Casual Friday – 6/5/2015

On Fridays I join Aimee of Aimee Writes for Casual Friday, a post with “no structure, no prompts, no rules, anything goes.” Check out her blog here and join us in Casual Friday if you would like.

Sometimes I need Friday and the weekend a whole lot more than other times. After working for 19 days straight including two full weekends I definitely need this weekend. I am not complaining about my job as it is rewarding and fulfilling, which is part of the reason I have not yet retired. But there was a lot of pressure over the past several weeks and it is time to take some deep breaths and exhale and just plain relax.  I happily greet this weekend with no specific plans but just some ideas of what I could do if I feel like it.

It was a beautiful week weather wise. We had some sunny days that were warm and sunny but there was a pleasant breeze. There were a couple days when I took the dogs for a walk after work and then sat outside with them while I read. The first rose appeared in our garden. We also have blossoms on our pink lemonade honeysuckle.

My normal work site is not in the interesting, downtown area of Santa Fe. This week I was supporting our clients in one of the old historic buildings downtown so I got to enjoy the beautiful sights that Santa Fe is noted for. It was truly wonderful to take some noon time strolls in the great weather. I wish I had taken a camera with me.

One of the things I missed over the past week is spending time in the blogging community. I was very tired so I just did not have the ambition to browse and comment, or even respond to comments that I had received. I also didn’t have time to post anything so part of what I need to do this weekend is work to re-establish a blogging presence. I have missed doing my regular features so I really look forward to getting back to the routine.  I hope my readers will still maintain their interest in spite of my absence.

Here’s hoping everyone has a great weekend.

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Casual Friday – 5/29/15

On Fridays I join Amie of Amie Writes for Casual Friday, a post “with no structure, no rules, no prompts, anything goes.” Check out her blog, and join us in observing Casual Friday if you would like.

I knew it would be an exceptionally busy couple of weeks for me. In my Casual Friday post last week I mentioned that I would have to work most of the three day weekend but I would definitely not work on Monday.  I ended up being under the weather so I slept a lot during the entire weekend but worked in between. As a result I didn’t get everything done that I needed to do and I did have to work on Memorial Day. But we will meet our deadline.

I have not had a moment to read any blogs or respond to messages but I will take a quick moment to at least say that all is well with me and mine. I started this post Friday evening but then abandoned it as a bit of a work emergency took me away. Consequently for the first time my Friday feature is not being published until Saturday, which is still better than my Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday features which did not get published at all.

There are exciting developments in the garden.  We have a pale purple iris in bloom and also  a single clematis blossom. The appearance of mushrooms (toadstools?) is an interesting phenomenon in our garden. We live in a very dry climate that typically would not support mushrooms but this wet spring has actually resulted in clusters of mushrooms. We continue to officially be in drought conditions as a couple of months isn’t enough to erase years of a shortage of rain, but at least now no part of New Mexico is classified as in extreme or exceptional drought. 12% of the state is still in severe drought while where I live is classified as “abnormally dry.”

I did take a little time to “stop and smell the roses”. Hopefully my life will never be too busy to prevent me from doing that.

Here’s hoping that most of you will have a weekend that is filled with whatever your heart desires.

For me, it is another working weekend.  The positive side is that the clients we are working with are so wonderful and appreciative that it is a delight to be able to work with them.

Casual Friday – 5/15/15

On Fridays I join Amie of Amie Writes for Casual Friday, a post “with no structure, no rules, no prompts, anything goes.” Check out her blog, and join us in observing Casual Friday if you would like.

I am happy to report that last weekend’s task of cleaning out and reorganizing my closet was successful. I happen to be blessed with a huge walk-in closet. The amount of stuff grows in order to fill the space that is available. I can’t say that I did a major purge. I did get rid of some things but the biggest accomplishment was reorganizing so it feels uncluttered and well organized.

My daughter is here from Nashville for about a week. We picked her up at the airport last night and had dinner out. She is sleeping in today while I am going to work. The only bad thing about her visit now is that because a major project is being rolled out at my job on June 1, I can’t take time off. I will have to be content to spend the weekend and evenings with her. She chose to visit now because she starts a new job after Memorial Day and it will be a while before she will have vacation time. While here she wants to go through the clothes that are still at the house. Her new job requires her to wear professional clothes so she has to build a wardrobe. That will also entail some shopping time. Shopping is not my favorite activity and this shopping venture is likely to be quite a marathon, but I should be able to tolerate it since it happens infrequently. I know there are some people who live to shop and who would not describe a shopping trip as something to be tolerated. I, however, am not one of those people.

In my “What’s New in the Spring Garden” department, I can report that my neighbors beautiful columbines are in bloom. They are “volunteer”, something she did not plant herself. We have a beautiful view of the flowers in her side yard from our kitchen window. I would not mind if they volunteered at my place.

Last weekend while sitting at my desk that overlooks our back deck, a flock of about 25 birds visited our bird bath. A unique characteristic was that the tips of their tails had a bright yellow band. It looked like each bird’s tail had been dipped in a can of yellow paint. As they sat around the rim of the bird bath the yellow tips flashed time and time again while they bowed to sip water. They also had  crests on their heads and red on the ends of wing feathers. A look at the bird book identified them as cedar waxwings. I was unable to get a photo but we watched the whole flock cavorting around the bird birth for minutes at a time. They arrived as a flock and left as a flock several different times over a period of several hours.

I do not expect to do any blogging during the next several days while my daughter is home. I hope everyone has a relaxing and enjoyable weekend.

Casual Friday – 5/8/15

On Fridays I join Amie of Amie Writes for Casual Friday, a post “with no structure, no rules, no prompts, anything goes.” Check out her blog, and join us in observing Casual Friday if you would like.

The weeks fly by and I am faced with writing another Casual Friday post. This is not exactly a challenge. In some ways I like Casual Friday more than any other post I do because it is random and I can include whatever topics I would like.

We had wonderful rainy weather several days this week. I have mentioned that we have had a long term drought in New Mexico. This has made me really appreciate rain when we get it. I heard the first complaint this week when someone said they were tired of the rainy weather. I want to say, “Hush your mouth!” It has been quite cool this week. Many years we have to have our evaporative cooler hooked up in April. This year we have not had any days so far when the cooler might have been used. I much prefer cooler weather to the summer heat so I am fine with the current temperatures.

Hummingbird in the Snow

On Saturday I posted pictures of our first hummingbird of the season.

Rain was forecast for Sunday. The rain began in the morning.  It soon turned to snow.  Within minutes there was a layer of snow covering everything including the hummingbird feeder.

The hummingbird came swooping around the feeder shortly after the picture of the feeder was taken. We removed the snow from the feeder and the hummingbird soon came back.

I took my first ever picture of a hummingbird in the snow.  We also saw a second hummingbird who we believe was the female. She made a brief visit but we did not see her again. The snow melted by noon.

Have I said that I love hummingbirds? Just another thread of my life.

Saturday Spring Snow and a Stitching Post

This morning we woke up to a bright white winter landscape. The trees that had been leafing out for weeks were covered with white fluffy snow. It is an annual phenomenon here that after fruit trees have blossomed and spring flowers have made their appearances that we get a cold spell and a killing frost. We don’t always get a late spring snowfall.

We have had weeks of beautiful spring weather so I know this is just a temporary setback. I am able to enjoy the beauty that I see out my window. It began snowing before we went to bed last night so we covered the most tender of the plants, like the blackberry shoots. The snow will be gone by noon.

Today in my Saturday stitching post I will display some slow and steady progress on the previous UnFinished Object (UFO) which has now become a Work in Progress (WIP).

Casual Friday 4/10/15

On Fridays I join Amie of Amie Writes for Casual Friday, a post “with no structure, no rules, no prompts, anything goes.”

What a week!

There is so much going on at work. Several projects I am involved in are either picking up speed or hitting road blocks.  There just is not enough time to deal with everything so each day we make as much progress as we can and then hit it again the next day. I can honestly say I am never bored but I am feeling that I could use a little bit of boredom about now. I come home exhausted every day. I so need this weekend!

Easter Morning Musings

It is a beautiful Easter morning in Santa Fe, New Mexico. I woke up early to go Mass and celebrate the greatest of all events of Christianity: the day that Jesus was resurrected into heaven to atone for the sins of mankind.

There was a slight chill in the air but also the promise of a beautiful day.  As the congregation gathered there was a definite feeling of hope and peace and grace. The sun was just rising and it seemed to be peaking out from under clouds which soon dissipated. We were left with a beautiful sunshine filled day.

Santa Maria de la Paz Santa Fe, New Mexico

In his homily, the priest drew an analogy using Jesus’s tomb that was found empty by his disciples on Easter morning. We should each look at the tomb within us, and tombs within society, and strive to empty them of negative things: violence, or love of material objects, or gossip, or disrespect. These negative things within each of us should be replaced with love.

The message of seeking love and happiness is oft-repeated outside of the Christian tradition as well as within it.  Much is written about filling ourselves with happiness and going forward with a renewed sense of goodness.  Easter represents new life Christianity, and it is no mistake that Easter coincides with spring which is also a celebration of new life.

Casual Friday 4/3/20

On Fridays I join Amie of Amie Writes for Casual Friday, a post “with no structure, no rules, no prompts, anything goes.”

Sometime I wake up in the morning and just feel good about life and everything that is going on. This morning was one of those mornings.  It has been warm enough that I sleep with the windows open.  The wake up temperature was about 40° outdoors so my bedroom had a bit of chill but the room was filled with fresh air. There was a bit of a breeze and the melodic tones of a  wind chime were floating through the open window. I had a deep-seated feeling of joy and harmony.

Easter Memories – Throwback Thursday

The season of spring brings the holiday of Easter. Growing up in my Catholic Christian family Easter was the greatest celebration of the year.  For the 40 days of Lent we had practiced sacrifice, amped up prayer and charity in preparation for the death and resurrection of the Lord.  Holy week was a time of prayer and church services, culminating in Easter, celebrating the resurrection of Christ to save humankind. On Good Friday afternoon, all businesses in our community were closed from noon to 3 p.m. in honor of the time Jesus hung on the cross.

We attended Sunday mass every week, but on Easter Sunday it had special meaning. For me, the greatest significance of Easter is the religious meaning.  Easter has now become  commercialized to the point that faithful Christians may not think about the religious meaning.

The spring holiday further represents newness.  A tradition dating back for generations is having new clothes for Easter Sunday.  My brothers and sisters always had new-to-us clothes which we were always so proud of.  With eight children brand new clothes for each of us were out of the question, but we always proudly wore the clothes that we did get. Girls and women were required to have their heads covered at Mass, so my sisters and I always got a new-to-us hat for Easter. They would not have been classified as the traditional Easter bonnet, but it was part of our Easter tradition.