Another interesting blog

Every so often I like to share a new blog that I discovered. The one that I am going to share with you was suggested by a colleague at work. It is the blog of a woman with a family, a woman of faith. The amazing thing about this blog is that she shares her and her husband's recovery after surviving an airplane crash. She started her blog before the crash, a chronicle of her family life. After the plane crash, she continues to blog about her struggles, physically and emotionally. It is an amazing blog. While she was in the hospital, a relative posted reports of how she was doing.

If you have a few minutes, it is inspiring and heart rending all at the same time. Take a look!!

Guess what's on the needles!?!?

I have started a new knitting project. That in itself, is not a new revelation. But now, I am starting on a project that I have been wanting to try for some time. I needed to get better at knitting overall, before I started this one. I needed to know how to knit in the round and knit on a smaller scale. Here are some pictures of the start of my project. Aren't the colors yummy? Any guesses?

A good book

I have had the opportunity for the first time in a while to finish a book by my favorite author. It was one of those times when I just was absorbed by the book. The book was very good, but it also may have been that I was just in the mood to get lost in a book. Nothing is more pleasant! I have not had time to read for personal pleasure lately, with work and reading for my book club, and all the other things that keep me busy. However, I have been sick lately and used the opportunity to get into a new book that has been laying around for some time.

I have read almost all of Anne Rivers Siddons books, but was delighted to find one that I had not yet read. Off Season was delightful and happy and sad all at once. It was a love story, not only between two individuals, but a love story between the main character and her childhood home, a community, memories and lessons learned in those times. This was a book roughly equivalent to my age and growing up period, so I could really relate in so many ways.

I won't bore you, or spoil the book for you by giving away the conclusion of the story, but it is about a girl who spent her summers at the family lake home and how they shaped her life.

I was particularly moved by the impact of that home and 'lake life'. It was possible for me to read the book and absolutely put the story and atmosphere into my own context. Although my childhood was different in many ways, I think most people reading the book could relate to their childhood memories and how we all wish to grab back some of those moments in our adulthood.
Also how they often sustain us through our adulthood and even old age, just as they did Lilley, in the book.

27 years or 324 months or 9,828 days

Well, I haven't blogged for a while, so I was thinking about what has happened in my life lately that would merit a blog entry. Well, actually, we have had our anniversary 2 days ago. I think we would agree that marriage has been a joy and a challenge. It was definitely touch and go from time to time, but I think that the hard times have made us stronger.

Anyhow we are now headed on to 28, and have much to look forward to. We are blessed!!!!

Bike riding

Leon and I went on a bike ride tonight. It has easily been a year since I have been on my bike, so I was a bit wobbly out of the gate. But what is the old saying "it's like riding a bike, you never forget". So we rode around the subdivision next to ours and had a great time. It was my favorite time of the evening, the temperature was cool and it really was pretty neat. My favorite part of bike riding is the air on my face. Now I have to get out more often. Luckily, it is early in the year and once I get out in the spring and summer once, I tend to get out more often. So I challenge you all to get out there and ride!!!

Spring (and the goslings) has sprung

I always know it is really spring when I first see baby goslings and I saw my first ones today. I was out running errands and driving down the road when I spotted two parent geese and their babies; and then just down the road a little further, another family of geese and goslings. It seems that we have an overabundance of geese around our neighborhood and sometimes they get a bad rap. People get tired of their droppings and they can be aggressive if it is nesting season, or if they're just in a bad mood and you get too close. I have seen a woman attacked by a goose and it was pretty scary. But, it was minor and she managed to wave it away pretty quickly, but you get the idea!?!.

We were at the zoo a couple of weeks ago and there were geese all over the place and people were feeding them, as they always do. Leon, Abby, Lissy and I were walking along and two geese started running toward Lissy and I and lifted into the air just above our heads. It was a very scary moment, but the mother in me took over and I threw myself in front of Lissy to protect her. Thank God she is okay!!! Another take on that story is that Lissy threw me in front of her, but I won't go there!!

Anyhow, I really do love the geese and though some people say that they are filthy because of their droppings, I do believe that we would be pretty filthy too, if we didn't have bathrooms. And their babies are absolutely enchanting. I watch for them every spring and I am always happy when I see them.

Another thing that I find really cool about geese is that they mate for life. I don't think there are too many species that do that, but nothing is more heart wrenching than seeing a goose hit and killed by a car and their mate on the side of the road, not knowing what to do. It is almost as thought they are waiting for their mate to get up. This mating for life ritual makes me wonder how they choose each other. Is it totally random? Is it just the first one they run into after hitting "puberty"? I can't imagine they are smart enough to be "attracted" to a particular other goose. And then, how do they tell each other apart from other geese. They all seem to look the same to me. So when the goose husband leaves for some errand and comes back to a group of goose wives, how does he know which one is his. Interesting!!!! Okay, I really must stop this now.

Take notice of the geese and goslings in your neighborhood and ask yourself these questions.

By the way, I did not have my camera with me, so these pictures are from Flickr, but I really want to get a picture of my own. Maybe next time!!