Looks Like Up Nort'

I carried a tank out to my car yesterday afternoon and looked up at the sky (I always check the sky) and it looked so much like being Up Nort' that I had to snap a photo.  Right under the bottom of this picture are houses and chimneys and satellite dishes but they kind of ruined the Up Nort'-ness of the shot so I cropped them off.  Durwood called to tell me something (oh, that the 2 women who checked him out at Woodman's wanted to come to supper; he said he gave them our old address) and said it was so nice out I should open the store up and let in "real" air (not that leftover stale winter air).  I did and a giant fly, sounding as big as a Cessna, flew in and buzzed around the rest of the afternoon.  I didn't mind so much, I mean, it's a BUG.  We haven't had bugs in over 6 months, I was happy to hear it, I didn't see it, it was too fast, only loud and buzzy.

I broke down and picked a few hyacinths and a tulip this morning.  I usually don't pick the flowers I grow, I just enjoy them in their natural state but they were so pretty I had to.  Now they're on the desk here and they smell so good and look gorgeous.  While I was out taking pictures the neighbor lady walked up the street with her kids and the neighbor kids on their way to school and one of the kids noticed the hawk scrabbling around in Stewart's bushes after a bird.  They're going to Yellowstone in a month and she says she needs to get into shape.  I'll say, Yellowstone demands a lot of walking.  I offered to lend them our guidebooks.

Did you hear on the news about those three girls who escaped captivity in Cleveland yesterday?  OMG, that's an amazing and frightening story.  I hope they string up those three brothers.  I can't even imagine how they managed to pull that off for more than ten years.  Those women will never get over it.  Never.  Time to pray, if you do that sort of thing.  I'll be having words with the Man Upstairs, the Universal Spirit, the Great... whatever you call it/her/him about not sending lightning down to ZOT! those men about 10 years ago and saving those poor creatures a decade of captivity and horror.  Sheesh, even a rain of toads would have been some help to call attention to their depravity.  Stuff like that makes me wonder about the existence of a God.

May 7--Johannes Vermeer, Study of a Young Woman.  He called her name, "Mariette," she turned to look, and that was the moment he painted.  She was swathed in fabric, even her hair was covered but he made her look so alive that she didn't mind.  She was too hot all wrapped up but the heat made her skin glow.  It was better to be hot than to be cold the way she was when he posed her nude.  She had sat hunched and shivering with a frown creasing her brow and her lips turning blue.  She told him that in the future there would be no more nude posing in winter, only in summer and only if he were nude too.  "Maybe you'll paint faster," she said, "if you're uncomfortable too."  He laughed and agreed.

Okay, I've promised Durwood I'd go to a funeral with him this morning so I'd better get a move on to have breakfast and iron my skirt.  It's a beautiful sunny day and I'm going to spend it first in church and then in the Social Security office because I'm old enough to sign up.  Isn't that a kick in the slats?  But it's true and we're going to get some answers and get the ball rolling.  Hot diggity.
--Barbara