SMILE – movingforwardslowly

Oh, When the Ants Come Marching In…

Today is the vernal equinox or the start of spring, though I do not need a calendar to know that spring is upon us. I have been seeing the signs of spring all this week, (even with the crazy temperatures we have been witnessing.) First I saw some yellow crocuses beginning to rise up and bloom, and then I saw my diminutive iris blooming by our mailbox, and then just yesterday I noticed the tulip magnolia tree near an entrance to my school beginning to show an increasing number of pink buds.

Yesterday I noticed to my dismay the small black ants wanting to come through the radiator in my personal bathroom. We have an older home, so we have a few places where every spring I can reliably see the tiny black ants wanting to seek new territory inside. They are easily eliminated and pose no problems once the season is in full swing. They are a sure-fire beacon of the change of season.

Early this morning when I looked out the kitchen window I saw the wild cherry in our backyard showing a spray of opened blooms. They have suddenly appeared, almost overnight it seems. The popular cherry blossoms downtown around the tidal basin are showing their signs, though I am not sure what stage they are in at this point.

Here are a few pictures of our backyard wild cherry tree blossoms.

I am off work today because of Eid.
"May this Eid be a reminder to carry kindness, gratitude, and generosity throughout the year."

River Blessings

When doing my Sunday reflection this morning the thought of rivers came into my mind. I am still thinking about March as a month to honor my Scots-Irish heritage. River symbolism runs deep in many cultures, and the river is used symbolically in the bible as well. As I was researching rivers in Scotland and Ireland, I remembered the Riverdance show starring Michael Flatley. My daughter was in love with this show, and we bought her the VCR tape which we still own and can still watch on an old TV/DVD/VCR machine we still have. I took a picture of it. See below.

She is watching this today. Luckily the tape still works and so does the TV/VCR/DVD player. I wish we could buy another newer version of this same machine. It is made by Toshiba. When we bought it was being discontinued. We got the last one.

This coming week Saint Patrick’s day will be celebrated, and not necessarily in the way it was historically intended. However, we live in America and the year is 2026, so the spirit of celebration is one of happiness with family and heritage.

Cheers!

Soul Train

Soul Train TV show theme song by George Martin Duke, composer

George Martin Duke (1946-2013) was an American keyboardist, composer, singer-songwriter, and record producer.

This is an image from a TV show that was on in the 70’s.

We are in Black History Month right now. Soul Train was a TV show that ran in the 70's when I was in my teen years.
I think the #2 definition of soul is a good reflection of the intense energy that was exhibited on this show. I loved the energy of the music and the dancing. I did not watch the show consistently, though, when I did watch it the energy was contagious!

A celebration of the soul embodied in this show is definitely worth showcasing during Black History Month.

Snow Shadows

As I was drinking my chocolate macadamia nut coffee topped with marshmallow whipped cream, I saw tree shadows dancing across the snow as the wind stirred up their tempo.

Turning the page on my Old Farmer’s Almanac Gardening calendar 2026, I see the “Leaves that Please” of February. Tonight the full Snow Moon will rise, and tomorrow the question of the day will be : Did Punxsutawney Phil see his shadow?

I think he will!

Words of Affirmation

I captured this picture from dandyworldwide.com.

I finally got out of my house today. I ventured out within a 3 mile radius (or less.) While I was out I spotted 2 teenage girls that were both wearing pink oversized sweatshirt hoodies with these words on the back. I told them that I liked their hoodies, and I asked where they got them. They told me online at a website called dandyworldwide.com.

I found the website, and I found the “Words of Affirmation” hoodie. I would have preferred a crewneck with these words, but still I liked the words so much that I bought one in a navy color. I work in a school, and I love the messages that this will spread to everyone that sees it.

I don’t get anything out of advertising products other that a good feeling about spreading the word on a product that I like.

Snow Day 3!

This is how I am feeling today — worn out from baking cookies.

My husband shoveled our driveway yesterday. He said it is like blocks of cement out there. The temperatures outside have been varying between the mid single digit range with wind chill at zero or below, and when it warms up it reaches the low to mid 20’s. I have stayed inside cooking and baking. At least we have been well-fed.

I received a Spring 2026 catalog from Vermont Bean Seed company recently. I shopped for seeds and indoor grow lights yesterday. My intention is to give vegetable growing another try. I have been reading up on planting asparagus from crowns. I first read about growing asparagus last year in a Martha Stewart article. I learned that asparagus is a perennial vegetable, and this interested me since I have experience growing many perennial flowers. Yesterday, I ordered some asparagus crowns, a Sweet Purple variety. I hope to do the preparation work early spring. “Hope springs eternal…” (This is a partial quote from Alexander Pope 1733.)

Thinking about spring helps to weather the winter pauses. I hear there is the possibility of another winter weather system coming this weekend.

Stay warm and don’t hurt yourself shoveling!

To My Surprise!

It turns out that the humble beaver is on another much more valuable coin than the 5-cent Canadian coin I mentioned in my last post.

Some time ago I posted about a historic Myrtlewood coin made in North Bend, Oregon in 1933 when money was hard to come by.

Well, I discovered today that this was not the first time that Oregon made its own money. Look at the picture above and then look below at the information about this coin.

https://coinweek.com/oregon-5-territorial-gold-beaver-coins-move-over-pelts-and-furs/

Read the article at the above link to learn more about this coin.

In 2026 this $5 Territorial gold Beaver coin would sell for thousands or hundreds of thousands of dollars depending on its condition.

Looking Ahead to Next Year

Al generated image. I asked for a pistachio cake.

As New Year’s Eve approaches I am thinking about the year ahead of us. This is when I realized that my birthday will be on what seems like an auspicious date–02/26/2026. I will be turning 67. At first this scared me a little, though I know God will be watching over me as always.

Do numbers and dates hold power? I am inclined to think they do when I look around at the news and advertising media.

I decided to look up the date to see what I might find. An AI overview stated that it is known for celebrations like National Pistachio Day and Tell a Fairy Tale Day. This information made me laugh and put me at ease.

Then I looked up the day of February 26 in history and was pleased to see that in 1919 The Grand Canyon was officially designated, in 1929 Grand Teton National Park was established, and in 1933 the ground-breaking ceremony for the Golden Gate Bridge was held.

Now, I feel relieved that when the day is put into a bigger perspective, the day will pass like any other day. Perhaps I will eat a pistachio cake for my birthday, and maybe a fairy tale will be told.

Smile and Have a Happy New Year!

Don’t Knock the Shoebox –From Dollhouses to Nativity Scenes, and to Habitat Dioramas

Recently I saw an online news headline which used the phrase "shoebox size" to describe the size of a home. It was being used in a denigrating way to mock the size of a home. This got me to thinking about all the uses of shoeboxes. Then I remembered seeing students make habitat dioramas using shoeboxes. I started to research the use of cardboard boxes in different types of crafts. I was amazed at all the numerous websites that show examples of cardboard box crafts. I decided to ask the AI image generator on my WordPress resource to generate an image of a "shoebox nativity scene", next a "cardboard shoebox dollhouse", and lastly I asked for a "shoebox habitat diorama." Above you can see the images it produced based on these prompts. I especially like the use of an old worn out shoe in the outdoor habitat diorama. This made me laugh.

Many school holidays will be beginning soon, if they have not already started. I think making shoebox nativity scenes to teach about the birth of Jesus, or dollhouses to give as gifts, or habitat dioramas to teach a little science, are all great ideas of ways to spend quality time with your children, friends, nephews, nieces, or neighbors. This might make a greater childhood memory, and have a greater impact on their creativity, than simply buying something.

Anyone who uses the phrase "shoebox size" to describe a home is a snob. Maybe they need to do a little research on all the creative ways to use and enjoy a shoebox, and be grateful for what they do have. (This a just an older lady's advice. Take it or leave it, but don't knock the size of a shoebox size home, at least not in a public forum.)

Happy Thanksgiving !

Miss Piggy and her friends give thanks for all their blessings. They will pray at the dinner table. (This is an IA generated image.)

My family and I are having a non-traditional Thanksgiving dinner. I cooked a turkey breast and all the traditional fixings about two weeks ago. I did not want to repeat it so soon. Today we are having Beef Bourguignon with Sopa Paraguaya (which is a hearty cornbread), and a few other dishes. The other day when I was shopping for a red wine to use for cooking the beef I was surprised to run across a cabernet with the name “Katherine”. I stopped with a strange feeling of serendipity. I was currently reading Dan Brown’s latest book, The Secret of Secrets. One of the main characters in this book is named Katherine. Also, the picture featured on the front of the wine bottle reminded me of a black cutout profile picture of me when I was very young that had been artistically framed. My black profile picture has a ponytail much like the one on the wine bottle. The resemblance ends there, though my name is Katherine also. I bought the wine on a whim. I bought another bottle of a different wine to use in my cooking.

This is the picture from the bottle I purchased.

You might be asking why I used a picture of Miss Piggy at the top of this post. I thought it was funny since “piggy” , possibly a relative of Miss Piggy, has been in the news recently. Of course, I was instantly reminded of Miss Piggy whom my daughter grew up with and whom we all love. She had a Miss Piggy doll that was so loved and played with so frequently that eventually I had to throw it out. I was able to find one book, which we still miraculously possess, featuring Miss Piggy.

Here is the book we own. The dirt in the bottom right must be from a pulled off price sticker.

Another interesting side note about Miss Piggy is that she has been featured several times at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. I read that in 2016 she saved Tony Bennett from falling off the float they were standing on.

I hope anyone that might happen to read this has a fun and happy day.
I am thankful for many things. Too many things to elaborate here.