Day of Rest

Fact One: Thirty comments for June so far. The comment money will go to Doctors Without Borders.

Fact two: I'm celebrating the completion of a year of blogging on June 16th at which time I'll pull a name out of the hat to give away a copy of The Happiness Project. Trust me, it's so worth a read!

A year of blogging has not made me more knowledgeable about techie matters. I tried to make a nice new header collage to no effect. Except for the fact that I wasted a good hour when I could have been doing something more productive, useful, and interesting.

This week we also celebrate the anniversary of GoodGuy's natal day. His gets a more attention than mine does, in spite of the fact that we discovered today that I shared my birthday with Frank Sinatra, whereas he shares his with Boy George. But, on the other hand, the whole country flies the flag on his birthday. That's pretty cool!!

I must confess that by now I am heartily sick of seeing public figures pretending to be abjectly sorry for their actions, by publicly apologizing. Then thinking all will be forgotten. Stop being so stupid, you men! Grow up! If you act like a brainless adolescent, get off the world stage. We need leadership, not bone-headedness!

This week I found a book that kept me reading steadily until it was done. I read Jodi Picoult's Salem Falls, and it was a jolly good read. I loved the characters, both the heroes and the villians, who were all well developed and interesting. Thanks Jodi.

Hope you are resting today, too.

Friday Fragment

Gather around, everybody, and join the gang at Half Past Kissin' Time hosted by Mrs. 4444 each Friday as we sort through the bits and pieces of the week----not enough to post-----too good to just forget. At least, we usually get together for this. At 7 AM I can't link up yet.

Imagine our surprise to have it just as hot in Milwaukee as it had been in Orlando. Plus we got to climb into our toasty warm car to drive four more hours home. Fun! The AC worked pretty quickly after the heat stroke. (I'm just messin' with you.)

As I write this on Thursday night, the Detroit Tigers are one game behind the Indians. When you hang out with a baseball fan for 23 years, something rubs off. The first summer we were together I'd have rather watched paint dry than sit through a baseball game. After which I was introduced to watching golf. Enough said.

Do you really think Major League Baseball pays much attention to "the official soft drink of MLB" or the official pick-up truck of MLB?

GoodGuy and I had some funny moments this week comparing the list of words we thought described me. He thought I was industrious and thrifty, while I thought I was lazy, practical and a bookworm. His first reaction when I asked was, "Oh, no." Two more words.

I talked with a lady this evening who has many grandchildren in town and they are scheduled (as the grandparents) to attend about eight soccer, t-ball, or softball games per week. Monday night she had three. Yowza! Grannies need stamina!

The book I finished this week: Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah. A good read and a thought provoking story. Honest person that I am, I have to confess that I was driven to listening to it since I ordered it too late. I was hoping it would reach me before I left for Florida, but it didn't so I had to download it from the library.

I am not complaining about either the heat or the cold. It is entertaining to have them switch from one to another so quickly though. Personally, I'm partial to clothes that cover me. As in jeans and hoodies.

Now it's your turn. Gather some fragments and join the party.

And have a nice weekend, too.

Chicken Talk

Several comments have mentioned the chickens on the header and the post from my stepson's house in Florida.

A little clarification is in order. The strange but handsome fowl on the header is a chicken from Hawaii, where I was amazed and entranced by all the feral chickens. I really like "outside birds", and those chickens got their pictures taken whenever I got the chance.

The chicken in the post from Marc's is one of their own. Their chickens are layers and are quite funny. While I was there, Missy came out to bring them a cob of corn for a treat and she couldn't find them anywhere. Finally they came racing out from a hole they had dug in the shade---to keep cool, maybe.

In other animal news, I have it on good authority that today is Hug Your Cat day. I hugged two out of three, and I think I could have hugged Sweetie if I'd made the treat/hug connection clear to her. Sometimes we have a failure to communicate. But, of course, the day isn't over yet.

Blessing #1--My own Bed

My grandmother used to say a Swedish phrase that sounded like this: Borta brau, men hemma best. Which, we thought, meant that it was nice to travel but best to return home. I'm all over that! I love being home.

At home we still have lilacs, peonies, and iris, And our peas, beans, onions, beets, and cucumbers are fighting it out with the weeds.

Since we are still going to have a day of record heat, I got up early to weed and water. There is still much to be done, but I was fighting with the gnats earlier. I always have an excuse.

I'll try to give you a peek at the flowers though. The lilacs are fading, but all the borders were loaded with flowers this year. I have lots of iris, but my picture does NOT do them justice. And the big peony bush still has only buds. This bush is in the warmest spot in the flower bed between a sidewalk and the house. (Sort of a microclimate.)

When the laundry gets done, I'll sit out under the lilacs with a tall iced tea, and read a book. Maybe, until it gets too hot for me. We have already begun our perennial disagreement about air conditioning. How much, when, and where. I'd like a few days a year when I'm not freezing to death. In Florida it was easy----at home----not so much.

Overnighting in Orlando

And home tomorrow, or at least as far as Milwaukee.

As far as the temperatures are concerned, ignorance in bliss. As we came through town, the time and temperature signs were reading 100 degrees, and I was reading in comfort inside my car at 74 degrees. Thankfully! Very thankfully! Believe me, I was a lot happier not knowing what the temperature was outdoors.

I always enjoy the flora of Florida, except that nasty spiky grass that pops up everywhere. But the shrubs and flowers and bushes are lovely everywhere we have gone. I'm trying not to think about the fact that lilacs are at their peak at home, and I've probably missed my peonies. Maybe not, think positively.

Whatever we have missed, this was so worth the trip for what it meant to our family that we made the effort to be here. I was so pleasantly surprised at the good organization of the graduation ceremony when there were so many kids to award diplomas to. It was broken into three groups and relieved by a short speech from the senior class president, and music performed by some very talented students. Plus it kept moving along without any hitches or embarrassing technical problems. Yay!

No more news from me until we are home safely at the other end. Hope spring is being kind to you.

Sizzlin' in the Sunshine State

Hi-ho, fellow travelers in this weather weary country. I was going to remark on a twenty-four period without a major disaster, but I just don't dare. By the time you read this we may well be reading about another.

But things are clear and sunny here and we are running from a beautiful air conditioned car to other air conditioned venues. When I go outside I get my farmer fix: The kids have two lovely hens who provide the eggs for this household, and their fruit bushes and grapevines are producing well.

The graduate is busy with rehearsals and social events with friends, and the energy here is directed toward providing food for the party the day after the ceremony. Busy times.

Chrysler corporation has not paid us for this ringing endorsement but the rental car we have is a beautiful vehicle! A Chrysler 300, quiet, powerful, gorgeous!

So all is well, and we are happy in the Florida weather, and I'm happy to be back in touch with you-all. (Or maybe all y'all.) though I never think of this area as being in the "south". North Port has so many Michiganders and Canadians that I hardly ever hear a southern accent.

Stay tuned and remember to comment if you'd like to have a chance at The Happiness Project.

April and May Tally

If you have been keeping track here, you know that we got enough comments to finance a goat for Heifer International.

In addition, by midnight last night we accumulated additional 84 comments which will add up to two flocks of poultry!

I'm delighted and would love to natter on about it for another fifteen minutes, but I'm supposed to be preparing to leave. I just wanted to put you all in the picture. Thanks, (as we say in the UP), thanks, you guys!