Catholic School's Week

The January 29th edition of The Observer -- "Official Newspaper of the Catholic Diocese of Rockford" celebrated the achievements of some of the children attending diocese schools. On page 9 we find Arianna pictured with three of her "colleagues", all of whom scored more than 25 Accelerated Reader (AR) points.




Well, Arianna's voracious reading habits are well known to us all.

We couldn't be any more proud of her!

Honor Roll Redux

When Arianna came home with a "really, really bad grade" on a Math test earlier this month, I assured her that I was NOT as concerned about her making the Honor Roll as I was in her being a happy child, who did the best she could do in school.

Fast forward a couple weeks . . . .

This evening, Arianna looked solemn when she handed me her report card. I could tell she was disappointed and maybe didn't make the Honor Roll. What would I say? I recall how I suffered while standing in front of my Father, while he reviewed my grades.

But, she surprised me. Again, her grades were outstanding. She even excelled in Math -- her weakest subject.

Poachers

Squirrels broke the bird feed outside Sharon's and my bedroom window. I had succeeded in finding a branch to hang the feeder on that would give them the most difficulty in poaching seed from the birds. No matter. They found knocking the feeder to the ground was an even better approach to getting at the seed.




I. Enjoying his spoils





II. Broken feeder





III. Mourning doves blend into a gray sky

Feeling Better

Frosty

A cold, foggy morning.

Since Arianna is sick, I went to the 7:30 Mass. After I got home, I took a few pictures.



I. Bee Balm





II. Drooping Feather Reed Grass





III. Joe Pye Weed





IV. A lonely bird bath





V. Lilacs





VI. Clematis





VII. Clematis flower bud

Cave Dweller Arianna

Arianna caught a cold. She's running a fever and wants to be left alone in her cave.

January Thaw

Almost 40 degrees in the Fox River Valley today. The snow pack recedes, as do the icicles.

Can Spring be far behind?

A Pair of Missing Teeth

Arianna lost two teeth within two weeks.

I neglected to mention that on New Year's Day, after biting into a gooey piece of See's candy, Arianna lost a tooth.

Earlier this evening she came running to show me that yet another loose tooth had fallen out.

That's two dollar coins -- are they still called silver dollars? -- under her pillow in less than two weeks.

An empty space

Yesterday we took down the Christmas tree and holiday decorations. Back in their boxes for another year: the creche, the train, the ornaments and lights. In the corner of the living room there is an empty space.

Still cold.



I. Christmas wreath awaits its box




II. Clematis in winter




III. The column of ice - from roof to walk

The unexpected

Sub-freezing temperatures, wind-chills in the teens. So, naturally, one's thoughts turn to gardening?!?

Like so many disciplines, the marketeers vie for our hard earned dollars earlier and earlier each year. This collection of seed and nursery catalogs began arriving before Christmas. In previous years, I looked forward to receiving these after 12th Night.



I. A new year's temptation

What's this . . . ? A rare volume, which will aid me in determining whether a prospective candidate makes the cut. Although I am not be any means a "native plant zealot", I won't deny that the goal is to ensure the 3/4 Acre Wood is representative of the region.



II. The "bible" of region horticulturalists

A rare volume, which will aid me in determining whether a prospective candidate makes the cut. Although I am not be any means a "native plant zealot", I won't deny that the goal is to ensure the 3/4 Acre Wood is representative of the region.

Duck, duck, goose

After Mass I pulled over to the side of the road, rolled down the window, and gave a shout out to some neighborhood friends.

It's amazing these mallards stick around in this bitter cold weather.

We learned later that recently Sharon had seen an elderly couple pull their car over and pop the trunk. They then proceeded to feed the ducks. This accounts for why the ducks approached or car, rather than fled in the opposite direction. Arianna and I need to remember to bring something with us next time.




I.




II.



III.

Happy New Year!

At the holidays I'm often asked by colleagues at the office, "Are you going anywhere?" Invariably I answer that I'll be spending time with family at home. Although the site of Times Square on New Year's Eve may enchant the young and the young at heart, the excitement captured on the television is not at all what we experience as 2009 drew to a close.

Like last year, Arianna managed to stay awake until 'the ball dropped'. We stopped the Abbott and Costello movie we were watching just in time. Arianna quickly distributed the confetti she'd been collecting throughout the evening. Sharon poured the sparkling cranberry juice.

Happy New Year!

Glasses click. The noise maker whirrs. The confetti litters the sofa and carpet.

Happy New Year!

And shortly thereafter Horatio and Melody are freed from the bounds of their curse and Arianna is tucked into bed.

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I was surprised and happy that Arianna woke to join me for Mass yesterday.

Our day was the antithesis of excitement. In the early afternoon we watch the Alister Sims version of a Christmas Carol. Throughout the remainder of the day Grandpa, Sharon, and Arianna put together a puzzle on the dining room table. Somewhere in between we introduced Arianna to Bugs Bunny & Co. She'd never seen Loony Tunes or Merry Melody cartoons and Cartoon Network was running a marathon.



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Today, Saturday, has been bitter cold. When I retrieved the Tribune from the curb this morning, the thermometer read -2 degrees. Upon return from Mass, it had warmed up to 1 degree.

As if the slow adoption of our typical routine was not a sufficient reminder that the holiday was fast coming to a close, upon our return from a shopping trip, we discovered that the string of Christmas lights at the front door were no longer working. The string broke. We imagine squirrels.

I'd moved a couple bird feeders to hooks over the front porch in the hope of inhibiting the squirrels' taste for seed. But, we noted yesterday their acrobatics, which included climbing and dangling from the lattice-work. Perhaps squirrels dangled on the string of Christmas lights.

We'll never know.

Tomorrow may be the last day of vacation from school and the office, but we'll still enjoy Christmas cookies for a few more weeks. And, hopefully, the spirit of the season for longer than that.