Day: January 1, 2019

NOW, IT’S THE NEW YEAR’S CACTUS – Marilyn Armstrong

While I’ve been busy shooting the birds, the cacti have been happily blooming their hearts out. The red one is still blooming. Not as fully as it was, but it still has new buds and it is very much alive and well. I can’t remember ever having a blooming period this long.

New Year’s Eve cactus blossom
A matching finch?

The second “pink” cactus is blooming now. I don’t think it’s going to have a very big bloom. Only a handful of buds. One is fully in bloom and one is likely to bloom any minute.

Happy New Year from my pink cactus. It doesn’t look entirely pink, but it sort of is
New Year cactus greetings
Ironically, this is the big bloom on the red cactus which has become a little more pinks it fully opened

I took pictures today. I should have waited for a brighter day, but when the sun is very bright, it tends to give me a lot of excessively high contrast which doesn’t look well with these translucent flowers.

And a happy and healthy New Year to everyone!
He says Happy New Year too!

The pink flowers are only slightly less red than the red cactus. The buds are pink, but when they bloom, they look darker and not as pink as the buds lead you to believe.

A LOOK BACK: THE SHORT AND TO THE POINT 2018 EDITION – BY TOM CURLEY

So, 2018 is over. Like any end of the year, the last few weeks were filled with “Year End Retrospectives.” A year ago I wrote this blog.

I hate year-end retrospectives.

Especially this year. A year ago, all anybody could talk about was just how much 2016 sucked. And it did. But then, along came 2017.

2017 said to 2016 “Here, hold my beer” Then along came 2018 who said to 2016 and 2017 “Pussies! Let me show you how it’s really done.”

So here’s my “Year End Retrospective, The Short and To-The-Point-2018-Edition.” And yes, I’m doing it in 2019. Why? Because I’m a rebel because I’m going rogue because I only remembered I wrote it last year on New Year’s Eve this year.  So here it is, 2018 month-by-month.

January. Well, that sucked.

February. God, that really sucked.

March. Are you kidding me? How much more can this possibly suck?

April. This can’t get worse.

May. It got worse.

June. Are you fucking kidding me!?

July. This is just not happening.

August. Well, that just happened. WTF?!

September. This is insane.

October. No, he’s insane.

November. Shit, he is REALLY insane.

December. This insanity has to end.

🎇🎶 Happy New Year. 🎶🎇

At least we still have Betty White.

PS: And to start the New Year off on a good note, I give you two dogs playing “I got your nose.”

OUT WITH THE OLD – Judy Dykstra-Brown

I think she speaks for all of us on this!

lifelessons - a blog by Judy Dykstra-Brown

Out with the Old

When I plant that New Year’s kiss,
just what is it I’m going to miss?

I certainly won’t miss the news,
which has not failed to unamuse.

I will not miss my aches and pain,
lest I invite them back again.

I will not miss the expense and cares
occasioned by my roof repairs.

I will not miss my aged appearance
or my young cat’s disappearance.

I’m looking forward, all-in-all
to having no regrets at all.

I’ll take my year unmarked, uncreased, 
with all past worries now released.

For Daily Inkling’s New Year’s Kiss prompt.

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SHARING THE LAST AND FIRST OF THE YEAR – Marilyn Armstrong

Share Your World 12-31-18

Writing this on the last day of the year to be published on the first of the new one, so it is the last and the first. May everyone’s New Year be full of joy, laughter, health, and hope!

For the parents in the crowd:  What would be the absolute worst name you might give your child? If you’re not a parent (I’m not), then what’s the worst name you could give your pet?

I really can’t think that way. Anything his father would have given him would have been the worst name. He was fond of obscure Celtic names that no one has used in at least 200 years. Owen was a compromise.

Final house finch — Red in front and yellow in back? Is he a cross?

I let Garry name the pets. It’s safer that way.

What mildly annoying curse might you wish you could curse annoying people with?

Mildly annoying? Why bother? If it’s not VERY annoying, it’s not worth your breath!

What’s the weirdest thing you did as a child?

I was such a weird child. I have no idea. I was just weird pretty much all the time.

Last birds of the year

Do you believe things happen for a reason or are random?

Things happen for a reason or randomly. Sometimes a little of both. I think we tend to make reasons for random events because we can’t bear that something so awful happened for no reason at all.

And finally, in the spirit of New Year’s:   What’s a resolution (if you make them, I don’t) you’re making for the New Year?   How confident are you in keeping it a reasonable amount of time?

I don’t do resolutions. If I was going to make one, it would be that I make it until the next one! I sincerely hope I make it.