How Does Your Garden Grow...Our 3 Year Celebration and Zoo Adventure...The Father and More

 

 

Yeah...so I am suffering from major lens envy at this point....lol

Celebrated three years of being back together this month!

Time flies.

Took a three day...two night retreat together just outside Indianapolis...and it was wonderful!

 

 

Ralph...Our Adventure Bear!
 

Cameras, and a day at the Indianapolis Zoo...exploring a new Coffee Shop (Cabin Coffee Company) in Danville...with cinnamon rolls as big as your fist covered with cream cheese icing and the BEST coffee...Steak Dinner...Movie in bed...lots of US time...and more!!! 

 

Enjoy my Canon but seriously impressed with John's Nikon...and telephoto lens. 

...I like a big lens, I cannot lie...

This 86 Zoom brought even animals which were barely visible in the treeline as though you were standing next to them.

Pretty damned amazing!

...and Thank You for three pretty INCREDIBLE years, too!

 

The Patio and Borders are coming along...

Through the screen.

The irises nearly spent, but the few left smell sweet like hot grapes.

The white lilies valiantly struggling along after being snowed on and flooded.
They are budded, and I expect blooms, soon.

The good black soil from my compost box...I've 30 gallons of it to top-dress and fill pots with this year.

No matter how old I get...composting never ceases to amaze me.

Throw away paper, scraps, grounds, clippings and shells all year...have beautiful black soil the next.

It's magic.

Even have a rose blooming, and several buds ready to burst.

Hoping to get the annuals bedded in next week...now that the weather is more conducive to growing and planting.

Recovering from our adventures for the next few days.

Getting the house and laundry done...then planning some serious basking on NPB, painting, cooking and good food, reading and relaxing over the holiday weekend.

The Movie this Week:

Quite possibly the best performance of Hopkin's career...winning him an Oscar at 83 years old!!!

Exceptional film...and you will want to view it more than once to catch some of the subtle nuances throughout.

And you'll cry.

Alzheimer's Disease...from a first-person point of view...not the eyes of a caretaker.

You will feel confused, disoriented, adrift...because that is what Antony is experiencing.

Time will not make sense.

Events will become jumbled.

And by the end you will sit wiping tears from your face.

Like I did.

A must-see bit of cinematographic brilliance.

 

The Book of the Week:

 A nonfiction compilation of some of the stuff of our lifetime...some will bring a smile to your face...some tears to your eyes.

Written in that local writer's inimitable voice.

 His latest release.

And assigned stars...1 to 5...based on the author's assessment of each of the 40 subjects he covers.

Brought to you by the guy who gave us The Fault in Our Stars and Turtles, All the Way Down.

Incredible read!

5 out of 5 stars!

Now to finish up here and soak in a nice hot bubble bath because apparently I am NOT 22 anymore...lol!

 

Enjoy your Holiday Weekend 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cobra Kitty...Shopping and Brunch with Brenda...and Bees!

 

John sent me this shot of our Gadget this week.

She is fearless.

Even when there is a ginormous cobra on TV.

lol!

"I can't SMELL it , Mom...something isn't right."  

                                                                      -Gadget

Busy week...getting ready for our trip next week...and finally some outside NPB weather and playing in the plants. So beautiful out!

Sofi may not share my enthusiasm after her close encounter with a bee yesterday.

In short, she ended up stung...limping and today her pad is still warm and puffy.

Thank goodness she didn't get stung on her nose or in her mouth.

She will be fine.

But probably more wary outside now.

Brenda and I spent the day, Wednesday, checking out a new shoppe here in Greencastle that has a bit of everything (including fabulous clothes and lingerie)...and enjoying an Italian Brunch out. 

Planning a spa-day before long.

 

The spriggings of Ivy have taken hold and are soon to be climbing the trellis...and I have faux vines to fill in bare spots until the real ones take over.

And the bees?

My youngest sister, Tina, came home to find the front corner of her farmhouse covered with a swarm of bees. Before they settled in and became too comfortable...she called a local beekeeper who brought a bee-box to trap and relocate them.

When a ball of bees formed outside the trap it became obvious that the queen was now inside...and eventually the swarm was captured and moved to a hive.

Cinderella Day today...dusting....dishes...cleaning...scrubbing...laundry. Hoping to get done and enjoy a bit of this beautiful 80 degree sunshiny day!

Have a great weekend!

 

Virtual Africa: Malawi- Blantyre

 

So...what is a Scottish City doing in the midst of Malawi????

Well it is a bit of a history lesson. 

 Blantyre was founded in 1876 through the missionary work of the Church of Scotland. and named after Blantyre Scotland. 

Dr. Livingstone got around A LOT.

They also built St. Michael's church.

and the area is predominately Catholic to this day.

This is Saint Michael.

What??? You were expecting fluffy white wings, a halo and maybe a cloud and harp?

"I'm NOT that kind of angel, kid."

Michael is an archangel...a warrior for God against Satan. Specifically...his captain.

Note the sword.

He is mentioned several times in the Bible and the Q'uran...as well as figuring prominently in the Jewish faith.

An angelic badass...Michael is also suppose to lead the charge against Satan during the end times.

He is also The Patron Saint of God's Chosen People and Guardian of the Church.

Now you know.

Blantyre is the second largest city in Malawi and is the financial and industrial capital of Malawi although not the Capital proper. 

Tour:

https://youtu.be/prtr8-DyFpE

Overview of Malawi

https://youtu.be/9MYp_TXN9Bc

Next time we will check out the African country of Tanzania

Until Then...

Virtual Africa: Lake Malawi

 

Stretching to the horizon...Lake Malawi is HUGE. 

It covers 1/5 of the country of Malawi.

 Malawi Overview 

https://youtu.be/zgMWEqLWT6g

The 5th largest freshwater lake in the world.

It is a meromictic lake meaning the layers of its waters stay stratified and do not mix. Slight chemical differences and thermal differences are the cause of this. 

360 miles long...47 miles wide and 2,316 miles deep at its deepest point.

David Livingstone would see it in 1859 and refer to it as The Lake of Stars...because of all the Malawian fishermen with their lanterns on its surface after dark. 

Biodiversity distinguished this lake from other places in Africa. Although large predators are fairly limited to Nile Crocodiles, Hippos and Monkeys...there are thousands of species of fish found here. Some which have evolved and are found nowhere else in the world. Nearly 1000 separate and different species of Cichlids have evolved here. 

Because of their bright colors and diversity...these are sought after for aquarium fish.

Along with Tilapia, a common edible fish in this lake is the Kampango Catfish. These catfish sometimes grow to lengths of 5 feet long.

To put this in perspective, I measure 5 feet four inches. Some are only 4 inches less than I am tall...

Malawi also has 28 different species of snails and a single crab species ( Malawi blue-crab).

 

Shifting like streams of smoke the lake flies are visible from the shoreline.

You might say

"What are a few flies???"

But, and I have seen similar on the Great Lakes in Michigan...believe me...you do not want to see them up close.

 The black plumes are literally millions of individual flies.

Lake Malawi

https://youtu.be/44EzcfpM5tk

Next time we will check out the Scottish Cities I was telling you about.

 

Until then!

 

 

 

 

 

Aiden is 7...Sister's Day...and a Zen Weekend

 "You eat all the time!" I mutter to my calico Manx, who has revisited that dry food dish for the 4th time as though something may have spawned there since her last visit.

Of course, I am saying this around a random forkful of leftover chicken salad from yesterday's brunch.

She is not impressed.

With Covid restrictions slowly lifting now, I have either got to stop the mindless eating...or buy bigger jeans.

Busy week...finally celebrating Aiden's 7th Birthday here.

With Chris and Aunt Tina, too!

And now that we have all been vaccinated...resuming Sister's Day...after way too long apart.

Complete with Happy Birthday to US!

...yeah...we are all carrying the extra 20 Covid pounds..so what is one more cupcake, eh?

Actually, brunch looked like this.

The chicken salad recipe a favorite from Almost Home with red grapes and pecans added.

It was great to be back together...we painted and caught up and planned our
Sister's Day for next month.  A homemade cookie exchange with tea.

To get a real feel for how long it had been...Tina grew this gourd in her garden...dried it...cleaned it out and painted it as a birdhouse for me...last year.

IKR????

Great news on the Covid-front...where we have noted a drop of 25% in new cased this week alone.

Although the transit...and all public transportation is continuing mask protocol...the CDC has now said that people who have had both shots are protected and can neither build up enough viral load to get sick or pass Covid to others.

They say that we are safe unmasked outdoors and in.

Individual businesses and masking protocol still applies.

Went out for the first time in nearly a year...maskless.

To be honest...not only did it feel odd...it felt too soon.

I will be wearing mine a little longer.

Just enjoying a laid back Zen Sunday, today.  73 and sunny...played in the plants a bit...and basked on NPB with a novel.  I am now sun-kissed.

The Patio Garden and Borders are starting to take hold...glad the cold is gone. Gave the Boxwoods badly needed trimmings, and they are spherical again...more or less.

My purple irises are up and bloomed and I've brought a bouquet inside. So the living room smells a lot like grape Kool-aide, now.

The roses are budded...also noted the sawflies are back...got to get Rose Spray before they skeletonize the leaves again.

The Hostas are up...but lost my Mouse Ears over the winter. Just going to replace it with the hardier Blue Angel and call it a day.

The catnip has now reseeded itself over two pots and is up about 3 inches.

The Ostrich Ferns have started but are pretty sparse...not sure I am keeping them.

Did some sprigging today with my variegated Ivy.

Came in for a nice 2 hour nap with the Sofi-Cat...the very best thing about retirement...the naps!

Enjoy the rest of your weekend...

 

Virtual Africa: Malawi

 

Malawi (muh-laa-wee) is a completely landlocked sliver of a country next to Zambia. So what is with the sailboat?  A huge lake covers 1/5 of the entire country!!!

Lake Malawi...and we will explore this more in the upcoming days is ENORMOUS..

The country has an area of 45,747 square miles.

The capital and another large city within were settled by the Scottish, so there is another surprise we will delve into this week.

Malawi is considered one of the least developed countries on Earth. With a low life expectancy, high infant mortality and still in the grips of an HIV/AIDS epidemic.

David Livingstone discovered Malawi when the only people who were here were the Bantu...and the British Consul soon took up residence. The Indian Ocean Slave Trade took an estimated 20,000 people from this region in the mid-1800's.

Still..this tiny country boasts a population of 18.5 million people.

There are a mixture of Asians, Europeans and Natives living here.

The official language is English...with its secondary being  Chichewa (a Bantu language).

Example

https://youtu.be/yyFsmiNXqXg

Some basic phrases in Chichewa

https://www.malawianstyle.com/blog/basic-chichewa/

Malawi is a Christian country...mostly Presbyterian.

Both government healthcare and primary education is free to the people here.  

Because of the massive lake and smaller rivers, tea and fish tend to figure heavily into the local cuisine.

Malawi Village

Next time we will take a more detailed look at Lake Malawi.

 

Until then...

 

 

 

 

Brunches...2021 Gardens...Morels...Chris and Tina's 2nd Anniversary...Aiden is 7....and an Early Mother's Day

 

A whirlwind of activity this week...complete with another Spring Brunch with Diane and Brenda...this time with morels...

And the return of James and family from Colorado...and Nicole bringing me the last of the Yellows near their house.

Pre-Mother's Day Venison

(...I know what I'll be fixing for dinner tomorrow...)

And a Blue Buddha they picked up in Colorado...which Sofi had to inspect!

 "Nope...ya can't eat it..."  -Sofi

 

Thanks, Guys!

My Patio Garden and Borders are slowly coming along.

And the white lilies seem to have no lasting effects from the late snowfall.

Used the last of Lennon's giftcard for some items for NPB.

Thusfar, only one good 80 degree beach day this season. I am sure there are many more to come, but the rain and then cold front has made this a challenge. Woke up to 38 degrees this morning! The only thing I am basking in front of is the heat...with hot tea, the cat, and a good book.

But ready when it is warmer.

Chris and Tina celebrating their 2nd Anniversary...and she made Wife of the Year with a handmade (etsy) guitar hanger for his new Martin...in the shape of a Martin Guitar Pick.

  Anxious to hear tales from Pennsylvania...where among other things (and a resort hotel) they had plans to check out Gettysburg and the Battlefield, The Liberty Bell in Philly, Some trout fishing and hiking.

 

...making chocolate...

 

I know the trout fishing was successful!

Aiden is 7 now...and we will be getting together for his birthday next Thursday!

Life is Good...and I am blessed.

The Book this Week:

An author I have literally been reading for...well...since his hair had a color besides gray....lol.

There have been so many PREY books...I've lost count.

Sadly, this was not one of his best efforts.

Plodding, predictable, and the humor sprinkled throughout the serious story...falls flat.

I wouldn't suggest this one.

Unless you suffer from insomnia, and just need a way to fall asleep.

This Week's Movie

A re-watch of the 2004 film with Don Cheadle. Since we will soon be exploring this area virtually...it seemed a good choice.

A true story of one man who made a difference to 1200 people's lives during the genocide that occurred between the Hutu-Tusi's in 1994...where a million people were slaughtered.

Cheadle is exceptional in his role. 

If you have never seen it...do.

If you have...watch it again.

Worried about Angie...who, months later, is still suffering side-effects from her bout with Covid.

A Long-Hauler.

One of her most recent creative projects...I want to try one soon.

She is going to stain the clips with Old English to make them more antique-looking.

I think this would be a wonderful way to display photos of the kids and grands.

John has been dodging the raindrops and fishing a lot with the guys...and taken on the moniker Super Net Man at the lake...as in

"OMG...Get The Net!!!"

They have pulled in some 14...15 and 17 pounders, recently.

We are counting the days until our May Adventure and tomorrow marks 3 years of being back together exclusively!!!

Yes...I LOVE Us, too :)

Have a Great Weekend!

 

"You Can't See ME!"  -Gadget

 

 

Addendum:  A knock on the door and the kids have made it back from PA and came bearing tales of Bear Creek Mountain Resort...and trout fishing...and Philly...and Hershey Park and bearing Mother's Day Breakfast...and  chocolate!

What a great surprise!