A Christmas Spirit Award!

Myspace Glitter Graphics



Thank you, Mary, for this wonderful award! :-)

What Kind of Friend...

You Are a Good Friend Because You're Supportive

You are almost like a life coach for your best friends. You give them help when they need it... but you also know when to give them a push. People tend to rely on you for moral support and advice. You've probably always been mature for your age, so this is a role that's you're comfortable with. A friend like you is one of the rarest kinds. You are both a good mentor and companion. Your friends need you most when: They are confused or worried. You really can't be friends with: Someone who only wants to complain. Your friendship quote: "The only way to have a friend is to be one."

What Makes You a Good Friend?

I saw this at Michele's Writing the Cyber Highway as part of her "Fun Weekend" posts. Join in the fun!

It Snowed!

We had our first snow on Tuesday, the 20th. There was only an inch or two accumulation. Since it remained cold for a few days, the snow coated the ground until Thanksgiving. It seems snow and cold temperatures made the birds very hungry. They were flitting back and forth between the bird feeders and the trees all day.


It was later in the day when I took these photos so it was getting dusk and the birds had gone, except for one little chickadee. He traveled between the feeder and the birch tree in the photo above. He must have been feeling a little insecure. Instead of flying directly between the two, he would disappear into the small pines in the walkway to emerge a few minutes later.




It was a bit chilly in the house. Oscar, our dachshund, pulled a couch pillow down over himself. His way of saying, "Turn up the heat!"

Fun Stuff - What Purple Says About Me!

What Your Favorite Color Purple Says About You:

Intuitive --- Seeking --- CreativeKind --- Self-Sacrificing --- Growth OrientedStrong --- Very Wise --- Rare

What Does Your Favorite Color Say About You?

First Frost

Opaque windows tried to hide the secret of the night. But it couldn't be kept. The deck boards crackled under foot this morning. The unseasonable warmth of September and October could not last long into November. A lone leaf lay covered in frost.

This morning, frost blanketed my world.

It looked as though a light snow had kissed the earth.

A chilly 26 degrees dressed my yard in shimmering, frosty sequins.

Oak leaves, edges etched in icy silver, sparkle briefly in one final glorious display.

Jack Frost beckons Old Man Winter.

I've Been Tagged!

Michele at Writing the Cyber Highway tagged me for a meme entitled: "What would I write if I had an extra hour every day?"

Here is my list:
1) Write a novel, a mystery/suspense novel.
2) I would learn how to write poetry. Sometimes, I just want to say something that feels as though it belongs in a poem.
3) I would try my hand at a TV episode. I often think of twists on those "ripped from the headlines" series.
4) I would practice writing faster. I am the world's slowest writer.
5) I'm afraid I will have to stop here because this is more than I could handle until I accomplish #4!

Thank you for tagging me, Michele. Although my list is short, writing it made me think. It's time to get going on it even without the extra hour. :-)

Unless she has been tagged already or does not have the time, I tag Mary!



Image courtesy of DailyClipArt.net

Seven Random Facts Meme

Mary at Mary's Writing Nook tagged me for a Seven Random Facts About Me meme.

This was fun! For better or worse, here they are:

1) I was my class Spelling Bee champion in the seventh grade.
2) I can read and write backwards. I can also read a page that is upside down, as well as write upside down and write backwards, upside down.
3) When I was about 10 years old I was standing at the stove talking to my mother. Suddenly her eyes widened in terror and she started rapidly patting the back of my head. My hair had caught fire from the burner flame on the stove. I always thought that was brave of her.
4) I love to read mystery/suspense novels.
5) My very favorite song is Nessun Dorma sung by Luciano Pavarotti. It is so beautiful, it brings me to tears.
6) I love to sing. Unfortunately, no one within the sound of my voice likes for me to sing!
7) The farthest I've ever been from New Hampshire is Dallas, Texas. The plane was diverted to Houston due to tornados. I was very nervous. Fortunately, the man sitting next to me was an airline pilot. He explained how these situations worked and I stopped being nervous.

I am supposed to tag other bloggers. If they want to and have the time, I tag:
Renie at Renie Burghardt's World
Michele at Writing the Cyber Highway

A Naked Eye Comet!

"Comet Holmes brightens almost a million times" read the headlines on October 25th. Almost overnight a comet difficult to find in very good telescope made itself visible in the night sky. I strained to spot the naked eye comet in the constellation Perseus. According to an article I read, it would appear as a fuzz ball. I didn't see a fuzz ball, but I did see a star that didn't belong in Perseus. Sure enough, a look through my binoculars revealed a big fuzzy ball with a bright center - Comet Holmes. It wasn't until the following night, as the comet continued to brighten, that without the aid of binoculars, I spotted the fuzz ball where its star-like imposter had been the night before.

It is expected to remain visible with the naked eye for the next couple of weeks, possibly continuing to brighten. You can spot it, too, if you know where to look. In the early evening look to the northeast for Cassiopeia, which appears to be the letter W standing on its side. Perseus is located below Cassiopeia and slightly to the east. Part of the constellation forms a triangle. Look to the bottom left point of the triangle. It may look like a star or a fuzzy patch depending on your eyesight and the darkness of the sky. That is Comet Holmes. Binoculars reveal that it is not your typical comet. It has no tail; it is circular with a bright center. If you have problems finding it, use binoculars to slowly sweep the general area until it comes into view. It is so bright and round, that you will know immediately that it is not a star.

Spaceweather.com has an impressive photo gallery of Comet Holmes photos taken by amateur astronomers from all over the world. Most of these are from the northern hemisphere, but I noticed some Australia.
http://www.spaceweather.com/comets/gallery_holmes.html

By the way, if you have never seen the Andromeda Galaxy, this would be a good time to do so! Andromeda is marked in the sky chart. Again, use Cassiopeia as your guide. From the most northerly star (the top), look east (to the right) until you see a fuzzy patch. If your eyesight doesn't permit or your sky is not dark enough, use binoculars. You won't be able to miss it.

Clear skies!

I made this star chart using the free software, Cartes du Ciel.
Cartes du Ciel
Sky Charts
Free program to draw sky charts
For use with Windows 95/98/NT/2000/XP
http://www.stargazing.net/astropc/index.html

Is This Sedum?

Last week, before our septic woes, I saw a post at Mary's Writing Nook, asking the identity of her plant. I think someone said it might be a sedum. I have a plant that I think is the same. I love this plant. It's very pretty. It blooms late in the summer into early fall. Bees love it. This is the best photo I have of it when it was in bloom. I don't have a picture of the entire plant. Fortunately, I was testing out the macro function on my camera when this bee landed on the plant. I never thought I would deliberately get this close to a bee! LOL

If anyone knows what plant this is, I sure would appreciate it if you would tell me. I would love to get more!