A Good Blog For People Desperate to Read Blogs.

So its been a while since I've blogged and even my last blog was really just a re-blog from someone else. I figure I gotta post something soon if I'm going to keep trying to get people to read this crap.

I had a pretty great weekend! The Harks and I made the drive up to Kernville on Saturday to see my dear friends Grant and Meg. Their home is beautiful and their view is better! So great to spend some time surrounded by mountains and water. I got to hug some of the nicest people I've ever met at church on Sunday and sampled some Kernville fine dining. Pizza Barn was delish!

I also came home with this bad dog.



An original copy of Vogue magazine from 1950. I found it in this cute little shop up there and the owner claims to have stacks of them. I can't wait to snag a few more copies. How cool is that? Oh yeah, and sorry for the crappy camera phone picture. I think my digicam is officially dead.

So then I drove from the northernmost part of Kern County I've ever seen to the southernmost for Faith's party. Per usual, it was good seeing some peeps I haven't seen in a while.

Today I dropped by the Bridgen BBQ with some Hingepoint people. It was good to spend some time with everyone and get to know some people better.

Gosh this entry is boring. I'm breaking my own rule of talking about crap no one cares about. Forgive me.

Also, some good news, I'm not sure if its because of all the time I spent with friends this weekend or just some sort of epiphany but I kind of had one of those moments where it dawned on me....I'm over it! I'm so over it! I've had a heavy heart lately...just a lot of junk going on in pretty much every aspect of my life. Definitely no bueno but I'm definitely seeing some changes so...we'll see what's up! I've also started running again which has done wonders for my moods!

What can I do to liven this crap up?

Well...there was quite a bit of unexpected Neil Diamond glory this weekend. Which, sad day for Neil, reminds me of Diamonds in the Rough from Saving Silverman. Gosh I love that Steve Zahn.

Remember

Memorial Weekend 2010, we fly our flag proudly on most sunny days and fortunately this weekend is proving perfect for the Stars and Stripes. Ray's sons - Chris and Kevin - are Marine veterans. They fortunately served and survived their five years of commitment to the Armed Services. Sadly, many do not and for that we remember and honor service, duty, and all soldiers who serve(d).

Oh, Ray and I grill burgers and float in the pool, and yeah, we take in a Memorial Day sale. However, we do truly salute all of our fighting men - living, dead, past, and present. My Uncle Bill fought in WWII and lost a leg and a year of his life in service to the United States. He turned ninety this month - a humble, great man, I'm proud to know. Ray's Uncle James served in Vietnam. He came back from that war a different person, and ultimately succumbed from post-war trauma - he was a delightful man and a hero our family remembers.

So many enlist for the United States of America and all it stands for. I shall mention freedom of speech, because obviously that is dear to my heart. I'm grateful I can post this blog. I'm grateful I can publish without fear of reprisal. Thinking about patriots cranking out words on printing presses, I'm in awe.

And in today's world, the publishing industry is in flux and yet survives with banter. Here's a quote from Garrison Keillor (Chicago Tribune/New York Times), " I think the publishing industry is about to slide into the sea. "

In turn, Jon Stewart said at the New York Book Expo, "I think the most surprising thing about the Keillor op-ed is that I thought he was dead." Ba-zinga (as Sheldon would say on Big Bang Theory)

Publishing shall flourish and the Internet is a potential friend and not enemy. Printed books versus e-books is still up for debate and perhaps both can live in harmony. And that's the joy of America. Choices. Freedom.

Memorial Day - I bow my head in remembrance

Hidden Talent

Wandered the historic neighborhoods of Arlington Heights, Fort Worth on Sunday on the Hidden Garden Tour. It's fun to "sneak" into backyards (albeit with paid admission) and judge others' hard work. This process made me think about how agents must approach a slush pile - no doubt with hope of finding hidden talent, and with trepidation - i.e. incurring poison ivy or tangled in weedy words.

This bungalow had an outdoor chandelier - rather kitschy cute. Not my taste and probably back into the slush pile for me. Otherwise, the backyard had a lot of interesting corners with various plants, lawn ornaments, statues, and hidden treasures. If I dismissed the yard based on my first viewing, I would have missed a lot.

Sunday was swampy. No other way to describe a humid 92 degree day. We glistened as we strolled, eager for a breeze. This wall dragonfly caught my eye, and like a great opening sentence kept me yearning for more delights. I came away with a favorable impression of the owner's viewpoint.

Xeriscape, when done right, offers another avenue in gardening world. The outer perimeter of this garden was a bit grassy and messy, but inside the fenced area this turtle reminded me to trod slowly and enjoy the small details. Again, agents wading through the grass don't have time to encounter turtles. Back to the dragonfly opener - flap the wings of wild words to grab attention. Plenty of time to plod along with backstory and character sketches.

My friend, Ann, and I were far more critical of the garden tour this year. Were we delirious from the heat? Or did we have more garden tours under our belt to use as comparison? It was a mixture. That's true for agents, I'm sure. There are days of delirium when nothing written suits, and there are plenty of books - really well-written material in their library that shine.

As a writer, I must pull weeds and let the flowers garner aclaim.

A-traveling we will go!

My niece Bronte will be graduating from high school June 9, so I'll be making a special trip to Texas for a week! I'll be there from June 7-12, and sister-pal Mary will be taking the week off too, so you can bet there will be LOTS of Texas birding to be done! I might see that Golden-Cheeked Warbler yet!

Before that, though, AB and I will be driving up to New Paltz, NY, to stay in a vacation rental home with her parents and her sister and brother-in-law on the weekend before I go to Texas, so there will be more out-of-PA birding to do there! AB's mom is a big hiker and wildflower lover, so I'm hoping to see lots of photo-worthy sights!

In the meantime, I'll be squeezing in some birding whenever I can.

This past weekend, I walked in a fundraising walk for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. My friend Amy's daughter Zoe was diagnosed before she turned 2, and another friend's son was diagnosed at age 5. I also have a friend named Molly whose daughter Lucy was diagnosed. All these kids were young and active, otherwise healthy, until suddenly they weren't anymore. Once doctors figured out what was wrong, their lives have been better, but they deal with daily "I've gotta check your sugar" requests, finger-sticks, insulin shots/pumps, and dietary control. So walking a couple of laps around Beaver Stadium and raising some money was the least I could do. Speaking of which...

Thank you, Susan of the blog Lake Life, one of the original Flock members! for your online donation! And to my old Domino's Pizza pal and Facebook friend Chris Stant for your online donation! (I worked at Domino's Pizza for a year before moving up to PA back in 2003.)

So--vacation plans are firming up, my new job at MegaCorp is going well (9 sales for the month so far, which is really good!), and life is sweet with Niblet and the kitties. By the way, think good thoughts for little Owen, who's spending the night at the vet in preparation for having his teeth cleaned and a bad tooth removed tomorrow. I know just how he feels.

Here's a pic of all three babies in happier times:That's Owen, looking cool for the camera in the gray, Maya on the left -- no doubt headed for the food bowl -- and Nib working on some fresh timothy in the back.

Digiscoping brainstorm!

What if, instead of using a spotting scope for digiscoping, you used a monocular? Admittedly, the zoom capabilities would be lessened; for instance, if you used a 10x25 monocular, you wouldn't get the same zoom capacity as if you used a typical zoom setting of between 20 and 30x (the lower end of a spotting scope's ability, as recommended by digiscoping god Mike McDowell). Still, it might be a viable (not to mention low-cost) alternative to the big spotting scopes.

Oh wait... what about mounting to a tripod? Perhaps there is something that could be done to join the monocular--or WAIT! the camera!--to the tripod! Of course!

I love thinking out loud on my bloggy because everyone offers great advice! So please feel free to offer some advice.

The monoculars I'm considering. Note the large eyepiece lens on the cheaper one--critical for alignment of camera lens for digiscoping.

The digiscoping adapter I'm considering.

What do you think?

Speed-birding

After work this evening, I speed-birded a couple of spots today: the Scotia Barrens and the Julian Wetlands. I only had twenty minutes to a half-hour in each place, so it was pretty quick.

I went back to Julian because people have seen as many as four Red-necked Phalaropes there in the last few days! That would mark the last phalarope for my lifelist, having seen the Red Phalarope in Texas and the Wilson's here at Julian--in my opinion, the most striking of the three. I didn't see the phalarope, but I did get some good pics at both places.

I Birdjammed a Brown Creeper! Look:
See him there, on that diagonal slash-scar on the bark near the middle of the tree? No?

How about now? I realize it's just a blurry bird-shape, but I was working the Birdjam and the camera at the same time, and it was evening light. Here's a little hint:
I'm just glad I got him. (That IS the bird, right? it's not just a branch?) I know it was the actual bird; I called him in, watched him flit from trunk to trunk, traded little call phrases with him. It was awesome!

I also saw some nice flowers:

No idea what this flowering tree is, but the flowers smelled just like orange blossoms.

Forget-me-nots at the Julian Wetlands

Wild Geranium (I think)at the Barrens

Barren Strawberry! (I think) The leaves and flower type/color match.

And look at this little guy, a (I think) Long Dash Skipper

One of the things I love about being in the woods is seeing young trees, just starting their lives, fighting for sun and water and life:

young aspen

young maple

young oak

I also saw this little couple, pondering the future of their family:I wonder what they're thinking about.

Listen Up!

So anyone who's been around me the last few months has probably heard about my struggle with the jealousy lately. I think jealousy is normal and people experience it all the time but lately its been in my face and almost overwhelming how badly I've been consumed by it.

I am jealous of everyone and everything! Anyone successful, anyone generally happy, anyone able to find and sustain a happy relationship, anyone thin, anyone good-looking, anyone involved and invested in a church home, anyone with security, anyone who has the "perfect" parents....this list could go on for days.

Well, my dear friend Rachel Goering had some wisdom to impart on us all on this subject and I want to share it with you all. If you don't know Rachel, that is a sad day for you! Find her, facebook her, and absorb her awesomeness!!

Confessions of a Steamed Artichoke... A Thought on Jealousy

One thing has become exceedingly apparent in the past couple of weeks. I am a green girl. And no, this is not green as in the environmentally conscious type- although I did hug a tree last week. This is in the expression "green with envy." And lately I've been so green I'm practically an artichoke. And because I've been so jealous, it has made me frustrated and discontented. Hence the artichoke is steamed.

But one thing I realized is that when we do get jealous, not only does it show we are discontent, but it also shows that we are still very much being controlled by our own selfish desires. 1 Corinthians 3:3 really hit home on this point. "You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere men?"

And being jealous isn't just harmful to you, but to every relationship you have. First, when you compare yourselves to others it diminishes you're sense of who you are. Second, it harms our relationships by keeping us from celebrating other's gifts and abilities.

But jealousy can also have another definition. The Bible says that God is a jealous God. Jealousy is not a very attractive characteristic especially for a perfect Almighty God. The word "jealous" sounds as if one's self-control has been lost, however we know this isn't the case with the Almighty God.The best way I've heard this question explained was done using a dating relationship illustration...

There are two types of jealousy...an insecure/sinful jealousy and a secure/righteous jealousy.

If a man who is in a relationship gets upset and angry anytime his girlfriend's phone rings because he wonders who might be calling, or if he doesn't want his girl talking to any other male because he's afraid of the thought of her "getting away" then that would be considered an insecure/jealousy. This type of jealousy doesn't describe our God.

However if that man was married to a woman and noticed another man coming and purposely deceiving her in order to steal her from the husband, then this man has every right to be jealous for HIS wife.

What differentiates the two? One is rooted in an insecurity and one is the defense of what is rightfully his.He is not jealous OF me as we get jealous of others, but rather FOR me. Why? Because we are his, and he doesn't want someone coming in and deceitfully stealing our affections. God doesn't take lightly the relationship he has between Himself and man. Because he has invested infinitely more than we can imagine into this relationship- His Son!

So my fellow steamed artichokes. It's time to finally surrender. Put aside all the selfish desires that we have deceived ourselves into thinking we already surrendered. Because the fact is, we haven't. If you still get jealous over it you have haven't given it up yet. Do not be jealous of anyone, but rather for a relationship further with Christ. And recognize that those people you slander because you are jealous of them are God's image bearers. They are just as much intricately and intelligently designed as you. James 3:10 You cannot insult the creation and praise the Creator.

"To live for Christ I first must die to all the rivals in my life. Only You can satisfy."

I hope this blesses you the way it blessed me!

Random Words

These pictures are random selections, and what I'm writing about today could be considered bizarre. Throughout the week, I collect various news clippings that attract my eye. Sometimes words or pictures trigger a full paragraph. Other times, a line will amuse me. Consider this statement from the WSJ on Sat/Sun 5/15 &5/16 - "Long-term portfolios are going to have short-term volatility." That covers all bases. At this juncture, I plan on setting my portfolio on fire.

Unless you are living in a cave (like Carlsbad Caverns, above), you are aware that President Obama has selected Elena Kagan as his choice for the Supreme Court to replace Justice Stevenson. Now we get to read the daily blah blah, but this sentence in a column by Peggy Noonan (excellent writer) caught my eye, "Kagan seems to get along with everyone and not to be insane." I laughed out loud. She continues, " This is actually a major plus in all nominees now, as is collegiality." 'Nuff said.

Finally, David Mamet has a new book published called Theater, and it is a collection of essays on that subject. As a revered artist himself, his top ten list of great 20th century American plays is thought-provoking. He writes, "These plays treat American issues and are written in an American idiom closer to real poetry than to prose."

Here you go:

1. Our Town/ Thornton Wilder

2. The Front Page/ Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur

3. Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?/ Edward Albee

4. A Streetcar Named Desire/ Tennessee William

5. All My Sons/ Arthur Miller

6. Doubt/ John Patrick Shanley

7. The Time of Your Life/ William Saroyan

8. The Boys in the Band/ Mart Crowley

9. The Best Man/ Gore Vidal

10. The Women/ Clare Boothe Luce

Live theater - the intensity of the moment. Movie versions (I've seen #2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 10) don't do the plays justice.

What's on your list?

Now, off to gather more clippings, and wipe off my hands - smeary newsprint. Ah, nothing like it.

I'm So Fascinating.

Oh man! A week has gone by and its become painfully clear to me that nothing interesting enough to blog about has happened. Woe is me!

I had a good weekend that was a fair combination of work and laziness. Meg, Faith, and myself enjoyed the Paramore show. I was mostly interested in seeing Fun. They were great!! I'm not sure what Nate Reuss could produce that I wouldn't love. My ears are still ringing and driving me nuts though. Kind of like a not so subtle reminder that I'm not really hip anymore. The screaming was too much for me. Plus I just felt so old. There were neon skinny jeans and retainers for miles.

So yeah, other than that I just kind of loafed around. Eating cheese bagels, catching up on classic Jackass episodes, and not getting anymore facebook messages from Kelly Cutrone (we've both been busy).

So, I will leave you with what is probably my favorite Fun. song. The Gambler. One of the most beautifully written and performed songs I've heard in a long, long time. Also, an aside to my dear friend Meg - please note the presence of overalls. It looks like Lucky was right...they are making a comeback.