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!

I have more to post...

...I promise... but I've been sitting on this beautiful youtube for months and yesterday, after the palms and the Passion and the more menial yardwork I remembered it.

Have a blessed Holy Week!

The Right Side

Well, I'm a little lighter after a trip to Bates Nursery, but no real worse for the wear since I got a lot of things to do for the right side of the yard!

Now appearing near the door - alongside Oakleaf Hydrangea 'Pee Wee' yet to be purchased - we have two very lovely 'Lo and Behold' dwarf butterfly bushes and pink hardy ice plant for the border...

...the lineup also includes bellflowers, 'big ear' lamb's ears, 'wild thing' autumn sage and 'rheinland' astilbe, pretty much just like it is now with the sage in the back, then the lamb's ears, then the bellflower. I'd thought of mixing in some boris avens, but they had none, and I may prefer the blue bellflowers only instead of the spot of orange for contrast.

Another view of everything. Looking forward to tomorrow afternoon and Sunday!

The Yard

Oh, the yard. Oh, the humanity. Oh, Oh...

If you've spoken to me in the past two months, the conversation has probably been dominated by my griping about or dreaming of plans for my yard. If it wasn't the removal of the juniper, it was complaining about the texture of the soil (you could make a terracotta army out of gumbys) (ha, ha, ha) - or it was wondering if I had enough sun for this or that plant. Well, with the unusually glum weather comes a big sign of spring - Saturday's high is 60s and sunny - so now's as good a time as any to do the "before" part of a "before and after" montage, as well as introduce you to some new non-flora and fauna residents of the front yard.

Let's meet the newbies first.

Mom was here last weekend, and we visited the Nashville Flea Market. Since I'm the most spoiled child ever, I threw a fit for and received this awesome peacock. Before she left, we'd named him Mike - after Mike the Tiger - primarily to annoy Paul. Paul rolled with it - but later suggested a better name - Joseph, since he has many colors! Paul also thinks people are going to fall on him, so he is also casually known as Joseph the Impaler. We have to differentiate, though...

...because we have another Joseph, Saint Joseph, Patron of Fathers, Workers, Craftsmen, Unborn Children/Expectant Mothers, Families... and a lot of other stuff. He's obviously a VERY welcome addition!

Now, on to the not so exciting part. This is the part where you find out that my yard looks like a horses' butt.

Here it is from the sidewalk. You can really see how much faith I put in water hoses. The irrigation system using soaker hoses really benefits the flower boxes, though. I can turn them on in the mornings, brush my teeth, and turn them off and they are happy. The yard is terrible. I know this. We'll maybe price some sod or just re-seed, but that will probably need to wait until the fall. This is going to be a busy spring, as you can tell since, oh, I DON'T HAVE ANY FOUNDATION PLANTS.

Here's a closer look of the carnage:


I have been, by reviewing these just now, newly inspired to do a post showing off what I WANT to do in these spaces where you just see dirt. So maybe a "before, after and idealized" set of postings?

Here's what you do if you don't know what you're ultimately going to do:

plant bulbs. I've since decided to put a Limelight Hydrangea there, so I'll lose some of those bulbs in the short term - but I'll bury them around the hydrangea so, before it re-blooms later next spring we'll have some of this to tide us over as well. You can see what a fantastic job that mulch does with weed control, too. /sarcasm


Danya gave me this (indeterminate) rose after she had it in a planter last year. I didn't think it would survive, but it seems to be thriving. I don't know what to do with it. I guess trellis it and see what happens. I can always move it next year if it doesn't continue to make. This is why gardening is awesome - it's perfect procrastination - it's always "next year". Of course, that finds you checking weather.gov like a crackhead to see when the next pretty, springy day is to plant!

Now for some pretty pictures of the flower boxes and a particularly nice planter of Hens and Chicks we've got going on. I'll change the pansies out probably first of May in favor of some petunias, but the 'goldilocks' will stay. I've also been tempted by this (also called 'goldilocks'!) - so it may go in and provide a nice contrast depending on which direction I go with the petunias. As you may know, Bugs' 8th birthday is next week and her new name is, therefore, 'oldilocks' - we're nothing if not original.


This picture is about as artsy as I get.


Right...

...and left.

Let's see if I have the energy or interest still to make a post about my ideas.