One of the Reasons I Love Spring

One of the many things I love about living in this climate is the variety of birds all year around. A true pleasure for me in recent years has been to watch a particular pair of hummingbirds (I'm not sure which particular kind) that have come back to the tree outside our office for at least three years now.

This is not a great picture, but look almost in the dead centre.


Now a little closer in.


She is so tiny in there. The nest is not bigger than a golf ball. Last year I remember taking a boo at them and finding both Ma & Pa all scrunched in. I don't know how they do it.

As time goes on I'll keep watch and see if I can't get a picture of them once the babies hatch.

Do you have a favourite bird in your neighbourhood?

I Like to Laugh

And this tickled my funny bone to no end.

Where We're At

Not to bore you, but I took a friend shopping on Friday and we picked out (not easily) two pairs of new frames for me. (Lin: I will post a picture of them once I have them in my hot little hands). Pe@rle Vision has a two for one sale. Can you trust a ‘two for one sale’ when its your vision your dealing with? Time will tell.

In other news …. there really isn’t anything to report, hence my lack of updating.

I’m continuing on my voracious reading stint and read two books over the weekend - nothing but frivolous (romantic) froth, so I will not even endeavor to give a worthy book review. You read one – you’ve read them all. I find I’m still trying to debrief my brain from a particular vampire/werewolf story I got whirl-wind into (book number three comes out in movie version on June 30th). So finding other reading material has been hard and yet easy to find. Hard because I want that same tension level without giving up days of my life to accomplish the task. Easy because I’ll take an old fashioned romance novel anytime and skim for the good parts. Although I have been recommended the Sookie Stackhouse series, but it waits beside my bedside as I wade through lighthearted, witty, historical silliness. I don’t think I’m quiet ready to begin on a new Vampire series that will discombobulate my vampire assumptions further.

I have since been revisiting my local library. A girlfriend showed me the virtues of online book reservation for my local branch. Easy as 1 – 2 – 3. But I really must learn not to reserve the LARGE PRINT versions. My arms aren’t long enough or strong enough to hold the book far away. My husband could read it from across the room.

I also like the reservation system because I can look for authors I’ve been enjoying without standing in front of the large neon “ROMANCE SECTION” sign that hangs over the isle. I feel so judged when I read romance.

Eat My Words

Today is "Administrative Professionals" Day, in fact - it is all week, but today gets singled out for some reason.

With 12 years under my belt around here, and only being remembered twice - I had my doubts that much attention would come my way. I even put up advertisements to send flowers. Do you think that was too brash?

I would have been a little glum if nothing had happened. I have to remind myself why I do what I do. And I do what I do because I love doing it. But isn't it nice to get acknowledged sometimes.

I was, and I am deeply honoured. I was given a potted plant, and a gift certificate for a fancy, expensive restaurant. I really would have been happy with just the plant, but I am extra blessed.

So to all you "Administrative Professionals" out there - I thumbs up, eye wink, kudos, applause, and give my love and respect to you for what you do. You may have been showered with flowers and recognition today, or you may have been looked over, but either way - there is a whole slew of us out there who know and understand. I drink to your health.

The Menu Is Too Large

I spent the weekend on the hunt for the perfect eye wear.

Did you know - there's no such thing as the 'perfect' eye wear???

Or at least that's what I've come to understand. I came very close to the 'perfect for me' frames, but they were attached to a $600+ price tag, and I couldn't justify such silliness.

I have since dialed down my fun-meter and am coming in to a close second. I took the hubby in to show him and to get his thoughts. That was my downfall. This is one of those times you should take a straight shooting girlfriend over a husband any day.

A straight shooting girlfriend will tell you if your choice is crap. A husband who would rather be any where else except looking at glasses with you, will tell you exactly what he thinks you want to hear. And what he thinks you want to hear is generally anything that will get him out of the store sooner.

I will be revisiting one particular store again before the weeks is out - AND without my husband (whom I truly love and cherish, but hate shopping with).

Will any of you be in my neighbourhood next weekend to grant me your sage advice?

Pains of Getting Older

I had my once-every-two-years eye exam yesterday. I've been wearing glasses since I was thirty. It was bound to happen as both my parents did as well.

My last prescription change up two years ago moved me into the world of "Progessive Lenses", which are the evolution of bi-focal/tri-focal lenses. Which is also the evolution of making me feel old.

I'm naturally near-sighted, so I don't even tend to wear my glasses when I'm reading a book. But when I need to see the computer screen or beyond . . . forgetting my glasses is not a good thing. I'm pretty blind.

So yesterdays visit wasn't much of a surprise - I'll need to get new glasses. I used to enjoy looking for glasses, but not anymore. I can't find a 'style' that I like. And because a 'progressive' lens needs more space - the tiny little things not much bigger than a slit - don't work. And the new fashion with really wide temples (or arms) don't work well with progressives .... I'm coming up with nothin'.

What's a fashion conscious woman to do? (I use the term "fashion" & "conscious" lightly).

To top my exam off, the doc wanted to do eye drops that dilate your eyes.

A recommendation here - never, ever try to shop for eye glass frames when you can't stop the streams of light from bright overhead florescent from piercing your very skull. It truly is a useless endeavor. (and I might add that I was having a bad hair day. Not a very good combination.)

The other thing you're really shouldn't do once you've had those drops ..... is drive home on a sunny day.

Thankfully - I didn't have far to go to get home, my dark curtain clad home. My eyes were still dilated when I went to bed that night.

All is well with the world today, but now I'm on the hunt for the perfect glasses.

Weird Dream #198

I dreamed I was at a potluck and my contribution to the meal was a salad.

I choose to make a fruit salad. It had only three ingredients: raspberries, pineapple, and my human hair. I cut it off special for just this occasion.

I mixed all the ingredients with my friends watching and then served up to several waiting plates.

I was just twirling up a forkful - like one does to spaghetti - of the lovely concoction, and lifting the fork to my mouth .....

And I woke up because my alarm went off. Thank you Lord for small miracles.

Finally Comin Up For Air

Where did the last week go? Oh My-Lanta!!!

I had the best intentions of checking in with you all and wishing you the best Easter possible. But you know what the say ..... "the road to hell is paved with good intentions!"

As it turned out my parcel from Amazon.ca arrived on Thursday. (I adore Amazon.ca. They satiate my need to purchase). The complete hardcover set of the Twilight Saga - 4 volumes.

It was at that moment that the postal man handed off my parcel to me that I KNEW beyond a shadow of doubt what I'd be doing for my 4 day long weekend. I was not coming up for air until the final page of book 4 was finished.

I began book 3 on Thursday night (only 40 ages or so), continued on Friday morning only stopping to fuel up my mortal body with food briefly at lunch and then again at dinner (and of course I stopped long enough to attend our church Good Friday service), but by this time I had consumed all but a remaining 100 pages. I finished the last pages on Saturday morning, and held off beginning the final book for a couple of hours. I was, by this time, bordering on a headache from forgetting to refocus and occasionally breath. But my appetite was too strong and I dived back in.

I did manage to pace myself a little better and took two and a bit days to get through the last tome. Finally, at 11am on Monday morning I lay the series to rest. With a sigh of resignation I said goodbye to the Cullens and Forks, Washington.

My husband thinks I'm a total nut case, but ... he knew what he was getting into when he married me.

My next adventure awaits, but I don't think I'll be able to get Bella, Edward, or Jacob out of my mind for a while. And that's ok!