We All Scream for I-Words

Ice cream, ice skate, Indiana, Italian food, Italy, independence, Iceland, Indian food, Ireland and iris.

Good H.

Housepants, house plants, Hank Hill, hibiscus, Habitat for Humanity, house finch, Hunter the dog, Hyde Park, homebrew, Hot Stuff, horseheadfairyland, Hank Sr., harmonica, Heat Miser, happy, and Herbie Hinkle.

Desperate Times

As I type this, I am drinking instant coffee. We are in the middle of our fourth coffee crisis here at the LRHS house. It seems no coffee maker we purchase can last more than one year without something going horribly wrong. Now, we are coffee-less until I take our current maker to either be repaired or replaced. If the fine people of Bodum are unwilling to do either of these things, I don't know what will happen, as Kev has already emphatically claimed he will not buy another &*#!@ coffee maker.

On a brighter note, It is only 9 AM and I have already seen several different kinds of birds at the feeders. Desperate times for the birds as well, I suppose, as it's cold out and they've got no mittens or hats or scarves. Yesterday, I am happy to report, the woodpeckers found the peanuts. There were two different kinds enjoying a snack, and that made me happy. I am telling you that you might be surprised how much fun you can have if you put up a couple of bird feeders at your home. It is like a treasure hunt, and every time you see a new kind of bird it's a nice little surprise which can create some lift in your day. Even when all you have is instant coffee.

Spring Head

In spite of today's cold front, I have Spring-head. It's cool out, but still sunny, and there are birds all around, and some of my bulbs are coming up, and Kev raked up the last of the leaves this morning, and I am feeling springy. Don't get me wrong...I love winter and hope it sticks around a while. I am even jealous of our neighbors to the north and all the snow they've been promised this weekend. I'm pretty sure most of them would gladly trade their snow for our mild temps and sunny skies. The grass is always greener, as they say. Anyway, I have an itchy garden finger, and an inner desire to do creative things. This happens every year. Sadly, it never lasts very long. I am easily frustrated and discouraged by failed creative endeavors, and retreat back into sitting on the couch wishing I was in Alaska or the Galapagos Islands or the Italian coast or at least a little cabin in the woods somewhere. One of my biggest flaws is the inability to stick with anything. Could I have adult ADD? Anyway, I think I better go write a song or draw something or crochet something before the moment is gone.

Kev is in the kitched making spaghetti and meatballs. You should smell my house right now! Can't wait for dinner time...

The Letter G

G is for guitar, garlic, grits, Guinness, guillemots, Guillaume, garden, gnocchi, green, Galapagos Islands, and guiro.

Good F-Words

Flower, food, fest, French toast, Fourth of July, fun facts, fireworks, Fat Albert, fall, forest, fun, Friday, and field trip.

Fun Friday Field Trip

Today we decided to take advantage of the strangely spring-like January weather and ride our bikes to the lake for some exercise and birds. Here are some things we saw: cormorants, gulls, turtles, pelicans, American coots, red-wing black birds, grackles, mallards, some kind of hawk, and some other stuff, plus a nice sailboat and a conga line of turtles sunning themselves on a log. I have posted some pictures. White Rock Lake is a nice place for you and your family to go and look at birds or take a walk or have a picnic, especially on a weekday when the weather is nice. And it is FREE! The worst part of riding your bike to the lake is that you eventually have to ride it back home, which is uphill all the way. But when it's over, it's the good kind of tired, like you've accomplished something.

Apparently, word of my recently replenished peanut supply has gotten out to the neighborhood starlings, and they have invaded my feeder. These peanuts were intended for the woodpeckers, but I guess starlings gotta eat too. My yard has been very active today. I have seen cardinals, sparrows, starlings, grackles, juncos, bluejays, house finches, two kinds of doves, and several squirrels. It is great to have wildlife in the yard.

The American Coot 

Double Crested Cormorants 

White Pelican 

Turtles 

Sailboat 

Great Egrets 

Good News of the Day

My friend Damon, who is an army captain stationed in Iraq, is coming home on Feb. 11. That is very good news.

The Letter E

E is for elephant, Emeril, England, eggplant, eggplant parmesan, Echo and the Bunnymen, Elvis Costello, etch-a-sketch, and eagle. These are some good "e" words.

The Inauguration of T

If I was President today, the first thing I would do is call off overly expensive inaugural events and give that money to something more important. Then I would call for a meeting with all the different world leaders to talk about why we need to all get along. Then I would make some kind of a program for poor unemployed people where they are given jobs, but then they have to prove they can be reliable and really want to work or they get kicked out of the program. Then I would get a bunch of scientists to have around the White House to figure out what to do about climate change and other science things. Then I would outlaw Hummers. I would call for mandatory nap time at work. Then I would outlaw talking on cell phones in cars and restaurants. And I would get rid of the death penalty. And then I would make all people caught littering spend 3 months going around cleaning up litter. And then I would concentrate on what to do about the horrible mess the education system is in. And I would get someone smarter than me to figure out all the war issues, because I wouldn't even know where to start. Vote for me!

Big D Little d, what begins with D?

dog, daisy, Django, dad, duck, Dallas Arboretum, Dallas World Aquarium, deer, Duvel, Dennis from Jamaica, Dutchess County Fair, DART train, Dalai Lama, Duran Duran, Doc Watson, and Doc Monkey.

Nobody seems to be having fun with my alphablog, but I'm going to do it anyway, mostly cause there ain't much else to write about lately.

Oh, Cookie Cookie Cookie Starts with C!

And so does coffee, Colorado, cat, Central Market, cooking, corn, crochet, cruise, Christmas, Chrysler building, clarinet, canoe, camping, cabin, chili pepper, Chili the iguana, curry, cheese, cowbell, cake, chocolate, Chai tea, Chopin, cello, Cinema Paradiso, chicken marsala, Canada, Curb your Enthusiasm, cashews, and Clint Eastwood.

And that's good enough for me.

Mean People

When I was a kid, about 4 years old, I went to this Baptist pre-school in Indiana. I think it was mostly pretty fun. There was coloring and juice and naps. But one day, in the cafeteria, they served something I didn't like, so I wouldn't eat it. They decided it would be cool to make me sit there in the cafeteria all day or until I cleaned my plate. I sat there until my mom came to get me after work. She was mad, but she didn't say anything because she was only about 23 and it was the 70's and teachers were supposed to know best about what to do with little kids who wouldn't eat their lunches.

What I can't figure out is if I really remember this, or if I just think I remember it because I've heard the story. In my mind, I have created a memory of it. In my memory though, I am about the size of a sparrow, and the cafeteria is like Wembley arena, and whatever is on my plate is green and mushy and cold. I think most of my childhood memories are from stories, pictures, and super-8 movies. There are a few things I REALLY remember, but not that many. But sometimes, I'll smell something that makes me remember something or someone I wouldn't have otherwise thought of in a million years. Neuroscientists think this is because my olfactory (smelling) nerve is in close proximity to my hippocampus (memory center of brain), and they are probably right. My brother can remember all kinds of stuff from when he was really little. I think his memories are real.

Summary: The brain is interesting, and mean people are bad for kids.

S-A-TUR-DAY NIGHT!

Saturday always reminds me of the great Bay City Rollers, and Bay City Rollers begins with the letter B. Here is today's list of good things that begin with the letter B:

Boats, breakfast, barbeque, band practice, books, bagels, Belle-Ayre the dog, blogging, Borders, Beatles, bellydancing, baseball, babies, bowling, bananas, bananas foster(!), blue, Blues, Bailey's, bats, birds, beavers, bears, bicycles, Boston (the town, NOT the band), blueberries, blackberries, basketball, Bach, Bert from Sesame Street, Bobby Hill, banjos, bongos, beer, bisque (lobster), Beastie Boys, and Billie Holliday.

Note: Audubon Society, Algonquin and Astral Weeks have been added to the "A" list.

Feel free to add to my lists via the "comments" or make your own good alphabet list at home. It's fun! And it helps take your mind off being troubled.

I was going to make a bad list for each letter too, but I thought I'd keep the negativity out of it this time.