April Book List

Eleven reads on this month's book list.

Rules of Prey by John Sandford  While I wait for Sandford's next Virgil Flowers novel, I've begun reading his Lucas Davenport series.

The Last Move by Mary Burton  I believe this is the first book I've read by this author. This one is a stand alone (she has a number of series) about a female FBI agent. It was good enough that I'll probably read more of her books.

The Shell Collector by Anthony Doerr  A collection of short stories, some of which I liked better than others. Doerr writes beautifully.

Sleep No More by P.D. James is also a collection of some of her older short stories, published after her death.

Shadow Prey by John Sandford is the second of the Lucas Davenport series and features the Native American population of Minnesota.

Perennials by Julie Cantrell  I picked this book up because of its title and its colorful cover. There should have been more about perennials and less preaching. I won't be reading any more of her books.

Still Me by Jojo Moyes I love this author so much. Still Me is a continuation of her first two books. Louisa Clark moves to New York City, leaving her boyfriend and family back home in England, to be the assistant to a rich man's much younger trophy wife. Louisa learns more about herself and who/what she wants to be. I highly recommend this author. Can't wait for the next book!

The Tuscan Child by Rhys Bowen  Bowen has long been a favorite author of mine. I was looking forward to this book which begins with a RAF pilot in WWII and then forwards to 1973 and his daughter. After he dies and she finds clues to his past when he was shot down over Tuscany and becomes a POW, she goes to Italy to learn more about what happened to him. The descriptions of the villages and the food makes one want to  go there.

Stella Bain by Anita Shreve  When Shreve died last month, I looked through my blog posts for the titles of her's I've read and did not find this one, but parts of it sounded familiar. So I looked through my book diary and found that I had read it in 2014. That was the year I didn't post the titles of all my reads. I continued reading it again. It is still a good book.

Eyes of Prey and Silent Prey by John Sandford are #'s 3 & 4 in the Lucas Davenport series. Silent Prey follows up Eyes of Prey when the serial killer from book three escapes and travels to NYC where he continues his killing ways in book four. The detectives in New York ask Davenport to help them because of his experience with the mad man. Silent Prey is my favorite in the series so far, with all its twists, turns and many layers, it reminds me of some of my favorite British authors.

I did get a photo of April's full Pink Moon last night, with Jupiter (?) visible in the bottom left corner.

And again about 5:30 this morning through the clouds and with a lunar halo, which according to folklore, predicts unsettled weather.

Arbor Day & Poetry Month

I let Arbor Day slide by Friday without a mention. And here it is the next to last day of Poetry Month and even though I've used a few poems this month, I didn't relate them to celebrating poetry, thus the combining of the two events.

Waiting For A Message
      By Rochelle Mass

Trees help you see slices of sky between branches,
          point to things you could never reach.
    Trees help you watch the growing happen,
            watch blossoms burst then dry,
       see shade twist to the pace of a sun, 
            birds tear at unwilling seeds.

        Trees take the eye to where it is,
                      where it was,
             then over to distant hills,
      faraway to other places and times,
                      long ago.

                 A tree is a lens,
             a viewfinder, a window.
                     I wait below
                   for a message
           of what is yet to come.

Oh, and don't forget April's full Pink Moon tonight. ☺

In Modest Tints Arrayed

The Violet
    By Jane Taylor

Down in a green and shady bed
     A modest violet grew;
Its stalk was bent, it hung its head,
     As if to hide from view.

And yet it was a lovely flower,
     No colours bright and fair;
It might have graced a rosy bower,
     Instead of hiding there.

Yet there it was content to bloom;
     In modest tints arrayed;
And there diffused its sweet perfume,
     Within the silent shade.

Then let me to the valley go,
     This pretty flower to see;
That I may also learn to grow
     In sweet humility.

I went out to pick a bouquet of one of my favorite spring flowers and saw this young squirrel coming carefully down the tree.

It seemed to be looking for something to eat - no parent squirrels around.

Blue Violets
    By Dora Read Goodale

A blossom of returning light
     An April flower of sun and dew;
The earth and sky, the day and night
     Are melted in her depth of blue!

Ahh....Spring!  💞😘💖

Name Approval

The name of England's new Royal was announced this morning: Prince Louis Arthur Charles. Personally, I love the name.

My father's name was Louis. The Europeans pronunciate it Loo-ie which is how Prince Louis of Cambridge will be known. While my Dad's name was pronounced Loo-iss. Although he was often called Louie by his friends.

The name continued with my little brother, Leslie Louis.

And on down to my son, Preston Louis. So, yes, I highly approve of the new little Prince Louis' name.

Closer to home, also this morning, the fox was really worrying the waterfowl.

First the ducks....

....and then the geese.

 

But I saw him trot off empty handed mouthed, at least this time. I like seeing the foxes, but I don't like the idea of them catching any of the waterfowl, even though that is part of the natural order.

My Weight Loss Diary

As mentioned yesterday, in the year after my stroke, I gained twenty pounds. I stayed right around 173, but at times went up to 175-6-7. I could lose back to 173, but hardly ever lower. Granted, I never was too diligent about trying.

Last fall, after I started going to a massage therapist and began being more consistent about exercising. I began thinking about really trying to lose some weight. Then, around the middle of December, I had a bad, 'sick as a dog', 24-hour bug or food poisoning, with the results being a 6+ pound weight loss. For the first time in years, I was below 170 pounds. Something clicked in my head. I would actively try to lose the weight I had gained after my stroke.

I began the journey at 167. The first week I was down to 165. I stayed there for a week or so and then, yay! I was down to 162.8. January 20, still at 162.8. January 23, finally the scale moved down again, 161.4. This was also the day I retired my five pound dumbbells and went to the eight pound ones.

January 25, Mom's birthday, and I was down to 160.2. "Woohoo, this time of day eating thing seems to be working for me. I should be back into the 150's by the end of the month. I really don't notice much difference in how I look, yet. Maybe a bit in the face and the waistlines of clothes don't feel as tight. Where does weight go when you lose it?"

January 30, Still no movement on the scale, 160.2, but I feel thinner. My 7th great-grandson was born at 3:16 a.m., Maverick Steven weighed 6lbs, 7ozs.

Here it is, February 1 and I'm still stuck at 160.2.

Sunday, February 4, again FINALLY! Below 160 - 159.2 exactly one pound. Now, can I lose six more pounds by the fifth anniversary date of my stroke?

Wednesday, February 7, Another, larger, drop, 157.6. It's nice to know that I can lose weight; still doesn't show that much.

February 17, Still at 157.4. About a week ago I went up to 159. Quickly went back to 157.4 and have stayed there all week.

February 21, Back up to 159. I didn't even have to step on the scale, I already knew it. I could 'feel' it. Funny that I could feel a less than two pound gain. I have to stop losing and gaining this same weight.

Saturday, February 24, 156.8, four pounds to go to be back to my pre-stroke weight and two months left to do it. I plan to go even lower, back into the 140's range. I have been having slight headaches in the evening and when I wake up in the morning. Googling it tells me they can be from not eating enough.

Wednesday, February 28, the last day of February and I'm down to 155.4. Yesterday I tried on my khaki slacks and I can get back into them!

Wednesday, March 7 - I haven't weighed in a week. I was afraid I had gained and didn't want to confirm. I didn't feel like I had lost any weight. Today - 153.2! - down 2lbs, 2 ozs!!! I have now lost that 20 lbs I gained five years ago after my stroke. More than 20 if I count the times I got up to 175. Now, can I lose another three or four lbs before April 25?

Wednesday, March 14, No weight lost, but none gained either, which is more important after Brynley's first birthday birthday cake and celebration - 153.2. 

Friday, March 16 - 151.6 - It must just take awhile to get that scale to move. How else to account for an almost two lb loss in two days? Whatever...I'm still losing and in one of the places needed - my legs. I did wear my khakis to Brynley's b'day party. Still, no one has noticed my 20+ lb weight loss. Ha!

Wednesday, March 21 - 150.4 - Closer to under 150 every week. While I lose the pounds, I'm still doing stretching and weight lifting every day. Haven't been able to do the mile walk for sometime, don't even try because my left knee hurts so bad. Places I notice the weight loss - my face, my legs and my breasts.

Wednesday, March 28 - Still at 150.4 - No loss, nor gain in a week. Surely, it must be time for another move of the digital marker? Just so it isn't UP! I want to break into the 140's even though I've accomplished more than the 20 lb loss I set out for.

Sunday, April 8 - 149.2! Finally, cracked the 140's after 2-1/2 weeks trying and seeing 150.4 over and over. It's harder to lose a pound now, but I still want to see if I can get to 145 by the 25th of April. That would make an overall loss of 30 lbs. So 4 lbs in 3 wks???

Tuesday, April 10 - 147.4! A full three pounds since that long stay at 150.4. I was going to quit weighing every day after no change yesterday, but couldn't resist checking this morning. Maybe I will be down to 145 by the 25th? WooHoo!

Monday, April 16 - 146.8. Not a big loss, but a loss. Very happy. Nine days to go. The jeans I was wearing in December I can now slide right off without even unsnapping and unzipping! I'm back into some I haven't worn for years!

Tuesday, April 24 - Still at 146.8. Looking this over, I see I didn't explain that "time of day eating thing" on January 25. Also known as "time restricted feeding", the idea is to eat only between the hours of 8:00a.m. and 4:00p.m. It is something we learned about on T.V. I decided to try it.

I continued eating my bowl of cereal around 7:30-8:00; lunch at noon with our routine of alternating a 'big' meal one day and a light lunch like sandwiches & soup or chips the next day. Lunch is the only meal I prepare. Individually we decide what we eat in the evening. The difference for me is that I try not to eat anything after 4:00p.m. and limit what I do eat to a salad, granola bar or yogurt. If I'm not feeling hungry, I might eat just a few soda crackers. I cut back on my portion sizes and successfully gave up sweets. I also quit drinking a glass of wine and the crackers and cheese or pretzels along with it. The other thing that I had heard/read was that sometimes if you feel hungry it is because you are actually thirsty, so if I do feel a little hungry I drink a glass of water or unsweetened green tea.

Thursday, April 26 - Still at 146.8 this morning. Darn, I didn't make the full 30lb. loss, but I am going to keep trying and will add updates to this when appropriate. The least I ever weighed as an adult was in 1967. I was 24 years old and still my full 5'8-1/2".  Working full time, taking college courses at night, taking care of my five-year-old son and stress got me there. When you're young, weight loss makes you more attractive. When you're old, it either doesn't show or makes the wrinkles more prominent.

Fifth Anniversary

Five years ago I woke up hoping the previous day's mild paralysis had passed. It had not. I agreed with Bud then, that yes, I should go to the doctor. I told him to go ahead and go to the Y, I would take my shower and be ready to go when he got back.

I managed my shower and dressing, but realized I had a problem bigger than a TIA. I called the Y and asked Bud to come and get me, NOW. He came right home. I had my coat on ready to go, but before I could go to the car, I collapsed, slid to the floor. He called 911 and I got my first ever ambulance ride.

If you want more details about that day, I pretty much documented my stroke four years ago in my 'A One Year Anniversary' post. Even though the paralysis only lasted a few days, I was discouraged by my lack of energy and continued bouts with dizziness. I am very happy that, for the most part, all those lingering symptoms seem to now be gone. I still have some bad days, but that could be age related and not from my stroke.

Another side effect from the stroke was that in the months following, I gained twenty pounds. Before the stroke, I had been successfully losing a pound a week and was down to 153.

Last fall I began a daily routine of stretching, light exercises and lifting dumbbells. I also began seeing a massage therapist on a regular basis. I credit her with encouraging me to do the stretching exercises, to which I added the weights and other exercises. I know I feel better than I have in a long time. Now, if I could just lose those extra 20+ pounds!

The flowers I received while in the hospital. The "I love you Mommy" roses from my daughter, Kari.

Stroke

Stroke
  by Heather McHugh

The literate are ill-prepared for this
snap in the line of life:
the day turns a trick
of twisted tongues and is
untiable, the month by no mere root
moon-ridden, and the yearly eloquences yielding more
than summer's part of speech times four. We better learn

the buried meaning in the grave. here:
all we see of its alphabet is tracks
of predators, all we know of its tense
the slow seconds and quick centuries
of sex. Unletter the past and then
the future comes to terms. One late fall day
I stumbled from the study and I found
the easy symbols of the living room revised:

my shocked senses flocked to the window's reference
where now all backyard attitudes were deep
in memory: the landscapes I had known too well-
the picnic table and the hoe, the tricycle, the stubborn
shrub-the home grown syllables
of shapely living all-

lay sanded and camelled by foreign snow...

Five years ago, I sat all day, waiting for the light paralysis in my right arm and leg to pass. The previous October I had experienced my first TIA (transient ischemic attack), which sent me to the doctor. She concluded that it had most likely been a TIA and sent me home. No big deal, no medication, no follow-up.
I assumed I was having another one and it, too, would pass. I went to bed thinking I would wake up feeling fine.

I did not.

Spendthrift

Instead of a song in my head when I woke up this morning, it was one word: Spendthrift. I could remember my mother cautioning us not to be spendthrifts which I understood as not spending all our money or wasting it on something we didn't really need.
But as I thought about the word, that didn't make sense. Thrift, to me, meant using money carefully, or saving it, the opposite of spending. Which is why I looked up the definition and found: "a person who spends wastefully". Further explanation states: "One sense of thrift is careful management, especially of money. Spendthrift was coined late in the 16th Century to refer to someone who recklessly flouts such efforts."

When I looked for a cartoon or picture to illustrate a spendthrift, I found many. This is the one that intrigued me the most:

Because that's one Aesop's Fable I don't remember.

The Spendthrift & The Swallow

"A Spendthrift, who had wasted his fortune, and had nothing left but the clothes in which he stood, saw a Swallow one fine day in early spring. Thinking that summer had come, and that he could now do without his coat, he went and sold it for what it would fetch. A change, however, took place in the weather, and there came a sharp frost which killed the unfortunate Swallow. (Sounds like our spring this year.) When the Spendthrift saw its dead body he cried, 'Misserable bird! Thanks to you I am perishing of cold myself.' "

The moral to this story I have heard:
One Swallow does not make summer. 

Upon further reflection of why the word was on my mind, I remembered watching a segment on CBS' Sunday Morning yesterday about people who had no room in their homes and garages because they were full of stuff; things purchased just because they were on sale or looked useful and turned out not to be as advertised. The examples shown bordered on hoarding. The clutter was so overwhelming, the owners had to have help decluttering.

I felt good because I had purged my closets for Lent. I feel good about my determination to no longer collect things or buy stuff just because it is on sale. Could I pare down even more? Certainly. But I know I'm no Spendthrift.

Celebrating Earth Day

"Yes sir, yes sir, three bags full..."

My preferred celebration of Earth Day is to plant something. But with the long, cold spring, I'm not even close to  planting anything yet. But the day was nice enough to get out and start raking up all those leaves.

I got about 2/3's of the way back on the south side. Hopefully, I will finish it tomorrow and then do the north side later. I have to pace myself. ☺

There were enough daffies open for a small Earth Day bouquet to enjoy.

And there is some planting going on in the field across the pond.

"This planet is not terra firma.
It is a delicate flower and it must be cared for.
It's lonely.
It's small.
It's isolated, and there's no resupply.
And we are mistreating it."
   (Astronaut Scott Carpenter)

Something to think about - not just Earth Day, but every day.

Oh, To Be In England

"Oh to be in England
Now that April's there,
And whoever wakes in England
Sees, some morning, unaware,
That the lowest bows and the brushwood sheaf
Round the elm-tree bole are in tiny leaf,
While the chaffinch sings on the orchard bough
In England -- now!" (Robert Browning) 

If I were to chose any day to be in England, today would be the one. It is National Tea Day there today. The day all England celebrates the drinking of tea. Although I believe every day is tea day not only there, but here, too.

I've written about my love of tea many times already. Let's just say I will be celebrating the day, too, just like my cousins across the pond.

Should I Even Admit This?

I had already had enough excitement for one day after seeing my first ever Kingfisher. So last night when we watched Wheel of Fortune and the home viewer ID# popped up as RL8....., Bud said, "You could be the winner." I said, "Oh, I don't think so."
We have watched and played along with the show for years and Bud has had a Wheel Watcher's Club number for a long time, but I didn't. Unbeknownst to him, I did finally sign up for my own ID# last fall. What the heck, two chances are better than one.
But last night was the first time the home winner's ID began with my initials. I wasn't too excited, though because I was thinking my number was RL9....., but thought I should check anyway. I hadn't written down the winning number and Bud deleted the recording of the show as usual.
So, when I checked my ID# and saw it did indeed begin RL8....., I went online to compare my number with the winning number.

I saw this screen and compared my number to the one shown. Oh my gawd! It was the same number! I looked at my number where I had written it down in my book along with the password to sign on. It was the same! I triple checked it before going back and telling Bud, "You're not going to believe this, I did win." The prize was almost $45,000 and included a trip to Belize. He said, "You're kidding." "No, I'm not. Come look at it." So he came in and compared my number with the above number. He even checked it two or three times. It was the same.
Then I noticed that little blue square in the corner. In my defense, this was the first time I had ever had the occasion to check my ID# so I was not familiar with the process. I thought the 'Lets See' was going to confirm my win and explain the next step.

Instead, I saw this. What? But my numbers matched, didn't they? At that point, I went back through all the steps and realized where my interpretation went off the rails.
Alas and alack. At least I hadn't already phoned all the kids. 😌 I hadn't even had time to think about what I would do with the money. I did wonder if I felt up to going to Belize.

This morning I'm back to admiring the flora and fauna and enjoying the sunshine along with the Wood Ducks.

Don't worry about my Wheel of Fortune disappointment, I'll still be playing along each night and trying to solve the puzzles before any else does. And if RL8.... ever comes up again, I'll know how to correctly check my ID#.

First Surprised, Then Thrilled

April 19 has been an anniversary date for me for thirty-seven years. I was surprised to look back and find I'd never blogged about it before. I've certainly told the story many times.
I started thinking about how old I was 37 years ago and realized I was 37. Well, that seems significant. Then I looked back in my high school diaries and found that on April 19 in 1959, which was 59 years ago, I "Finished reading the book for my book report. Earth and High Heaven."

I didn't remember anything about the book, even after looking it up, except this cover looked vaguely familiar. I did find that it was a 1944 novel that stayed on the New York Times Best Seller List for 37 weeks. It is still highly rated and recommended on today's Amazon and Goodreads sites. I would definitely read it now if I could find a copy.

The 37th anniversary referred to is of my first date with Hubby Dearest. We had been flirting with one another for several weeks but he would never ask me for a date so I asked him. April 19, 1981 was Easter that year. I invited him to come out in the afternoon and stay for supper. For some reason, Preston took this picture of him. I've always been glad he did.
The weather that day was nice, in the 60's. There was a full moon that night; April's Full Pink Moon. Looking back, it does seem significant that there was a full moon on our first date.

So, while I was cogitating about the anniversary date and the book and how to fit them into a blog post, I went out on the deck just to feel how the day was warming up. It was still pretty chilly earlier when I fed the birds.
As I stood there a bird flew over and landed on a limb above the pond. It made a sound I didn't recognize, sort of a loud chittering.* It was too far away to identify, but if it stayed there long enough I could zoom in, get a picture and hopefully identify.

Hmm, some black, gray, white and a little rust, with some kind of top knot. Oh, my gosh, could it be?

Then it turned its head and I saw the beak. I wasn't sure yet, but I was getting pretty excited. Two exceptional bird sightings in two days?

Some more snaps and then consulting Audubon online. It is! Last year when I saw someone's photo taken at Green Valley, I wanted to go out there and see if I could spot one.
I am so thrilled to see my first ever Belted Kingfisher. And it was right here in my own back yard. The only thing that would thrill me more would be if I saw it dive for a fish. Maybe it will stay around and nest in the dirt bank of the pond.

From now on, April 19 will not only be the anniversary of my first date with Bud, but also the anniversary date of my first sighting of a Kingfisher!

*Audubon describes it as a wild rattling call. I think I will recognize it when I hear it again.

She Hung The Moon

Taking some late evening, sky pictures when I realized the new moon was hanging up there - and just to the right and up a bit was Venus. (Click on the photo to enlarge enough to see her.) Another peaceful April evening.

After an earlier raucous day. The trees were full of Blackbirds.

They would all fly off one way, then back the other.

They'd land on the ground and then back up into the trees. After awhile, they all flew away, taking their cacophonous hubbub with them.

A soaring Red-tailed Hawk was much more circumspect in its pursuits.

This morning I was lucky enough to catch sight of this visitor. Only the second time I have seen an Egret at our pond. The first was nine years ago, April 5, 2009.

It didn't seem to be looking for food and wasn't interested in the ducks passing by.

So, perhaps it was only resting before traveling on. It stood there less than a half hour. I glanced back out the window and it was gone. I didn't even get to see it in flight. I was just fortunate to see it in its unipedal resting stance.

Oh, wow! Look who else showed up this morning, Big Blue. And just in time for this blog post. Bud had seen the Heron once last week, but this is my first sighting this season. Maybe Spring really is here. Next it will be the baby geese hatching. 😀

The Spirit of Evening

It never got very warm yesterday, but the sun shone and melted the weekend's snow.

Sunset was very serene.

A reminder that they don't have to be showy to be beautiful.

"Fall in love 
with the energy
of the mornings

trace your fingers
along the lull
of the afternoons

take the spirit
of the evenings
in your arms
kiss it deeply

and then
make love
to the tranquility
of the nights."
  (Sanober Khan)

Suspended Animation

Do you ever have days when you feel like you are in suspended animation? There are things you could/should do, but you don't feel like doing them. It feels like you are waiting for something to happen and instead of doing anything, you'd rather just wait? You're hungering for something but it isn't food?

It's the feeling I get when I'm almost finished reading a really good book. (Which I am.) I want to get to the ending to find out what happens, but I don't want to get to the end because then the really good story will be over.

Oh, I know what I'm waiting for; hungering for. Pictures from two years ago allay all doubt.

Sweet violets sweeter than the roses
Covered all over from head to snow!

Need I say more?