5-30-2010 Hanging On By A Thread

This morning
we saw something hanging by a thread
from under our neighbor's deck...
we went over to investigate...
it was a baby robin that had fallen out of the nest
which was under the deck.
We cut it loose using a scissors.
It lay on the ground exhausted and panting.
It was not there when we go home from church.
Hope it survives.

5-29-2010 Grilled Robin

is what my kitty was hoping to have for dinner tonight!

5-28-2010 Delicious Hotness

Some of the delicious hotness
that has arrived in the mail recently...
a gift from our dear son!
Thanks kiddo!!! We are enjoying every drop!

5-27-2010 Sweet!

A large tin of cheesecake and pecan brownies
arrived in the mail today!
Thanks son! We'll enjoy every bite!

5-26-2010 Annual Choir Picnic

Surrounded by freshly cut peonies and

overlooking the Mississippi River

DH & I attended the annual choir picnic

celebrating the summer break

in typical Lutheran potluck style!

Thanks for sharing your lovely home and view

with all of us, Susan! You are a dear!

5-25-2010 Petals Paint Pilates

Planted these pretty petals this morning...
a thank you gift from a friend... :*)
(Thank YOU, Connie!)


Also scraped and painted around the doors of the house...


and did my first Pilates workout!
Here's my new toy:

5-24-2010 Got OPI?

She could use some...

5-23-2010 The Star Attraction!

5-22-2010 Pretty in Pink!

I have the bad habit of centering my subject in my photo...
must stop that!!!

5-21-2010 May Apples

Are blooming in the woods...
as seen from the top:


and the blooming flower below:

5-20-2010 Primal

5-19-2010 It's A Zoo

Today DH & I visited the local ZOO
for the first time since moving to Iowa.

The only wild, out-of-control animals we saw

escaped from these enclosures:

5-18-2010 Morning Blessing

I drove to the Yarn Shoppe this morning
for my next sock knitting lesson: the heel...
and was greeted by this wood duck.
It blessed my whole morning!

5-17-2010 Bellevue Dyas

Today DH and I went exploring...
checked out another Iowa state park that we have not been to yet...
hiked around for about 3 hours. Not much here but one parking lot and one trail. We plan to visit the park north of here another day. It has Indian burial mounds and a butterfly garden, supposedly.

5-16-2010 Bare Escentuals

This weekend, qvc had been airing Bare Escentuals mineral makeup shows Friday-Monday every couple of hours... celebrating BE's 12th anniversary on qvc! I've watched every show. I have been using this makeup for 11 years and L O V E it... will not put anything else on my face! My poor DH is having to watch his TV shows on the small TV downstairs while I monopolize the upstairs TV. Sorry, honey! Thanks for being such a trooper!

5-15-2010 Disc Golf

Our new backyard neighbor had a professional disc golf player
as his college roommate and spent quite a bit of time
playing the game with him during college.
Now he has his own 'green' on which to practice
in his/our backyard.

5-14-2010 Spirea

The spirea bushes are in bloom right now.
Fresh cut and tied with a ribbon,
they are what my mom used for her wedding bouquet
60 years ago today.

5-13-2010 Heroes and Villains

Today DH & I went to see the movie IRON MAN 2...
the hero:


the villain:

We enjoyed the movie!

5-12-2010 Nature's Beauties

Stopping to smell the roses...

5-11-2010 Vegetarians

... no caption necessary ...

5-10-2010 Toddy

Today I made a batch of Peppermint Vanilla Toddy...
a special treat for my 2 cups of coffee/day caffeine addiction...
and comfort food ... well, drink ... for my soul. Mmmmmm.

5-9-2010 Mother's Day

This is my first Mother's Day without my mom.
She died in Dec. 2009,
was cremated
and the mortuary 'disposed of her ashes'
so I have no 'grave site'
where I can go visit and talk to her.
So, I bought my first Isabel Bloom statue
"Comfort" from 1998
to remind me of my mom on special days like this.
Nothing can replace a mother's love.


Here's another mother trying to get her 15 babies across a busy street!
God bless mothers of all shapes, sizes and species!

5-8-2010 Edible Bouquet

Here's the front...


and back...

of an 'edible bouquet' I received yesterday
for Mother's Day weekend
from my DD and SIL.
And check out the cute flower pot in which it came!
With chocolate covered strawberries, no less!!! :*)
Thank you so much, dear ones!!!
Love you! ~ Mom

5-7-2010 Obit Photos

Our church is photographing members for a new photo directory.
DH & I helped at the registration table from 5-9 p.m. tonight.
More than one person said to us, "I hate having these pictures taken... because I think they will end up being my obituary photos!"

5-6-2010 A Taste of Morocco

This evening, DH & I attended Chef Monica's cooking class:
A Taste of Morocco (her expertise!). Everything was delicious!!!

5-5-2010 S'mores Anyone?

This is the first big display as you walk into the local Hy-Vee grocery store.
It made me smile, brought back memories, and made it feel like summer!

5-4-2010 A Time To Sow

Today DH & I finished planting our summer vegetable garden.
Because all the topsoil in our development was bull-dozed away
and the sod was then laid on the underlying clay
DH built these wonderful 'raised beds' in which to plant our
seeds and seedlings. I'm not sure what it is that makes
digging in the dirt so enjoyable, but it felt great!
I'm looking forward to fresh, organic, homegrown veggies!!!
I hope the bunnies and deer don't get to them first!
It was a wonderful time to meditate on what kind of seeds
I am planting in my life and the lives of others...
and the need to hoe out the 'weeds' as they pop up!

5-3-2010 Red Rock

Another place we happened upon (near Pella, IA) during our weekend road trip...
(the visitor center claims it is Iowa's largest lake)

(above) is view while driving over the dam (below)...

5-2-2010 Chalk the Walk

"Chalk the Walk" is held on the first weekend in May
in Mt. Vernon, IA.
On our way home from our weekend road trip
we stopped in Iowa City to have lunch with our daughter
who mentioned the "Chalk the Walk" festivities...
so we went to check it out!
We found two city blocks of chalk drawings
in downtown Mt. Vernon IA...
(who knew!!!)...


live music on the street
and good eats and shopping in the downtown shops...


TV news helicoptors filming the event from above...


'Dorothy' handing out treats to an artist...



I found the artists to be as interesting as their artwork!
They were covered in chalk!

Thanks for mentioning this, dear daughter!

We really enjoyed it, and plan to go again next year. :*)