Spring 2010

The neighbor's yard is covered with tiny blue flowers.

Meanwhile the first violets of 2010 appeared in the driveway.

But the oak tree is still reluctant to give up last year's leaves.

Photos are embigginable.

Friday cat blogging on Thursday

Friday cat blogging on Wednesday

Friday cat blogging on Tuesday

The collapsing white male power structure

The Anglican Communion is splintering - if voluntary association can yield splinters - thanks to white males who believe they and only they have all right knowledge about Godde and the Bible. Yes, I know the Africans are not white but they are financed by wealthy American white males.

The Roman Catholic Church is headed by white males who seem convinced of their infallibility and determined to convince their flock that they had nothing to do with the men who abused others despite damning evidence to the contrary.

The majority of the people saying untrue and nasty things about the Obama administration and refusing to do anything for their constituents seem to be white males who once upon a time held power and will do and say anything to regain it. Even the teabaggers, bless their naive, uneducated souls, seem to be populated by older white males.

White males are losing the control they once had of the US and Europe and many Christian denominations. Their desperate attempts to maintain control are destroying the US, the Roman Catholic Church and other organizations once their exclusive playgrounds.

How can we encourage them to grow, convince them they are still important to society, let them know they are loved while tempering their testosterone driven fear/mistrust/hatred of women, LGBTs, non-whites?

Friday cat blogging on Saturday

Friday shuffle

1. How Great Thou Art - Susan Boyle
2. Elgar: Oh Happy Eyes - Finzi Singers
3. Clarke: Trumpet Voluntary
4. Mozart: Ave Verum Corpus - Westminster Choir
5. Sooner or Later - Grass Roots
6. The Way We Get By - Spoon
7. I'll Be There - Jackson 5
8. Blowin' In The Wind - Peter, Paul & Mary
9. New Faces in the Field - IIIrd Time Out
10. Lamb and Lion - Christine Lavin

Party planning

On Sunday, 9 May 2010 at 4pm at All Saint's Church in Princeton, NJ, friends of Lois Laverty will honor the occasion of her 80th birthday. Lois was responsible for my attending Westminster Choir College. I plan to attend the concert.

While I'm in New Jersey, blogger friends and others are planning a gathering in New York City. More information is available on Facebook and here.

Always ready... breaking...

He has now announced...
HT to Susan Russell

World's cutest grandnephew and grandniece plus

Friday cat blogging

This is the new cat. She looks almost exactly like LittleOne. Her face isn't quite as fine and her tail isn't quite as long or as pointed. She was impatiently demanding to be fed this morning.

Friday shuffle

1. Satie: Gymnopédies, 3. Lent Et Grave - Riri Shimada
2. Schubert: Mass in Eb, Sanctus - Shaw/Atlanta
3. Love Shine Down - Dusty Springfield
4. Two Lovers - Mary Wells
5. Theme from "A Summer Place" - Percy Faith
6. Love Will Keep Us Together - Captain & Tennille
7. Born to be Wild - Steppenwolf
8. Mendelssohn: Italian Symphony, Saltarello: Presto - Scholz/London Symphony
9. The Wild West Is Where I Want to Be - Tom Lehrer
10. Dream Lover - Bobby Darin

Neighborhood sights

It is always good to see colts foot in the spring.

A new photo of Christ Church.

And a fairly common local sight. The young dutchman was parked here for quite awhile and was smoking a cigarette. There were some women down by the lake. No idea if they were connected. There were two other buggies elsewhere in our end of the park.

Vote!

Voting is open for the best peep creation in the Washington Post's annual contest. Please go here to view the entries. Then click on Peeple's Choice and vote for Easter at the National Peep-Thedral. It is #16.

Walk Naked in America Day

Email received this morning:

WALK NAKED IN AMERICA DAY
As you may already know, it is a sin for a Muslim male to see any woman other than his wife naked and if he does, he must commit suicide. So next Saturday at 1 PM, all American women are asked to walk out of their house completely naked to help weed out any neighborhood terrorists. Circling your block for one hour is recommended for this anti-terrorist effort. All patriotic men are to position themselves in lawn chairs in front of their houses to demonstrate their support for the women and to prove that they are not Muslim terrorist sympathizers. Since Islam also does not approve of alcohol, a cold 6-pack at your side is further proof of your patriotism. The American government appreciates your efforts to root out terrorists and applauds your participation in this anti-terrorist activity. God bless America!

If I did that, my innocent neighbors would die laughing.

Sunday afternoon

And Bach's Saint Matthew Passion on TV. What better could one ask for on a Sunday afternoon?

Palm Sunday preparations

For most of the US, Palm Sunday 2010 services are now concluded. So much organizing to do! Altar Guild, ushers, choirs, clergy, congregations all have special duties. If you are feeling put upon by all the fussing, take a look at what Padre Mickey and Mona do in preparation for Palm Sunday.

First he and men of the parish go palm hunting - here.

Then the parish gets together to prepare the palms - here.

Eventually he will publish photos of the service here.

If the Altar Guild makes a peep about all the work next year remind them about what it takes to do Palm Sunday in Panama.

Sign on Hartstown bar

Friday cat blogging on Sunday

The head of the household kept a wary eye on the lobsters who had supper there Saturday night.

Creative protest

Earth Hour

Earth Hour has come for people who have already seen the sun set today. I plan to turn off everything for an hour at 8:30 pm. IF I remember.

Father Christian Troll has an interesting aspect here.

Update: I remembered

Friday shuffle

1. Up on Cripple Creek - The Band
2. 26 Miles - The Four Preps
3. The Way We Get By - Spoon
4. Cry - Johnnie Ray
5. Oj Mischpoche - Jowel Klezmorim
6. Manz: God of Grace - Roger Nyquist
7. Till You Love Me - Reba McEntire
8. Heart of Glass - Blondie
9. Fissinger: Lux Aeterna - Cathedral Choral Society
10. Verdi: Quattro Pezzi Sacri: Ave Maria - Westminster Choir

Who needs big government?

HT to Dan Sloan and Jan Nunley on Facebook

Teabaggers Untie

HT to Grandmère Mimi.

The oldest crocus

When I bought my house, there was a, well, shack next door which I eventually bought and demolished. The people who owned it had planted various flowers here and there but most were destroyed when the place was torn down. Several croci remained and bloomed faithfully every spring. When the barn was built and the yard bulldozed, I assumed the old bulbs were gone. After all they had been around for more than 40 years. Last spring I was very happy when the two purple flowers appeared. Meanwhile I had the area scraped for large rocks and debris last fall and assumed that would do the bulbs in. Obviously it didn't and I'm very happy! The other one is 10 feet or so from this. I have planted snow croci but never the large ones so I have reason to believe that these are offspring of the original ones if not that old themselves. They are not the sort that birds and animals propagate.

The poinsettias are late

This is not the old huge 40+ year old poinsettia but it is in the same pot. It is one given to Mom and brought home after her death. It has always been straggly probably because it was behind the big one for a couple of years. I need to give it some attention. The old plant hasn't put out any red bracts this year so far.

Yes!

Friday cat blogging on Saturday

I love the way the cats avoid looking at each other. PuddyTat really wants to get up to her place on the kitchen windowsill but she faces the three grey boys. Little One is in the way.

Meanwhile Jellico has returned and is on the cathouse roof for the first time. Dude isn't happy about that.

Earlier PuddyTat wanted her place but Dudie was there. I opened the window which caused Dude to move away. PuddyTat immediately came thru the other box. There was a tense standoff with Dude obviously unhappy and PuddyTat stubbornly staying in place. Paws were raised but no fight. Then Jellico jumped up and PuddyTat left. The girls don't want anything to do with him. Eventually Jellico left and PT was on the windowsill with Dude and Little One in the two boxes. Now Dudie is in the box but the others are probably stalking the night creatures for protein supplements. Fun to watch while doing dishes.

A spring walk

I went for a walk this afternoon to check the progress of spring. I actually heard peepers but couldn't get the movie mode to work on the camera. It has been too cold for peepers or so I thought. Maybe they know something we don't?

Every year the turtles in the pond get a little larger.

The geese know me and head for the water when they see me. So far I haven't had to chase them off the yard this year.

The oak trees aren't willing to surrender last year's leaves yet.

I wish I could have caught on camera the little beaver who swam up to here then dived under.

S/he appeared just the other side of this dam but you can't see it.

A welcome bit of color in a mostly tan and grey world.

The Mullein (Verbascum thapsus) is growing new leaves already.

A ground squirrel watches me nervously.

A daffy will bloom tomorrow?

Meanwhile, Tim just enjoyed the sun.

Jesus said, "Love..."

No longer waiting

Scene today. Same places as yesterday's post.

The daffys in the sun in front of the house are getting tall.

Even the daylilies are showing signs of life.

Spring iz sprung.
The grass iz riz.
I wonder where
Da flowers iz.

Da boid is on da wing.
Oh my woid.
How absoid.
I thot da wing wuz on da boid.

Many thanks to a 4th grade English teacher in New Castle, PA.

Waiting for sun

Clicking will embiggen.