Just dropped by for a few sips!

WOW! I LOVE this camera!

"...A Rainy Night in Georgia..."

Several days of rain....a couple of moments of sunshine and then back to more rain.







"....SUCH a rainy night in Georgia"...."Lord, I believe it's rainin' all over the world" (Brook Benton, artist)

"Now a brief message from our sponsor...Sunshine!" My impatients (flowers) sure didn't complain of it being rainy day after day ...after... day.



Trying out my "action" setting on my camera to get some butterfly shots over where my Lantana is growing.

My only candidate, though is this poor guy who is flying from bloom to bloom ignoring the fact that he's suffered a partial "wing-ectomy".

That's o.k. I'll capture his (her?) best side!









WOW!! I never knew that butterflies and Giraffes had similar colors and markings?!!

GoooooooooDawgsssssssss!

Woof...Woof...Woof!!! Just had to brag....another win for UGA! Great game...a real "nail bitter"!

My back yard!

Ahhh....my Gerber Daisies! AND (!) they came up on their own from last year.


I never knew the middle of the daisy looked soooo....um...unique!










I'm still experimenting with my camera, getting close ups of "still" things are proving to be easier than subjects that are swaying...like these lavender blossoms.

















I'm getting there.






My Boston fern is thriving. I thought that I had finally killed it last fall when I cut it WAY back and re potted it.


Guess it likes my little mini "woodland" garden setting here in the South with all of its' humid days and nights....and days......and....more nights.

Moustache Kitten!

Awwww-ahhhhh! Cute little moustache kitten! Isn't (he?she?) cute?
She(?) is sooo sweet too! I sure wish I could find her a home before....well....we won't go there. Let's just say there are a few critters bigger and wilder.


"Aren't I sweet? I don't eat much...really!"





















This is her Momma, Chin-y. (notice the black spot under her chin?) There were several black and white kittens in her litter when she was born. This was the only way I could tell them apart. Another one had a white mouth with a black moustache. I called him "Charlie" after the ol'time comedian with a hat and swung a cane and smoked a cigar (I think) "Charlie Chan"? Anyways, when "Charlie" got older, he would babysit the other, younger twins and he became "Uncle" Charlie. But...alas, Uncle Charlie disappeared one day and I never saw him again. Sigh...he was so good.

So here sits Chin-y, next to my patio flowers. (can you tell I like red flowers?) She is the oldest and only survivor of the group! I would have her fixed...if I could catch her. She looks tame...but is VERY wild!

March of the Mushrooms!

All of this rain here in the Atlanta area has brought in more than the estimated 26 inches of rain in 4 days! There is talk of troops being brought into some areas to help with the clean up.

Thankfully, today has blessed us with some sunshine, how long it will last is any body's guess. (sorry weather forecasters).

We awoke to Mushroom Troops that are slowly but surely setting up their own mushroom mission to take up post in our front yard!

(boy...are they popping up in our yard!)







Knowing that the "yard mowing worker boyz" will be hitting the lawns at 0800 tomorrow, I thought I would get a closer look at this....ahemm...invasion of the marching mushrooms!

Getting a closer look at these overnight wonders (OK...some were here 2 nights ago), but it is still an amazing thing...theses....ahhh...spores. They sure move fast!













Getting closer to these mushroom-ing menaces...gave me a sort of bird's eye view . Looking now more like little cafe tables from a fairy tale!


Remember....we have been battling a drought for many years, lakes falling 10-15 feet (or more) below their normal level. Mushrooms DON'T grow in hard as cement, dry, dusty ground. We do have grass that is "drought tolerant" (to a point) and will burst back with lush green grass almost overnight when it's given a little water. (which we got way more than a little) we got a "LOT TLE"







These are kind of cute! ...aren't they?




Awhhhhhh....

{spoken with a french accent} How about this delightful table for two?














Or, May-bee you would prefer this table for three with a seat cushion? No?










Oh...!...May-bee in the "down to earth" antique stained buffet tables? Oui?

Perhaps a table for 3 at the "Water Spout" table?

Momma

Dean and his Mom at Rehab.

Son's hands...

He held his Momma's hand in both of his

and remembered a time she would hold his.

Like when...


they crossed a busy street or

when they walked up the giant granite steps
into
the big church.

Now he holds

her hand...

but it takes both of his...

to help HER now...

to cross a different kind of street and walk ...

a new stairway

perhaps with giant steps...

there will be

always

SomeONE who will ALWAYS be there...

Who WILL guide...

and hold...

His Momma's hand.

9/11 I will remember always.

Eight years ago? I can remember the exact place, the exact moment I watched, as thousands did; the replay of the plane that had hit the World Trade Center. I starred motionless at the T.V. set as Charlie Gibson and Diane Sawyer of "Good Morning America" show tried to make sence of what had happened moments before. Diane Sawyer, who is normally perfectly poised, perfect diction to her pleasant TV voice now stammered as her head swiveled back and forth to the news prompter, to Charlie Gibson, again to the news prompter. Then with a blink of an eye...WHAT IS HAPPENING??!! Yet ANOTHER plane is flying towards the other World Trade Tower??!! It seemed like everything was in slow motion? Was it? What...???? The words of Diane Sawyer saying over and over become clearer in my head..."Oh NO! Oh NO! Oh No it can not be!" Charlie Gibson's normal, even composure transforming into the look of horror, the look of unbelief and a voice that sounds more like a teenage boy going through adolescent voice change..."We have an unconfirmed report!!!.....(ahh hemmm clearing of voice heard) ..."an unconfirmed report of not one... but two airplanes that have now crashed into the......(sound fades). I am on the phone with Dean. I hear myself say again and again..."I can't believe this! I can not be lieve this!"

I had been getting ready to go to work at our local (small!) hospital. I stepped up my progress with each report...."crashing into the Pentagon..." Crashing into a field in Penn. Was it meant for the White House?"

Took off in Boston, Logan Airport
Hit NYC once...twice.
Another hit at the Pentagon. D.C
Pennsylvania...
Next?
Hartsfield?

I'm rushing now in my jeep, anticipating the worst...hopeful for ANYTHING less!
Our assignments?

Prepare for mass casualties. I knew that EMS was working in full force and calling in Reserves. My duty right now in in the ER.
Prepare...we did.
Would this part of the East Coast be next?
I didn't know.

No one did. No one but God.
Thank God.

Nighttime cloaked our nation, as we fell to our knees. We are torn apart, blown apart, burned up.
But...
We still STAND as a NATION...UNDER GOD...
the evil one is finished for today.
And we lived...
One NATION...
Under GOD!
NO ONE..
and I mean
NO....ONE!
Bombed this nation in the past 8 years.

Thank you Lord Jesus for the wisdom and endurance you gave to our Leaders! They helped us stay free!
Thank you God!
YOU...kept us free! YOU...gave us the Heroes, the soldiers, the firefighters, the police, the Mayors, and YES! OUR President!
to keep us
free!

Our neighbor Jer; Remembering 9/11

Even to this day, eight years after 9/11/01, there flies a flag in Jerry's yard! A huge flag pole and flag has flown since that day (almost) in the courtyard across from his house with a granite plaque with the words commemorating the fallen heroes of that day, written by Jer's cute wife, Lulu. She penned the words that very night with all the passion and fragmented emotions of a true patriot! Words that are now written in stone, reflecting the determination of Proud Americans; standing together, a stronger and (hopefully) smarter America.








Remember how everyone had a flag on something...anything that they could nail it to? Flags on the back of pickup trucks. Big flowing ones too, not those tiny parade flags they pass out to everyone on the sidelines. Flags on firetrucks, ambulances, mailboxes. Bulbs replaced on public spotlights to shine on our flags at the Courthouse, Krogers and even the jails! Places that didn't have a flag were petitioned by the people to "GET ONE UP and FLYING!". People everywhere...ALL over America raised a flag! Wasn't that wonderful! Maybe during these difficult political and economic hardships it's time to recapture the spirit of the ol' red, white and blue!

G.P. John remembers...

I was (in my car) sitting at the lights, getting ready to turn left into the Pavilion to go to "Starbucks" when I first heard the news that a plane had run into the side of one of the World trad towers. As the radio speaker continued to comment, there was an audible crashing noise...silence...then even the news reporter started shouting "we're being attack!" This radio station, which is famous for its' well known pranks, quickly dispelled any intention of pranks and conveyed only the sincerest attempt of seriousness. Once at Starbucks, I saw only a couple of women,who were sitting at a tables. I suggested that they better go to the nearest T.V. because NYC is being attacked. They responded with a wave of their hands, rolled their eyes and ignored his advise. Boy would THEY be supprised!

Brooke remembers...

I was in class at a local college. The new stunned us all! After the first plane hit, we thought it was some kind of an accident. When the second plane hit the towers, we didn't know WHAT to think or what was happening! There were no more classes that day. The next day, the college made a statement to all College students that any, anti-Muslim demonstrations or acts would not be tollorated.

That morning...

Sue remembers awaking that morning, hearing the news of this horrific tragity coming from her radio. Thinking immediately that this news would be extremely important to her husband who works for a popular airlines, calls him immediately on the phone. His usual calm and gently telephone voice was replaced by a curt reply of "yes, I know. I'll call you later." His voice and tone revealed the sense of urgency that would soon catapult this nation into the depths of death and dispare unlike any these United States had ever witnessed before!

Minni-me! Album for R & J!

It IS small....but I left room for you to write your journaling. Pretty, huh? I wore out my new scallop punch! I'll send this album along with the "larger photo" album, currently in progress, soon!