2/29/2012

This is something I can only do once every four years, so before February departs, I hope everyone had a very happy day because this is:

and we had one extra day this month. It was gorgeous too!!

Save that tree!

Earlier today I didn't think I would have anything of importance to write about. We went to the Rec Center and had a great workout. The Rec Center purchased new spinning bikes just a few weeks ago and I must say that I've been working up a bigger sweat with the new equipment. After that we went to a Pilates class. Since we missed this class last week, it felt good to be back in the routine. Last November the Rec Center hired a new instructor since our former one went to Arizona for the winter. We both like the workouts that Carrie gives us and that says a lot because before this we both thought that Pilates was hard. The workouts are still hard but they are more varied and, maybe, we are just a bit stronger.

But I digress. After lunch, I was reading e-mail and Ray was cooking maple sap on the patio. He called and said he had something he wanted to show me. I walked out on the patio and it took less than a minute for me to see this:

Taken with my 40-150 mm lens

About 15 years ago, shortly after we moved here, we had the same thing happen to some young trees. Thankfully, these are native trees, not any that we planted. Even so, we don't want any tree destroyed in this manner.

Ray set up a ground trap in case the beaver returns. Neither of us likes to harm wildlife, but we don't want to lose trees either.  Here's a close-up:

Can you see the trap on the left side of the tree?

My theory is the beaver won't return. I hope I'm right because why would he abandon cutting down the tree when he had almost finished the job? It's possible the beaver was scared away by another creature. We'll probably never no. Unfortunately, this tree doesn't have a chance to survive but we want to save our other trees so we'll be watching and hoping the beaver doesn't return.

We're published!

I saw the first blooming crocus of the season this afternoon. I don't know if late February is a record or not, but it's always a boost to see spring flowers.

Take a look at the people on the cover of this book. Do they look familiar? (Sorry, even though it says "Click to Look Inside" you can't -- this photo was downloaded from Amazon.com.)

Ray, me and Nancy (Bart's arm in lower left)

I hope I'm correct about my facts. Bart posted this photo on Flickr and was approached asking for permission to use the photo. The family photograph probably dates back at least 30 or more years. I'm not sure if the publisher added the grunge, but I think this is a photo that survived Katrina. If you'd like to see more about getting a copy of the book (it's not actually about us), you need to click here. If you go to the Amazon site you can actually read an excerpt from the book. I'm not endorsing the it as I don't know anything about the author or the content, but it's only $2.99, apparently a 30,000 word novella.

Do you know anyone else whose face adorns a book cover?

This and that

Sure seemed like winter with cold temps this morning but lots of sunshine later in the day. The warmer temperatures after a cool night means the sap is running again.

We spent a quiet day at home. Ray checked his taps and filled up the ten gallon container with sap so tomorrow he'll be cooking a lot.

Today was the First Sunday in the Lenten season. Since we were on the road last Wednesday I didn't have the opportunity to attend our Ash Wednesday service. Our women's ministry group was responsible for serving supper last Wednesday. Planning ahead, I had prepared my contribution for the meal, stored it in the church's freezer and had asked a friend to take care of it for me. From what I heard there was enough food for all and helpers for both set up and clean up.

Today's sermon was about temptation. Temptation comes every day--big and small. It's much like a fake worm dangled before a fish with a 3-prong hook on the line. The poor fish is tempted and then suffers. Jesus was tempted by the Devil after his baptism. The Devil led him to the desert. Temptation begins with doubt and the "lure" of lies. Jesus battled the Devil in the desert and came out victorious for us. We can't fight the Devil alone--when tempted we can come to Jesus in prayer.

I made tomato soup for lunch today. The recipe was much larger than I expected. It made enough for four meals. In addition to onion, leek and celery, the recipe called for three kinds of tomatoes: diced canned tomatoes, sun dried tomatoes and tomato sauce. Chicken broth, milk and two tablespoons of balsamic vinegar were also added and then pureed together. I thought it was rather tasty.

While that was simmering I stirred together a pumpkin snack cake (we enjoy something sweet with our lunch). They both were ready about the same time. Lunches are prepared for the next several days!!

The Concordia High girl's basketball team (Fort Wayne) won semi-state and play for the 3A state championship next weekend in Terre Haute.

Post Mardi Gras

Being tired after that long drive home from New Orleans on Wednesday, we were rejuvenated by a wonderful night of rest. Thursday was a busy day catching up on mail, laundry, meals (I hadn't cooked in several days) and the start of a long-delayed project. Months ago I purchased a Groupon for scanning 4x6 photos to a DVD. I had put off looking through old photos for several months but the Groupon expires on Feb. 26 so I had to get busy. Looking at old photos is a trip down nostalgia lane. I could remember the occasion but sometimes couldn't recall the year and I had to do some research since I was trying to sort the photos in chronological order.

On Friday we went to the Rec Center (it had been a week since my last visit) and spent the rest of the day sorting more photos. After breakfast today I sorted some more and finally packed all the photos according to instructions provided. Our closest Post Office closes at 11 a.m. on Saturday and I wanted to be sure to get there before it closed so I would have today's post mark on my package.

This afternoon Ray attended a meeting of our Home Owner's Association. An inspection of the bridge has indicated that repairs are needed and a 5 ton limit has been posted. Garbage trucks are no longer allowed to cross the bridge. We are hauling our one bag of garbage to a central gathering place just before the bridge. When bids for the repairs are in, another meeting is scheduled. The Association's treasury has not had any major snow removal bills this winter and that's one good piece of news.

I haven't even had a chance to look at all my Mardi Gras photos, but hope to very soon. I miss Persephone. When she said goodbye she said she would see us on Skype. But that's not the same.

Home Again!

We arrived home about 8:45 p.m. from our trip to New Orleans. The drive time was 12.5 hours which is remarkable. The were no delays and only a few minor constructions sights. We left New Orleans at 6:35 (EST) which makes for a long day on the road. Photos to come. But now it's time for bed.

Birthday Dinner

As we left our motel this morning, I noticed all the nursery plants for sale at the Home Depot. It's probably at least a month before we'll see trees and shrubs for sale and outdoor nurseries open in Indiana. The drive from northern Mississippi to New Orleans was made in three two-hour shifts with a stop for lunch and fuel. Perfect weather with lots of sunshine and, again, we saw some naturalized daffodils blooming alone the highway.

We arrived at Bart and Christy's house about 3 p.m. Persephone greeted us with a smile, a wave and a hug. Before long she had her Grandpa and Grandma on the floor playing the Barney game. The game was close but she won, fair and square.

Later, we went to dinner at Ralph's on the Park restaurant. Persephone enjoyed her balloon as we were celebrating her 4th birthday a day early. A very nice restaurant, superb service and delicious food. Thanks, Bart, for the wonderful meal!

Tomorrow is Mardi Gras and we're going to the parade that we missed several years ago. It should be interesting.

Change of plans

After I left church this morning, Ray suggested that he'd be willing to make the trip to New Orleans. I said are you sure? He said if we make it halfway and I'm feeling bad then we'll turn around and go home. We both were feeling bummed out that we wouldn't be in New Orleans for Persephone's 4th birthday on the same day as Mardi Gras. Right now it looks like we'll make it.

In a little over two hours after arriving back home we were on the road heading south. Tonight we've just crossed the border into Mississippi and are about halfway to our destination. I was driving on I-55 for the last two hours of our trip but the traffic wasn't heavy which made is easy since it was already dark. Earlier in the day, we made a mistake and went out of the way for about 30 minutes but otherwise the day was bright and sunny with the temperature holding at 44.

I usually post something about the church service, but in all the excitement and flurry of getting packed and ready I can't recall much except that today's sermon was on the Transfiguration.

We did see some daffodils blooming along the road. The naturalized bulbs are a sign of spring after the winter that never was. We chose to drive west through Illinois, Missouri, Arkansas, Tennessee and are now in Mississippi. This route is very close in mileage to the one that goes south through Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama and then Mississippi. We weren't sure about the snowstorm that was passing through Kentucky earlier today so decided on this route.

Time to get a quick shower and then to bed.

Maple Syrup

Before leaving the house this morning I captured a picture of our maple syrup operation. Ray has enjoyed the process for several years. He used to boil the syrup on our patio using electric hot plates. I know this isn't the "romantic" way most people picture the process. In Vermont they build huge outdoor fires and boil the sap in large vats. At least that's the picture I have.

Last year we invested in a propane cooker and it's much more efficient and faster.

Boiling down sap

After taking the photo I left for church to help knot quilts for Lutheran World Relief. Our small group plans to meet once a month. We didn't schedule anything in December and in January we had some nasty weather (can hardly believe that) so it was good to get together once again. One of the gals brings her sewing machine and stitches the binding. I usually do knotting. One of the other gals assembles the tops, inner layer and back layer and pins them together so we can knot. Other people work at home piecing the squares. Last year our group made 20+ quilts, all from donated material.

I prefer using a small curved needle

We had been planning to drive to New Orleans tomorrow getting there in time for Mardi Gras and Persephone's birthday that happen to be on the same day. She'll be four. The trip has been canceled since Ray has been suffering from lower GI ills for nearly two weeks. Our doctor ran two tests but found nothing that could point to the cause. He prescribed an anti-fungal medication and is referring him to a specialist. Snow is predicted in Kentucky tomorrow so now we don't have to be concerned about driving conditions. 

While watching the evening news I heard that the girl's basketball team from the high school that I attended many years ago -- Concordia Lutheran in Fort Wayne -- defeated Hamilton Heights in Class 3A and are regional champions. I'm impressed. When I was in high school, girls weren't playing competitive basketball anywhere.

Bumps in the yard

Last summer Ray decided on a new method to mulch around our trees. We've always had a ring of mulch surrounding the trees to make it easier to mow around them. Rather than purchase mulch from a local garden supply, Ray added a very thick layer of grass clippings to some of the trees. A really thick layer! Just lately I've noticed a change in this mulch made of grass clippings. It's gotten a little lumpy and bumpy looking. I hope you can see what I mean in this photo.

There are about five bumps in the mulch

I just learned what is causing the mulch to pop up in certain places. Several years ago I planted daffodil bulbs at the base of these trees. I was concerned that the heavy mulch might stunt or even kill the bulbs. Not to worry. Here's proof:

The bulbs are making their way to the surface!

Due to the warm winter, many of our spring flowering bulbs are peeking through the soil. Many are now an inch or two tall and are the usual green. The daffodils under the grass clipping mulch haven't seen daylight and are yellow! Check back in a few weeks. I plan to post an update.

Valentine's Day

To borrow a phrase I heard this morning: We didn’t have a white Christmas, but we certainly have a white Valentine’s Day. It was probably only two inches deep but we enjoyed looking out the window to see the beautiful white landscape. The trees were covered with icing and the grass was all white and fluffy. Now about 14 hours later, the snow has nearly all melted away. Tomorrow brings rain and 40s by the weekend.

We didn't follow our usual routine and stayed home. Ray did his workout on the driveway. He later said he should have waited a while as all the snow melted in a few hours. I used the extra time to catch up on some outstanding projects. Of course, I didn't get them all done. 

Earlier this month I rummaged through the closet and dragged out some Valentine's decor. It's a bit more than I usually do, but our fireplace mantel looks festive.

Wonder how long I should leave it in place. I'll have to look and see if I have any St. Patrick's green to replace the Valentine's theme.

Under the wire

In the last week or so a dashboard warning light alerted us twice that pressure in one of our tires was low. Fortunately Ray is a good record keeper and he discovered that the warranty on two replacement tires we purchased is due to expire on February 21. So today, we stopped in the tire store and in a few minutes they had the tire repaired. After February 21 there may have been a charge but today we had free service.

Just down the street from the tire store we stopped at Goodwill and came home with several purchases as part of our regalia for Mardi Gras next Tuesday. Stay tuned!

Sometimes it pays to say "enough is enough." Let me explain. When we purchased our car in 2007 we enjoyed three months of complimentary satellite radio. After three months, we opted to become paying customers. Then last year we received notice that the rates were being increased rather dramatically and Ray said "that's enough" and discontinued our contract. Less than six months later, he received an offer to reinstate the service at the incredible rate of $25 for six months. He couldn't resist. We'll enjoy it for six months and then we'll probably cancel again. Sometimes it pays to send a message to a vendor that they've overstepped their bounds. I'm betting there were lots of people who canceled after the increase and they are trying to lure their customers back.

Singing to piano accompaniment

Something seemed a bit amiss this morning when I entered the church sanctuary, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it. Then I realized that someone was playing the piano. I first thought it was the choir warming up as I was a bit earlier than usual. A little later someone told me that our regular organist had a kidney stone and wasn't able to play today. Two other possible organists were both out of town but thankfully we had an accomplished pianist who had been informed last evening that she might have to pinch hit. I enjoyed hearing the piano and all the voices singing together were easier to hear than when the organ plays.

The pastor's sermon centered on the Old Testament story of Naaman being healed of leprosy. When it comes to our healing, God always does it his way -- not ours. In his day, there was no cure for Naaman's leprosy. Today, we have cancer and other diseases that are incurable. On the spiritual realm we are sick with sin. Thankfully, Jesus bore our sins on the cross and we are cured of our disease. We can never buy or pay for our salvation; it is a free gift.

Late afternoon I returned to church for a meeting of our LWML women's group. We don't meet monthly so we had quite a few things to discuss and even had some Oreo truffles to munch on.

Earlier in the week I finished a banner and delivered it to church for use later this year. The design is a graphic that I found online.

Psalm 133:1 is the theme verse for Concordia

What should I do this week? I need to check my to do list. But I'll save that for the morning. Now it's time for bed.

Greetings to my sister

Happy Birthday to my sister Gloria who is celebrating today. Hope you are having a fun day and that skiing was great this year.

September 2010

The prediction tonight is for about two inches of snow. I don't think this should cause any problems because the ground is warm after two+ weeks of above average temperatures. The next two mornings will be cold -- as low as 10 if the predictions are correct.

Super Bowl

It was a super event! Everyone was trained to greet with the words "Have a super day." But it's now history. The clean-up and getting the city streets back to normal will take another few days or up to a week or so. Being close and listening to daily reports and constant, it seemed, TV coverage of all the events leading up to the Super Bowl made me realize what an amazing feat the city pulled off. The number of celebrities who visited the city during the past 10 days or so was incredible. I wonder if anyone kept count.

We've lost track of the number of years we gathered with three other couples to enjoy conversation and as much of the game as we could. In the beginning, all the men worked at Eli Lilly but are now retired. Several years ago two of the couples moved out of state, leaving two couples to continue the tradition. It was our turn to host last evening. I prepared salad, manicotti empenadas along with some French bread. Karen, our guest and her husband Bill, brought dessert.

Ray, me, Karen and Bill

We actually did see all of the game and the half-time show and were happy to see the Giants win as was most of Indianapolis. As at most parties, we probably had more food than necessary. During the game I served a taco platter (a dip that can be scooped with Dorito chips). Ironic, that I served Doritos -- one of the funniest commercials was about the same product -- hope you saw it. I also made some Football Truffles (not mushrooms) that are very rich. Since there were so many left over, I sent some home with Karen and Bill.

Made with cream cheese and Oreo cookies

The weather couldn't have been nicer for the Super Bowl considering that this is normally the coldest part of winter in Indiana. We're expecting some return to more average temperatures in the coming week, but we sure enjoyed the above normal temperatures last week as did all the visitors to Indianapolis.

Super Bowl Sunday

Today's sermon was about healing. The pastor began with the question "Wouldn't it be nice if Jesus could come and heal us as he did with Simon Peter's mother-in-law?" After that event, many came to be healed and a large crowd gathered. According to Scripture, Jesus healed them as a means to show he was Lord of all. However, even though we may be healed of some afflictions, at some point we will die; but we are comforted by the thought that Jesus will be there to greet us.

Today was the first Fellowship 15 (10:10 to 10:25 am) which has been promoted as a weekly time of Fellowship between services. Donuts, juice and coffee were served and the names of those celebrating a birthday during the coming week were announced followed by singing Happy Birthday. The foyer area was crowded but since I often leave at 9:15, I won't be able to join in the Fellowship time every week -- maybe just once a month or so.

After church we hurried home so we would be ready for guests later in the day for the big Super Bowl game.