Ahhhhh!

For those sibs who leave snarky comments, I'd just like to say that having a weekend off does NOT imply incessant blogging. I spent yesterday cleaning my office...(yes, pretty much ALL day)...and yes, there ARE places on the carpet that I haven't seen in a year or so....nothing new there, right? lol

How is it that a person can think many times about an approaching ocassion and then, when the day arrives, forget till evening?? lol...little sister's birthday was yesterday (she's the tall one) and I sent a HBD when I thought about junque from my office that, at one time, she would have begged me for...lol

Hope you had a GREAT day, Boof....and now, it's six months since, and until, Christmas!

I know--you want MORE pictures!

This is Sue and Lori, cleaning a fountain yesterday...a nice day to be playing outside and getting wet...lol







Of course, I tried the zoom! Glad you asked. Here's Jill, up in the shrub lot, taken from the same place I took the pic of S&L. Cool, huh?







We moved a concrete picnic table under that pine tree, and it's a good place to have lunch. The view of Lake Scenic from there is spectacular...lol

Various pics, ok?

(Evidently, I can't add pictures to an already posted entry....so we'll start with the paragraph from last Tuesday....)

Here's the place we visit every time I'm watching the baby--








the deck behind the house. She seems fascinated by all the green out there. We sit in one of these chairs and I try to echo the birds, and her little face gets so intense, looking for them...lol She LOVES whistles, finger snapping and clapping in time to music. What a JOY she is!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
New subject:

Ya know when you think about the things that mean summer to you? I think about stuff like swimming, mowing, flowers to bring inside, open windows, sweating....but I always forget THIS till I see it again...lol


When a bird nests in a hanging basket, you have to stop watering the plant...especially if it's a robin. This one's outside J&B's house, on their front porch. She let me know that my arrival and departure didn't please her one bit.
Son took this through the front window.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ok, just so you believe me about how cool my new job is, this is the pond outside the owner's house...he asked if we'd go out and plant a few pots around the yard, and of course, I couldn't resist snapping a few pics...lol
Click to enlarge it--cool, huh?

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?