Some Horses Gotta Run

These carousel horses at the Pittsburgh Zoo (PA)  will soon be taking a long winter's break, even though the zoo is open all year. The sun was shining on the horses so brightly earlier this month that I couldn't resist taking a few shots. 

I love any and all carousel horses. A long time ago my husband Larry bought me a beautiful carousel horse that was created out of  fiberglass (I think) by a local artist.. This horse, which sits in our front hallway, probably elicits more comments from visitors to our house than any other possession we have.

This one is as close to a real horse as I guess I will come. When I was younger, my cousins and I prayed hard to own a horse. Didn't happen even though we had a barn and that made it a given to us.Our parents had other, more practical thoughts.

It would have been nice though.

Books Keep on Giving with Inscriptions

My mother was a fanatic about writing in books she gave as gifts, something she taught my dad over the years. As you can see from this fairly poor (I apologize for the quality) photo, my mom wrote a note to me (signing Dad's name) in a $1.00 book which has retained its value for more than 50 years.

The inscription  written on the flyleaf of Cherry Ames Student Nurse reads as follows:

To Teresa, from Daddy, (on the occasion of your) Tonsillectomy, July 2, 1960

I have several books inscribed by my mom her and each is a treasure. I try to follow in her footsteps by writing in books I give as gifts, but I know I am not nearly as devoted to it as she was.

I do remember the tonsillectomy very well, but with this inscription, I remember my mom and dad even more.

Macbeth and the Theater

Last night we went to a theater a little drive north of us to see the first program of the full season we had bought.

The theater, located at a community college, features shows by local singing talent, musical programs and plays. We decided to sign up for all of them since the cost for each was only about what a couple of lattes cost.

Our first show of the season was Macbeth, maybe not the easiest of Shakespeare's plays to visit. The play was set in the present day, so the actors wore garments that you might see walking down the street, although maybe not in that small town.

The acting was good too, but it was a lot of hard work to follow their dialog. I think I only understood about half of what they were saying.

Preparing for our evening out, we had read a synopsis of the play to refresh our memories about what happens in the play about ambition run amuk.

We talked about the play on the drive home, so that in itself is good. All told, we decided that the season tickets were a good idea for several reasons including that the small theater is beautiful and comfortable, we  have aisle seats and it's close to home with easy parking.

What more could a Baby Boomer want?

New Pasta Choice for Low Carb, Diabetics

Last night, as part of my nutrition class at our local grocery store, we spent some time walking around the perimeter of the store. This is essentially where we should be doing the majority of our shopping. Here's where you find the vegetables, fruit, whole foods, lean fish and meats, and low fat dairy products.

After we had worked our way around the building, we went to the "inside" aisles of the store to visit the pasta section where I learned about a new product that sounds like something I should try.

Dreamfields Pasta is designed to be low-carb and can be enjoyed by diabetics who have a lower blood sugar response after eating this pasta.

It also has added fiber (five grams per serving) so that makes it a great choice for pasta all around.

To learn more, visit the Deamfields Pasta website.

Hummingbirds Fight Constantly

Two hummingbirds fight over nectar at a backyard feeder.

This is not a great photo but it does show a little of what we have been witnessing on our backyard deck for the past couple of weeks.

Two to three hummingbirds at a time will try to get to the red nectar feeder to eat. But no matter which one is eating, the other one or two will fly it off, which looks sort of like aerial dog fighting.

No one is getting any calories -- or rest -- here.

Since we were having our deck cleaned last weekend, I had to move the feeder from its regular place. I hung it from the upper deck and was happy to see that the birds found it. But the fighting didn't stop then either.

So, just like a parent of two children, I thought we could get another small feeder and see if the hummers could each have one -- or most of one -- that they will leave each other alone.

Naw, that didn't happen either. They are still fighting, but now have two places to mount their attacks. One bird is so territorial it just sits on top of the wrought iron hanger holding the feeder for minutes at a time. Whoever said humingbirds don't stay still long hasn't met this guy.

I know we are nearing the time when the birds will begin their migration south. I worry that they will not have built up their bodies enough for the long trip since they are interrupting each other at the feeders all day long. Nature usually finds a way, so I am hopeful they will all be OK for their trip. I hate the thought of them leaving for months. Even when they fight they are still magical to watch.

Taking Care of Mom

(Editor's Note: Guest Blogger Henry Peter Gribbin has written about taking care of his mom for www.BoomThis.com several times in the past. His mom, Angeline M. (Krotec) Gribbin died on June 9, 2013 at the age of 91.)

By Henry Peter Gribbin

I took care of my mother for the past ten years. I quit my job over three and a half years ago to take care of her full time. I never considered myself a hero or super son for doing so. It was just something that I knew I had to do, and it just felt right. We had many ups and downs over the years, but all in all we had a good time.

When my mother died this past June I had some time to reflect on certain things. I did everything myself, and I made some mistakes along the way, but I was a quick learner. The one thing about me was that I was never shy in asking knowledgeable people advice on how best to take care of her. The one affliction that bothered my mother the most was dementia. It is a truly horrible disease that attacked her memories and thus stole a piece of her soul. Through talking to people I was able to get a grasp on how this disease affected her. This knowledge helped me understand what she was going through.

On the other hand, my mother helped me, too. I wasn’t aware of this till after she died. In taking care of someone with a myriad of afflictions one has to learn extreme patience and kindness. This is especially so when dealing with someone with dementia. After years of taking care of her I believe I have become a better person. Of all the wonderful things she has done for me over the many years this is probably her greatest gift.

Swallowtails, others come a'calling

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail

New visitors to the backyard

I bought a butterfly nectar feeder this spring, hoping to expand the visitors to my backyard this summer. I hung it right next to the hummingbird feeder, which is still being used independently by a male and female hummer.

The bright yellow butterfly feeder is hard to miss. It sorts of glows where it is hanging. To assure success, I bought a pink butterfly bush to grow near it. Finally, the pink blossoms on the bush have emerged. We have been delighted to see that butterflies are now attracted to it for long visits at a time.

I caught sight of this Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, a female, the other day, and soon after noticed a male of the same species stopping by. I also spotted a Great Spangled Fritillary (photo below) today.

None of them has used the nectar feeder, so I may eventually take it down and store it in the garage, next to the Baltimore Oriole feeder which has never gotten a nibble from those beautiful birds.

But I will keep putting the the feeders out and hope to be rewarded with stunning visitors like these.

Great Spangled Fritillary