How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.
Anne Frank, Diary of a Young Girl, 1952
I am moving forward today in getting my pond organized and ready for the lilies. Seems like the nurseries have many options in what to buy and I am anticipating a beautiful layout of different varieties. The calming effect of the water will flow freely leaving peaceful sounds in my garden. What a great place to escape!
....Wish I had a dollar
4 everytime u say
Don't u miss the feeling
Music gave ya
Back in the day?
Let's Groove
September
Earth, Wind and Fire
Hot Pants by James
Sly's gonna take you higher....
Just 2 more days till the Musicology concert! After 6 years, Prince is back touring again and making great reviews with his new CD that sounds like a studio jam session. Last week the video was at the number 2 spot on MTV. It's a good video to check out. I'm sure I'll be dancing the whole time at the concert! I can't wait!!!
...Keep the party movin'
Just like I told you
Kick the old school joint
4 the true funk soldiers
Musicology
Look closely at the top hole of this birdhouse. It shows the mouth of a little bird waiting patiently for the mother to come back with dinner. These birds have been singing sweetly to me as I worked in my garden this week. Every year this birdhouse is the home to little ones that stay for such a short time, but is always a pleasant sound to my ears. As the sign says on the house, they are always welcomed in this garden!
It's not often that the US Mint changes the nickel. In fact, it's been 66 years! While at the library yesterday I came across this nickel in my wallet. No one at the library knew why the back was different. Well, it is the first of two designs being made this year. This first nickel represents the Peace Medal that Lewis and Clark gave the Indians as a token of goodwill. It also shows the Louisiana Purchase. Later this year, a Keelboat design will be issued. 
The Keelboat carried Lewis and Clark up the Missouri River. 
In 2005, two more designs will be made to commemorate the bicentennial of these events. Then it's back to the Montecello in 2006. We visited the Philadelphia Mint one year and it was amazing to see all that money being made. I remember there was a container of quarters totaling $25,000 that we could look at in the lobby. Talk about a lot of quarters! Anyway, needless to say, those at the library wanted my nickel yesterday! lol But, everyone will be seeing them shortly among the change jingling in their pockets.
Spring has breathed it's energy into me and I am quickly enjoying the sites of colorful blooms throughout my neighborhood. My morning walks have a renewed freshness to it with the blooming trees and birds singing sweetly. I combed the nurseries yesterday and once again couldn't resist some purchases. My main search was for different varieties of hostas for a new bed that I am working on. Instead, I left with hydrangeas, roses, some butterfly bushes and one lonely tomato plant! My garden plans are coming together very nicely this fourth summer here, but I don't think one can ever be done in what could be added. At least for me anyway! :)
Generations to come will scarce believe that such a one as this walked the earth in flesh and blood.
Albert Einstein
A 119 years after this photo was taken, I sit here writing this. The pair are great-grandparents of mine from my mothers side of the familiy on their wedding day. How different this photo is of nowaday weddings, but how amazing to see just how our family looked in the day. From dress to the demeanor, many questions come to play on my part. With each expression showing something separate from the other, I wonder what they thought that day of their future. They went on to have 7 children, one of them my grandfather whom I've never met. I have received recently many of these photos of past generations with only their names. How nice it would have been to have journals written by them to read. Will our wedding photo be just as foreign to my great-grandchildren as this is to me, or will my many journals and writings put some questions to rest?
Creative work is play. It is free speculation using materials of one's chosen form. Stephen Nachmanovitch
This graffiti art photo was taken in Prague, Czech Republic. It was painted on a wall leading up to one of the castles open for view. After this photo was taken, we enlarged it and have hung it on our wall with other travel photos. This is different in taste and format, but unique in it's expression. The eyes of both the old women and the bird are intense. Just what was the artist looking for here? And why the combination of the two? I find it interesting, very creative, but different, and sometimes wonder what became of the artist who painted it..
This statue has traveled with me through three states and can be seen while looking out my kitchen window today. It is from my childhood home and at times brings back thoughts of years ago. It stood in the center of our yard and was always surrounded by flowers. As I close my eyes and remember the view out that window when I was growing up, memories come flooding back of that time. I can see the garden with the many vegetables and sunflowers that stood 10 feet tall. Thoughts of picking the harvest is still fresh in my mind with the taste of those first tomatoes being delicious. The flowers were plentiful and beautified our yard and was the envy of many. The clothes line of yesteryear held outfits of mine and my siblings blowing in the wind while we ran around them trying to play our games. The grass was filled with dandelions that stood bright yellow against the lush green and picking a handful would always bring a smile to my lips....a weed to many, but a flower to a child. My dog at the corner of the yard sat there looking for me to take him for a walk. The rabbit cages next to him were filled with bunnies that were "saved" by me from a great Uncle that raised them to eat. I can still see the elderly neighbors that are gone today but remain the same in my mind. Their ornery ways were difficult to understand at the time, but it didn't deter us from having our fun. This view that has been imprinted in my mind is as clear as my day today. It brings comfort of a time where innocence was plentiful and worries were far from our thoughts. This escape of memories captures my attention at times when I look at this statue. The surroundings are different.....but the inner peace is still there.
Certainly, travel is more than
the seeing of sights; it is a change
that goes on, deep and permanent,
in the ideas of living.
-- Miriam Beard
Our vacation was filled with spectacular views that will keep me going till the next trip. The beaches were gorgeous and the wildlife endless. The following pictures are just a handful of over 300 hundred that I took last week. 
We fell upon this mean looking gator during our walk thru Ding Darling Wildlife Refuge. We didn't get too close since he kept an eye on us the whole time. We ended up eating at an outdoor seafood restaurant and guess what appetizer I ordered? You got it! Gator meat! It tasted like 
calamari!
Sunday April 11, 2004
Woke up this morning and to my surprise the easter bunny once again came by our house with candy galore for everyone! :)
After going to morning mass, we had a nice Easter dinner and then hit the tennis courts to run off all that energy caused by eating too much chocolate! It was not uncommon to have snow on Easter when we lived in Pennsylvania. It seems so different to be outside in shorts on the courts today, but I think I can get used to this! lol
Happy Easter! :)
When the character of a man is not clear to you, look at his friends.
-- Japanese Proverb
Today is packing day! Yipee, spring break! We are off to a much needed vacation for the next week. Nothing like hanging out at the beach, catching some rays, building sand castles and maybe just looking around. :)
My choice for reading material will be "The Da Vinci Code". Hopefully it's as good as the reviews say it is. This year I plan on packing some aloe. For some reason I always end up buying it there anyway! The sun seems to call me and I'm at it's mercy. lol
Good times ahead. :)
They can do all because they think they can.
-- Virgil
Here's Brian last night on his 14th birthday. We had a nice time celebrating his day and enjoyed his humor during the party. We told stories of when he was born and his younger years. I will have to say he was surprised at most of them! I wonder how these years flew by so fast! Those stories seemed like they just happened yesterday!!
Happy Birthday Brian!! We love you!
