Male-Driven White Trucks

What's up with all the guys on the road this morning driving their white pick up trucks like sports cars? Really?  REALLY GUYS? 

On a happier note...I found the photo I snapped with my phone of the horned toad I found in the yard the other day. It looked like it had horns.  You tell me what you think.  I thought it was adorable and it must have sensed my adoration as it continued to sit nearby and allow me to pet it several times.  It was too cool!

Home. Sweet. Home.

I know it's been a year since I posted, but the urge has hit me again, so I thought I'd try to start this blog thing back up again.  I've subscribed to a blogging lab and I've been getting these emails, well, that are pretty motivating.  I've been even more motivated to work outside lately.  I guess it's the weather; it's finally turned cooler here in St. Louis and this is my most favorite time of year.  Fall.  I've worked in the yard every day after work this week.  Tending the chickens.  And prepping the garden for spring.

These are four of my girls.  I love to sit and listen to them chatter as they forage.

The geese have been flying in too.  There have been geese on the lake almost every night this week when I come home.  They make a racket when they take off, but it's still quite a site to see them flying above the water.

While working in the yard, I noticed all of the tiny crickets and frogs that are hopping around right now.  Not to mention the swarms of gnats and those bothersome mosquitoes!  I also found a large horned toad.  Well, at least it looked like a horned toad.  I took a picture with my phone - I'll have to post that next time.

Working so much in the yard has been tiring, but I actually feel better overall after being outside and enjoying the outdoors.  Do you know what I mean?  It doesn't seem so much like work or exercise. 

I know it isn't OFFICIALLY Fall yet, but it feels like and I'm loving it.  I hope you are enjoying it too!

Cats Coffee Sunday

As soon as I opened the door onto the porch this morning my cat, Ella, darted out. By the time I got my coffee and came back to sit down she was chewing on one of the two ferns. This is part of the reason why all my plants are either dead or look like apocolyptic leftovers.  Zombie plants if you will.  So I yell at her and she makes a hasty retreat knocking down an empty metal planter as she goes. The noise scares our other cat, Bella, back into the house. I watch as Ella walks around sniffing and jumping onto anything and everything as if she's never explored this vast and sunny place. She sniffs out my coffee and ignores me as I try to snap a picture of her. Something catches her eye, she freezes in place for a split second, her head scoops down and I see her nose twitch. She gingerly unfurls from sitting to standing like cats do and jumps down to investigate this curious find.  But it is only part of the fern leaf she chewed off earlier.  She settles in to finish her snack, stopping occassionally to look at me with the leaf suspended  from her whiskers, as if its floating at the edges of her mouth in wait.  I suppose she is expecting to be rebuked but the damage is done and I'm more interested in sipping my coffee.  She finishes, licking her chops as if she's just devoured a fine feast, and saunters over to the lounger. She looks up, squinting at the sun, she looks like she's smiling. She jumps up and settles comfortably into the cushion. As if sensing Ella's level of relaxation and taking it as a threat, Bella has come back onto the porch and bee-lined it to Ella.  Ella senses her foe and defends her position, swatting as Bella goes up on her two hind legs and falls away and trots off, ears back. Bella goes to stand under the other fern, the one yet to be molested - today. If cats could whistle, I swear she would be. And have her paws neatly clasped and twiddling her little thumbs too. I wait. I sip. Ella decides she's safe, yawns, stretches out, eys closed, head aloft. I hear the immenent rustling. I say "No" long and low and Bella cowers off, flopping onto the floor and looking at me with such longing.  This makes me wonder if ferns taste like chocolate to cats. I wonder why I bring them onto the porch with me. If I truly wanted peace and quiet, I would close the door, locking them out.  Then I see Ella sunning on the lounger. And Bella flopping back and forth on the floor like a fish out of water while making her happy squeaky-chirp sounds and I know why. They remind me to do the same. Relax. Lay in the sun. Be curious. Sniff things out. Eat chocolate. Defend your lounger. Be in the moment. Stretch. Smile at the sun.  No wonder the Egyptians held cats in such high regard. Look at what they teach us.

The Blunt Housewife

http://www.bluntcard.com/

The Sardonic Housewife

I'd already decided not to renew my subscription to the Magazine, but by page 26 I was ready to not only not renew, but cancel my current subscription and burn every back issue in the house. 

Ok, not really.  I wouldn't cancel - it's already paid for.  And I would never waste good magazines - I always donate to a hospital or library. 

It was just page after page of incongruity that got to me.  The cover was very autumnal, white pumpkins halo'd by twig and berry wreaths on a pretty orange tablecloth.  Where the hell do you even find albino pumpkins?  I've not seen those in the aisles at Walmart.  Eh.  Flipping, flipping. Ahhh, isn't that nice.  Page five, a cute living room, a sofa, a bookcase, coffee table, end table, tasteful artwork.  But do you know what is the best thing about this picture?  It's clean, dust-free, orderly, everthing in its place.  This is what we really want.  Someone to clean our house.  I'd rather have someone clean it than design it anyday.  Flip, flip, flip.  Page 18 caught my eye because it had a cute guy holding a steaming cup of coffee.  Oh, for me?  God, a cup of coffee sounds really good right now!  On the facing page is a picnic.  A thermos and two cups sit on a tray on a warm yellow blanket next to a picnic basket and two bushels of apples.  Is that a ceramic tray?  It looks very rustic.  It looks heavy.  Can you imagine lugging that in a picnic basket?  Does anyone actually realize how much WORK a picnic is?  That doesn't look relaxing at all - I feel a back spasm coming on just looking at this.  Flip, flip.  Awww, isn't she sweet?  She kind of looks like my 5-year-old grand daughter.  She's sitting on a dresser in her leotard and pink tutu next to grandma's silver hand mirror and compact.  The reflection of the child is cyrstal clear with no sign of dust or fingerprints on the mirror.  Flip!  Awww, baby feet.  What's cuter than baby feet?  Chubby, soft, perfect baby feet!  I don't have picutes of my daughters pudgy baby feet.  I do have a dirty white plaster puddle with a shallow imprint somewhere.  Is that a foot or a hand? Why didn't I ever take pictures of MY babies' feet?  Ooohh yes, I was completely exhausted most of the time, that's why.  Probably couldn't even find a camera.  Flip.  Milano cookies.  Yum.  Advertisers are so evil.  On the opposite page is a 5 or 6-year-old little boy in a halloween costume, smiling sweetly while behind him Mom, we assume, who is also smiling, as she puts the final touches on a cake.  The table is covered with goodies; the aforementioned perfectly decorated cake, layers of coifed cupcakes, tall elegant candy dishes filled with bright candies.  I think I'm getting nauseated from sweetness overload.  And, by the way, I HAVE a 5-year-old grandson.  I KNOW what he would do to that table.  Not intentionally of course, but it would not be nearly as presentable, let alone as pristine and unchipped as they have it pictured here.  I don't even bother to turn the page.  This is ridiculous.  Who is falling for this make-believe shit?  I mean, really?  Candy in clear glass pedastal dishes for 5-year-olds?  Uhm - no.  The chocolate cake looks good though...