Hummingbirds

The hummingbirds have returned. Hubster and I love to sit on the back deck and watch them. Although they're tiny and delicate looking, they are absolutely FIERCE! Super-territorial with one another, and chase each other off like little fighter jets... it's really quite interesting to watch!

Life.

Found out today that the wife of one of Hubster's good friends is going to die very soon. She has cancer.... we all thought she would beat it, but she's not going to. Hospice has been called, and the end will come, sooner rather than later.

They live in St Louis..... we don't see them much, but we last saw them when they were in Atlanta over Christmas. Everything was fine then. No cancer. We had a happy evening out with several couples.... dinner, drinks, saw a band at a local club.

Life.
It's short.
It's fleeting.
It's precious.
Don't let little things get you down.... they're just little things. (Keep them in proper perspective.)

Tell the people you love that you love them.
Enjoy that sunset.
Look at that flower a bit longer.
HAVE that slice of pie.

Life. It only comes around once.

A Beautiful Snippet of Prose

So every day I was surrounded by the beautiful crying forth of the ideas of God,one of which was you."— Mary Oliver, Red Bird: Poems

A Dash of Happy Wife + A Cupful of Smiling Suz + A Liberal Sprinkling of Sassy Bev = A Perfect Lunch Date!

And INDEED it was!

I love my dear friend Suz... we've known each other since 9th grade and even though we only get to see each other in person every couple of years, it's almost like time hasn't passed.... we giggle just like we did back when we were 14!

This past week Suz was in town visiting her Wonderful Mom Bev (who hasn't changed a BIT and who I loved catching up with!) and we all met, kids included, for a fun, giggly lunch.

It was wonderful, and boy how I wish Atlanta and South Florida were only 30 minutes apart instead of ..... 13 hours apart!

Love and miss you, my sweet forever friend!
Which is why I know you'll forgive me for once again posting these embarrsing photos from us way back in high school! (And yes, you can do the same - turnabout is FAIR PLAY!!!) :)

Hug and kisses! :)

I Love My Country.... But My Government?.... Not So Much....

Now, I will say that in a country as wealthy as ours, and as advanced as ours, with as much medical technology as ours, there is really NO reason why SOOOO many people should be wandering around without health insurance.

And I will FURTHER say that the healthcare bill that is stuck in Congress right now smells.
Of fish.

WE, as a country, can do better. And we should. This is something we NEED to get right. This is NOT something we need to PUSH through. To me, this whole situation smacks of when you go into the car dealership and the sleazy sales guy with the fake smile pounces upon you because he knows you have that "new leather smell" in your nostrils and he thinks if he doesn't make the sale THAT VERY NIGHT that the world will end.

The world will not end.

Let's take a Collective Deep Breath. And sit down.
And make our congressmen and women sharpen their damn pencils and start again.

And take the TIME to get it right.

Just my opinion.

P.S. And by the way...... has it alarmed anyone ELSE that the "Cash for Clunkers" program, which ran out of cash in about 45 minutes, and which was supposed to have enough cash for a month.... is also run by the Federal Government.... who will be running this Healthcare deal....? (Anyone? Anyone?) .... just asking......

A tribute to my favorite artist....

I love Andrew Wyeth. Is it just me, or can you almost feel the breeze when you look at this painting? I love how delicate the edge of the curtains are...



This is my very favorite Wyeth painting. I think it's ethereal and I love the light and the shadows.

Brian's Back! (.... and BOY IS HE MAD!)

No, not really.... I just said that for effect. :)

Brian Jones is one of my FAVORITE authors. He wrote an amazing book about faith, honesty, doubt, vulnerability, and having a TRUE walk with God. It's called "Second Guessing God" if you want to check it out. I've talked about it on my blog before, and I simply can't recommend it highly enough. It really really spoke to me.

Anyway, Brian had a blog for awhile, then he didn't (he is also a pastor of a big church in addition to being a writer... plus he's a husband and father, so he's kinda-sorta really busy).

So, without further ado (and while sounding "virtual trumpets").... I give you, ladies and gentlemen, the link to the blog of a GREAT thinker, pastor, fellow-follower-of-that Cool Cat From Nazareth..... Brian Jones. :)

www.brianjones.com

Enjoy!