Moon Over Mars

 

I know it’s not Friday, but let’s chat for just a moment about something making the rounds of Facebook.  Apparently there’s a belief that in a couple of days—August 27—Mars will be close enough to the earth that it will rise in the night sky and appear as a second moon.

Given the distance and relative size of Mars, this struck me as questionable, so I thought I’d run it through a quick Google search.  Sadly, it turns out to be untrue.  As cool as it might be to witness such a thing, it is not to be.

Apparently this misrepresentation of astronomical happenings has been going on every summer since 2003, though I don’t really remember seeing it before.  And, I have to say, every time I run across one of these strange viral hoaxes, I’m glad that the tradition of passing such things along via email seems to have gone by the wayside, at least for my friends.  I’d much rather be able to scroll mindlessly past a Facebook post than have such things show up in my inbox.

Anyway, if you’d like to know more about why this story apparently began, or why it’s patently false, you can read more about it here.  In the meantime, consider this your PSA: you don’t need to worry about catching a once in a lifetime viewing of the uber rare double full moon, because it isn’t going to happen.

Snapshot Sunday, August 17

 

The makings of a good birthday?  (Or a good any day, really.)  Good times with the one you love, and surrounded by the beauty of nature.  Couldn’t ask for more.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                      

A Blessed Moment

 

As I’ve said before, August 16 is always a melancholy day for me.  As the anniversary of my mom’s passing, I always have a lot of things on my mind, and on my heart.  The past couple of years, I’ve tried to busy myself with fun times and then only have the date to deal with after the fact.  And it was working pretty well today .  . .until it wasn’t.

Brian and I spent a couple of days in Eureka Springs, AR this weekend, and one of the things on my “visit” list was Thorncrown Chapel.  It looked really pretty in the pictures, and I wanted to see for myself.

Turns out, it is really pretty.  And more than that, it’s one of those places that I think Mama would’ve really enjoyed.  Those are the kind of fleeting thoughts that come to me more days than not—“Mama would like that”, or “I wish Mama could see this”. 

Like me, my mother was more spiritual than truly religious, but I know she would’ve appreciated the artistry of a church that would allow you to commune with nature while worshipping. But in that place, it seemed I was hit with that idea more strongly than usual, and it was almost like I could feel her there with me.   Of course, when the moment passed, I missed her all over again, but I wouldn’t trade that moment of connection.  And, besides, I know she’s always here with me, no matter where I am.

Weed

 

Maybe we’re finally getting closer to having a national law allowing medical marijuana.  Thank goodness. 

Not that I’m a pothead or anything, you know, just that I think our society has a whole bunch more important things to focus on than prosecuting—and persecuting—folks self-medicating with a little weed.  And, honestly, I’d be okay with recreational legalization, too, because I just haven’t yet found anything that convinces me that marijuana is significantly worse than the country’s drug of choice, alcohol. 

But let’s take the recreational aspect out of it for a minute.  Seriously, what can be the harm of medicinal access?  Our pharmacies shell out far more dangerous substances every hour of every day under the banner of “medicine”, so surely there can’t really be that much of a health risk.  And gateway drugs and all?  Honestly, I’m not sure I entirely buy it.  But with legalization will also come more regulation, and undoubtedly more availability of help for anyone who finds themselves addicted to any drug, which means eventually, we might actually reduce the numbers of users.  Maybe.

But really, I think all you have to do is think about all the people who actually stand to benefit from this change.  Who are we—any of us—to tell the sick and/or dying that they aren’t allowed access to a treatment that could end their suffering?  Can we really be so wrapped up in the terrible things that might happen that we ignore the great things that we know will happen?  An end to even one person’s suffering has to be worth the risks in legalizing.  That’s what I’d think if it was my mom, or grandmother, or son who needed access to this treatment, and it’s still what I think if it’s your loved one. This is an easy choice; I’m hoping we’re ready to make the right one.

 

Snapshot Sunday, May 4

 

Yes, it’s May 4th, so for the record, Happy Star Wars Day! 

But, it’s also a lovely spring day, after what seems like a simply interminable winter.  So, the photos for today are the signs of spring.  As an aside, I always wish I had more color in my yard, but the truth is, except for things that pretty much take care of themselves—like irises—I’m not much of a flower grower.  Oh, well, maybe in some other life.  Or when I win the lottery and have a landscaping service.  Yeah, that’s it.  Still, it makes me grateful for the irises!

I hope you all had a good weekend, and that the week ahead brings good things, as well.

 

Snapshot Sunday, April 20

 

I know that earlier this week I was feeling a bit angsty about the upcoming Easter holiday, and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have a moment or two of sadness today.  However, our actual family gathering was yesterday, a picnic at the lake.  And though certainly I missed the loved ones that were absent, it was still a great day.  The weather was beautiful, the food abundant, and the company the best.  It might’ve been a day early, with some important people missing, but I still think it was just about exactly the way a family holiday should be.

Snapshot Sunday, March 23

 

Spring brings a lot of good things, even if it is also the season of March Madness.  One of the good things it brings is baby season down at the horse farm that I drive past every day.  Some years they have a whole bunch of little foals running about, but this seems to be a slow year.  Brian says he’s seen two little babies, but I’ve only seen one, and only from very far away. 

Today, he was a little bit closer to the road, and I got to see the little cutie better than I had before.  As you might imagine, baby is never far from mama, especially when it’s feeding time.  And, if he’s like most babies, it’s almost always feeding time!

                                                

On a completely different topic, after two long months of waiting, I finally received the results from my CP exam, and I am thrilled to report that I passed!  I was really excited about the idea of changing my signature block, but the more I’ve thought about it, the more I’ve realized it’s actually going to pose some problems.  Within the industry, the terms “paralegal” and “legal assistant” are used interchangeably.  Unfortunately, though my official designation makes me a certified paralegal, our firm uses the LA terminology.  Because it is critical, both legally and ethically, that I always ensure there is  no confusion about my non-lawyer status, I’m require to designate my title in my signature block.  So, I have to decide if it causes too much confusion to stick a CP after my name, and then designate myself as a LA, or if I should break with the tradition of the firm and simply designate myself as a paralegal.  Decisions, decisions.  Still, it’s a decision I’m thrilled to be faced with at this point, since I was convinced I would need to re-take at least one section of that exam.  I am pleased as punch to have it over with.

Snapshot Sunday, January 12

 

There should be photos today from vacation, since we just returned yesterday.  And there probably will be at some point.  But right now, most of them are still on a memory card, in the camera.  This is probably the surest sign that things did not go according to plan on our trip, since returning home with thousands of photos already transferred to the computer and ready to go is the norm for us.  I am sad to report that in addition to an unreliable (read: often non-existent) internet connection, our travels also offered unreliable sunshine and warm temperatures.  Consequently, the opportunities for photo taking that we’d hoped to encounter did not really materialize. 

However, vacations are always fun, and I’ll gladly take any opportunity to travel, even if the weather doesn’t cooperate.  And, besides, we could’ve been someplace that looked like this:

Image credit: AP Photo/The Niagara Gazette, James Neiss

This is beautiful and all, and an image that should be seen and admired, but not where I would’ve wanted to spend my vacation.  It’s the kind of thing that puts our constant rainy days in perspective!

Snapshot Sunday, January 5

 

First, I have to say that I’m disappointed that a lack of Internet connection prevented me from posting yesterday.  My daily posting streak wasn’t really all that long, but I was hoping to keep it going a while longer.  Fingers crossed the one I begin today will continue uninterrupted until I’m ready to give it a break.

Second, today’s photos come to you from a nice little stop in a place called Webster, TX, the Armand Bayou Nature Center.  Neither photo is spectacular, but I like the first one, because the seeing the deer in the picture is sort of like a game of Where’s Waldo?, and the second one because I don’t think I’ve ever seen a pelican in the wild before.    I like to see creatures in the wild; it’s one of the best parts of being outside.  And, one of the best reasons to take pictures.

Snapshot Sunday, December 29

 

Today’s snapshot is not a photo I took, but, rather, a photo that awes me.  Well, technically, the subject matter awes me, so I’m grateful someone took a photograph so that I would be able to see it.

The picture below is snow art, made by a man named Simon Beck, who makes pictures by walking through the snow.  Yeah, walking.  In snow. I couldn’t make a picture this cool on paper with a Spirograph.  (Do they still make those? I always liked them.)

Anyway, I think art this spectacular is worth sharing, so if you haven’t seen it, check out the article (and more pictures) here, as well as Mr. Beck’s Facebook photos.   Enjoy.

Snapshot Sunday, July 28

 

Sad to report that I went through an entire week without taking a single picture.  I snapped a photo last Sunday of the meal I was eating for the “fave food” prompt for photo a day, and that’s the last time I picked up the camera.  (It was a yummy meal, though; take a look:) 

I think it’s likely that Mexican food is really my favorite, but a nice grilled steak comes in a very close second.  Yummm. 

Anyway, so I’ve ditched the daily photos yet again.  One of these days I’ll make it through an entire month; maybe I’ll try again in August, since at least two-thirds of that month I won’t be in school, so maybe things will be a little bit slower paced.

Anyway, then today I happened to look out my window and I saw a first-time bird visitor to the yard.  Not out at the feeder, just wandering around our driveway.  I snapped a few photos through the window, since I knew he’d run off as soon as I opened the door—which he did.

We see roadrunners out and about along the highway sometimes, but I’ve never seen one in our yard.  I wish I could’ve gotten better pictures, but I still enjoy seeing someone new come for a visit.  I was sort of surprised the cats didn’t chase after him, but they were just laying there in the driveway, not paying him a bit of attention.

So that’s it for the shutterbugging this week, pretty slim pickin’s, I’d say, but there’s always next week.  That’s the great thing about the camera; it’s always willing to wait for me and be ready as soon as I give the word. 

Snapshot Sunday, June 23

 

Confession time:  This past week’s photo a day was a total bust.  I think I might’ve taken two of them, maybe three.  Every morning I look at the prompt and try to give some thought to what I might use for the photo that day, then every night it’s suddenly 11 o’clock (like now) and it’s too late to think about it, so it just gets pushed aside.  The chronic exhaustion that has me falling asleep pretty much any time I sit on my couch for more than five minutes doesn’t help, and that’s why I’m not outside right now, trying to snap some photos of the super moon.  (Two hours ago, when I was still mostly alert, I was outside with the camera, but the moon had yet to make an appearance.)

So, anyway, no photo a day pictures this week.  Hopefully I’ll be back on track next week.

But there was a cool turtle in the yard today, so sure I snapped some pictures of him.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Storm Warning

 

A friend of mine posted on Facebook today, “Mother Nature needs a psych eval and some strong meds.”  I can’t say that I disagree.  And, the poster was Mandi, the young lady I told you about last week who lost her home in a tornado, so I figure she should know if anyone does. 

But, seriously, even though severe weather is fairly standard around here in the springtime, I think we could all use a break.  The photo below is just one of the storms that was being tracked in the state today.  Thankfully, it turned out to be less drastic than it looks, though my guess is there are plenty of folks who’ll need to be making claims for hail damage. 

 

I think this is the storm that actually did spawn a small tornado down in that area (like I said, there were several and I kind of lost track of which one did what), though last I heard, there was not a ton of damage, so that’s a major plus.  There was another large storm up north of our metro area which moved further northeast, and a tornado did touch down up there.  That area is outside the viewing area of our local television channel, so we didn’t get too much information; I’m hoping there wasn’t much destruction left behind.

But, even without more tornadoes, all these storms are, of course, bringing plenty of rain, including on the areas that have already been hard-hit by last week’s storms.  More difficulty in getting on with their lives these people do not need.  Oh, and unrelated to the current weather, but in terms of not needing more trouble, there are also looters rummaging around in the rain and the rubble.  Sometimes I really don’t understand people.  It seems Mother Nature is not the only one who needs a psych eval.  And maybe a punch in the face, though I would not typically promote violence. 

Anyway, this is the second day in a row there have been severe storms throughout the state for most of the afternoon and evening.  And, as you can see from the next picture, we’re expecting more of the same tomorrow.  As you might expect, people are on edge these days, and the blaring of tornado sirens is really starting to wear on the nerves.  Honestly, it’s absolutely time for a break.

 

Continuing Coverage

 

I hate to have three posts in a row all about the same thing, but the truth is, there’s not much on my mind right now except the tornadoes and their victims.  I’ve seen posts on Facebook from people all over the country, and I’ve seen national coverage of the storm damage, so I know it’s a big story everywhere, but, as you can imagine, it’s almost the only story here locally. 

I’ve spoken before about the way that television seems to really come alive during times of disaster, and this is no different.  And, as I said then, the reason they keep doing it is because we keep watching.  And I’m included in that; I just can’t seem to tear myself away.  Honestly, there’s been no real news since early this morning.  And, by the way, that was the best kind of news, when they announced they’d somehow over-reported the number of deaths and rather than the confirmed 51 and feared 91, it now stands at 24.  But since then, not much is going on that really warrants the ‘round the clock coverage, but our local stations have provided it just the same.  (I think the national news channels have also had extensive coverage, but I really haven’t watched much of that.)  Both last night and tonight I had to force myself to turn it off for at least a couple of hours, escape into the haven of pre-recorded programs on the DVR for entertainment, because there’s only so long you can watch and listen to all the heart-wrenching interviews before you go just a little bit crazy.  But I keep getting drawn back, some sort of strange addiction, a need to be aware of every little detail, even if the details are heartbreaking. 

And, don’t even get me started on the stupid and insulting stuff that shows up on television (and then get shared all over social media) in the midst of disasters.  The most recent offender was Pat Robertson on The 700 Club saying that God doesn’t really send tornadoes, but only made a world with different weather currents which can create tornadoes.  And I am okay with that assessment of nature, but I’m not so okay with his further comments that maybe people shouldn’t build houses where tornadoes are apt to happen, and that maybe if more people had been praying the storms could have been stilled.  Yeah, I’m really not okay with the idea of blaming the victims.  But, that’s one of the downsides of television (or any mass media): lots of people have a platform but not all of them use it responsibly. 

I will say that our local stations returned to regular programming following their late news tonight, so the normal talk shows are airing.   Letterman and Ferguson are hit and miss in terms of whether or not they entertain me on any given night, but I was really glad to see them tonight.  It’ll be a long time before everything is back to normal around here, but late-night comedians are a start.

 

Too Close to Home

 

You know, most of the time we gripe because our weather forecasters can’t get it right.  We carry an umbrella and there’s not a drop of rain.  We put on a sweater and it’s 85° outside.  You know the drill.  But when they say we’re going to get strong tornadoes, we really hope they’re wrong, even if we do like to gripe about it later on.  Unfortunately, today they got it right.

The city of Moore, OK—maybe 25 or 30 miles north of us, which seems very close on days like today—was devastated today by a storm that they’re starting to call the largest tornado in history.  I don’t know if all the calculations will cause that designation to hold, but it was certainly big enough.  At last count, 51 people have lost their lives, and that number is expected to rise.  Scores of people have lost their homes entirely, hundreds more have damage to deal with.  Perhaps worst of all, an elementary school was leveled and they anticipate that a couple of dozen children may have perished; they are still digging through the rubble. 

I know many people who live in Moore, and thankfully most of them are unharmed, though there are still a couple who have not yet managed to make it home, so they don’t know if they have a house to go home to.  I’m praying for everyone who’s been impacted.  All in all, it’s heartbreaking.

Snapshot Sunday, March 24

 

So, spring break is drawing to a close, and I have not been nearly as productive as I had planned.  Oh, the things that absolutely had to be done got done, but all the extra stuff I wanted to do?  Getting ahead on schoolwork, finding a way to exercise that didn’t cause immediate and lasting pain, taking a bunch of pictures?  None of that stuff got done. 

But you know what?  Even though I might regret it later this week, when things are hectic again and I have to really buckle down to keep up with everything, I can’t deny that I enjoyed a few days of doing nothing.  I think that’s what breaks should be about.

One of those days, I did see a pair of mourning doves out in our yard.  We recently had some drains put in our yard, and while most of the birds have avoided the dirt areas that have been left behind, the doves seemed to prefer it.  Whatever is in the ground, I guess maybe it’s easier to get to if they don’t have to burrow through some grass first.  And they didn’t seem to mind the few weeds that are trying to take over, so it’s good that someone can enjoy the ugly part of the yard. 

About a month ago, I saw one of these birds in our yard for the first time, and I hadn’t seen any more since, so I was glad to see this pair hanging out around here.  I like it when we get more visitors to the yard, even when they don’t want to take a meal from the feeder. 

When I see new birds out my window, I like to read over some basic information to find out about them, and one of the things I read about these doves is that they’re not only very widespread and heavily populated, but also the leading game bird in the country.  They say 20 million or more of them are shot each year.  That’s sort of a staggering number, isn’t it?  Of course, I’ll admit my bias that I can’t see the fun in hunting for sport, and it seems like there’s not a lot of meat to be had on most birds, but maybe that’s why the hunters need to take so many of them.  Still, twenty million is a lot of birds.   Oh, and I also found out that they make a kind of milk to feed their babies for a while; I didn’t know birds did that.  And, that they eat about 71 calories per day; wish I could get by on that!

Anyway, I always like to have feathered friends come by to visit; I’ll be glad when it warms up so I can go back to sitting outside and watching them from a little bit closer.

Tomorrow, it’s back to the real grind again, so tonight I need one last really good night’s sleep.  I hope you all have a good week ahead.

Snapshot Sunday, Bird Edition

 

Well, I know it’s not a very good report for someone who just recently committed to dedicating a little more time to personal enjoyment and me-time, but I’ve fallen down on the daily photo taking this week.  I missed a couple of days entirely and haven’t even looked at the ones I have taken.  It may be that I’ve reached the end of the road for this endeavor, though I haven’t quite given up entirely.  I’ll see if I can get back on track this week.  If I can stay with it for just two more months, not only will I have two more months of fun and simple creativity, but that will mean I played along for an entire year, and I’d like that.  We’ll see how it works out.

But, for today, I thought I’d share a couple of fairly recent photos I’ve taken that I sort of liked.  Perhaps not surprisingly, they’re both birds, since that seems to be my primary fascination lately.

 

  In the past weeks, when our winter storms haven’t really made much snow, the bird feeder has been a very popular place.  Mr. Woodpecker here was making the most of it one cold and blustery day.

 

One day a couple of weeks ago, I saw this guy perched as I was headed to school.  Thankfully, I had a few extra minutes, so I turned around and found a place to pull over and snap his photo.  He was kind enough to sit there long enough for me to get two of them before he headed off to wherever it is hawks hang out when they aren’t sitting on phone poles.

 

And that’s it for pictures this week.  In addition to trying to get back on track with the daily picture taking, next weekend I’ll be taking a short trip with PTK, and we plan to put a garden area on our itinerary.  I’m hoping for lots of photo opportunities there.   

Hope you all have a good week ahead of you.

Six Word Outing

 

Beautiful afternoon at the duck pond.

 

 

 

 

Linking up with Cate for Six Word Saturday.   Also, in case you’re keeping track, it’s day 19 of the UBC; rolling right along.

Which six words tell the story of your day?

Five Questions Before Bedtime

 

Today dawned a little brighter, at least from the health perspective.  (It was snowing when the day began, so no bright dawning there!)  I’ve managed to stay awake all day, and found that I actually do okay as long as I don’t move too much or too quickly, and don’t try to eat anything too ambitious.  Still, it’s an improvement, so I’ll take it.  Not that we ever do anything special to ring in the new year, but I still don’t want to be sick when it rolls around.

But, enough of that.  As promised, Mama M. has returned with questions this week, so let’s drop in and see what’s what.

 

1. If you had to give 1 million dollars to just one person (not your spouse), who would it be and why?

Well, like Mama M., I wonder if the spousal exclusion applies to other members of your household.  If it does not, I’d probably give it to my son, though I’m fairly certain that would cause some arguments with my husband.  He’s not a big believer in giving things to people who have not taken steps to fend for themselves, and Billy is not always the most responsible person in the world.  But he’s still my kid, and I can’t imagine not doing anything in my power to make sure he has the best life possible.  But, if members of the household are all exempt, then I imagine I’d give the money to my sister, Tanya.  She still has a younger son to raise, and probably put through school, so it would be a great benefit to her not to have to worry about where money was going to come from.  Plus, I know if I needed a loan, she’d float me a few dollars!

2. What bathroom stall do you typically go to FIRST?

Oddly, it sort of depends on how big the bathroom is.  In smaller bathrooms, usually the last one before the handicap stall.  In larger facilities, just somewhere along the middle.  Mostly, I just don’t typically go into the very first one, though I couldn’t tell you why.  Also, if it can be avoided, I don’t like to be in stalls that everyone will have to pass by, or that are directly across from the sink.  I guess we all have our idiosyncrasies. 

3. How do you prefer to shop: In-store or online?

They’ve both got their advantages.  Assuming cost is not part of the equation, it goes like this:  If I know exactly what I need (and I don’t need it right away), I’d prefer just to order it and have it delivered to my home.  But if I need to browse, or compare features or something, then I’d rather go to a store.  Also, it’s rare that I buy clothes online; you can just never be sure about fit and all.

4. What's the weather like in your neck of the woods?

It’s been kind of cold since Christmas, and, as I mentioned, it was snowing this morning.  (Check out the link below to see a bit of this morning’s flakery in my yard.)  Of course, ever since our trip to Alaska last summer, Brian always likes to keep tabs on the weather in Fairbanks, and we’re nothing like them.  I think it just makes him feel better to know that while it might be a chillingly cold 25 here, it’s a miserable –13 there. 

5. Do you own a pair of Tom's and what do you think? Overrated, underrated or about right?

Well, I don’t have any, and have no desire to do so, but my feeling is that they’re overrated.  Really, I think that any slip-on shoe that’s casual enough to be mistaken for a pair of slippers but still costs $50 (and up) is the very definition of overrated, but that could just be my own brand of close-minded prejudice speaking.  Of course, this is coming from someone that would prefer to never have to dress in anything fancier than jeans and sneakers, so it’s possible my fashion opinions don’t count for much. 

And, that wraps things up for this week.  Just in the nick of time, too, as I switched medicine an hour or so ago, and I think the new kind is messing up my head.  I might’ve been bragging too soon about my ability to stay awake, though I suppose there’s no shame (or not much, anyway) in going to bed at 10:30!  Hope you all enjoy what’s left of your Friday evenings, and have a great weekend.

The Tree Tops Aren’t Glistening Yet

 

I’m dreaming of a white Christmas.  It’s sort of a perpetual dream, and it doesn’t happen all that often around here (statistically, 5% of the time), but the weather gurus say it could happen this year.  Of course, the storm is still days away, so they’re hedging their bets, but it could happen. 

A few years ago, we had the hugest snowstorm I’ve seen in my entire life—the hugest snowstorm a lot of people around here had ever seen in their lives.  When it was all said and done, I think it ended up being just over a foot of snow that fell on Christmas Eve and into the early hours of Christmas day.  Whatever we get this year, it won’t be anything like that, and, honestly, I’m just as glad.  That snow was beautiful, but it was incredibly problematic for an area simply unprepared to handle it.  First of all, it took me seven hours to get home from work on the 24th, a commute of about 50 miles.  Second, it really jacked up the Christmas plans, because folks were snowed in and couldn’t get to where they wanted to be.

 

 I seem to have misplaced the photos from the December storm, but this was just a few weeks later (we had a rough winter that year), so just imagine another 8 inches of snow or so, and that’s what it looked like Christmas morning!

Still, problematic or not, there just seems to be something magical about snow on Christmas day.  My true ideal would be to wake up to snow already blanketing the ground, and some giant beautiful flakes falling slowly all day long.  I’m pretty sure we’ll never have that, but I’m going to keep dreaming.

Oh, and I’m pretty sure (susceptible as I am to media influence) that the classic holiday song is a big reason I always hope to see snow on Christmas day.  (Well, that, and just about every Christmas movie ever made.)  So, I’ll leave you with my absolute favorite version of the song.  You can listen here, or watch this “video”, which is really just the song overlaid on a beautiful snowy scene. 

Do you get snow for Christmas?  Love it or hate it?

PS:  It’s officially December 22nd here now, so definitely no apocalypse.  Also, Mama M is taking a break from 5QF due to the holiday hubbub, but promises to return next week with more questions, so I’ll pick up then, too.