If we were having coffee, I would tell you there will be a New Moon tonight or a Black Moon. This is the second New Moon this month. Along with the Black Moon there will be a partial solar eclipse. I have not noticed that the phases of the moon affect me. I have read that some believe the New Moon can cause decrease in sleep, increase in creativity, promote hair growth, and can represent new beginnings. I wouldn’t mind a thicker head of hair. Do you think the phases of the moon affect you?
If we were having coffee, I would tell you that I am having a small cup of Peet’s French Roast this morning. But I don’t think I’ll finish it because it tastes too strong. That is probably because I haven’t drunk any coffee for about 3 months. I fell off the wagon and I am going back on the wagon. Don’t want to get the acid production to go into overdrive.
Spring is in full swing in the backyard. I did not think we would be getting a lot of grapefruit this year because there were hardly any blossoms on the tree. I thought it was because of pruning or the gusty wind we get that blew the flowers off. I was happy to find there is some new fruit on the tree. Even the fan palm has some fruit again. The roadrunners will be glad about that.
A pair of birds are building a nest in the top of our motorized patio screen. I spotted the birds flying to the top of our patio door carrying small bits of twigs in their beaks. It was hard to get a photo close up. I told my husband we can’t use the motorized screen for now. I worry we will scare them off going in and out the door as well.
Young grapefruitFan Palm fruitBird on screen boxThe nest builderAre you looking at me?
I looked all over and think I have identified this bird. You can’t see it’s colors in my photo, but from my own bird’s eye observations I think it is a Say’s Phoebe.
Say’s Phoebe by Jamie Chavez on Flickr.com
It’s been wonderful to watch the nest building this morning. Nature continues to renew even while human destruction tragically goes on. I believe that life and good will win in the end.
If we were having coffee, I would tell you I have had a busy week. My daughter paid us a surprise visit. It was wonderful to see her. We enjoyed some long walks and conversations. This weekend is Easter Sunday, Passover, and the Coachella Music Festival. So, I made an effort to get all the grocery shopping done earlier in the week. We wanted to avoid the crowded stores and restaurants this weekend. My husband really looked forward to my homemade chicken soup with matzo balls. I made the soup from scratch and the matzo balls with the help of a mix. I decided to use some rainbow carrots in the soup, a couple of purple ones. Well, the purple carrots made my chicken broth purple. Everyone commented on the color, but it did not affect the taste.
If we were having coffee, I would ask you if you have noticed lately that bananas go bad within a couple of days of coming home from the store? I end up with more bad ones than good ones. I usually eat one banana a day but still can’t eat them fast enough.
Overripe bananas
I have started to buy green bananas in hope that they will last longer. We bought a bunch today and I noticed they had a plastic wrap around the stem. I have heard that the plastic is there to keep the bananas from ripening too quickly. I hope it works.
Since Spring arrived, I have seen more roadrunners around the neighborhood. One visited our backyard the other day. I was able to get a photo through our patio door of the roadrunner on the wall. I look forward to getting more visits.
Roadrunner on neighbor’s wall
Even though it’s Spring the temperatures have been high this week. It’s supposed to get to 100 degrees F this afternoon. Cooler weather is forecast for next week, mid-seventies to mid-eighties.
If we were having coffee, I would tell you I can’t believe it’s April already. The months have sped by but felt like a crawl. Is it coming out of Covid, which we haven’t completely come out of yet? The Spring is all about new beginnings, growth. We really do need new beginnings.
April 1 aka April Fool’s Day here in the US.
‘The Fool’ tarot card by Midnight Believer on Flickr.com
The Fool tarot card says, ‘let go of preconceived ideas and remain open to change, new beginnings.’
Featured image of California desert poppy wildflowers titled ‘Let’s go there’ by Rennett Stowe on Flickr.com
If we were having coffee, I would tell you we’re out of town for the weekend. We’re visiting Marley and Caesar again, along with my son, daughter-in-law, and little grandson. Marley did not wake us up last night. He was sleeping with his parents in their room. I heard a loud bang during the night. Caesar had managed to open a bureau drawer and dropped something out on the floor. He meowed a couple of times to get in and out of his bedroom, the guest bedroom. Otherwise, all was well. He even let me pet him this morning.
See you next week.
Weekend Coffee Share is hosted by Natalie at Natalie the Explorer
If we were having coffee, I would tell you I am not feeling optimistic about the book club I joined. One problem is there are times when the book I am asked to read feels like a penance. That is how it is with the latest book. To call it wordy would be an understatement. It smothers you in a mudslide of metaphors. It’s like the author feels he has to give you a paragraph of metaphors for every statement he makes. I have been dutifully trying to finish the book, but I ask myself if my life may be too short in my later years to take the time for it. There was at least one book last year that I stopped reading at the beginning. I did belong to a book group at the local library a few years back that focused on mysteries. I think I would enjoy a group with that focus more.
Do you enjoy book groups? What type of books do you like most?
If we were having coffee, I would be drinking herbal tea, and I would tell you I have several pairs of eyeglasses around the house. Some glasses are for reading and others are for watching TV and driving. As I move back and forth between activities, I find that I am constantly looking for the right glasses. I did not want to get bifocals yet. I am wearing my reading glasses as I write this post. It’s been terrible to watch what is happening in Ukraine and listen to the news commentators debating about what we should do about it. At least I can turn it off and take a break. The people in Ukraine can’t do that. But even when I’m not watching, I still think of them.
If we were having coffee, I would tell you that the events in Eastern Europe have made my own life’s worries seem small. Watching news reports here about what is unfolding. Sheer madness. I hope my country is supporting Ukraine as much as possible. The Ukrainians and their leaders are so brave.
Weekend Coffee Share is hosted by Natalie at Natalie the Explorer.
Featured image of ‘Sunflowers’ by Alessandro Caproni on Flickr.com
If we were having coffee, I would tell you we are settling back into our daily routine at home. Since our recent trip, we are better acquainted with our pet grandchildren. Things are a lot quieter here. At first, I expected to have a dog jump up at me as I moved around the house. Marley and Caesar were good companions too.
Marley looks out windowCaesar in his bedroom
Mask mandates have been rescinded but masks are still recommended in indoor spaces if you are unvaccinated or at high risk for infection. We needed to go grocery shopping and decided we were still going to wear masks. Our infection rates are still high here although going down. With all the home testing I don’t think the case rates are accurate anymore. I wondered if we would be in the minority with masks, but there were many other shoppers and grocery workers wearing masks as well. I have some books group meetings coming up next month and a bridal shower. Have to see if I feel comfortable without a mask then.
The recent world news has been bad. I was not alive during WWII but the attack on Ukraine reminds me of Hitler’s attacks on neighboring countries. Dictators don’t win in the end and this one won’t either.
Weekend Coffee Share is hosted by Natalie at Natalie the Explorer
Notes Tied On The Sagebrush 