In full bloom amongst the dried stems of last years ornamental grass sits a beautiful spray of amethyst crocus. They are covering the bed like a blanket, well a baby's blanket. The Contessa showed mommonator and I a yard near the office that has a lawn of crocus this time of year. Daffodils are golden and despite last weeks cold snap are still in their glory! First time I uncovered them so early, but they seemed to have survived.
Returning to work after a week of blissful vacation was very difficult. I missed all the parties and the farewells. Didn't plan it that way, just happened to be my vacation week. The pivitol moment of cleaning my desk was oddly when I threw out the menues of the favored local eateries. Some of my favorite times at officeland were the coffee breaks with Pax, Mercia and Mommanator and our breakfast club meetings over blueberry pancakes. The high point of the day was going out to lunch with friends, old and new. Throwing out the menues reinforced how different things are. No more pasta at Maplewood, or Grand chinese food.
It has been a tough week for me for a number of reasons. My new coworker would slyly leave bits of dark chocolate about, and has brought me freshly brewed coffee on occasion. Did you talk to him Pax? Sounds like it, doesn't it. Mostly folks gave me a wide berth as I turned into dark and irregular Zelda overloaded with more than a hundred reports to do. A worker near me told me to stand down when I was in the midst of standing up for myself and my collegues. What's up with that? Frankly Scarlett......
Been having a hard time looking on the bright side but the flowers in the garden and the budding trees are a welcome sight. It appears that the rain has ceased and with any luck at all I'll be able to go out and work in my beloved garden today. If not, there is always a good movie playing somewhere. My choice, humm, maybe Adam Sandler and Don Cheadle! Will let you know how it turns out. Keep smiling folks the sun is trying to come out!
Saturday, March 24, 2007
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Birthday 39 again?
Springing forward indeed. Time flies .... That being said my big birthday came and went without alot of fanfare, just the way I hoped. A clean get away was not for me however because one member of my team remembered and my desk was littered with a new flowering plant a card and a badge that she insited I wear last week, although the big day was still four days away.
On Sunday it was bright and sunshining outside and the sound of birdsong could be heard, much as it is now. After a leisurely morning relaxing it was too nice to stay indoors. A walk at the lake seemed in order.
A little shopping and I'll admit mostly things that I needed, loosely defined anyway. Before you know it the day was winding down and it was off to dinner. The same lake side walk taken earlier in the day was part of the panoramic view that was now before me as the waiter ushered us to a circular booth near the glass doors overlooking the lake. Had we arrived any later we would have missed the view. Note to self, come earlier for a view of the sunset.
A glass of St. Michaels de..?....pino grigio was dellicious. Will have to look for that again. A nice grilled salmon, baked potato and sauteed spinach with sweet roasted garlic. Yumm! A little pricey, but big birthdays come only once and this one was special. Did I forget to mention the chocolate cake, mousse icing lush strawberries and bananna filling in the middle. Wow!. What a day!
I cannot share any wisdoms that I've learned this past "thirty nine years" but one, I will say there is no time to waste, life is a sweet as chocolate soemtimes. Live, love and be happy!
Thanks to all. The flower show, the Josh Groban concert and a very special chocolate cake were lovely. Thanks for all the gifts, but mostly for the lovings friendships that have sustained me this past year. There is much to celebrate in life, be happy!
On Sunday it was bright and sunshining outside and the sound of birdsong could be heard, much as it is now. After a leisurely morning relaxing it was too nice to stay indoors. A walk at the lake seemed in order.
A little shopping and I'll admit mostly things that I needed, loosely defined anyway. Before you know it the day was winding down and it was off to dinner. The same lake side walk taken earlier in the day was part of the panoramic view that was now before me as the waiter ushered us to a circular booth near the glass doors overlooking the lake. Had we arrived any later we would have missed the view. Note to self, come earlier for a view of the sunset.
A glass of St. Michaels de..?....pino grigio was dellicious. Will have to look for that again. A nice grilled salmon, baked potato and sauteed spinach with sweet roasted garlic. Yumm! A little pricey, but big birthdays come only once and this one was special. Did I forget to mention the chocolate cake, mousse icing lush strawberries and bananna filling in the middle. Wow!. What a day!
I cannot share any wisdoms that I've learned this past "thirty nine years" but one, I will say there is no time to waste, life is a sweet as chocolate soemtimes. Live, love and be happy!
Thanks to all. The flower show, the Josh Groban concert and a very special chocolate cake were lovely. Thanks for all the gifts, but mostly for the lovings friendships that have sustained me this past year. There is much to celebrate in life, be happy!
Monday, March 12, 2007
The Irish Flowere show
I'm taking a page of Pax's notebook and have taken the entire week off from Officeland. OK, started early last Friday. After breakfast with B & A, we were off to the best flower show in years. Verdant and serene were the Irish gardens complete with stone cottages that looked hundreds of years old. Front porches with rockers that beconed welcome to visitors up a flower lined path. There were pub settings with knomes hiding about. A miniture garden display that was only navigable by minature trains, children and the well the knomes. One display was a mountainous waterfall that ran down steps paved with recycled materials; imagine red headlight covers in tiny pieces, blue plastic chips on the next downhill all lit from underneath. It was impossible not to touch. there were those promoting green gardening, planting trees to improve our earth and the vendors. The clog dances, well I passed them bye only to find that the XPN lounge did not open till 5 pm and well we were well on our way home by then. Many of the displays were done with simplicity in mind, redwood pergolas and waterfeatures spilling from bamboo rods. High schools competed with outdoor porch and patio displays that were very creative. Everything was green and white and it could not have been better. Oh, the crowds there were too many people even early in the morning and most of them seemed to wear their irish swaters or something with shamrocks. No blarney.
Saturday, March 10, 2007
Bring on the sun
I thought day light savings time was established for farmers to have longer days for plowing and chores. Turns out the beloved cows get thrown off their established patterns with DST. I was told as a child that an unhappy cow does not give milk... curious about the origins of day light savings time and not always one to take things literally I had to do some homework. Here's what I found in Wickipedia. Just in case you're interested.
"Saving daylight was first mentioned in 1784 by Benjamin Franklin in a humorous letter[1] urging Parisians to save money by getting up earlier to use morning sunlight, thereby burning fewer candles in the evening. Franklin did not mention Daylight Saving Time—he did not propose that clock time be changed. His letter was in the spirit of his earlier proverb "Early to bed and early to rise / Makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise."[2]
DST was first proposed in 1907 by William Willett,[3] but he was unable to get the British government to adopt it, despite considerable lobbying.
DST was first put into practice by a national government in Germany during World War I, between April 30, 1916 and October 1 1916. Shortly afterward, the United Kingdom followed suit, first adopting it between May 21 and October 1 1916. On June 17, 1917, Newfoundland became the first North American jurisdiction to adopt DST with the passing of the Daylight Saving Act of 1917. On March 19, 1918, the U.S. Congress formally established several time zones, which had been in use by railroads and most cities since 1883; at the same time it established DST from the last Sunday in March to the last Sunday in October. The law, however, proved so unpopular, mostly because it obliged people to rise and go to bed earlier than had become customary since the advent of electricity, that it was repealed after 1919, when Congress overrode President Woodrow Wilson's veto of the repeal.
It appears to be determined on a state-by-state basis whether a state will choose to observe Daylight Saving Time or not. Arizona and Hawaii do not observe Daylight Saving Time. Until recently, Indiana did not observe it due to intense lobbying from farmers, although the Indiana legislature recently voted to observe it. "
I consider it a gift that the sun is shining no matter if it still feels like winter. An extra month in all of day light savings time seems like a great gift to me as I am tired of gray and gloom, snow and ice. Welcome spring! There are crocus blooming in my garden. Let the fun begin....
"Saving daylight was first mentioned in 1784 by Benjamin Franklin in a humorous letter[1] urging Parisians to save money by getting up earlier to use morning sunlight, thereby burning fewer candles in the evening. Franklin did not mention Daylight Saving Time—he did not propose that clock time be changed. His letter was in the spirit of his earlier proverb "Early to bed and early to rise / Makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise."[2]
DST was first proposed in 1907 by William Willett,[3] but he was unable to get the British government to adopt it, despite considerable lobbying.
DST was first put into practice by a national government in Germany during World War I, between April 30, 1916 and October 1 1916. Shortly afterward, the United Kingdom followed suit, first adopting it between May 21 and October 1 1916. On June 17, 1917, Newfoundland became the first North American jurisdiction to adopt DST with the passing of the Daylight Saving Act of 1917. On March 19, 1918, the U.S. Congress formally established several time zones, which had been in use by railroads and most cities since 1883; at the same time it established DST from the last Sunday in March to the last Sunday in October. The law, however, proved so unpopular, mostly because it obliged people to rise and go to bed earlier than had become customary since the advent of electricity, that it was repealed after 1919, when Congress overrode President Woodrow Wilson's veto of the repeal.
It appears to be determined on a state-by-state basis whether a state will choose to observe Daylight Saving Time or not. Arizona and Hawaii do not observe Daylight Saving Time. Until recently, Indiana did not observe it due to intense lobbying from farmers, although the Indiana legislature recently voted to observe it. "
I consider it a gift that the sun is shining no matter if it still feels like winter. An extra month in all of day light savings time seems like a great gift to me as I am tired of gray and gloom, snow and ice. Welcome spring! There are crocus blooming in my garden. Let the fun begin....
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