totally random

Things you realize on a Sunday morning

There are times when it’s good not to be famous. They’re the times when you prepare to dress for church only to find nary a nylon. Even with half the contents of your drawer strewn upon your bed, the best you can come up with is a brown pair of tights … nice, thick tights … the kind to keep you toasty even in the midst of a blizzard. So you ponder. It is Spring, after all; in theory, you can go without. But your legs would surely blind the congregants–and you’re not exactly sure how old that tan-in-a-can is that sits in the back of the cupboard. For all you know, it could eat your skin off. Not to mention, there’s a chill in the air. So you do the unthinkable. You pair winter tights with a spring skirt and step outside your door.

Had you been famous, that’s precisely the time a photog would snap a photo. Before you knew it, said photo would be plastered on the WonderWall, along with a catty diatribe on your obvious loss of fashion sense.

So let this be a reminder: count your blessings … even those of the smallish sort.

God knows. In case you failed to notice, the rapture did not take place last weekend. I repeat, the rapture did not take place. I guess God was serious when he said no one will know the day or the hour. Go figure. But to those of you who question whether or not God truly speaks to us today, rest assured, He does. And it may be the exact moment you’re about to nod off during the sermon, only to look down at your Bible and read, “Wake up, O sleeper … ”

See?  He knows.

Inception

My, but Cobb and Ariadne were busy last night. The most bizarre dreams infiltrated my sleep–one of which involved a crazed little woman, attempting to sneak out the side door with a knapsack full of goods in one hand, and my cat in the other. Stop that woman! I yelled. I then proceeded to wrestle my cat from her arms. She was surprisingly strong for one so small. Luckily I persevered, because everyone else in the room seemed to pay no mind. Apparently, she often snuck into people’s homes to steal goods.

But why is she trying to steal my cat? I asked. For her chop suey, they replied–as if it should have been totally clear. But I don’t care to have my cat in her next batch of chop suey! From the look on their faces, I was totally overreacting.

To add insult to injury, my particular feline must have looked particularly tasty, for she attempted the heist not once, but twice. It was positively vexing.

Needless to say, the minute The Intern walked in this morning, he was met with a dramatic I totally saved you from chop suey!

He was not impressed …

Perhaps it is time to lay off the cold medicine. Or at least, you know, avoid mixing it with Chinese food …

Sloshing through

Apparently May did not get the memo that it’s April showers that bring May flowers. The soil’s little more than mud, early blooming plants lag behind, and pots remain bereft of color.The sun did surprise us for a bit on Saturday–just long enough to get a bit of yard work in; I pretended I was just soaking in the rays and not, you know, weeding.

I also dreamed of outdoor parties complete with good friends, good food, and flowers abloom. But, true to form, I didn’t stop there … there was a nice paved back area, complete with comfy chairs and a fire pit; a fountain sat amongst the herbs, and white twinkling lights adorned a new fence. {Sigh.}

Of course, blustery weather does tend to slow things down a bit–nice when you’ve managed to pick up the miserableness going around, again. I finished reading Bernard Cornwell’s Agincourt. Did I love it? Not really–but that could have been my state of mind. After all, reading of medieval warfare when your skin hurts is painful. All I could think toward the end was, “if one more eyeball got stabbed…” Which, I might add, it did. Repeatedly.

I also worked a bit behind the scenes of my book blog. Yes, I’m still working on it–fitting it in here and there. As the rain poured, I looked for books for one of our projects {Eek! I’m so excited!} Among other things, I discovered a new author: Lettice Cooper.  {snicker!} I wish I was friends with a Lettice. Think of the fun you could have: “Say, I like that hat atop the head of Lettice” or “Lettice away, friend … ” Unfortunately, not everyone appreciates such fun; so there’s a slight possibility our friendship wouldn’t last long.

Pity.

Bye, bye blackbird

I wore shorts for the first time this year. I scared my cat.  True story. He took one look, his eyes grew large, the hairs on his back rippled, then he raced down the hall; I haven’t seen him since. Sigh.

You’ll be glad to know, however, my pasty whites were relegated to working in the back {fenced} yard. I have enough issues without being arrested for public display of unsightliness. Not to mention, if I continue in my current state, it’s only a matter of time before my front button pops off, soars over the fence, and pokes an eye out.

Extra winter poundage is fraught with peril,  my friends, fraught with peril.

Thankfully, warm temperatures under a canopy of blue makes everything seem possible. Eat better? Sure! Exercise? Naturally. Have a better body than I did in my 20’s? Why not!

No matter that a blackbird has taken up residence right outside my door–all my problems are sure to disappear.

So to you, dear friends …  may your weekend be full of blue skies, warm temps, and the carefree hopes that often accompany them …

 

 

Color story | April | Grass

Jules, of Pancakes and French Fries, hosts a monthly color story series.  Each month, you see, she recaps the month before with a series of photos, each woven together with a theme of color.  She’s inviting us to join the fun.  You can find the details here. As you see, ‘grass’ popped up for April; ‘Jacaranda’ colors May.

Oh April, where hast thou gone?

I’m not sure if it’s due the blocking of tax season, or the grey clouds that overcast a sky of blue, but most of the month was a blur. Still, the year managed to pick up some color.

It was in April that I tasted me some Ugli—I didn’t really love it, but tried it all the same…

In April, the brown grass turned green, and the scent of freshly mown grass began to permeate the air. It was almost enough to take the pain out of weeding … almost …

April gave our plum tree a chance to shine. For a moment in time, we forgot all about the mess of fallen plums or the abundance of suckers that must be plucked before they truly take root.  For one month, our plum tree was admired, rather than cursed …

Rain—and snow—filled most days in April; but when blue skies did peek through, we got out and enjoyed it.  After all, one must take advantage of the free Vitamin D …

The month of April even allowed my toes to see the light of day. Sure, the first paint job of the season was the worst ever and my feet nearly froze, but it’s a start …

As with many an April, the river ran high and the foothills stood green … our backdrop to celebrating our risen Savior …

For most of the month, the news kept a grim storyline: Japan struggled to recover, massive tornadoes hit parts of the US, leaving a trail of death and destruction—the state of the economy slugged along, gas prices hiked their way upward. Then Prince William and Kate gave us a gift—a royal wedding worthy of the title. Finally, we could watch the news and have something worthy of celebration …

Of course, us commoners had reasons all our own to celebrate. There were birthdays and baby showers; we even witnessed a miracle, as April was the month our friends were finally able to bring home their little girl from China. Of course, after months of hibernation we were a little rusty in our party skills. We had to take pictures of balloons belonging to another, mind you—still, I like to think we’re on our way …

So to April, cheers; to May, no pressure or anything, but here’s hoping you bloom away!