5 things I can't live without

1. My Bible
2. Books
   
3. Music & art
4. The out-of doors
5. Family & friends

(Heehee, I kind of cheated a little bit . . . )

:-)

Signs of spring

I have been meaning to get some photos and video up on my blog but the couple times I tried they wouldn't up load so they will still be coming.

Even though it hasn't quite felt like spring yet (only one day in the immediate past that was warmer than 70 degrees), there are signs around.

Yesterday I was looking out my window as I was getting ready for work and I saw a mother robin instructing her baby robin on the finer points of worm-hunting.

I could tell it was a baby robin because its feathers were all puffed out and its head was still sitting on its neck. No rubber-necking yet.

And every time I step out doors I smell lilacs!

Smarter than I thought

So I was reading through some of the website I usually read through every day and I came across this article.

Granted the focus is more of as therapy for mental illness but I think the point comes across loud and clear:

Bloggers are happier!

Right?

If that isn't a sweeping generalization I don't know what is!

Seriously though, I am coming up on my one year blogiversary and I have been thinking about how this blog and the thoughts that I have typed into it have affected my life -- if at all. My conclusions so far:

• It has been one constant in my life. I have blogged (almost) everyday. Barring holidays and (stupid) internet connection problems.
• I have (tried) to focus on the blessings in my life. Not things I can complain about. Overall, I hope this has increased my awareness on how truly blessed I am.
• I have shared parts of my life I don't normally share with others. Being the shy type, it takes me a long time to be comfortable enough to share many of the things I have shared here over the past 11 months.

Not too bad so far, huh?

I did and I didn't

I seem to have a hard time completing my to-do lists. I did get my lawn mowed this weekend. And . . . that is about all. Sigh.

Oh well, at least I already have this week's to-do list ready . . .

. . . curriculum for computer class . . .

. . . flower beds . . .

. . . etc . . .

I didn't just sit around all weekend though. I did some things that weren't on my list to-do.

And yesterday I went to the Memorial Day service here in town.

And that is always a blessing!

5 things I need to do this weekend . . .

I have Monday off -- due to Memorial day -- so these are some things that I need to do:

• Start cleaning out my flowerbed

• Mow my lawn (never-ending chore!)

• Clean out my car

• Visit my grandparents

• Finish up the curriculum for my Adult computer class

Maybe after that I can relax a little? :-)

Busyness

It is odd. Working more hours. It has been almost a year since I quit my hotel job. I have been scooping up any hours I can at the library. Now I teaching a class in June. Going from part-time to almost full-time it seems I don't have enough hours in the day. How can that be?

Smells of spring

Walking to and from work today, I enjoyed the smells around me. The lilacs are just starting to bloom. Lilacs are one of my favorite smells!

A couple people were mowing their lawns. I don't know what it is about freshly mown lawn that I enjoy so much. Maybe it's just the freshness of it. Or maybe it reminds me of the smell of freshely mown hay -- a sentimental odor. Who knows!

I can hardly wait for the peonies to pop out. That is one of my all-time favorite smells!

Vegetable gardening

This summer I am growing some vegetables in my parents garden to freeze and can.


Some baby green beans . . .

And baby zucchini . . .

I'm also growing some corn and some broccoli. Yummy!

Party central

This past weekend was graduation. I went to 4 open houses and worked at one of them.

Yesterday's was island themed. Everyone got a lei.

I gave mine to Cleo.

She seems to like it. :-)

5 things

This weekend is graduation weekend. I thought in honor of graduation I would try to come up with 5 little pieces of advice for the graduate. You know kind of sum up all the knowledge I have acquired in the mmm mmm years since I graduated. :-P

5 bits of advice for the high school graduate:

1. Realize in the real world people aren't all that different from your classmates. You will have the clowns, the brains, the snobs, etc. You have to make a choice on how to interact with the people around you.

2. People respond better to a polite person than to a rude one.

3. Save. Save. Save. Your money! and watch what you are spending. Trust me in 10 years you will thank me.

4. Don't be afraid to ask questions -- despite possibly feeling uncomfortable -- that's the best way to learn and it is easier than fixing your mistakes!

5. Don't try to be the same person you were in high school. We are suppose to change and grow.

Rhubarb-palooza

This past weekend I had my first rhubarb dish of the season. Yummy.

Tuesday, I got my first "donation" of rhubarb.

Tonight, I am going to make my first rhubarb cobbler. Yummy.

Tomorrow, I am going to go pick some of my mom's rhubarb and freeze it for later!

List-mania

I like making lists. To do lists, gift lists, brain-storm lists, etc. Tonight is the first Wednesday I really have nothing to do. Awana is over so I have no plans. Here is a list of things I could do:

1. Wash my windows -- it may be too sunny for this one! :-)
2. Take a walk (I will be walking home)
3. Plan an upcoming computer class
4. Finish the graduate cards and gifts I have been working on
5. Read (I like this one!)
6. Clean out my refrigerator -- hmm, probably not
7. Clean my bathroom
8. Absolutely nothing
9. Etc. -- gotta plan for the unexpected!

A little encouragement

I have been going to a ladies prayer group on Tuesdays for the past couple weeks.

It never ceases to amaze me how a simple little thing like praying for one another can be an such a huge encouragement.

Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.

James 5:16

On the right foot

Well, I had a pleasant weekend! It was busy too! Friday I did dinner and movies at a friends house. Saturday I had to work for a few hours but then a friend and I visited with friend of ours who was in the area for the weekend.

That was great -- we got to catch up on each other's lives and visit with her kids!

Yesterday, of course, was Mother's Day and I had dinner with Mom & Dad after church.

I even started out the week right getting up at a early enough to get some yard work done this morning before going to work and now I'm going home to mow my lawn.

I hope I can keep my momentum up for the rest of the week!

5 things

5 of my favorite flowers . . .

For some reason I associate flowers with Mother's Day. So . . . here are some of my favorite flowers even though I am not a mom.

1. Peonies
2. Lilacs


3. Shasta daisies


4. Lilies


5. Miniature Carnations

Poppin' so no more peepin'

The leaves are finally popping out on the trees in my front yard. So now I don't have to worry my neighbors peering at the trees out front.


BTW -- Ignore the poor quality, I wasn't paying attention to my camera settings. :-P

It is actually a beautiful sunny day and there was not a blue tint in the air!

Almost perfect

The last couple day have been almost perfect. The temperature has been just right and there has been little or no humidity. I waited to rain yesterday until after dark.

It seems that once the weather turns spring-like we all crawl out of our hidey-holes and walk everywhere.

Yesterday afternoon I was walking home from work and a block ahead of me I saw a mother and her two daughters walking with a stroller and their dog. Apparently the youngest was extremely impatient for summer because she was "wading" through the water running down the gutter.

Just after I passed them, I heard the mother scolding her daughter . . . "No! Keep your clothes on!"

Very impatient little girl. :-)

And the garage has it . . .

So I did clean out my garage yesterday. It was the perfect day for it -- not too hot, not too cold. Although the wind was blowing into the garage so it didn't give me any help as I was sweeping out the dirt and dust but overall I had very little trouble.

I do have a couple photos but my camera is being an idiot today so I will have to post those later. I still have a lot of stuff in the garage. Most of it is the brother's -- when he moved to sunny FL he left a lot of stuff behind. And a couple things are too large or too important for me to dispose of at this time (extra stove, snowblower, etc.).

But I do have more room and the things I plan on keeping no matter what are more organized.

The garbage/recycling man will have a lot to pick up tomorrow.

Ah, finally . . .

It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood

It as finally reached a temperature above 50 degrees! Actually I think it is close to 70 today!

I am gonna go home and either start raking out one of my flower beds or start cleaning out my garage. I haven't decided yet. Such decisions . . .

5 things

In the spirit of the sister's birthday, a 5 things post dedicated to her . . .

5 things I love about my sister:

• Her creativity

• Her smile

• How great a friend she is

• Her practicality

• Her sensitivity
  

You look like a monkey . . .

• 301 years ago today the Kindgom of England and the Kingdom of Scotland became the Kingdom of Great Britain.

• 222 years ago today was opening night of the opera The Marriage of Figaro by Mozart in Vienna, Austria.

• 145 years ago today the Battle of Chancellorsville (Civil War) begins.

• 115 years ago today the World's Columbian Exposition opens in Chicago.

• 77 years ago today The Empire State Building is dedicated in New York City.

• 63 years ago today a German newsreader officially announces that Adolf Hitler has "fallen at his command post".

• 52 years ago today the the polio vaccine developed by Jonas Salk is made available to the public.

• 30 years ago today the first unsolicited bulk commercial e-mail (aka "spam") is sent.

• 27 years ago today the sister was born.

Despite the fact that I am sure I wasn't entirely happy about it at the time, I have completely gotten over that and know that I would be lost without her today.

Happy Birthday!