WINTER WEATHER

WINTER WEATHER

Today is chilly and drizzly,
Breezy and blue,
But I'm still above ground.
Now how about you?

My hands are now stiff
But I still hold a hook.
I'm blessed that I still
Turn pages of a book.

I'm often off-balanced
When I stand or step.
But I still get by
With almost no help.

Wish my hair would decide
If it's gray or it's brown.
It really won't matter
When I wear a crown.

Yes, I'm still above ground
Though my body will fail.
No matter the weather,
One day I'll be well.

By Netagene, off and on between 9:40am December 16, and 1am December 17, 2019. The very last line refers to the poem I wrote on November 14, 2018 (and posted here) which 2 friends turned into a song: "I Will be Well". The hook I mention in verse 2 is a crochet hook, a hobby which I do almost every day. My paternal grandmother taught me to crochet when I was about 7 years old.

BIPOLAR WEATHER

BIPOLAR WEATHER

The sun is out, and Then it's in.
There is no rain, but It will begin.

The wind is calm, but Soon will gust.
My porch is gold With pollen dust.

The fog is thick. See a rainbow!
We have no sleet, but We have snow!

Tornadoes? Yep, and Then some mud
Next a drought, and Then a flood!

The sky is blue. The sky is white.
Contrails, too,  When it is light.

The street is clear, but We have hail!
I'm safe inside, so All is well.

Weather is nice, and Then it's gray.
Not seasonal, but In the same day!

Bipolar weather, What's the goal?
Man predicts, but God's in control.

Written by Netagene, in a few minutes, 8pm, Saturday, April 23, 2019

WEATHER'z COLDz

Doncha knowz

my toez froze.

I need long hoze

And more warm clothez.

And O! my noze!

I don't like snowz and

Sparkly ice showz.

Strong wind blowz

Like glacial flowz.

Not what I choze.

Kidz aroze for

Snowball throwz.

I'm in winter'z throez coz

Too many woez.

That's how things goez.

I just suppoze

In the midst of thoze

I finally aroze,

Grabbed my pillowz.

Shhh! Nobody knowz!

That's my proze.

I wanta dozzzzzze ...

Zzzzzzzz

~ written by Netagene, off and on Sunday, December 10, 2017. The words in DejaVu Serif Italic adapted from an addition by Joyce Brumbeloe, Monday, December 11, 5pm.

LOOKING for a RAINBOW

I'm looking for a rainbow
during a raging storm's lull.
The sun's behind the clouds now.
The sky's overcast and dull.
The air is whispery, eerie calm.
following after blowing wind.
Only pitter-patter droplets
where downpour just has been.

I'm still looking for a rainbow,
but more dark clouds are moving in.
Listen! Distant thunder!
The stillness becomes wind.
Even though it's only mid-day,
street lights are coming on.
School buses are running early,
bringing children safely home.

The clock says it is day-time,
but the sky's near black again.
The storm's calm eye's passed over.
Here comes more howling wind.
Whether weather, whether life,
I prefer the calm, the sun,
but it take rain to make a rainbow,
and Heaven waits when this life's done.

- by Netagene. I wrote that on this day, in about 30 minutes, while sitting on my porch during the storm. Prayers going to people in other areas in a few other states, which got the brunt of the eastward moving storm. There were a few deaths and a good bit of destruction in some places.

TOURIST ATTRACTIONS

... or "Extreme Places" ...

Tourism is rising in Antarctica,

That's NOT where I want to go.

Heaven's MY "tourist" attraction,

I'm working on that while below.

No trips to Mount Everest or the Dead Sea –

No trips to the highest or lowest.

No trips to Death Valley or Antarctica –

No trips to the hottest or coldest.

God made me to live somewhere better,

not this alien land called the earth.

I'm working my way to LIVE there,

ever since I had my new birth!

My house down here's on solid land –

No sinkholes I can see,.

I'm pressing on to higher ground, where
God's preparing a mansion for me!

I won't have some step-on-the-bus guide person.

My guide will be much better than that.

My guide on my flight will be God's messenger –

an angel to God's "Welcome" mat!

Might as well spend your money here, traveling –

Can't take it with you when you're not here!

My treasures – laid up forever in Heaven –

With God and all things lovely and dear!

- by Netagene, March 16 and 17, 2013 -

A friend sent me a link about tourism in Antarctica, having had a brain burp and thinking Antarctica rather than Alaska for my hoped-for upcoming trip. But she got me to thinking, and I wrote back to her: "I SURE don't want to go to Antarctica! I also don't want to go to Mount Everest, etc., nor to Death Valley - solid land, not the highest or lowest ... or hottest or coldest!" 

I looked on line and found another place which is higher than Everest, depending if you measure from sea level or from where. And there are other places about as cold as Antarctica – a couple places in Russia, Greenland, and Canada. And I know –  but haven't looked this up recently, that there's a trench in the Indian Ocean or some such, that is as deep below sea level as Everest is as high ABOVE sea level - also somewhere I don't want to go!

Weather Blessings?

The sun is shining. The grass is brown.
The yard has become a small lake.
Blame it on the weird weather.
Sometimes it's a bit hard to take.

One day it will be 70,
cloudless and just a light breeze.
The next day will be rain and tornadoes.
The next day: 28, and we freeze!

But it gives me pause while I'm inside,
to thank God for what blessings are mine -
that I'm sheltered from things that are outside,
knowing all things happen in God's time.

- by Netagene. I wrote that in about 5 minutes, about 12:30 p.m. today. And that is just how the weather has been: 70 a few days ago, rain and thunder so that part of my backyard is a small, shallow "lake", storms yesterday (tornadoes missed us but hit a small town NW of Atlanta), in the 20s last night, and today is cold and windy but real sunny.

All my poems, etc., part 2

If you are coming to this late, and seeing a lot of things that I call Facebook Poems, there is a reason/excuse. About mid-June, I hadn't posted anything anywhere, nor texted anyone, and I don't like to talk on the phone ... so I decided that, when I can, which is almost every day unless the internet is down or I am out of town and do not have access, that one of the first times I'll do each day is write something - usually a poem - on Facebook. I label it simply "Facebook poems", though they cover a lot of subjects. I am labeling THIS note with all the labels I have used. That way, if you click on some label/subject that you think you might find interesting, everything I've labeled as such will show up on this blog. Thanks for reading what I write. I hope that you get a smile, or a laugh, or some encouragement, or that they make you think, etc. Feel free to comment on things I write, too. Thanks. (I am having to post this twice so as to show all the labels that I've made!)

SHADOWS

Shadows are ephemeral, fleeting, transitory,
Like some whisper in a dream, or half forgotten childhood story.

Life's sometimes like a low-flying cloud twixt the sun and the earth -
Its long shadow matted gray, muting music, words, and mirth.

Standing still, head lowered, puzzled, back against the sun,
Shadow, dark, stretched out before me, dancing zigzag when I run.
Like skies lowering, soon to rain, shadows hush the songbird's call.
Lurking ominous and frightening, as though urging me to fall.

Often deemed to be a burden - heavy, black, and fraught with rain.
Yet some shadows are protective, shielding me from want and pain.

God's sometimes pictured as an eagle - often raptor, never dove,
But His huge wings oft o'ershadow, guarding with undying love.
So when shadows hover 'round me, do I crouch in fear, and whine?
Or remember God's protection - all things done in His own time.

- by Netagene, Sunday, May 8, 2011 -

Groan ...

Even though I hate, hate to talk about the weather, that's what this is about. It never got above 30 at my house today. I made this picture about 4:15 this afternoon, looking through one of my windows. (Didja think I was going to try to walk around outside my house in ice and snow and lacking depth perception to take a picture? No way! Most of the icicles are about a foot long. We had about 2" of snow, and of course the yards of the houses across from me were pretty much completely clear of snow this afternoon. Not so mine.

Harping on things

First, a report on the weather (did I hear a groan?): Sunday was beautiful, almost 70 and sunny. It is real sunny today - but barely got above freezing and the wind made it feel about 10 degrees colder. I doubt I'll venture outside again until next Sunday! I hope "Birmingham Bill" (the groundhog at the zoo) has on his long johns!

Many are cold

... but few are frozen ... except here. At 11:30 a.m. it was still only 22 on my front porch. At least there's been no more snow but what we have will be here awhile. I'm fine food-wise, except that I'm out of my junk food! ... potato chips and sour cream!

Warmth!

No, not here! Still ice and snow though it's 34 now on my porch. I changed my FaceBook picture recently to one made in June, 2006. It was taken at the overlook by 'Opaeka'a Falls, Kauai, Hawaii. A good description and picture of the falls is on wikipedia.

(Our local newspaper has a travel section, and that picture was printed in the paper. I wanted to show that people who do not see well - notice I'm holding my white cane - do go places and do things. It was a bit windy, as you can see from my bangs. That's my sunglasses on top of my head.)

I got to go on a tour with 13 others, all acquaintances from the church of Christ (we got to attend worship there with the church near Honolulu one Sunday, and had worship on-board the ship the other Sunday). Each of us flew to Honolulu (some on a Thursday, some Friday, I arrived Saturday mid-day), then got on a Norwegian Cruise Line ship on Monday afternoon.

One of my favorite parts of the trip was that Monday morning when I rode the city bus and went by myself to the Dole Plantation. I really liked the Dole Plantation, and I enjoyed the bus ride because it wasn't "touristy", plus I wanted to compare the Oahu transit to ours here in Birmingham.

My hotel roommate, then cabinmate, was a lady from Atlanta who was 20+ years older than me. While the trip was OK, I didn't feel like it was worth the approximate $3,000 I spent for it.

Mo' Snow!

Here's two more I made this morning. Yeah, yeah, to all you Nanooks of the North, what's the big deal? Well, here in the "sunny" South, even this much snow and ice is enough to paralyze the city. I've seen a couple of pickup trucks pass by, but the newspaper carrier didn't show, not sure about the garbage truck, the fixed route buses are running (but who'd want to stand out in this mess and go anywhere?) ... and mid-afternoon, I saw 3 or 4 ATVs whiz by, a few more cars, and even some teenage boys out walking! Me? A good day to crawl into a box of yarn!

What a "pane"

... or "looking at the world through" ice crystals!

The WEATHER again!

Pretty bad when lately that's about all I write about, huh?

Friday was beautiful - cloudless and real sunny and about 60 degrees! I did have to wear layers because the wind was cold, but I rode the fixed route bus to buy some groceries. At least the bus ran on time.

Yesterday was sunny but cold, so except for getting the newspaper and walking to the mailbox, I stayed in.

Today? Ha! We did have morning worship (9:30 - 11:30) but the 5:00 service was canceled. (One couple has to go to Maine in a day or 2 to the funeral of the man's sister.)

The garbage truck comes by my house about 6:15 Monday and Thursday mornings, so about 5:30, I decided to take 2 little sacks to the street. Wrong ... the front steps were already getting slick. I looked outside about 8:15 this evening, and there's a good inch of snow covering my whole back deck.

I rather doubt that anything will be moving tomorrow - and that includes the newspaper carrier, the garbage truck, the mail carrier, the buses ... When I start to 2nd guess myself about having quit my job, I'll think of this weather.

Today's "Garfield" comic strip was this: Garfield was outside and one snowflake came down. He stomped it. Then a couple more snowflakes came down, and he stomped them. Then a LOT of snow started falling. He went inside, crawled in bed, and covered his head. John lifted a corner of Garfield's cover. Garfield said, "Wake me at the vernal equinox".

Amen. Hope YOU are warm.

Uh-oh!

Today is a "heat wave"! The temperature is mid-50s. Still chilly wind, and damp air (storms forecast).

I wish our mayor and city council members were forced to ride the city buses. They spend so much money for "consultants" for things that have either been voted down (such a domed stadium - the 17,000 seat arena we have is rarely filled), or for other projects that would be fine if more of us could get to and from such places.

The bus people get the blame when NO ONE can do anything without money! There is no dedicated funding here for public transit.

The 1st "uh-oh" today is that it took me an hour and a half to go somewhere which should have taken about 30 minutes. I scheduled paratransit to go a store. The driver was on time and had no other stops before dropping me off. The transmission on that bus was acting up, so she drove to the bus yard (which was on the way) to get another bus. The 2nd bus stalled right after she rounded malfunction junction downtown. She got it rolling again, but almost hit a concrete overpass rail in getting the bus off the travel lane. She radioed for a supervisor and for a mechanic. After she dropped me off, she was to get a lady in a wheelchair. The bus that the mechanic brought ran fine, but the lift wouldn't work, so I know another driver had to pick up the other person. The dispatcher did at least let me get my ticket back.

The 2nd "uh-oh" is that the store I went to was Michael's Arts & Crafts. I bought about $200 worth! But at least I paid less than $100 (had you going there, didn't I!) ... because of a gift certificate and because all but 3 small items I bought were on sale! It's hard for me to pass up soft 100% wool yarn that's 40% off in price! I bought that as well as other beautiful yarn and some other things, a few which were 70% off (wintry things: snowflakes, etc.). I make a lot of hat/scarf sets, some shawls, some baby blankets, and so on. I will gradually be posting pictures of things I make, which I will sell, on my other blog.

So now I've got even more yarn to knit (some) and crochet (a lot)! If you'd like to buy some of the things I make, let me know!

Still Cold!

It's getting old staying inside, so with the thermometer on the front porch showing 40 (a heat wave!), I put silk long johns on under my slacks, added a tank top under a turtle neck long sleeve pullover, socks and Crocs, gloves, a fuzzy beret, and a windbreaker with a hood, and left home for almost an hour. Three of the 4 front steps were still icy, so I put a bath towel on them to get to the driveway. I left the towel on the car(less) carport, knowing I'd need it later. I walked the equivalent of a block or 2 to the Family Dollar store and bought a few goodies. My new phone has a camera, so even though my neighbors' yards have been clear of snow since Sunday afternoon, my yard still has snow! Here's a picture of my front yard, and the SE corner of the back yard. Brrr!

Yucky Snow and Ice!

My yard is about the only one that still had considerable snow all today. My house faces north.

To the east is a vacant building (formerly fast food) so is mostly parking lot. The back yard of the house to the west, which back yard and the west side of my lot joins, was almost completely clear of snow mid-afternoon, as was the back yard of the house slightly behind me (our back yards meet at an angle). The front yards of the houses across the street from me (which face south) were also almost completely clear of snow mid-afternoon.

But all of my yard that I could see (no windows on the east side, but that side is surrounded by the house, and trees on 2 sides) still was almost completely covered with snow. I have a screened-in front porch, with 4 steps to the driveway. About noon, I leaned out a little and brushed the snow off, then threw down a bath towel, gingerly stepped down 2, and by using a "grabber", got my newspaper (the carrier puts it right at the base of the steps). The back deck also stayed covered with ice and snow.

Worship was changed to 3 p.m. only today, but neither the folks I ride with, nor I, attended. There are just too many hills in this area, as well as a lot of areas that never get much sun. I'm sure there was plenty of black ice. I've been reading the paper, working the word puzzles, knitting, crocheting, eating, and singing church songs.

RAIN!!!

After almost 2 months of hundred-degree weather,
I am hearing a wonderful sound!
The preacher is preaching but I am hearing
RAIN, steadily falling down!

I know that my God listens.
He hears, when for RAIN I pray.
I have faith so I always carry
My umbrella with me every day.

Thank you, God, for my blessings -
And that hot days are now on the wane.
In Your time, you have again now sent it -
Refreshing, nourishing RAIN!!!

- by Netagene, written in about 10 minutes during Steve's sermon this morning! -

Nature Girl

Besides the crepe myrtles along the back fence, pictured just previously (and probably some poison ivy, but I'm not going there!), I have something odd growing in my front yard. I have a bird feeder near my front steps and car-less driveway. I like to sit on my porch swing and watch the birds. Earlier in the year, it was mostly mockingbirds, cardinals, and sparrows, with an occasional nuthatch, mourning dove, or robin. Now it's mostly just sparrows. A week ago, in the grass (hopefully my yard man will be over soon!), there is now what I think may be corn! (Saturday, September 11 - a friend told me this is milo. I can't find any pictures that look like it, yet. I found a site for the Kansas Sorghum Grain Association, which I found when looking for "milo". The sorghum syrup I know comes from cane, not grain!) I presume it came from something in the cheap bird feed I buy, or possibly from "bird poop"! I have asked my yard man not to mow it down. And yes, that is me, with the ends of my hair still dark; if I were to cut my hair, obviously it would now be mostly gray. My eyebrows have always been thick and dark. Click on the picture for a closer view.