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Life 101 Blog


dorahighschoolalumni.blogspot.com
Life Happens, and this blog takes a fresh view of the past, present and future. A true southern voice.
2020-03-30 00:14
It's been a beautiful day here. We drank coffee on our newly liberated screen porch. It was cool this morning, so the ceiling fan whirring overhead had to go. We sipped as the morning sun Ce… Read More
Critters
2020-03-29 00:59
The thermometer crept past 80 degrees (F) today. It's been beautiful. I needed a few pieces of lumber today, so I called our local hardware store and asked if I could order and pay for our o… Read More
Helper
2020-03-27 23:38
Today was convert our greenhouse back into a screen porch. We needed muscle, so I hired a helper. Our great nephew Jordan showed up after lunch, and we dove in.Not only did we have to remove… Read More
Wisteria
2020-03-27 00:20
I had to take two pictures for the paper today. I took both from a distance. When I returned to the truck, I bathed in hand sanitizer. I hope my camera is not allergic.On the way home, I not… Read More
Then The Sun Rises And Dogwoods Bloom
2020-03-26 00:59
The storm that moved through last night got bored here in Empire. Not much to demolish, so it moved off quickly to the east.This morning as we drank our coffee, a ruby-throated hummingbird d… Read More
Photobomb
2020-03-24 22:15
The rain moved out early this morning, leaving an azure sky. Don't you love that word? Anyhow, I'd taken a break from writing and went out for a walk. My intention was to get a picture… Read More
Staying Connected
2020-03-23 00:09
We did videos today. Jilda promised her Monday night yoga class that she would do classes online. We'd never tried doing that before and wasn't sure how it would work. Turns out, it was OK… Read More
Honeybee Art
2020-03-22 02:23
Honeybees are remarkable creatures. Had someone told me this before I got my first hives, I would have agreed, but not really understood. Now I understand.I had a box on one of my beehives t… Read More
Find Joy In Your Day
2020-03-21 00:43
My black truck and Jilda's blue Subaru were both yellow today when I went out to plant some potatoes and elderberry bushes. Each time a wind rose up out of the west, it sent a yellow cloud o… Read More
Beauty Around Us
2020-03-20 00:02
Jilda and I sat on the back deck this evening to get a dose of vitamin D. It was 82 degrees. The skies were restless with banks of clouds rolling across the sky. One moment the sky was ash g… Read More
Wednesday Stuff
2020-03-19 01:26
I wrote my column today taking two posts from this blog and combining them into a hopeful message for the people here who read my column in the newspaper.Afterward, I worked on the farm. It'… Read More
This Too
2020-03-18 01:29
This morning I covered a city council meeting. Everyday life in our small part of the world will change over the next several weeks. Things are hard for our local officials. They are struggl… Read More
Blooming Time
2020-03-15 22:47
After the rain moved off to the east, we decided to take a walk. It was colder than yesterday, but still short-sleeve weather for me. Our great-nephew Jordan came over with his mom Sama… Read More
Which Path Do You Prefer?
2020-03-15 01:04
Coronavirus craziness abounds here. I refuse to participate. Even if we needed toilet paper now, I'd use a Tractor Supply catalog before going to the store and buying a roll of TP. That's ju… Read More
Snow Week
2020-03-13 23:29
On this day in 1993, we had the deepest snow on the ground that we've had since the state began keeping records.I was at work that morning, and Jilda kept calling to tell me what was coming… Read More
Beekeeping Thang
2020-03-13 01:40
Jilda and I walked around to check on the trees and shrubs we planted this past weekend. Everything looks happy. All of the new blueberries bushes we planted except one survived and are bloo… Read More
Fresh Spuds
2020-03-12 01:18
We have pieces of washing machines that were used a few years after washpots and a few years before automatic washers and dryers. My mother had one of these beasts when we were growing… Read More
Name That Color
2020-03-11 01:37
I woke up in the night to get a sip of water. Before I fell to sleep, I had the misfortune of remembering that I needed to get started on our income tax.I thought once I retired, my tax pict… Read More
Working On The Farm
2020-03-09 02:12
The time change makes both Jilda and me cranky. I can't wait to read what our blog buddy Joe has to say about it...but I digress. I had work to do, and I got at it after coffee. Back du… Read More
Getting Warmer
2020-03-08 01:29
The last two days have been remarkable. Warm sunshine with a cool breeze out of the north. Yesterday afternoon, we called our great-nephew Jorda to see if he wanted to join us. He did. By th… Read More
Beyond The Reach Of Lens And Shutter
2020-03-07 00:47
I wish I were a poetor at least had a poet's way with words.There is so much in this imagethat I can't describe,and my camera can't capture.Subtle hues and colors beyond the reach… Read More
The Sun Came Out Today
2020-03-06 12:33
The sun returned today. It's been a while since I felt the need for sunscreen, but after days of rain, it finally stopped. Jilda had to dash to her vehicle when she left just after… Read More
Spring Is Near
2020-03-05 01:08
The march continues.Things dormant yesterdayAre alive todayYesterday violetsToday collard blossomsColors you'd forgotten in the gray of winterNow remind you that spring is nearLife stor… Read More
Voted
2020-03-04 01:38
 We headed out early this morning to vote. We weren't the first, but we got in and out quickly. Our polling peeps all know us, but they still follow procedures. They look at our photo I… Read More
The First Day Of March Gives Me Hope
2020-03-03 02:38
Driving down Interstate 59 South below Tuscaloosa this week was an experience. It had rained for days, but the sun peeped through the clouds in the early afternoon. The redbuds and a tree wi… Read More
Rambling
2020-03-02 01:35
We're getting almost a dozen eggs a day now. Some are light brown, some are dark and some look as though they've been breached.There's nothing like fresh eggs but there's no way we can eat t… Read More
Bottle
2020-02-29 00:49
The woman who sold us this property in the 1970s had rented the farm out for years. The people who lived there didn't bother to take their garbage to the dump. It was too easy to toss it nex… Read More
The Camera You Have With You
2020-02-28 02:33
I had to cover a city meeting tonight for the paper. After supper, I put on my jacket and headed out. Arriving early, I sat in the truck listening to a book by Walter Mosley.  I di… Read More
Off To The Races
2020-02-27 01:54
It's been cold and rainy here again today but apparently, the trees and shrubs don't care. When I walked out this morning to get the paper, I noticed that the Carolina Jasmine on the front a… Read More
By My Window
2020-02-26 02:15
Wheeling through the Starbucks drive-thru this past week, I had to stop and shoot a picture after I placed my order.I'm not sure about the name of this ornamental grass, but it was striking… Read More
Decluttering Again ~ My Column From Sunday
2020-02-25 03:33
A few years ago, I read a book on decluttering. Jilda and I spent weeks going through our home. With each item, we made a conscious decision on whether the piece was important and added valu… Read More
Beautiful Place
2020-02-24 00:39
It's been overcast today. The temps reached for 60 degrees but didn't quite make it. The wind out of the northwest made long sleeves feel good.I tried to take pictures, but everything looked… Read More
Shadows
2020-02-23 01:55
We sometimes cast shadows.Without realizing it, We pass between lightAnd the path we follow.Life happens somewhere in between.Life stories, writing, music, advice, southern, Alabama Read More
Ice Cream Cones
2020-02-22 02:44
There are few troubles in life That cannot be sorted out With an ice cream cone. You can feel the weight of the world On your shoulders And see no way out.But an ice… Read More
2020-02-21 01:30
Mother Nature can be cruel. A few weeks ago it was almost warm enough to swim. Then the rains set in. The river has been up and down.Today, rain fell in sheets. Normally, that's not that big… Read More
Million Years Ago
2020-02-20 02:04
I shot this picture of Jilda a million years ago. It was not long after we married. We lived in a single-wide trailer without air conditioning. It didn't have much insulation either, which m… Read More
Something Good For Supper
2020-02-19 02:21
It's rained today. At times it was so hard that I had to slow to a crawl to be safe.  One of my appointments was with a man who will be 93 next Tuesday. He was a veteran.When I walked i… Read More
Catch Up
2020-02-17 01:41
The sun played hide and seek for most of the day. It was out in the morning when we walked but then decided to take a nap around lunchtime.I had a ton of chores that I've been shuffling for… Read More
School's Out
2020-02-16 01:58
You're probably tired of bee-talk. We finished up today just after lunch. I was exhausted. It's a two-hour drive each morning and evening plus about eight hours of instruction.It will take a… Read More
Bee School
2020-02-14 02:11
I started down the training path to becoming a master beekeeper today. My ears and eyes were hurting by the third module. There were six, and this was day one of three.If I can pass the test… Read More
Time On The Road
2020-02-13 02:44
I drive a lot. I think it was passed through DNA from my dad to me. When thoughts jumble up in my brain, and the path forward is not clear, I get in my truck and drive.I don't have to have a… Read More
Onward
2020-02-12 01:18
I've been cleaning out the junk in the old house and barn for over a month now. Several trips to the dump later, and I can hardly see that I've made a dent. I made a management decision to g… Read More
Best Seller - Not
2020-02-10 02:34
I released my book Life Happens in February of 2009. I toyed with social media as a means of marketing. I sold a few books, but I had a large time playing with images of famous people pluggi… Read More
Celestial Evening
2020-02-09 01:03
We'd planned to attend our great-nephew Jordan's swim meet today. We drove into Birmingham, but by the time we got there, the parking lot was blocked. There were no vacant spaces. We la… Read More
Smidge Of Snow
2020-02-07 23:55
We had an errand south of Birmingham this morning and as we were getting ready, I let the dogs out front to chase the squirrels off the bird feeders. It's a game they play.As we were about t… Read More
2020-02-05 00:18
I've been down today. Yesterday was a hard one. Our dog Caillou became ill. The vet suspects a stroke or possibly cancer. We made the decision to put him down rather than subject him to tort… Read More
Sawmills ~ My Column From Sunday
2020-02-04 02:30
The first time I remember visiting a sawmill was when I was 11 years old. My mom had told my dad that if he ever wanted eggs for breakfast, we would have to clean out the chicken pen. Appare… Read More
The Beach At Sunset
2020-02-02 01:51
Jilda and I planned to attend a beekeeping conference today south of Birmingham. The conference features gurus from around the county who come and talk about the various aspects of caring fo… Read More
Shroom Day
2020-01-31 01:25
I took another picture of mushrooms on a log. The thing that fascinates me about this one in particular.A Google search suggested that they might be wild oyster mushrooms and that they are e… Read More
A  Promised To Mother Nature
2020-01-30 01:01
My intentions were good. Last fall, instead of burning our cardboard boxes, I flattened them, stored them in the toolshed, and then when I took the plastic for recycling, I loaded the cardbo… Read More
Ancient Barns
2020-01-29 00:19
Ancient barns are archives of lives once lived.Rusty tools that haven't turned a boltin decades. Crooked nails that were straightened with a hammer and thrown into a bucket for...j… Read More
Day Off
2020-01-28 03:41
It was cool this morning when I stepped out to dump the coffee grounds in the compost bucket. The weatherperson had predicted that the sun would come out later in the day, but the mist felt… Read More
Now And Then
2020-01-27 02:10
Tonight I amOut of words.It happens from time to time.I would fret, but time has taught methat it happensnow and then.Life stories, writing, music, advice, southern, Alabama Read More
Faulty Fridge
2020-01-26 01:02
This morning when we walked if felt like snow. The air was moist and it was sarcophagus quiet. Both of us understood that the forecast called for sunshine, but Sol didn't get the memo.We onl… Read More
Wonky Week
2020-01-25 00:03
Friday is normally my off day, but the holiday on Monday threw my schedule off. I ended up writing three stories and my column before lunch.Jilda put the hominy-chicken soup on the stove to… Read More
It's The Least I Can Do
2020-01-24 02:23
The tractor resting in the barn hasn't been cranked for over 10 years. Harry Trueman was still in the White House in 1948 when it rolled off the assembly line.I ran across it in the late 70s… Read More
National Shelfie Day
2020-01-23 01:11
Today is National Shelfie Day. The idea is to promote reading. People are encouraged to take a picture of some of the books on their bookshelf.I pulled several that I've read in the past yea… Read More
Kodak Gets Tutored
2020-01-22 01:50
When we booked the rooms at Mentone, we had three dogs. All of them are seniors and set in their ways. When we go off for the weekend, they all lay by the windows and watch for our car to re… Read More
Looking Up
2020-01-21 02:43
My phone buzzed this evening before we headed out to yoga. It was my International Space Station tracker app telling me the craft would soon be in my line of vision.The sun had already dippe… Read More
Perplexing Questions
2020-01-20 02:34
Blogging nightly has a downside. When we talk about traveling, we both fret about the news stories describing how criminals learn on social media that you're out of town. While you're out of… Read More
Against The Wind
2020-01-19 02:25
We had an opportunity recently to visit Mentone, Alabama. It's a small town in the northeast corner of the state and a stone's throw from both Georgia and Tennessee.The place where we stayed… Read More
2020-01-18 02:14
Our blueberries and fig trees are on the cusp of bloom. It's much too early. In fact, cold weather is barreling in.This time of year when the weather warms, it coaxes anxious vegetation out… Read More
Life Is Quick
2020-01-16 03:31
Birthdays.At first, they come slowly.Then later unexpectedly.Your knees begin to squeakand you have trouble hearing in crowds.When you're young, you won't listen to elders,because you think… Read More
Close To The Stars
2020-01-15 02:58
This evening is the eve of my 69th birthday. I've found myself lost in thought today. It rained a good bit, but there were moments.At one point, I walked outside. I'd bought a bag of parched… Read More
ArtsyFartsy
2020-01-13 02:19
Jilda and I got a call from the community foundation on Friday. They are planning an exhibition of local artists. They asked Jilda for copies of some of the Christmas cards. She's hand-paint… Read More
Marked Safe
2020-01-12 00:07
The last thing Jilda and I watched last night was a weather forecast. Bad idea. I woke up just after midnight with a nightmare. My heart was pounding. It took a minute to fall asleep.The mor… Read More
Eyes To The Skies
2020-01-11 00:23
The local weather people have been jabbering all day and point to computer models of what might happen tomorrow.A system moving through could affect almost everyone in the central U.S. One w… Read More
Kid Talk
2020-01-09 02:53
I got a frantic call from our niece, Samantha this afternoon. She was in a bind and needed me to pick up Jordan (our great-nephew) from school. I'd completed my writing for the day and… Read More
Listen To The Sea
2020-01-08 02:36
Jilda and I spent New Year's Eve 1999at the beach with friends.A storm before midnight senttorrents of vertical rain that lashed the windows.Palmetto and palms gyrated in the wind and s… Read More
Water Lover
2020-01-07 03:22
It's been a while since we've had a dog that likes water. The last one was Ol' Blackie. He was a mix-breed dog but he had Lab in himEvery time it rained and turned the low spot in the field… Read More
Sunlight On A Rusty Relic
2020-01-06 01:54
We spent time today moving all the Christmas decorations to the barn. We took the tree down last weekend but plastic boxes as big as steamer trunks were stacked in the corner. I would have d… Read More
Beautiful Sky
2020-01-05 00:59
Stepping out this morning to dump coffee grounds into the compost bucket rain was still dripping from low-lying clouds.Still half asleep, I fretted that today would dreary. But while Jilda a… Read More
Reading
2020-01-04 02:03
I'm reading a book entitled, "All the light we cannot see." I checked it out over the weekend from the library. It came highly recommended. The timeline goes forward and backward a few years… Read More
It's Raining
2020-01-03 02:22
There are places on the planet that are starving for rain. Some of my friends and blog buddies in parts of Australia have devastating wildfires. I wish we could share a little of our rain wi… Read More
Up Again
2020-01-02 02:32
A decade is behind us. A decade is before us. When thinking about tonight's post, I thought about the past ten years.One of the most significant things that happened ten years ago was that I… Read More
2019 In Review
2020-01-01 03:06
A year has passed. I remember sitting at my office desk a year ago compiling a list of things I wanted to accomplish this year. They seemed important...even urgent. And then, life happens.As… Read More
2019-12-30 01:34
My birthday is a few weeks away so we're thinking about new places to visit. For years we chose the beach and it is always incredible in January. The crowds were down and the wait times at r… Read More
Uneventful
2019-12-29 01:22
Jilda and I both enjoyed "downtime" today. It's something that's rare but essential. When nothing is scheduled. I read. Watched Joyce Carol Oats talk about her approach to writing. I to… Read More
Raking Leaves From The Roof
2019-12-28 03:25
Each time we walked the last few weeks, I've noticed that the oak and hickory trees around the old house and barn are now bare. Tons of leaves have fallen.During our walk, we wade through la… Read More
Sunsets
2019-12-27 01:37
The sunsets these last few days have been rare. Each moment the sky offers a different mix of color. The silhouettes of bare trees backlit by colors or red, orange, magenta, and other colors… Read More
Merry Christmas
2019-12-26 02:53
I feel like a happy tic. I dare not step on scales for a few days, because they don't lie. I've visited with friends and family for the last few days.  And I ate.Ham, fried okra, mashed… Read More
Merry Christmas Eve Eve
2019-12-24 00:59
This is a slow news week. Most of the things we do at the paper have already been done. Last week I wrote a story about the importance of libraries.As I was finishing up the story, the libra… Read More
Shopping In The Rain
2019-12-23 02:17
The rain fell hard today. It's been years since we've had ponds in the field between the house and the barn but today, I think I could have sailed on the south 40.We had a little gift shoppi… Read More
Time Will Tell
2019-12-22 01:44
Our intention was to decorate our Christmas tree last weekend. The blue ice cypress was one we had a few years ago. After Christmas, I planted it in the back yard.  I dug it up last wee… Read More
Helping Him Find His Way
2019-12-21 02:12
Our great nephew Jordan spent much of the day with us today. He worked hard but then, he's not afraid of work.One of the things he promised when we agreed to let him keep the chickens here w… Read More
Fun Assignment
2019-12-20 03:42
I was at the elementary school early again this morning. A local Honda dealership donated 50 bicycles to the Head Start class.I covered this assignment last year and I walked away smiling.Th… Read More
Moon Shot
2019-12-19 02:45
Jordan's Nana called last night to see if he could spend the day with us today. Not much was happening at school, and he needed a break. We said, of course, he could spend the day with us.Af… Read More
Dog Therapy
2019-12-18 02:37
The rain moved off to the east before dawn. I had early appointments, so my internal clock went off early. The light seeping in from around the blinds foretold the nature of the sky today.Wh… Read More
A Gift That Kept On Giving
2019-12-16 02:23
I started badgering my mom not long after Labor Day of 1964. I wanted a guitar for Christmas. Our neighbors had two cousins visiting from "Up North." They playing guitar. I heard them s… Read More
A Good Weekend
2019-12-15 02:48
Jilda has been working on Christmas cards for weeks.  Earlier in the week, I mailed off the international cards. Today, I mailed off a bushel to friends and family that live here in the… Read More
Happy Friday The 13th
2019-12-14 00:23
I know this will date me, but the last horror movie I watched was 2000 Maniacs.  That was when it came to the Sumiton Drive-in in 1964. Nope, I didn't watch the Godzilla movies, Ps… Read More
Kodak's A Keeper
2019-12-13 03:01
OK. For those of you who were betting that Kodak would be living here, you can collect. I took him to the vet today.He had no chip and except for a few general puppy maladies, he's healthy… Read More
2019-12-12 02:43
I let the new pup outside last night before we turned out the lights. It was raining so I put on my big coat. As I stepped onto the front stoop, it crunched. This morning it was white o… Read More

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