Caleigh O'Shea's Blog, page 31

Sister Trip

A vacation is what you take when you can no longer take what you’ve been taking. ~Earl Wilson, American journalist

The pressures had been building for some time.

An aging parent. A fur-kid with arthritic hips. A new laptop that I didn’t have time to set up properly. A work-in-progress that was going nowhere, thanks to some web design projects demanding my full attention.

In short, an overburdened psyche.

So I did what any rational person would do — called my sis and persuaded her to take a vacation with me.

Neither of us wanted to travel far and wide. Nor did we want to spend pockets full of money that we’d miss later.

What we wanted was simple.

Peace. Relaxation. Good weather. Long walks. Shopping. Each other’s company (something that had been missing for four whole years).

I reserved a place at the kennel for Dallas, encouraged Mom to hire help to pitch-hit for the week, packed my suitcases, and hit the road.

Here are some of the beautiful things I found while strolling around my new locale (see if you can guess where we met up!):

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Hmm, could that be a Magnolia? Sure looks like it, with those glossy oval leaves. But that doesn’t tell you much, as Magnolias can be grown across the U.S. these days.

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Are you thinking Kentucky? I certainly can picture horses racing over the grassy hills and approaching this fence to beg for an apple or a carrot.

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I’m afraid I have no clue what this beauty is. It had no noticeable odor, and we don’t have them here.

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Are you getting closer? Somebody planted a red rosebush just beneath this Magnolia tree. The juxtaposition of colors and scents was magical.

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Ah, now you can see this is a Southern Magnolia, often considered the gold standard of the genus. Such a perfumy aroma! Did you know Magnolias are believed to be the earliest known flowering plants, with fossils dating back more than 100 million years?

Okay, I don’t think you’re going to guess, so I’ll just tell you. We met in Oxford, MS, home of our alma mater, and the next two shots show you my favorite places — the Band Rehearsal Hall and our marching band practice field.

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Of course these facilities have seen extensive renovation since I graduated, but it always feels like “home” being back at Ole Miss!

So, be honest — did you guess?!?

Wednesday Wisdom

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Siblings or lovers?

It doesn’t matter as long

As love keeps them close.

Central Illinois Spring

Spring is sooner recognized by plants than by men. ~Chinese Proverb

I’m up to my ears in web design projects right now, but I figured if I didn’t get these Spring photos posted, it might be Summer before I come up for a deep breath!

We’ve been fighting our share of wind, rain, and coolish temperatures, but Mother Nature knows it’s time to put on her striking glory. See if you don’t agree:

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Not sure but I think this might be a magnolia. Yes, we have them here! This one was in a little park outside of the business district.

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Pink Dogwood blossoms

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Rain droplets on leaves of Stella D’Oro Daylily

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Redbud tree

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Yellow Daffodils

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Weeping Cherry tree blossoms

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Blue Hyacinths

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Ivy Geranium in hanging basket

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White Azalea

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Lilac bushes (and yes, the scent was Heavenly!)

Note: Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms out there, whether to fur-kids, the neighbor kids, or their own brood!

Delighting the Senses

The three great elemental sounds in nature are the sound of rain, the sound of wind in a primeval wood, and the sound of outer ocean on a beach. — Henry Beston, American writer and naturalist

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My heart quickens at the sight

Of palm tree, water, and sunlight.

My toes long to squish the sand,

To leave footprints along the land.

My nose welcomes the salty air;

I want the breeze to blow my hair.

My ears strain for the thrilling sound

Of roaring waves as they pound.

The warmth of sun makes pink my skin

And banishes thoughts of winter’s din.

A view like this is a feast for the senses

And a welcome rest from all offenses.

Note: This is written as a couplet. I took this photo on a vacation to the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

Sunday’s Gem — Tanzanite

Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better. ~Albert Einstein

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Natural blue Tanzanite, thanks to Geology. These pieces are actually the same. Viewed from different directions, Tanzanite can display as different colors.

Not discovered until 1967 in Tanzania, Tanzanite immediately soared in popularity, thanks to a public education promotion initiated by Tiffany & Company.

Commercial deposits of this semiprecious gemstone are found and mined in an eight-square-mile area near the base of Mount Kilimanjaro in East Africa.

This violet-blue stone is actually the mineral zoisite, which occurs in various shades like colorless, yellow, brown, pink, green, blue, and violet. Heating improves the color, even changing naturally-occuring brown or green varieties into gorgeous blues.

With a score of 6.5 on the Mohs scale of hardness (10 being hardest), Tanzanite is vulnerable to scratching, so it’s best to wear it in earrings or pendants, not rings.

Metaphysical practitioners value Tanzanite for its ability to unite the mind and heart, as well as to invite protection from the higher realm. Tanzanite is supposed to help you establish a better connection with your Guardian Angel.

On the physical level, Tanzanite is said to strengthen the immune system, soothe side effects of surgery, relieve migraines, and help recovering addicts.

Tanzanite reduces obsessive tendencies and helps rebuild trust while offering relief from worries. Even a small piece in the workplace is soothing and eases communication difficulties. Tanzanite is a good stone for career change.

Tanzanite stimulates the Throat (blue forms), Third Eye (dark blue/purple), and Crown (violet) Chakras, keeping its wearer centered in compassionate humanity.

Added in 2002 to the birthstones for December, Tanzanite is especially soothing for those born under Pisces and Aries.

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Talk about stunning! This 5.25-ct. oval Tanzanite gemstone can be yours for $2,200. But hurry — there’s just one available at Tanzanite Jewelry Designs (online or in Crown Point, IN, about 30 miles from Chicago in Northwest Indiana)!

Feng Shui experts say Tanzanite in its blue form uses water energy (associated with the North area of a home or room); its violet forms activate fire energy (the south area).

Clean your Tanzanite jewelry by soaking it in warm soapy water for 20-30 minutes, then drying it off with a soft cloth. Store it separately in a pouch. This is one of those stones that should be reserved for special occasions, not everyday.

Note: The claims here aren’t meant to take the place of medical advice. They’re based on folklore and other sources, and likely “work” best if one’s belief is strong enough!

Easter Joy

Let the resurrection joy lift us from loneliness and weakness and despair to strength and beauty and happiness.  ~Floyd W. Tomkins, Episcopal American deacon

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Time off to celebrate the day

For Easter Alleluias.

And eleventh hour flute practice

For a band concert this week.

I’ll return soon — til then

Happy Easter! Happy Spring!

A Clever Solution?

Do not regret growing older. It is a privilege denied to many. ~Author Unknown

Dallas here.

Mama tells me getting old isn’t for sissies.

It’s not a lot of fun for us dogs either.

Recently I celebrated my twelfth birthday (69 in human years).

I’m fine, but it’s become a challenge to go up and down stairs.

And our house is FULL of stairs.

Stairs down to Mama’s office. Stairs down to where Mama practices her flute. Stairs up to the kitchen, where the good foods are. Stairs up to the bedroom for nighttime snoozles. Stairs outside to chase squirrels and use the facilities. Stairs into the garage so I can go for rides in the car.

Well, you get the idea.

Stairs … lots of them.

And my (ahem) old back isn’t what it was when I was a pup.

One day, Mama saw me splat while climbing stairs.

Painful and embarrassing for me.

Guilt-inducing for Mama.

One splat was bad enough, but when I did it over and over, she took matters into her own hands.

And decided she needed a doggie gate to block me from the stairs.

Permanently.

But the extra-wide gates we’d need are crazy expensive, and Mama won’t use anything that mars the walls.

So she turned to good ole American ingenuity, rigging up a contraption that strikes terror in my heart:

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It’s an old shower curtain rod and a cloth valance stretched the width of the staircase.

And it might not present a problem for active, inquisitive dogs, but no way I’m going through that thing!

(I think I could, but Mama gives me the stink-eye when I even nose at it.)

Sure, it makes me sad not hanging with my mama while she works.

Or plays her flute.

Or whatever.

And I hate watching her climb over that barrier, knowing I can’t follow.

Herding is what I do, people!

But Mama says her back won’t let her “taxi” me up and down the stairs all day, so we’re both stuck.

Now this could be the end of my story until one day, Mama found something called Liquid-Vet that’s given me a new lease on life.

After less than a week on their holistic glucosamine formula, I’m more confident on the stairs.

And Mama has removed that horrid barrier!

(NOTE: Mama nor I Dallas are getting anything from the Liquid-Vet people for our testimonial. We just wanted to share our good news and encourage you owners of achy pets to consider it!)

Love is on the Ground

He felt now that he was not simply close to her, but that he did not know where he ended and she began. ~Leo Tolstoy, Russian writer

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She: A chunk of bread and you, my sweet,

No more is needed; my life’s complete.

He: Oh, life, indeed, is fair and fine.

What’ll it be, your place or mine?

 

Note: April is National Poetry Month.

 

 

Avoiding Confrontation

He has not learned the lesson of life who does not every day surmount a fear.  ~Ralph Waldo Emerson, American poet and philosopher

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A healthy respect for a goose

In the open and walking around loose

Is a wise path, it would seem

For they can be mean

Especially when it’s one versus deuce!

 

Note: This is another Limerick. I saw these birdies outside a shopping mall recently. Quite defensive over their territory (might there have been a nest nearby?), they’re BIG creatures (almost waist-high!) and can be intimidating with their hisses, open mouths, and bold approaches. Didn’t Shakespeare write, ‘Discretion is the better part of valor’?!

Won’t Be Long Now

No matter how long the winter, spring is sure to follow. ~Proverb

Here in Central Illinois, we’ve come to accept that “spring” really doesn’t arrive until May 15.

Just this past Saturday, we had a mix of rain, sleet, and snow (thankfully, it didn’t stick!).

But slowly, I’m seeing signs everywhere that Spring is headed our way, and that fills me with delight. Our daylight hours are longer, the grass is becoming greener, birds are mating and telling the world about it, and spirits seem lighter.

Come with me as I show you some signs of early spring here:

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These will be yellow daffodils. I know because I’ve photographed them many times in previous years. And every year I tell myself they need to be replanted in a sunnier location.

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This is the Redbud tree I had planted just last year. Those tiny buds will become lavender-shaded flowers, which will give way to heart-shaped green leaves.

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The above is a type of yellow lily that returns every spring. I just learned these should be deadheaded at the base after flowers bloom, rather than letting the stalks make seed pods. That way, you’ll get more blooms right up to a hard frost. Who knew? I’ve been wondering why they never seemed to bloom enough!

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This is the cherry tree that looks so gorgeous with its pink and white blossoms in spring, yet turns into Cousin Itt after the blooms give way to leaves. I’ve been thinking of having it chopped down and replaced by something hardier (I don’t know what though).

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These are the Sedum a friend gave me last year after they’d bloomed. I had my doubts they would grow as she told me to stick the stalks into the ground and that would be enough. I think the rabbits ate all last year’s leaves and the birds chomped on the seeds so they were pretty sad-looking most of the winter; I can hardly wait to see what color the flowers will be!

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My neighbor’s Maple tree is chock-full of buds. I know she’s looking forward to once more having a leafy green source of shade for hot summer days.

Now I can guess what you’re all thinking — yes, I’ll have to come back when spring really springs!