Could this be the Easter Bunny? Flowers!

I loved writing this blog post one day in the Fall. Maybe you will enjoy it this Easter. After the poem is flower news on my front.

Strictly Germ-proof

by Arthur Guiterman

The Antiseptic Baby and the Prophylactic Pup

Were playing in the garden when the Bunny gamboled up;
They looked upon the Creature with a loathing undisguised;—
It wasn't Disinfected and it wasn't Sterilized.

They said it was a Microbe and a Hotbed of Disease;
They steamed it in a vapor of a thousand-odd degrees;
They froze it in a freezer that was cold as Banished Hope
And washed it in permanganate with carbolated soap.

In sulphurated hydrogen they steeped its wiggly ears;
They trimmed its frisky whiskers with a pair of hard-boiled shears;
They donned their rubber mittens and they took it by the hand

And elected it a member of the Fumigated Band.
There's not a Micrococcus in the garden where they play;
They bathe in pure iodoform a dozen times a day;

And each imbibes his rations from a Hygienic Cup—
The Bunny and the Baby and the Prophylactic Pup.

Notes:

1] Prophylactic: disease-preventing.
8] permanganate: a salt of permanganic acid. carbolated soap: a salt of carbolic acid.
13] Micrococcus: spherical bacterium, usually found on the skin of mammals.
14] iodoform: compound of iodine used as a disinfectant.

Since I did not know the meaning of the middle two words, I decided to leave definitions intact. 

Finally, the dogwood and azalea have bloomed. Plus, what lavender wisteria left in my yard is blooming. It is so fragrant. The white wisteria is blooming near the Yoshino Cherry. Little purple blooms are in the vinca.  Only the tulips and daffodils have faded. Well, some daffodils are still in the back yard, but the ones left are white, not yellow. The iris are the only thing left to bloom later. I love flowers. I suppose I will have dandelions soon!

Oh, in the long bed that was filled with nothing but Hosta, I finally found a tiny bit of Hosta trying to live after the chipmunk massacre. Then, in the inappropriate dirt of the front yard, the Hosta I planted there is peeping through. However, the one in the upended pot is about a foot high and eighteen-inches across.

Out my kitchen window today--what is the man doing??

Today, I went to the kitchen to do something at or beside the sink. I noticed a red truck parked beside my retaining wall. The side of the yard outside my kitchen window has a retaining wall about four feet high. It is right at the curb, so I am always surprised when someone parks there.

There was a guy about ten feet behind the truck, looking at the ground on this side of the wall. He sort of stirred the leaves/pine straw/dirt. I watched until he got to the back of his truck, curious as to what on earth he was doing or what he was looking for.

He then scooted in between truck and the retaining wall. I could tell it was a tight squeeze by the way he walked sideways. What could he be looking for?

Okay, I am in a nightgown and my hair looks like the Medusa. I headed out the back door with a tall cup of cereal and milk, smushing my hair down like it did any good.

I went quickly around the front of the house, hoping my hurry did not make me trip on something.

"Excuse me. What are you doing?"

He explained that there was white wisteria on the wall. I live here, so I know that. He showed me the bean like seed carriers and told me these were white wisteria seeds. I know that, too. He said he had the lavender wisteria and wanted some white wisteria, too. He hoped I did not mind since he did not go onto my property.

I explained I did not care, that I just could not imagine what he was getting. He said it would take ten years for it to bloom. That cannot be right. I offered to give him some that had rooted, you know, the kind that trips me!

So, that was the highlight of my day.

Just looking out my window, sometimes the front and sometimes the picture window, or the kitchen or bedrooms, I see all sorts of things--car break-ins, home vandalism, fights in a parking lot, peeping tom at neighbor house.  I don't spend so long at the windows, but things happen. All this has not happened where I live now. I like to look out my windows. While I am not looking for anything in particular, I see squirrel antics or people antics. I love to see the trees and the sky.

Once, I heard a dog making noise/yapping and looked out the back window to see a neighbor dog hanging by his collar from the fence. I ran out of the house and told neighbor boy who ran into my yard and leaped easily over the fence and rescued the dog. The dog jumped on something and tried to make a getaway.

Today, I stayed home today. So, no money was spent on anything. That means I also cooked/ate from home.

The house still is messy from almost three months being ill. I piddled and threw out paper stuff, worked on kitchen and bathroom, doing a bit on each. Someone who was supposed to get stuff out of the car for herself did not call, show up, or answer her phone. I am giving this away, so why not come?

Do you ever sit or stand and look out the window? Why? Do you like seeing nature, people, animals? Do you ever accidentally see something that calls for action?

I Crack Myself Up Sometimes

Tuesday night, I got a very late call from exbf. However, it was a bit earlier than I expected. It was from his cell phone. When I answered, I realized it was just a butt call. Usually, when I get these calls from him, I just keep saying his name, thinking maybe it is not a butt call.

Tuesday night, I yelled his name very loudly, over and over. Then, I just let out a piercing scream or four. I knew if the phone was in his front pant pocket, I would have to be loud.

Finally, I hung up and dialed him back. He answered the phone and grumbling said he was trying to get out of the car, so I told him just to call me when he got inside. He did. It seems he put his keys in his pocket and the keys dialed the phone.

I was laughing and telling how I was screaming his name over and over so loud anyone could have heard me three blocks away. He said, "You know, I was bent over getting something off the floor and I thought I heard someone calling my name, so I looked outside the car, thinking my neighbor was talking to me." By this time, he was laughing about his own confusion.

My simply laughing turned to full choking as I laughed harder. At one point, I could barely breathe. I was so impressed with my idea to yell his name and how I fooled him.

Yes, I cracked me up...lol...and still snickering.

What I was going for was his being at work, walking out with others, and all of a sudden his pants are calling him. He would have laughed, guarantee. And, so would the people near him.

Okay, maybe I overestimate how funny it was when he looked for a neighbor lady calling to him. Really, the only thing that made it funny was his confusion.

Late Tuesday afternoon, I went to the doctor because I had gotten a mosquito or flea bite infected by scratching it and causing damage to my leg and a really bad infection that was not responding to my otc meds. Well, it did respond and then got worse, I worried. Since I have diabetes, I did not want this to get so bad I need a wound specialist. My friend injured her leg above the ankle and soon the injury needed specialized treatment from a wound specialist. The whole infection ran about 8 inches up her leg, sort of like a tunnel under the skin. It was not a pretty sight.

As usual, she was not pro-active. (And, she is dead because she did not pay attention to her health and follow doctors' orders.)   I am exactly the opposite.  Consequently, I have an antibiotic to take and a strong antibiotic prescription ointment.

Early Tuesday afternoon, J mowed. She tripped three times on the wisteria vines as she mowed. Tomorrow morning, she is coming back to lop all the vines and put brush killer on the cut ends. J is amazed at how strong wisteria can be, and how it wraps so tightly around things. Some of these are a half inch in diameter and in another area that is still near where she cut and poisoned a month or so ago.

And, J cut about an inch off my hair. It is still longer than it has been in 30 years. I keep asking people if I am too old for this much hair. People who will tell me the truth say it is not too long for an old lady. When I find my hair dresser, I will get a proper and shorter cut.

If you have wisteria, GET RID OF IT!

Your turn
What is the funniest prank you have played on someone, nothing mean or harmful? Is there anyone who scratches until you bring blood when bitten by an insect?

What I Do During a Tornado Warning

Remember, I am the only one here. If there were children here, I would do differently.

When I saw the rain and storms headed this way, I sat here on the computer, reading blogs. Then, when the huge red line finally travelled across the county west of me, I decided to do a few things.

I fed Dominique, watered her. On the way there and back, I saw more tender but strong Wisteria vines creeping across and down my path and over to the other side--perfect tripping configuration! So, contrary to what I knew was best for my back and hand, I pulled them until the part loose on the top of the grass was free and continued to pull them from the soil. Now that they are safely on the other side of the path I walk, I will stop hurting myself by getting caught in them.

The two plants I bought survived as long as they could inside with water and little sunlight. I moved a little, light table away from the rain pouring from the roof and carried both of them, two trips, to the table. I figured they would be ripped apart by the wind, but they would get water with no chlorine or other additives. They will recover from fierce winds.

I knew it might be best to try and move the car where limbs would not fall onto it. But, I waited a bit. As I sat down in the car, light, tiny mist turning into light and larger sprinkles occurred before I could shut the door. I backed the car to the end of the driveway and well away from the large oak in the front yard.

The wind kicked up as I opened the door and headed back to the house. The quick ferocity of the wind was a little frightening, if anything can be a little frightening. Isn't that an oxymoron? At any rate, the wind whipped me about and suddenly the rain came in sideways and I was walking into it.

Finally, I got to the safety of the porch, but the rain intensified and was blowing in sideways! Inside, I pulled off my drenched blouse and wiped my face and glasses. The weather channel was showing the progress of the storm. Almost as suddenly as the sideways rain started, it turned to a gentle rain.

All this time, the tornado siren near me was blaring. I sat, regaining my breath and composure. Suddenly, I heard what could be fire, a leak, or something I could not identify, light crackling. It was a skillet crackling in the kitchen. I was burning off the remnants of sausages that stuck to the cast iron. Whew! As I ran in and grabbed something and turned to get the crackling, popping remnants off the skillet, I realized I had no blouse on...not fun. Well, it was a blouse that I did not want grease spots on the front.

The tornado siren stopped before I started the last paragraph. I thought sirens were going to be more local, but this tornado warning was specifically to the north in the little rectangle according to forecasters on tv. However, the crawl said it was for all of our county. I was confused!

As I sit here, oak flowers keep falling from my hair. I found out from talking to a half-sister that her itching from the rain went away when her oak she had to run under to get into the house was cut. It seems that all these years in different homes with oaks, I was afflicted with allergy to oaks or at least the rain that washed something onto me.

I waited until the bad weather passed to cook, just in case the electricity was interrupted. Those carrots and potatoes went into the crock pot. When they come out, I will put in black eyed peas. In the meantime, I will have salad.

When bad weather and tornado warning are about, I just do things other than taking shelter.  I am in my home and can see and hear the tv. I do stay aware, just don't panic and run to a shelter, the basement, or whatever.

I got a lot done that would have probably taken me all day to accomplish otherwise! I am so happy I noticed the creeping and dangerous wisteria!

Your turn
Do you have others to watch out for in the event of bad weather? Do you make preparations and scurry about? Do you do like I do and keep an eye on the weather and just keep on with what you are doing?

Your turn
Any bad weather at your place on Sunday or with the system coming through?