5 Arrows. from yesterday.
If they’re professional opticians, they won’t let you leave without the glasses on and see well.
Their job is to make you see well.
Butterflies are such pretty things;
Works of art with wings.
God’s creation in them we see;
Two wings in symmetry.
There. I waxed poetic to start my day here. I think butterflies are good examples of an Intelligent Creator. How could chance have produced such beauty including the symmetry? Could chance have made wings that are almost exact copies of each other?
Good morning! Frost on the ground, and gorgeous butterflies on here! Superbly done, Cheryl. You have captured well the stunning beauty God builds into His creation.
And now I’m going to have to figure out how to save the picture, like Jo did. Now accepting help from anyone who would like to offer it. 🙂
Oh, and I know a little eight-year-old girl who is going to LOVE seeing that collage when she wakes up this morning. 🙂 She and I would also enjoy any description of the butterflies — names, how and where you captured the photos, etc. — that you care to offer, Cheryl.
Chas, I’m not sure how much the optician will be able to do for me today. Sounds like quite an adjustment going from single vision glasses to progressives, as I am — taking days (or weeks) to get accustomed to them, rather than minutes or hours.
We’ll see. (I hope.) 🙂
The optometrist did tell me after my eye exam and before choosing frames that getting a bigger lens, rather than a small one, is better for seeing through progressives, and that vision would also be better the closer to my eyes the lenses are. So I was encouraged to pick out a frame that fit well against the bridge of my nose.
There were only two pairs of glasses among their entire selection that would have worked well. (I was told to get frames that were no smaller than my current ones, and all the frames they had were smaller, except those two I mentioned. I don’t care for the look of really small frames on my face, anyway, even though that’s been the style for several years now.)
Of those two that fit the description of what I needed, I chose the pair that fit closer to my face. So I’m hoping that helps somewhat in the adjustment period.
The last pair of glasses I got I immediately removed and complained that I could not see out of them at all. There is often an adjustment period, but this was terrible. I was encourage to take them home and start out fresh with them the next morning. I live 65 miles from the store, so was really wondering.
This actually worked for me and I kept those glasses. I realize now that the last pair I had had the lenses with the bifocal part all the way across. The newest ones were the old bifocal type. Because my vision is so bad, I need to get the thinnest lens I can and I was assured these were it. No mention was made of keeping the same type I had. They were not the thinnest, nor were they what I would have ordered if I had known. Hopefully, that worker is long gone.
I am not sure if I will just keep this type lenses or switch back to the others. I have problems with my vision no matter what. I am due for another field vision, which I hate. My dad and his brothers did have macular degeneration, however, so I keep on top of it.
Butterflies: in the middle is one of my favorites, because I like the blue on its body (and the photo I used to identify it, a photo in a magazine about the Smokies, didn’t even capture the blue on the body as I had); it’s a pipevine swallowtail photographed in the Smokies on our “second honeymoon” three years ago.
Around the outside, clockwise from top left: (1) top left corner, another favorite, because I adore the orange “socks,” though this fellow was really hard to photograph: it’s the only one on here that’s actually a moth, though a daytime flying moth: eight-spotted forester, taken in my front yard. (2) top middle left: red-spotted purple, photographed on the rock near a waterfall at the Smokies; this same day, one landed on my finger, and my husband got several photographs and so did other tourists who gathered around; (3) top middle right, gray hairstreak, only about an inch long, but see that even his legs and antennae are striped—beauty on the tiniest detail, in my backyard; (4) top right corner, this was a cool catch to get both in the same photo, though I didn’t know it at the time: this was at the Smokies too, and there were lots of the yellow and one or possibly two of the black. In front, you’ll probably recognize a tiger swallowtail; but what I didn’t know when I took the photo was that the black one is also a tiger swallowtail, but a less common form of coloring; (5) middle top right: taken in Michigan, just a sulphur (not sure what species) on red clover, but the color combination makes a perfect photo; (6), below it, is the butterfly with the largest wingspan in the US, the giant swallowtail, photographed on a coneflower in my backyard; (7) bottom right corner: the plant is butterfly bush, the butterfly a gulf fritillary, photographed near Nashville when I first moved there, but ever since I have wanted a butterfly bush. Now (8) bottom middle right: American painted lady on Canada thistle, down the street from our house; (9) bottom middle left: monarch butterfly in flight in our backyard; (10) bottom left corner: eastern comma (a species that hibernates as an adult, and thus is seen late in fall and early in spring, though I’ve usually seen it in fall, with only one possible sighting in another season); this one was at the state park where I’ve seen it several times; (11) bottom left middle: common buckeye, in our backyard; (12) red admiral in our front yard: this butterfly was present in abundance in our area this summer, with as many as eight or ten in our backyard some days.
Thanks, Cheryl. Sixth Arrow and I enjoyed reading your commentary on the butterflies (and moth), and daughter is pleased to report that she is eight years old and has seen eight of those butterflies. 🙂
Kare, if you’re around, on an earlier thread this week you mentioned your mom got trifocals specifically for reading piano music. You said it worked for her, but was a hard adjustment. Did she have to move her head up and down (or side to side) a lot to follow the music?
Oo-la-la! Beautiful butterflies in a lovely collage. And I opened it at the office so I could see them! Nice treat for today. Thanks, Cheryl, AJ, and even more so to God the Creator. ❤
I woke up at 7 a.m. and was in the process of getting up when I realized — It’s SATURDAY. Ahhhhh.
Fell back into bed & slept another 2 hours (I was up late reading last night).
And we have a free HBO weekend — they’re running Exodus, the recent film about Moses that I’d wanted to see, so hopefully I’ll find it tonight and watch it. While it will include the usual missteps of a film based on the Bible but made by secularists, it did get good ratings for its effects.
Glasses did get super small for a while there — many of the frames were simply too small to handle progressive lenses. Now they’re getting bigger so that helps a lot. Just so they don’t get gigantic like they did the 1980s. 🙂 That was the era of big hair and giant glasses.
Shoulder pads can be turned into butterflies for cat toys!
I have been trying to add pictures to my blog today. I have figured out a little bit more, but still have not found the clue I need on the free WordPress Hatch theme. I am slowly learning and soaking it all in. Makes me appreciate all AJ has done for us!
Donna, I’d take the ’80s over the ’70s any day. But I like best when a broad range of styles is available. The time period when one could not buy skirts at all was silly; having no dresses with sleeves was also silly. But when a woman can wear any length of skirt, any hair length, etc. is better than “Every woman has to be skinny but large-busted (even if that means surgery), with wavy (not curly) hair that is blonde and just touches the bottom of her chin, and she must wear blue jeans and tops with 3/4 length sleeves.” I won’t accept the dictation as to what I must wear, but the problem is sometimes it is completely impossible to buy anything outside a rigid definition of acceptable. I once went about three years without buying new pants, though I shopped for them several times during that time period and got to where I needed new ones pretty badly, but the stores simply were not offering anything acceptable. And right now I detest most of the pants I own, but they aren’t made to last and few acceptable options are available.
Cheryl, what type of slacks are you looking for? Maybe you could try something from L.L.Bean, or you might find something in a store like R. E. I. that would have longer lasting materials. Worthington slacks at Penney’s use to work well for me. I also liked some of the Koret offerings. I have not shopped for slacks in quite awhile, although I did find a pair of Gap slacks at the Nearly New Shop for $2.00 at the end of summer.
A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. Prov. 15:1
Had to bite my tongue/typing fingers and put this one into practice this morning via a snarky email & public tweets sent to me (related to a story I’d written).
Of course, I rehearsed in my mind what I’d REALLY like to say to this person as I cleaned house before I finally could sit down respond with respect and gentleness. 🙂
Sin is so annoying. In others, yeah, but most irritating in myself. ! Grrr.
Cheryl, are you serious? ’80s over ’70s? Shudder. 🙂
I kinda liked the ’90s though; boots, longish skirts, lots of black. I still kind of wear all that stuff. But then I have no idea what’s in “style” anymore. 🙄
Try Eddie Bauer, Woolrich, & LL Bean/REI as Janice suggested.
JJill and Orvis also, but you may have to wait for their sales, they’re both expensive (Jjill less so, I think; I’ve never bought from Orvis, but they have beautiful sweaters and tops from the looks of their website!).
My mother once bought something for me from Orvis, and I was really surprised by that. That was when she was pretty much confined to shopping at home from catalogs. I had no idea she even received those catalogs. Coldwater Creek is good, too.
I am trying out a gift of Stitch Fix. They do the shopping, styling, etc for you and mail it to you. They send it to you once a month and you choose what to keep or not. I set up a Pinterest Board to “pin” looks I like. I get my first box November 4th. Oh and you set the budget. Our receptionist at work does it and has gotten some really cute clothes.
TEARY EYE ALERT: Yesterday BG brought something to the office that I needed. She asked if I had any money she could have so I told her if she would make my bank deposit I would give her 10 dollars (she has been doing daily chores since the blow up and I have her back on the Flylady system).
She sent her dad and me a text: I was just standing in line in the bank and the man next to me smelled just like Pop. I got back in the car and told (her friend) about it and started crying. She is a Senior this year and her Pop died when she was in Kindergarten. That she can still remember how he smelled warms my heart.
FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO SEW: I know this probably isn’t that great of revelation for you, but I have been reading Log Cabin Christmas by one of our favorite authors. One of the character’s asks if she can wear her deceased sister in law’s dress. In reading other historical fiction I have come across the woman letting out a dress or taking in a dress to make it fit. I have often wondered about the “letting out” of clothing because I have never seen enough fabric in the seams of anything I have ever owned to let it out.
As I was waking up this morning and still in that hazy frame of mind it came to me! THAT’s what French seams were for. I remember learning how to make them but never saw the purpose in them. With French seams you have the fabric to let out or take in as needed without the bulk of left over fabric. Middle school Home Ec was about 30 years ago and I FINALLY see what use they were.
Perhaps the next time our Favorite Author writes something historical she can work that in so that some young woman will figure it out faster than I did. Oh and again I will remind you about the crocheted curtains.
We went to Greek Fest today. I still am full of Pastichio and Spanikopita. They were having a special on Greek coffee–2 bags for $12. I asked the man if it was such a special and if he wanted to make a deal could I get 3 bags for $12. He told me he couldn’t make that decision but over there was the man who could. That man was walking towards us. Mr. P was mumbling to me to just pay $12 for the 2 bags. I asked and the man let he have 3 bags. I later explained to Mr P that it was a game and they respected me for playing. I might could have pushed it to 4 bags but I am rusty and I wasn’t willing to walk away. We all won and had fun.
Our managing editor has a clothing service like Stitch Fix. She has lost a lot of weight and decided to give it a try, she’s gotten some really cute outfits. I’d never heard of it before until I complimented her on one of her shirts one day.
I’m ahead in the Pigskin Picks? Can I claim beginner’s luck two weeks in a row?
Speaking of fashions and styles, my new stylish glasses are — not mine yet.
Well, I paid for them the day I ordered them, so technically they’re mine. I just don’t have them yet.
They came in yesterday and I went to pick them up this afternoon.
I put them on and looked around the room. Nothing anywhere was in focus. Not even close.
I told the attendant about that. She gave me a typed copy with four different items to know about getting adjusted to them. I looked at the page through the bottom of the lenses, and the print was crystal clear. Absolutely beautiful.
But to see distant things out of the top of the lens, I had to lower my head quite a bit. My chin was probably halfway down to my chest to see adequately out of the top.
I’m not sure how big or where the intermediate range was (it didn’t seem to be a very big area), but the top (distance) was way too small, and the bottom (closeup) was much larger than a third of the lens.
The person on duty today did again what the previous person I’d worked with did on Monday — she had me put the glasses on, told me to look at the bridge of her nose (she pointed to exactly where), then she marked on the glasses where my pupils were.
Her measurement was 7 something (millimeters?) different than the previously recorded measurement. So they’re sending them back to get the right proportioning.
They said they’ll keep both sets of lenses, so that when the new pair comes in, if those don’t work out, I could still opt to use the ones that came in first.
I don’t think I’m going to use this first set, though. I’d get a stiff neck always having to point my head down to drive or do other things that require looking at distant objects.
I’m hoping the new lenses are good for the close and intermediate distances. Especially, I think, the intermediate, as that is what I need for reading piano music, and, from what I’ve read, older musicians have the biggest complaints about how difficult it is to find good eye wear for music-reading purposes.
Having good peripheral vision is important, too, for musicians who play wide instruments, like the piano, xylophone, marimba, etc.
So…more waiting for my glasses to be ready. But I am encouraged by how clear everything was when I was looking through the correct areas of the lenses. And there weren’t any awkward, sudden shifts of range. It was a gradual transition from one area to another, which I think I will like.
If I don’t have to put my head way up or way down to see. 🙂
I watched the Eagles lose today. They were in the lead until the final minutes. And I heard two of my boys’ names mentioned a lot, in a positive way. They must have been doing well. I can’t see anything other than a jumble of blue shirts with numbers all smashed together. But I was there so must get some points for that.
Yep, 6 Arrows, that crystal clear reading was amazing to me, just really beautiful.
Peter, is there a way to post it on there that people can’t copy the picture? I don’t mind you guys doing so, but I’m publishing some of the photos myself and may at some point try to sell some, so I don’t want them being passed around the internet “copyright free.”
Sorry, Mumsee — I would have picked them if they’d been at home against Utah. 🙂
Cheryl, I’m glad you mentioned that about the photos. Later today (after I’d copied them to my computer) I was thinking about how they are publication-worthy, and wondered if that was OK for me to copy them as I did. I forgot to ask you, though, when I came back on here this evening.
I won’t share them with anyone except to show them to my family who live here or come to visit.
Re slacks: my problem with current styles is twofold. One, they are made too tight to be modest. I have found that I can just wear a larger size and they will fit but without being skin tight . . . but because they are also made to ride at the hip and not the waist, it is essential to wear a belt and hike the pants up repeatedly all day. It isn’t comfortable. In addition, my height is in my torso, so I have to make sure my shirts are long enough. I heard my stepdaughters talk about someone who (shudder) was wearing pants that went up to the waist, so I guess it must be considered an ugly style. But if you aren’t tucking in shirts (and women generally don’t tuck in shirts), then what difference does it make how high the pants are? But higher pants let my hips keep my pants up, and without the risk of exposure if I bend over and my shirt rides up. I despise pants that are uncomfortable and hard to wear. I refuse to wear the ones that are really super low, but even slightly higher ones are an annoying trend that I hope passes really soon.
Land’s End used to make wonderful slacks, classic styles and very well made. A couple of years ago my husband had a Land’s End gift card and he encouraged me to spend it. I bought a long-sleeved shirt that I wear a lot in the winter and a pair of slacks. Unfortunately, the pair of slacks has a zipper that’s really a bit too short, meaning that to remove the pants I have to unzip and then tug on the pants quite a bit. So I’m back to a reluctance to buy new pants while bad ones are all that’s available, but I’ve gained weight since we married and some pants have also worn out, so I have a choice between well worn, too tight, or pesky. I used to just buy a few pairs of pants and not worry about them again for a few years other than washing them periodically.
Cheryl, for slacks with a waist band even if it is a low cut one, I sometimes sew a few tucks at the point of belt loops to tighten the slacks at the top so there is no worry of them sliding down if I get a larger size for comfort and less tightness.
AJ, you said the other day (I think about the time Janice started her new blog) that you seemed to have deleted the names of the blogs you had had in your sidebar.
In case you didn’t see it, I see the names of those blogs in a different place in your sidebar — under the last of the pictures. Wandering Views 7.
Blogs I Follow
Mammaw Grace
Michelle Ule, Author
Rightly Dividing the Word of Truth
I know you mentioned KBells’ and Michelle’s blogs, but Joe B.’s is still there, too.
Okay, Cheryl. I won’t put it on Google+. As far as I know, there is no way to keep them from being copied off there. And as for that matter, anyone coming along here could copy the photos without any of us realizing it.
My church sent me a dvd of a concert and hymn sing. Such fun to listen tonight as I worked out how to make cashew chicken.
The best part was that during the hymn sing part they showed the audience and there were so many sweet folks that I have grown to care for over the years. What a blessing. The choir director sent me the dvd as a gift since I couldn’t be there.
Beautiful photos of butterflies!! When we were visiting Brookgreen Gardens in SC a couple of weeks ago, we walked through the butterfly exhibit…what beauty! We were told to walk very carefully as to not step on any that may have decided to rest on the ground. 🙂
6 – Mom had to do that (move her head around) quite a bit at the start, but soon it was natural for her to just look where she needed to for what she was doing.
I am reading the eyesight comments with interest. I have finally had to face reading glasses with my contacts. Without contacts it is easier to read without glasses.
Thanks, Kare. Good to know that it was temporary. I’m hoping it will be for me, too. There seemed to be an awful lot of grousing in the online reports I read yesterday from musicians regarding eye wear — it is good to hear a positive report!
(Hmm…maybe most of us musicians like to grouse too much.) 😉
Should be interesting timing with my November 14 performance. I will have had my progressive lenses for about three weeks by that time, and they said I could expect the adjustment period to last about two weeks (that is, if I’m wearing the lenses every day and for every purpose).
My duet partner for the performance gets back from Europe on November 1, and we are going to meet to practice together soon after that. I hope I don’t have to be doing too much head moving at that point so we don’t conk heads. 😀
We went to church in two separate vehicles today, the “early bus” and the “late bus.” Hubby was in the first bunch, I in the second about 20 minutes later.
Each of us, on the way to church, noticed a beautiful easy chair placed in a driveway, with a FREE sign on the cushion.
It looked like a pretty nice chair, though it was a ways away from the road. And I was thinking, that would look nice in our living room. A good color match with our couch and loveseat, and we have no chair in there, other than the wooden chair sitting next to the piano bench, where I sit when I’m teaching my students.
By the time we were on our way home, hubby and I in separate cars again, I’d forgotten to look for the chair to see if it was still there.
Hubby said after we were home, “Did you see that chair along the way?”
Yep.
“Just on the way to church, or on the way back, too?”
Well, we both forgot to look coming back home.
“Do you like it?”
Sure do. 🙂
So he jumps in the pickup truck and heads back down the road to see if it’s still there.
5-10 minutes later, I hear the truck rumbling up the driveway.
That chair looks mighty fine in our living room. 🙂
6 Arrows, I thought you were going to say you hadn’t seen it on the way back, and it was because he had claimed it for you. 🙂 Even better that he asked first, though!
6 Arrows. Long ago, in the seventies, we bought a Ford van. It was empty except for the two front seats. For some reason, Elvera wanted a seat behind the drivers seat. It had to have the function that it could be let down for someone to sleep on. I don’t remember why.
We kept that van fo rover20 years. I used it for hauling stuff. It was very handy and I said I would always have s similar vehicle. That’s one reason I bought the Ranger.
But I’m getting off my story.
I removed that seat and used the van as a truck, mostly. When we were moving down here, I decided to sell the van. But before that, I needed to get rid of the seat. I placed it out on the curb and put a sign on it. It said “FREE”. After a while, a lady came by and said she would like to have it. It would be a bed fro her son. But she couldn’t transport it to her house.
So, I loaded the seat into the van and took it to her house.
I had forgotten all about that.
Peter, we live out in the country, and that road it was near is not heavily traveled on Sunday mornings. I think it must have just been put outside today, because none of us saw it when we traveled that highway yesterday.
But we were getting home around noon, and traffic picks up around then on Sundays, so it might very well have been scarfed up if we had waited much longer.
Cheryl, yeah, that was neat, wasn’t it, that he asked? 🙂 And we placed the chair along that wall I’ve been talking about lately, regarding what to hang in place of the baby pictures that are still on it.
So now I’ve got a better idea of what to hang on the wall to complement the chair that sits there. I’ve had my eye on a couple different posters of Monet paintings I like, along with a couple of ideas for frames, all from Hobby Lobby, and they would look nice with that chair.
Neat story, Chas. We ended up with a van seat in our basement at one point. My husband is good at locating various finds. And a lot of people from his work just give him stuff when they have no more use for it.
This past week we acquired our third microwave that way. Probably don’t need that many, though, LOL.
Five hours since the last comment? Boy, did I ever kill the thread! Maybe instead of microwaves I should have talked about toaster ovens. That usually elicits a response!
Toaster ovens! That reminds me of the time my sister buttered her bread before toasting it in my toaster oven, and the butter dripped to the bottom and started a small fire.
Haven’t had too many problems with the microwave, except when people (other than me) forget to cover their food, & a huge mess develops. Or when Emily heated up some butter for too long. Or when I accidentally added another number to my one & a half minutes for my coffee, & ended up with coffee “baked on” the bottom of the microwave from the cup being in there for over ten minutes. But that’s it. No other problems.
Wandering Views 
That sure is a lot of butterflies.
I didn’t have many butterflies this year.
My butterfly bush produced about half as many flowers.
I don’t know why.
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5 Arrows. from yesterday.
If they’re professional opticians, they won’t let you leave without the glasses on and see well.
Their job is to make you see well.
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What a collage, I have already saved it. I like the variety. God is quite an artist or The Artist.
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Butterflies are such pretty things;
Works of art with wings.
God’s creation in them we see;
Two wings in symmetry.
There. I waxed poetic to start my day here. I think butterflies are good examples of an Intelligent Creator. How could chance have produced such beauty including the symmetry? Could chance have made wings that are almost exact copies of each other?
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Good morning! Frost on the ground, and gorgeous butterflies on here! Superbly done, Cheryl. You have captured well the stunning beauty God builds into His creation.
And now I’m going to have to figure out how to save the picture, like Jo did. Now accepting help from anyone who would like to offer it. 🙂
Oh, and I know a little eight-year-old girl who is going to LOVE seeing that collage when she wakes up this morning. 🙂 She and I would also enjoy any description of the butterflies — names, how and where you captured the photos, etc. — that you care to offer, Cheryl.
Chas, I’m not sure how much the optician will be able to do for me today. Sounds like quite an adjustment going from single vision glasses to progressives, as I am — taking days (or weeks) to get accustomed to them, rather than minutes or hours.
We’ll see. (I hope.) 🙂
The optometrist did tell me after my eye exam and before choosing frames that getting a bigger lens, rather than a small one, is better for seeing through progressives, and that vision would also be better the closer to my eyes the lenses are. So I was encouraged to pick out a frame that fit well against the bridge of my nose.
There were only two pairs of glasses among their entire selection that would have worked well. (I was told to get frames that were no smaller than my current ones, and all the frames they had were smaller, except those two I mentioned. I don’t care for the look of really small frames on my face, anyway, even though that’s been the style for several years now.)
Of those two that fit the description of what I needed, I chose the pair that fit closer to my face. So I’m hoping that helps somewhat in the adjustment period.
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And a lovely poem to match the beautiful header. Thanks, Peter.
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Just got the collage saved to my computer, and I know where to find it. I figured out some technology — will wonders never cease? 🙂
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The last pair of glasses I got I immediately removed and complained that I could not see out of them at all. There is often an adjustment period, but this was terrible. I was encourage to take them home and start out fresh with them the next morning. I live 65 miles from the store, so was really wondering.
This actually worked for me and I kept those glasses. I realize now that the last pair I had had the lenses with the bifocal part all the way across. The newest ones were the old bifocal type. Because my vision is so bad, I need to get the thinnest lens I can and I was assured these were it. No mention was made of keeping the same type I had. They were not the thinnest, nor were they what I would have ordered if I had known. Hopefully, that worker is long gone.
I am not sure if I will just keep this type lenses or switch back to the others. I have problems with my vision no matter what. I am due for another field vision, which I hate. My dad and his brothers did have macular degeneration, however, so I keep on top of it.
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Butterflies: in the middle is one of my favorites, because I like the blue on its body (and the photo I used to identify it, a photo in a magazine about the Smokies, didn’t even capture the blue on the body as I had); it’s a pipevine swallowtail photographed in the Smokies on our “second honeymoon” three years ago.
Around the outside, clockwise from top left: (1) top left corner, another favorite, because I adore the orange “socks,” though this fellow was really hard to photograph: it’s the only one on here that’s actually a moth, though a daytime flying moth: eight-spotted forester, taken in my front yard. (2) top middle left: red-spotted purple, photographed on the rock near a waterfall at the Smokies; this same day, one landed on my finger, and my husband got several photographs and so did other tourists who gathered around; (3) top middle right, gray hairstreak, only about an inch long, but see that even his legs and antennae are striped—beauty on the tiniest detail, in my backyard; (4) top right corner, this was a cool catch to get both in the same photo, though I didn’t know it at the time: this was at the Smokies too, and there were lots of the yellow and one or possibly two of the black. In front, you’ll probably recognize a tiger swallowtail; but what I didn’t know when I took the photo was that the black one is also a tiger swallowtail, but a less common form of coloring; (5) middle top right: taken in Michigan, just a sulphur (not sure what species) on red clover, but the color combination makes a perfect photo; (6), below it, is the butterfly with the largest wingspan in the US, the giant swallowtail, photographed on a coneflower in my backyard; (7) bottom right corner: the plant is butterfly bush, the butterfly a gulf fritillary, photographed near Nashville when I first moved there, but ever since I have wanted a butterfly bush. Now (8) bottom middle right: American painted lady on Canada thistle, down the street from our house; (9) bottom middle left: monarch butterfly in flight in our backyard; (10) bottom left corner: eastern comma (a species that hibernates as an adult, and thus is seen late in fall and early in spring, though I’ve usually seen it in fall, with only one possible sighting in another season); this one was at the state park where I’ve seen it several times; (11) bottom left middle: common buckeye, in our backyard; (12) red admiral in our front yard: this butterfly was present in abundance in our area this summer, with as many as eight or ten in our backyard some days.
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Thanks, Cheryl. Sixth Arrow and I enjoyed reading your commentary on the butterflies (and moth), and daughter is pleased to report that she is eight years old and has seen eight of those butterflies. 🙂
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Kare, if you’re around, on an earlier thread this week you mentioned your mom got trifocals specifically for reading piano music. You said it worked for her, but was a hard adjustment. Did she have to move her head up and down (or side to side) a lot to follow the music?
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Oo-la-la! Beautiful butterflies in a lovely collage. And I opened it at the office so I could see them! Nice treat for today. Thanks, Cheryl, AJ, and even more so to God the Creator. ❤
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Nice photos! We’re stepping it up around here. 🙂
I woke up at 7 a.m. and was in the process of getting up when I realized — It’s SATURDAY. Ahhhhh.
Fell back into bed & slept another 2 hours (I was up late reading last night).
And we have a free HBO weekend — they’re running Exodus, the recent film about Moses that I’d wanted to see, so hopefully I’ll find it tonight and watch it. While it will include the usual missteps of a film based on the Bible but made by secularists, it did get good ratings for its effects.
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2014/december-web-only/exodus.html
Otherwise, it’s house cleaning day today, I have a lot to do 😦
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Glasses did get super small for a while there — many of the frames were simply too small to handle progressive lenses. Now they’re getting bigger so that helps a lot. Just so they don’t get gigantic like they did the 1980s. 🙂 That was the era of big hair and giant glasses.
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Along with shoulder pads …. 🙂 In everything, even T-shirts and silky blouses.
It was not a good decade for fashion.
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(shhh, quietly disposing of the shoulder pads…..)
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Shoulder pads can be turned into butterflies for cat toys!
I have been trying to add pictures to my blog today. I have figured out a little bit more, but still have not found the clue I need on the free WordPress Hatch theme. I am slowly learning and soaking it all in. Makes me appreciate all AJ has done for us!
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Donna, I’d take the ’80s over the ’70s any day. But I like best when a broad range of styles is available. The time period when one could not buy skirts at all was silly; having no dresses with sleeves was also silly. But when a woman can wear any length of skirt, any hair length, etc. is better than “Every woman has to be skinny but large-busted (even if that means surgery), with wavy (not curly) hair that is blonde and just touches the bottom of her chin, and she must wear blue jeans and tops with 3/4 length sleeves.” I won’t accept the dictation as to what I must wear, but the problem is sometimes it is completely impossible to buy anything outside a rigid definition of acceptable. I once went about three years without buying new pants, though I shopped for them several times during that time period and got to where I needed new ones pretty badly, but the stores simply were not offering anything acceptable. And right now I detest most of the pants I own, but they aren’t made to last and few acceptable options are available.
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Cheryl, what type of slacks are you looking for? Maybe you could try something from L.L.Bean, or you might find something in a store like R. E. I. that would have longer lasting materials. Worthington slacks at Penney’s use to work well for me. I also liked some of the Koret offerings. I have not shopped for slacks in quite awhile, although I did find a pair of Gap slacks at the Nearly New Shop for $2.00 at the end of summer.
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Mumsee, I imagine the goats would enjoy having a snack of shoulder pads! Maybe they would take up playing football. 🙂
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A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. Prov. 15:1
Had to bite my tongue/typing fingers and put this one into practice this morning via a snarky email & public tweets sent to me (related to a story I’d written).
Of course, I rehearsed in my mind what I’d REALLY like to say to this person as I cleaned house before I finally could sit down respond with respect and gentleness. 🙂
Sin is so annoying. In others, yeah, but most irritating in myself. ! Grrr.
It is a fight.
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is AJ catching fish this weekend? The weather is beautiful here, but alas, we are inside the office, and I have no windows where I am sitting.
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Cheryl, are you serious? ’80s over ’70s? Shudder. 🙂
I kinda liked the ’90s though; boots, longish skirts, lots of black. I still kind of wear all that stuff. But then I have no idea what’s in “style” anymore. 🙄
Try Eddie Bauer, Woolrich, & LL Bean/REI as Janice suggested.
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JJill and Orvis also, but you may have to wait for their sales, they’re both expensive (Jjill less so, I think; I’ve never bought from Orvis, but they have beautiful sweaters and tops from the looks of their website!).
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My mother once bought something for me from Orvis, and I was really surprised by that. That was when she was pretty much confined to shopping at home from catalogs. I had no idea she even received those catalogs. Coldwater Creek is good, too.
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I am trying out a gift of Stitch Fix. They do the shopping, styling, etc for you and mail it to you. They send it to you once a month and you choose what to keep or not. I set up a Pinterest Board to “pin” looks I like. I get my first box November 4th. Oh and you set the budget. Our receptionist at work does it and has gotten some really cute clothes.
TEARY EYE ALERT: Yesterday BG brought something to the office that I needed. She asked if I had any money she could have so I told her if she would make my bank deposit I would give her 10 dollars (she has been doing daily chores since the blow up and I have her back on the Flylady system).
She sent her dad and me a text: I was just standing in line in the bank and the man next to me smelled just like Pop. I got back in the car and told (her friend) about it and started crying. She is a Senior this year and her Pop died when she was in Kindergarten. That she can still remember how he smelled warms my heart.
FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO SEW: I know this probably isn’t that great of revelation for you, but I have been reading Log Cabin Christmas by one of our favorite authors. One of the character’s asks if she can wear her deceased sister in law’s dress. In reading other historical fiction I have come across the woman letting out a dress or taking in a dress to make it fit. I have often wondered about the “letting out” of clothing because I have never seen enough fabric in the seams of anything I have ever owned to let it out.
As I was waking up this morning and still in that hazy frame of mind it came to me! THAT’s what French seams were for. I remember learning how to make them but never saw the purpose in them. With French seams you have the fabric to let out or take in as needed without the bulk of left over fabric. Middle school Home Ec was about 30 years ago and I FINALLY see what use they were.
Perhaps the next time our Favorite Author writes something historical she can work that in so that some young woman will figure it out faster than I did. Oh and again I will remind you about the crocheted curtains.
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We went to Greek Fest today. I still am full of Pastichio and Spanikopita. They were having a special on Greek coffee–2 bags for $12. I asked the man if it was such a special and if he wanted to make a deal could I get 3 bags for $12. He told me he couldn’t make that decision but over there was the man who could. That man was walking towards us. Mr. P was mumbling to me to just pay $12 for the 2 bags. I asked and the man let he have 3 bags. I later explained to Mr P that it was a game and they respected me for playing. I might could have pushed it to 4 bags but I am rusty and I wasn’t willing to walk away. We all won and had fun.
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Our managing editor has a clothing service like Stitch Fix. She has lost a lot of weight and decided to give it a try, she’s gotten some really cute outfits. I’d never heard of it before until I complimented her on one of her shirts one day.
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I figured out some technology — will wonders never cease?
As long as God is God, wonders will never cease. And God is eternal and never changes. So that means wonders will never cease. Glory to His Name!
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And speaking of 6 Arrows- She has the lead in the Pigskin Picks since she is the only one to pick Utah State over Boise State.
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I spent the day destroying a stack of junk mail, doing laundry & dishes. Fun, fun fun.
My junk mail sure is looking *old* — I’m getting lots of pitches now for cremation, AARP and mobility aids. 🙂
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Cheryl- Can I post your collage on Google Plus?
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I’m ahead in the Pigskin Picks? Can I claim beginner’s luck two weeks in a row?
Speaking of fashions and styles, my new stylish glasses are — not mine yet.
Well, I paid for them the day I ordered them, so technically they’re mine. I just don’t have them yet.
They came in yesterday and I went to pick them up this afternoon.
I put them on and looked around the room. Nothing anywhere was in focus. Not even close.
I told the attendant about that. She gave me a typed copy with four different items to know about getting adjusted to them. I looked at the page through the bottom of the lenses, and the print was crystal clear. Absolutely beautiful.
But to see distant things out of the top of the lens, I had to lower my head quite a bit. My chin was probably halfway down to my chest to see adequately out of the top.
I’m not sure how big or where the intermediate range was (it didn’t seem to be a very big area), but the top (distance) was way too small, and the bottom (closeup) was much larger than a third of the lens.
The person on duty today did again what the previous person I’d worked with did on Monday — she had me put the glasses on, told me to look at the bridge of her nose (she pointed to exactly where), then she marked on the glasses where my pupils were.
Her measurement was 7 something (millimeters?) different than the previously recorded measurement. So they’re sending them back to get the right proportioning.
They said they’ll keep both sets of lenses, so that when the new pair comes in, if those don’t work out, I could still opt to use the ones that came in first.
I don’t think I’m going to use this first set, though. I’d get a stiff neck always having to point my head down to drive or do other things that require looking at distant objects.
I’m hoping the new lenses are good for the close and intermediate distances. Especially, I think, the intermediate, as that is what I need for reading piano music, and, from what I’ve read, older musicians have the biggest complaints about how difficult it is to find good eye wear for music-reading purposes.
Having good peripheral vision is important, too, for musicians who play wide instruments, like the piano, xylophone, marimba, etc.
So…more waiting for my glasses to be ready. But I am encouraged by how clear everything was when I was looking through the correct areas of the lenses. And there weren’t any awkward, sudden shifts of range. It was a gradual transition from one area to another, which I think I will like.
If I don’t have to put my head way up or way down to see. 🙂
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Why would anyone ever select any team over Boise?
I watched the Eagles lose today. They were in the lead until the final minutes. And I heard two of my boys’ names mentioned a lot, in a positive way. They must have been doing well. I can’t see anything other than a jumble of blue shirts with numbers all smashed together. But I was there so must get some points for that.
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Yep, 6 Arrows, that crystal clear reading was amazing to me, just really beautiful.
Peter, is there a way to post it on there that people can’t copy the picture? I don’t mind you guys doing so, but I’m publishing some of the photos myself and may at some point try to sell some, so I don’t want them being passed around the internet “copyright free.”
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Sorry, Mumsee — I would have picked them if they’d been at home against Utah. 🙂
Cheryl, I’m glad you mentioned that about the photos. Later today (after I’d copied them to my computer) I was thinking about how they are publication-worthy, and wondered if that was OK for me to copy them as I did. I forgot to ask you, though, when I came back on here this evening.
I won’t share them with anyone except to show them to my family who live here or come to visit.
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Re slacks: my problem with current styles is twofold. One, they are made too tight to be modest. I have found that I can just wear a larger size and they will fit but without being skin tight . . . but because they are also made to ride at the hip and not the waist, it is essential to wear a belt and hike the pants up repeatedly all day. It isn’t comfortable. In addition, my height is in my torso, so I have to make sure my shirts are long enough. I heard my stepdaughters talk about someone who (shudder) was wearing pants that went up to the waist, so I guess it must be considered an ugly style. But if you aren’t tucking in shirts (and women generally don’t tuck in shirts), then what difference does it make how high the pants are? But higher pants let my hips keep my pants up, and without the risk of exposure if I bend over and my shirt rides up. I despise pants that are uncomfortable and hard to wear. I refuse to wear the ones that are really super low, but even slightly higher ones are an annoying trend that I hope passes really soon.
Land’s End used to make wonderful slacks, classic styles and very well made. A couple of years ago my husband had a Land’s End gift card and he encouraged me to spend it. I bought a long-sleeved shirt that I wear a lot in the winter and a pair of slacks. Unfortunately, the pair of slacks has a zipper that’s really a bit too short, meaning that to remove the pants I have to unzip and then tug on the pants quite a bit. So I’m back to a reluctance to buy new pants while bad ones are all that’s available, but I’ve gained weight since we married and some pants have also worn out, so I have a choice between well worn, too tight, or pesky. I used to just buy a few pairs of pants and not worry about them again for a few years other than washing them periodically.
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Cheryl, for slacks with a waist band even if it is a low cut one, I sometimes sew a few tucks at the point of belt loops to tighten the slacks at the top so there is no worry of them sliding down if I get a larger size for comfort and less tightness.
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AJ, you said the other day (I think about the time Janice started her new blog) that you seemed to have deleted the names of the blogs you had had in your sidebar.
In case you didn’t see it, I see the names of those blogs in a different place in your sidebar — under the last of the pictures. Wandering Views 7.
Blogs I Follow
Mammaw Grace
Michelle Ule, Author
Rightly Dividing the Word of Truth
I know you mentioned KBells’ and Michelle’s blogs, but Joe B.’s is still there, too.
Where is JoeB, by the way?
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I have wondered about him, too.
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The pants I’ve seen on website catalogues offer a variety of fits, usually — from natural waist to looser fits. Shouldn’t be hard to find something.
Got to the dog park where a squirrel in a tree kept most of the dogs transfixed and now I’m watching Godzilla, the2014 remake 🙂
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Back from a good day sifting ashes in Lake County. We’re exhausted, more tomorrow.
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Okay, Cheryl. I won’t put it on Google+. As far as I know, there is no way to keep them from being copied off there. And as for that matter, anyone coming along here could copy the photos without any of us realizing it.
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Oh, by the way, the Royals are up two games to none against Toronto, in case anyone cares. And the Mets beat the Cubs in the first game.
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Elvera has the same attitude about football that Mumsee has..
“A bunch of guys running into and piling on each other.”.
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Oh, but Mumsee loves the competition of the contest and is sure to win.
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My church sent me a dvd of a concert and hymn sing. Such fun to listen tonight as I worked out how to make cashew chicken.
The best part was that during the hymn sing part they showed the audience and there were so many sweet folks that I have grown to care for over the years. What a blessing. The choir director sent me the dvd as a gift since I couldn’t be there.
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Enjoy your Sunday time of worship.
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oh, 49. 🙂
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Good evening Jo.
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Beautiful photos of butterflies!! When we were visiting Brookgreen Gardens in SC a couple of weeks ago, we walked through the butterfly exhibit…what beauty! We were told to walk very carefully as to not step on any that may have decided to rest on the ground. 🙂
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Have you had any sleep lately, NancyJill?
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I just posted and my post disappeared.
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Sleep has not been a friend lately…and to think I really really wanted to be BFF’s!!
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Good Morning Everyone. Have a good one.
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6 – Mom had to do that (move her head around) quite a bit at the start, but soon it was natural for her to just look where she needed to for what she was doing.
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I am reading the eyesight comments with interest. I have finally had to face reading glasses with my contacts. Without contacts it is easier to read without glasses.
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Thanks, Kare. Good to know that it was temporary. I’m hoping it will be for me, too. There seemed to be an awful lot of grousing in the online reports I read yesterday from musicians regarding eye wear — it is good to hear a positive report!
(Hmm…maybe most of us musicians like to grouse too much.) 😉
Should be interesting timing with my November 14 performance. I will have had my progressive lenses for about three weeks by that time, and they said I could expect the adjustment period to last about two weeks (that is, if I’m wearing the lenses every day and for every purpose).
My duet partner for the performance gets back from Europe on November 1, and we are going to meet to practice together soon after that. I hope I don’t have to be doing too much head moving at that point so we don’t conk heads. 😀
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Neat thing we saw today.
We went to church in two separate vehicles today, the “early bus” and the “late bus.” Hubby was in the first bunch, I in the second about 20 minutes later.
Each of us, on the way to church, noticed a beautiful easy chair placed in a driveway, with a FREE sign on the cushion.
It looked like a pretty nice chair, though it was a ways away from the road. And I was thinking, that would look nice in our living room. A good color match with our couch and loveseat, and we have no chair in there, other than the wooden chair sitting next to the piano bench, where I sit when I’m teaching my students.
By the time we were on our way home, hubby and I in separate cars again, I’d forgotten to look for the chair to see if it was still there.
Hubby said after we were home, “Did you see that chair along the way?”
Yep.
“Just on the way to church, or on the way back, too?”
Well, we both forgot to look coming back home.
“Do you like it?”
Sure do. 🙂
So he jumps in the pickup truck and heads back down the road to see if it’s still there.
5-10 minutes later, I hear the truck rumbling up the driveway.
That chair looks mighty fine in our living room. 🙂
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I’m surprised that chair was still there.
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6 Arrows, I thought you were going to say you hadn’t seen it on the way back, and it was because he had claimed it for you. 🙂 Even better that he asked first, though!
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6 Arrows. Long ago, in the seventies, we bought a Ford van. It was empty except for the two front seats. For some reason, Elvera wanted a seat behind the drivers seat. It had to have the function that it could be let down for someone to sleep on. I don’t remember why.
We kept that van fo rover20 years. I used it for hauling stuff. It was very handy and I said I would always have s similar vehicle. That’s one reason I bought the Ranger.
But I’m getting off my story.
I removed that seat and used the van as a truck, mostly. When we were moving down here, I decided to sell the van. But before that, I needed to get rid of the seat. I placed it out on the curb and put a sign on it. It said “FREE”. After a while, a lady came by and said she would like to have it. It would be a bed fro her son. But she couldn’t transport it to her house.
So, I loaded the seat into the van and took it to her house.
I had forgotten all about that.
🙂
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Peter, we live out in the country, and that road it was near is not heavily traveled on Sunday mornings. I think it must have just been put outside today, because none of us saw it when we traveled that highway yesterday.
But we were getting home around noon, and traffic picks up around then on Sundays, so it might very well have been scarfed up if we had waited much longer.
Cheryl, yeah, that was neat, wasn’t it, that he asked? 🙂 And we placed the chair along that wall I’ve been talking about lately, regarding what to hang in place of the baby pictures that are still on it.
So now I’ve got a better idea of what to hang on the wall to complement the chair that sits there. I’ve had my eye on a couple different posters of Monet paintings I like, along with a couple of ideas for frames, all from Hobby Lobby, and they would look nice with that chair.
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Neat story, Chas. We ended up with a van seat in our basement at one point. My husband is good at locating various finds. And a lot of people from his work just give him stuff when they have no more use for it.
This past week we acquired our third microwave that way. Probably don’t need that many, though, LOL.
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Five hours since the last comment? Boy, did I ever kill the thread! Maybe instead of microwaves I should have talked about toaster ovens. That usually elicits a response!
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Toaster ovens! That reminds me of the time my sister buttered her bread before toasting it in my toaster oven, and the butter dripped to the bottom and started a small fire.
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Toaster ovens re-ignite!
Poof!
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One Thanksgiving, Lee put something in our toaster oven to finish heating, & forgot about it. The smoke from the fire reminded him. 🙂
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Haven’t had too many problems with the microwave, except when people (other than me) forget to cover their food, & a huge mess develops. Or when Emily heated up some butter for too long. Or when I accidentally added another number to my one & a half minutes for my coffee, & ended up with coffee “baked on” the bottom of the microwave from the cup being in there for over ten minutes. But that’s it. No other problems.
I think.
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oh, the thread has gotten silly again.
That’s okay, by now you are all asleep and I am home from work.
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Aj, you could leave this header up for a week or two, if you like…
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Good evening Jo.
It’s 30 degrees in Hendersonville. 😦
Back later.
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Wow, that is cold, Chas. I trust that that is the outside temperature and that it is warmer inside.
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seventy four
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seventy five
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