blueberries and bugs

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Ok, let’s move on shall we…away from accolades and awards to things that really matter, like bugs and blueberries. As I’ve been nursing this ankle of mine, I’ve not managed to make my rounds in the yard as aptly as I would prefer. Did you know that 90% of one’s weight is supported by the heavier tibia while a mere 10% is allocated to the fibula. Since it is the lower fibula that I broke, I am currently beginning to experiment with the whole concept of weight distribution.

Now when I think of weight distribution I usually think of my unhealthy consumption of butter and where it, the consumed butter, plans on distributing itself on my body. However I think this is more or less talking about what are weight-bearing bones and what bones are not weight bearing.

Now a woman of my age, not that my age is anything to consider, humph…. should perhaps be a little concerned with bone-mass as my doctor does make me have that checked on a yearly basis—something about osteopenia and needing to probably beef up on calcium… remember my friend and her tums concern…but I digress. So weight bearing seems important these days for all sorts of reasons.

Worried over the fact that one calf muscle now resembles a strand of spaghetti and the other is still nicely svelte for a non-competitive woman such as myself, I’m trying ever so gently to take off the air-cast and use a brace splint. Yes I know, a little too early I suppose but if you only knew how badly my other leg’s groin muscle and hip are now hurting due to life as a webble wobble, you wouldn’t scold me too much.

Walking on a hard flat surface such as the floor or driveway is nice. No problem. Remembering how to walk like an adult is another matter. It is also the yard, the un-level grass and ground that has me a bit worried, as that is what got me in this whole mess to begin with…that and an eager beaver let’s dig ditches and clean gutters out later type husband, but again—I digress.

90% is good as that seems to be the majority of the walking weight, but every once in a while, the 10% rears its ugly head and believe you me, I know that there is still a leg issue. Thank goodness I’m not a point toe dancer—and you can forget trying to put a leg down in the wellies. Hence why I’m now sitting, leg propped up, writing you.

Ok, so we’ve got to get the garden planted. The rain, the cold, my leg have all knocked us back weeks. The air-cast and I are not hitting the dirt together. Frankenstein meets the tomato is not my idea of a good time. So I’m gently trying out the brace splint. In my zeal to be a bit more mobile, I actually walked around to the back yard suddenly noticing that in my absence my blueberry bushes have lost all their flowers and are now actually covered in young green blueberries!! It looks to be a bumper crop. I’m so happy!

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The other odd thing…have you ever noticed a sudden bit of infestation, by some type of creature in your yard, making you feel as if you are living in a 1960’s B movie? Not that this has anything to do with the latest emergence of the 17 year cycle cicadas…which I have not yet seen, or better yet, heard…. but rather some crazy looking little black and orange spiny thing. They are on my lawn chairs, the sidewalk, the plants, etc. The blasted things also bite or sting—and are easily smushed—which makes flicking them off things a bit gross and messy.

This is how great the internet can be—now you won’t hear me say that often as sometimes I feel the internet is more bad than good but in this case I make an exception. I hit goggle and typed in “little black and orange bug” and bingo, instant image—the exact tiny creature creeping me out. Turns out this “thing” is the larvae of the Asian multicolored ladybeetle—better known as the ladybug. Who knew??!! No matter, I like it no better and wish they’d all go away. Seems they are supposedly beneficial but have gotten a bit out of hand by overpopulating—seems that’s always the case—too much of a good thing. And anything that looks like this spiny thing and bites me is not a beneficial thing.

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So that’s how things stand today. I managed to get all the little vegetable plants down to the garden, propping them up ‘til my ditch digging loving husband gets home from work, helping me to get them in the ground—he wants to dig so badly?? Let him dig in the garden!! I’m sorry, I just keep digressing. I’ve got 13 different heirloom tomato plants good to go, 4 eggplants—2 globe black beauties and 2 Japanese Ichiban, 2 red bell peppers and packs and packs of seeds—corn—yellow, white, red—okra– burgundy and green— beans– pole, bush, pinto, stingless, wax— peas, swiss burgundy chard, sweet orange watermelon, baby cucumbers, squash, zucchini—you name it—I’m salivating just typing….but wait, what is this….why is the sky suddenly looking so grey??!! Are those menacing rainclouds—-again??!!

D@m*it, is it suppose to rain—again??? AAAGGGGHHH!!!!!!!!

Inspirational Blogger Award–really?

or as one blogger put it, How to best build a blogging community…and I suppose that’s in part what I’m doing……

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This is the second time a wonderful fellow blogger has desired to bestow this honor on to my little blog. My intent has never been fanfare so I thanked the first blogger and opted not to showcase the “gift” as I prefer flying under the radar so to speak.

I have been reading and following Jolandi on her journey (dreaminginarabic.wordpress.com)– being drawn to her site as she first proclaimed her love of travel, explaining her passion as to having rather “itchy” feet–and I thought that was the greatest description I had read for having a love of travel, or as some may say, the “travel bug.” I too have itchy feet!! Unfortunately I have a bit of a limited wallet 🙂

I’m posting the award this time rather reluctantly as I am not one for accolades. My former principal will tell you, much often to his frustration and chagrin, that “Mrs. Cook tends to eschew the deserved honors and awards.” When I was retiring, this time last year, our School Board hosted a reception for me, as well as for a few other retirees—I wrote a heartfelt note to our Superintendent as to why I would not be attending and thanked him for his constant support and friendship. That sort of thing is just not me. My principal did not know that I had declined the invitation. I knew that if I told him, he’d have “made” me go—and sure enough when he got to the reception and had to get up to give a little talk about his art teacher, his art teacher was no where to be found, I got an immediate call on my cell phone.

Some may think that my declining to attend such a reception appeared as my being ungrateful or perhaps even rude–those who know me, knew it made perfect sense—the reception was wonderful for those other teachers, I didn’t need to be there. I wanted to leave quietly, no hoopla. Just a good-bye with my high school colleagues at our end of the year luncheon was all I wanted–he eventually understood. It was all quite humorous. I love our principal. He is much younger than I am, former military. My whole “no” last Spring threw him for a loop—it was good for him. 🙂

I taught and that was all there was to it. If there was an honor, accolade or award along the way that was nice. Receiving the Teacher of the Year award for our High School, only to be followed later by the Teacher of the Year Award for our entire school system was humbling but it was of my opinion not deserved as I knew the caliber of people I worked with–there was always someone else I deemed much more deserving.

So it is with something like this. I just write because God gave me a gift of wanting to share my soul with others. I taught because caring adults taught me and I wanted to, in turn, do the same…I loved art and the whole creative process, but it was simply the vehicle that put me in the classroom… my real passion was working with the kids—living life through their eyes–helping to steer them, keeping them on track as best I could. That was my life for 31 years and for the most part, it was, as the kids would say, all gravy.

For this award I am to nominate other bloggers and list some random facts about myself. Well since most of you do not actually know me, most any fact must seem “random”

1. I am really quite shy–I do not like large social gatherings preferring more intimate affairs with just close friends and family (hence that whole reception ordeal)

2. Being from the South this is a sacrilege but I do not drink, nor do I like, ice tea.

3.I wish I was blessed with the ability to sing–I mean really sing…even though my students will tell you I tried all the time in the classroom, much to their misery 🙂

4. I am adopted (but if you’ve read any of the posts regarding Sylvia Kay, you already knew that)

5. I am not a frufru girly girl–I am more of an outdoors sort of girl–a bit of a tomboy

6. I have been told I’ve been blessed with good genes as I do not look my age–which is a good thing.

7. When I travel, I try to do so with the mindset of a pilgrim verses that of a tourist. Absorbing and immersing myself in my surroundings verses snapping up a picture and off I go….trying to be a good ambassador for my own country and interacting with others in the spirit of kindness, gratitude and unity as we are all more alike than we are different.

other sites who deserve this award more so than I do:

1. obviously Jolandi who has already been awarded this honor– dreaminginarabic.wordpress.com

2. my dear friend nonfatlatte at Following the Shepherd — nonfatlatte.wordpress.com

3. Sister Pat Farrall at O Preach –opreach.org

4.the beautiful heart and soul of Jenna Dee –jennadee222.wordpress.com

5. the beautiful images and tales found on Life in the Foothills –salmonfishingqueen.wordpress.com

6. my kind friend Joanne at katherinesdaughter.com

7.the warm and caring Christine at christineledford.wordpress.com

8. the inspiring former educator Catnip at catnipoflife.wordpress.com

9. the wonderful family in Queensland who are carrying on the legacy of their dear friend– addyourpieceofhistory.wordpress.com

10. and even though I’m suppose to list 15, I’m stopping with my top 10, rounding out the list with one of the most deeply engaged theological minds I’ve met, Val the eccentric at–stvaltheeccentric.wordpress.com

If you are interested in learning more about this award, as well as for a description and explanation, may I simply refer you to Jolandi’s site as she is much more professional and informative…http://dreaminginarabic.wordpress.com/2013/05/10/a-great-way-to-build-community/