Kill The Kudzu Day ...

all photos © Joan Z. Rough, 2008

Oh, what a magnificent day it's been! With a high near 55 degrees, I spent almost 3 hours outside this morning tending to my compost heap and beginning to cut back the invasive plant species that make the river bank a dense thicket of kudzu, honeysuckle, bittersweet and blackberry canes. No, I can't actually kill it. Because the river is a source of water for the city of Charlottesville, I cannot and wouldn't anyway, use pesticides to control the growth. Although a good barrier for any runoff to the river and a wonderful place to watch birds nesting and feeding in the spring and summer, I cut this tangle back every few years so that some of the native species can continue to grow where they like to best ... like the Elderberry, which provides the birds with nourishing food. Elderberries also make an awesome cough syrup for people with winter colds but I'm never fast enough to harvest them, so must get them elsewhere.


I know this doesn't look too threatening, but in reality some of this mess and the blackberry canes are taller than I am and all of those nasty vines wrap around each other making it very difficult to remove. Even wearing long sleeves the thorns on the blackberry canes scratch my arms and long pants don't prevent my legs from being gored by those tiny spears.


Up close, you can understand why the birds and small creatures like to nest in this hedge from hell. You have to be one brave preditor and armored in leather to get yourself tangled up in this mess for a few fresh eggs.

Because these plants are mostly dormant at this time of year I love to do this work on days like today. It makes it a bit easier to identify what it is you are cutting back and there are no birds nesting. Once the spring migration begins in just a few weeks and the birds begin to nest, I'll quit until next year when I'm antsy to be outdoors enjoying the sun and wind.

Neighborhood Sighting ...

My Big Garden Bug

We live in a small neighborhood of 8 houses, only a few miles from busy roads, honking horns, Whole Foods, the veterinarian and a host of other merchants and service oriented places. So it isn't always peaceful and quiet. We hear sirens from fire trucks, ambulances and the police from time to time. When that happens the dogs in the house across the river start howling off key and often carry on for a good five minutes after the screaming vehicle has passed. It's really quite funny and I'm surprised that my two don't join in.

It isn't like this is the wilderness. However we do have more deer than we need, skunks, opossums, racoons, river otters, beavers, rabbits, squirrels and a miriad of birds including ospreys and bald eagles. We occasionally see a fox and one night a couple of years ago a bear made mincemeat out of one of my bird feeders. A coyote has also been spotted. I have not actually seen the last two critters myself but they are often seen in the area so I have no doubt that they slip through my radar very easily.

But it's the latest sighting that really intrigues me. Reports this morning were of a large animal at my neighbor's dock and was said to be either a mountain lion or a bob cat. Bob cats are usually very shy creatures and difficult to see. The sighting of a mountain lion would be quite fantastic but in reality I'm not sure I believe it. But then on the other hand land development in this area, like the rest of the east coast, has been intensifying at a rapid rate as the population expands. More and more people want a piece of the countryside for their homes, especially in a scenic area as this one, at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains. So it may not be terribly surprising that a mountain lion might be driven from its territory and end up in a crowded suburban area. As homes encroach up the mountain sides, the native inhabitants need to go somewhere. And soon there will be few places for them to escape to without running into humans.

So whatever it was that was sighted, I wish it well and hope that it will soon find a new home in a less congested area. In the meantime, I'll keep a sharp eye on my three kitties who like to spend their days hunting in the tall grass in the meadow.

Back In The Sunny South ...

Pansies in February, © Joan Z. Rough, 2008

When we left last Wednesday to see my brother in New Hampshire, the river was frozen over and the poor robins looked very chilly indeed. Yesterday we arrived home to find the river running a muddy brown after over 1 1/4 inches of rain in the morning. Today it is sunny and it will be near 70 degrees. It was fairly warm in New Hampshire (mid to upper 30's). We were stuck in our hotel most of the day on Friday because of a nasty ice storm. When I lived in Vermont some 29 years ago, ice storms were almost unheard of. The precipitation was always snow in the winter and lots of it, lasting sometimes until May. There is much brown ground beginning to show now in the northern climes.

Though it was wonderful to see my brother, his son and wife and my lovely little grandniece, Anya, the circumstances were not happy. Reid, my brother, does have esophageal cancer. We still don't know at what stage the cancer is ... his PET scan hasn't been done yet for one reason or another ... so we wait, wonder and pray for the best ... that his life can be lived a bit longer and in as little pain as possible.

The teachings of the Buddha, tell us that nothing is permanent ... like the weather patterns, everything changes from day to day, moment to moment and no matter how much we believe we have control over life, we really don't. The pansies that looked dead before we left are now looking full of life. Little Anya grows and now has two teeth. Before long she will be a year old and will rush across the room to see her grandfather, Reid. My hair is growing greyer. My memory doesn't work as well as it used to and my brother's cancer grows as it consumes him. I hate the process, yet it is life ... every moment is wonderous and to be lived as if it were our last. I find myself feeling sad, then being able to gradually let go and to feel happy taking in the warmth and sunshine of this moment, this day.

The Heaviness of Life

Reid, with one of his treasures collected in the wild, 2007

My brother, Reid, age 56, has just been diagnosed with Esophageal Cancer. A nasty, large tumor in his lower esophagus has taken away his ability to swallow. He is experiencing some pain, as are the rest of us who know him and have been privileged to be part of his family and his friend. On Friday, he was fitted with a stent, which will allow him to eat and swallow the foods he so much loves. We don't yet know whether the cancer has metastisized to any other organs.

On Saturday night, Bill and I visited and had dinner with J. and her husband, long time friends of about 30 years. J. was recently diagnosed with Non-small Cell Lung Cancer. She is undergoing a course of chemo which will hopefully allow her many more years of happiness with her children and grandchildren. This particular type of lung cancer grows slowly and is not terribly aggressive, giving all of us hope for a successful recovery. These days many people live with cancer for many years, as is evident with Presidential Candidate, John Edwards' wife, Elizabeth. It was a delight Saturday evening to spend time watching J. with one of her adult daughters, realizing the closeness of the two and validating for me once again, the meaning of family.

I've spent the last couple of days in shock ... feeling like someone has struck me in the gut with a lead pipe. I'm sure I have that glazed-eye-deer-in-the-headlights look. But the visit with my friend, J., brought me much peace and the reminder that the work of life does not happen while we're sitting on a comfortable sofa reading a funny novel. It happens during the darkest of times ... in times of sadness and in times of coming together to be supportive of one another. I will drive up to New Hampshire on Wednesday to spend some time with Reid and to once again renew our ties as family.

Please keep both Reid and J. in healing light and send them prayers of love.

Nature ...

Ireland 1990: Landscape #1, © Joan Z. Rough

"Nature ... is the wheel that drives our world. Those who ride it willingly might yet catch a glimpse of a dazzling, even a spiritual restfulness, while those who ... insist that the world must be piloted by man for his own benefit will be gathering dust but no joy."

Mary Oliver

Frosty Morning ...

There is ice on the river and the it's very cold for Virginia. My blood is getting thinner than it was when I lived in Vermont, 29 years ago. I lived there for a total of 20 years. My son was born on a -50 F degree morning in February!! I loved it back then in my crazy youth.

Every now and then my husband and I talk about moving to Canada but the bitter cold and the lack of light in winter would be the end of me I'm sure. So we'll stay put and lend a hand in trying to bring some sanity back into this nation and world!

Photo © Joan Z. Rough, 2008

Promises ...

Camellia Buds, © Joan Z. Rough, 2008

Even on a cold, blustery day like today, one can see the promise of what is to come. These camellias, when in bloom, are a pale pink and lovely
floating in a chrystal bowl in the center of the table.
...

I found the notes below hidden away during my office cleanup which is really coming along well. I'm almost finished in here ... then on to the room where we store all of the things we've been hanging onto for years because we thought we'd need them some day. In speaking with others about this compulsion of mine, it is apparently what many sixty-something women like to do. So I'm not alone ...

The length of time it takes for a banana peel to decompose is 1 week to 6 months ... one piece of paper will take 3 years ... for a styrofoam cup, 10 to 12 years ... for a plastic container, 50 to 70 years .... for an aluminum can, 200 to 500 years ... a plastic six-pack holder, 450 years ... a glass container, 1 million years or longer.

One stack of newspapers, 3 feet high, is equal to the pulp from one tree ...

It's more important than ever to reuse, recycle or do without alot the things we have!!

Snow Journal ...

Snow Day, January 17, 2008, 8:00 AM

9:30 AM

Female Cardinal

Blue Jay and Male Cardinal

Goldfinches At The Feeders

12:00 PM

Snow Just Turned To Freezing Rain

The Meadow

The River

The River With Geese And Ducks


Snow storms are getting so rare here in central Virginia, so when one happens one must make note of it and celebrate the event. Like all winter storms that come through these days the snow quickly changed to freezing rain and if the weather folks are right and it gets up to about 50 degrees tomorrow it will be gone before I get a chance to get outside with the camera again.

Happy Snow Day!!!


Photos © Joan Z. Rough

Snow Day ...

falling at first light
soft white flakes
blue jay in the cherry tree


jzr

Photos and words © by Joan Z. Rough, 2008

Morning Stroll ...

Beautiful morning, cold, no wind ... let's take a walk.

The Buddha just outside my front door.


Lilliput in the willow tree.

In the meadow ...

Chinese magnolia buds ...


Beauty berry ...

There is so much more ... I'll share some more another day!
I hope your day has been as beautiful as mine!!

All photos are under copyright by Joan Z. Rough

Yikes!!!!

Zen Cats Peppermint and Lilliput, © Joan Z. Rough, 2006

It's been a long week. On Tuesday I spent from 9 AM to 5 PM in the dentist chair having some major dental work done. I had well over 15 shots of novacaine and was poked, drilled and prodded until I couldn't stand it anymore. My jaw is still very swollen from those shots and I've been having a hard time keeping my head from feeling like a bomb sight.

As a child I was taken to a dentist who told my mother that my teeth were full of cavities. After many, many visits to him to have my cavities filled, we arrived one day to find the door to his office locked, all of his furniture gone and not a sign on the door to say where he'd gone. He'd obviously gone to another state where the grass was greener with unsuspecting victims and perfect teeth that needed filling. My mother had paid him a bloody fortune for what another dentist told us was a scam. I had not had all those cavities and we were not the only family that was taken for their savings. The scoundrel never was found and I often wonder whenever I sit in a dentist's chair if there is a special place called "Hell for Crooked Dentists." I'm sure he is there!

The result of all of this is that as I've aged the fillings have had to be refilled over and over again. The teeth have weakened and a whole other set of problems began. So on Tuesday, we started making my mouth a new masterful work of art. All of the teeth on the lower jaw are being crowned. They were drilled away except for a thin post and covered with temporary plastic crowns that will be replaced in about six weeks with porcelain crowns.

One of the temps fell out last night during dinner and I had to go back this morning to have it cemented back in place. Needless to say, I wasn't eager to go back and I don't think they were eager to see me either. The only thing worse I can think of than going through all this, is being on the other end of the job, having to stare down into someone else's mouth breathing their breath for 8 hours a day.

I suppose I could think of all this as a collaberation of sorts. I've promised not to swear anymore, eat sticky fruit flavored candies at the movies and only allow nice things to come out of my mouth. In return I get a set a teeth that look really great and "knock wood" will quit giving me so many problems. But I do have to rob a bank to pay for all of this!

One of the highlights of my week was finding the photo above while going through all that stuff piled in the corners of my office of my precious cats on my meditation cushion being enlightened. I think I'll try some of that!!

Another Day On The River ...

Just 4 days ago almost the entire river was covered with a thin glaze of ice. This is what the river looked like this morning at about 7:30 AM, after several days of temperatures in the low 70's during the day and upper 50's during the night. A blanket of thick fog started to form just over the surface of the water then quickly disappeared as the clouds vanished and the sun began to warm things up. Today again it is warm, about 66 degrees. I long for flowers ... daffodils and tulips ... but it is far too early, of course, and the weather people are talking about the possibility of snow showers this weekend. Even though I love the cold weather, it isn't difficult for me to be overtaken with a serious case of spring fever even at the beginning of January!

The robins are still here and made it through the frigid nights last week. The most exciting bird sighting of the past week was of two bald eagles going after some Canada geese quietly feeding on the river. The eagles were dive bombing the geese. I believe they were trying to make the geese fly so that the eagles might pluck one out of the air for breakfast, but the geese stayed put, flapping their wings and calling loudly every time the eagles got close. I had no idea that eagles would prey on waterfowl, but one of my bird books does say that they do. I wanted to get a photo of this excitement, but my camera was not nearby. I was too interested in the goings on to leave the scene and find it, fearing I'd miss something. After about 20 minutes the eagles left, looking I suppose for an easier meal. Eagle sightings have become fairly common here on the river after many years of none at all.


The reason I haven't posted to my blog in a while is the mess in this photo ... I've been filing and trashing things I've been hanging onto (some may call it hoarding) for several years. I am ordinarily a very organized and tidy person but the last years have found me letting things go when it comes to important papers and such. The bills are always payed on time, but it's the rest of the stuff that has built up into stacks and piles all over the room. What you see in the photo is only one corner.

So far I've been able to completely clear my desk and get all of my new medicare papers filed in a place where I can find them. I've discarded many pieces of paper that are no longer relevant to anything in my life and have started shredding tax records and receipts that have been around well over 7 years and no longer necessary in the event that the IRS thinks I've been playing games with them, which I don't. My husband and I have been audited twice in our lives together and both times of no benefit to the government. But if you haven't saved every scrap of paper it is a big pain in the butt! And it takes time.

I can't tell you exactly why I've started this project at this time, except that it feels like the right thing to do at the beginning of January and I'm beginning to feel lighter and freer ... as though I'm losing weight and am able to move around more easily and joyously. HAH!!! I suppose that now that I've started cleaning up this mess I must finish it. I'm so glad it is too early for daffodils and tulips, because I'd be out in the garden getting my hands in the dirt right at this moment!!

The Way Things Are Supposed To Be ...

Robin, December 23, 2007

It's 8:30 AM, 28 degrees F outside and sunny. There is a light film of ice along the edge of the river ... the first of the season. Over the next few days, the temperature is supposed to start rising until it gets up to 60 degrees F ... probably by Monday.

When I stepped outside just a few minutes ago, the air was filled with birdsong ... the way it sounds in late March or early April and you know with all of your senses that spring is here. For the last week or so I've been observing a mixed flock of robins and starlings who apparently think that spring has arrived in central Virginia. Usually the first Robins will appear here in mid February along with the green leaves of daffodils poking through the earth's crust for a peek at the sun. Granted, we've had a very warm fall and I've not had to wear a winter coat until yesterday, when the temperatures dove down into the 30's during the day. But next week it will be shorts weather! Is this the way things are supposed to be?? In early January??

Yesterday when I was out walking the dogs, I did see that a few brave daffodils had started to appear in my neighbor's yard. This morning, the flock of birds is on the move flitting here and there, like little children waiting for the school bus on a very cold day ... hopping up and down on one leg and then the other, trying to keep warm. I'm sure these chilly birds are looking for their preferred meal of juicy earthworms that I don't think will appear until the ground has thawed a bit in the morning sun. Seeds will just have to do for now. They certainly don't look like they are going to give up and go south again.

If you ask most of us, we'd most likely say that this is not the way things are supposed to be. Robins are supposed to arrive in the spring, not at the beginning of winter. When I was a kid, long before this country became involved in the space race, I remember hearing rumors that the Russians were causing the crazy weather patterns because of their space explorations. Well now we know more about what really causes the changes in the weather, about global warming and other scientific matters that alot of us find hard to wrap our minds around.

I've been told that the only certain things in life are death and taxes. Everything else is in flux. One day I'm feeling happy ... the next day sad. I add a pound here and there as I graze through the pantry or I lose a few because I'm really working at it. Friends come and go. Each morning we wake up to see the sun rise and set at different times. How boring it would be if things really were the way they are supposed to be!!

A Blessing For The New Year

Goldenrod


May the sun
bring you new energy by day,

May the moon
softly restore you by night,

May the rain
wash away your worries,

May the breeze
blow new strength into your being,

May you walk
gently through the world and know
its beauty all the days of your life.


apache blessing

Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden

The Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden Peacock, December 27, 2007

Late Thursday afternoon Bill and I drove over to Richmond to one of my favorite places to see holiday lights .... Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden. It's really one of my favorite places to visit at any time of year. But at Christmas it becomes more than about the plants and trees ... it becomes an expression of the joy of the holidays and this beautiful garden spot all rolled up into one.

We arrived at dusk ... that lovely time in the evening when the sun has just rolled over the edge but its light is still giving the sky a lovely glow. It was a warm evening ... no hats, gloves, scarves needed and I almost wanted to take off my coat.

Inside the 11,000 square foot Conservatory, trees glistened, a toy train chugged around a layout made completely of dried and live plant material and the orchids were in full bloom.

This little owl perched in one of the trees is made of all sorts of plant matter as is the little house below.

Who do you suppose lives there??












We haven't been to the garden for a couple of years. Each year the light show changes as do all of the decorations. The last time we were there the big tree inside the Conservatory was dressed with beautiful glass ornaments from all over the world.



This year, lacey Angel Trumpet blooms and seed pods hung from the boughs.

After wandering through the garden we had a lovely dinner with a friend and reminised about past times.

I'll visit the garden again in the spring when all of the bulbs are in bloom.

Saks Fifth Avenue

All of the images on this post are of the windows at Saks Fifth Avenue taken last week while I was visiting the city. I never did make it to Macy's ... with the grid lock it got too complicated and by the last day in the city, I was pretty tired of the hoards of people that I had to work my way through in order to get a photo. I'm a person who doesn't particularly enjoy being in huge crowds. I did pretty well the first couple of days, but then it got a bit old. I do have personal space issues!

In my last post I didn't mention the food we enjoyed in the big city. The highlights were a marvelous lunch at Milos, on 55th between 6th and 7th Avenue ... simple, fresh Greek food to die for and a delicious dinner at Union Square Cafe on Union Square, of course. We also enjoy Fiorello's across from Lincoln Center where we've had wonderful meals ... they didn't dissapoint at lunch with a scrumptious thin crust pizza and a selection of Antipasto dishes. We mostly ate only two meals a day ... a big breakfast and a big lunch or dinner.






















I need to make a correction about all the shows and movies I mentioned that I saw in my last post. My husband tells me I'm losing it and I'm afraid he's right. I can't seem to remember alot of things these days ... names just go down the tubes and numbers, well, forget it. At any rate I saw only 2 plays and 3 movies ... still not bad for a person who doesn't like to sit in dark rooms for extended periods of time. Bill tried to get me to do 2 movies in a row but I just can't do that. I have to spend a certain amount of time moving about outside where the air is crisp and the sun is shining.








We had a lovely Christmas day! It was bright and sunny and mild, around 55 degrees. On Christmas Eve a large flock of Robins appeared and swarmed all over the yard looking for earthworms and whatever else they could find. I spent a couple of hours working in the yard, cutting back some plants and enjoying the springlike day. When we called other family members later in the day we wished them Happy Easter, because that is how it felt! Without anybody visiting for the day, I was able to release those old Christmas demons that have haunted me for years ... I felt unchained, free, no expectations!!

Moonrise ...

Last night I watched the moon rise over the river. It was a beautiful sight. It had rained all day ... a wonderful half inch of wetness ... a blessed gift to the trees and flowers that now lie dormant and those that stay green all year round. Then the clouds magically evaporated and this is what I saw.

I'm home from New York and greatful to be here. Though we had a lovely time, this is where my heart is ... in the peace and quiet along the banks of the South Fork Rivanna River.

At Christmas, New York City wears her finest garb and the people for the most part are polite and smiling. The sidewalks were packed with holiday shoppers and tourists like myself, just wandering 5th Avenue, snapping photos here and there. While we were there a "Grid Lock Alert" was posted and people were asked to take public transportation rather than drive their cars. It seemed that most people did still drive, because the buses were only half full. Cross streets especially were backed up with horns being honked by frustrated drivers. In a few days, I'll post some of the photos I took there.

Usually when I'm in the city I visit some of the museums. But this time I joined my husband in one of his "New York Theatre Binges." In four days and nights I saw three plays, all wonderful off Broadway hits ... 4 movies and attended a stunning performance of Handel's Messiah, with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra and fabulous choral singers and soloists. We attended that concert the last night we were there and it was the perfect note to come home on. In between, we wandered through Rockefeller Center, various Christmas markets and the Avenues. Bill did see an extra play one afternoon when I chose to nap.

French Beaded Poinsettia Flower On My Mantel

Here is wishing all of you a very Happy Holiday season and a Peace Filled New Year!!

Oh, Christmas Tree ...

We have lived in this house since January 7, 2001 and it is the first year in all that time that we have had a Christmas tree. Some years we were away for the holidays, other years we were tied up in what I call complicated times. So it's with joy that I tell you we do have a tree this year ... small, at around 2 feet tall, but none-the-less a lovely little Frasier Fir, that holds some of our oldest and smallest decorations that go way back ... treasures we brought together when we married that hold sweet memories for each of us. On the top is the wise owl our tiny children chose to be the guardian of our lives.

We will be alone to celebrate Christmas this year but only in the sense that we will be the only two living people in the house. There will be echos of past holidays and the looking forward to future days ... the beginning of a new year ... and an upcoming visit to see our grandchildren.

We could have gone to see them for this holiday ... but this is the first Christmas since my mother died. I feel a need to just be here where I can be with my memories of her and sort through all of the feelings one encounters when one loses a loved one. It will be both sad and happy, bitter and sweet ... a time for healing and learning to feel comfortable with the changes that life is so full of.

We begin our holiday with a trip to New York City ... to see once again the city decked out in its holiday finery. I lived out on Long Island as a child. Each holiday season took us to "the city" to see the magical window displays at Macy's, to tell Santa what I'd like to find under the tree and to spend carefully saved nickles and quarters for something special to give to my mom
on Christmas day.

When we first planned this trip I had no idea how important it would be for me. I thought it would just be another trip to the big city to see a few shows. I'm discovering how much I need to do this ... to look back and look forward all at once, to see where I've been and to wander some possible avenues for the future.

I'll be back next weekend and hopefully will have some big city photos to share!

Weather Extremes ...

Last week we had a very light dusting of snow. It was enough to get me inspired to do something about decorating the house for Christmas.

Today it is 72 degrees outside. It's also very humid, all due to a flow of Gulf of Mexico air coming up from the south. I was going to take that slice of watermelon down from above the door, but with these wild weather swings, maybe I'll just leave it in place. That way we'll be ready for whatever comes.

The next system coming through will bring some rain and they say that there is a possibility of a "winter storm" over the weekend. That usually means lots of ice, but I'm putting in an order for snow. It's that time of year and I'm ready ... though we are planning an excursion by train to the Big Apple on Monday to take in the Messiah at Lincoln Center and a few Off Broadway shows. We'll window shop on 5th Avenue and hopefully do some museums. The American Folk Museum is one of my favorites. So I hope the weather is good enough to allow for all of that. If not, we'll just stay here and bake cookies!! Either way, I'm sure we'll have fun!!

Snow on the evergreen leaves of a Camillia

A friend of mine reminded me yesterday that in order to fight "Holiday Consumer Disease," one should:

refuse to rush
don't expect too much
accept what you have as a gift
be grateful for the little things
give lots and lots of love
remember that all we have is the present moment

Ushering In The Season ...

Sycamore Tree Near The River, © Joan Z. Rough, 2007

While a good portion of the country is undergoing Mother Nature's wrath, with snow, freezing rain and other forms of nasty weather, we wait for a bit of rain. It isn't supposed to amount to much, if anything. Yesterday the local weatherman called for about 1/4 of an inch, but today he didn't mention an amount . That means that the giant storm causing so many people grief, will probably slide by us to the north, leaving us with worsening drought. Our total rainfall for November was a grim 3/16ths of an inch.

I've just finished preparing bottles of Elderberry Syrup for gifts. Two loaves of bread just out of the oven fill the house with yummy smells. I've gotten quite a bit done today and am feeling pretty good about myself at the moment.

But earlier it was a little different. I woke feeling, not dreadful, but kind of "flat." Kind of like, "who cares!" ... just not interested in doing much at all and the things I needed to do seemed like endless chores. Sounds like the annual "Holiday Blues," some of us suffer from.

I have absolutely nothing to be depressed about. It bothers me that I can make Big Pains out of little nothings especially when there are so many people in the world in need of the basic things in life ... like food, clothing, shelter, a job and a peaceful place in which to wake up. So what to do?

I start by listing the things that make me one of the most fortunate people in the world: A beautiful home in a gorgeous, peaceful community, tucked into the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. I have more than enough food in my larder, much of it locally grown and organic. I have warm clothes, shoes and all the accessories to make myself look fashionable. My family is made up of loving, unselfish people. I have my health which is amazing, judging from all those I know who are suffering from one ailment or another, some, life threatening.

A male Cardinal, often called "Red Bird" here in Virginia

That by no means is the end of the list. I could go on and on, but I won't bore you. It's time to brew a cup of spicy tea, put on some Christmas music and address a few cards to those I haven't seen in an age. Maybe I'll also pull out a few Christmas decorations as well. Tomorrow I'll buy a wreath and spread good cheer where ever I go!!