Magic

I was born and raised in California...which explains a lot. I had a wonderful, carefree childhood, running free in the neighborhood and the hay field across the street. My brothers and I spent countless hours outside till the streetlights came on and then sat on the front porch until were called in for baths and bed. Summers were always special. But it wasn't until I was 25 years old and had moved from California to the east coast that I discovered the magic of fireflies. I can vividly remember the first time I saw them. We were walking on the parade field at Ft. Belvoir,VA. As darkness fell the field became a fairyland of sparking white lights. Blinking lights, moving lights. Magic.




I remember thinking that Disney had got it right. Before this I had been only exposed to the twinkling white lights in the trees at Disneyland and the moving faux fireflies while we rode through the Pirates of the Carribean. But this was the real deal. Magic. One of God's little gifts. Who can watch these flashing little bugs and not feel happy? It's been more than 25 years since that night in Virginia. Since then we have moved many times. Sometimes to places without the magic. They are here. They start showing up in June and will hang around for a couple of months.

Rufus and I took a late night walk tonight.
As we walked darkness fell and the show began. First just one or two, then more and more. In the dark under the trees and shrubs blinking for each other. I hope I will always feel the magic of fireflies, the gift of summer.
California may have great weather and great summers...but they don't have fireflies.

Thursday Night Smackdown

Bede vs. Rufus

Beautiful Nebraska Skies

I took these in a 15 minute time period. Started looking at the big cumulus clouds and ended up underneath.

We had a great weekend. Bede was the keynote speaker at the re dedication of the WWI memorial on Saturday. Photos to come... He did a great job and wowed the vets from WWII, Korea and Vietnam. It was great to see him back in uniform again.

Had a good Father's day as well. Great weather finally.

Rufus had fun relaxing in the shade.

Here it comes

Reissuing the tornado warning until 8:45pm. 11 miles southwest of Lincoln tracking to the northeast quickly. Headed right for Lincoln.

Social event

I just had to go look outside one more time. All my neighbors were standing in the driveway of the house next door. It really is true...When sirens sound...it's party time.

Sitting in the basement...

Tornado sirens went off about 20 minutes ago. For midwesterners tornado sirens mean go outside and take a look!. So I went out and took a couple of photos. Now we are hearing that there is a spotted tornado in central Lincoln. So we are in the basement now. Sirens are sounding still. Bede, Rufus, Lola and I are waiting it out in the basement. We'll keep you updated...

Monday, Monday...

Had a great Monday. Joanna, Bede and I went to lunch at the Bread & Cup in the Haymarket. Delicious.... Beautiful day, great weather good food, and wonderful company. What more could anyone ask for? Joanna had a job interview earlier in the day that went very well. She is getting closer to her move to Lincoln. Later we grilled chicken with brie and sweet corn prepared by Joanna. She also made a pasta salad. I didn't have to cook or even think about dinner. What a great way to start the week. There's even enough left for dinner tonight. Thanks Joj!

We learned that Pete's surgery went well and the Dr.'s are pleased.



We are having beautiful weather again today. Blue skies and temps in the mid 80s.
Life is GOOD.

Happy Father's Day

I know it's early, but I wanted to wish 2 of the best fathers I know a Happy Father's day and to say thank you to both of them. My father-in-law, Pete and my husband, Bede. I have to give lots of credit to Pete. I really believe that because he was a good father to his children as they grew up, the boys learned how to be good fathers, good men. His daughters learned that they deserve respect and a man who would love them and be a good father to their children. I work every day with women who have never had a good man in their lives. They had abusive, negligent or absent fathers. They have moved on to choose abusive, negligent or absent men to father their children. None of these women know what a good man is. I have been very lucky. My dad was a good man. He loved me and made me feel as if I was capable of anything. He died too young.I was just 20 years old when he died. But I have had the privilege of having a great father-in-law for almost 30 years now. Pete is a great dad. He is always supportive and ready to lend a hand when needed. I know he and Joleen have had many oppurtunities to wonder(or shake their heads in dismay) at the choices we have made over the years. But they have never offerd their advice or opinion unless asked. I hope that we have made them proud. If we have it is in large part because they raised their son well. Bede is very much his father's son. Strong, loving, patient...( you know these Bolin boys marry women very much like their mother). Above all Pete is a man of great faith. He has passed that on to his children. I thank God on a regular basis for that. I know Pete prays or all of us every day. Bede prays for us every day too. Their faith is an inspiration to me, to most people who know them. It is no accident that Pete has produced such fine men. It's because he is such a fine man. HAPPY FATHER'S DAY.

Prayer for Fathers
St. Joseph, guardian of Jesus and chaste husband of Mary, you passed your life in loving fulfillment of duty. You supported the holy family of Nazareth with the work of your hands. Kindly protect those who trustingly come to you. You know their aspirations, their hardships, their hopes. They look to you because they know you will understand and protect them. You too knew trial, labor and weariness. But amid the worries of material life your soul was full of deep peace and sang out in true joy through intimacy with God's Son entrusted to you and with Mary, his tender Mother. Assure those you protect that they do not labor alone. Teach them to find Jesus near them and to watch over him faithfully as you have done.

Pope John XXIII

True story from today's news

A mother who decided to abort her son because he may have inherited a life-threatening kidney condition is overjoyed that he survived the procedure.

Jodie Percival of Nottinghamshire, England, said she and her fiancee made the decision to abort baby Finley when she was eight weeks pregnant.

Percival's first son Thane died of multicystic dysplastic kidneys — which causes cysts to grow on the kidneys of an unborn baby — and her second child Lewis was born with serious kidney damage and currently has just one kidney, the Daily Mail reported.

Click here for a photo of baby Finley.

"I was on the (birth control pill) when I became pregnant," Percival, 25, said. "Deciding to terminate at eight weeks was just utterly horrible but I couldn't cope with the anguish of losing another baby."

A short time after the abortion, Percival felt a fluttering in her stomach. She went to the doctor for a scan and discovered she was 19 weeks pregnant.

"I couldn't believe it,' Percival said. "This was the baby I thought I'd terminated. At first I was angry that this was happening to us, that the procedure had failed. I wrote to the hospital, I couldn't believe that they had let me down like this.

"They wrote back and apologized and said it was very rare," she added.

Dr. Manny Alvarez, managing health editor for FOXNews.com, said Percival's situation is actually quite common.

"Women that have early terminations in weeks six, seven and eight, many times the pregnancy is so small that doctors miss removing the baby," Alvarez said. "The danger is that the failed attempt can damage the baby. That is why these patients who get early terminations need follow-ups."

Another scan a week later confirmed the baby also had kidney problems, but doctors told the couple the baby was likely to survive, so they decided he deserved another chance at life.

In November, Finley was born three weeks premature. He had minor kidney damage but is expected to lead a normal life.
From the London Daily Mail



So the baby is expected to lead a "normal life"....How can he when he will know that his mother tried to prevent his conception, tried to kill him and was furious at the hospital for failing to kill him...yeah that's normal! God Bless him.

Here we go again...

"Damaging winds. large hail, dangerous lightening". Just issued by the Lancaster County Emergency Management Agency. We just came up from the basement. The tornado sirens sounded earlier. Thats all clear, but now we have a new Severe Thunderstorm warning.


I took these earlier.






Gotta love the Midwest!

April showers Bring May flowers....

May showers bring June flowers....and June showers....well, you get the picture.



We have had rain almost every day forever. We have not had a day where we could sit out on the deck because the chair cushions never dry out. But I will admit all the moisture and humidity has brought out the best in the garden. We have not had such lush plants and lawn and blossoms in the 5 years we have been in this house.









The honeysuckle on the front porch is in full bloom.






The porch is the best place to sit and watch the storms come in.