151 / 365 Space Signals

My niece J had a small stud in her upper left ear that had been bothering her, so she removed the stud and replaced it with another earring to keep the hole from closing up.  However, rather than dangling (as it was meant to), the earring stuck straight out from her ear.  I thought she looked pretty hip, but her brothers thought otherwise and goaded her with comments such as: Can you get a signal on that?  Do you have Comcast or DirecTV?  Someone else suggested that perhaps a corkscrew had gone bad.  I believe she is currently looking for a replacement.

150 / 365 Memorial Day Celebrations

Memorial Day is celebrated in many different ways.  For the third year now, H and I have invited the family over for brunch (pancakes, waffles, eggs, bacon, sausage, and fruit).  Everyone is assigned something to bring; we assemble and cook at the house, and then spend a couple of hours enjoying each others’ company.  This year’s gathering was another success.

P the cat, on the other hand, spent his Memorial Day simply contemplating sights and sounds of the world at large.

149 / 365 “Pure Health”

I received a less-than-stellar post-visit report from my doctor last week…  in fact, when he called with the results of my blood work, I got a bit of a reprimand (something I’m not used to) for alleged unhealthy eating habits and insufficient exercise.  As luck would have it, the call came in at the beginning of a holiday weekend, so I set Tuesday as my target date to change my ways.  I have a follow-up visit in three months and need to show some progress.

When this strawberry shortcake appeared on the dinner menu this evening, I was thankful that the start of my new shape-up plan is still a few days away.

148 / 365 Frog-Cam

H and I visited the Chattahoochee Nature Center this afternoon to stretch our legs and commune with a little nature.  As we were leaving, unusual sounds (much like duck quacks and geese honks) began resonating from a small bog.  Curiosity got the best of us, so we headed back to investigate.  After some careful searching, we found this deep-voiced frog (along with several companions) hidden amongst the grasses of the marshy water. 

147 / 365 Craftsmanship

Our good friend R is a wonderful woodworker whose craftsmanship is exquisite.  This evening he showed us this chalice and plate, which he created for a friend in Russia who will be ordained in a few weeks.  The pieces will be carried over to St. Petersburg as a very special surprise.

146 / 365 A New Chef in the House

My sister S does most of the cooking at her house, so naturally I had to compliment her when I saw this beautiful tomato and mozzarella salad while visiting her this afternoon.  (It looked delicious.)  I was totally surprised when she proudly told me that her twenty-one-year-old son A had prepared it for her to serve her dinner guests.  Now, I’ve really only seen A pouring cereal or cooking frozen pizzas.  I knew he had been doing a little cooking while at school, but I had no idea of his talents.  I was quite impressed.

145 / 365 Frozen Treats

I made the first smoothies of the season with my new handy-dandy eight-speed birthday blender.  A little yogurt here… frozen bananas and a few strawberries there… toss in some ice cubes… blend to the perfect consistency… and Voilà!  I even pulled out the fancy glasses for this treat.

144 / 365 It’s Good to Keep Informed

H and I try to keep up to speed on the frozen yogurt purveyors in town, so we popped into the newly opened Menchie’s this evening.  What we discovered was a lovely store inside with bright, fun colors (though H thought it was a little too girlie), a wide variety of flavors, a huge selection of toppings, and extremely pleasant staff.  It’s set up much like Yogli-Mogli in that everything is self-serve and paid for by the ounce. 

My yogurt was quite tasty, and I enjoyed the experience.  However, the verdict is still out with H… he was impressed with the rainbow nonpareils, but says that Yogli-Mogli is still at the top of his list.

143 / 365 Snackin’ on the Sly

Several years ago, in an effort to outsmart the squirrels, I bought bird feeders with an outside grid that drops under the weight of the critters and closes off access to the seed.  They’ve worked fine up until recently.  I knew chipmunks were smaller, but I thought that they surely must weigh more than the birds.  WRONG!  This little fellow and his buddies have been enjoying free meals for the past week. 

142 / 365 Do-It-Yourself Critter Rescue

We were doing so well last week with our critter rescue program, but we haven’t been so lucky the past few days.  H did some research and discovered a Critter Escape Ramp made for small creatures that accidentally fall into the pool, so we stopped by the pool supply store to see if they carried it.  With a dubious raising of the eyebrow, the young man waiting on us asked his supervisor, who assured him there was such a thing, but that they had not been able to acquire any.  Their suggestion was to leave a few floating boogie boards in the pool for the critters to climb up on until they are close enough to the pool deck to jump off (at least in theory).

We have placed two boards in our pool.  I have visions of looking out the window one morning and seeing a whole family of chipmunks practicing their sailing techniques while trying to reach the edge.  (We hope to capture such an event on video… will keep you posted.)

141 / 365 H1 and H2

The gentlemen pictured above (one of whom – H1 – is my dear husband) have been friends for almost half a century.  They went to high school together, were on TV together, and worked at Radio City Music Hall together before drifting apart geographically.  A couple of years ago they got reacquainted through Facebook when H2 moved to Alpharetta for a two-year business opportunity.  H2 is about to move back Up North to return to his family; this evening we had a lovely dinner to bid him farewell.

140 / 365 Where to Start?

I went over to my sister’s this morning to enjoy a cup of coffee and ended up directing a major office overhaul.  It’s amazing what a difference two hours can make.

139 / 365 Going Nowhere and Everywhere

When H and I take an evening stroll through the neighborhood, we often pass by this sweet little garden path hidden by flowers.  It sits at the edge of someone’s yard, just to the right of the driveway.  It’s very short (just a few yards in length) and doesn’t go anywhere.  A bench used to rest at one end, but it has disappeared.  Whenever I see it, I want to step on the path and walk back and forth, but I’m afraid the owners might wonder what I’m up to.  Today, I got bold enough to step onto the driveway and take a picture.  One day I might actually make it into the garden space. 

138 / 365 Blankets for MUST

We had lots of helping hands at the church today, working on blankets for MUST Ministries.  Each year at Christmas, MUST gives out blankets as parents “shop” for their children at Santa’s Toy Shop, and last year they ran out.  To keep that from happening again, the chair of our Local Missions Committee has challenged Mt. Zion’s congregation to make 350 blankets.

These fleece blankets are tied and knotted (no sewing involved) and are absolutely beautiful.  After today’s workshop, another seven blankets were added, for a total of 116 to date.

137 / 365 And Leftovers, Too

After much anticipation, H’s Boston co-workers have come and gone.  It was a most pleasant evening with a very enjoyable group of men.

Bonus: The refrigerator is stocked with leftovers, so I won’t have to cook for days.

136 / 365 High-Class Ice

H’s guests (all seven of them) arrive tomorrow, and we needed ice for the cooler.  One would think we would have picked it up at QuickTrip, Walmart, Publix, or even the BP gas station.  But, no, we grabbed three bags at Fresh Market – special, Natural Rock Spring Water ice from Maine, in fun little cocktail-style cubes.  H and I both rolled our eyes, but nothing’s too good for our guests.

135 / 365 Seasonal Swap

Today’s activities included the ceremonial changing of the clothes.  All sweats, corduroys, and long-sleeved items have been stashed away until next winter, and the dresser drawers are filled t-shirts and shorts.  Now all I need is for this cold front to pass and the weather to warm up again.  Timing is everything.

134 / 365 A Day of Moments

A peaceful walk in the park with H, surrounded by the smell of honeysuckle swirling in the cool breeze, reminded us both of summers past.  The antics of baby geese and their parents made us smile… a little yard work at home provided a feeling of accomplishment… and a delightful dinner out on a shaded restaurant balcony ended the afternoon nicely as watched a bride and groom pass by in a horse-drawn carriage (described by H as a “victory lap”).

 It was a restful day filled with simple observations.

133 / 365 A Broom for Bates

I recently bought a broom from the Lions Club.  It was an impulse buy, but I didn’t really have a choice.  It was as if my great-uncle Bates was standing behind that table, holding it out to me.

You see, Bates was a charter member of the Camden Lions Club in Camden, South Carolina.  For years he participated in the various fundraising events that helped finance the group’s projects.  In 1995, at the age of eighty-three, he was highlighted in the local paper for fifty years of service with the Lions Club.  It was noted that Bates was almost legendary in sales; he estimated selling eight to ten thousand brooms and light bulbs over the years. 

For my family, this meant that every Christmas we received a broom from Bates.  I haven’t had a new broom since he died ten years ago, but today I’m ready to sweep.

132 / 365 Little Artists Everywhere

For the past two days, the church has been filled with parents and kids attending the preschool’s annual end-of-the-year spring program and reception.  This year, the teachers added an art show of the children’s work, which included collage pieces based on author/artist Eric Carle’s book characters and painted self-portraits.  It was absolutely delightful.

131 / 365 Company’s Coming

I was shocked to see my husband with a rake in his hand this evening.  I haven’t seen him do yard work in several years.  Then I remembered… several of his colleagues from Up North are attending a conference in Atlanta next week and will be joining us for dinner.

130 / 365 Critter Rescue: On a Roll

Now that the pool is cleaned up and the Gatorade color is a memory, the critters are finding the water irresistible.  This morning I received a call at work from my dear husband who announced, You’ll be happy to know that Animal Rescue Agent H is now two for two.  I just saved a swimming chipmunk!

129 / 365 Critter Rescue 911

H and I opened the pool last week, which means that we are now on constant critter patrol for the next five months.  It’s not a difficult task, but one that requires a watchful eye and a helping hand.  Over the years, we’ve found turtles, mice, frogs, lizards, chipmunks and squirrels swimming around in the pool.  They’ve all learned that it’s easy enough to jump (or fall) in, but none can get themselves out of the water without help.

Fortunately, H and I have an impressive rescue track record.  Throughout the day we check the pool from various windows around the house.  When one of us sights a creature in need, we alert the other with a shout (not good if H is on the office phone).  The call to action is followed by a quick race across the backyard with net in hand, after which a twist here and a swoop there usually does the trick.  (We haven’t had to do CPR yet.)  It’s like a graceful ballet, only a little wilder and more harried.  We always hope that the neighbors aren’t watching.

This morning, as H headed upstairs to begin his workday, I heard him call out, and I knew our first rescue of the season was at hand.  I’m happy to report that the operation was a success.

128 / 365 Peggy Lee Deese Bateman Day

It’s hard to believe that seventeen years have passed since my mother died.  I can truthfully say that, in all those years, a day hasn't gone by that I haven’t thought of her.  She is always whispering in my ear… prompting me to be humble and kind… pointing out the beauty and joy that surrounds me (even when I can’t see it)… reminding me that I am loved.  She still holds my hand and kisses me on the cheek daily and I am eternally grateful.  Much love to you, Mom.

127 / 365 Cranky Pills

I’ve had a whopper of a sinus infection since Monday night, and finally had to succumb to a trip to the local Urgent Care.  The medicines prescribed are ones I’ve taken before – and so I know that one of them gives me a voracious appetite and makes me quite irritable.  H refers to them as the “cranky pills.”  He tip-toes around and waits on me with the patience of Job, looking forward to the day (soon!) when the pills run out.  I was able to ask for a much lower dosage this time, and so far, so good.  I only have one more to take, and H has his fingers crossed.  He is, as always, a prince!

126 / 365 Packed and Ready to Go

Just a few tasty treats to take home to Holland. (I understand her clothes are also in here somewhere.) Missing the crowd already!

125 / 365 A Family Affair

Tonight we celebrated H’s brother’s birthday with all of the family, including their sister C and her husband (also an H), who flew in from Arizona.  We had a full house of nine, chatting, laughing, and simply enjoying each other’s company.  It was a terrific evening.

124 / 365 Room with a View

Today we traveled from Asheville back to Mariette via the very scenic Blue Ridge Parkway.  Acting on the advice of friends, we stopped at the Pisgah Inn (the “Peak of the Parkway”) for a cup of coffee and a breathtaking view of the Blue Ridge Mountains.  H’s brother D took the opportunity to capture some memorable images for posterity.

123 / 365 A Walk to the Mansion

Unlike most visitors, we chose to walk from our hotel (the Inn on Biltmore Estate)  to the Biltmore House.  There was some discussion within the group as to how far it actually was to the mansion, but we learned that the distance is four miles.  It was well worth the walk there, as the house was gorgeous, opulent, and downright huge (I couldn’t really grasp what it must have been like to live there.)  However, the walk back seemed a bit tougher.  H and I had to take a nap when we returned.   



122 / 365 In the Lap of Luxury

To satisfy the Dutch crowd’s taste for adventure, we’re taking a multi-day trip to the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina.  Once check-in was complete, the family donned plush robes and headed off to the heated outdoor pool overlooking the grounds. 

121 / 365 Hot ‘n’ Cold

Our Dutch niece W introduced me to new nail technology today.  Who knew you could paint your nails with a polish that changes colors with the temperature!  It reminds me of the old mood rings that we used to have when I was growing up in the dark ages.