Sunday, May 3, 2009

Why I hate to mow in spring

My front yard is full of violets. I love violets. I like dandelions too. They provide a wonderful contrast. If you click on the photo, you can see the violets better.

The yard behind me is full of violets. This little dandy lion is PuddyTat.

Friday, May 1, 2009

Friday cat blogging

Jellico was in Dude's normal eating space

while the gals enjoyed breakfast upstairs.

Friday shuffle

1. Lauridsen: O Magnum Mysterium - Cathedral Choral Society
2. Baby, It's You - Shirelles
3. There's a Moon Out Tonight - The Capris
4. Never Be Anyone Else But You - Ricky Nelson
5. In the Rain - The Dramatics
6. Baba Yetu - Bach Choir Pittsburgh
7. We Belong Together - Robert & Johnny
8. Beyond the Sea - Bobby Darin
9. A Yidishe Mame - Jowel Klezmorim
10. Why - Frankie Avalon

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Matthew Shepherd bill passes House

Christianists have complained that the Matthew Shepherd bill would restrict their freedom of speech. I wish it would.

Specter update or why I left

If the call had been from a real person rather than a recording of someone saying he represented some Republican organization, I would have responded in kind. Don't call a Democrat who left that diseased organization and try to trash Senator Specter. Why do they think he and the rest of us left?

Our Senator Specter

I have always voted for Arlen Specter. He thinks independently. Democrats should not gloat. His changing from Republican to Democrat is not a victory for the Dems. It is a resounding renunciation of what the GOP has become - a bunch of sniveling, whining, prejudiced, closed-minded, selfish, fearful, pseudoChristian, intellectually infantile negativists. There are many of us who are not Democrats yet are forced to be registered as such because there is no alternative. We need another political party.

Monday, April 27, 2009

Grateful

For Veet which makes removing the leg warmers carefully cultivated all winter much easier. Now the weather will probably get cold again.

Sunday, April 26, 2009

Today's photos

There are many things I love about spring from the subtle colors of the budding trees to the coltsfoot appearing on the roadsides to violets everywhere and, yes, to dandelions. My yard and the one behind are covered with violets.

After church I stopped at a friend's to do something on the computer for her. This little gal was sitting on the windowsill beside me.

When I got home, Tommie was lying in the shade of the house.

Tim rolled in the shade of me.

Friday, April 24, 2009

Flummoxed

I simply cannot understand why people use tobacco today. It can kill. It is filthy. It can cause a person to lose control of their own life via addiction. It is now ridiculously expensive. Why?

Friday shuffle

1. Milhaud: Les Deux Cites, Babylon - Princeton Singers
2. Berlioz: Requiem, Hostias - Norrington
3. Christiansen: Beautiful Savior - St Olaf and Westminster Choirs
4. Einhorn: Voices of Light, Relapse - Anonymous Four
5. Handel: Israel in Egypt, Their bodies are buried - Taverner
6. You Don't Know What Love Is - Gene Harris, Jack McDuff
7. Britten: Gloriana Dances, Country Girls - Sixteen
8. A Groovy Kind of Love - Mindbenders
9. Villa-Lobos: Choro - Pepe Romero
10. Stay - Maurice

A little heavy on the "classical" this time. Appropriate since 6 choirs are combining efforts to sing Beethoven's Ninth tomorrow, Saturday 25 April, at 8 at Passavant Center, Thiel College, Greenville, PA. Fun!

Friday cat blogging

Tim came to breakfast yesterday but PuddyTat wasn't finished sleeping.

Later PT took up a strategic position on the office windowsill only five feet from the bird feeders. Hmmm.

Only Tom and Dude came for breakfast this morning during a very loud thunderstorm.

Thursday, April 23, 2009

Comments on the Economic Stimulus Package

Apparently the American Medical Association has weighed in on the new economic stimulus package....

The Allergists voted to scratch it, but the Dermatologists advised not to make any rash moves.

The Gastroenterologists had sort of a gut feeling about it, but the Neurologists thought the Administration had a lot of nerve.

The Obstetricians felt they were all laboring under a misconception.

Ophthalmologists considered the idea shortsighted.

Pathologists yelled, "Over my dead body!" while the Pediatricians said, 'Oh, Grow up!'

The Psychiatrists thought the whole idea was madness, while the Radiologists could see right through it.

Surgeons decided to wash their hands of the whole thing.

The Internists thought it was a bitter pill to swallow, and the Plastic Surgeons said, "This puts a whole new face on the matter."

The Podiatrists thought it was a step forward, but the Urologists were pissed off at the whole idea.

The Anesthesiologists thought the whole idea was a gas, and the Cardiologists didn't have the heart to say no.

In the end, the Proctologists won out, leaving the entire decision up to the assholes in Washington.

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

"Anglican" purity

A number of clergy in The Episcopal Church have decided they and only they know all the truth about the Bible and Christianity. They are upset that many of us in TEC seem to believe that followers of Jesus are to love Godde and love each other leaving judgment to Godde. They believe they can't be part of TEC as we know it. They seek to divide the body of Christ into little segments according to how they judge the purity of each segment. Then they seek to put all the parts together yet separate under the "Anglican" banner.

I pray Godde finds a way to heal their Bibles so they may read and understand more than the snippets they use to prooftext their separatist goals.

To learn more about this group who would shatter the body of Christ according to their purity codes, read Mark Harris's blog Preludium and Thinking Anglicans.

I am beginning to believe that there are Christians and there are followers of Jesus and the two groups have little in common. What does this mean for the future of "the church"?

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Late bloomer


My 40 year old poinsettia is nuts this year. Because it lives in the corner by the door and evening light from across the room is minimal, it "blooms" every year, usually after Valentine's Day. This year it bloomed in late February as usual. Much to my surprise, it grew more red for Easter and has just presented me with a third bloom. I love this plant!

I'm a bit embarrassed to post this photo of the entire plant because it shows the unfinished inside of my house. But it is as it is.

Monday, April 20, 2009

God is not a white man

The Michael Gungor Band "White Man"

Hat tip to EAK.

Finally, the daffodil fence





It is cold, dreary, wet so all the flowers are pointed down rather than smiling at the sun. They brighten the landscape significantly.

Sunday, April 19, 2009

Happy Birthday, Padre Mickey

Church landscaping

Last year some volunteers put in many hours and much hard work landscaping around the newly paved parking lot at Christ Church. This spring their efforts are blooming beautifully with many surprises to come.

Friday, April 17, 2009

A spring walk

I went for a walk this evening. As regular followers of this blog know, I live on Pymatuning Reservoir on the Pennsylvania/Ohio border. A railroad used to run between my house and the bay. It has been gone for many years. The "tracks" are a great place to walk except when the various obnoxious motorized vehicles race up and down disregarding others, especially the fishermen.

There are few signs of spring in my neighborhood trees.

Down in the park, however, I found some trees with red buds. The view is from underneath the road over the tracks.

The next series of photos shows some of the many places which will be occupied by fishermen Saturday and Sunday mornings. They all look out on our bay. There are two islands between the bay and the lake proper.

In this photo, the small island and the breastworks of the dam are in the distance.







This is our "beach".


Looking back toward the tracks.

The greenery running diagonally from the bottom right should be my daffodil fence. The flowers are blooming sporadically and many have been flattened by snow, wind or frost.

You can't really see it but the ladder is still resting against the oil tank. I wonder if I can put it away. Might we still have a heavy wet snow which blocks the satellite TV signal?

Friday cat blogging

Yawn! Morning already?

Tim enjoyed scratching herself on the gravel.