happily spring- sap, tree huggers and more

Walking in my the park yesterday, I noticed that someone's tapped a whole bunch of trees. Seems a bit late for tree tapping but they were getting some sap. I'm not sure what all the trees are that they've tapped (some are Birch trees. Birch tree sap is not uncommon around here. It's sold in stores and is for drinking. Doesn't have much of a taste. We had some recently with lemon and that was quite nice.

This is no birch tree, though...

These 2 were literally hugging trees. The one on the right had finished by the time I got my camera out... but they each spent about a full minute with their arms wrapped a tree. Not really sure what was going on... 

the trail I was wanting to go down. Today, I climbed it... and in retrospect, I'm sure it is a lot easier to climb it than to go down it- was very steep. 

Turns out, it's part of a bike trail. Lots of little jumps and curves and squiggles here...

Favorite pic of the day. There really are buds on those twigs... Was just a gorgeous day at the park! 

BB and Me

I mentioned awhile back that I'd be 'test driving' a smart phone. Someone was getting rid of an old Blackberry and I was going to see if I could cope with such a beast.

Well, being a Blackberry and being how I name everything- computer, phone, PDA... any electronic device that's crossed my path- named. Well- this little dude has initials already- bb. Name? BB King. Just for fun. I don't know much about BB (the person)- he sings stuff that I don't know much about. People know his name, though. So- fine. BB King. And he's here now. Slightly scuffed, slightly used but looking good enough to me.
Now let's go back a few years. Back in 1993 I needed a car. Really needed one. I'd used an old one of Dad's up till then- it'd survived (??) 2 accidents, had dents (that my li'l bro had pounded out and then spray painted over... and the paint ran and left funny marks, one of which looked like a peace sign- so the car was named 'The PeaceMobile'- an apt name as it looked like a hippy castoff)- anyway- I needed another one. I had no money, school loans to pay and needed a car I could park in a nice neighborhood without worrying that the neighbors would have it towed at night complain. Well- a dear friend and his wife had a junkyard salvage yard nearby.
He called up- You need a car?
Yup.
I got one in this morning. It don't run but looks like repairs'll be about a hundred bucks; you can have it for what it costs to fix it and transfer the title.
Great!
And I had me a car. And I got it fixed. And it ran. An old Datsun- powder blue. Slightly scuffed up, top speed (at a fast shimmy) about 62 mph, no air, no power windows... but it ran. And when I gave it back to the junkyard salvage yard 2 years later and then borrowed Mom and Dad's car for a weekend and it died- I went back to the junkyard salvage yard and got my old buddy (which, oddly enough, didn't have a name that I remember) out and drove it another week or 2.
So- back to BB. For some reason, BB reminds me a bit of that car. Now, let's be clear- BB seems to fly a bit faster than the Datsun ever did. But anyway...
BB and I have been getting acquainted. And BB seems determined to hide from me. He's a phone so he does phone stuff, right? But every time I think I'm going to find out where his phone stuff is, what that stuff is- all I see is BB smirking in the shadows grinning maddeningly behind some fog and when I get there- *poof*- he's vanished.
Ringtones? Probably, but search me if I can find them.
Camera? Yep, but search me if I can find the pix after I take them.
Switch languages? Yep, but search me if I can figure out how.
And on.
Now- I'm no Einstein. At.All. heh. So, this isn't much of a surprise. I did download the manual today. I've got the website bookmarked.
Enjoy it, BB, because I'm coming after you and I. Will. Win. *smirk back*
Tonight when we got back from the day's business, I downloaded the desktop manager. And then plugged BB in to my secret weapon...
BB- meet Fawkes. *smirk back*
And the first thing Fawkes said to me- Do you want to explore this new device?
Oh yes, Fawkes, Yes, I do. Let's just do that.
And we did. And we found some stuff all right. We still don't have ring tones but we do have a ton of other stuff. And one of the things we have... pix. (Including the ones I took. Surprise Surprise.) *smirk back*
And so, I looked at BB's pix. BB's previous owner caretaker left a slew of them there for me.
I saw this:

And this:

And a host of others. Old barns, gates, doors, WI in the winter and spring and summer and fall. WI people- some took my breath away. One made me laugh. And the next made me cry. I was hit with a blast of homesickness like I haven't felt in a LONG time. So real, I tasted it.
So BB- you and I have a road ahead of us. Let's work it out because we've got a common past and (hopefully) a common and bright and happy future. We'll sail the highways at 62 mph and savor every minute. Teach me a new way to sing!

Thanks ME ;)

aaaand- Winter's not done yet!

Looked out my window around 6.30 Fri am and saw this. Heh. I must admit, I wasn't all that impressed. I've enjoyed this winter, enjoyed the snow (for the most part) and, unlike many years, I wasn't totally disillusioned with and tired of February by the time it ended... but... I was glad to see dry, bare pavement. To see sun. To not run the risk of slipping and falling on the ice every single time I went out. Yes. Well. Here we go again. Hopefully... not for long. 

The scene looking up to the monument on Sat. Walking, turns out, wasn't too bad- just got sopping wet feet as it's just at freezing so quite slushy. Was also quite foggy. But nearly deserted so pleasant.

Met this dude and his 2-legged buddy. See him?

Here. Him. Great Dane the size of a medium sized horse. The size of a half grown cow. Him. Black and white, even, come to think of it. Probably some sort of Holstein cross. The minute I saw him, I had a flashback to the very first time I saw a dog this big and this color. I was in high school, working part time at a local vet clinic. I loved that job. It wasn't unusual to have a collection of animals who'd passed the point of living and breathing and running and frolicking and gone on to permanent immobility. Sometimes they'd been sick, sometimes they'd been the victims of accidents and couldn't recover, sometimes... I don't know all the reasons why we ended up with 'unliving' animals waiting for pickup by the animal disposal people, but we did. And they stayed in the cooler so as to not stink up the place. So- this day, a very quiet Saturday I was doing what I was supposed to- cleaning and tidying and working on inventory. And I cruised out to the garage without turning on the lights because... well, I suppose I didn't need to but- Who knows why? Anyway, cruise out to the garage and shoot over to where I need whatever I need... and nearly have a stroke. Scream. Hyperventilate. Nearly collapse on the spot. There is a huge- and I mean HUGE- 'thing' propped up against the wall, it's lurking hulking shape completely menacing and looking ready to pounce. When I finally calmed down, I realized it was an 'unliving' Great Dane propped against the wall waiting for the 'dead truck' (Yes, that's what we called it- crude, I know). I got out of there and just didn't go back until he was gone. (He was too big to fit into the cooler, you know...) It's one of the only times I was seriously spooked at work. shudder

Not sure if you can see it but the snow is melting and running like no tomorrow. Makes for a mess but bodes, well, I'm thinking, for warmer friendlier days and weather ahead!

Where it's at...

I love this cute little sun and flower that someone painted onto our stairwell just as you get to our floor. If you don't know where you are, if you've lost count, if you're out of breath from climbing (because you either forgot to take the elevator or gave up waiting for it and set out on foot) and you can't count for whatever reason... Well- just watch for the sun and flower!

That's the 4th floor and that's where we are! ;)

And once you get in the door (knock- we'll possibly open if we're here)- well- we'll give you a cup of tea and share our Harrod's chocolates! Truffles. From London. From Harrod's. Brought by dear friends. Thanks T&T and gang- you didn't have to... but they're sure yummy! :)

Handicapped Access

Looks promising, right?

heh. I suppose the deal is- ring the bell and someone comes out and lifts your wheelchair up the steps.  Oh, you think not? Hmmm. Well- it is one of the only times I've seen handicapped people even acknowledged here so I guess it's progress...

We look out our kitchen window and across the dump grassy area behind the building, across the road to a park with a war memorial visible high on the top of a hill. T mentioned a few times that she and A had gone there some last year but I never really considered it as I couldn't really figure out how to get there. It sort of seemed like there was only one way to go from the door and that was straight ahead, toward the grocery, bus stop and bus station, away from the park. Well, I finally got good and tired of the weather and decided I'd figure out how to get to that park. And guess what? ha! It wasn't even hard. ;) Just turn RIGHT outside the door and follow the sidewalk around the side of the building and down the slope to the road. The steps even end at a cross walk so you can cross the 4 lane road legally (and relatively safely). The cross walk dumps you right into the park entrance: And the park entrance has this handy dandy sign. FORBIDDEN! Lighting bonfires, Drinking alcoholic drinks, Riding in cars and Motorcycles. Thank you for the cleanliness. 

Ha. I've seen all of the above (except the motorcycles) every time I've been there... and it certainly isn't clean. Littering is a common (and accepted) practice. Never-the-less, this park is a treat; a great place to walk. And as the days get warmer, it is more and more swarming with people. Moms and their kids, Grandparents and their grandkids, Grandmas with Grandpas, Boyfriends with their girlfriends, Dogs and their walkers. Lots of Moms and kids. Lots of Grandmas and Grandpas. (And the first time, there was even a Grandma in a tree... right by the entrance. I have no idea what she was doing... if I hadn't been there for the exercise, I'd have hung around to watch.)

Blue sky! Tree getting ready to bud! (You can almost see it if you use your imagination!)

This was snow-covered and icy (and treacherous) a mere 5 days ago. It's been warm and sunny, folks! :)

a little heavy artillery to spice up the walk

Every time I see these, I can just imagine meeting it as it purposefully moves to the front lines, ready to do some damage. 

There are 8 tanks and big guns all together. shudder

Looking from the top of the hill out toward the city. When it gets a bit drier, I want to follow that path. :)

Some more Spring!

Our favorite bus stop. Snow's gone. There's still ice under that water, though. But it'll be gone soon, too. Ahhhh :)

Spring! :)

March 11

March 14

March 11

March 11

March 14

March 14

March 14

Mud and all- Welcome Spring!! xo

somewhat relevant ramblings

-We were still wondering how the Kiwis were doing, if they were getting Christchurch put back together. If people were getting their lives put back together after the earthquake. So- when I saw the first article about the quake in Japan, it didn't quite register. It was such a bland, short blurb. Then I did a double take. 8 point WHAT on the Richter scale?! Whoa. Of course, the news the last 5 days has been full of coverage from Japan- nearly all of it sad. I've seen so many pix and videos that I'm maxed out on tragedy. The last video I watched, I got 30 seconds into it and had to stop. Big ships and cars and vans and houses being tossed around, rolled down the water as if they were nothing more than fall leaves on a rushing stream. Every single time I thought- Were there people in them? And the sheer magnitude of it made me sick and I stopped. Today, though, I came across an interesting series of pix- move your mouse over each pic to see before and after shots. Some are more dramatic than others. And they're also somehow less personal, more removed from the reality. They're from 'far up in the sky' covering large areas and it was easier to seal off my mind and just look at the pix.
-I read 'The Godfather' recently. Had never read it. It is brutal. But completely engaging. And cold. I wonder why some cultures imported their crime along with their food, religion and other customs. The Italians, The Mexicans, The Russians. Maybe some others. But there are just as many Norwegians, just as many Poles, Germans- but have you ever heard of Norwegian street gangs? Or the Polish Mafia? Why does organized crime, hard and effective and brutal, play such a large part in some cultures and not in others? Why does it follow them from 'The Old Country' to the new?
-My friend has whooping cough. My 40-year old friend has whooping cough. It's miserable. I don't want it. Ever. I saw an article recently about the increase in whooping cough among adults. Not for sissies.
-These are just the thing for getting around these days! ;)

It took me awhile to get used to myself in purple paisley boots... but I think I managed it! And- my feet are dry dry dry! I feel like a kid again in them. :)

Smile!

Did you see this? ;)

Just another dog

I like dogs. Just about all dogs. And this place is full of them. Lots of stray dogs, mostly pretty well mannered... unless they're barking in the middle of the night. Then they forget about their manners. I mean- they have an important job to do and manners just don't enter into it. At.All.

At the bus station recently, I ran across this guy. He was totally and completely out. Unaware of the world. I mean, he was asleep. Unconscious. Zonked. Just how zonked became clear when someone walked out of the bus station and stepped right on the top of his head and the dog never moved. Never whined. Nothing. He just kept snoozing. Later, he got up and shifted positions... just to show us he wasn't dead. I wish I could sleep like that. :)

Marmalade Muffins

Darling Sister got this for me awhile back. Dear Friends brought it over in their luggage. We've all enjoyed it. A lot. In fact, the day the mail was delivered, there were a bunch of us and this got passed around and around. I was the last to see it. (That's because I still have some priorities straight and I dug into my personal mail first- thanks, Dear Friends, for still writing.) :)

So- starting on page 58 of the above book, there's a recipe for some scrumptious-looking muffins. I knew the first time I looked at it that I wanted to eat those things. Tues I made a batch. They are pure smile-on-your-face super! Here's the recipe:

• 2 oranges
• 1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter, softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 
  
• 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

preheat oven to 375 F. Grate the zest from the oranges. Cream the butter and sugar together in a mixing bowl. Crack in the eggs and mix until well combined. Sift the flour. Add it to the bowl. Gently stir the mixture using as few strokes as possible so that the muffins aren't tough. In a smalll measuring cup or bowl, combine the buttermilk and baking soda. Add the buttermilk mixture to the muffin batter and mix until just combined. Add the orange zest. Mix just until combined, being careful not to overmix. Grease 24 mini muffin tins (I used 18 regular sized muffin papers- my muffins didn't overflow and have the nice baker's hat appearance that PW's do in the book... but that's ok with me.) and fill each 2/3 full with muffin batter. Bake for 12-17 min until light brown. Watch to make sure they don't get too brown.

While the muffins are baking, prepare the glaze. Juice the 2 oranges. Mix the juice with the 1 cup of brown sugar (from above) in a med bowl and stir together just until combined; don't worry about dissolving the sugar completely- you want the glaze to be grainy and textured. As soon as the muffins are done, drizzle the glaze all over the top. Be sure to throroughly coat each muffin. Don't worry if the glaze drips all over the pan- just lick it up later! ;)

And Thanks, Dear Sister, for the cookbook. I've always loved cookbooks and this one is a keeper! xo

Smile!

I found out that the Blogger problem is related to Chrome. Blogger works just fine in Internet Explorer (which drives me nuts) right now...

March 8th is International Women's Day- a holiday that dwarfs both Valentine's Day and Mother's Day here in the former USSR (and in most of Europe, I think). We got this sweet little bunch of Snow Drops on Tues (March 8). Look closely- see the bulbs at the bottom of the stems?

We planted them! Of course, snow drops don't last long... but the bulbs do. :)

trying to choose my words carefully

I haven’t been posting nearly as often as I used to… and it’s been even less often than you know because I’ve mostly been doing a bunch of posts when I have time and then scheduling them to post automatically over the course of a week or so. I’ve been trying to do a post since yesterday afternoon but can’t- something’s goofed up with blogger and I just can’t. So I’m trying the mobile approach- via email. Hope it works! ;)

Now for what’s on my mind.

I managed to keep my mouth shut (mostly) during the last presidential election as well as the recent elections. But there’s a new wave of political stuff just now… and it bothers me. A lot. It makes me weep inside. It makes me fearful for people whom I love.

God is not a politician and He doesn’t deal in politics. And if you think He does, come live somewhere outside of the US for awhile and watch. God works in spite of politics and politicians. What seems so clear to you and me in the setting we find ourselves in at this moment can look completely different if we move to where our neighbor is.

Politics used to fascinate me and I ate it all up, I voted, I debated, I loved it.

And then? Then I watched politics destroy friendships. I watched people who (should) have something much greater than political feelings and emotions between them get torn apart because of something so foolish and short-lived as which candidate won.

You know what? Politics is not religion. Religion is not politics. The 2 shouldn’t even meet. The power of God is greater than any power of man, unified or not, on this earth. God  keeps people in every corner of the earth in situations where the political situation is so corrupt and awful that fear rules. God keeps people in situations where there is no freedom at all. The venom that is spewing right now because of a political situation is enough to make me ill.

I quit voting, I quit discussing politics at all. We shed too many tears here in our tiny corner of the earth over a situation that was only made worse by political feelings. I hope I never go there again. Those were bitter tears. If you want to shed them- keep spewing politics at your friends who just may not agree with you but are trying to be gracious and not respond. What is between us because of God is much greater than any political party or sentiment. If/when brothers are torn apart because of politics… that is shameful.