until things settle down and I feel less busy or else patience to get used to being this busy.

What do you need to be patient about?

What drives your life?

This post was brought on by the comments of the last post. Thanks for your comments. When I heard the quote from Elizabethtown, I knew I had to write it down. There are other cool one-liners in the movie, too.

According to "The Purpose Driven Life", the five most common drives are:

-guilt
-resentment and anger
-fear
-materialism
-need for approval

What do I want to be the driving force in my life? Love and justice.

On a lighter note, here's another quote from Elizabethtown--"I'm hard to forget, but difficult to remember." "This loss will be surrounded by a hurricane of love."

EDIT--I added the above picture. This is my Kansas Mom on her way to church on Wednesday night. I had my camera out to take pictures of the clouds, and saw her driving by. Hi Mom...I didn't honk because I was too busy clicking...

Quote

It was then I knew that success, not greatness, was the only god the entire world served.

Quote from Elizabethtown--my new favorite movie

Old habits die hard

Ever since the beginning of the year, I've been trying to essentially "relearn" how to throw on the wheel. With lots of reluctance, I have changed the direction of the wheel from what I first learned 14 years ago and am trying to get the proper techniques down that my instructors use. When I have the wheel going the other way, they can't help me much and not every wheel goes "backwards". I thought I just learned how to do it left-handed before. Anyways, if I get this down, I should be able to throw bigger and better. It's frustrating, but there's something about clay that is soothing to me. I still call it circular therapy.

Updates on life

What I'm giving up for lent--feeling guilty. It is still creeping back in and I am trying to nip it in the bud. Decided that food wasn't the thing for me to give up due to underlying reasons, so I'm reading The Purpose Driven Life again. Also will be journaling. I found the Purpose Driven Life leather journal at a garage sale last year for $1, and decided I will use that also. So far I have done it for three days...only 37 more to go.

My mom--Next week is her last week of chemo/radiation for this round. My two sisters and brother-in-law are taking turns staying with her, since they feel she shouldn't be left alone. She has bad mouth sores, and they have cut out one of the chemo drugs this last week. After this week, she has four weeks of rest. With me being three states away, it's easy for the guilt to creep up of me not being there.

First crocus

It's the most wonderful time of the year....

Galanthus or snowdrop

FIRST BLOOM! The bulb fanaticism has started!!! Last year the crocus were the first to bloom on February 3rd. My dog and I will be out scouting daily now for the next bloom.

Happy 25th!!!

Happy Anniversary Jackie and Mark!

If I was to post a picture, any picture, it would be your wedding picture where Mark has the red handkerchief with his tux or the one with his nose-warmer on that you (Jackie) crocheted for him..but I only have my box of pictures that Mom gave me of me or the ones that I took.

Thanks for all those nights you let me sleep over and feeding me and not making me milk the cows for my supper.

You will be getting something in the mail, but in honor of the presidents it will be a day later (no mail delivery). It will also be another day later because I was thinking your anniversary was on Wednesday instead of Tuesday...

Oh, and I'm so impressed that you figured out how to leave comments on my blog!!!

Photo Friday--Self-portrait

Why is this so hard? This is me, no muss, no fuss.