Sunday Serenity

Chairs waiting for spring

And the folks who once again

Will fill all those seats.

~~~

xoabb

warmth and goodness.

This one's for you, my most dear mom.

Gourmet Magazines & Aunt Helen

Our Gourmet Group inspiration - Gourmet magazines from the '50's & '60's

Suzanne, the hostess (along with her hubby, Brian) of this 12/1/12 Gourmet gathering was at a tag sale (garage/yard sale to anyone not living in the Northeast) and found a collection of Gourmet magazines from the late '50's and early '60's and she decided that we'd all make recipes from them. (It is amazing how many liquor ads there were in those magazines - at least one per page!) We all made our dishes and had a wonderful night, as is par for our group. 

However, for me, this also brought back many memories of my mom's sis and my godmother, Aunt Helen. From the beginning of Gourmet's existence (she may have missed some of the very first years), Aunt Helen collected each month's magazine and as her collection grew, got binders to keep them all in. When she and my Uncle Sam moved from NYC to Fort Myers, she had a special shelf built in her laundry room just for her (ever-growing collection of) Gourmet magazines. I know she thought someone would want to treasure her Gourmet trove after she was gone, but the mere bulk of the collection scared off all her nieces and nephews. When we held her estate auction in 2000, we finally sold the collection for, I think, $40.00. I am SO glad she didn't see that, and THRILLED for her that the demise of the print Gourmet magazine came after she was gone. That would have killed her! Good memories, just really good memories. (xo godmother).

xoabb

good memories are just that...good!

 

Sunday Serenity

Varco/Murray/Blystone cousins gathered for our 2012 Thanksgiving feast

With the exception of two that simply couldn't be with us this Thanksgiving, above are all the cousins that belong to GB's Aunt Micki's side of the family. My three are actually second cousins, but you'd never know considering how close they all are.

What a wonderful day Thanksgiving 2012 was!

For all of us!

xoabb

good memories!

Sunday Serenity

A big beautiful bouquet of blue delphinium brighten the Fedex Counter-top!
Quite an unexpected delight!

Blue delphiniums

Sitting on the counter-top

Such a nice surprise!

~~~

xoabb

expect loveliness!

Sunday Serenity

Sasqua Pond turkey babies are growing up!

 Turkey tots on the grow! 

~~~

xoabb

babies always grow up...usually way too quickly (sigh)

~~~

Movin' On...

Lower Fairfield County

Nothing more beautiful than the sun shining on storm clouds that are moving on.

~~~

xoabb

Those were some big thunder-boomers!

Sunday Serenity

Newest brood of Sasqua Pond Road turkey chicks...

The last 30 years

We've been blessed with a new brood

of turkey babies

~~~

xoabb

expect goodness!

Daddy

In the garden

Grandad & Grandson

Feeding the duckies

Planting spring-time lettuce for his bride

(of 64 years)

~~~

To the very best father a girl could have

My sibs and I are so very very fortunate

Love love LOVE you, daddy!

~

xoabb

Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there! 

And thanks to all the moms that made the day possible!

My Mushroom Box

Mushroom Box

June 10, 2012 @ 12 noon

Darling daughter of the oldest variety (that would be Remy, the one that's teaching in Haiti) sent me a mushroom box for Mother's Day this year. I followed the directions to a tee and then sat back and waited for the marvelous results. And waited. And waited....

Finally, just over a month after I'd set up my box, and as I was getting ready to throw it out, I noticed a bit of growth had occurred! I'd complained to the company as the box said it would take no more than 10 days for growth to happen. They sent me a fresh box and I was getting ready to throw this box out and start anew when - yippee - the mushrooms finally are growing! And growing. And growing...

June 12, 2012 @ 7:45pm

~~~

xoabb

expecting sauteed mushrooms any day now!

Our Very Own Resident Hummer!

First time in 30 years our hummer feeder has been put to steady use!
And above's the proof!
Yippee!

After all these years

Our very first hummer has

Made our home her home!

~~~

xoabb

expect anything!

We are Duck Herders!

Duck Herding Duties
(click the above link for more duck-herding photos)
I've discovered it's very hard to shoot a video and help herd ducks at the same time!

Mama mallard duck has flown into our school courtyard every spring for the last several years to hatch her babies. Only problem is...the courtyard is completely enclosed. So, a few days after the babies have hatched, our very own duck whisperer teacher (she's pictured above at the very first of the video) gathers a bunch of volunteer duck herders so we can help lead mama and her babies from the courtyard, through the school, across the grounds of the school to the very conveniently located creek by the side of our school.

~~~

xoabb

quack quack!

Sunday Serenity - Good Mama

Enclosed courtyard of our school - 5th year in a row this mama has come back to hatch her babies there
Friday we duck herders led them through the school to the nearby stream...and freedom...

Good mama mallard

Protecting her babies from 

the murdering crows

~~~

xoabb

Sting + "murdering crows" lyric = good song!

Peace Rose

In Sweet Memory

Of a dear friend's mother today

And a most cherished uncle Friday

~~~

xoabb

may you both rest in the peace of your lives being very well lived!

GO 'WAY!

This is MY home!
photo taken 4/19/12
Columbia, MO


 This is my home,
So please just travel on thru
I plan to set up house here
And raise my babies blue

Do hope you find as nice a place
(Tho I don't think you will)
So if yours is not as good a home
Come back - visit me (from afar) - get your fill!

~~~

xoabb
expect bird wonderfulness!

Sunday Serenity

Cody-dog checking to see if my dad and my bestest since child-hood friend (Bobbi) have fed the catfish properly.
Of course, Cody's judgement entirely depends on the number of treats she gets. Smart dog!
April 2012

When do friends become family

and family becomes friends?

When life is at its very best!

~~~

xoabb

ahhh...it's all good!


A very wonderful Mother's Day to the best mom ever - my mom!
xoxoxoxoxoxo 

Weeping Crab (in more ways than one) :(

Weeping Crabapple Tree
3/31/12

"A tribute to a glorious tree that I'm sure is going to be torn down as its house has been torn down and the fence is in disrepair. The tree has been a welcome beauty spot for many many years...you will be missed!"

This lovely tree graced the yard directly across from the school where I work. The houses on the opposite side of the road are all on very small, but very expensive plots of land as they are in Westport and on the Saugatuck river. I went to work one morning about two weeks, and by the time I drove home seven hours later, the house was gone! This wonderful tree remained until the end of last week when, once again, it was there in all its glory when I came to work in the morning, and then, seven hours later was gone. I do believe this Spring was its most glorious bloom ever! It surely went out in a blaze of glory!

Progress will destroy beauty at times...ignore the orange cone, please. That's not at all beautiful!

~~~

xoabb
expect unhappy events at times...

Sunday Serenity

Little Bear
April 2012

Little Bear drawing

His mama a masterpiece

(The first of many)

~~~

xoabb

expect anything!

White Lilacs

Nothing more lovely

Than the smell of sweet lilacs

Wafting through spring air

~~~

xoabb

expect beauty! 

T-H-I-N-K

Before you speak (or forward emails)...

  

~~~

xoabb

I would give credit for this if I could. 

I can't as I can't find the author.

If you are the author or know the author, 

Please tell me!

I'd love to give credit where credit is due!

(I personally LOVE this poster! Don't you??)

Missourahhh Lettuce & Mom

Planting a feast of 

Ever-plenishing lettuce

Such good meals to come!

~~~

xoabb

expect anything!

Pink!

pink lily of the valley in a hand-throw vase

From Connecticut
to Missouri. Lily-of-
the-valley. In pink!

~

Many moons ago when my son was just starting out playing Bambino baseball, he played on a field that had a parking lot located on the other side of a wooded area. We traveled a path through the woods back and forth between our cars and the field. As spring wore on, I watched this patch of foliage grow and start to bud. Imagine my surprise when they finally bloomed and were PINK lily of the valley! I decided then and there I had to get some starter pips for my garden and for my mom and dad's MO garden as well. A visit to The All-Night Nursery was planned accordingly. Long after all the baseball games were over and just as dusk was falling, back I went to the little patch with trowel and cardboard box in hand. I dug up some of the pips for myself and my parents (and was careful to leave more than half of the clump behind) and quickly high-tailed it home! Though last Saturday my CT pinks were just tiny shoots when I left there to come here, as you can see, the Missouri pinks are blooming in all their glory, and about a month before they normally do. (For that matter, everything in Missouri is WAY ahead of schedule; lilacs, daffodils and tree blossoms have long been bloomed out - nuthin' much for me to see this year. That said, the greenery of the already leafed out trees is just gorgeous.) By the way, the above flowers ancestors were ~sent~ from The All-Night Nursery 20 years ago this spring. Good memories...

~~~

xoabb 

expect anything!

The only Confederate I've ever loved...

Pretty violet
One that's so dear to my heart
Bloom in your glory!

~~~

xoabb

expect anything!

And the Great Adventure Begins!

Russian Olive Trees in their Springtime Bloom - gorgeous...but invasive

Big changes are going on for one of our chillun. And it's wonderful. And it's frightening. All at the same time.

Yesterday our firstborn winged her way to Haiti to teach kindergartners for the next three months. She's so excited, she can barely contain herself. Her dad's so not excited, in the least. Just worried-worried-worried (it's a skill he's perfected to a fine art), and then there's me. I'm both. 

Excited because the school where she'll be teaching is a well thought out endeavor that is well supported internationally by many countries - everything about the school is top-notch. Excited because she'll be living in housing that is part of the school's campus, not in an actual town. Excited because she will be part of a wonderful cause - the education of young Haitian children that would otherwise not be educate and with the goal that when they graduate from the school after their 13th grade year, that these children will be among the generations that are equipped to go on to college and/or deal with and help solve the many problems and troubles that has plagued Haiti for such a long long time. 
Frightened because...well...it's Haiti. A third world nation where 55% of the people are illiterate. Where far too many of the people are hungry. Where 80% of the population live below the poverty line - and live on $2.00 a day. Where the devastation from the 2010 earthquake remains far from fixed. There the devastation from hurricanes barely get fixed before the next disaster strikes. Where cholera is epidemic. Where there is no reliable mail system, so whatever Rem will need these next few months, she had to take with her yesterday.
With all that said, the organization she will be with is highly thought of and I really do feel quite secure about her being there. We've been bugging her about creating a blog so we can all keep up with her adventures. I let you in on it's link if she does. 

Click on the below link to learn more about where she'll be the next three months:

Hand in Hand for Haiti

~~~

xoabb
it's all good!

Tree Blooms

Spring Beauty

This time of year is

My favorite time of year

....Until it's Autumn

~~~

xoabb

such beauty!

Andromeda

Andromeda flowers
aka as the Lily of the Valley bush

The flowers of spring

Always such a welcome sight

Always brings me joy!

~~~

xoabb

expect anything!

Sunday Serenity

Forsythia

GB's and my 34th anniversary
Where have the years flown to?
It's been good...

xoabb

Misty Moon

Misty Moon
Not the best of photos, but I like it!
(My cameras aren't the best taking moon photos.)

My entire family of the female persuasion is obsessed with full moons. The first one that sees it immediately gets on the phone, while rushing to their car to drive to the place in the above photo, to let all the other gals know. We're lucky that we live close to a road that gives us the most incredible view of a full moon as there's a wide expanse of water it shines over. A good friend of ours used to live in the house directly behind where I was standing to take this photo and got to enjoy the moon in all it's glorious waxings and waneings. She's since moved...I don't think I would have been able to if that had been my abode. Too much beauty!

~~~

xoabb

Tuesday's 23 degree night didn't hurt the flowers!

Hurray!!!

Sunday Serenity

Crabapple Tree

 A very early spring

swept across Connecticut 

So, please, no more frost!

~~~

xoabb

expect beauty everywhere!

P.S.: Mom, as you can see, the new camera takes wonderful close-up photos! And it was cloudy the day I took it! Thanks! Love ya, annie

Mom's most hated tree

Mom's second most hated tree, second only to the Bradford pear tree,
I give you the beautiful blossoms of the weeping cherry tree

~~~

xoabb

Sunday Serenity

A hint of spring

An observation: 

Daffodils against

Rock walls bloom first, long before

The buds in my yard

Happy hints of spring!

~~~

xoabb

expecting warmness!

LET ME UP THERE!

Alas, it wasn't meant to be

Driving home, I passed this group of kids enjoying our incredible February weather (58º that day) on top of a huge boulder. Well, almost everyone...

I circled back around and the little girl still on the ground, no matter how hard she tried simply couldn't climb up that rock to join her friends. No, they didn't come down to help her, at least not while I was ~spying~ on all of them, but they also didn't taunt her (if they had, yes, I would have said something).

I can't think of many things that would be nicer than to spend some time on top of a rock on a beautiful springy, but in the middle of winter day. How about you?

~~~

xoabb

the robins are back!


P. S. - The blurry area in the middle of the rock is my attempt to hide the (awful!) graffiti someone thoughtlessly painted there.

Missourahhhhh Sunset

Sunday serenity...it's found in Missourah, always in Missourah. 

If you haven't been, you really need to go.

~~~

xoabb

expect anything!

Old Man's Brother...The Older Man

You know The Old Man that I have a photo of in my header - and that I've blogged about ad nauseum infinitum? Well, here is his much older brother. This old man has been around for as long or longer than my old man, and he is HUGE! My brother has a wonderful photo of my Dodgie standing inside of him, and you can get a sense of just how huge he was in all his glory. There isn't a tree near-by that is half as big as this tree is.

For the 40 years my parents have called this land theirs, he's always been this way. Never had the pleasure of seeing him in all his living glory. Sure wish I could have.

Sunday Serenity

Cousin Curt with Remy, teaching her the fine art of wood working

Finding a passion

And a mentor to teach you

Simply priceless hours

~~~

xoabb

expect anything!

New Year's Eve Sunrise

A New Year's Eve Missouri Sun Rise 12/31/11

Forgot about this...

The last sunrise of the year

Here's to many more

(last new year's eve sunrises!)

~~~

xoabb

expecting 2012 goodness!

The Crick

An ever changing

Playground we all hurry to

Each time we come home!

~~~

xoabb

expect anything!

3 Bum Generations

Of course, the first thing you notice is my brother's head is cut off in this photo. I'm not sure why, as I wasn't the editor of said photograph. On the other hand, this is a superb photo of three generations of Bumgarner men (and the women that helped produced the two younger ones.) Thanks, Paul Jackson, for not only this photo, but a lot more of 'em!

I'm boring, I know, but love documenting such a loverly time. That MO gathering was just wonderful! (Come on! Tell me you don't you agree that everyone in this photo just looks damn happy???)

~~~

xoabb

expect goodness!

Sunday Serenity for a New Year...

Grand Roger, Brynnlee, Grandma Mary, Remila, Bly-guy, Angela, Dodgie & Cody-dog

12/26/11

We had the most wonderful time this Christmas. Nothing better that the gathering of all those you hold near and dear in one place. It was a very nice way to close out 2011 - a year that wasn't all kinds of good for many of we humans. 

A good friend of my parents came over to take photos of the family during our stay and the above one is one of my favorites. It's my parents with their grandkids. The youngest kid, my Dodgie, belongs to my brother and sis-in-law, (and tho Cody-dog thinks she belongs to Dodgie, she really belongs to the grands). The three big kids, along with that black-haired beauty belong to GB and I. Angie (the black-haired beauty) joined our family this past year on 9-10-11 when our son, Bly (or George as Angie calls him), had the good sense to marry her. Yes, it was planned quickly and at first they thought they'ed have a big old wedding next summer, so why make a big announcement/send announcements out, but as time goes on, it seems less and less important to wait to tell the world what a wonderful person our Angie is. (Only problem is the confusion caused when her identical twin, Carolina, is here as well. I shamefully admit there are still times that I mix them up.)

May this New Year be

filled with goodness - and much love

that surrounds us all

~~~

xoabb

expecting goodness in '12!