Melli Mac's blooms

 Melli Mac's Garden Shack is a local Black Mountain nursery. I stopped in last Saturday to pick up a couple of posies to have on my porch before my apartment inspection on Mon. this week. They won't be looking for flowers of course, but to see if I keep the stove and refrigerator clean and working. Ha ha, I'll surprise them. Well, other tenants are also putting a few blooms outside so I have a couple.

I enjoyed snapping photos of a few things I saw.

Just look at all those dogwood blossoms!

A sweet redbud by the ramp into the office building.

And for once the camera caught the closest flowers rather than the background!

Sharing with Floral Friday Fotos.

Today's quote:

A decent provision for the poor is the true test of civilization. 

-Samuel Johnson, lexicographer (1709-1784)

My feminist men (some of them)

 

Mustang Sallies Krew for Gaspirilla parades in Tampa FL...probably a St. Patrick's day here. I found my son, Marty, over on the left, wearing glasses, just behind a couple of ladies in front of him. And then looking closer I saw his son, William, also peeking out from over the shoulder of lady on far left front! (See below enlargement.) They, and other men, are support staff for security during the parades.

William on end of second row, and his dad, Marty looking between two first row women.

Marty also posted on Facebook these gatherings to fight breast cancer. He's in the back with the black hat on and full pink shirt. And after cutting him out of another group I found he's in tights and a tutu as well! Only 2 men stood up for breast cancer awareness that day!

I'm so glad that Marty has this group of friends, who he's been helping with several parades each year for I would guess over 10 years.

Today's quote:

A writer needs three things, experience, observation, and imagination, any two of which, at times any one of which, can supply the lack of the others. 

-William Faulkner, novelist (1897-1962)

Driving to see these blooms

 

Some huge quince bushes in a back yard nearby.

I know these are  azaleas.  But never have figured out the one below...

Hellebore blooms being held by my local nursery owner, Mellie.

A new hanging geranium came home with me, and will spend the night inside if the weather gets cold again at night. (I wonder how cold...)

Not too many pansies were out, but I grabbed three pots full, and need to repot them soon. As soon as smoke and rain have settled things outdoors!

I have some more shots to share from Mellie Mac's nursery visit last Saturday.

Sharing with Wordless Wednesday

and My Corner of the World

Today's quote:

Starting a group with like-minded people can help you feel grounded and connected to what matters in your life.

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History making news:

Yesterday I watched a live stream on YouTube of Cory Booker's filibuster in the US Senate...from about 5 pm till he passed the 25 hour mark and yielded the floor around 8 pm.

YouTube has 11 hours from PBS in this segment. 

On the video he yields the floor at mark 10.32, and there are other Senate business matters also on the video. His staff prepared books of elements for his sharing while giving this long speech, and there were many Democrat Senators which asked to have a question of him, which gave him short breaks from his continuous speech. I don't know if these "questions" were included in the video above...but they were linking the NJ senator (Booker) to their own constituencies.  

And when I got up this morning, I saw that 

"County judge Susan Crawford has won election to the Wisconsin Supreme Court."

The two races in FL stayed Republican, but Wisconsin now has a chance to right some wrongs, including gerrymandered districts which give un-representative weight to Republicans in all levels of government. 

The biggest part of this news is that no amount of Elon Musk's money was able to buy this election!

Happy April 1

 

Rabbit rabbit wishing all good things to come your way!

Jokes? 

Let's plant some catnip!

On a more serious note, this Tuesday April 1, is a special election day in at least 2 important districts, one in Wisconsin, another in Florida. May the energies of resistance to the oligarchy come through!

Today's quote:

Very few established institutions, governments, and constitutions ... are ever destroyed by their enemies until they have been corrupted and weakened by their friends.

 -Walter Lippmann, journalist (1889-1974)

Last of March

 Hoping that this last day of March brings some much needed rain to the Carolinas, with the cold front that is expected.

Cars on Old 70 approach the turn onto Walker Rd, where my neighbor has planted some lovely spring blooms.

I can only dream about a tree like this, but then again, what kind of willow has purple flowers? They don't even look like wisteria flowers!

Quince has been blooming for about a week!

If this bee was so accommodating, I also am grateful for the photographer on the ground capturing a sunset.

Feeling grateful for having survived the pneumonia, and now a week of hiding from smoke of wildfires, and extremely grateful for the little rain that helped a lot, and maybe more is coming today!

I'm going to have the apartment inspected for my housekeeping today...a twice yearly thing as we have out of town owners...and they have verry strict rules to follow. I'm really grateful for the cleaner who worked me into her schedule, though she seems to be pulled this way and that by her 2 young boys (11 and 13 years). It's been wonderful having a clean house...and I keep telling myself that I can keep it this way all the time!

Today's quote:

If you look at every human being as a Divine mirror, you will know yourself and understand life. 

Sherif Baba

Truth

  Documentary about the Hurricane Helene storms and effects in North Carolina. 

Several cables still dangle from poles, and one pole lies along the side of the parking lot, left overs from 6 months ago's flood damage.

Maybe you can see the Canada Geese on the lake. Others were flying around, squawking away, but not landing yet!

Beautiful Trencadis mosaics by Gaudí, made of broken tiles, at Park Güell in Barcelona

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wildfires & smoke2025-03-27 162837, western NC

Mish mash of critters

 Looking through my collection of critters, I will offer what's already on file. Haven't met many new ones this week

Brown bears with salmon run

  

Llama  and Inca wall

Some rabbits for vernal equinox

Mandarin Duck

Sharing  with Eileen's Saturday's Critters.

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Today's quote:

Life should not be lived through a series of mind games, but instead with truth and self-reflection.

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Today's art:

By Carol Long

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Family  album:

A birthday gathering for my ex-hubby in 2023 for his 84th, with son Marty standing behind him, then my grandsons Michael and William, with ex's cousin Margaret and her hubby behind them. 

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Smoke continues, so I wear my N-95 mask when going out. It's no fun having my windows with curtains and blinds down...but by evening, I start to cough without that precaution, just sitting near the windows. Fires continue in the mountains within a few miles, and we're sure hoping for rain soon.  Forecast for tomorrow now (originally said Monday.) I'll take it, any time possible. Poor fire fighters from all over have been working so hard.

For the bookish among us

At Lake Tomahawk there are two free libraries, one for adults, one for children's books. I gave you this peek a few days ago.

I guess someone is reading all the adult books. Mmm, have to see if I have any to donate! They are supposed to return them of course!

Children's books were there that day, gone the next.

I and some of my friends are lovers of books...and usually are reading at least one, while there's a pile waiting for us.

My current fun is rereading Sir Terry Pratchett's Wee Small Men with Tiffany Aching. They may be geared for young adult, but are smashingly funny anyway. I'm listening to this one, and have several others of the series waiting. I just finished several non-fictions, and am due for a few laughs.

I was happy to have access to audio library books on my phone for my recent hospital visit. The TV was awful, and I hate daytime TV anyway. (a tiny blurry screen, Direct TV choices.)

I recently posted this photo of my mother while on vacation, and she enjoyed reading more than any activities. She never enjoyed being photographed though.

Linnie and Lou(ise) George, distant cousins of mine, 1880. We shared our ggg grandparents  One of them wrote her journal of moving from Alabama to northern Louisiana, with all the trials of growing up and being educated in the south before the Civil War. I've transcribed it for my descendants if they are ever interested. Here's the first of four chapters describing their lives. They were my first cousins three times removed.

Sarah Louise George Tompkins Specht, journal keeper (Lou George) at 84 in 1926

A tea party with laughs, unknown date (maybe 1900?)

Teresa and her hubby, Chuck, in Pigeon Forge TN a few weeks ago. She is one of my favorite book-lover friends. And yes, that's really his beard!

Sharing with Sepia Saturday where there's anything one wants to share that perhaps is related to the posted meme of the week. Yes, there's a fellow reading late into the night. I know the feeling, and fortunately nobody has taken my photo while doing that.

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Today's quote:

There is a fountain of youth: it is your mind, your talents, the creativity you bring to your life and the lives of the people you love. When you learn to tap this source, you will have truly defeated age.

-Sophia Loren, actor and singer (b. 20 Sep 1934)

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Today's art:

Cyndy Salisbury...paper artist..mask maker..sculptor....Bainbridge Island..Washington

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(More) Family Album:

Granddaughter Kate

My middle son Russ, and his daughter Kate, 2023-24

Kate's senior photo

Kate recently played Lacrosse in tournaments with her team in Clearwater FL (they live in OH). Then she and her family went to Berlin Germany for a week to meet with her sister who's doing a study abroad semester. Such fun to have those opportunities for this family!

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Sequestered!

Smoke from wildfires several miles away, came roaring (blowing!) through last evening. Sitting in my living room with windows closed, but curtains and blinds up, I started coughing.

So now blinds are down, and curtains closed. It's a dull place inside, while bright sun shines outside.

Screen shot of warning of unhealthy air last evening.

It has gone down this morning. I'm wearing my N-95 mask when I go pick up my lunch at the senior center.