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These little devils are so enormously entertaining, if you take the time to watch them.  Almost as entertaining as children!  They are masters at acrobatics, and can get into any bird feeder!  When you think you have them stationed far enough away they cannot leap to them, the somehow manage to climb a slick metal pole to get to the arch and traverse across it to the feeder, and sometimes even open it from the top!  Last summer I even had to go rescue one who got caught inside a tubular birdfeeder, and couldn’t get the top to go up, so he could again back out.  I lifted the top for him, and he was out in a shot and gone in the blink of an eye.

This year, so far, they’ve managed to defeat every plan we put into effect to protect the birdfeed and hang most precariously from the feeders, often dropping from good height!

But the Camelias….now why would a squirrel rip a Camelia from the bush and tear it up, leaving a trail of rosy flower petals all over the side yard?  At first, I had no clue who or what was doing that.  But yesterday, as Clover and I returned from our walk, there was a pesky squirrel with a Camelia in his mouth!  He fled, of course, as fast as he could go to the woods!  Who knew?  I had no idea squirrels would take my flowers!

You learn something new every day!

Already, the crocuses have come and gone, and forsythia is blooming up and down the road, although mine is just not doing anything!  The foxes get fed right under the unhealthy forsythia, and they think they can hide in them.  Perhaps, but sometimes I can see them quite well.

I’ve begun to give them the soft food Ash leaves in her dish as well as a scoop of dry food each day, and it’s always gone in the morning, even though I don’t see them come and eat it.  The birds have discovered the cat food, and especially large crows, swoop down and enjoy a morning feast often.

The squirrels are always attacking the bird feeders, and once, one got inside the tube upside down, and couldn’t get out!  The top had dropped on him.  I had to pick up the top, and let him wiggle out and leap to safety.  He scampered off quickly, but I’m sure he gets fed regularly from these bird feeders.  Clever and funny little guys, these squirrels!  They are so cute.

 

Following Jovan Hutton Pulitzer and he passed this on to his followers.  Very useful if you want to take courses at no cost.  Who would have thought you have to have hundreds of thousands of dollars to take college level courses?  This is fabulous.  It’s never too late to learn!

MOOC!!!!

It means Massive Open Online Courses…..and the list is huge!  So, if it’s learning you want to do, this is great!  If you have to have a piece of paper to qualify for a job, that’s another story, but there’s probably source material for that as well.

Check it out!

Had an interesting discussion over on Nextdoor which I seldom use.  But I did join the book club, thinking I’d meet some of my neighbors who are possibly interested in reading similar things.

I decided to read Gulag Archipelago which I finally found in kindle format, and not the mashed up junk I had downloaded from internet archive.  Well, it’s three volumes, around 700 pages each!  And once I started, I couldn’t stop, couldn’t put it down.  So, I mentioned it in the book club in our local nextdoor neighborhood app.  One nice guy said he though it should be required reading, as we could see some similarities in our culture today.  And then another guy butted in to put him down and call him a racist.

Well, so, I had to engage.  The discussion on my part was reasonable and civil.  On his part, put downs and calling me names.  After a bit, with the first guy engaging as well, the guy went back and deleted several of his rude message.

I mentioned that, and wondered if he had more to contribute other than ad hominems.  Long story short, after a while, he posted a link to an WaPo article, which I couldn’t read because I don’t subscribe.  We discussed the election lawsuits which he poopooed, and I said he should be looking forward to them, especially since he’s so certain his side won.  And he again called me insane, and sick, and said he is blocking me.

Wow.  I’m blocked, by a guy who was insulting, rude, name calling, and I’m really thrilled about it!  I told someone else of Nextdoor who was being insulted by him to keep engaging, and he would get blocked too!  Celebrations all around!  Some people are just plain trolls.  No question.

Funny thing happened with my new health insurance coverage, and the local CVS where we usually get our prescriptions.  I had a prescription renewal last month, and when I got the call it was ready, I was told it was going to be $352 and I asked why so much!  I was told the insurance company said I couldn’t have it covered again until February.

Well, we have new coverage, effective January 1.  So, I decided to see if I could get it paid for by the new insurance.

Went to the pharmacy, and asked the youngster who waited on me about the prescription.  He got it, and I told him, about the price being $352 and I didn’t have the money, and wondered if the new insurance would pay for it.

He said, “Let me see,” and pulled it out.  It was actually $3.52!  He said, “Well, the old insurance must have paid for it!”

Surprise!  So, I asked him should he take the new insurance card now, and he looked at it carefully.

“Next time.”

I asked, ” Why?”

“It was from last month and billed to the old insurance company.  If I redo it, it will cost more under the new plan.”  🙂

God is good.  CVS is as well!  Or at least our pharmicists over there are, and Santa may have played a roll!  God is good!  🙂

 

For me, I was just a kid when I decided I wanted to be an artist. Of course, the impossibility was obvious, and I changed that to wanting to be a nun. The convent across the street from one of our early residences so often burst forth with beautiful singing, and I deduced nuns just taught school, did art work, and sang beautiful music. The also got to only wear one thing, no worries about fashion, or what everyone else was wearing. They were all wearing the same thing.

But that was then. When I grew up and married and had kids, I never thought I’d have the opportunity to do the type of thing I liked, because actually staying home and raising kids is hard work.

But, then, they go to school! And my wonderful husband said that I, too, could go to school while they were in school. So, my local community college was my favorite hangout!

First, I studied painting, and drawing, and later discovered design and sculpture. My instructors were community college type teachers who didn’t think too much would ever come from their classes, and some admitted they were really teaching appreciation, as once folks realized art is hard work, they just appreciate others that much more.

Others thought they were teaching hobbyists. Our classes were filled with curious youngsters and retired government and military folk. A few housewives, I suppose, like me.  Here’s a few of my early drawing class efforts.  

 

I cannot find any Christmas spirit, and even the Christmas lights neighbors have lighted the neighborhood with don’t really help.  COVID restrictions and lockdown have limited church services so much they have

 

n’t even posted a notice as to when mass will be on Christmas eve.  That’s depressing.  Usually the most attended mass all year, and we have a limit on how many can occupy the church at one time.

We’ve been signing up for weekly Sunday masses, and it’s worked out pretty ok, but the church seems so empty and drab with no singing, no hymnals, no greetings to each other, and everyone having to stand on a round spot to keep from crowding neighbors….ugh.

May God be with and bless you all, and keep our country safe from the encroaching globalists who want to take over.  Once this nation falls, there will be no where folks can go looking for freedom!  And those on the left just won’t get it, until it’s too late, and they become victims themselves.

May the Spirit of Christmas be with each and every one of you.

I’ve got a family of foxes living under my shed! What a treat! A veritable gift from God during these trying stay-at-home days! They’ve kept me enchanted, and I’ve been trying to get good video of them regularly. The mom is quite nice looking and seems healthy. She comes at least twice a day, and the kits rush out and nurse on her while she’s standing there! She often picks at them, probably cleaning them. Since they have gotten bigger, a few try to follow her when she trots off into the woods. The road running right by the small area of woods is scary. I’m afraid one or more may venture out into the roadway! Can’t bear the thought!

None of my pictures are on this computer, yet, but I’m going to post some of them later today.

Today, I woke up early, and walked the dog in a terrific downpour, picked up the newspaper, and grabbed my coffee and ipad for a first look at the day. It’s now sunny and sweet, but then, it was still dark.

For some odd reason, I clicked on a link somewhere that took me to youtube and food videos. Wisconsin’s famous butter burger first. And after licking my chops I went on to a video about different types of tenderizing to use on steaks, and could taste those trial steaks. I swear. Then, Navajo fried bread, umm umm, and on to English muffins, made in a huge cast iron skillet.

I used to have a huge cast iron skillet! Sent it with the kids when they moved to Arizona. But those muffins looked mouth watering good!

Now, when I should be thinking of folding laundry, and once again attempting to get this sewing machine working they way I’d like, I have food on the brain. What will supper look like tonight? Anyone’s guess.

This is my first block using the block editor…or I should say, the second, as the heading, or title is a separate block. I have to learn how to use these blocks to display what I want here the way I want it. Just took a short Yoast course in how-to, and I realize doing is the best way to learn. So, I’m practicing.

This is a good way to make something stand out.

This is also an experiment. To see just how a drop cap will display once I’ve written a whole paragraph. This is something I might use should I write a poem or post one that I like.