Monday Stuff

 

Happy Cinco de Mayo to all who celebrate. 

May it be a festive day!

It's also class-reunion committee meeting day.  

We're putzing along doing our best at this "golden" age to plan a 60th for this coming September. 

Today we plan to sign off on the registration form and then send it out to our classmates who are still alive and breathing. 

Sadly, after six decades, we've lost a lot of our childhood friends. 

Nonetheless, we're hoping for a good turn-out and reminding each other on the committee that they have to continue breathing at least until after the reunion. 

These planning meetings are always fun no matter how old we happen to be or what ailments we talk about. Actually, ailment talk seems to have more meaning than ever before.  

Plus, we try to contact a classmate by phone each time. Who will it be today?

In other news, Annie was in the audience for last night's edition of "American Idol" (photos below). She sat near the families and said it was fun to see their reactions as their respective loved ones performed. 

She has been watching this year's show so it was a real treat for her to see the judges, Ryan Seacrest, mentor Miranda Lambert and the contestants live. 

Two of her favorites made the final eight. One sang Miranda Lambert's famous song "The House That Built Me," which I love.  So, will include the song today. 

It's a busy week ahead with several items on the agenda along with fast-growing grass and dandelions.  Add gardening to that, and I'll be meeting myself coming and going. 

I told a friend that I thought at this age we were supposed to be rocking and napping. No time for that this week.  It seems almost like being in teaching mode again. 

On the nature side of things, we've been keeping track of a mama duck and her eggs.  She was residing along the fence line between us and the Meserve Preserve. 

This morning, the mallard duck was gone and so were the eggs.  After looking up and across the field, I saw several of the eggs cracked open and empty.  

Unlike the horrific scene of a couple of weeks ago when a predator attacked and killed Mama Turkey and demolished the nest, there was no sign of any struggle.  

So, I'm hoping for the best this time and would love to see Mama Duck and her babies waddling around the place. 

 

A couple of asparagus spears have made their appearance, so that gives me another spot to inspect each day.  

I realized yesterday that I had not studied the patch close enough while zipping by on the lawnmower and clipping off a spear that had grown near the edge of the patch. 

We have already eaten some spring homegrown lettuce with sandwiches, so I'm looking forward to  baking up a batch of fresh asparagus.  

There's such satisfaction and flavor in the food we grow ourselves.   And, a whole lot fewer weird additives. 

Time to do the morning chores and get ready to see my classmates.  

Happy Monday. 

 

Yesterday's lawn mowing was very satisfying, especially because there with beautiful blooming bushes to complement the deep green. 

Below:  a baby oak leaf.  

These have to be among the most elegant and beautiful of spring blooms. 

Now that the oak has come fully alive with color, we have only one more tree in the yard that has to reveal its 2025 leaves.  It's a maple in the front yard.