Bad Spelling, Happy Day

Xmas? I have avoided that spelling of Christmas most of my life, and I'm only making an eXception so that I can show the photos I made on that happy day 3 days ago and can still use that X . Yes, ABC Wednesday round 7 is at X, planning to eXit the alphabet in two more weeks. Check out the eXceptional cleverness of participating bloggers and their eXciting eXamples of eXercising their XXXXs by clicking on logo.

Early Christmas morning, while some of the guests in my daughter Candace's house still slept, I took these pictures of the living room with its lighted tree and the great pile of gifts that ringed it. This is natural dawn light (no flash) with snow softly falling outside.

While there are some lovely gifts in what appears to be an obscenely
materialistic pile of presents, many of them proved to be
joke items or even gifts for the two dogs.

And I had the choice seat by the tree, camera poised.

Granddaughter Myrtle appeared in silver shoes.

And one of Candy's first gifts proved to be reindeer slippers

So she put on reindeer antlers and hammed it up a bit.

Byron opens a gift while his mother, Candy, at left, looks on. Ernie, Byron's lively little mongrel, and Hobbit, the resident dog, attempt to help.

Myrtle looks on as her brother Cedric prepares to open a gift.
Cedric's wife, Susan, also watches.


Susan admires her new frying pan.
The rosettes on her cap were package decorations.

Son-in-law Clinton hams it up with a new shirt.

Compare this with the serene early morning picture...

All was followed by a delicious Christmas dinner with all the trimmings, formally set on the table that had held our traditional Christmas morning breakfast stolen.

The participants are: myself, visiting from Port Townsend
Candace, my daughter, and Clinton, my son-in-law
Candy and Clint's daughter Dr. Myrtle Shock (Ph.D in archeology)
" " " son, Dr. Byron Shock, professor at College of Idaho
" " " son. Cedric Shock, computer eXpert
Cedric's wife, Susan.
Ernie and Hobbit, enthusiastic doggie participants

N is for Nasturtium

Mrs. Nesbitt's ABC Wednesday round 7 has reached N. Click on banner or link to see what fellow bloggers have been inspired to do.

Nasturtiums have long been favorites of mine, at least until invaded by aphids. Way back when my children were young and begging for a snack, I would slather a piece of bread with butter for them to take to the backyard; there they would harvest nasturtium leaves (pesticide and aphid free) to make a sandwich - a tasty treat in which I often would join them. Then the aphids found the "nasty urchins" (as my father used to call them).

This beauty is in a neighbor's yard, not mine

Please click on this picture for a full view of it.

Now that I have moved to Washington State, I can again have nasturtiums in my garden.

Kristin planted these as a border to my walk.
The blossoms are lovely, but so are the variegated leaves.

Some of my language-loving father's other favorite flowers included Christmas anthems. And Spitunias. I wish I could remember more of them!

M is for Merriment

Mrs. Nesbitt's ABC Wednesday, now in its seventh round, has reached the letter M. Thank you, Denise, for your original vision and continued involvement. To see how other participating blogs have been by the letter M, click on banner or link.




A little over a week ago my son Stan and his wife Dianne, visiting from Colorado, took me to the Port Townsend waterfront to see the kinetic race. "Kinetic" means that the entries must be human-powered both on land and in the water. It is an all-day race, ending when the last remaining participant reaches the fairgrounds. There is also a judging of the floats for cleverness and decor. These first few pictures are of the participants racing toward the launching spot for the water leg of the race.

Completely unaware!

Some entrants use bicycle type pedals. Others, like the man above, jump or teeter-totter. All of them must have adequate floating devices for the water leg of the race.

The fantastically costumed Kinetic Kops enforce the racing rules. The course is rigidly set. They also act as announcers.

Some Kops ar Kind to Kiddies.

The floats (literally!) must race around a distant marker, out of sight of the launching site. Here one of the leaders in the water leg of the race races toward shore.

Here come they come!

To add to the merriment, there are a variety of prizes, I understand. One for 1st place, of course, but also for last place, middle place and others equally ridiculous.

I can take no credit for the photos. My son Stanford is the photographer.

L is for Lazuli Bunting

ABC Wednesday Round 7 has pregressed to L. To see the many and varied entries of participating blogs, click on link or banner.








I snapped this picture last May when visiting my daughter Candace in Ontario, Oregon. She has a flat bird feeder outside her dining room window. These were shy little birds that flew at any perception of movement inside the room, so that I had to stay absolutely still with my camera set for the spot that they were apt to perch. They usually appear at Candace's house for about 5 days each spring before flying on to their summer destination.

Update

Where has the month gone? The last week I can account for. I was recovering from an emergency appendectomy in hospital then at home. Otto and Kristin are my beloved angels who take exceptionally good care of me with cheerful competence and love.

Green is for Granny's Green fingernail polish

Mrs. Nesbitt's ABC Wednesday is now a cooperative effort in it's seventh round, which has reached the letter G.







This is just to let you know that I'm still around, although not with the blue hair with which my Webcam portrayed me. I wanted to show off those new green fingernails that have become part of my new identity, but it was too hard to hold a camera in one hand to tkae a picture of the other. Hence the Webcam.


When I found that I would most often be seen in public in a wheelchair, I also found that I was invisible as a real person, especially when accompanied by one of my children (all still vertical).

"What would she like?" the waiter would ask. "When would she prefer the return flight?" "Can she walk a few feet through the door?" "What color does she prefer?" "What size does she take?"

"Hey!" I wanted to shout. "Ask me. I'm not brain-dead!" It seemed that I was only some inert freight to be carted from place to place but never required to speak.

So I painted my fingers with iridescent green fingernail polish. It worked! People said, "I love your green fingernails." They didn't say, "I love HER green fingernails." When I began going about unaccompanied on my electrical wheelchair, I regained most of my identity as a sentient being. By then I had become an acquaintance to many wonderful new friends here in Port Townsend. They would be disappointed if I ever appeared without green fingernails. I have bought enough bottles of it to last for several years.

At one time I thought the way to gain recognition as a real person would be to dye my hair shocking pink, like my favorite author and blogger, Laini Taylor. I'm still considering it. What do you think?

Faith

The Sunday Scribblings prompt is FAITH.

What better could illustrate "faith" than the utter confidence on the face of our tiny daughter, Candace, as she launches herself into space knowing, beyond a doubt, that her father, Otto, will catch her in his arms.

For other musings on "faith" click HERE.