Note to Self: When in Doubt, Go WITHOUT...

**A picture happy coffee and a donut post**

Back in the day, (Ha! I always wanted to say that) our county sanitation department would come around every so often and haul off any oversize unwanted stuff that didn't fit in the trash bins as part of our regular garbage service. Somewhere around the time Ms. Olivia (the mail lady) exchanged her personal vehicle for an honest-to-goodness mail truck, the county began charging a fee to haul off the "big stuff". A hefty fee. Personally, I would have appreciated some head's up because as soon as that happened, Freddy Frugality (DH) decided rather than paying any fee, we'd just hang onto our pile "for awhile". Ha. HaHaHA.

The pile grew over time, as things broke and were replaced. For awhile, it bothered me. Then I suddenly found myself enmeshed in the first of a series of medical misadventures: a surprising cancer diagnosis, followed by multiple surgeries, chemotherapy, and Herceptin treatments. After that, pending piles of junk and other such concerns were relegated to the back burner. I just couldn't care about it. Ultimately, I found myself at the point I could barely keep up with a full-time job and family; never mind the things that went with having a house (e.g. both indoor and outdoor things), so I did what I could to get by. I guess you could say I went into survival mode (except maybe it was more like survival of the UNfittest ;o)

As the state of my health declined, so did the state of the house. I kept working full-time, but had to let go of a LOT. The grass grew steadily over the sidewalk. My once pretty flowerbeds, suffering from abandonment issues, became home to a few tangled clumps of weeds. Left to their own devices, those clumps spread like wildfire and grew to alarming heights. Half the time I'd think our house looked like IT was abandoned with all those overgrown weeds. At some point I started narrowing my eyes to slits every time I pulled in the driveway so I couldn't see them anymore. By the time I was diagnosed with Polymyositis (a debilitating muscle disease) a couple of years later, I couldn't walk more than a few feet at a time and the inside of the house had become as badly neglected as the outside. Over the last couple of years as my health has started to improve, I've been working my way - albeit in fits and starts - through the inside. I managed to hit the "indoor floor" running this year (e.g. this post). I'm not finished by a long shot, but things are definitely looking less depressing. This year, I also decided I was finally able to start tackling the outside.
Photo Inset: One of my badly neglected flowerbeds. Embarrassing, but true. *sigh*

Now I may not be a big fan of the labor involved in gardening - I hate weeding [and thank you for your contribution to our struggles, Adam *blows raspberry*] - particularly when you have flowerbeds as neglected as mine, but oh how I do LOVE flowers! I love my flowers even more than DH loves his rustbucket and junk collection. The man actually calls it his yard art. Ha. Maybe he says that because he doesn't want to haul it all away. You think? Guess what, though: A few weeks ago, while deep in thought about what I wanted to accomplish in the yard, I found myself drumming my fingers on the desk as I contemplated a nifty little word on my computer screen than I hadn't thought about in awhile:

Repurpose /rēˈpərpəs/ A verb meaning to adapt for use in a different purpose.

I also learned that when you couple that particular word with, say, Pinterest, it opened up a whole new world of possibilities. To wit: Junk, your days are numbered. Mwah-ha-ha-haaa...  That means anything old that isn't nailed down is now Fair Game. What if it is nailed down, you say? Well, then. That's what that little claw thingy on the other side of the hammer is for (and silly you ;o) Naturally, I didn't have a lot of the "desired" junk that came up, but I was willing to work with what we had; copious amounts of junk in general. The UNdesired kind. One thing we did have? A rusted old wheelbarrow with a broken handle. I splurged on the Gerbra; it's the same one from the earlier photo (isn't she pretty?) I bought some seeds, since they were pretty inexpensive. I learned about pre-sprouting, and started some Dwarf Nasturtium on my kitchen windowsill. It did well in little peat pots and [hopefully] it will flourish in the wheelbarrow. Weird note? Apparently Nasturtium grows much better in "poor" soil. Happily, I just happened to have some on hand... 
In spades. 
(ba-dump-bump).

I moved the seedlings outside under the patio roof, but in the sun, for about a week before planting them (photo right).

One thing I found fascinating?  I came across some information that recommended using egg shells instead of peat pots to start plants. I decided to see if it would make any difference and put the next pre-sprouted seed in an egg shell (photo right) instead of a pot (photo left). Looking at the base part of the stems in the two pictures below, I'd have to say that the calcium from the eggshell made a huge difference from the get-go. Look how much thicker it is! Even crazier, the plant on the right is actually a couple of weeks younger than the one on the left. Pretty neat, eh?

My Nasturtium seedlings are now in the wheelbarrow, and I'm waiting (ever so IMpatiently) for them to grow. Hopefully, it won't be too long before they "fill and spill" ;o)

Here's the first of three (count 'em - three) dead yard carts. DH has had about seven or eight years to find replacement wheels for them. *DING* Time's up! ;o) I hit this one with a coat of paint, planted it upside down at an angle, and filled it with the purple heart I rescued from the weeds. It'll look better once it fills in a little more, I hope. One end of DD's old crib provided an interesting background, and I painted it a light sage green. It also helps to hide the *cough* desirable (?) junk we have stashed behind it in the garage. *laugh* I'm hoping to get my hands on some Zebrina Wandering Jew to put in a rectangular planter in that doorway (should be a great color compliment for the purple heart). If and when I do, I'll be sure to take another picture for you! The "stepping stump" in front of the cart is a halved cypress log DD salvaged from a neighbor's trash pile years ago. I'm still working on this section.

The broken stepladder fit perfectly in the bed by the feed room; it's home to some Orange Mint. I found one of my favorite old clay planters hiding under a pile of stuff in the garage: 

DH even got into the spirit of things and made me this awesome super-sized step by the feed room "loading" door using an old poly-whatchamacallit pallet and some inexpensive dog ear fence boards. The plant you see in the foreground was a half-dead African Orchid I rescued from a garden center clearance pile at Wal-Mart for $2. It's amazing how many plants you can find on the cheap. More (lots) on that next time, though. A rusted out piece of [ancient] garden border seemed to work well there (super handy-dandy that rusty is so trendy, eh?) 

I thanked him by giving his old lunch cooler (the one he hasn't used in 20 years) a reason to live. It's now home to some Sweet Alyssum I found for $1 on the DNR cart at Lowe's. It was all brown and sadly shriveled when I brought it home, but it seems to be feeling a bit better. I didn't get the lunch box as centered/straight as I wanted. It was annoyingly awkward to affix *insert alliteration applause* but it doesn't look quite so bad from a bit farther away.

I think that's [more than] enough reading for one day. I'm still working away out there (and in here), and still have a quite a few photos left to share :o) Have a blessed week everyone!

The Sudden Ender to My Bender

...saying anything that might could would morph into a massive unloading [read: demented rant] from which your fingers may never recover. Not to mention the things you would just have to turn around and repent anyway. Right Jennifer? You betcha. So. In lieu of posting a twenty page diatribe explaining the circumstances I alluded to in my last post (found here, for those of you looking sideways at the screen and scratching your head in confusion) I'm going for the "less is more" version. I will, however, offer you a bulleted summary to accompany the picture to the left. Said picture being worth FAR more than a measly 1,000 words because it is an incredibly accurate depiction of my mental state during the time in question (albeit a disturbing one). Well, maybe not the male gender/mustache part. And yes, I entertained myself with the bullets in my little summary (what did you expect? ;o)

To quote Sergeant Friday (on a Friday no less), "Just the facts, Ma'am."

☁ My father got sick, then became ill (as in tempered). Then he got really ill (as in go to the hospital). What started as a plain old "vomit virus", turned into something far more serious over the course of a couple weeks.

☂ Ultimately, Dad required the better part of a week in the hospital which, in turn, required me to spend the better part of the week sleeping at my parent's house with Mom (Alzheimer's patients do not do well with any change in environment). This was, of course, in addition to working full time, caring for the horses, and spending time at the hospital. 

☔ Turned out my Dad had a pinched intestine (and did we even know that was a thing? Nope), which was ultimately - and thankfully - resolved without surgery.

It probably goes without saying that I ran around like a crazy woman throughout all of this at warp speed from home to work to hospital to home to Mom's and then back home again in the wee hours the next day.

UGH.

I also learned quite a bit about myself and (hopefully), I stretched and grew a little more spiritually and grace-fully. Ummm...How about this: I definitely grew, but it wasn't very pretty. Here's the rest (as politely as I'm able to phrase it):

☹ I love my parents. I really do, but they are not always easy (or pleasant) to be around. My dad, who is never sick, has to be the worst patient I think I have ever encountered (I'll take sick whiny kids any day). 

♰ It is a darn good thing that God's grace is sufficient, because I had nowhere NEAR enough of it for either one of my parents: both of whom managed to surprise (shock?) me with some truly obnoxious and downright hateful behavior.

⛅ Silver Lining? (sort of): It is absolutely possible, when you toss in enough stress-filled frantic, to drop five pounds in a single week without even trying (yes, I really did).

💡 I did a tremendous amount of introspection in the weeks that followed, and ultimately realized that I had a veritable boatload of unresolved emotions and resentments when it came to my parents that stemmed from years of internalizing. A BIG boat. Okay, maybe more like an armada. Since it is not my intention to engage in a round of "bash the parents" (a.k.a. the temptation from which I was - barely - delivered), I'll just say that there are people on this earth who can - and do - take condescension, [what I call] "destructive" criticism and personal dissatisfaction to a whole new level. I suppose one could also say that teenagers are not the only ones with the mindset that precious little outside of their own wants and needs should be considered. Yep, one could say that all right... *Ahem*. 
'Nuff said.

✋ I learned that setting healthy boundaries can be a wonderful and truly amazing thing. Just be sure to seek counseling from a trusted source first, and be as kind as as you can (in my case it was our pastor and a very close friend). I also had to give myself a couple added weeks of "calm down" time before drawing that line in the sand to keep things from turning ugly on my part. (I never said I was perfect ;o)
The end result?
I guess some people are just going to be the toast crumbs in your butter no matter what you do. Sort of a weird analogy, I guess, (but I'm hungry ;o)

So there you have it: my little tale of whoa (was me). As to the past couple of weeks? Busy, busy, busy. My bender is back; in spades! Hopefully, I'll have some pictures for you next time to show you what I've been up to. All I can say is Pinterest is a double-edged sword (handy, but dangerous). Have a blessed week, and stay sane. At least try. *laugh*

A Bender of EPIC proportions...

Sad and True: This post was started in mid-January:

WHOOP! It has been a couple of weeks now, and I'm still reorganizing and sorting as much as I can (that would be the keeping and the tossing portion of our program). Progress is, of course, a LOT slower with the whole full-time job back on and all (but some progress is still better than none, right?) I would love to be able to get some things done outside; maybe play with the horses a bit (now there's an idea ;o) Unfortunately, the weather continues to be grossly uncooperative. I shouldn't complain really, since we're not buried in snow and ice around here, but with frequent heavy rains followed by sudden freezing temperatures? Well, I just can't stay out there long enough to do anything beyond the feeding (and that part's rough enough). 

Sometimes I think there's nothing more wrong than a cold, nasty, wet weekend followed by three gorgeous, sunny days in a row. You know, Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday: the days you are AT WORK?!? Grrr. Does that happen to you? Isn't it just the most frustrating thing sometimes? The pile of things to be toted outside and painted (most just with clear polyurethane for protection from the elements and to prevent fading) is growing at an alarming rate. Between the weather and my work schedule, I just can't seem to make it happen. I started painting pine cones last November for a Thanksgiving table decoration and only managed to get a coat or two on, before the rainy weather shut it down. If it's not raining, it's freezing. Same with the partially done sink (this post), trash can, half finished homemade shutters, partially finished chairs (this post), along with all the other stuff for the visitor area. All of it is sitting around in various stages of incompletion. Sitting. Waiting. Sitting some more. 
I think it might be staring. 
Definitely staring.

At me.
It's creepy.

My right eye has now started twitching every time I walk out the back door.
Oy.

One really good thing so far this year? My brother Geoff and his family (wife Julia, and their two boys) came for a visit. I don't get to see them much at all, since they live in Oregon (that rather large state which sits at the opposite end of the country :o\ Even better? They stayed at our house this time, instead of at my parents' house. I was ecstatic as I'd only met my nephews once, and that was three years ago. We had a wonderful visit all the way around! My nephews had a great time with Kimby's boys (we were able to arrange a "play date"). To top it off, we were blessed with some really nice weather during their visit. We were even able to squeeze in some [supersize] "pony" rides on one of the days. I think the two-legged boys enjoyed themselves, don't you? Shadow, on the other hand, was clearly less than thrilled to be "saddled with" (ha) pony ride status. His mortification at being relegated to such a demeaning task, however, was easily overcome by a handful of his favorite treats.

Photo note: It's not shown in the shot, but there were grownups that came with the horses. (Didn't want you to worry ;o)

One thing that has bothered me for a long time was that I barely knew my sister-in-law, Julia. Though she and I have been together a few times - about three, if you count their wedding - it has always been somewhere we couldn't really talk. I love my parents, but they tend to um.... dominate any kind of family gathering/event (is there a nice way to call someone overbearing?) so she and I have never really had a chance to get to know each other.  One thing I already knew? She is an absolutely brilliant artist; I can honestly say that God has gifted her with a tremendous talent. If I can find out where she has her work posted (if she does), maybe she'll let me share some of it with you. My brother and I got to catch up as well, and I had all kinds of fun with the boys. Thankfully, Kimby's three boys keep me current with important "guy stuff". Sure do wish they lived on this side of the country though. *sniffle* Right before their visit, I stumbled across a "chalkboard tablecloth" in the clearance aisle at Walmart. Would you believe it was marked down to $1.96? Now there's a monetary risk I'm willing to take (since I wasn't too sure how well it would work). Turned out to be a lot of fun; we drew and played tic-tac-toe all over the dining room table ;o)

Happily, both my brother and his family love to poke around antique/thrift/junk stores as much as I, so we all piled in the car on Saturday morning and went to Sadies. One of my favorite things about visiting the flea market are the unexpected surprises. You just never know what you'll find from one visit to the next. Kind of like Forrest Gump's box of chocolates analogy, I suppose. Remember that heinous "Hollywood" chair? (this post). It was gone (and I can't help but wonder if someone actually bought that $750 monstrosity *laugh*). Anyway... this time I stumbled across the neatest thing; painted rocks. I'm guessing that sounds rather unexciting, but these particular rocks were both colorful and clever. Although it was the bright colors and pretty patterns that caught my eye initially, it just so happened that there was a rock with the word "Family" on it that perfectly matched the colors in our family room. What fun! When I got home, I set it down on top of the media unit, but after a day or so I realized it wasn't as visible as I'd like. Happily, this was easily resolved by putting to good use a small and inexpensive plate holder I had tucked in a drawer. I couldn't believe how perfectly it went with the existing decor; from my electronics "catch all" box to the wood carving done by my great grandfather. (interestingly enough, the photo on the wall was taken at my brother's wedding ;o) What do you think? Fun, right?

Meticulously hand painted, the rocks are finished with a nice heavy layer of sealant. I stopped to chat with the girl manning the booth, and it turned out she runs her own Etsy shop, called Carol's Mandala Rocks. Carol has all kinds of different designs in her shop (three of which are pictured below). She also has some very pretty heart shaped wooden magnets and she accepts custom orders (wouldn't a colorful rock with their name on it be a fun kid present?) You can visit Carol's shop here.

This was as far as I got (sans photos and edits) with my post. And then? 

**ERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR**

It all came to a screeching halt (like my sound effect? *laugh*).

I think I'll end this post here; it's more than long enough already. Stay tuned for the explanatory whys and wherefores that will (I hope I hope!) be posted soon. In the meantime, thank you so much for reading this far and have a blessed week. Oh, and have a hug, too ('cause I missed ya! ;o)

Again-Again? Really, Jen?

Sooooo... I couldn't quite pull off the pre-holiday post or the post-holiday post, (ha) for that matter. Actually, if I'm going to be completely honest, I didn't even come close (although I thought about you often!). Since we're already well into the new year, I thought I should probably at least attempt to say something. You know, lest you all think I tumbled off the proverbial cliff, or - more likely - ran screaming into the hills to hide from the overwhelming number of unfinished Projects (excuse me for swearing ;o) towering stacks of [unpacked/unsorted] boxes, and [unfiled] paper piles hills mountains that have haunted me for the past several years. What I always find surprising [okay, annoying] is how incredibly difficult it is to get things to "line up" in a way that is conducive to any kind of serious productivity when you're finally on the upswing. [Photo inset: I varnished and added a shelf I uncovered Er, we had laying around, to the Family Room half bath with some things from my overcrowded bookshelves: A really [really-really] old prescription box and a hand-painted chair from Spain that was my grandmothers (because the colors worked). Then I printed and framed a vintage toilet water advertisement from my collection that had nicely coordinating colors (plus, it seemed apropos ;o) I found the family sign for half price at Hobby Lobby - love that store! - and put it there because it covered up the two anchors from the towel bar that hung there when it was a full bath.]

Over the past couple of years, since my health has started improving, it's seemed more likely to negotiate a succinct document out of a bunch of Louisiana lawyers - or attain complete compromise amidst a boatload of Washington politicians - than be able to find the time (and have enough energy) to get anything done on the home front. I always thought I had trouble keeping up with those things before I got sick; after? Well it just got ridiculous. And, to complete this towering challenge, we'll toss in a handful of inconsiderate individuals who were happy to compound the issue. Nobody can stick it to you quite as well as family can, right? Shockingly, however, the planets lined up, the stars sparkled, and Jen had an actual energy spurt over the Christmas holidays. I took a page out of my dad's book to make it happen (finding myself "limit up" over his constant criticism at the clean-but-cluttered state of my house), so I ignored everyone and everything in favor of my own agenda during the break. Even the evil 'Itis twins managed to toe the line for the most part (To wit: Arthur and Bursa), leaving me physically able to rise to the challenge. Though I think that was more compliments of the weirdly warm temperatures, than anything else. I'll take what I can get though, you know? ;o)

In addition to barreling through box loads and filing more papers than aforementioned attorneys, I've somehow managed to simultaneously catch the Pinterest bug and have also found myself subject to some [super simple] DIY-on-a-budget fits. Necessary? Pretty much, since we were suddenly interrupted by life before we could completely finish our remodel/redecorating (and as I mentioned, that part goes back to waaaay before I got sick *insert eyeroll here*). Fun? Definitely. Though I'm not sure I needed any more "P-words" floating around in various stages of completion. *sigh* There are an amazing number of fantastic ideas out there in cyberspace, and I've got to admit that Pinterest is probably the best bang for your buck (so to speak, anyway, since it's free to see for you and me *laugh* ;o) I'm posting some pictures of my DIY's so far (although the one at the very beginning of the post was home grown).

I have a large framed puzzle DD and I did together (which desperately needs glass) in the Family Room half bath that makes the colors all blend beautifully. The lightswitch in there, though practical, was a cheesy plastic one and I hated it. Since it was fitted inside the paneling, I couldn't easily replace it. Too bad I had no clue at the time that the electrical box could actually be brought forward to the edge of the paneling so I wouldn't have had to do it the way I did. Oh well. Enter Pinterest, and the cover your ugly switchplate with scrapbook paper idea. WOO-HOO! and Perfectomundo! It's very heavy paper and I sprayed the mess out of it with clear coat on top of the Mod Podge, so here's hoping for a long and happy life....

Below is the last puzzle DD and I put together before she left us (there are several we've done over the years in different frames scattered throughout the house). Since there was a rather annoying blank wall in the hallway-wannabee area on the way out to the tacky room, I thought this might spice it up a bit. I couldn't get a straight on shot, as there is a wall in the way. Oh! and a huge thank you to Lori, who gave me the "rustic-ready" frame instead of tossing it in the trash ;o) I had to trim the top and sides of the puzzle to make it fit - which took forever - but I love it! Do you ever decorate with puzzles?

My mom and I were working on hanging the dining room wallpaper when the first big life interruption occurred: her breast cancer diagnosis at age 65 (mom's now 80, so that should give you a pretty good idea of just how long all of this has dragged out *wince*). Things kind of spiraled (downward) from there when my grandmother came to live with us. Hopefully, I'll be able to find somebody, somewhere, who is incredibly bored and might be willing to help me finish it next summer. That's the plan anyway, but I digress. Although I already had a wide rod, I had no curtain. Can't say I care for the mini-blind look (it's very.... Meh). Found tons of good ideas for "no-sew curtains", but was ecstatic when I came across one using cloth napkins. How awesome is that? And who'd-a thunk it? (not me, that's for sure). Happily, I had some beautiful blue embroidered napkins that belonged to my grandmother tucked away in a drawer. I love the matching tablecloth [Photo inset] and use it all the time, just not the napkins which have to be washed and ironed after use (and are you kidding me?). The tablecloth is not actually shiny; I covered it with clear vinyl. It was done in self-defense (Mom spills a LOT of stuff). Check it out (please ignore the area that shouts "screeching halt" on the wallpaper above the window):

Ta Da! Like it? Unfortunately, both of the little plastic thinga-ma-bob-its broke when I put the rod up, so it's barely hanging up there (as in...nobody breathe!). Can you say marginal, defective, weak and cheap? It was brand new! *snarl* Wasn't too keen on the exposed ends though; really ugly.Took me awhile to figure out what to do about it, but I finally came up with a plan (which I will share in a future post). I've already bought the things I need to "fix" it, but now that school's back in I don't have the time I need to do it. Hmmm...isn't this exactly where we came in?!? Yeesh. *facepalm*

The one that had me turning cartwheels, however, was the switch plate frame it fix. I love, Love, LOVE, those fancy-schmancy decorative light switch covers. Unfortunately they can be extremely expensive (though if you have a Hobby Lobby anywhere near you, they do 50% off sales on switch plate covers periodically :o) I also happen to be a serious frame addict, and have picture frames of all shapes and sizes I've bought for next to nothing at flea markets and second-hand shops all over everywhere. One of my favorites? A 5" x 7" frame with a fabulous vine-like border of metal leaves and acorns. It cost me a whopping .50¢ (don'tcha just love those??). I also had an old wooden light switch cover in my "electrical stuff" box. Never would have thought of this one on my own either!

DH got into the spirit of things right along with me and cut the wooden switchplate to fit inside the frame. I re-glued the metal piece on the back, glued the seam and covered it with electrical tape, and then painted it a [rather poopy] shade of brown to match the frame:

After it dried, I took a fan brush and some antique bronze craft paint and dry brushed it (well, I tried to anyway) and... Viola!

So? What do you think? I even painted the plain mission-style cover on the other side of the living room next - it's by the fireplace - to jazz it up a bit.  I hit with Rustoleum's Hammered Copper. Looks absolutely perfect underneath the Psalm 40:2 tile my friend Lori gave me :o) My only issue with the whole switchplate cover thing has been that Joe Contractor (whoever built the house) clearly had a crick in his neck when he installed the electrical boxes; I'm guessing he opted out on the whole "Is it level" thing, too because they're all crooked. Sadly, the framing really makes it show. Raspberries!
On top of all the cleaning and DIY-ing, I've also been working on lesson plans for the farm programs (betcha everyone thinks I've forgotten all about the point and purpose of the farm, but I'm still working away on things there as well!). I think, though, I'll save the rest of what I have to share for later ('cause boy-oh-boy did this post get long - ACK!)

Have a blessed week everyone!!

IDGIs and Issues

Clearly, my plans are nothing if not flawed (to the nth degree, I might add ;oP My grand (-ish?) plans for the first one or two or three November and/or December posts didn't quite go as I imagined them. Actually, as you probably noticed, they didn't go anywhere at all (outside of my own head, that is). *Insert self-deprecating eyeroll here* Mmmmph. Profound apologies; though I'll hereby solemnly promise not to promise that it won't ever happen again ('cause it probably will). Ha.

In any event, I will - I hope I hope - pick up where I left off in my posting next week. In the meantime, this video clip sums my current reality up quite well (not to mention in a far more adorable manner than I could pull off on my own ;o)



Yep, that about sums it up all right. Email friends can click here to watch.

Hugs to all, and to all a good night!

Watch the Birdie!

Sometimes I have thoughts; lots and lots of thoughts. I have been told (are you listening Karen? ;o) that I have far too many of them for one person. Most of the time they are bouncing around my brain in a jumbled mess, though I have been known to form a coherent one periodically. I can't help but laugh when I see all of those "Ideas for Blog Posts" pins on Pinterest. I have enough post ideas running around in my head for 47 different people. What I DON'T have, is the time to sit down and bang them all out. Rampant running ideas aside, many other thoughts are questions. Lots and lots of questions. Some days (like today) I wonder if other people wonder the same things I do; particularly those niggling little things that you never can quite puzzle out. Since I am a total acronym junkie (which is often a self-entertaining pastime), it seemed only fair that I should come up with a suitable acronym in order to share them with you. IDGI = "I Don't Get It". Maybe I'm not alone in some of the things I just don't understand. Then again, it could be just me...
Photo Inset: One of the Mums I planted in the whiskey barrel planter in the visitor area (I was experimenting with erasing backgrounds and in a hurry to finish this post. I freely admit it has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with the subject in this paragraph, and I almost don't care (provided I don't think about it too hard, that is ;o)

A few of my IDGIs (not too many - I don't want to scare you ;o)

- Why is it socially acceptable for a 30-something (adult?!?) to wear their Batman jammies to the grocery store?*

- Why do we need attorneys to slap legalese all over everything? My personal favorite is, "Void where prohibited." Translation: It's no good where it's not allowed. Wow. Really?

- How do people on food stamps get to buy steak and lobster at the grocery store? I have a full-time job, and (with rare celebrational exception) I don't get to eat that stuff.

- Why do manufacturers put sweepstakes and/or prize labels on their packaging that say things like, "No purchase necessary, details inside"? Now I'm not the brightest bulb on the porch, but I'm pretty darn sure somebody's gonna make me buy it if I rip it open to check out those details.

- If I am inconsistent all the time, am I not therefore by definition consistent?

- How can it still be Black Friday now that it starts on Thursdays?

AND - as long as we're on the seasonal subject - when did Christmas start arriving before Halloween?

* Upon further consideration: Why does a 30-something guy even own a pair of Batman pajamas?

Do you have things like that running through your head? Or are you slowly backing away from your screen and reaching for a phone because you think I need professional help? (I probably do ;o)

**A Picture Happy Post**

Because Jen couldn't finish her intended post. Again. I didn't even get a chance to visit all my favorite blogs or even answer anyone's comments this week; I hope you will all forgive me.

I put up a cedarwood bird feeder awhile back. It took the little birdies about a month to discover it, but when they did it was like grand central station. The first two photos are not so great; I was in the tacky room and shot them through the [dirty] glass, so they're pretty awful. I was extremely excited to see a [tiny] Tufted Titmouse there:

He was followed by Mr. and Mrs. Finch. Anni I could use your expertise here: House Finch or Purple Finch? She looks House, but he looks Purple. Do the two mix and match?

This next one is clearer, since I was outside. I caught this Crow hollering near the very top of a pine tree; probably warning everybody else about the female stalker on the loose down below ;o)

That afternoon, DH came to get me so I could (hopefully) catch a shot or two of a pair of squirrels who were zipping around the pecan trees in the front yard. See him?

AHA! So that's where all the pecans are disappearing to:

I guess he felt like he was being watched, because I only got one more shot of this little guy before he shot down the trunk and scampered off into the sunset. Well, so to speak anyway ;o)

His little partner in crime, however, did not seem to be the least bit concerned and remained in the tree just long enough for me to get one last photo:

Several days later, I managed to get a number of shots of a White Egret (gorgeous fellow!) as he hung out by a neighbor's pond. Even though I was a fair distance away, they still turned out pretty well. I think it's so neat that there is a hint of green near his eyes that almost perfectly matches the grass:

He sure was beautiful! His left foot almost looks like a skeleton's hand though, doesn't it? Kinda creepy, yet cool ;o)

Have a bountiful and blessed week, y'all!