Printer’s Blocks (085/365)

“Before printing was discovered, a century was equal to a thousand years.“

Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862), U.S. philosopher, author, naturalist. A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers (1849), in The Writings of Henry David Thoreau, vol. 1, p. 60, Houghton Mifflin (1906).

TIME:  2:31 PM
PLACE:  St. Louis City Museum
SUBJECT:  Wall of printer’s blocks

Today I accompanied StellaDella’s Brownie troop and troop leader to the City Museum in St. Louis.  DramaQueen, MonkeyBoy and DQ’s BFF also came with us.  It was a trade-off – they could come and have fun, but we also used them to help wrangle the 9 girls.  Another set of parents met us later for even more reinforcements – then we let the three older ones off on their own.  It worked out well.  At 1:30pm we ate lunch in a private room off the Skateless Park.  These blocks were attached to one of the end walls of our room.

Sunday Dryer Nap (303/365)

“Now I thought I would observe how he spent his Sunday. While I and my companion were looking about at the trees and river, he went to sleep. Indeed, he improved every opportunity to get a nap, whatever the day.”

Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862), U.S. philosopher, author, naturalist. "The Allegash and East Branch" (1864) in The Maine Woods (1864), in The Writings of Henry David Thoreau, vol. 3, p. 223, Houghton Mifflin (1906).

TIME:  5:51 PM
PLACE:  Basement
SUBJECT:  Tessa, napping on the warm dryer

I spent my Sunday doing laundry.  The cat spent her Sunday napping on the warm dryer.  I think she enjoyed her day more than I did.

Owls (289/365)

“I rejoice that there are owls.... They represent the stark twilight and unsatisfied thoughts which all have.“

Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862), U.S. philosopher, author, naturalist. Walden (1854), in The Writings of Henry David Thoreau, vol. 2, p. 139, Houghton Mifflin (1906).

TIME:  12:32 & 12:25 PM
PLACE:  Wildbirds Unlimited
SUBJECT:  “Miss Mocha” - a Short-eared owl & “Boomerang” - a Barred owl

Wildbirds Unlimited had the Treehouse Wildlife Center in today with two birds of prey for people to see.  These owls are permanent residents of the Treehouse due to certain physical conditions that preclude them being released back into the wild.  StellaDella and I went to take a look at them.   They are such beautiful and majestic birds – even when Miss Mocha released some owl pellets on the floor.

Fever (285/365)

“'Tis healthy to be sick sometimes.”

Henry David Thoreau (American Essayist, Poet and Philosopher, 1817-1862)

TIME:  8:43 PM
PLACE:  Kitchen
SUBJECT:  Thermometer

StellaDella has been battling some sort of bug/virus for the past 4 days.  She’s been running a low grade temperature and has a sore throat.  This isn’t one of those messy sicknesses and the fever and throat pain is being controlled by ibuprofen.  Nevertheless, I haven’t sent her to school this week.  I did have to go into work today, as I hadn’t been there since Thursday.  She accompanied me, along with my laptop and a movie.  I managed to get about 4 hours in and some work done.  That’s a good thing as it doesn't look like she’s going to school tomorrow either.

No Wood Was Chucked (164/365)

"My enemies are worms, cool days, and most of all woodchucks."

Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862), U.S. philosopher, author, naturalist.

TIME: 7:11 PM
PLACE:  Little League Fields
SUBJECT:  Woodchuck or Groundhog (Marmota monax)

After delivering StellaDella to Girl Scout day camp, I made it into work today.  The wrist is feeling a little better – I have a follow up appointment on the 23rd with the surgeon, when the cast should come off – *fingers crossed* ~*~*~ MonkeyBoy had a ball game this evening and the woodchucks were out in force in the field behind the third base line.  At one point, I counted five of them – two adults and three little ones.

Lichen And Bark (064/365)

“Our lives should go between the lichen and the bark.”

Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862), U.S. philosopher, author, naturalist. A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers (1849), in The Writings of Henry David Thoreau, vol. 1, p. 411, Houghton Mifflin (1906).

TIME:  2:25 PM
PLACE:  Girl Scout Camp
SUBJECT:  Lichen on branch

The two girls and I left at 10am this morning for an overnight stay at Girl Scout Camp with StellaDella’s troop.  It was cold and rainy, but the lodge we stayed in was warm, dry and had its own kitchen and bathroom.  I had volunteered to oversee the craft activities and assembled three different crafts for the girls to make.  They also went on three hikes, performed a skit and of course, made s’mores around the campfire.  Even with all of that, they were still up, running around like crazy, until midnight.

The Only Thing That Will Stay Down (019/365)

“There is one consolation in being sick; and that is the possibility that you may recover to a better state than you were ever in before.”

Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862), U.S. philosopher, author, naturalist. Letter, June 27, 1855, to Harrison Blake, in The Writings of Henry David Thoreau, vol. 6, p. 254, Houghton Mifflin (1906).

TIME:  1:12 PM
PLACE:  Kitchen
SUBJECT:  Sprite soda

Whatever stomach virus HH and SD had, I got.  I knew around 9pm Tuesday night that my evening was not going to end well.  The supper I ate was just sitting at the bottom of my stomach like a heavy rock.  I went to bed, got the shivers, and lay there just wishing that I would throw up and get it over with.  At 3am I got my wish!  It was not pretty.  When I get sick like that, the only thing that I want is a nice cold glass of Sprite.  Luckily, we had some in the house and the HH made me a drink with tons of ice.  I drank that and went back to sleep.  HH took the day off and got the kiddos to school so I could rest.  I did have to drag myself into work to do payroll (très important!) and complete some election committee reports that had to be at the Board of Elections by Thursday.  Then I came back home and collapsed again.  I’m hoping Thursday will be a better day.

“S” Is For Somber (007/365)

“To watch this crystal globe just sent from heaven to associate with me. While these clouds and this somber drizzling weather shut all in, we two draw nearer and know one another.”

Henry David Thoreau (American Essayist, Poet and Philosopher, 1817-1862)

TIME:  3:31 PM
PLACE:  Backyard
SUBJECT:  Fence ornament

”Somber” is a good word to describe the weather today – “Dreary” would be another, but I was unable to find something to photograph that resembled a “D” so I went with “S” and a side trip to the thesaurus – *ahem*.  Weather-wise, we were dealt grey skies, cold temperatures and snow flurries today.  I am done – so done! - with winter.  What I wouldn’t give to be sitting on a sunny beach with 85 degree temps, warm water and a cold alcoholic drink with an umbrella in it by my side…and oh heck, I guess I’d want my husband there too.

The Eighth Plague (307/365)

 
Who knows what sort of seventeen-year locust will next come out of the ground?

Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862), U.S. philosopher, author, naturalist. Walden (1854), in The Writings of Henry David Thoreau, vol. 2, p. 366, Houghton Mifflin (1906).

TIME:  2:15 PM
PLACE:  The backyard
SUBJECT:  Cicada shell

School conferences started the day off at 8am this morning.  All three children had good reports, DramaQueen and MonkeyBoy both made the honor roll (which reminds me of the bumper sticker “My kid can beat up your honor roll student.”) and StellaDella is right where she needs to be academically.  Way to go kids! – you must get your smarts from your mother. *wink*   

After running some errands, we came home and MB helped me clear the yard and garden.  We filled 4 containers of yard waste.  The yard looks so much tidier now and ready for the winter.  I found this cicada shell while we were clearing out the corner garden bed.  He needed a close-up!