Friday Five: Spring!

From Sandra Boynton's FB page

Today's Friday Five of RevGalBlogPals:

I always think that daffodils are harbingers of spring, which arrives today. Although they do not grow here in south Texas,  I was able to see them blooming this past weekend in Washington State.

For today’s Friday Five, write about five signs of spring that you look for each year and most especially this year.

While in Seattle this past week, I took pics of spring bloomings that I do not see in TX:

1. Daffodils

 2. Tulips

3. Flowering trees

downtown Seattle near Seneca and First Ave.

4. First greening of mesquite trees (in TX)--hasn't quite happened yet.

Our mesquite tree last March 28, 2014

5. Wildflowers in TX, especially after a rainy winter and spring, like this year.

The Hope in Dormancy

Do you remember how my children gave me a live oak tree for Christmas? I have been worrying about it because its leaves all went brown. Could it have died? I only told oldest son DC, because it made me too sad. He's the one that said to scrape some bark off one of the branches to see if it was still green underneath.

That seemed to work, but still I doubted there was life, as the brown leaves hung there. Then yesterday husband CB told me that there were some little green buds popping out on one of the branches! I tried to take a picture, but couldn't get those tiny living leaves into focus with my camera. But that is proof that there is hope in dormancy (or death?).

And fortuitously, last night I received this cartoon from Kristin Noelle:

TRUST IS

By Kristin Noelle
(#23 of 30 on Trust)

"Knowing dormancy is part of the cycle" is a good thought as I head into the season of Lent. Also death is part of the cycle and still there is hope!

Friday Five: Going Forward & Looking Back

"Looking Forward, Looking Back"
Quilt made by Helen Godden

Singing Owl brings today's Friday Five for RevGalBlogPals:
I'm not a big fan of New Year's resolutions, but it does seem a good time for some reflection and planning. For the last few days I keep thinking of Psalm 90:12 So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom. Among other things, that seems to say that reflection is in order if we want to learn and grow.

For some of us, this has been an incredibly difficult year; for others it has been a year of many joys. For all of us, there have been challenges and questions and there have been blessings and--maybe even an answer or two! As we say our goodbyes to 2010 and look towards 2011, share with us five blessings from 2010 along with five hopes or dreams for 2011.

2010:
1. The blessing of our first grandchild--sweet Avery, daughter of oldest son DC and wife AA.

2. My Christmas tree present from all my children to replace the empty space in our backyard. This past summer we had to chop down a rotten ash tree.

Brothers DC and BJ
who picked out and planted the live oak tree.
Dec. 26, 2010

3. Lots of wonderful trips with friends and husband CB in this past year.

4. Having two different occasions with all my children--the surprise at my 60th birthday celebration when AE and KA came from Seattle to Austin, and this Christmas with everyone here. I am certainly blessed to have so many children (and a grandchild) when I have few relatives left in this world. (I'm also glad that CB and I are 60 years old!)

5. The blessing of meditation/contemplative prayer nurtures and sustains me.

2011:
1. Going to visit MJ in Spain. She will be an exchange student in Granada for this spring semester.

2. An immediate hope is to stay one week at Lebh Shomea, House of Prayer in Sarita, TX in January. I have not been there for about two years and really want to be in the quiet.

3. Clean out and de-clutter. I made some starts in 2010 by donating clothes and books; I even sold about 25 books on Amazon.com!

4. Renew my pledge to healthier eating with the help of Weight Watchers, the local Farmers Market, and knowledge of Fair Trade practices.

5. More visits with my children and especially watching granddaughter Avery grow.

Fall Foliage

No autumnal leaves around us in Corpus Christi, but I took pictures of some pretty trees in WA State last week. Here are a few:

Boulevard Park
Bellingham, WA

north Ballard neighborhood, Seattle

Magnolia Hill neighborhood, Seattle

Japanese Maples

on Magnolia Hill, Seattle

I love Japanese maples. CB planted one for me in front of our house in RI in 1991; when we moved in 1992, he transplanted it and put it in front of our house in Morristown, NJ. When we returned to TX in 1994, we could not take the Japanese maple with us. I wonder if it is still there; I hope so.in front of my parents' old house

Bellingham, WA

No wonder I like trees!

Today's Trivia

Today is September 17, and I actually saw the new movie "The Town" on its opening day! Thanks to son DC and his wife AA visiting and taking me to the movie for the matinee showing this afternoon. We all really enjoyed it. Ben Affleck directed and starred in it, both in excellent ways.

And here is the trivia of the past few days:

• AA's baby shower was nicer than I anticipated--five of my friends and one of hers hostessed it, with yummy food, loving friends, and cute baby gifts. AA is so much bubblier than I ever am that it was a joy to watch her interact with everyone. I am always glad to be with her and know she is my daughter-in-law.
  

• There are dark and heavy rainclouds all around, and it is starting to pour. Luckily, I dried a load of clothes on the clothesline before the rain started. It is supposed to rain heavily this weekend and keep on coming down next week, due to Hurricane Karl which already hit landfall in Mexico.
  

• Remember how I took Maisie to her first training class last Friday? She was the only pupil. That was cancelled today, which is why I could go to the movie with AA and DC. A new class time is yet to be determined. That's probably good as I have not been disciplined about teaching her and will renew my efforts this weekend. (I'm the one who needs to be a better student--and teacher.)
  

• The backyard looks empty without the big ash tree in the middle. We will get another tree to put there, which will be much smaller. I am hoping that we will get a live oak tree.

• Last weekend the Rev. Drs. Jane Patterson and the Rev. John Lewis, founders of The Workshop, spoke at All Saints Episcopal Church. I keep thinking about the teaching that "the NAME" of Jesus Christ means the "the nature and character." I am really helped to expand that meaning in my heart and mind that praying "in the name of Jesus Christ" could be described as praying "in the nature and character of Jesus Christ," just as Christians wish to live in that same nature and character.

Tree down!

The ash tree that seemed to be damaged by a windstorm in early July was cut down today. It was diseased and could not be saved. That saddens me, because I love trees. Also, the family room is noticeably warmer without its shade.

Here follows a picture essay of the cutting down of the ash tree today. It started and continued with the three dogs barking and barking at the intrusion of men and equipment in their backyard.At times, it seemed like there were more than (merely) three dogs barking!

The beginning of the morning

There were three workers. One was the brave person up in the tree, sawing off branches.

What a balancing act!

At the end of the afternoon, they took the stump out and ground up it and its roots.

This was the tree that Maisie and Cisco would watch squirrels run up and down--and they'd eagerly scratch at the French door to be let out to run and chase those rodents. Now Maisie will just bark at lizards; we'll see where the squirrels go. . . .

Future losses

A few months ago a storm hit us and the big tree in the backyard lost a large branch. The picture of that is here.

Now we noticed that there is a suspicious bulge around the middle of this same tree. It is cracking and will eventually fall over. So the poor ash tree needs to be removed.

That is so sad. We will plant another tree, but it will take years (decades) for it to grow as tall. It will take a long time for us to find shade under the tree that is in the middle of the backyard.

Other news is that our poor old cocker spaniel Baillie had two types of accidents this afternoon. Old age and poor reflexes are setting in. We will have to be more aware of forcing her outside at regular intervals, rather than letting her go outside when she thinks of it. Being blind and deaf, Baillie does not notice when Maisie and/or Cisco go out the door. (Baillie is 14 years old.)

Rain from Alex and Baking a Cake!

Hurricane Alex hit landfall in Mexico. We are getting bands of rain showers off and on. I just took a picture of the backyard to show you how another tree branch fell down in one of the storms. You may recall from the other storm that the far branch leaned over the wires. I was grateful that CB cut off the rest of the overhang just as the rains started yesterday.

You can see where he cut the branches by looking in the middle of the tree and also by comparing the tree to the pictures I posted one month ago. The remnants of the tomato plants have fallen over the bench. You can also see CB's handy work in replacing rotting boards on the deck.
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I spent the morning baking a carrot cake for my friend LT. She and I have been friends since we attended La Leche League meetings together before (and after) our first children were born, which is 31 years now! Later we both became La Leche League Leaders. I was so shocked when we first knew each other that her husband did not give her a birthday cake for her birthday that I started baking her a carrot cake each year.

With her sister and her three children visiting from Lubbock, LT said this would be a good time to get such a big cake. I'll be taking it over to her house soon, between rain showers.

Japanese Maple in Japan

Courtesy of the LuEsther T. Mertz Library, New York Botanical Garden.
Utagawa Hiroshige III (1842-1894) Japanese maple from Kakyo Tokyo meisho, 1881. Woodblock print.

This was found at the Human Flower Project. I think it is beautiful. Not only do I love Japanese Maples, but I so appreciate Asian art.