oh dear, it's August!!!!!

OK, July just flew by. Sort of. I have to admit I napped during part of it - a really bizarre work schedule, vacation, and intense heat waves kind of messed with my equilibrium, and I found it quite refreshing to snuggle in with the little fur babies and take naps until time for the next job. Lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer indeed.

My magic birthday list is progressing nicely. I have been bowling ten times ( I will post the scores thus far, even though they are really pathetic), I have seen a couple of more birds, my Magic Birthday Garden is growing, despite only a little rain this summer. In this post I will try to put some photos of things.

I have actually accomplished some things on the list in the past month. With a bunch of Stein Mart days off in a row, I even cooked John supper one night (item # 18 - only 4 to go now). I cooked some chicken with wild and brown rice and broccoli and then made a pretty good pie for dessert - a "lemonade pie". It was pretty delicious on a hot summer evening.

Last weekend John and I went to a botanical garden (item #48) - this being the Western Kentucky Botanical Garden in Owensboro. It was a short drive, being on this side of Owensboro, and we had the entire place to ourselves on a hot Saturday afternoon, except for the wedding being prepared for in the visitors' center. We found it to be quite interesting, and surprisingly nice in its size and design, being as Owensboro is a smaller town than Evansville. We saw all manner of roses in a very nice rose garden, herbs, grasses, fruits, a little Japanese garden, a really neat Children's Magic Garden with little sub-gardens - and the beginnings of new gardens being currently developed.

The next day we went to Mesker Park Zoo and Botanical Garden - Evansville's own. I wanted to see the new exhibits, particularly the Amazonian ( item # 36) exhibit. I have only to been to our zoo once, and that was at least ten years ago. I have been by the zoo countless times, as there have been many activities in the Mesker Park area that I have been a part of, in particular, the Evansville Symphonic Band Concerts we used to do at Mesker ( we perform at the Coliseum now) and when I worked for the Philharmonic, working at the Labor Day concerts and running the instrument 'petting zoo' there. Although not in the zoo proper, the Amphitheatre is right next door and often we would hear a lion roar and always we would hear the peacocks, especially as our music floated into the air. Anyway, this was my first time to the zoo in a while, and John and I spent most of the afternoon there. It was hot, yes, and it is a BIG place, lots of walking, but we are well up to that, and really had a good time. The Amazonian exhibit was fantastic. It so reminded me of the zoo in Belize that my sister Suzi and I went to - that zoo was in the middle of a rain forest, and the exhibit at the zoo is also a rain forest, although man-made. In Belize, the humans were the ones in the 'cages' and there were howler monkeys overhead, jaguars with only chicken wire between us, otters that would come right to you - it was quite an experience in the middle of the country. Mesker's compilation of that had so many of the same animals and birds we saw there, with so much more, and in a much more controlled environment. It seemed so natural a place for the animals, so they actually live there instead of just being on display.

Another thing on the list was to go to the annual Parade of Homes and to take five ideas and incorporate them into my own home (item #20). I go to the Parade every year - it is when area builders put their new houses on display. Some are really incredible, million dollar homes that have been decorated by all the best firms in the Tri-State. John and I went this year, and saw maybe 25% of the homes - the list was small again this year, I guess because of the economy. And, sadly, I really didn't see anything that floated my boat, so to speak. We saw house is at least three different price categories but they were all the same - they looked the sameoutside, nothing too exciting, and inside was the same. Everybody had earth tone painted walls (greens, browns, taupes, golds, some red here and there and prerequisite pink and blues for children's rooms) and everyone had woodwork painted white. Every house we saw! Also, stainless steel appliances and granite counters. Or concrete. Concrete is cool, I like that. But granite or concrete is not too practical for our counter tops - our house is not very expensive, nor is it in an expensive neighborhood, so it would be silly to go with astronomical upgrades (we can't afford it anyway). And John thinks that as soon as we would paint all of our woodwork white, it would be out of fashion and wood stain would be back, so we may as well leave it stained and be ahead of the pack!!!! haha. SO, I didn't take any ideas other than a more solid decision on what colors we will be painting when the rooms are re-painted later this year. I guess that's something.

So that is an update - now I will proceed to try to post pictures and to list some things, like bowling scores. Promise you won't laugh at me, whoever it is out there who is reading this!

It is now my actual magic birthday!

Ha! I have been so busy doing things on my Magic Birthday List, that I have absolutely lost track of my blog entries. For anyone out there who may be reading this, sorry! \

And so now, today, I am officially 55 years old, the whole entire reason for the Magic Birthday Blog, and the list, and all that stuff. I have been asked why I am doing this, and basically it was just to do something different for a year, and I think it for a great reason!

N0w, there are some things on my list that I haven't been doing too well with. The German phrases - I keep thinking I can memorize like I did when I was younger, but quite frankly, I can barely remember what I am supposed to do in a day, let alone another German phrase! The only time I can reinforce the phrases is when I am at Germania. Unfortunately, that isn't every day, so the repetition I may have been able to accomplish to help me memorize them is unavailable. I have tried to use the phrases at work, but I think they already think me strange enough . . . I have not given up, though, and will commence along that path again soon.


It is past midnight and I meant to do more tonight, but after a CRAZY month of Symphonic Band concerts, capped tonight with the most tremendous fireworks display I have ever been lucky enough to be sitting beneath, (literally) I am tired. So me and my pink hair are calling it a night so that I am well rested for the rest of my MAGIC BIRTHDAY DAY!

Bird List

Here is a list of my sightings to date, I will add to this list as I see them!

1. American Robin
2. House sparrow
3. Blue Jay
4. Mockingbird
5. Mourning Dove
6. Starling
7. Mallard
8. Cardinal
9. American Crow
10. Goldfinch
11. Common Grackle
12. Canadian Goose
13. Cowbird
14. White-breasted nuthatch
15. Downy woodpecker
16. Yellow-rumped warbler
17. Rose-breasted grosbeak
18. Tennessee warbler
19. Carolina wren
20. Red-eyed vireo
21. Kingbird
22. Carolina chickadee
23. House wren
24. Bluebird
25. Field sparrow
26. Common yellowthroat
27. Red-bellied woodpecker
28. Eastern phoebe
29. Song sparrow
30. Kildeer
31. Red-winged blackbird
32. Turkey Vulture
33. Rock Dove
34. House Finch

My Magic Birthday Garden

The garden is planted, and pictures will post soon. This is item # 22 and here is a list of the flowers, mostly annuals, though there may be some perennials:

Crossandra - Orange marmalade
Zinnias - Magellan cherry
Salvia - Vista Red
Sunbini creeping zinnia
Yellow lantana
Marigolds - of course! my favorites
Honeydew Melon Sage
Osteospurmum - Tradewinds deep purple
Heliotrope - Marino blue
Coleus - pink chaos
Platycodon - Fuji pink (balloon flower)
State Fair zinnias
Helichrysum
Celosia

May 25 Day 68

Goodness. I really intended to be a bit more active with the posting, but, time has a way of getting away from you. This past weekend was spent hecticly celebrating my nephew's high school graduation in Hendersonville, TN. Any other extra time this month has been spent working on the yard, which has been difficult to do as my WORK schedule has been completely nuts. I wouldn't mind the hours so much, if I was making any kind of money. Ha.

There are a couple of things that can be crossed off the list now --- item #2 - 55 new FB friends - has been surpassed. I figured that would be a fairly easy one. It is so much fun to see what people from the distant past are up to these days. And when you get my age, it IS a distant past!

And item # 22, the Magic Birthday Garden, has been planted. We shall see how many of the plants survive - Neecie has already compromised one plant by relieving herself on it! I have all kinds of things growing in it - lots of annuals, as the bulk of the area has traditionally been my Annual Garden, so there are plenty of marigolds (my personal favorite) some lantana, salvia, vinca, and the State Fair zinnias that work so well for cutting. I have added some new interesting plants as well, some are perennials, including some new Asiatic lilies. I will get pictures posted as soon as the garden really gets going.

Other items are being worked on, including #15. Check the list. This one actually started May 12, 55 days before my 55 birthday, and ironically the 55th day of this Magic Birthday Year - that part was an accident, just the way the numbers worked! How about that!


More later, including some updated movie nights and bird sightings - incidentally, the bird sightings are for 55 different birds this Magic Birthday year only- so far, none of the sightings are first time life sightings for me, which is probably why I recognize them!

Now to play some bubbles in the backyard with the doggies before I go to work, Job #1 of the day.

More German phrases later, also!

FOR MAY 5!!!!

OK, now this one's for my friend Gale, who suggested this for the Magic Birthday List. Item #19 (gee, it sounds like an auction list or something) was to play page 55 in the Klose clarinet book on May 5. And that's exactly what I did! But there was a bit of a complication - page 55 in the Klose Celebrated Method for the Clarinet is mostly duets - in the key of G. I therefore solicited some help from my graduating senior student Kate (who will be off to Purdue in the fall, soon to be my veterinarian, maybe?) and then later, much later in the evening, from my clarinet sister, Dana, who ventured in after a long day of teaching and band banquet to finish the last two duets with me. I am going to try to post the videos - hope it works. And those of you who are musicians as well, don't be too critical!

BIRDING 101

Well, true to the schedule, John and I awoke early, very early by my standards, Friday morning, April 30, to tag along on the Wesselman Nature Center bird 'hike'. This was instead of our original plan to go to Audubon Park on Saturday, which ended up being a very good decision - the weekend was a total washout, and I know you know what I'm talking about!!!!

Wesselman Park was beautiful, and I don't know why, but in all the years I have been here, I haven't ventured much on the trails. I intend to do so more often now, and not just to see the birds. It is a very tranquil, idyllic place.

A little history lesson though before we continue. Perhaps you are wondering why I picked bird sightings as one of my 55 activities - I will try to explain. When I was quite small, my father got me involved in bird-watching, as it was called then. He is an avid birder, having actually studied Ornithology at Cornell. It was a fascinating subject to me, and I loved bird-watching. I had bird books, birdsong records, I belonged to the Junior Audubon Society and the Griggsville Wild Bird Society ("It's Purple Martin Time!"). Because of my father, it became an early passion. I even talked about becoming an ornithologist, proud most of all that I could pronounce and spell it.

Then I met the clarinet. And I began to realize, too, how much math would be required to study a science such as Ornithology in college. So, over the years, my early birding skills kind of fell behind. Now my dad - that's a whole 'nother story! He is still the champion birder of all time, and his skill and knowledge are legendary. It would take a lot more than my meager 55 sightings this year to compete with him! But the 55 is a start, and it gets me into wonderful places like Wesselman Woods on a beautiful spring morning, so I think this was a very good decision for the list!

I added 15 more birds to the list, making a total of 28. These were the birds we saw and/or heard on our short trek:

White-breasted nuthatch
Downy woodpecker
Yellow-rumped warbler
Rose-breasted grosbeak
Tennessee warbler
Carolina wren
Red-eyed vireo
Kingbird
Carolina chickadee
House wren
Bluebird
Field sparrow
Common yellowthroat
Red bellied woodpecker
Eastern phoebe

And, a DEER! She came bounding out of one of the clearings toward our small group of binocular-clad birders, stopping dead upon seeing us. Then for a full minute, we stared at her through our binoculars (though she was barely 20 feet away) and she stared back, before she twitched her tail and bounded into the brush. Aaah. I really do like to be outside, I've decided.


More tomorrow! MAY 5!