Project Blue - Take 4

Once more the blue skies take the day for project four. I have taken some other blue photos for posting, but I don't have them downloaded yet. I promise something different for tomorrow.

Yesterday there was a terrible accident in our county. A tanker went over an overpass on I-75 and exploded upon impact. The driver is in the hospital in critical condition from burns. It's a wonder he was even alive to be taken to a hospital. I-75 is a main corridor, used by many to get to work.

I had occasion to go to the east part of the county for a get-together with my friends from Haiti days. Some folks drove from Dunedin, which is to the north, and they said it took them three hours to go about five miles. When our lunch was done, and I started back to town, traffic wasn't too bad. There were policmen at every intersection controlling the lights to aid in the flow of traffic.

The overpass is severely damaged, and it will be some time until it is usable again. The road underneath must be repaved. Some of the folks who live out east have to take quite a detour to get to where they are going. I'm not particularly affected by any of this as far as my driving, but some folks surely are. You can read about it here.

Blue Skies Take 3

My childhood friend and I decided to be tourists in our area before the weather got too hot. One day we found outselves on the grounds of the Ringling Art Museum in Sarasota. Along with the art museum, there is the John and Mable Ringling Mansion (Caz d'Zan,) a miniature circus, and the restored Asolo Theater. As we walked around the grounds, I looked up and saw the beautiful blue sky. For more blue photos, see Anna's Pics.

Project Blue - Take 2

More water! This bridge is the Sunshine Skyway that spans Tampa Bay, connecting Manatee County and points south with St. Petersburg. The original bridge was replaced after a freighter struck it some years ago. The first bridge had two-way traffic on it. Later a second span was built so that one went north, and the other south. It was the southbound span that was struck, and so for a while there was two-way traffic again until the new bridge was built.

Driving across the bridge and seeing the "broken bridge" as the children called it was quite an experience. The remains of the old bridge were made into fishing piers. Today when you drive across, you will find many cars on the piers with the owners doing their best to get the "catch of the day."

As you drive across, there are often pelicans flying by looking for their catch of the day.

By the way, the toll to cross this bridge was a quarter when it was first built. Today it is only a dollar...quite a bargain. If the bridge were not there, it would be necessary to drive up through Tampa and then over to St. Pete.

Some people do not like going across the bridge at all, but I love it. To see other "blue photos," go to Anna's site.

Project Blue

I tried earlier to post this photo for Anna's Project Blue, and all that was there was the dreaded red x. Perhaps it will work this time. This is a view of the Manatee River in Bradenton, Florida.

Update on Great Strides

A couple of months ago, I posted about Great Strides, one of the fundraisers for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. You, my blogging friends, were the first to respond. I spoke with one of the workers in the Tampa office today to check on my total. Right now the total donated to Great Strides in my account is $2155. Hooray! Thank you all again for your part.

Did you know that you can give to your favorite charity by using GoodSearch? You can download their toolbar to your computer, and when you are searching the internet, GoodSearch will give a penny to your favorite charity. A penny, you say? Every 100 makes a dollar. I have their toolbar on my computer, and yes, you guessed it, the CFF is my charity of choice.

When you go to the GoodSearch website, you will find different stores that will donate part of their earnings to your charity. It is a painless way to give. It actually costs you nothing. Try it out today.

A Wink and a Smile - A Better View

A trip to the museum

Bradenton is the home of the South Florida Museum. It is located just across the Green Bridge by the Manatee River. Our museum houses Manatee County's resident manatee, Snooty, who will be 60 this summer. When my children were small, I bought a family membership so that we could go whenever we wanted without having to buy a ticket each time.

The museum has recently undergone major renovations. Some of the exhibits still need to be put back in place. One day, after Christmas I was there, and saw this neon sign of Bradenton. When I was a little girl, we would go to Lacoochee to visit my aunt or to Starke or Trilby to visit my grandparents. Whenever we got back to Bradenton, I knew we were home because this sign was at the end of the Green Bridge all lit up. I felt like it was my special greeting, "You're home now."

I have no idea of the date of this garage, but just take a look at the price of gasoline...also look at the car. We wouldn't be wanting to ride around in a vehicle like that today, but in its time, it was probably quite the machine.

Fifteen cents a gallon? What did you pay today? Yesterday I drove to St. Petersburg to have lunch with a friend. Fifty dollars didn't fill my tank, and it wasn't even empty. But we got a good deal on lunch! B*nnigans has a lunch deal with 10 or so entrees and beverage for $4.99. My friend and I each had one of the specials and then we split that wonderful Brownie Ice Cream dessert. The total bill was $15 and some change. Such a deal. Spending the money for gas was worth it...good food and a good time with my friend.

I've Got My Eye on You!

Instead of the good, the bad, and the ugly, this is all good. My son sent photos from Mother's Day, so I knew you'd be so glad to see them. I don't know how to make them bigger.
I'll have to get David to resolve that for me, but I thought you'd like to see newer pictures of Ella.
She's got her eye on you.

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

In my opinion, last week was not a good one in Florida. On Mother's Day a young mother and her two children, 2 and 7, were murdered and mutilated...even the family dog. a "boyfriend" is being held.

On Monday, a pastor's plane was missing in North Carolina. Rev. Pollock, of Bell Shoals Baptist Church in Brandon, was flying with his son to a meeting in Texas. They flew to North Carolina to visit his mother. After takeoff from Asheville, the plane disappeared from sight. The plane was later found, with both the pastor and his son having lost their lives.

This gentleman had just led his congregation in the building of a new facility, preached the first message in the church three or four weeks ago, and now yesterday, his memorial service was held there. I encourage you to read about him here.

And then there are the fires in Florida. A number of people lost their homes to fires that were deliberately set. As I was watching the news, one gentleman was being interviewed. As he looked at the rubble that remained, he said that the only thing important to him was to find something of his wife's. When the reporter asked him if he found anything, he said he had...some of his wife's mother's jewelry. His thoughts were only for her. He became my hero of the day.

Early in the week, I opened the paper and looked at the obituaries. One was for a 25-year-old man. One always wonders if the death has been from an accident when one is so young. As I read through the obituary, at the bottom, it read, "Contributions may be made to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, All Children's Hospital, or Shands Hospital." My heart sank. CF sucks...the breath out of the lungs.

OK, where is the good? Nate and Tricia got to take their baby girl home from the hospital. What a miracle this has all been.

And, last, and certainly least, The Tampa Bay Rays are playing decent baseball for the first time in their career. They have been the laughing stock of MLB, but now they seem to have found the sorely needed pitching. They've been playing awesome defense and have some good hitting. Go Rays!

CF Walk

This is the group I walked with at the Great Strides Walk the last Saturday in April. These ladies work at Gevity, where Sarah works. One of the ladies had a nephew or cousin who had CF, and she got a team together last year. I joined with them. The totals are not all in yet, so I don't know exactly how much was given for Ella and others with CF. There were probably 100 people there that day for the walk.

Several have been held in the greater Tampa Bay area. One will be held this Saturday in Tampa at the Lowry Park Zoo. I'm tempted to go up for that one...it depends on the heat.

Loneliness

I saw the face of loneliness this past weekend. I have a friend who lives in central Florida whom I have known since I was 9. She was the camp director of the camp that I went to every summer after fourth grade. I went as a camper and then worked there during the summers in high school and college.

She had come to Florida in 1948 after graduating from Bible college and working for the government during the war. She along with another lady were the backbone of the camp.

She's now 86. Her co-worker died about five years ago, and my friend has lived alone since. We reconnected four years ago, and I began going over to visit her. Being from Pennsylvania, she's a great PSU fan, and so I would go over and watch football games either at her house, or seeking them out at a sports bar if they were not on network TV here in Florida.

I didn't get over this past season because I was in Virginia with Ella, but I received an e-mail from her stating that she was going to have a hip replacement in February. After she got home from rehab, she asked me if I'd come spend a few days with her. I checked my schedule and told her that I could come for a couple of days this past week.

I had told her that I would get to her house before noon, so she began looking for me around 10 in the morning. I didn't leave my house until 10:30, and I got there about five til 12. That was before noon, wasn't it.

In the afternoon we took a ride out to the camp, where she still sits on the board of directors. She showed me all the changes that have taken place. She is so proud of this place in Florida where she gave so many years of her life.

She has people who look in on her. Her neighbors are great, but she says, "I'm just so lonely." As I think about her, I think about the many elderly who are in a similar situation. While there, I began reading the book, Water For Elephants, which is the story of a man who worked with the circus. As he tells his story, he is now in an assisted-living facility. He says, "I'm 90 or 93. I don't remember which." And then he begins to talk about aging and looking at his hands and then his face in the mirror. "Who is this person?" he wants to know.

The weekend was a good lesson for me. Do I overlook old people? Do I think they are not worth my time? I pray to God that I will never lose a sensitivity to them or fail to be a friend.

Back from Competition

First of all, thank you for your kind comments and encouragement in the last post. It's wonderful to have such good, caring friends in the blogosphere.

I mentioned a week or so ago that our Sweet Adelines chorus was headed for regional competition this weekend. We boarded a bus Friday morning and headed to Daytona Beach. After checking into the hotel, we headed over to the auditorium where the quartet competition was being held. Several of the quartets who sang have competed many times before, and there were quite a few who were on stage for the first time. Some are very polished, some a bit tentative. I said to the person sitting next to me that anyone who got up on stage and sang like that deserves a medal. I love to sing, but I don't know how I'd do in a quartet on stage.

After the quartet competition, our chorus met in a rehearsal room at the hotel and had thirty minutes to work on our songs for the next day. By that time, it was after 10, and some of us were quite hungry, so we went to the restaurant in the hotel and had a bite to eat. Fortunately, the restaurant was open until 11. They put about 12 of us in the VIP room, where we had a rollicking good time.

The next morning we had rehearsal again at 8:00. After breakfast, we had time to get in our costumes and makeup for our chorus competition. On the competition stage, each chorus sings two songs, one ballad and one up tune. The time cannot exceed six minutes for any chorus. Our songs this year were about rain, so we had very simple costumes...pink raincoats worn over lime green T-shirts and white slacks. Our footwear was white sneakers...very comfortable. Some years one wears fancy costumes with sequins and glitter. A chorus can be as creative as they wish to be. This year props were allowed on stage as long as it was all removed before the next chorus came on stage.

Our front row and members on the end of the top row used umbrellas with the choreography. They made a good impression with the judges. Our of sixteen choruses who competed this year, we placed eighth. That score sounds so-so, but we were happy with our score. We improved over last year, and like anything, there is always room for improvement. Each year the competing choruses get better and better and are very entertaining.

I'll be getting a DVD of our performance, so hopefully I'll get one of the songs posted so you can take a look.

Another year gone by

Today is the sixth anniversary of my husband's death. A couple of weeks ago, I wondered why I was a bit down, and then I realized exactly what was going on. Even though time passes, as certain dates come, they bring with them a bit of sadness even though you think you're more removed from the actual date.



Last year I told myself that I wouldn't write again of it, but a few of you are new readers, and I wanted to share a little with you. If you care to read, go here and here.

Thanks for your encouragement.

Don't Postpone Joy

I have from time to time posted articles by Steve Goodier of Life Support System. Today's' just came in an e-mail, and I thought it would be a good one to pass along. The title of the blog is from a bumper sticker. Those three words say a lot.

JOY ALONG THE WAY
A senator once took Will Rogers to the White House to meet President Coolidge. He warned the humorist that Coolidge never smiled.

Rogers replied, "I'll make him smile."

Inside the Oval Office, the senator introduced the two men."Will Rogers," he said, "I'd like you to meet President Coolidge."

Deadpan, Rogers quipped, "I'm sorry, but I didn't catch the name."

Coolidge smiled. A sense of humor is a marvelous gift to have. It is one of the most important means we possess to face the difficulties of life. And sometimes life can be difficult. I deal professionally with issues which are critical: relationships breaking apart, people losing jobs, people facing serious illness or agonizing with someone close who is suffering, addictions, grief and heartache. Without a sense of humor about my own life, I don't know if I could survive! I take what I do seriously, but I try not to take myself too seriously. Like the New York City cab driver who said,"It's not the work that I enjoy so much, but the people I run into!"

Here is an experiment: look for and find as much joy as possible for one full day. Try to enjoy the people you run into, the work you do,your leisure time and your relationships. Don't forget to enjoy yourself - and take enough time to enjoy God. I believe that if you try this experiment for one full day, by evening you will bask in the glow of a rekindled spirit. It just takes a day to find joy along the way.-- Steve Goodier

There's not much going on here. The weather is wonderful, not yet too hot. Most of the snow birds have gone back home, and we don't have the terribly congested traffic as we do during the winter months.

Our Great Strides walk is this Saturday at Siesta Key beach. Having never done this before, I'm not sure what to expect. On Monday I'm going to go to Tampa to volunteer in the CFF office. I offered to work on the computer. The lady I spoke with said that they never have volunteers who want to work on computers, so she was ecstatic. On Monday they'll be counting all the funds that have come in from the walks in the greater Tampa Bay area.

I've been putting off doing some things around my house. I have tile in my downstairs, all except the dining room and living room. The Groutsm*th came today and cleaned it all. It looks like new. I told the gentleman who came to measure and give me an estimate that I had been tempted to cover it with wood flooring. His reply was that cleaning the tile and grout would be a fraction of the cost of wood. And indeed it was.

If you ever need any tile or grout cleaned, I highly recommend the Groutsm*th.

The upstairs bathroom had black and white tile in a checkerboard pattern, and I decided it was time for that to go, so I'm retiling that floor and replacing my toilets in the two upstairs bathrooms. The old ones are as old as the house, so I figured it is time. I'm also going for the higher stool. They are so much nicer, especially when you're tall or the knees are a little stiff.

After I recover from this, I'm going to replace my carpet upstairs and on the stairs. When you get started and refresh one area, the other spaces all of a sudden look like they need redoing too.

My friend Peg (the other Peg) and I have been playing tourist. A couple of weeks ago, we went to the Ringling M*seum of Art. There was an exhibit of Grandma M*ses. If you ever come to this area, the museum grounds are a must see. The Ringling's vacation home is there, as well as a circus museum.

Yesterday we went to our local historical park and reminisced about days gone by here in our county. The gentleman who offered to be our guide has only lived here for three years, and I think he found it more interesting to listen to us talking about our childhood and our growing up here.

Next weekend is our Sweet Adelines regional competition in Daytona Beach. Our chorus has been working hard to polish up our songs, but we have a way to go. I still have a few notes to correct on one of the songs, so it's practice, practice, practice.

Have a good weekend, everyone.

Happy Birthday, Peg

Meet my best friend, Peg. Today's her birthday. When I woke up this morning, I realized that I had not sent a card (nothing new.) Peg and I became very good friends when my husband and I began going to her church. Her husband was the pastor, and Peg and I hit it off and became fast friends.

Who knew that eleven years later that it would be Peg who would come to my front door to tell me that Don had been taken in a tragic accident. You see, a deputy from our church was at the scene right after it happened. He called the church to tell them what had happened, and they discussed among them who would come and tell me. Peg chose to be the one. I have no more words.

Two and a half years ago, she and her husband left the ministry here to take a new position with the Baptist General Conference, headquartered in Arlington Heights. Peg has become involved in women's ministry and recently traveled to Japan to do some conferences with missionaries and pastor's wives.

When she was at the airport (I think that's what she told me) she came upon these Sumo wrestlers. She said that in Japan they're idolized like football players are here in the States. Everyone had their cell phones out taking pictures. She asked her interpreter to please ask them if she could have her photo taken with them. As she said, "The photo speaks for itself."

Happy birthday, Peg. I won't tell anyone how old you are.

She always reminds me that she'll never catch up to me. And, yes, it's true.

For All Cat Lovers

My friend, Peg, sent me this via e-mail. With all the cat lovers, some with multiple cats, this is a must-see.

Happy Birthday, David

April 15, 1979. Easter Sunday and tax day. What a combination! I had made Sarah's Easter dress, but she didn't make it to church that day because Mom and Dad were at the hospital awaiting David's birth.

My friend who worked in taxes said, "This year he's the Easter bunny, but from now on he'll be known as "Form 1040." Someone said that he didn't need the word "boy" on this outfit to let everyone know he was a boy.

A thoughtful and caring son, David has always brought joy to his dad's and my life.

Now a husband and a father, he continues to be the loving, gentle, kind soul he was as a child.
Happy birthday, David. You are my sonshine!

Quotes of the Day

These quotes showed up on my homepage this morning...some thoughts to ponder.

It may be true that the law cannot make a man love me, but it can stop him from lynching me, and I think that's pretty important.
- Martin Luther King Jr.

Hanging is too good for a man who makes puns; he should be drawn and quoted.
- Fred Allen

Whenever I hear anyone arguing for slavery, I feel a strong impulse to see it tried on him personally.
- Abraham Lincoln

Great Strides

On April 26, Sarah and I will be joining Team Gevity for the Great Strides walk on Siesta Key Beach in Sarasota. An annual event, these walks take place all over the United States, led by friends and family who are walking for a cure for Cystic Fibrosis.

When I was in Virginia, I went to a CF Education Day with my son at UVA. It is not a kind of meeting that one would want to go to, but the more one can educate himself, the more one can understand and equip himself to care for the cystic fibrosis patient.

One of the highlights of the conference was an address by a physician from the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. He spoke of new drugs that in the pipeline that could be approved as early as 2010. If approved, these drugs will make GREAT STRIDES toward the improvement of the health of the CF patient. A recent article in Business Week speaks of the excitement about this drug and the role that the CFF has played in getting the research done for this drug. I encourage you to read it. It is so encouraging to all those with CF, but especially for parents with young children who will benefit most from these new developments.

I read a post this morning by a young woman who has CF. I cried as I read her post. I think that she has expressed so well the feelings of many young people who have this life-shortening disease. Please read her post and leave a comment.

Many of you dear friends read my first post about Great Strides and so quickly made a donation, and I thank you all. I'm linking to my page again in case anyone new reads this post and would want to make a contribution.

Further thoughts on chocolate

After posting the photo of the effect of chocolate on one's hair (Go down a couple of posts to see Ella's hair.) I received this thought in an e-mail from a friend:

Can't eat Beef, Mad cow....
Can't eat chicken, Bird flu
Can't eat eggs, Salmonella
Can't eat pork, fears of trichinosis...
Can't eat fish, heavy metals in the waters has poisoned their meat
Can't eat fruits and veggies, insecticides and herbicides

Hmmmmmmmmm!!!!!!!!!!!!!
M M M M M M M M M M M I believe that leaves Chocolate!!!!!!!!

So I guess we'll have to put up with horrible hair!

Surprised?

I actually do take photos of subjects other than Ella. While I was in Virginia, I took the opportunity to wander some of the country roads around my son's community. Farmland is still in abundance although some development is taking place. Hopefully, laws are in place to preserve this part of the country.

The Appalachian Trail, the Blue Ridge Parkway, and the Skyline Drive are all close to this area. There are many Mennonite churches here, almost like Baptist churches in the South. I love being here because there is still Southern hospitality to be found.

It's interesting how we become accustomed to our surroundings and don't really pay attention to the beauty around us. I found that the longer I was there, I didn't find the views breath-taking, Living here in Florida (which I've done almost all my life) has almost the same effect. I've always taken the beauty for granted. It wasn't until a trip north in January once and then coming home and driving across the Sunshine Sk*way that I realized just how beautiful it is here and why people want to be here during the winter.

Beauty is all around us. We just have to stop and take a look.

Warning!

I know Easter has passed, but I did want you to see what happens when you indulge in too much chocolate. Inside the plastic Easter eggs were chocolate-covered pretzels.

Yum-yum, they were good!

Here's what happens to your hair when you eat too much chocolate!

Lungs for Tricia

Nate has posted on his blog that lungs were found for Tricia. She is in surgery now. Pray for all those working on her and for her family as they wait. You can follow the progress here.

For your viewing pleasure

Back in Florida

I'm arrived home safely Tuesday night. I left on Monday, rather than Tuesday because I had misread my calendar and needed to be home for an 8:00 appointment Thursday morning. On the way, I stopped by Mount Olive College in North Carolina. That's where Sarah graduated from. I spent the night with a good friend, visited a little bit on Tuesday morning, and left around 10. I did not intend to drive all the way home, but once I got started, I just kept on coming.

I had planned to stop at the last exit in Georgia, but when I got there it was only 4 and with the added daylight hours, I knew I wouldn't be driving too long in the dark. A comfortable car, straight roads, and flat land make a lot of difference.

I have much to remember from my month in Virginia, and I'll share a bit of that when I get a chance. There were two occasions that were meaningful. The first weekend I was there I went to a play that the high school students put on about the Holocaust. Another Saturday I went to a CF Education Day at UVA.

Right now, I'm still unpacking, realizing I don't need a sweater, and breezing by blogs, reading, but not always commenting. I'll get there.

Resurrection Morning

1-2 Early in the morning on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone was moved away from the entrance. She ran at once to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, breathlessly panting, "They took the Master from the tomb. We don't know where they've put him."

3-10Peter and the other disciple left immediately for the tomb. They ran, neck and neck. The other disciple got to the tomb first, outrunning Peter. Stooping to look in, he saw the pieces of linen cloth lying there, but he didn't go in. Simon Peter arrived after him, entered the tomb, observed the linen cloths lying there, and the kerchief used to cover his head not lying with the linen cloths but separate, neatly folded by itself. Then the other disciple, the one who had gotten there first, went into the tomb, took one look at the evidence, and believed. No one yet knew from the Scripture that he had to rise from the dead. The disciples then went back home.

11-13But Mary stood outside the tomb weeping. As she wept, she knelt to look into the tomb and saw two angels sitting there, dressed in white, one at the head, the other at the foot of where Jesus' body had been laid. They said to her, "Woman, why do you weep?"

13-14"They took my Master," she said, "and I don't know where they put him." After she said this, she turned away and saw Jesus standing there. But she didn't recognize him.

15Jesus spoke to her, "Woman, why do you weep? Who are you looking for?"
She, thinking that he was the gardener, said, "Mister, if you took him, tell me where you put him so I can care for him."

16Jesus said, "Mary."

Turning to face him, she said in Hebrew, "Rabboni!" meaning "Teacher!"

17Jesus said, "Don't cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go to my brothers and tell them, 'I ascend to my Father and your Father, my God and your God.'"

18Mary Magdalene went, telling the news to the disciples: "I saw the Master!" And she told them everything he said to her.

John 20, The Message

At the Cross

Rogier van der Weyden:
The Crucifixion
oil on panel, c. 1445
Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna

Alas! and did my Savior bleed
And did my Sovereign die?
Would He devote that sacred head
For such a worm as I?

Thy body slain, sweet Jesus, Thine—
And bathed in its own blood—
While the firm mark of wrath divine,
His Soul in anguish stood.

Was it for crimes that I had done
He groaned upon the tree?
Amazing pity! grace unknown!
And love beyond degree!

Well might the sun in darkness hide
And shut his glories in,
When Christ, the mighty Maker died,
For man the creature’s sin.

Thus might I hide my blushing face
While His dear cross appears,
Dissolve my heart in thankfulness,
And melt my eyes to tears.

But drops of grief can ne’er repay
The debt of love I owe:
Here, Lord, I give my self away
’Tis all that I can do.

At the cross, at the cross
Where I first saw the light.
And the burden of my heart rolled away.
It was there by faith I received my sight
And now I am happy all the day!

Cyberhymnal

Spring

For behold, the winter is past,The rain is over and gone.‘

The flowers have already appeared in the land;

The time has arrived for pruning the vines,

And the voice of the turtledove has been heard in our land.‘

The fig tree has ripened its figs,

And the vines in blossom have given forth their
fragrance.

from Song of
Solomon

The above photos are from a road trip to Nashville a couple of years ago in April.

Play Like

Did you ever play like...? When I was a little girl, my mother and daddy had a black 1936 Chevrolet. I don't know if they owned this car before World War II, but I remember it well after the war was over, and we had moved from Lacoochee to Bradenton. I remember road trips back to Lacoochee and up to Starke to visit my grandma and grandpa.

When I got a little older, I remember going out to the car on a Sunday afternoon, getting in the car, and playing like I was driving. There wasn't much to play with...the steering wheel, gear shift, brake and gas pedal, throttle, and the light dimmer, which as you folks who are as old as I am know was on the floorboard. I must have left the gas pedal alone because I don't believe the engine was ever flooded.

The other day it was nice out, and I asked Ella if she would like to go for a ride. I opened the rear door to put her in her car seat, and that was not what she wanted. She wanted to play in the car. I got in the front passenger side, and she spent probably 45 minutes going from the back seat to the front and back again and then to the rear cargo area. She discovered the mirrors that were on the visors. Every knob that could be turned was turned.

The next day when I got in the car to go to the store, the blinker was on, the display that shows the mileage came on, and I don't know what all. My car had passed the "Ella Test."

The above photo is from summer.

If Winter Come...

I wandered lonely as a cloud

That floats on high o'er vales and hills,

When all at once I saw a crowd,

A host, of golden daffodils;

William Wordsworth

This past weekend I went with my son, his wife, and Ella to Richmond. Sabrina was having lunch with some former co-workers, so we went along for the ride. What a delight upon nearing Richmond to see trees beginning to bud out. As we arrived at the home where she was having lunch, these lovely daffodils greeted us.

The weather was a real mix though. Within an hour's time, we saw clouds, felt some rain, saw the sun and felt the wind. As we drove home later in the afternoon, I kept looking at the thermometer in the car. When we left Richmond, it was 50. As we approached home, I looked and the temperature had dropped to 32. I pointed that out to David, and he said, "It can't be that cold." But when we got out of the car, it did indeed feel that chilly.

Today was pleasant, however. When I went outside with Ella this afternoon, I looked carefully at the maple tree in the yard, and I do believe I see the beginning of leaves.

By the way, can anyone tell me how to get ride of the centering when one uses Picasa to post? I do not know how to get my margin to the left. Thanks for any help.

Wanna play ball?

If only all children were as loved as this little girl. I've been my days reading to her, playing ball with her, doing puzzles with her, and coloring. Usually in the morning as her daddy is leaving for work, we sit and read books. Some of her favorite ones are those that have textures to feel, the soft bunny, the "ruff" paw of the dog. I brought along a pop-up book of nursery rhymes which we've been enjoying. Among her favorite characters are C*rious George and W*nnie the Pooh.

Who doesn't love George, the curious little monkey who finds himself in all kinds of situations and, amazingly works his way out of them. I remember that he was always a choice of the first graders that I taught when there was a book to be read. She has discovered Pooh and his friends through the video "The Many Adventures of W*nnie the Pooh." It's fun to watch her respond to the music and dance along as we watch together.

The days are getting nice so that we've been going outside. The days are sunny, but a little cool, not warm like Florida, but not snowy like my blogging friends in Canada continue to experience.

Spring is just about to pop out here. Hooray!

Where's Ella?

Here she is!

Things You Don't Hear Anymore

OK, so some of you aren't as old as I am. I was reminded that many of you were just born around 1955 and so you don't remember some of those things. This post would probably bring the same response.

I have the house to myself. Ella's off to a birthday party for a little girl who's turning one today. She's having a "Build a library" party. That sounds like a good idea, doesn't it.

I will get some pictures of Ella up. My hard drive is getting full, and I didn't get the last few loaded. I guess it is time for a new computer, or to spend some time cleaning out some files.

Enjoy these. I particularly identify with the one that speaks about 9 cents for a movie ticket. When I was growing up, I could get into the movie for 9 cents with a nickel for a candy bar. Mother always gave me 15 cents, so I had a whole penny change.

Be sure to refill the ice trays, we're going to have company after while.

Watch for the postman, I want to get this letter to Aunt Mary in the mail today.

Quit slamming the screen door when you are on your way out!

Be sure and pull the windows down when you leave, it looks like a shower is coming up.

Don't forget to wind the clock before you go to bed.

Wash your feet before you go to bed, they are nasty from playing outside all day barefooted.

Why can't you remember to roll up your pant legs? Getting them caught in the bicycle chain so many times is tearing them up.

You have torn the knees out of that pair of pants so many times there is nothing left to put a patch on.

Don't you go outside with your good school clothes on!

Go comb your hair; it looks like the rats have nested in it all night.

Be sure and pour the cream off the top of the milk when you open the new bottle.

Take that empty bottle to the store with you so you won't have to pay a deposit on another one.

Put a dish towel over the cake so the flies won't get on it.

Quit jumping on the floor! I have a cake in the oven and you are going to make it fall if you don't quit!

Let me know when the Fuller Brush man comes by, I need to get a few things from him.

You boys stay close by, the car may not start and I will need you to help push it off.

There's a dollar in my purse, get 5 gallons of gas when you go to town.

Open the back door and see if we can get a breeze through here, it is getting hot.

You can walk to the store; it won't hurt you to get some exercise.

Don't sit too close to the TV. It is hard on your eyes.

If you pull that stunt again, I am going to wear you out!

Don't lose that button; I'll sew it back on after awhile.

Wash under your neck before you come to the table, you have beads of dirt and sweat all under there.

Get out from under the sewing machine; pumping it messes up the thread!

Be sure and fill the lamps this morning so we don't have to do that tonight in the dark.

Here, take this old magazine to the toilet with you when you go, we are almost out of paper out there.

Go out to the well and draw a bucket of water so I can wash dishes.

Don't turn the radio on now, I want the battery to be up when the Grand Ole Opry comes on.

No! I don't have nine cents for you to go to the show. Do you think money grows on trees?

Eat those vegetables, they'll make you big and strong like your daddy.

That dog is NOT coming in this house! I don't care how cold it is out there, dogs just don't come in the house.

Sit still! I'm trying to get your hair cut straight and you keep moving and it is all botched up.

Hush your mouth! I don't want to hear words like that! I'll wash your mouth out with soap!

It is time for your system to be cleaned out. I am going to give you a dose of castor oil tonight.

If you get a spanking in school and I find out about it, you'll get another one when you get home.

Quit crossing your eyes! They will get stuck that way!

Soak your foot in this pan of coal oil so that bad cut won't get infected.

When you take your driving test, don't forget to signal each turn. Left arm straight out the window for a left turn; left arm bent up at the elbow for a right turn; and straight down to the side of the door when you are going to stop.

It is: "Yes Ma'am!" and "No Ma'am!" to me, young man, and don't you forget it!

Do you remember hearing these?

Well, I know that some of you are as old as I am, and some are younger. A friend sent these to me the other day, and I had to smile as I read them.

These comments were made in the year 1955!
That's only 53 years ago!

"I'll tell you one thing, if things keep going the way they are, it's going to be impossible to buy a week's groceries for $20."

"Have you seen the new cars coming out next year? It won't be long before $2,000 will only buy a used one."

"If cigarettes keep going up in price, I'm going to quit. A quarter a pack is ridiculous."

"Did you hear the post office is thinking about charging a dime just to mail a letter?"

"If they raise the minimum wage to $1, nobody will be able to hire outside help at the store."

"When I first started driving, who would have thought gas would someday cost 29 cents a gallon? Guess we'd be better off leaving the car in the garage."

"Kids today are impossible. Those duck tail hair cuts make it impossible to stay groomed. Next thing you know, boys will be wearing their hair as long as the girls."

"I'm afraid to send my kids to the movies any more. Ever since they let Clark Gable get by with saying "damn" in "Gone With the Wind," it seems every new movie has either "hell" or "damn" in it."

"I read the other day where some a scientist thinks it's possible to put a man on the moon by the end of the century. They even have some fellows they call astronauts preparing for it down in Texas."

"Did you see where some baseball player just signed a contract for $75,000 a year just to play ball? It wouldn't surprise me if someday they'll be making more than the President."

"I never thought I'd see the day all our kitchen appliances would be electric. They are even making electric typewriters now."

"It's too bad things are so tough nowadays. I see where a few married women are having to work to make ends meet."

"It won't be long before young couples are going to have to hire someone to watch their kids so they can both work."

"Marriage doesn't mean a thing any more. Those Hollywood stars seem to be getting divorced at the drop of a hat."

"I'm afraid the Volkswagen car is going to open the door to a whole lot of foreign business."

"Thank goodness I won't live to see the day when the government takes half our income in taxes. I sometimes wonder if we are electing the best people to congress."

"The drive-in restaurant is convenient in nice weather, but I seriously doubt they will ever catch on."

"There is no sense going to Lincoln or Omaha anymore for a weekend. It costs nearly $15 a night to stay in a hotel."

"No one can afford to be sick anymore. At $35 a day in the hospital, it's too rich for my blood."

"If they think I'll pay 50 cents for a hair cut, forget it."

Hello from Virginia

Hello, it's cold up here. I had a very uneventful trip to my son's house earlier this week. I left Monday morning and drove as far as Florence, South Carolina. I drove the rest of the way on Tuesday, arriving in the early afternoon. Each time I got out of the car, the wind was blowing, and it was very cold.

Today it is freezing. There was supposed to be freezing rain and snow during the night, but that didn't quite materialize, but it should be worse during the day. My son had a two-hour delay in his school start, so I'm taking advantage of this time to update my blog.

Thanks for all your comments about Ella. I'm so glad that I get to see her as much as I do. I've been able to experience all the changes that a little one goes through. Her vocabulary is increasing every day. You should hear her try to say "caterpillar." She's quite comfortable with me after the initial separation in the morning from her daddy.

On Tuesday she had an appointment with the specialist, and she appears to be doing very well. She's about 3-4 pounds heavier than she was in December when I was here, so that's good.

As I left Florida Monday morning, I saw signs of spring. Redbud was blooming along the side of the highway. That was the last sign of spring that I saw...although I didn't expect to see those.

One nice thing here is that the sun shines on the good days. I've always heard about the gloomy winter days in the north. I guess those folks were talking about places much further north than here.

Have a good weekend.

Happy Valentine's Day

A year ago, I was in Nashville with this darling little girl while her mom attended a conference. What fun it was!

In August I got to be at her very first birthday party. What fun it was!

In October I got to go and spend a month with her. What fun it was! And now I'm getting ready to go again! What fun it will be.