ladybugs and high winds

At least once a year, the ladybugs take over our house and scatter their red speckled bodies all over the place. Wasps live in the sills and windows, waiting to hatch and get their asses kicked with my handy dandy swatter. We also already have flies and 'skeeters. There's a big storm system about to move through, with the greatest risk of severe forecast for middle TN. You never know around here though. The Mighty Mississippi has some kind of devil juice that a cloud can pick up on its' way over and turn into the a monster tornado. I have witnessed the aftermath of several and it ain't pretty.

Sitting on my front porch in the rocker, I pondered about the beauty that is at my feet every time they hit the floor and I look outside. Right now there are flowers everywhere...splotches of color against an already green background. The coolest thing of all to me is to watch the shadows of clouds moving over the fields. That sort of thing has become a ritual for me now, a chance to be quiet and reflect....enjoy time, rather than just passing it like my poor daddy does. He came on his gator to see the puppies yesterday, nodded his head at them, held one and took off for home. Gotta stay on schedule! I could hear him as he walked across the yard reciting to himself every single thing he'll do before bedtime. Very sad. Mom got her hair did and I had the chance to visit with the girls there at Angel's for a few minutes. They always decorate seasonally and the salon is now decked out in purple, yellow and green for Easter. Think Steel Magnolias and you've got the picture.

Since Faith refused to give birth on the floor or even close to the box, we've had to get rid of the couch that was her birthing bed. Tried flipping it, but no can do. Yuck and yuck. BG's entire room has been given to she and her babies. They're only four days old, but beginning to sleep and crawl a little more and eat less. She's a good little mommy but very tired. Girl, I sure do know the feeling! The older I get, the less I can do without trying really hard physically and I'm in pretty good shape. Just a few extra pounds, which will come back off once I'm busy outside. It's high allergy season for me so I laid down my driver's license and stocked up on real sudafed. I get pissed at meth heads every time I have to do that extra step. Idiots.

I'm excited about gardening this spring and summer because I am much more aware of the dangers of preservatives and whatnot that food producers use. I was raised an "every meal must have at least one fried thing" southern girl and tried to cook like that for years. Now it's whatever is easy and halfway good for you, like cheese. And LOTS of water. I was a witness to a tense little event at the grocery store yesterday that I thought was gonna turn into a smackdown. This very large greasy haired lady in a motorized chair and an "assistant" pushing a second buggy decided they would barge on through where a guy was stocking the freezer. Rather than go around, she made a big deal about making him move and then acted like a smartass after he let her through. As I left I saw the two of them loading up 500 bucks worth of groceries as she sat on the chair with a cig hanging out of her mouth. Some people's kids.

Ya'll stay safe out there and take to the storm cellar if need be^j^