Yard Shots

Lantana, with Diamond Frost and Million Bells in the foreground.


The mix in the flower boxes this year: creeping jenny from last fall, supertunias in sangria and pretty much picasso, trailing verbena - and there's another variety of supertunia in the other side because the nursery was out of picasso. I think it's called raspberry stripe or something.


A petite bee balm, that kind of looks silly all to itself but will either grow, spread, or be moved in the fall. Makes for a nice close up, though!


Butterfly bush "blue chip" - which I saw a butterfly and a bee on today!


The sunflower Paul got me!


The rose Danya gave me last fall - who knew it'd live, much less do so well?


Another close-up of the boxes...


...and again, with the sour grapes beardtongue in the foreground.


This shows you why so many close-ups; I'm a poor weeder. But a pansy took in the sidewalk crack, and you can see a dear little cicada, the only one this year! (sarcasm) I do promise I've weeded more since this photo!


I just love robins, but this sad site greeted me last week. Hopefully its siblings made it!

Delinquency

Yet another roundup post, yet another empty promise of doing better. But I mean it this time...

I do have a lot to report, so I'll break it up some. Here's a great shot of the sunrise over Gulf Shores, AL: we were up watching the royal wedding.

Cicadas in Nashville

For those lucky enough to live outside of this plague, here's a taste of what these things sound like. It's deafening (over 80 decibels) and they get everywhere. Lana doesn't seem to mind them but Bugs has become an addict, so she has to wear her muzzle every time she goes out.

They're big enough so you can certainly see them, but they also have a knack for secretly attaching themselves to your clothing. Then they surprise you when they buzz in your ear, then you have to do a dance to get it off, if you're lucky enough that they're not under your clothing. A sister at work got one stuck under her habit.

One even has a Twitter account.

And they also have posters…

Yesterday

Thanks be to God, we made it. But...

Yesterday we got away around 10:30. I was really tired, dragging, couldn't get it together and mentioned to Paul that I felt rushed. Of course, he wasn't rushing me at all! But I still ran out of the house with no hair, makeup etc done.
Just ready to GO.

In the car, I realized I forgot coffee. Although they sell coffee in Laurel (and Gulf Shores, for that matter), we ran in Walgreen's and got coffee.

Then, we had to stop in Columbia because of the torrential rain.

We stopped in North Alabama at Chick fil A in Athens for lunch around 12. All around us we heard people talking about the storms. Later, we found out there was an incident south of there, near the 565 spur that goes to Huntsville. Huntsville is going to be without power for several days. So, we waited there for a while until things seemed to clear, and I decided we should get banana pudding milkshakes (which was a bright spot of yesterday). Paul said - can we just have a straw with these and get on the road? He was right, it looked clear. So we went ahead and, excepting heavy rainfall, things seemed fine.

We made it to Tuscaloosa for gas around 3ish. For those keeping score, we've NEVER stopped twice BEFORE Tuscaloosa. Even last week w/the girls we only stopped once - IN Tuscaloosa. We'd been hearing the alerts on NPR that there was severe weather, but we didn't know we may be in the line of fire until we got in the car heard more of the threat - we were pretty much running from the storm the rest of the way home.

Not until we got arrived did we realize just how close we'd come - and how thankful for the stops and inexplicable rushed feelings we were. You don't like to think what if - what if I had actually dried my hair, what if we wouldn't've stopped for coffee, what if we wouldn't've stopped in Columbia at all - or tarried so long at that Chick Fil A, and deciding at the last minute to get on the road with our milkshakes?

Look at this video. At first we thought it may be 59, but Paul dropped a pin and it looks like while close, it's not our route. But close enough probably to make us freak out if we were there - and be so thankful that we weren't.



Here's a story about another popular stop north of Birmingham.

We also missed a bad one in Cullman, too.

We were very fortunate yesterday, but a lot of people weren't. Please keep all of Central/Northern Alabama in your prayers.

Roundup...

Before we take the camera to the beach. Lots of, gasp! random stuff to follow.


Tulips!


The right side of the yard. It's so neat to see these now, as a reward for my laziness - because things really have grown a lot thanks to all this rain!


...and the other side. Again, these are nothing compared to how it looks now.


The Easter Bunny visited us...


...and earlier in April we had a birthday.


We bottled the IPA, which we dubbed "Alleluia IPA" since it fermented throughout Lent. Wasn't bad. You all know kind of how it happens now, the only new trick we have is this bottle tree that really helps the process along.


It looks like beer! And now we know it tastes like beer, too. Well, for the most part.




St. Andrew and the altar before Easter Vigil. Images are veiled during Holy Week in many denominations. We hide the images (and before today, there were no flowers or candles either) to remember, as followers of Christ, that He died for us - everything in our services that week mourns the death of our Lord. The Easter Vigil even begins in total darkness - through candles, light spreads, and later at the start of the first Mass of Easter the veils come off and we celebrate the Resurrection! It's a practice I didn't grow up with but now I love - Easter means so, so much to us anyway, but these deprivations and times of focus really put things in perspective and the Easter joy is even more great having called to mind His temptation and fast during Lent.

Weekend Plans!

So nice to title a post like this at my desk on a rainy Tuesday morning after such a blessed past few days.

Heading to Shiloh tomorrow to see where some ancestors on both sides fought, then on to Laurel for the evening and finally Gulf Shores until Sunday!

I think there may be a wedding going on somewhere we may find time to watch... has anyone heard about it?



More funny pics of Kate here.

Alleluia, Christ is Risen!

The Lord is Risen Indeed, Alleluia!

Last night was so wonderful, in the real sense of that word - full of wonder and awe at remembering what happened that first Easter. G.K. Chesterton has some fantastic quote about miracles, saying the amazing thing about miracles is that they happen. I'm sure I butchered that, but it's close enough for my purposes today - the readings from last night, their collects, and the Exsultet were so beautiful. The beginning of the Mass, the Gloria in Excelsis with the bells and the rejoicing moved me to tears (as it always does). And singing Alleluia in all its various opportunities (especially this) gets me every time since we've been without it for what seems like forever - but our struggle was not an end in itself.

Father started his homily last night by saying he'd be reading a 4th Century homily from St. John Chrysostom (Paul was, incidentally, born on his feast day) Anyway - imagine my happiness this morning, when I don't really have time to blog before this morning's Mass, and I shouldn't - but I read another blog that copied the same sermon - so here it is for all three of my loyal readers!

Christ is Risen!
Indeed He is Risen!


If any man be devout and love God, let him enjoy this fair and radiant triumphal feast. If any man be a wise servant, let him rejoicing enter into the joy of his Lord. If any have labored long in fasting, let him now receive his recompense. If any have wrought from the first hour, let him today receive his just reward. If any have come at the third hour, let him with thankfulness keep the feast. If any have arrived at the sixth hour, let him have no misgivings; because he shall in nowise be deprived therefor. If any have delayed until the ninth hour, let him draw near, fearing nothing. If any have tarried even until the eleventh hour, let him, also, be not alarmed at his tardiness; for the Lord, who is jealous of his honor, will accept the last even as the first; he gives rest unto him who comes at the eleventh hour, even as unto him who has wrought from the first hour.


And he shows mercy upon the last, and cares for the first; and to the one he gives, and upon the other he bestows gifts. And he both accepts the deeds, and welcomes the intention, and honors the acts and praises the offering. Wherefore, enter you all into the joy of your Lord; and receive your reward, both the first, and likewise the second. You rich and poor together, hold high festival. You sober and you heedless, honor the day. Rejoice today, both you who have fasted and you who have disregarded the fast. The table is full-laden; feast ye all sumptuously. The calf is fatted; let no one go hungry away.


Enjoy you all the feast of faith: Receive the riches of loving-kindness. let no one bewail his poverty, for the universal kingdom has been revealed. Let no one weep for his iniquities, for pardon has shown forth from the grave. Let no one fear death, for the Savior's death has set us free. He that was held prisoner of it has annihilated it. By descending into Hell, He made Hell captive. He embittered it when it tasted of His flesh. And Isaiah, foretelling this, did cry: Hell, said he, was embittered, when it encountered Thee in the lower regions. It was embittered, for it was abolished. It was embittered, for it was mocked. It was embittered, for it was slain. It was embittered, for it was overthrown. It was embittered, for it was fettered in chains. It took a body, and met God face to face. It took earth, and encountered Heaven. It took that which was seen, and fell upon the unseen.


O Death, where is your sting? O Hell, where is your victory? Christ is risen, and you are overthrown. Christ is risen, and the demons are fallen. Christ is risen, and the angels rejoice. Christ is risen, and life reigns. Christ is risen, and not one dead remains in the grave. For Christ, being risen from the dead, is become the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. To Him be glory and dominion unto ages of ages. Amen!