Calling All Angels #LinerWednesday

 

Because, frankly, we need all the help we can get. 

The song has long been a favorite of mine.

I had a difficult time getting this one. If you ever saw Pay It Forward you will recognize it. 

This post is part of Linda Hill’s OneLinerWednesday prompt

Is it Tuesday?

The best thing about retirement in paradise is not having to know what day it is. I try to keep up but knowing Sunday night is just another night after years of trepidation for a new week of work, mean coworkers and unappreciative management has been the sweetest gift. 

So, for today, just a tune from a favorite cult flick and a photo or two. My homage to an unorganized life. 😉❤️

Love the Big Lebowski..

This fair fellow is obviously someone’s pet but enjoyed a moment of free roaming in the neighborhood. 

Tried a new Rustic bread recipe in the Dutch oven. Yum!, 

My new project. In between writing… and cooking… and my green things…

My sweet friend, Lissy, gave me a lovely box of handmade truffles and this one was a total delight! That’s a grape! 🥰

We met this fellow when he stopped by to hunt. I’d never heard of a 

Laughing Falcon before. Isn’t is beautiful? And, yes, its call sounds like a laugh. 

Hey, they eat mostly snakes, and venomous ones at that! 

😍

I made a Panamanian bread, Hojoldre, which is very similar to Sopapilla or Indian Fry Bread. 

The Owls eating..

I love my dewdrops and reflections…

Have a great rest of your week! 

When You Least Expect It #OneLinerWednesday

Some days are just magical…

We first encountered Owl Butterflies in the mangroves in Costa Rica. They grow quite large and appear menacing to predators. Once they open their wings the inside shows their gorgeous blue and beige colors. It is difficult to get that shot though. I didn’t get one yesterday. 

Sharing a meal with the malachite butterfly.

This was a real treasure for me. The owl butterfly, a Giant Swallowtail larvae and eggs. I’m not sure what kind the eggs are. The garden is full of many species that all exist together. We love this place! 

Taking hers ‘to go’!

You have to be very observant to see larvae, caterpillars and eggs. Once you’ve spotted them you see them everywhere! 

The leaf below looks rather plain doesn’t it? 

A closer look reveals life in process! 

Eggs like tiny beads of dirt lie in perfect little rows

These look like the yellow Swallowtail that I saw but I’m not an expert

This guy is the Owl Caterpillar. I’ve petted one. It’s quite furry, like a teddy bear. See how brilliantly it’s camouflaged on the leaf seam? 

Malachite giving me a photo op

Oh! Here’s my favorite species! ❤️

In one of my happy places. So much peace and tranquility exists in nature. So many humans don’t bother to notice. 😔

These are truly the smallest bees I’ve ever seen.  They might easily be mistaken for gnats or mosquitos! 

Another naturally crafted ‘hive’ for our winged friends

I’m pretty sure I saw this guy in a B horror film. I stopped for a photo and autograph, just in case..

🫢

We’ve never seen anything quite like this amazing plant. It is commonly called a Vining Jade and I think it comes from the Philippines

Bzzzzzz…..

This is likely the best video moment in my life. She’s laying an egg! 

Hubs has been craving Chinese food so we found some at Chopsticks. It was pretty tasty too! 

We both chose Kung Pao but I snag shrimp any chance I get! 

Boquete Bees and Butterflies has become one of my favorite places locally. Their honey is amazing and we just bought some of the coffee they farm as well. Locally sourced takes on a completely different hue here.

This one definitely looks otherworldly. I wouldn’t mess with it, would you? Those ‘eyes’ are actually on its back end. 

My personal favorite bee! The fascinating colorful Euglossa! We saw these two as we were leaving. 

There were a lot of fading beauties and they were busily laying eggs for the next generation of stunning residents to the garden

Banana blossoms are some of the most lovely on such ordinary plants. 

This post is part of #OneLinerWednesday, sponsored by Linda Hill

Happiness truly is….

And That’s That! #SoCS

Skating in with this one, my friends, but here I am with my post for Linda Hill’s #SoCS prompt. 

Visit Linda’s blog for the rules and you can meet other terrific bloggers. 

Tongue in cheek,

end of the week

Now you see it

zip!!

Now you don’t! 

And when it comes to leaky roofs..

The water must go,

No! Oh no! 

The level

is zero! 

Never fear,

Repairs were made

and paint was sprayed,

but on account of rain

fun is still delayed! 

Maybe we can just listen to some tunes..

Not my favorite but it fits the bill, as it were. 

Zilch! 

How’d I do, Linda? 

Where Are the Words? #memories

When your heart is too full to express itself, words often don’t seem adequate. I’ve been in that place many times, more often when happy than sad. Pure joy is inexplicable to me but sorrows beg for expression as a means of purging. 

When I feel pain the words flow as tears from my heart. And sometimes the situation falls in between expression and emptiness. 

Today is my Mama’s birthday. She would have been 86. Or 87. Depending on whether you could trust her birth certificate or her mother. There was much debate over this issue in the family because one date left her a year older than my Dad which, apparently, was not what she wanted. It was funny from the outside looking in. He would have been 86 this coming August so no matter how you date it, she was still older. ❤️

To say I loved my mother was an understatement. She passed away at the young age of 45, leaving me feeling lost and fearful. She had always been my touchstone for my sense of who I was. As long as Mama was there to smile, to talk to and put her hand on my head, I knew I would be alright. Then she was gone. 

She was ill for a long time but we always prayed she would be well. She passed exactly two weeks before my oldest son was born. My advisor, confidante and comforter was no longer there. The thing that kept me going was being a mother myself. I wanted to be for them what I loved so much about my own mother and family. Or I tried. I like to think I made enhancements to what I considered a lovely childhood. Up until my teen years when she became ill.

If anyone ever questions a mother’s role as a lead in the family unit I will tell them that, while both parents are essential to a child’s well-being, it is the mother who more often than not holds it all together. She all too often moves quietly through her overwhelming responsibilities, smiling for the sake of everyone even when she feels like crying. She loves unconditionally, gives freely and seldom complains. She is there for family, friends and her husband, often to her own detriment. 

My Mama..

Had a free spirit and was fiercely independent 

My Mama..

Was Lucy to my Aunt Dee’s Vivian. 

They laughed, they cried and shared a life before she met my Dad, Dee’s brother.

My Paw Paw chose my Mama for my Dad’s brother but once they met she only had eyes for him

My Mama..

Never laughed at our whims or desires. 

Even the ridiculous high heels I wanted in the sixth grade. 

My Sunday school teacher did that for her. 

He was dreamy and smart and I definitely listened to him. 🤦‍♀️

My Mama..

Loved her family and carried no grudges over her own sad childhood. 

We spent many weekends visiting the relatives in New Orleans and sharing holidays.

My Mama..

Helped me with the only wedding attire I would ever wear. I was a flower girl in my cousin’s big wedding. I learned early on that I never wanted a big wedding. I had better things to do with my money and peace of mind. Still.. this was fun. But that perm! 😱

My Mama..

Cared for others before herself. We had good friends known to us as ‘aunt’ and ‘uncle’ that were not relations. If someone ever helped her along the way, they became her family. 

We visited these folks often. They had cattle and my Uncle Ernie always smelled of soured milk. We picked pecans on their property and my Aunt Ruth’s old house was like a strange museum. 

She made heavenly oatmeal cookies. Yeah, in that bag. Silly me thought they would all be mine! 🤣

I remember that blue coat. She had a beautiful rhinestone pin she wore on the lapel for church. I have it now.🙂

My Mama…

Loved her family history.

My great grandpa Treadway. You can see where my Irish comes from.

My Mama..

Loved her own Daddy more than anything.

Every vacation to the Ozarks to see him and his father was a treasured time for al of us. 

My Mama..

Never went to my Daddy’s softball games. She thought she would jinx him. 

I must admit the one time I attended one with her there they lost. 

I think it was really because she didn’t enjoy the ‘guy banter’ and the wives showing out in front of each other and their respective husbands.

My Mama..

Was the original ‘Birthday Faerie”, always making us feel very special on our day. 

Birthdays have always been special to me and I try to honor others on their special day.

We always got to pick our cake that she baked and got a new outfit to wear. 🥰

That cake was chocolate with blue frosting. 

On my 13th birthday she was unable to bake my cake so my Daddy bought one at the best bakery in town. It was vanilla with buttercream frosting and roses. 

I was broken hearted. 💔

My Mama..

Loved Spring time, new beginnings and all it meant. 

She loved Easter and made sure our baskets were special with all the usual treats but one unique candy that each of us liked particularly was always hidden deep in the plastic grass.

We died eggs and had a hunt but with plastic eggs. The boiled ones went into the potato salad we had with our ham. 😋

My Mama..

Taught me how to bake. My Daddy taught me how to cook. He was the gumbo/jambalaya king. 

They both encouraged my creative interests which have stuck with me. 

My Mama…

Just missed this little guy’s birth. 

I like to think they brushed past one another at Eternity’s door.

My Mama..

Would have loved all these guys! 

I still can’t believe my Mama..

Missed out on all my treasures

And theirs..

My Mama…

Meant Love and Family to me. I miss her every day. 

This is for you, Mama. Please hug Daddy for me. 🤗🤗

These are a few of her favorites..

I just recently found out a dear acquaintance passed away last October. This man was a devoted husband, father, grandfather and friend. I worked with him for several years. He had so many stories about the war and his life. He will be missed but now he joins his sweet wife.  He was devastated to lose her some years back unexpectedly. 

I made him a mixed tape back then and he chose one song that was his favorite, saying that was how he felt about his wife’s untimely parting. It happens to be one of my favorites as well. 

This one is for you, Mr Lamon..