These are my 77th birthday orchids. A couple of years ago my brother gave me some orchids for my birthday and they sat on a table beside my desk blooming their hearts out. Unfortunately a few weeks ago I accidentally knocked the pot of orchids off the table and the whole plant died, much to my chagrin. Jerry has such a wonderful green thumb I thought he would be able to restore them to life, but no, it wasn't to be.
These are the replacement orchids - very different in style and color, but bright enough to give me a lift when I stagger into the computer room at 5 a.m. each morning (or earlier, like this morning at 3:30) to see if the world is still going around. There are a multitude of reasons why we are up at all hours during the night; suffice it to say that the orchids bring a little cheer to that dreary hour, whenever it is.
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Our county library system has just undergone a major overhaul that has just played havoc with everything that is good about our little library. We were advised there would be some glitches and there were. And still are. BUT I was not prepared for this:
I checked two books out of the library, read them, and carted them back before the due date. At the circulation desk there is a slot in which returned books can be placed so the circulation clerks don't have to be interrupted to check in each and every book. I have worked with this system for 7 years and never had a problem. On the day in question, I put two books, including "Molly Fox's Birthday," into the slot and then checked out three more books. A week went by and I checked online to see if any more books on reserve had come in. Nothing had, but I saw that poor old Molly still showed up on my current list as not being returned.
Without going into details, everyone, myself included, has been watching for the appearance of that book but no one has any idea where it is. I certainly don't have it. But apparently I'm going to have to pay for it, since there is nothing but my word to believe that I did, in fact return it. The worst part of it is that Molly had been brought over from another library, so it is that other library who is out a book. Today is the moment of truth; at 10 I'm headed to the library to zero out my balance. Molly was a rummy, used paperback book but now carries a replacement cost of $14.00. Although I admit to being irked, I will just consider it a donation to the library.
However, on Thursday of this last week Jerry and I returned 4 books to the library when we were there for a Friends of the Library meeting. Later that afternoon I looked to make sure all my books had been logged in, and by gosh, another one of my books, "Alice I Have Been," was still showing as outstanding! And of course it was one that we had again dropped in the Circulation Box. I immediately called the library, told them my sad tale, and they found the book already back on the shelf without being logged in like the other three.
I know Molly is somewhere in one of the libraries of the system. But it's not in our library filed under the M's for the author's surname, Madden. Before I fork over my $14, I'm going to check under the "Mo" in case some library page filed it under "Molly" and under the F's, for Fox. Someone has slipped up somewhere.
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I was sitting on the couch yesterday watching for the oriole to show up at the bird feeder when this fellow appeared instead. Luckily he stayed around long enough for me to get the camera, sneak out on the front porch and grab a shot. I don't see dragonflies much anymore -- probably because I'm not around water, but mostly because I no longer am looking through a child's eyes.
I do have new glasses on order, new and very different glasses, but I'm afraid they're not guaranteed to make me see dragonflies any better!
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Jer and I have been cat-stitting for our son and daughter-in-law this week while they are vacationing. Boo, a four or five year old black male cat, is having trouble accomodating himself to Penny, a darling year old new arrival that was brought into the house as a playmate for Boo. With our granddaughters now out on their own, and Garry and Nancy both working full time, it seemed like a good idea. But Boo does not yet see Penny as anything but an interloper, so for the most part she is still persona non grata. Above is what we have seen each day when we've arrived for the food and playtime. Boo does not think Penny is the sweetest, most loving cat that we've seen in a long time. Not yet, anyway. Surely, I tell myself, the time will come when they make their peace.
Ah, what would we do without cats to humor us?!
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