$ex in the Garden

Now that's an old ploy. The oldest one around. A garage nearby advertises using that one word in great big letters. The smaller font reads "Now that we have your attention." So, there you have it, two cheap shots in one week.

Actually, I do want to show you that very thing, but wait for the reveal.


Everything looks so much greener in the rain. The slugs are chowing down on the rhubarb, but I have the antidote. You do, too, now. Visit Leslie Land right *here* and look for "Death Spray."



Yup, it rained. The windows were washed thanks to John. Everything looks so much brighter now.

Okay, ready for the big reveal? I took this photo because my eyes are failing me and when this lovely, stylized insect (what is it?) flew by, I thought it the most enchanting thing and followed it. Turned out to be two its...er...not sure of pronoun case in this instance. Still, it's beautiful, right? Looks like a regular Fred Astaire of insects all dressed up in a tux.



Have a delightful Friday!

Not All Stuff is Bad Stuff

Right. What was I saying about stuff? Here's a lovely stack of books that my mother left off for me today. She actually had some of these slated for the library sale until I snagged them.

I love books for making subtle or not so subtle decorating statements around the house.

This little one I put in my window arrangement for the sweet graphics of children fishing. I don't remember ever reading it.



This book I remember loving. L.o.v.i.n.g. My mother and grandmother loved it before me.



Let's see if we can discover why...













Ahhh, yes! Great pictures and



great text. I've never read a better-written truncated summary of King Henry VIII since.

Catch me in four years when I may be offering some of these fun graphics. Blast that 100 year rule! (Edited to Add: Math... the bane of my existence.)

So do you have a favorite childhood book that was your mother's and her mother's?

Edited to Add: Kristi at Thoughts from Thicket House graciously provided *this online site* for the book. Who knew? You can see the wonderful illustrations in much better detail. While the authors are different, it appears to be the same pictures and the same stories (on further review...not quite, but very close). I'm not sure what that mystery is about. My book is written by Charles Morris. This site says it was written by E. Nesbit. Please note that illustrations may be copied from that site. Yay!

Pesky Problems

In case you're curious, the last post with the surprised cat was about my troubles with Blogger and a post just prior. I wish that posts could be retrieved quickly when one has obviously made an error. You know, before too many people become aware that said error has been made. Gee, I don't even know how I made the mistake in the first place. All I know is that I hit the enter key twice and my post in progress was sailing down the slip and heading for the open sea...swwooossshhhh. In order to show an actual post instead of a now deleted post, up went the apology and the cat. It had the added benefit of attracting more visitors. Now I'm apologizing for that cheap ruse; I feel so sordid.

The deleted post would have been terribly depressing, like this one won't be. ;> It was all about stuff and why I am storing so much of it when it isn't mine. I'm weary of it...very. Little annoying things are robbing me of joy. There's not much that can be done about it in this moment when both my mother and my sister are selling their homes. That's right.

My sister and her husband are moving out of state in the next few weeks. Actually, he is leaving before the week is out. It appears that my mother will go with them, at least for now. This is not a little thing robbing me of joy. It's a big thing. You see, my grandmother is not improving with her new medication. If anything, she is getting worse despite initial improvements. She grows more quarrelsome, harder to care for, and her body is failing her. Also, I can't believe that I am being left alone in this corner with the other parent. Good heavens! Bottom line: I'm scared to death that they'll be gone and I'll have to make decisions on my own. Fear. The bane of my existence. Anyway, all this explains why I chose Sunday's scripture. It's all about the "Lo, I am with you always..."

So how does one keep on doing those things that must be done? My sister continues to live an activity-filled life in spite of all that swirls about her. That's not wrong. That's very healthful behavior. I'm going to follow her example and give it a try myself...someday. In the meantime, I'll just practice my lean. Hope that you're practicing yours, too.

OOps! Pardon Me

So sorry for the slip!

Around the Yard~Mosaic Monday

Late spring light filtering through the trees

 

Thank you for visiting and looking at my offering for Mosaic Monday. Comments are closed so that you might skip off freely to look at the next. If you'd like to follow along, clicking on the title of this post will take you back to Mary's Little Red House.

A Promise

Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen. ~Matthew 28:20 KJV