could it be ...

... this morning i awoke to the sound of a lovely songbird. it wasn't just a chirp here or there, nor that of a bird just in search of food. it was a high and light hearted full blown song and he sat on the branch of the tree out back until he was finished.

was it a song of spring?

yesterday i saw a yellow crocus popping out of the dull brown earth. (i love the color of dirt but this was unturned earth, packed down by heavy snows and not really pretty). a basket of lovely primroses help to brighten our kitchen table and it probably won't be long before the daffodils and tulips start growing as well.

i know that more snows will come, and this warm weather is just a teaser. but for now, i shall enjoy the lovely gift of the hint of spring.

epilogue: winter must have stalked my blog for she has decided to show her power and has snowed this very evening. but not to worry - the sturdy crocus can last through a storm or two...i suppose i can too! fie on you winter, spring will be here soon.

magical elves

my neighborhood is full of good little elves. after a winter storm, when the snow is heavy and covers our walk and driveway, i think to myself - "oh i must go and shovel all that heavy snow off of my driveway." you see if you don't shovel snow and then drive over it, ice develops. and i have a fear of ice. ie broken ankle 2004! anyway back to my story ... "self, you must go shovel". but before i have a chance to don my snow boots and shovel, i look out and the man elves of the hood, aka hornes, hones, connors, baileys or gardners have already been to my driveway and completed the job. lucky me! but the last two snow storms have been during the daylight hours when most of the good neighbor elf men are off to work. so...i decided to don my snow boots (i still own a pair of moon boots) and shovel, (the nifty yellow handled powerless shovel, not unlike tatiana's, given to me for christmas by reedo) and clear my own driveway for once. this was not necessary however, for the good woman elf ferguson, dressed in yellow, black and brown parka with bright blue and red hat, complete with ear tassels and large ball on top was already pushing her snow blowing machine and clearing the way. i joined her and soon neighbor linda saw us hard at work. (actually suzanne was working, i laughed and took pictures). not wanting to "miss out on the fun" linda hopped onto her trusty fourwheeler, equipped with shovel on the front and joined us. she created a tidal wave of snow and slush as she cleared the road and gutter. good elf karen, yet another neighbor, then came with her large magic driveway ice pick and removed what ice had built up when i drove over the snow before removing it. i continued to laugh and take pictures and shout a mighty thanks that i am blessed to live among such great people. elves truly are magical!

the written word is powerful

tonight as i was busy grazing on the left over food set out on the kitchen counter, while doing the dishes, after already having eaten a large dinner ... i glanced over to see if mom, aka gram, was ok. she had been sitting very quiet for a little while so it caught my attention. (quite often she is singing a little song she has just made up or is watching the news or something) but tonight she was quiet. when i looked over i saw that she had picked up a little book that i had sitting on the end table next to her. it was a book on the wisdom of abraham lincoln. she had picked up this book and instead of just looking at the cover and setting it aside, she opened it up and was reading! now this is really not unusual for the mom i grew up with, but the last few years have taken a toll on her. her eyes are sore and weak and her mind will often wander. she use to be an insatiable reader and still is when we go on our daily "outing" for she will read out load to me nearly every billboard sign and advertisement on passing trucks. but it has been a long time since she has read a book. my sister sherry and i quickly finished the dishes. i then moved over to the family room, sat on the couch and watched my mother read. it was glorious, wonderful quiet. i wish that all who love her could be here to witness this little bit of heaven. will she pick up a book again tomorrow night? perhaps. perhaps not. all i know is that for tonight, for these few moments there is a peace in our home that i will cherish! thank you gram. thank you God!

what a deal

when the economy is slow and the real estate market is, to say the least slow as well, what's a girl to do with all her time and a sincere desire to boost the economy? my advise shop the dillards january sale. i got these cute and comfy boots for 70% off and then an additional 30% off that! i also scored on a great pair of pants, not at $90 but a great $11. i love a bargain.

ps happy chinese new year kate!

a blessed nation

"the time has come to set aside childish things" said pres. obama. "everywhere we look, there is work to be done. starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off and begin again the work of remaking America."

we live in a blessed nation. a nation of hope. a nation of change. we are a blessed people. may we live to be worthy of the blessings. may we work hard. and to follow the words of another great leader, gordon b hinckley - let us try a little harder, to be a little kinder, do a little better, to stand a little taller! i am proud, honored and humbled to be an american.

warning

"warning. warning. danger will robinson! warning. ... that does not compute."

alas the flailing armed robot has died. or at least the guy who played him. bob may, who got the job because the suit fit, and then went on to be the best and most beloved robot in history passed away today. it is the end of an era!

my first tag

I am only doing this because haley, whom I love, tagged me!

8 tv shows I love…(hmm big word, better change it to like!)
1. ncis
2. amazing race
3. missing – or what others call without a trace
4. cold case – especially reruns on tnt until 4 am
5. lost
6. cnn headline news
7. ice road truckers
8. infomercials

8 fav restaurants
1. connors
2. gardners
3. madson’s
4. nicholi’s (although I have never eaten there I am sure I would love it because I am craving erica’s meatballs right now and she learned to make them from her mama and papa)
5. luzzato’s (in milano or here – either place as long as Christine is cooking)
6. In all modesty – libsribs

I prefer eating in. I can eat more that way, but if I do go out, which is not often here are a few fav’s
7. wingers for sticky finger salad
8. applebees oriental chicken salad

8 things I did yesterday
1. laundry
2. started a market analysis for a listing I’m not sure I want
3. showed houses
4. did not sell a house
5. went to yw and was obnoxious
6. ate too many fruit loops
7. grilled wings
8. was tired and yes a bit grumpy because I was too tired

8 things I look forward to
1. a thinner me
2. climbing the great wall of china
3. a chocolate truffle when I finish this post
4. farmington public works removing the snow and ice pile near my driveway which will release the damn of water or shall I dare say damn water building up in my driveway!
5. spring
6. french toast for breakfast – as soon as I go to the store and buy bread
7. selling a house
8. Reading everyone’s blogs!!!!

8 things I like about this season
1. a full moon on a quiet winter night just after a fresh snowfall
2. down blankets, soft pillows, a comfy couch and a remote
3. hibernation
4. after Christmas sales
5. the smell of bbq chicken on a cold winter night
6. good neighbors – no incredible neighbors who keep my walk and driveway cleared
7. soup
8. not having to shave my legs everyday

8 things on my wish list
1. that I’d sell a house
2. that houston, kc and calif and idaho were not so far away
3. for a wii fit so I too can become fit
4. katie’s pain would go away
5. gram’s pain would go away
6. that I could give pi some of my weight
7. a bit of kimball’s persistent nature
8. that I’d sell a house

8 people I tag
1. katie (once the pain subsides enough to blog)
2. annie
3. madie
4. miss emily
5. aaron
6. joseph
7. cara
8.laura

ps - cori, aren't you glad i didn't tag you....but it would be nice to have an updated post now and again!

resolution

1. a resolve or determination: to make a firm resolution to do something.
2. the act of resolving or determining upon an action or course of action, method, procedure, etc.
3. the mental state or quality of being resolved or resolute; firmness of purpose.

i can't decide if i like or dislike it when a word has multiple meanings. today...i think i like it because i can choose which meaning i want to use. take the above word of the day - resolution! hmmm. i think i will rule out definition 3 - considering the mental state i'm in it would not be good to resolve much today. definition 2 - sounds like too much work. so for today i will go with definition 1 and firmly resolve to do something!

new lyrics to an old tune

christmas is coming....and

libby's getting fat!

please put a penny in the old maid's hat

miss ruby louise connors

welcome to the world miss Ruby Louise Connors
born: dec 8, 2008
she is beautiful !

a match made in the kitchen?

my nephew, cousin, dear friend, butler and what ever else i decide to call him, had an epiphany moment when opening his kitchen cupboard. quote: "libby, do you know anyone named bruce? i opened up the cupboard tonight and as always, giggled when i saw your can of pumpkin stuff. but then i noticed right there by you was bruce (yams). thought it might be a sign, a match made in heaven, or at least the cupboard. just thought i would let you know. A a ron" . . . i suppose it is not too far fetched that i would find my one and only via food!

and speaking of food, a big shout out to - a, ash, soph, annie, kate and anyone else who helped provide delicious cookies for my soul and belly! they were yummy. i would have taken a picture to post but ate them too quickly. i must be having sympathy pains for ash because right now, since all my sugar cookies are gone, i am now craving her ginger cookies. ash, you must remove that picture from your blog. it just makes me crave them more. guess i'll just have to waddle over to the fridge and have a chocolate truffle or two instead.

success

he has achieved success who has
lived well, laughed often, and loved much;
who has enjoyed the trust of pure women, the respect of intelligent men
and the love of little children;
who has filled his niche and accomplished his task;
who has never lacked appreciation of earth's beauty or
failed to express it;
who has left the world better than he found it,
whether an improved poppy, a perfect poem, or a rescued soul;
who has always looked for the best in others and
given them the best he had;
whose life was an inspiration;
whose memory a benediction.

bessie stanley 1904

boy am i lucky to know a bunch of successful people. thanks friends!!!

Lincoln Kansas 1905: "Mrs. A.J. Stanley at the earnest solicitation of Mr. Stanley wrote an essay on "What constitutes success" for entrance in a contest carried on by the George Livingston Richards Co. of Boston, Mass. It was required that the essay should be confined to 100 words and should be the best definition of what constituted success, neatness and several of the requirements being taken into consideration. The essay was entered in competition with hundreds of others from all parts of the country. Last Saturday when Mrs. Stanley was notified that she had won the first prize of $250 she did not credit the good news and laughing told Mr. Stanley he could have half. An accompanying draft furnished satisfactory proof."

those darn scallywags

what is it with pirates lately (and i'm not talking about the ones found in pittsburgh) arrgh! a 330 meter tanker, thats 1080 feet!, has been hijacked in the high seas. and no one is quite sure where it is! what! that's a big ship and it is carrying 2 million barrels of oil! that's a lot of oil. i suppose the ocean is much bigger than we think it is. in september some 30 crew members of a french luxury yacht had been taken hostage off the coast of somalia. then i read that an additional 30 ships were seized by pirates last year with the guided missile destroyer USS Porter opening fire in order to destroy pirate skiffs tied to a Japanese tanker! how can this be. pirates? it's 2008! what's the matter with this world. and how do you off load 2 million barrels of oil without everyone knowing about it? this is not good. especially since our dear "silver sailors" are about to set upon the mighty seas themselves! let's hope no one is forced to walk the plank and that captain jack sparrow stays in hollywood! scallywag: a villainous or mischievous person thank goodness i only know of a few of these types personally!

if anyone see's this missing hijacked tanker, please dump all pirates overboard and return to the saudi government.

happy birthday gram

when i was young my mother would often gather us around her overstuffed rocking chair and read to us. the words of stickland gillilan are brought to mind:

“you may have tangible wealth untold,
caskets of jewels and coffers of gold,
richer than i you can never be.
i had a mother who read to me.”

one day, my sister cori, came rushing home from the library with a new book she had discovered and was anxious to have mom read it to us. it was an old russian folktale, set in the ukraine many, many years ago. my mother’s voice was melodic and soothing - a wonderful conclusion to a busy day filled with play.

the book, My Mother is the Most Beautiful Woman in the World, tells the story of a small russian girl who becomes separated and lost from her hardworking, round faced mother while harvesting in the wheat fields. the moral of the story follows the russian proverb: “we do not love people because they are beautiful, but they seem beautiful to us because we love them.”

“some people see with their eyes alone. others see with their hearts, too.” my mother taught her children, this important concept of love and I thank her for it.

colorful politics

it has been one of those frustrating days. a lot going on, no apparent success in anything, late nights and early mornings, moths in the pantry, laundry, laundry, laundry and lots of dishes and general grumpiness on my part. and....i am really sick of politics. i believe in passion and am grateful for my right to vote but goodness this is getting ridiculous. but my day was made much better at about 9:50 pm. i turned on the tv for a moment and tuned in just in time to see characters "denny crane" and "alan shore" in the middle of a heated political debate on the pros and cons of mccain vs obama. during the height of the argument "denny" pulled out a paint gun and shot "alan" in the knee with green paint. "alan" then pulled out his gun and shot his friend with pink paint. soon they were both covered in paint. i laughed and laughed and laughed. i wanted to join in the mayhem. don't you feel like hitting somebody or something every once in awhile? is that something i should admit?

(one of my favorite scene out of the movie steel magnolias is when the character played by sally fields screams at the end of her daughter's funeral that she "just wants to hit somebody". the character olympia dukakis offers up shirley maclaine and says "here, hit weezer!" ... i laugh every time.)

in review this just isn't as funny as i perceived it to be. maybe you had to be there. but i am grateful for the relief and a good laugh. i just hope that once this political race is over we don't end up with an extreme left or right government and that family and friends will still talk to each other. on the other hand maybe it would be a good idea to arm ourselves with paint balls or at least arm the congress.