MORE baby pictures!

LOL..I think my new camera just doesn't DO small pictures, so even the lowest setting, cropped, is still too large for Blogster.

Oh, well, huh?

Son called over the weekend to ask if I could watch the baby while he had appointments with clients today. Of course!
BTW, what ever did I do with my days off before she was born?

When I arrived this morning, she was chatting with her Daddy in his office...she'd been up for a whole hour already, and probably needed some Grandma Time (and a bottle).













Evidently, Grandma's are exhausting.























What a dolly!

MORE baby pics

I wonder if there's a more tender Daddy anywhere? He's showing me that, at 3 months, she can hold her own bottle...lol




lol...see the light yellow shape behind the "sun" there? It's supposed to be a bee, and it's wings make a crinkley sound when they're touched (some kinda plastic under the fabric)...KQ discovered swatting them, though she missed 90% of the time...lol

A day with the baby and the new camera...

Ha!

One of these days, I'll learn NOT to post here first...I did a "NEW pics on the Baby Blog" blurb here, then went to post today's baby pics on Blogster. However, the new camera was set to take dense photos, and Blogster has a size limit...
So, the baby pics from today will be posted here, ok?


Trying the close-up setting...



















She was obviously enjoying herself with all the colors and stuff hanging from the purple loops over her head--even the incessant FLASH didn't bother her.








This was one of those cool moments--she smiled and cooed while I stood over her snapping pictures! LOL

(OK, evidently Blogger has a size limit, too...let's try another post, ok?)

Formal attire on a cruise, please!

My good friends R&D just got back from a cruise, and had this sweet picture taken while they were on board.
Some people just get so excited about endless food, dancing, music, sunsets, swimming, shopping, cocktails, chatting, games, relaxing....it took them about a week to 'come down'.
(The hardest thing R had to endure was NO CEL PHONE for four days...but it looks like he finally spent some time in the sun!)

WELCOME HOME, you guys...

Bubble Cam

I think I've posted this before, but here it is again: you can start a blast of bubbles in someone's south Florida garden by clicking the BUBBLES button.
Who knows why this tickles me?

Now THIS is a cool camera!

Playing with the zoom:







From the back door of the garage...(and YES, those lovely weeds ARE a part of the asthetic. Definitely planned. On purpose. A contrast with the 'real' flowers.....NOT disgusting laziness, ok?)







...zoomed in a bit....






...a little more....








Isn't this COOL?....













Wow...I'm pretty sure I can zoom even more, I just don't know how yet...lol Had to steady the camera on the frame of the door. Too bad the tripod doesn't fit in the camera bag--I can see I'll need it alot!

June First

I know you're missing pictures here, but if I have to wait for the camera, so do you.

Today in my little two-college town, we have what I refer to as "Big Chunks" garbage day...two Thursdays in the fall (getting ready for winter) and two in the spring (when the students leave).
I've noticed an increase in traffic in the alley this morning. The 'pickers' are out early--slowly cruisin' piles of crap in case there's any treasure...lol

There's an upholstered chair that I've stored in the garage for more than a decade, and Daud finally said it could go this spring (!) It's closest to one of these, but more squat, with rounded arms and a more oval seat.
Lest you think it's actually a keeper, it in VERY faded pink nubbly fabric worn to black along the front edge--the base fabric was actually black, but the nubs are worn away. LOL...I just checked, and it's GONE!
(Now someone else can keep it in their garage...lol)

Ahhhh, spring!!!!!!

So, what's Macon making these days?

A QUESTION you always wondered about but never thought to ask.

You're welcome.

It shouldn't be 97 in May

Wow, you should see the sunburn/tan I have already. It's the classic 'farmer' variety--arms below the tee-shirt, back of my neck, legs below the shorts, and face...lol Can you imagine fish-belly Birdie with a TAN?

(Just wait till I get my new camera. My sister in Chicago is monitoring ebay auctions even as we speak !)

It was HOT today, and really windy. The plants in the courtyard at the store had to be watered again this morning, after we spent most of yesterday watering. Even the fountains needed to be refilled...and we replaced the pump in the studio pond after I noticed that the waterfall was only dribbling. It's such a cool place to work, even when it's hot...lol

I hope both of you do something fun tomorrow--Memorial Day could make us think about the temporariness of our lives, and how our connections to each other are what it's all about....but in reality, we just try to keep cool and have a brat or two, get the boat in the water, and don't think about much of anything...and actually, that's good enough.

Yes, but WHICH new camera?

I've been consulting with son today on just what a 'better' camera for me would be...and he sent me THIS LINK . On the left menu, there's an item called "Buying Guide", and one option is a side-by-side comparison of features. Cool!
So, here's the one I think I'll buy: it's another Kodak Easyshare, but it can zoom like crazy! Looks easier to handle, too, and I already understand the menu...









THIS time, I'll get a carrying case, too!

ONE picture!

Ok, maybe it's time for a new camera...I went to babysit KQ yesterday (UNinterupted pic taking time with her, right?) and the silly camera was malfunctioning...damn. Here's the only one I got:









But isn't she CUTE?!?

An interesting fact

Haven't you always wondered how long it takes for your big toenail to completely grow out? (You know, how long to completely replace itself?)

Well, I polished my toenails on December 6th, and the last bit of burgandy polish is a clipper's width away from being gone--that's over five months!

You're welcome.

Wooo-hooo!

I had TWICE as many visitors here today than I normally do! But then, a 'normal' day is 12 or so...lol

My sis, who NEVER forwards cute e-mail, sent this today:

Why God made Moms ...
-- BRILLIANT Answers given by 2nd grade school children to the following questions--

Why did God make mothers?
1. She's the only one who knows where the scotch tape is.
2. Mostly to clean the house.
3. To help us out of there when we were getting born.

How did God make mothers?
1. He used dirt, just like for the rest of us.
2. Magic plus super powers and a lot of stirring
3. God made my Mom just the same like he made me. He just used bigger parts.

What ingredients are mothers made of?
1. God makes mothers out of clouds and angel hair and everything nice in the world and one dab of mean.
2. They had to get their start from men's bones. Then they mostly use string, I think.

Why did God give you Your mother & not some other mom?
1. We're related
2. God knew she likes me a lot more than other people's moms like me.

What kind of little girl was your mom?
1. My mom has always been my mom and none of that other stuff.
2. I don't know because I wasn't there, but my guess would be pretty bossy.
3. They say she used to be nice.

What did mom need to know about dad before she married him?
1. His last name.
2. She had to know his background. Like is he a crook? Does he get drunk on beer?
3. Does he make at least $800 a year? Did he say NO to drugs and YES to chores?

Why did your mom marry your dad?
1. My dad makes the best spaghetti in the world. And my Mom eats a lot.
2. She got too old to do anything else with him.
3. My grandma says that Mom didn't have her thinking cap on.

Who's the boss at your house?
1. Mom doesn't want to be boss, but she has to because dad's such a goof ball.
2. Mom. You can tell by room inspection. She sees the stuff under the bed..
3. I guess Mom is, but only because she has a lot more to do than dad.

What's the difference between moms & dads?
1. Moms work at work and work at home & dads just go to work at work.
2. Moms know how to talk to teachers without scaring them.
3. Dads are taller & stronger, but moms have all the real power 'cause that's who you got to ask if you want to sleep over at your friend's.
4. Moms have magic, they make you feel better without medicine.

What does your mom do in her spare time?
1. Mothers don't do spare time.
2. To hear her tell it, she pays bills all day long.

What would it take to make your mom perfect?
1. On the inside she's already perfect. Outside, I think some kind of plastic surgery.
2. Diet. You know, her hair. I'd diet, maybe blue.

If you could change one thing about your Mom, what would it be?
1. She has this weird thing about me keeping my room clean. I'd get rid of that.
2. I'd make my Mom smarter. Then she would know it was my sister who did it and not me.
3. I would like for her to get rid of those invisible eyes on the back of her head.

Babies in White

There were five babies baptized last night, and I had the same picture-vantage point as last year at the
wedding...lol


Three new Great Aunts with KQ...(Great I and Great III made that beautiful heirloom gown)...more pics on the Baby Blog!

Wheat-wee-o!

Ok, if a wolf whistle can be written as "Wheat-wee-o!" (whisper it to yourself...see?), then bird calls can be written the same way...

This morning, I'm hearing "wit! wit! wit! chooo!" (half-whistle-whisper that one...Ha! just saw it--a cardinal!)

and "Whoo-leo! whoo-leo! whoo-leo!chuck,chuck,chuck,chuck,chuck,chuck,chuck!" (Don't know who that guy is...)

Here's "chur-lee, chur-lee, cheerio", the Robin !

LOL...better get going to the baptism, huh?

Cold water? No problem!

Back in December, a friend gave me a picnic kit for a Christmas gift. It's a cool backpack thingy with four plates, four knives, spoons and forks, four gingham napkins, a bottle opener, salt and pepper shakers, and four plastic wine glasses. There's ample insulated room for sandwiches, salad, cheese, bread--whatever--AND a removable wine-bottle insulator bag.
But other than trips on the Woebegone Trail or to watch fireworks on the fourth, I wondered how useful it'd be---until today!
lol...I have a quart water bottle with one of those drinking spouts on top, and it fits perfectly into the wine bottle bag. I can fill it in the morning and take it along to work--should stay a bit cooler that way, especially if I freeze some water in the bottle overnight, huh?
Good cold water with lunch and nice memories too!
Thanks, L!

Stomp!

Go HERE and watch this...cool, huh?

More than 6,128...

...so far! lol

Tomorrow's my day off. I have a long list of stuff to do in town, one of which is to find a christening gift for the baby. My mind runs to the "perfect" most memorable present I can find... Oh, man--WHAT would that be??
LOL...actually, I DO have something in mind: a collection of favorite books from her daddy's childhood, to be read to her as she grows. I enjoyed them years ago like he and his sister did, so reading them to the next generation'll be fun. We'll see if she finds the same goofy puns as funny as they did.
Hmm...are little girls into giant squid and dinosaurs and trains?
Hope so!
(The baptism is Saturday, the 20th of May...expect more pictures, ok?)

May 15th and October 15th

Here in Minnesota, property taxes are due today and October 15th...half each time.
I received a notice last year that I hadn't paid EITHER time. Oh, man...how did that happen??!
Thinking back, it was because son's wedding was on May 14th and my job was in turmoil on October 15th...definitely, other things on my mind....

This year, however, son and daughter-in-law have just celebrated their first anniversary with their new little daughter, I have a new job (including paycheck), and the online payment system with the county actually works!
Hooray...

Mother's Day, 2006

We mom's know how important we are to the rest of you, but it's nice to hear about it today...lol
xoxo
Mom

Scenic Specialties

Just so you have an idea of what I'm doing these days and how it's connected to floral, here's the perennial greenhouse, some of our fountains and the blooming plants I placed around them--see why I like this place?
Those two yellow daisy topiaries along the walkway on the left there? They're next to a small pond, and just behind that is the Shrub Lot. The Tree Lot is visable up there between the silo and the greenhouse...














I'm not finished with this display, but I LOVE the colors, don't you?













Some more of our fountains and the wall'o'pavers next to the main entrance of the store--ALL the blooming plants in these three pictures had to be moved inside because it's supposed to be 36 degrees tonight.....
Hard to believe it's MAY!

Learning new things

New Job Report:

It's startling to me that I've landed in a job that fits me so well. I come home physically tired and sweaty...lol...but tickled about what was accomplished during the day there.

We're preparing for Mother's Day/Memorial Day/Spring of course, and I'm doing outside displays of plants with jardinieres and moss, or rocks from the landscaping area, or birdbaths, or metal archways or statues and potting benches..(it looks like I'm working, but I'm really playing.....lol).

The SS site used to be a farm, so it's charming to begin with, and people enjoy being there. We have ponds with fountains (Lake Scenic out front has THREE, plus a small vending machine for fish food, which kids love), and a brook on the property. We sell Koi and aquatic plants--anything you might need for a water feature--AND trees, shrubs and plants for the yard around it.
(It surprises me how much overlap there is with my knowledge of tropical plants. Did you know calla and canna lilys are water plants?)
We sell landscaping materials, too, and with a little more practice, I'll be able to jump in the Bobcat and load your mulch for you!

Now, THAT IS cool!

I'm happier at this job than I was being a florist (and much happier than selling furniture), but I was overly enthusiastic in 1967 and 1999 and again a couple months ago...so I've learned my lesson:
It's a cool job, I love it, but I'm limiting my use of exclaimation marks, ok?

LOL

A day off

"So, what are you doing on your day off, Birdie?" ....you ask.
It's 53 right now, overcast and chilly. A brisk wind from the north, too. I started mowing and quit when it began to rain. I could see my breath.
That red part is, as yet, unmowed....oh, damn.
LOL

Later: It's 2 PM, and sunny---see ya later!
Brrrrr-o-o-o-o-m!

Lilacs!

(BTW, NEW BABY PICS, TOO --------------->)
Right here on my desk, I have a cobalt vase with a bouquet of budding lilacs from the trees north of the house.
Yes, of course I took pictures, but I wish I could send the smell as well! There's something so primal about the first spring whiff of lilacs, hm? To bury your face in the blossoms there on the tree and inhale deeply












...mmmm sweet, huh?

For even more delicate color, check out the Virginia Bluebells.
They show up only for a few days in the early spring, then the plant seems to disappear for the rest of the year. The color always makes me smile.









A rusty toy truck in my north flowerbed, just for goofiness. Remember the name of the bright pink flower next to it?








Happy spring, BTW!

The sign on the road said....

(Ok, ok...I'll go mow now.........)

BTW

There are new pics on the Baby Blog---------->

Wow!

LOL...I've been at THE STORE for less than a week, and already feel very welcome and useful. I'm tickled by the great people there, and the team effort involved in getting ready for May. On Friday night, I left to get some supper before the truckload of plants arrived, and accidentally took a walkie-talkie with me. We found that I can use it from my kitchen!

There's lots to be done outside yet, but it's been raining since Friday. (Large jardinieres are slippery when they're wet!) Still, we'll get out there today again--clearing some benches and merchandising others...and guess what? I GET TO LEARN HOW TO DRIVE A BOBCAT!!! (Talk about long-term ambitions being realized, huh? I can feel the waves of envy from Chicago and Winona...lol)

I took pictures in the annuals house yesterday, and then slipped the camera into my raincoat pocket and forgot it....did you know damp cameras aren't happy cameras? If and when it dries out, I'll post pics for you, promise.

.........................................................
LATER:
Hooray: with fresh batteries and a day to dry out, the camera is working again...lucky, lucky YOU:

Saturday morning, we started working on displaying the annuals in the greenhouse.
(We unloaded Friday night in 45 minutes, so pansies and cabbage ended up next to each other on the shelves...) Here, we've started to group by color.




Along the left side of the greenhouse, we placed fuchsia, purple, white, red, burgandy and bright yellow--it's absolutely breathtaking!





Along the right, we started with light red, then salmon, soft yellows, soft blues and lavendars and then about 20 shades of pink...









Ok, here's the BRIGHT side again, but looking toward the entrance: yellow, burgandy, red, white, purple, fuchsia...Cool, huh?










Ahh, I can HEAR you inquire: "So, umm, what did you put down the middle, then?"
Ha! That's where all the green plants are hanging, and the mixed-color flats are on the shelves. Stop in and see!

The Red Wheelbarrow

(Daud's favorite springtime poem)
by William Carlos Williams

so much depends upon
a red wheelbarrow
glazed with rainwater
beside the white chickens.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

I've always taken for granted that things'll fall into place at the right time in my life. When I'm "daunted" in one direction and feel forced to change, I always look back and see that it was actually not a roadblock but just what I needed.

I tried to be a salesperson--I was ok at it, but there was no joy involved. I know there are people who thrive on sales, but to me, it seemed like an endless road with no destination, only constant plodding.

Now I see that maybe I just needed to mark time for a month, until this better job ** could be posted!
(For someone who stuck to the same job for 38 years, lasting only a month seemed flippant. But I'm even more amazed that I have NO regrets about leaving.)

When I left the flower shop, I started looking for a new job "related to floral". I thought it might be as a company rep for silks or paint...extending something I know into something more. When the BFW job came along, I saw "design consultant" as just that...using what I already know in a different way. But design turned out to be an insignificant part of the job, though the people were wonderful....so I moved on. It's as simple as that.


LOL...both of you already know about the new job, but for that one person who came here for the poem and just kept reading: I get to keep Ephemeral Florist legitimately...I'll be working for a landscape company less than a mile from here. They want to increase retail sales, along with what they already offer in landscaping and service. It's a small enthusiastic company of very cool people, and I start tomorrow morning! Hooray!

Singing bunnies

Some would say it doesn't take much to entertain me, and Some would probably be right.
SEE WHAT YOU THINK
;^)

Mmmmm!

In my frontyard flowerbed, I have thousands of volunteer 'garlic chive' plants, self-seeded from the big clump across the driveway:











(At least, that's what I call 'em--flat glossy leaves, lavender blossoms, tastes like garlic if you think "garlic"-- otherwise, typical oniony flavor).

Anyway, I found a gardening blog today, with a recipe for pasta and green garlic, which is just new garlic shoots, like green onions, ya know? So, since I didn't have the foresight to plant garlic last fall, I used those chive shoots! Hot damn, what a great taste, and the house smells WONDERFUL...

(ahem...it's 5 hours later and I can STILL taste those chives. Ok, so maybe I used too many?...lol)

Son as a Daddy

KQ is smiling these days, and particularly at her Mom and Dad who both have infectious smiles--the kid has no choice...lol

Evening in Paris

When I was a kid and somehow came into Big Bucks (allowance was a dime a week in 1956), we'd walk three blocks to Latzka's Variety and buy treasures, like weirdly realistic baby ducks, or caps for the cap gun, or toy watches....and once in awhile, a tiny cobalt blue bottle of Evening in Paris Cologne.
Back then, it was a quarter.
Over the years, I've been reminded ocassionally of that sweet smell....and wondered if it was still available?
YES, IT IS, but at a considerably higher price.

Hmph. I didn't like it THAT much.

Odd things

This morning, I noticed something strange here in my office. I know how much you like diagrams, so here's an illustration of the phenonemon, ok?




(Click for full impact...lol)

I always expect that the radio cord acts as a sort of antenna for the radio, right?
Well, when I'm charging my cel phone, the radio reception is just fine--no static--in the position shown above. (Honest, my life IS interesting, really!)









BUT....when I'm NOT charging the cel (see above), the radio reception sucks. Pretty amazing, huh?Don't you just love the pecularities of our world?

Six weeks old already

Here's a teaser picture from today...see more on the Baby Blog----->

Smileys gettin' to ya?

;^) ? Here's a site that explains all those cute icons you can type--with PICTURES that translate for you...lol

BTW, I'm going to see the baby later...stay tuned for new pictures, ok?

Fascinating

Wow--here's a VERY INTERESTING website, described as a "Color Portrait of the English Language". Click on the words and see what happens.
COOL, huh?

How cool is this, huh?

Timely news:

This will happen only once: On Wednesday, at two minutes and three seconds after one in the morning, the time and date will be 01:02:03 04/05/06.
This will happen only twice: On Tuesday, June 6th your clock may display something like this: 06:06 06/06/06.

(Lifted whole from J-Walk Blog)

A bit of nostalgia

Here's a page of ADVERTISING JINGLES from your youth. It's amazing that something so trivial is collected by someone AND that we can access it on the web and sing along....lol