Actually, that should be WE came, We saw, We conquered Iowa. My mother, one of my nieces and I visited a niece in eastern Iowa this week. It was a totally unstructured weekend. We ate, and shopped, and scrap-booked, played Spite and Malice, quilted, knitted, chatted, ate, drank, ate, and generally had a wonderful time.
Monthly Archives: May 2005
Windy City
I was driving home last Thursday, and came around the corner onto the street where we live. There are subdividion signs on either side of that corner, and the landscapers had decorated them with banks of yellow tulips.
It has been incredibly windy for the past few days, and the tulips on the north side of the street had been totally stripped of their blooms. Those on the south side had a six foot block sign protecting them from the wind, and were still blooming.
As we traveled to Iowa and back, we saw similar examples of the wind’s power. I’m ready for that part where “April sighed, and said goodbye, and along came pretty little May!”
Convenience?
I was in the grocery store last week, and I was reminded just how dependent we have become on computers in our lives. I’m old enough to remember when a cashier at the grocery store hit keys on a cash register to ring up the cost of the items. Each item was marked with a price rather than a zebra stripe.
If the electricity went out, they “rang” you up by hand, and you went on about your business. These days, if the computer is malfunctioning, or if the electricity goes off, you’re out of luck. No sale. There is nothing they can do to make a sale.
A new bird!
Saturday, I was in eastern Iowa, visiting with relatives. My niece had planted flower boxes on her deck, and a bird I had never seen visited one of them as we watched.
The bird’s body was a mustardy gold color. It’s wings were barred in black and white, rather like a downy woodpecker’s wings. It was slightly smaller than a robin, and had a similar shape. I didn’t get a good look at it’s beak, but it seems to me that it was long and pointed, rather than the blunter beak of a cardinal or gross-beak.
I browsed through my bird books, and the closest thing I could find to what I saw was a female “Northern” or “Baltimore” Oriole.
Can my birding friends suggest any other birds I might look at that fit that description?
I’ve never seen a deep gold bird before.
Ponderings
When I get back to the computer, I’ll have several things to talk about…..the incredible wind that we’ve had the last two days, along with very chilly weather. One stand of tulips in an unprotected spot were denuded of petals.
I’ve been pondering the drawbacks to having a computerized life, especially for those who have never learned to do things from scratch to begin with. The same problem existed when they tried to teach us “New Math.” It failed because there wasn’t enough focus on the basics. I think that jazz performers have to learn Classical music to be able to depart from the “rules.”
We’re making a trip to Iowa this weekend to commune with the cows and our relatives. I’m looking forward to an unstructured visit, some shopping, good food, and the chance to beat my niece at Spite and Malice. See you Monday!
Three Day Weekend
I’m sure in my ramblings in the past month I’ve mentioned that we will be hosting two brunches, one for the Red Hat Society group to which we belong, and one for our exercise group. These brunches fall just six days apart, and I’ve been working for the past ten days or so to get things ready. When I set the dates for these brunches, I forgot that I had committed to spend the weekend with two of my nieces and my Mother.
So, perhaps you can understand where I’ve been, and why my blog has gone quiet. By the end of the month I hope to have my Spring cleaning done, and then maybe I’ll have a bit more time to visit.
Meanwhile, I hope you are all having wonderful weather and have had the chance to get outside for a bit.
Fiddler
Last night Dear Husband and I went to see a community performance of Fiddler on the Roof. We had an early dinner and then drove west through the farmland to the town of Sandwich, Illinois.
One of my friends from exercise is a member of the troupe that puts on at least one musical each year. This year she was cast as Gramma Tzeidel, and nearly brought the house down.
Most of our friends went to opening night, or the performance last Sunday. I wanted to be able to go with my husband, and we had commitments last weekend, so we got tickets for the final performance.
Mother’s Day, 2005
Happy Mother’s Day to all the Moms I know. And, Happy Mothers Day, to those of you who don’t have your own children, who have lovingly cared for stepchildren, nieces, nephews, godchildren, or even kids who are not related to you. To me, it’s not simply the ability to give birth that we celebrate, but the care and love that help a child to become a strong, healthy adult.
I hope that your loved ones take the opportunity to tell you how much you mean to them. Don’t assume that your mother knows you love her. SAY IT!!
Hands and Knees
I suppose that telling you I was on my hands and knees for more than five hours yesterday may create an unfortunate image in your mind, but it brought me a lot of satisfaction. It was a glorious day, and I spent that time weeding!
In just two weeks our Red Hat Society ladies will be coming for a brunch. I’ve started making lists mentally of what has to be done before they troop up the sidewalk. Of course, part of that has to be the preparation of the gardens.
Yet livin…
We’re all yet livin here, just getting on with life.
Elegant Mother is recuperating from her cold and the cat scratch. Dear Husband, as we speak, is moving the mast from it’s winter storage to the top of the boat for it’s ride down the Chicago expressways. Ed, The Occasionally Insufferable,” is outside chasing birds and chipmunks, and Step Son is off to work.
I am going to collect a book on tape and go out to play in the gardens. I’d love to stay and chat, but sunshine and warm weather are calling to me! Have a great weekend!