neighborhoodlems

This is the Butterfly garden our next door neighbors planted in early spring. Aren't those Zinnias amazing?!

You can't see them in this picture, but there are tall sunflowers that follow the sun around the sky.

It's very funny to visit them at different hours and see that they've kept their faces toward the sun. And then as night falls, they kind of slump over and go to sleep, I guess.  They sort of look sad, but I think they know the sun will be back, so they're just resting.

I'll try to take some pictures of them this week - although rain is forecast.  I wonder what they do in the rain?

There are tons of fun butterflies around now. HUGE ones that you might mistake for bats if you weren't married to a nature encyclopedia. And superfast ones that dive-bomb your head. And tiny yellow ones which you can only suppose are on an ice cream outing.

Dave and Aaron are having some serious discussion about the camel poop we're using as fertilizer in our neighborly veggie garden. There's a camel farm nearby that composts their poo. Our other neighbors, the ones with a pet pig named Jubba, have the hook-up so we can get free camel poo compost. We have it on good authority that camel poop is good for a garden (Jubba's garden is ginormous), so we're expecting some big Zucchini.

I made a blueberry pie on Sunday, but forgot to take a photo because I was too busy eating it. And sharing it. But mostly eating it. It is gone. It was good.

I heart blueberries.

(They are one-hump camels, if you were wondering.)

spring {summer} cleaning

it's still me, In Bussey World... just doing some refreshing over here... new stuff to come

scatter sunshine

In a world where sorrow
Ever will be known,
Where are found the needy,
And the sad and lone;
How much joy and comfort
You can all bestow,
If you scatter sunshine
Everywhere you go.

Slightest actions often
Meet the sorest needs,
For the world wants daily
Little kindly deeds;
Oh, what care and sorrow
You may help remove,
With your songs and courage,
Sympathy and love.

When the days are gloomy,
Sing some happy song;
Meet the world's repining
With a courage strong;
Go with faith undaunted
Thro' the ills of life;
Scatter smiles and sunshine
O'er its toil and strife.

Scatter sunshine all along your way;
Cheer and bless and brighten
Every passing day;
Scatter sunshine all along your way;
Cheer and bless and brighten
Every passing day!

~old hymn

harmonious combination of elements

fish list

oy vey! long time. no post. Let's start with a list, shall we? Lists make me feel productive.

Lists I currently have going:

1. grocery list

2. things to get done soon (e.g. car inspection, order contacts)

3. things to get done sometime (e.g. organize recipes, make blueberry pie)

4. crafts to make

5. books to read

6. songs to download

7. to do list for Austin Creative Reuse board meetings

8. some monthly payment tracking information for my budget

9. pilates class times at the gym

10. stuff to do for Gillian's baby shower

11. lists I currently have going

12. work tasks (with about 15 sub-lists)

13. things to do before this weekend (e.g. mop, g-store)

Do you like lists? Would you list on a fish?

not to be confused with cereal

I love this photo.
It's a self-take of Bryan and Andrea on their
honeymoon in Paris
roughly 4 years + 362 days ago.

It is surreal.


sur·re·al: marked by the intense irrational reality of a dream;
unbelievable, fantastic

peeks

It snowed here a few weeks ago. These red berry bushes live in what I call "The Grove" in our backyard. I love it when they bloom berries, and I especially loved them against the backdrop of the snowy ground.

"Can I go play in the snow?"

When I went outside this morning, these three little hats were sitting directly in the center of the roof of my car. I couldn't resist taking their picture.

Then I turned around and couldn't resist taking a picture of Sadie doing her morning stretches.