Photo Friday: Spring Unfolding

She Blinded Me With Science

Hmmm....how shall I dominate the world?

This seems like a problem best solved with...

SCIENCE!

Yes! I've got it! The SuperMorphingInvisibleBackpack-inator!!

Oh, the possibilities! And I owe all my evil genius capabilities to Science! Bwahahahahahaha!!

The Dumb Dog, Some Peanut Butter, And A Camera

"May I please have some peanut butter? Pretty please with kibble on top?"

"C'mon! You know I really love it! Pleasepleasepleasepleasepuuuhhllleeeezzzz! I'll be good! I'll come when you call me! I won't drop Spitty Ball on your lap for like, a week!"

"Gee, thanks. Now what do I do?"

"Oh, yeah! I've got a tongue! I can lick it off!"

"Oh my--...Holy--...Oh this is so good! Nom nom nom!"

"Hey! Wanna see how my tongue works? EXTREME CLOSE UP!! Gotcha! Bwahahahaha!"

"Did I mention that this tastes, like, reeeeallly good?"

"Oh, didn't you get any peanut butter? Gee, I'm sorry! NOT!!! Tbhtbthbhthbhthtttt!!"

"Why is everyone looking at me?"

"I have made a fool of myself all in the name of peanut butter. I am so ashamed."

Photo Friday: Bonus Shots

It's Friday, But Sunday's Comin'!

Easter says you can put truth in the grave, but it won't stay there.

Longfellow Knew. Do You?

I have always been taken with Longfellow's poem/hymn "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day." This year, after hearing it at my daughter's advent program, I was struck by it anew. This verse in particular caught my attention:

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep: "God is not dead; nor doth He sleep; The wrong shall fail, the right prevail, with Peace on Earth, Good-will to men."

It was a reminder for me that even when God is quiet, He is not absent. He is not dead. God is here, with us, a Living God. He is still in charge, still in control, still loving us no matter what.

I pray that on this Christmas, you are amazed by Him. I hope that you are surrounded by the Love that came down from heaven and put on flesh, for you and for me. I pray that you know--deep in your bones know--that living, loving God.

Merry Christmas.

Photo Friday: Flower Shower

On my last day at work, my wonderful students and their families gave me a "flower shower." They all brought in a single stem, a small bouquet, or a small plant for me. I had two very large (think plastic gallon size pitcher) bouquets to take home and enjoy as well as a book of very sweet letters and pictures from my students. See what I mean about them making it hard to leave?

The flowers were a diverse bunch. There were purple mums, blue, green, and a never-before-seen-before-by-my-eyes purple hydrangea, yellow roses, pink roses, lavender roses, red roses, yellow spider mums, sunflowers, stargazer lillies, purple irises, some decorative berries, and a couple of pretty flowers that I cannot name. There was also an orchid stem. I was able to have five different arrangements of flowers from that lot. My home smelled wonderful and looked lovely.

Having only admired orchids from afar, because I fear that they are far too temperamental to withstand the neglect they would receive from me, I was delighted to have one in my home that I could photograph. I had a great time experimenting with my camera and admiring the beauty and intricacy of this flower.



All that remains of the lovely bouquets now are the pictures I took. Although when I walk into my bedroom there is a hint of the scent lily even now and it makes my heart happy.


Happy Friday!

She's No Boots. In Fact, I'm Not Sure She's Really A Dog

When I was growing up, we had a dog named Boots. She hated squirrels. We had a big silver maple tree in the back yard and the squirrels used to sit up in that tree and taunt her. She'd sit at the bottom of the tree and bark and carry on at those squirrels.

Sometimes, when we were in the house, we would look at Boots and say "Get that squirrel!" and she would run barking to the window or door. The thing is, we didn't even have to say those words to make her crazy. We could say something like "Hit that girl!" or "Knit and purl!" and she would lose her mind. This was big entertainment for us.

Now I have Tilly. Of all the dogs I've ever owned, Tilly is the most, um...special. I would never say this in front of her for fear of giving her a complex, but I don't think she's the sharpest knife in the drawer. Okay. You caught me. I would totally say it in front of her and she would look at me with a blank stare because what she would be hearing is "Tilly blah, blah, blah. Tilly blah, blah."

The other day when I was out in the back yard with her, she was sniffing along the treeline and we heard a frantic chirruping at us. I was looking around trying to spy what was chattering at us and suddenly I saw this about three feet away:



It was decidedly unhappy with our presence and it was not holding back. I kept saying "Squirrel! Tilly! Squirrel!" and pointing it out to her, but she just couldn't find it. She was sniffing excitedly on the ground but when I would point up to the tree rat squirrel, she just looked at me with a quizzical expression. There was no doubt that she was excited; her ears were pricked up, her tail was up and wagging, she was on full alert. She just didn't know what she was on alert for.

Meanwhile, Mr. Squirrel finished bawling me out and then scampered up the tree and jumped from branch to branch, tree to tree. Tilly, nose to the ground, sniffed in circles and missed it all.

I swear I heard that squirrel laughing at her as he scampered away. If she were still here, Boots would disavow her as a member of the species. Shameful, really.

Dumb dog.