tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79758957151258371012024-03-15T20:10:48.324-05:00Positively TuesdayStaying Positive - One day at a time.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger320125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7975895715125837101.post-55361651921315523782024-02-20T09:37:00.001-06:002024-02-20T09:55:30.014-06:00Positively Music<p> by Mauverneen</p><p>"Music hath charms to soothe a savage breast." </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtygTr6wycEWAEw0t_S8JxLrN_h1mDsBYVVeYkVKDwIAVfB7Jpzp_EnZkHTNAfNPkT0QO1h96rLMaxs5eJcc82Ky1Zn1BP_KZDv9YuvUPg8H89PYxTO18aLDGc3EYPdQZN-JjwO09lfXWCWFs7lU9TWlRhjkzxOnOOwsUBS-LXwFPq0XF0Wlz2OJKfepp1/s4032/IMG_4894.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtygTr6wycEWAEw0t_S8JxLrN_h1mDsBYVVeYkVKDwIAVfB7Jpzp_EnZkHTNAfNPkT0QO1h96rLMaxs5eJcc82Ky1Zn1BP_KZDv9YuvUPg8H89PYxTO18aLDGc3EYPdQZN-JjwO09lfXWCWFs7lU9TWlRhjkzxOnOOwsUBS-LXwFPq0XF0Wlz2OJKfepp1/w300-h400/IMG_4894.JPG" width="300" /></a></div></div><p>Music can be soothing, but it also can get you motivated, set a mood, or bring up memories. </p><p>Music makes us dance, it makes us sing - in the shower, in the car. C'mon, You know you sing in the car. And lately, I don't care who sees me. If I want to sing along, I'm going to sing along. It makes me happy.</p><p>I like all kinds of music. I'm sure we all have a list of our favorite songs. There are a couple that go on my all time favorites list, but I also have a favorite romantic song, a favorite hymn, a favorite dance tune, etc. And there are always those one or two that I will stop no matter what I'm doing, to listen (or dance) to.</p><p>Here's one. In my opinion, it's one of the best songs ever! </p><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cXWHpbpNdHE" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cXWHpbpNdHE</a></p><p>So put on some music, sing along, and dance around. It'll feel good!</p><div style="border-image: none 100% / 1 / 0 stretch; color: #222222;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik_FIV33IdRqwEiTrcAEK2u8RkKXCKdCVAClVbfm9LuUaN1oC3FayEFByOS2dyra5MlwazWYp1eQKGZl5DnYPx-22rUK0lZ_b2L-FP2T4D9YS71z7Yu8Zpn3zNoGd9Kf9ppa7AWxfZm9GiWG1ruCMaCWsCcloWdorWNNEU_IPW-N2bk3rUMHiaf7Hmj2_C/s4032/IMG_4307.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik_FIV33IdRqwEiTrcAEK2u8RkKXCKdCVAClVbfm9LuUaN1oC3FayEFByOS2dyra5MlwazWYp1eQKGZl5DnYPx-22rUK0lZ_b2L-FP2T4D9YS71z7Yu8Zpn3zNoGd9Kf9ppa7AWxfZm9GiWG1ruCMaCWsCcloWdorWNNEU_IPW-N2bk3rUMHiaf7Hmj2_C/w400-h300/IMG_4307.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i style="color: #b01600; text-align: left;"><span style="color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: x-small; margin: 0px;">A</span><span face="" style="color: black; font-size: small; margin: 0px;">s always, words and photos are my own, and require permission to reprint.</span></i></div></div><div style="border-image: none 100% / 1 / 0 stretch; color: #222222;"><i style="color: black;"><div style="font-style: normal; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><span><i><span style="display: inline; float: none; font-family: times; font-size: small;"></span></i></span></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div style="font-style: normal; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><span><i><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small;"></span></i></span></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div style="font-style: normal; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><span><i><span style="display: inline; float: none; font-family: times; font-size: small;"></span></i></span></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-style: normal; text-align: center;"></div><div style="font-style: normal; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><span><i><span style="display: inline; float: none; font-family: times; font-size: small;"></span></i></span></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div style="font-style: normal; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><span><i><span style="color: #b01600; font-family: times; font-size: small; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"></span></i></span></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div style="font-style: normal; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><span><i><span style="display: inline; float: none; font-family: times; font-size: small;"></span></i></span></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-style: normal; text-align: center;"></div><div style="font-style: normal; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><span><i><span style="display: inline; float: none; font-family: times; font-size: small;"></span></i></span></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div style="font-style: normal; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><span><i><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"></span></i></span></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div style="font-style: normal; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><span><i><span style="display: inline; float: none; font-family: times; font-size: small;"></span></i></span></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-style: normal; text-align: center;"></div><div style="font-style: normal; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><span><i><span style="display: inline; float: none; font-family: times; font-size: small;"></span></i></span></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div style="font-style: normal; text-align: center;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="display: inline; float: none;"><span face="" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: #b01600; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: times; font-size: small;"><i>However, feel free to share the blog in it's entirety. In fact, I encourage it!</i></span></span></span></span></span></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div style="font-style: normal; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><span><i><span style="display: inline; float: none; font-family: times; font-size: small;"></span></i></span></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-style: normal; text-align: center;"></div><div style="font-style: normal; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><span><i><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"></span></i></span></div></div></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-style: normal; text-align: center;"></div><div style="font-style: normal; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><span><i><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"></span></i></span></div></div></div></div><div style="font-style: normal; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><span><i><span style="color: #b01600; font-family: times; font-size: small; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"></span></i></span></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div style="font-style: normal; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><span><i><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"></span></i></span></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-style: normal; text-align: center;"></div><div style="font-style: normal; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><span><i><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"></span></i></span></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-style: normal; text-align: center;"></div><div style="font-style: normal; margin: 0px;"><span><i><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"></span></i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-style: normal; text-align: center;"></div><div style="font-style: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: center;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #b01600; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small;"><i><span face="" style="color: black;">Interested in photo prints? Contact me!</span><span face="" style="color: black;"> maureenblevins@yahoo.com</span></i></span></span></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-style: normal; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-style: normal; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-style: normal; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-style: normal; text-align: center;"><span face="">See more photos at</span><span face=""> <a href="https://fineartamerica.com/art/photographs/mauverneen+blevins" target="_blank">http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/1-mauverneen-blevins.html<br /></a></span></div></i></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7975895715125837101.post-17642723398403464382024-02-13T09:58:00.000-06:002024-02-13T09:58:41.801-06:00Positively Mardi Gras<p> by Mauverneen</p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">As they say in New Orleans: </span><em style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">laissez les bon temps rouler! (Let the good times roll)</em></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiophuLxuxYioTgNGraNKR1_uWWH57k2dS3n50_gzb1IQOMmH_Xs9PJYXC-4EMj3Ke6Rfnu5Z41yKM4IMUrMwAVyr6AGfELCPm92vo8CX0fKxvx1ANu61ZORl2-cpYh7Skh9W13oAJxxHu5gzhidLp6wJPqkQD1npaodsd9_QYP8HqjeyXLprVQbJAie1bI/s4032/IMG_4888.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiophuLxuxYioTgNGraNKR1_uWWH57k2dS3n50_gzb1IQOMmH_Xs9PJYXC-4EMj3Ke6Rfnu5Z41yKM4IMUrMwAVyr6AGfELCPm92vo8CX0fKxvx1ANu61ZORl2-cpYh7Skh9W13oAJxxHu5gzhidLp6wJPqkQD1npaodsd9_QYP8HqjeyXLprVQbJAie1bI/w480-h640/IMG_4888.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Today is Fat Tuesday, or to make it sound better, Mardi Gras. </span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday, the start of 40 days to make up for today’s transgressions. </span></p><p style="border-image: none 100% / 1 / 0 stretch;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Mardi Gras, Fat Tuesday, Shrove Tuesday, Carnival. </span></span></p><p style="border-image: none 100% / 1 / 0 stretch;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Hurricanes, Paczki, Crawfish, King Cake. </span></span></p><p style="border-image: none 100% / 1 / 0 stretch;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span>Today we can eat, drink, and party, because tomorrow is Ash Wednesday, the day we are supposed to give it all up for 40 days - no more fun until Easter. </span><span><br /></span><span> <br /></span><span>Fasting has merit, even if you're not religious, and i</span><span>t never hurts to put aside over-indulgence. Give up smoking, drinking, swearing, or some bad habit and maybe, just maybe, by Easter Sunday we will have kicked at least one bad habit. </span></span></p><p style="border-image: none 100% / 1 / 0 stretch;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">No offense to the Paczki, but I sure wish I had a beignet right now! </span></p><p style="border-image: none 100% / 1 / 0 stretch;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjDer75fUihXGa32D-BhK9ruYSnoGGnNhHxgt-TgkeRucY-NjW-ZKOLSDX_sDa51DTLkNjo7if99xPdtrBHfRAG45ss-Z_xcn4aeA4aO-CNk7s7rbFGCCw5AhCpnb9zquwUC_sM7UJ9xsmS_MnS6V8eqFc6J6KR9U2u-zo0DJfMplarjfnBAUNQUTCgtw=s864" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="864" data-original-width="695" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjDer75fUihXGa32D-BhK9ruYSnoGGnNhHxgt-TgkeRucY-NjW-ZKOLSDX_sDa51DTLkNjo7if99xPdtrBHfRAG45ss-Z_xcn4aeA4aO-CNk7s7rbFGCCw5AhCpnb9zquwUC_sM7UJ9xsmS_MnS6V8eqFc6J6KR9U2u-zo0DJfMplarjfnBAUNQUTCgtw=w514-h640" width="514" /></a></div><p></p><br /><div style="background-color: white; border-image: none 100% / 1 / 0 stretch; color: #222222;"><div style="border-image: none 100% / 1 / 0 stretch;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i style="background-color: transparent; color: #b01600; text-align: left;"><span style="color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: x-small; margin: 0px;">A</span><span face="" style="color: black; font-size: small; margin: 0px;">s always, words and photos are my own, and require permission to reprint.</span></i></div></div><div style="border-image: none 100% / 1 / 0 stretch;"><i style="background-color: transparent; color: black;"><div style="font-style: normal; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><span><i><span style="display: inline; float: none; font-family: times; font-size: small;"></span></i></span></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div style="font-style: normal; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><span><i><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small;"></span></i></span></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div style="font-style: normal; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><span><i><span style="display: inline; float: none; font-family: times; font-size: small;"></span></i></span></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-style: normal; text-align: center;"></div><div style="font-style: normal; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><span><i><span style="display: inline; float: none; font-family: times; font-size: small;"></span></i></span></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div style="font-style: normal; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><span><i><span style="color: #b01600; font-family: times; font-size: small; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"></span></i></span></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div style="font-style: normal; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><span><i><span style="display: inline; float: none; font-family: times; font-size: small;"></span></i></span></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-style: normal; text-align: center;"></div><div style="font-style: normal; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><span><i><span style="display: inline; float: none; font-family: times; font-size: small;"></span></i></span></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div style="font-style: normal; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><span><i><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"></span></i></span></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div style="font-style: normal; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><span><i><span style="display: inline; float: none; font-family: times; font-size: small;"></span></i></span></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-style: normal; text-align: center;"></div><div style="font-style: normal; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><span><i><span style="display: inline; float: none; font-family: times; font-size: small;"></span></i></span></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div style="font-style: normal; text-align: center;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="display: inline; float: none;"><span face="" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: #b01600; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: times; font-size: small;"><i>However, feel free to share the blog in it's entirety. In fact, I encourage it!</i></span></span></span></span></span></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div style="font-style: normal; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><span><i><span style="display: inline; float: none; font-family: times; font-size: small;"></span></i></span></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-style: normal; text-align: center;"></div><div style="font-style: normal; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><span><i><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"></span></i></span></div></div></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-style: normal; text-align: center;"></div><div style="font-style: normal; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><span><i><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"></span></i></span></div></div></div></div><div style="font-style: normal; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><span><i><span style="color: #b01600; font-family: times; font-size: small; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"></span></i></span></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div style="font-style: normal; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><span><i><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"></span></i></span></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-style: normal; text-align: center;"></div><div style="font-style: normal; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><span><i><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"></span></i></span></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-style: normal; text-align: center;"></div><div style="font-style: normal; margin: 0px;"><span><i><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"></span></i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-style: normal; text-align: center;"></div><div style="font-style: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: center;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #b01600; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small;"><i><span face="" style="color: black;">Interested in photo prints? Contact me!</span><span face="" style="color: black;"> maureenblevins@yahoo.com</span></i></span></span></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-style: normal; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-style: normal; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-style: normal; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-style: normal; text-align: center;"><span face="">See more photos at</span><span face=""> <a href="https://fineartamerica.com/art/photographs/mauverneen+blevins" target="_blank">http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/1-mauverneen-blevins.html</a></span></div></i></div></div><br /><br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7975895715125837101.post-15809579774402513122024-02-06T09:48:00.000-06:002024-02-06T09:48:30.787-06:00Positively Courage<p> by Mauverneen</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFLqVGbanud_J16fWZtyhhPrNe6t9aXoFoFdTx8wPRFvyglRvr-yb-zxIziZXCKtEEuu1QCohRe3Mv1FkE7uTWer8x1J-hgxhqDH6qsSGC39IvC5FiZP932BY_P0z6YFZ7LphRa7s1mCDZh7utDkD28I4x1HeVhn1Pepv_-rmAUOvJ2hpdjU5-tNRzyhoc/s1400/wb_0440.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="990" data-original-width="1400" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFLqVGbanud_J16fWZtyhhPrNe6t9aXoFoFdTx8wPRFvyglRvr-yb-zxIziZXCKtEEuu1QCohRe3Mv1FkE7uTWer8x1J-hgxhqDH6qsSGC39IvC5FiZP932BY_P0z6YFZ7LphRa7s1mCDZh7utDkD28I4x1HeVhn1Pepv_-rmAUOvJ2hpdjU5-tNRzyhoc/w400-h283/wb_0440.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div></div><p></p><p>I've been thinking about the word courage lately. I think most of us associate it with some great act of heroism. It takes courage to run into a burning building to save someone, it takes courage to jump into a body of water to save someone from drowning. There are great acts of courage in war. But sometimes, courage isn't noticed nor is it even recognized. </p><p>I once saw a woman in a wheelchair (non-motorized) wheeling herself down the sidewalk and across a busy street. I watched in awe thinking to myself 'Now THAT'S courage.' THAT picture should be on a poster of what courage is'. </p><p>Courage can mean speaking up, it can be standing up for what you believe in, it can mean speaking out on someone's behalf. It can mean doing the right thing, or taking that first step.</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSJklXv_juDS095ZJg-zerpdMT7WuDSnebubtPUQAQhmstc_jhQGs-6p7mmXhTTNFfYRMWMOidTJQ6x60XLa5Lm-AYqnJtO6Z4D6hXHggbSHTNyfJ4E5FRKvH6WmLkj14EGelEP1y1QPDGdOuke5UPRKq2XN8Mz-AtedVcORIHfMZqnUVNWGsCekjhRkuN/s1008/wb_0910.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="734" data-original-width="1008" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSJklXv_juDS095ZJg-zerpdMT7WuDSnebubtPUQAQhmstc_jhQGs-6p7mmXhTTNFfYRMWMOidTJQ6x60XLa5Lm-AYqnJtO6Z4D6hXHggbSHTNyfJ4E5FRKvH6WmLkj14EGelEP1y1QPDGdOuke5UPRKq2XN8Mz-AtedVcORIHfMZqnUVNWGsCekjhRkuN/w400-h291/wb_0910.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p style="text-align: left;"></p></blockquote><p>And sometimes courage is even simpler than that. Sometimes it takes courage to get through the day. Sometimes it takes courage to just get out of bed. Sometimes, it takes all we've got to come face to face with - life.</p><p>Have courage my friends, have courage. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEievr0wW7HanTIs8XQ8TR3OQCkfhDoVWJ4Jmphb2HqIuJ4Yh0vrRelB4YGHZd5gcR8ooH0fJHlL9lE2TZ0X27aGfeYUqk_-wnAh-_rHf7a0iVw7lPNmfRP0rPn402bbsLktVSpEuwlbhq2t0Mdn6FolV7c8pPiQQIgJ757LRkgHBjLcL7y5HgjE100jmS6q/s1008/wb_2326.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="672" data-original-width="1008" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEievr0wW7HanTIs8XQ8TR3OQCkfhDoVWJ4Jmphb2HqIuJ4Yh0vrRelB4YGHZd5gcR8ooH0fJHlL9lE2TZ0X27aGfeYUqk_-wnAh-_rHf7a0iVw7lPNmfRP0rPn402bbsLktVSpEuwlbhq2t0Mdn6FolV7c8pPiQQIgJ757LRkgHBjLcL7y5HgjE100jmS6q/w400-h266/wb_2326.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>As always, words and photos are my own, and require permission to reprint. However, feel free to share the blog in it's entirety. In fact, I encourage it! Interested in photo prints? Contact me! maureenblevins@yahoo.com See more photos at </i></div><p><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: justify;"></span></p><div style="text-align: center;"><i>http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/1-mauverneen-blevins.html</i></div><p></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7975895715125837101.post-82664958554613314772024-01-30T08:42:00.001-06:002024-01-30T08:42:37.095-06:00POSITIVELY TUESDAY<p> by Mauverneen</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXb13daip6fzVYEjcUuO37AhtyjLzYhf54Z8DSNCF3VsKM07ukFsKqy7NBAqCbkRXKd4dxRqPdjyEKGDgO0ySIudn19EiCC5X_UZuU716wJhLF1d-gDcFI6AQoHYiJBeBxW5KT8laP4ul8PtZarj_mMkRVMSUsJNVN6RKc5coLouQwUMPOBTdL7gSGos-B/s4032/IMG_4784.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXb13daip6fzVYEjcUuO37AhtyjLzYhf54Z8DSNCF3VsKM07ukFsKqy7NBAqCbkRXKd4dxRqPdjyEKGDgO0ySIudn19EiCC5X_UZuU716wJhLF1d-gDcFI6AQoHYiJBeBxW5KT8laP4ul8PtZarj_mMkRVMSUsJNVN6RKc5coLouQwUMPOBTdL7gSGos-B/w300-h400/IMG_4784.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><p>Good morning Positive Thinkers!</p><p>I'm reminding us all (myself included) why I started this blog. We need to stay Positive! I picked Tuesday because it's generally a slow day and most of us are picking ourselves up from Monday and gaining momentum to get through to the weekend.</p><p>If we can be positive for just one day a week... No complaining today. No putting anybody down - including ourselves. Find something good to share. Turn off the news if you have to, but try to be positive for a whole day. If we can accomplish that, hopefully that attitude will carry through to another day, and another.</p><p>It's very gray and dismal looking outside right now, but I won't dwell on it, or even complain about it. After all it's POSITIVELY Tuesday. So is there anything nice about this gloomy day? Well, it's not snowing and the days <i>are</i> getting longer and it's good weather for taking some moody photos if you're into that. And if none of the above apply, remember what we were told as kids "If you can't say anything nice..."</p><p>I'll leave it there. </p><p>Have a POSITIVELY wonderful TUESDAY!</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ6MwByLWZil_JaXt5G8HqpmqXp6U-lirm7_ZJ1Tv0hg7sQcgBRQUruzAACUmLMa5R6AxiRfEQ5SYU8TgnIPv6e2ETCD6504UXXrwFSpNUsrtotn6ZT0Ta2uJ8erF-rpQeqY3UA7N-yGyG5_F21PoyNDsQZsoCQ69G9u7sIsyYLrDXUPGvpYK4_UaKURyV/s4032/IMG_4862.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ6MwByLWZil_JaXt5G8HqpmqXp6U-lirm7_ZJ1Tv0hg7sQcgBRQUruzAACUmLMa5R6AxiRfEQ5SYU8TgnIPv6e2ETCD6504UXXrwFSpNUsrtotn6ZT0Ta2uJ8erF-rpQeqY3UA7N-yGyG5_F21PoyNDsQZsoCQ69G9u7sIsyYLrDXUPGvpYK4_UaKURyV/w480-h640/IMG_4862.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I drove over to the local greenhouse for a bit of color. It was Positively refreshing!</td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: center;"><i>As always, words and photos are my own, and require permission to reprint. However, feel free to share the blog in it's entirety. In fact, I encourage it! Interested in photo prints? Contact me! maureenblevins@yahoo.com See more photos at </i></p><p><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: justify;"></span></p><div style="text-align: center;"><i>http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/1-mauverneen-blevins.html</i></div><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7975895715125837101.post-89203709995499955172024-01-16T09:57:00.000-06:002024-01-16T09:57:22.786-06:00Positively Another One<p> by Mauverneen</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTq-cJh5mkQbo0xvJeqT-TZKvf0SkWU5OaKgGTbEFMhdYYfsKW443SAaegZk35-sVx2zjwPXq23SDrH5nLYE4JlmwFfe1aDDWnQVaz1RAEAUmLKBG5wSKfey-XTOreE1EMmKBrAM6M06obB-vw9CFPGA0IPCOo784ci-yxhhv9nw92kMIaxymwMsqUhfXa/s4032/IMG_4815.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTq-cJh5mkQbo0xvJeqT-TZKvf0SkWU5OaKgGTbEFMhdYYfsKW443SAaegZk35-sVx2zjwPXq23SDrH5nLYE4JlmwFfe1aDDWnQVaz1RAEAUmLKBG5wSKfey-XTOreE1EMmKBrAM6M06obB-vw9CFPGA0IPCOo784ci-yxhhv9nw92kMIaxymwMsqUhfXa/w400-h300/IMG_4815.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Yep - a birthday. Mine!<p></p><p>Unlike some people, I don't mind my birthday. Sometimes I'm a little taken aback by what number is actually is, but I can't dwell on that. And it's certainly better than the alternative. </p><p>It was a good day - other than the fact that I was chasing birds around the house for an hour. </p><p>I was gifted with a parakeet for Christmas and, well, the cage was big and I figured he needed a buddy, so I got another one. </p><p>In anticipation of company that evening, I cleaned the cage so it would look presentable. First one escaped and then the other! I chased them from one end of the house to the other, putting out candles and shutting the lid on the toilet lest one of them should have a mishap when landing! They might have returned to their cage on their own eventually, but I didn't have that kind of time. I was near tears, feeling sure they would hit a wall or a door and kill themselves. I finally cornered one, grabbed him by the tail, intending to get hold of him but before I could do that he pulled away, leaving me with two tail feathers! I did eventually coax him onto a mirror and walked him back to his cage. I ended up dropping a light weight dish towel on the other one, thereby ending his little escapade. </p><p>They're both chirping away as I sit here, none the worse for their adventure. </p><p>And the rest of my birthday? Excellent! Good dinner, good cake, and good company. </p><p>No, I don't mind birthdays at all!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhji7UXqMqFat8UpMiVAoevatSN0I1puvSql7zHidI6Ra2YoVN4q8iEr27S0Zt8jll4cGXFb66WbhGw1ja3HXRpLzW8MPnaqzVlqeRDMWGFnEVy5kcNI0s88WFsR3WPe5WjMWtJywRJkT9YIMJbBaFma3WNeFO3M14QlC0DYw89y2P1-lTdvalR8JdHuyYE/s4032/IMG_4762.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhji7UXqMqFat8UpMiVAoevatSN0I1puvSql7zHidI6Ra2YoVN4q8iEr27S0Zt8jll4cGXFb66WbhGw1ja3HXRpLzW8MPnaqzVlqeRDMWGFnEVy5kcNI0s88WFsR3WPe5WjMWtJywRJkT9YIMJbBaFma3WNeFO3M14QlC0DYw89y2P1-lTdvalR8JdHuyYE/w300-h400/IMG_4762.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><p><i>As always, words and photos are my own, and require permission to reprint. However, feel free to share the blog in it's entirety. In fact, I encourage it! Interested in photo prints? Contact me! maureenblevins@yahoo.com See more photos at </i></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: justify;"></span></p><div><i>http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/1-mauverneen-blevins.html</i></div></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><br /><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7975895715125837101.post-21567068672907729052024-01-02T10:07:00.001-06:002024-01-02T10:07:24.278-06:00Positively A Positive New Year<p>by Mauverneen</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIFRQb9eVLTdi9646S5KZOt405vNUvc_LMSjyfLzYYEbzEgUiyZZAYGfl8dsK5VDDY-Ca_zv8gsPCLDwcHgbNPTAX-gTnCR3fEeEYvAFKgI1zi7sdqJRuKUFTXmRuYro9tq3RRHbmSn4y0pwZa32GSjdSqkw6hrPwUJ3beoP-HRYCXis4qMMVeSqcMSFGX/s5044/DSC_0652%20crp.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2645" data-original-width="5044" height="336" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIFRQb9eVLTdi9646S5KZOt405vNUvc_LMSjyfLzYYEbzEgUiyZZAYGfl8dsK5VDDY-Ca_zv8gsPCLDwcHgbNPTAX-gTnCR3fEeEYvAFKgI1zi7sdqJRuKUFTXmRuYro9tq3RRHbmSn4y0pwZa32GSjdSqkw6hrPwUJ3beoP-HRYCXis4qMMVeSqcMSFGX/w640-h336/DSC_0652%20crp.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: times;">Happy New Year everybody – and may we all stick to our resolutions - for a couple of weeks at least. </span></span><span style="font-family: times;">I was looking over some previous New Year posts. It's funny how some things never change, and some do. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: times;">One theme that seems to run through my January blogs is travel. Or rather, planning travel. But then, it seems I'm always doing that.</span></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13.2px;"><i>January is sort of a lost month. The holidays are over, the job of taking the decorations down is usually accomplished right after New Years Day, if not before, and then there are a few days of relaxing, putting your feet up and maybe watching a little tv. Or falling asleep on the couch. Life is good, life is calm. Everything is back to normal. And then - what? There's not another holiday until February (Valentine's Day and Mardi Gras) and sometimes it's a little boring with nothing to do. </i></span><i><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13.2px;">Might I suggest you start planning a vacation to ease the boredom or the cabin fever.</span><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13.2px;"> Can't get away now? </span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal;">Do something local - some live entertainment, visit a museum. </span><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13.2px;">Plan a trip for further 'down the road'. Road trip? Summer vacation with the kids? A getaway without crowds, or maybe that once-in-a-lifetime bucket list trip you've dreamed about forever. Just plan it. Now, while you're not distracted, while you've got some time on your hands.</span></i></p></blockquote><p><i><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13.2px;">Even if you never take the trip you might learn something new, and it's always fun to dream. And sometimes, our dreams may be all we have to get us through.</span></i></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13.2px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 16px; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal;"> </span></span><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13.2px;"><i>One tradition I've only recently heard of is taking your empty suitcase for a walk around the block to bring you a year filled with travel. I may give this one a try as I toast the New Year. </i></span></p></blockquote><p><i><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: justify;">One resolution that I AM putting on my list is to take a fantastic trip this year. I don’t want to wait two years to the next one. I know how selfish that sounds, but travel is oh so addicting! </span><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: justify;">I want to get to Yellowstone and</span><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: justify;"> </span><st1:place style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: justify;" w:st="on">Yosemite</st1:place><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: justify;"> </span><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: justify;">one of these days. If I can take one foreign trip and one domestic each year, life would positively be a dream.</span></i></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: times; text-align: justify;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: times; text-align: justify;">We put those dreams out there, and sometimes it takes a little time to realize them, but they can come true! </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times;">I finally got to Yellowstone in 2023 and it was amazing! And this year - I have actual plans for those two trips - one foreign and one domestic!</span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times;">I hope your dreams come true! May you have a prosperous, dream-fulfilling, happy, New Year!</span></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipgPkWfh3w6wVz-08eHzukHSQ34UPfR3vgGDlAnkGvLxUObr-X3pW1ccCoLqPT6Yg9QWevAApZprA40MIl60V-zY1iYRdm8pqJjfcY1i71z5a9nOP56qhvGBy2jIIWxYwk9Ft-57GssuwUY9SaIolNcGRZoaPNGmYBd-0IyI03enSDBj0QLSpJG9wy2W7E/s864/IMG_3692.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="864" data-original-width="648" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipgPkWfh3w6wVz-08eHzukHSQ34UPfR3vgGDlAnkGvLxUObr-X3pW1ccCoLqPT6Yg9QWevAApZprA40MIl60V-zY1iYRdm8pqJjfcY1i71z5a9nOP56qhvGBy2jIIWxYwk9Ft-57GssuwUY9SaIolNcGRZoaPNGmYBd-0IyI03enSDBj0QLSpJG9wy2W7E/w300-h400/IMG_3692.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>As always, words and photos are my own, and require permission to reprint. However, feel free to share the blog in it's entirety. In fact, I encourage it! Interested in photo prints? Contact me! maureenblevins@yahoo.com See more photos at </i></p><p><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: justify;"></span></p><div style="text-align: center;"><i>http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/1-mauverneen-blevins.html</i></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7975895715125837101.post-46748533193073177662023-12-19T09:52:00.000-06:002023-12-19T09:52:19.032-06:00Positively Christmas<p> by Mauverneen</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVKWgOi-vOsxlKdei8J6lZeX2j5gskQCaJietdKD-cBeCM_bNtdrsAZ9Q_rEwiCdbW7b3ePbL-KaLmoi84CfFVru8utuXwRyErNujTcQ_D-fZWj8kxyb56kD3z_qYhxz3xthDXaI4g0uBTLxe5L7v8Q86uYnHfgcuNnTzjLky74YrCRlxE-wFhc4bkNYAb/s4032/IMG_4684.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVKWgOi-vOsxlKdei8J6lZeX2j5gskQCaJietdKD-cBeCM_bNtdrsAZ9Q_rEwiCdbW7b3ePbL-KaLmoi84CfFVru8utuXwRyErNujTcQ_D-fZWj8kxyb56kD3z_qYhxz3xthDXaI4g0uBTLxe5L7v8Q86uYnHfgcuNnTzjLky74YrCRlxE-wFhc4bkNYAb/w640-h480/IMG_4684.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p>I was planning on sending out Christmas cards, but when I looked at my calendar I realized it's next week! Too late to send cards, so I am taking this opportunity to wish each and every one of you a Happy Holiday season! Whatever holiday you celebrate, I hope it's spent in peace, comfort, and the company of loved ones. </p><p>Holidays are a time for family. Some families get larger as babies and in-laws get added. And some, like mine, get smaller, as the older generation slips away, one by one. Things are different. Thankfully I've never been one to dwell on the past, and certainly not on loss. I'm grateful that I got to have the people in my past that I did. And although I sincerely miss each and every one of them, I have lots of good memories to remember them by. And that helps. Part of my wish for you is that you remember the good times, and may we all continue to make new memories - good memories. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoDo3PkQsubgYh7bNjaA5ldrgyVLXZ8FZCxrM5pDlMbP8g821feLu1fTa6VGvttu3xPxpev2JVj1wOEclR8IEZbXyLR45kqP8SVVGzq35A_EyhxGpPXioLXRxEvPkHvLAaNUHgfi6O5sRtkqhgy1MrSsmNA-7GrVyzE6rIimyT8odK25YN_tuvyqfbxdpn/s4032/IMG_4681.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoDo3PkQsubgYh7bNjaA5ldrgyVLXZ8FZCxrM5pDlMbP8g821feLu1fTa6VGvttu3xPxpev2JVj1wOEclR8IEZbXyLR45kqP8SVVGzq35A_EyhxGpPXioLXRxEvPkHvLAaNUHgfi6O5sRtkqhgy1MrSsmNA-7GrVyzE6rIimyT8odK25YN_tuvyqfbxdpn/w640-h480/IMG_4681.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>By the way, I did the same with my shopping; thinking I had weeks to go. Not so! But the cookies are baked, out of town gifts sent, and shopping accomplished - mostly. Now to figure out a Christmas dessert, and what to wear to dinner.</p><p>MERRY CHRISTMAS! </p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>As always, words and photos are my own, and require permission to reprint. However, feel free to share the blog in it's entirety. In fact, I encourage it! Interested in photo prints? Contact me! maureenblevins@yahoo.com See more photos at </i></p><div style="text-align: center;"><i>http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/1-mauverneen-blevins.html</i></div><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7975895715125837101.post-85409049882106795892023-11-21T08:30:00.000-06:002023-11-21T08:30:25.762-06:00Positively ... Positive<p> by Mauverneen</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2r7WDSaLzK3KnOCuByDGJ9PotdRtAOH___PsYSraC861uqUQHKjwExworz9XmZDiUtIXFVnbXlHHaRaDHnWSTX6MXDhZ37TabyNoQoeXOYK7pkT-8FhN2jBFK5fEHsnXo7U_SvKtybPNLgLGqVKWavgmARIzGCI8imGy59UtNLjgOSNte8X1oQYwkcXy6/s4032/IMG_4660.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2r7WDSaLzK3KnOCuByDGJ9PotdRtAOH___PsYSraC861uqUQHKjwExworz9XmZDiUtIXFVnbXlHHaRaDHnWSTX6MXDhZ37TabyNoQoeXOYK7pkT-8FhN2jBFK5fEHsnXo7U_SvKtybPNLgLGqVKWavgmARIzGCI8imGy59UtNLjgOSNte8X1oQYwkcXy6/w640-h480/IMG_4660.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>I wake to a morning that's cloudy and grey</p><p>but I guess I'll get dressed anyway.</p><p>The sun may shine and the birds might sing</p><p>so I need to be ready for anything!</p><p>And if it rains and if it pours</p><p>there's plenty for me to do indoors.</p><p>I'll draw or paint or bake a cake</p><p>sometimes our own sunshine we have to make.</p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>As always, words and photos are my own, and require permission to reprint. However, feel free to share the blog in it's entirety. In fact, I encourage it! Interested in photo prints? Contact me! maureenblevins@yahoo.com See more photos at </i></p><div style="text-align: center;"><i>http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/1-mauverneen-blevins.html</i></div><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7975895715125837101.post-42393568115439097102023-11-14T08:20:00.000-06:002023-11-14T08:20:42.839-06:00Positively Metaphorically<p> by Mauverneen</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkCYaIQezgnZ6doYmlXKWEwWLr9O2gAuw1I6id4axTw4RTblE7UdfXV0nVATnMoxLWVrfClfSC9Us-xFRfQBSohpEzFH2pOVTx0CE1OmRNTVuEhcpNRLEBByhJx9m-IIY_5hqa0sxvAGkpwOYBmLBXOZdbABI1kOAFuSGZR4v2HpuIcn5zop12l9-O0Mz5/s4032/IMG_4650.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkCYaIQezgnZ6doYmlXKWEwWLr9O2gAuw1I6id4axTw4RTblE7UdfXV0nVATnMoxLWVrfClfSC9Us-xFRfQBSohpEzFH2pOVTx0CE1OmRNTVuEhcpNRLEBByhJx9m-IIY_5hqa0sxvAGkpwOYBmLBXOZdbABI1kOAFuSGZR4v2HpuIcn5zop12l9-O0Mz5/w400-h300/IMG_4650.JPG" width="400" /></a><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Every morning, like most people, the first thing I do is make a pot of coffee. I still prefer multiple cups rather than the one cup wonders. My coffee maker uses these little paper filters. One morning it struck me how much those filters reminded me of life. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">When they're new, they're all perfectly shaped, standing tall, stacked together for support. As one by one they're taken out, the rest begin to sag and spread. From tall and perky to saggy and wrinkled. And as always, a new pack, a new generation, eventually will take its place. And it struck me how like life that is. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">When we're young, we're bright and shiny, we have all our friends and family for support. As we go through life that support we have relied on begins to disappear, one by one, leaving us to wilt like that stack of remaining coffee filters. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: left;">The thing is, even the last one still has value, still has purpose, still does the job. A good thing to remember - </span>no matter where in the stack we are.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlIL_TxztlpqkjHnlOojIpncyJpl-5WIHinF4ycywt4HZmYOYZuPTBlOybNs6QOUPwvDyxZH-II3DEie6sU0XgE0DtF4nrpexmXFTy2oFu5ElinRuXQX7cgZ1DQq1D_B1gpRgNR_PLcjisVW8Fqe_bz63viSopg4c1bqDrmVi34lNScRzGInh9MQKzzwPJ/s4032/IMG_4648.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlIL_TxztlpqkjHnlOojIpncyJpl-5WIHinF4ycywt4HZmYOYZuPTBlOybNs6QOUPwvDyxZH-II3DEie6sU0XgE0DtF4nrpexmXFTy2oFu5ElinRuXQX7cgZ1DQq1D_B1gpRgNR_PLcjisVW8Fqe_bz63viSopg4c1bqDrmVi34lNScRzGInh9MQKzzwPJ/w400-h300/IMG_4648.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Coffee filters - a metaphor for life. Who'd have thought?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><i>As always, words and photos are my own, and require permission to reprint. However, feel free to share the blog in it's entirety. In fact, I encourage it! Interested in photo prints? Contact me! maureenblevins@yahoo.com See more photos at </i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/1-mauverneen-blevins.html</i></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div></div><br /><p> </p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7975895715125837101.post-22814380759455730752023-11-07T09:58:00.000-06:002023-11-07T09:58:00.540-06:00Positively Learning<p> by Mauverneen </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGW2pj1amyIzokEICiyD5pagIb51X0JFU37BdyVHfm4o-kLabywCYF2dRE65vpUK3OaVzNjEaD148rgDo1urytkFnWCktcufRYmliDgF_EXZyKjTXq-Fu6q74YHVYRC_8dajYnzy9oaUlNv6DRHWjMXwFoqDbEJoo0obo8GL6_At3sbfF4AgmYS0xQmQKn/s800/IMG_1644.heic" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="800" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGW2pj1amyIzokEICiyD5pagIb51X0JFU37BdyVHfm4o-kLabywCYF2dRE65vpUK3OaVzNjEaD148rgDo1urytkFnWCktcufRYmliDgF_EXZyKjTXq-Fu6q74YHVYRC_8dajYnzy9oaUlNv6DRHWjMXwFoqDbEJoo0obo8GL6_At3sbfF4AgmYS0xQmQKn/w400-h225/IMG_1644.heic" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Learning to fly fish</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>I like learning new things, trying new experiences, new food... </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6Rkc2C8_O5md0NqFwToPPeavV49lDqFR2P8Xix9Nh_ZX8ZB60JwXjPgYzN8yLLZmmplQH1VY79AyzBjDK8TWyb5ryy-U1LRJRsldium0QZ-COOb2n2BNMxHg0-AsVdyzFQ3qd9dB9q_pK44wz84nC7O4qDznk9WcqVdMKFGIt7Wv_bFL4fhZR3txmX_MJ/s1252/IMG_4604.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="939" data-original-width="1252" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6Rkc2C8_O5md0NqFwToPPeavV49lDqFR2P8Xix9Nh_ZX8ZB60JwXjPgYzN8yLLZmmplQH1VY79AyzBjDK8TWyb5ryy-U1LRJRsldium0QZ-COOb2n2BNMxHg0-AsVdyzFQ3qd9dB9q_pK44wz84nC7O4qDznk9WcqVdMKFGIt7Wv_bFL4fhZR3txmX_MJ/w400-h300/IMG_4604.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A baked brie - look how they've sliced the apple! So pretty.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Learning, in general, keeps our minds active, like reading, or working puzzles. It exercises that mass up inside our heads. </p><p>I tried fly fishing a couple of weeks ago, on a visit to Utah to see my oldest daughter. I just wanted to try it. And I thoroughly enjoyed it. I hope I can do it again some time. </p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCUh16nq8WX8U8pX0DWDU8yY4Yrwzw9OjDy2RyoNfgjPWB1a3w-L_6DxnrHiz9-zIqQcdl1eqJ2y4xtIYgog1Mmwa-kBR0Ez2aA-1pioCB-bVoCNfiIjH27UkCf8UbRpH8Gr2PBmNcHgRXM8pO7clKuDvqpKumw8qfB6Kb5Z9mdn-MR9Te5Ujo-yZAAs3-/s640/IMG_1666.heic" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCUh16nq8WX8U8pX0DWDU8yY4Yrwzw9OjDy2RyoNfgjPWB1a3w-L_6DxnrHiz9-zIqQcdl1eqJ2y4xtIYgog1Mmwa-kBR0Ez2aA-1pioCB-bVoCNfiIjH27UkCf8UbRpH8Gr2PBmNcHgRXM8pO7clKuDvqpKumw8qfB6Kb5Z9mdn-MR9Te5Ujo-yZAAs3-/w300-h400/IMG_1666.heic" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My daughter and myself in the Provo River</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>I'm also learning a new language. Czech. Why Czech? Well, next year I am going on a trip to Prague, so I thought I'd try to learn a little of the language. I know in the city most people will speak English, and I probably won't get out of the city to find out if I would really need to know the language, but it's something I want to do. Even knowing how to say 'please' and 'thank you' in the native language is usually welcomed. So, every day I go through my flash cards and review the words I've learned - I'm surprised how well this works! - and learn new ones. Some words stick in my head for whatever reason, and others, well, they just don't want to play nice and will elude me forever. <div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi39sfHG6aBhXSH5pA9W6-Pst5CiJCbkGLIsQYaB8lIZRAJRTcrbrJWuyE3kiUieAKq6jEfYnGtSiU-9SoG2KWWXSdIKpvJ7Q2s2SyWtjbw6cu0Fzzmss6XtTWo3uBOQXaD7C0ONh8mIY-X2O6_3CK1boSc7uy68OCEzQ0cKkQI2sFpf5trE8aYGbe1_LJF/s864/IMG_4637%20wb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="648" data-original-width="864" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi39sfHG6aBhXSH5pA9W6-Pst5CiJCbkGLIsQYaB8lIZRAJRTcrbrJWuyE3kiUieAKq6jEfYnGtSiU-9SoG2KWWXSdIKpvJ7Q2s2SyWtjbw6cu0Fzzmss6XtTWo3uBOQXaD7C0ONh8mIY-X2O6_3CK1boSc7uy68OCEzQ0cKkQI2sFpf5trE8aYGbe1_LJF/w400-h300/IMG_4637%20wb.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div><div><p></p><p>I'm already planning on learning another language next year, after my trip. I'm going to learn Spanish. I've been wanting to for some time. I may never be fluent in any of these, but I'll know a few basics, and maybe a bit more than that. In any case, it'll keep my mind active. Now I have to find ways to keep my body active. I'd sure like these joints of mine to be as limber as my brain! That seems to be a lot harder.</p><div style="text-align: center;"><i>As always, words and photos are my own, and require permission to reprint. However, feel free to share the blog in it's entirety. In fact, I encourage it! Interested in photo prints? Contact me! maureenblevins@yahoo.com See more photos at </i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/1-mauverneen-blevins.html</i></div><p><br /></p><p><br /></p></div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7975895715125837101.post-37737032729191075942023-10-10T08:38:00.000-05:002023-10-10T08:38:09.395-05:00Positively A Hoot!<p> by Mauverneen</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsUeeJNJMQnENV2DvazsaXFBUo99htZK2wKGC8PetfaqB0pgxWmnefIpIISe9_7-MyoxGkfoG94aK0OV9HfMqrBObpH2PqaJxYT4Hf3QuEqY2fFBSLxnaWg12Lblqjjue78xTfu4nMa4AhEk2lYs3Gmpkj0xsgPJ8Kq1nYZwRbifdwaKMuaIVlOHeuAVP3/s4032/IMG_4512.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsUeeJNJMQnENV2DvazsaXFBUo99htZK2wKGC8PetfaqB0pgxWmnefIpIISe9_7-MyoxGkfoG94aK0OV9HfMqrBObpH2PqaJxYT4Hf3QuEqY2fFBSLxnaWg12Lblqjjue78xTfu4nMa4AhEk2lYs3Gmpkj0xsgPJ8Kq1nYZwRbifdwaKMuaIVlOHeuAVP3/w300-h400/IMG_4512.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>The local Wild Birds Unlimited store had an event on Saturday that I positively had to go to. Owls. They had owls. Two beauties - a Great Horned Owl and a Barred Owl. <p></p><p>What gorgeous creatures, so calm and serene. I just wanted to pet them because they looked so soft. But one look at those beaks and I wouldn't dare try! On the information table there were a couple of 'wings'. They were as soft as I imagined. Too bad I can't have one for a pet. </p><p>I have only ever seen a live owl in the wild once. Last year in fact, while on vacation in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. It was outside my bedroom window one afternoon. I was hypnotized! </p><p>If you ever see an owl out in the wild - consider yourself lucky!</p><p>The owls were provided by Wings and Talons, an organization that provides and cares for raptors in their care, and those in the wild through education and conservation.</p><div style="text-align: center;"><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOmWGl6hHm-GIHGqIdivI7eNRKJH66DsD03ejCXL0z8fOZ726pj1jWJrDUYmHwvK4HR_GpIiS0q3OUMpTLEJMuU5-VMqRLKmtAeoDtNw7JZi13dAfrMvCe9QUGIWvcAsDf6zPfftvtUJZsFfH7qhyHb1bKAns2A02OiG1PQ0rFNM-XipnszknoF_WmXgep/s4032/IMG_4518.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOmWGl6hHm-GIHGqIdivI7eNRKJH66DsD03ejCXL0z8fOZ726pj1jWJrDUYmHwvK4HR_GpIiS0q3OUMpTLEJMuU5-VMqRLKmtAeoDtNw7JZi13dAfrMvCe9QUGIWvcAsDf6zPfftvtUJZsFfH7qhyHb1bKAns2A02OiG1PQ0rFNM-XipnszknoF_WmXgep/w300-h400/IMG_4518.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfPtXedg0K7qlWJ3uJbyJqVye4t92djSHyed3JfKtyu3N23yn9JG9oX5VvLPPy8HyiWEQ0HjENNhSXqWllEVrCnoglWH6oUcJlxnCNV3KJJVEfTEKuywozHcCpPs9QaZ31IbHpQpou-fZOOlZewUtPZOZk-QfEKORQAa10LAkwCFqIByHzZ1xpMc-NHlA9/s4132/Owl_0648.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="4132" height="388" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfPtXedg0K7qlWJ3uJbyJqVye4t92djSHyed3JfKtyu3N23yn9JG9oX5VvLPPy8HyiWEQ0HjENNhSXqWllEVrCnoglWH6oUcJlxnCNV3KJJVEfTEKuywozHcCpPs9QaZ31IbHpQpou-fZOOlZewUtPZOZk-QfEKORQAa10LAkwCFqIByHzZ1xpMc-NHlA9/w400-h388/Owl_0648.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>As always, words and photos are my own, and require permission to reprint. However, feel free to share the blog in it's entirety. In fact, I encourage it! Interested in photo prints? Contact me! maureenblevins@yahoo.com See more photos at </i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/1-mauverneen-blevins.html<br /><br /></i></div><p><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-size: 18px; text-align: center;"><br /></span></p><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7975895715125837101.post-81062340943716324292023-10-03T08:16:00.003-05:002023-10-03T08:16:29.462-05:00Positively Testing<p> by Mauverneen</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTlJCPPnwYdtuJArQDLIICie7fJEQJLuMUwruAQbuRGfnhsmTXPBNiOwMw54HMqCQPu7duff_6djybQhkrmSAyLZf8OvB1AoNmfWoYmLrjXpteZASobxa2UdKfjgGeByW91daJ48nKCGJFImKUXr6s-MlFQNUtvOz4mLZuGhmwv-NaQfiuSZEL-zaJ0kmp/s220/EBS_Test_Screen.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="165" data-original-width="220" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTlJCPPnwYdtuJArQDLIICie7fJEQJLuMUwruAQbuRGfnhsmTXPBNiOwMw54HMqCQPu7duff_6djybQhkrmSAyLZf8OvB1AoNmfWoYmLrjXpteZASobxa2UdKfjgGeByW91daJ48nKCGJFImKUXr6s-MlFQNUtvOz4mLZuGhmwv-NaQfiuSZEL-zaJ0kmp/w320-h240/EBS_Test_Screen.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>I guess you might call this a public service announcement - with a bit of history.</p><p>On Wednesday, October 4, 2023 a test is planned of the nation’s Emergency Alert system, to ensure everything is working correctly in the event of a national disaster or an attack. Every cellphone, TV and radio in the US should blare out the jarring electronic warning of an emergency alert, accompanied by a notice something like: “This is a nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System, issued by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, covering the United States from 14:20 to 14:50 hours ET. This is only a test. No action is required by the public.” On cellphones, it will come as a short text message: “THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is needed.” Phones on which the main menu is set to Spanish will see the message in Spanish. </p><p>The message will go out at the same moment across every time zone in the U.S (12:20 p.m.Central time). It will go out only once, and will last about a minute. Should there be “widespread severe weather or other significant events,” it could be postponed to the backup testing date of Oct. 11.</p><p>The first national emergency broadcasting system in the U.S. was created in 1951 under President Harry S. Truman. CONELRAD (Control of Electromagnetic Radiation) was intended to allow continuous broadcast of civil defense information using radio stations to warn the nation in the event of war, threat of war, enemy attack or other grave national crisis.</p><p> CONELRAD was replaced by the Emergency Broadcast System (EBS) in August 1963, and was later replaced by the Emergency Alert System (EAS) in 1997.</p><p> The first nationwide test of the EAS took place November 9, 2011. That check revealed problems that could have meant not everyone would hear the alert in the event of a real emergency. The system was subsequently improved and strengthened. </p><p>The upcoming test on Oct. 4 will be the 7th nationwide test sent to radios and televisions, the 3rd to consumer cellphones and the second to all cellular devices. </p><p>Although the system was never used for a national emergency, it has been activated more than 20,000 times between 1976 and 1996 to broadcast civil emergency messages and warnings of severe weather hazards.</p><p>Mistaken messages have occasionally been sent out that triggered false alarms at local levels, especially in the 1950s when the system was new. The most recent false alarm was in 2018 when the Hawaii Management Agency system sent an alert warning of a ballistic missile threat. It took 38 minutes to clarify that during a shift change, someone had selected the wrong item on a computer.</p><div style="text-align: center;"><i>As always, the words are my own, and require permission to reprint. However, feel free to share the blog in it's entirety. In fact, I encourage it! Interested in photo prints? Contact me! maureenblevins@yahoo.com See more photos at </i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/1-mauverneen-blevins.html</i></div><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7975895715125837101.post-2733909127224007482023-09-26T10:42:00.000-05:002023-09-26T10:42:05.369-05:00Positively WET!<p> by Mauverneen</p><p>After the dry summer we've had, it's nice to be getting this rain. It rained most of last week, and looks like the same is in store for us this week. Mushrooms are sprouting up all over! </p><p>This grouping caught my eye. You can see that they are holding water. The biggest one is about 5 - 6" across. I think I'll get out there and take more pictures.</p><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUHhM9cd7l4KWXHINyE4lFMqIRYLZ-yEMOccv8c8dAQRe1LsgVJ89_4yth6ZxZIxQG46v76j44uUbAeMasolunBbsG_2qhZhojRm6b9SrjIpx2ECAZOtVUs4NgWhsDqDZvlIPSHRUGXk6OZ2g25q5I_iOeY1rACPZSXWU9zVq1-wheM_LjwGRBh-RwBI-a/s4032/IMG_4462.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUHhM9cd7l4KWXHINyE4lFMqIRYLZ-yEMOccv8c8dAQRe1LsgVJ89_4yth6ZxZIxQG46v76j44uUbAeMasolunBbsG_2qhZhojRm6b9SrjIpx2ECAZOtVUs4NgWhsDqDZvlIPSHRUGXk6OZ2g25q5I_iOeY1rACPZSXWU9zVq1-wheM_LjwGRBh-RwBI-a/w640-h480/IMG_4462.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiceyFE5qRUegk10_ZqKy2ybl7u9wOeaYIDdIVKYrjPl13TiXnQ8vdg-NSux4Bd8saYTGCpsjmBzy9glwFDE4c4QHpFhXPhoVRW-pIP7EmLxcQitGo19HNLgxC9vfahMSZ-yVtoSVuerOOqvpjPIujAX07dzcI7VzV3YNTZg9L7VRXc2Zn3_Lc94h6xXub-/s4032/IMG_4461.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiceyFE5qRUegk10_ZqKy2ybl7u9wOeaYIDdIVKYrjPl13TiXnQ8vdg-NSux4Bd8saYTGCpsjmBzy9glwFDE4c4QHpFhXPhoVRW-pIP7EmLxcQitGo19HNLgxC9vfahMSZ-yVtoSVuerOOqvpjPIujAX07dzcI7VzV3YNTZg9L7VRXc2Zn3_Lc94h6xXub-/w480-h640/IMG_4461.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuyT2H4FMbvgq39lOMFMBygbv52FMOq2yC9diVBAQ61sqt0gvxWOCmN8DT3-ZihqYFLinvmUErNOmLetw-kAocmPqJ_CxRPK1wyeoo3jG63zyitpEISuPx2q2mVxhwnJqxdkXgcTn2BsrIt3t6AR9IrPbrBTPRZxKqswRiaoqyvBRuRHjpM0i3UmYsiLSQ/s4032/IMG_4463.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuyT2H4FMbvgq39lOMFMBygbv52FMOq2yC9diVBAQ61sqt0gvxWOCmN8DT3-ZihqYFLinvmUErNOmLetw-kAocmPqJ_CxRPK1wyeoo3jG63zyitpEISuPx2q2mVxhwnJqxdkXgcTn2BsrIt3t6AR9IrPbrBTPRZxKqswRiaoqyvBRuRHjpM0i3UmYsiLSQ/w480-h640/IMG_4463.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>As always, words and photos are my own, and require permission to reprint. However, feel free to share the blog in it's entirety. In fact, I encourage it! Interested in photo prints? Contact me! maureenblevins@yahoo.com See more photos at </i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/1-mauverneen-blevins.html</i></div><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7975895715125837101.post-3407563158416324322023-08-08T08:56:00.004-05:002023-08-08T08:56:49.394-05:00Positively on a Tuesday in August<p> by Mauverneen</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMkxsqKlKiQSmOCKi2JHDvoqy0peJytNLC5pZhEA6m6zi_btPawkObhIFLgMIp8fE3570GLTOW0CWQ-3-2D2u094kiHRTpBF-MK0GBRbe-rlxbQQUgbuc4VARZ9NcERurO-S20mirIGN0bg4sr4uGExZGGftM72kv86S5FpbpP8QhcQCevmMsOFByIKL9g/s488/Deer%20for%20wb.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="288" data-original-width="488" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMkxsqKlKiQSmOCKi2JHDvoqy0peJytNLC5pZhEA6m6zi_btPawkObhIFLgMIp8fE3570GLTOW0CWQ-3-2D2u094kiHRTpBF-MK0GBRbe-rlxbQQUgbuc4VARZ9NcERurO-S20mirIGN0bg4sr4uGExZGGftM72kv86S5FpbpP8QhcQCevmMsOFByIKL9g/w400-h236/Deer%20for%20wb.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p>The past few mornings have been wonderful. Back in June I was running the AC, this week I've been wearing a sweater when I go out in the morning to feed the birds. Of course it quickly warms up, but the cool feels good. </p><p>Yesterday I decided I needed to get rid of a jar of cherries I had brought back from Wisconsin a couple of years ago so figured I should bake a pie - if the cherries were still good. They were. And so was the pie. I took a slice out to the deck with my coffee and enjoyed the early morning. Mama deer brought her fawn out this morning, so that was an extra treat. They see me, but if I don't move, they're okay with my being there. The dogs of course would like to go play with them, so in the house they go so I can enjoy my coffee, the pie, and the deer, in peace. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY0gRG6XmhISglaWrwvsFM_jPETq6J7eOLH0uPmIOxj0yHl-6s5bEItgXoJ1vnWgeU6SRSbFYQzMuPC7jcQzvWgk7rNg2rKEX0sxTmkZvyfu8wkk7-B5QqvtpDLE0vxzw2iZ0rfVm9bCiOxBPOQHxvK-vojWtcvyykinMc3Z7cRd3RpZ9ogERqTEkRaXcR/s864/wb%20cherry%20pie.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="864" data-original-width="719" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY0gRG6XmhISglaWrwvsFM_jPETq6J7eOLH0uPmIOxj0yHl-6s5bEItgXoJ1vnWgeU6SRSbFYQzMuPC7jcQzvWgk7rNg2rKEX0sxTmkZvyfu8wkk7-B5QqvtpDLE0vxzw2iZ0rfVm9bCiOxBPOQHxvK-vojWtcvyykinMc3Z7cRd3RpZ9ogERqTEkRaXcR/w333-h400/wb%20cherry%20pie.jpg" width="333" /></a></div><p></p><p>There's always something going on out here. The other day I watched a coyote chomping on the apples that fell from my neighbor's tree. I didn't know they liked apples, but this one was sure enjoying them.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi3JqXlDurlRYi75iMIkP3Wh-KB3hSJyLi5kAZjqFu2xzTB2mI-Dcc84DmBpTkWQqUOS2wiJ_2vVc_spFUMWvlhOy7XKHENV-R3UB0qvzgh92d2_wjuDM97qNJmqpp2AFhJu8mhlxszEfTWIsgHUbkggxbdwaoXQQbWlN6GHmm6ybzmvs3oGNIrpw_bAUv/s864/coyote%20apples.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="560" data-original-width="864" height="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi3JqXlDurlRYi75iMIkP3Wh-KB3hSJyLi5kAZjqFu2xzTB2mI-Dcc84DmBpTkWQqUOS2wiJ_2vVc_spFUMWvlhOy7XKHENV-R3UB0qvzgh92d2_wjuDM97qNJmqpp2AFhJu8mhlxszEfTWIsgHUbkggxbdwaoXQQbWlN6GHmm6ybzmvs3oGNIrpw_bAUv/w400-h259/coyote%20apples.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p>My newest neighbor has chickens now and has built a coop - or I should say a hen house. It's a good sized little shed - well built and sturdy. Solid wood. Nice and heavy. He built it on his patio. I doubt that they're going to let the chickens live on the patio, so I'm sure this structure is going to be moved out to the yard at some point. He may have a plan, but I've not seen any lumberjack or body builder types over there, so I hope he has enough help to move the thing. I keep watching. This could get interesting. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZPeKALyLxcZUkMvQD3LSszlpm_g63g4xpf84gfr-a8xatjh_5Prf-nRBf85rC8sVl1Mck9RxeYn0ZXIPISswmRyqHTcxbNBy6h0AzhfUR80kW7TSfW3h-MuyCFyEcsdYS0ji-FPvn6LnNRA8hpOQiMeGRloQlHDko9Wah3bzc5DF0tsFvv3vJQ6Klr48u/s864/White%20rooster.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="864" data-original-width="576" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZPeKALyLxcZUkMvQD3LSszlpm_g63g4xpf84gfr-a8xatjh_5Prf-nRBf85rC8sVl1Mck9RxeYn0ZXIPISswmRyqHTcxbNBy6h0AzhfUR80kW7TSfW3h-MuyCFyEcsdYS0ji-FPvn6LnNRA8hpOQiMeGRloQlHDko9Wah3bzc5DF0tsFvv3vJQ6Klr48u/w266-h400/White%20rooster.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div><i>As always, words and photos are my own, and require permission to reprint. However, feel free to share the blog in it's entirety. In fact, I encourage it! Interested in photo prints? Contact me! maureenblevins@yahoo.com See more photos at </i></div><div><i>http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/1-mauverneen-blevins.html</i></div></div><br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7975895715125837101.post-31967801092319937452023-08-01T09:38:00.000-05:002023-08-01T09:38:09.780-05:00Positively August<p> by Mauverneen</p><p>It's August 1. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhoDzUtTD0z3VOF81KjlL94ie79S689yfBNvG35NgjUS5QxCNLtRXWCMLPR0YP8Rcp4AbE7e2yA98bh8qa4jhmjK_H5wAhgILaAboOLg_vB71f4QQ01xAe381-0pWhdtg291h7TCMiClR2bHJQv046lBbd9wpZaOtdndBbMgDEbtO2Oq3JowO4YMIyZg8Ql" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="720" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhoDzUtTD0z3VOF81KjlL94ie79S689yfBNvG35NgjUS5QxCNLtRXWCMLPR0YP8Rcp4AbE7e2yA98bh8qa4jhmjK_H5wAhgILaAboOLg_vB71f4QQ01xAe381-0pWhdtg291h7TCMiClR2bHJQv046lBbd9wpZaOtdndBbMgDEbtO2Oq3JowO4YMIyZg8Ql=w640-h426" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>Have a POSITIVELY Marvelous Month!</p><p>I'm looking forward to the Super Moons, fresh veggies, road trips and ?? </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhfRSmC6WTpGWF_lqKmk6XMjA9tPWtBLsj8uYw3M9xscXEYSoFuE0QsbIHOYi1vpR9dJk23HTmB_5L4xys0vD126pQiNN_l5SBT1vXEwnNJqSoUJv13kvKzCz47k98wRFZA6sZ8dzsHes2lulCkY-G9sI8m4LJVvJ8o0viQYcmIki_haeZbKT2wMP8OiXF-" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="661" data-original-width="928" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhfRSmC6WTpGWF_lqKmk6XMjA9tPWtBLsj8uYw3M9xscXEYSoFuE0QsbIHOYi1vpR9dJk23HTmB_5L4xys0vD126pQiNN_l5SBT1vXEwnNJqSoUJv13kvKzCz47k98wRFZA6sZ8dzsHes2lulCkY-G9sI8m4LJVvJ8o0viQYcmIki_haeZbKT2wMP8OiXF-=w640-h456" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjNBjpkaudqOeE64jaxS0vpGWdhnZDcNdhtpYEf_HGaeD9pDvnGGBO910YIKpUO58-BjSK-_N8LkbIQsKon03R33y29IzSO3m_f4fqguxvgVvITIoFk8R0DIf4SALB72XkVjD4g4CPv7nOvzy22Xd4jqvyNnxd2KZyfYmUQclA-FloYx9oL8VaVGrdsOMCk" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1015" data-original-width="864" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjNBjpkaudqOeE64jaxS0vpGWdhnZDcNdhtpYEf_HGaeD9pDvnGGBO910YIKpUO58-BjSK-_N8LkbIQsKon03R33y29IzSO3m_f4fqguxvgVvITIoFk8R0DIf4SALB72XkVjD4g4CPv7nOvzy22Xd4jqvyNnxd2KZyfYmUQclA-FloYx9oL8VaVGrdsOMCk=w544-h640" width="544" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiM4SBuZ2mCI2wfHYs758oiHKygzCqsvzB9b3_Z1M4CTDVM5iKGi142jzEDw9-ZNckPu2nkH0933GeEmK4afyAbI_I7Wp-INWloO9QWUz5gFX0dbbaNbD63_48SE2L3RxQ-vOz2JZ-2uFfgeTk7sxYGPQ8YMwNJ2nMFNxWcTEGhdEg9zvGz_fidPxlpinTe" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="881" data-original-width="960" height="586" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiM4SBuZ2mCI2wfHYs758oiHKygzCqsvzB9b3_Z1M4CTDVM5iKGi142jzEDw9-ZNckPu2nkH0933GeEmK4afyAbI_I7Wp-INWloO9QWUz5gFX0dbbaNbD63_48SE2L3RxQ-vOz2JZ-2uFfgeTk7sxYGPQ8YMwNJ2nMFNxWcTEGhdEg9zvGz_fidPxlpinTe=w640-h586" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div><i>As always, words and photos are my own, and require permission to reprint. However, feel free to share the blog in it's entirety. In fact, I encourage it! Interested in photo prints? Contact me! maureenblevins@yahoo.com See more photos at </i></div><div><i>http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/1-mauverneen-blevins.html</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div></div><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7975895715125837101.post-57602290377744521422023-07-18T09:23:00.000-05:002023-07-18T09:23:56.166-05:00POSITIVELY ZOO FUN, BUT...<p> by Mauverneen</p><p>My friends and I decided to go to the zoo. It's been years since any of us have been. Some things change. Some things remain the same. It was a fun day, but...</p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg02S4vQY5k2bAtG1kkAqKkXU8v0_0-gimR3nQpigKCCMqQQFLQbHohvvy-Xnyw8u0cb1s59lzYs8m8YRQ7OGLM4q-oRkcb7ppxNtWlBFVGY9xWa52g9k9HPhZrzp4OFIMkfyF2j29rr-8-I2wAuCHBMFfjZqd9Wker9NpzN3s0XYmOMDKjopNRSpYwBaWD/s2469/IMG_6815%20crop.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2071" data-original-width="2469" height="536" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg02S4vQY5k2bAtG1kkAqKkXU8v0_0-gimR3nQpigKCCMqQQFLQbHohvvy-Xnyw8u0cb1s59lzYs8m8YRQ7OGLM4q-oRkcb7ppxNtWlBFVGY9xWa52g9k9HPhZrzp4OFIMkfyF2j29rr-8-I2wAuCHBMFfjZqd9Wker9NpzN3s0XYmOMDKjopNRSpYwBaWD/w640-h536/IMG_6815%20crop.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oh my! </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidvHXnxfM-K4AVgaysGlhOlKFpLFBDDGiXBpqQQi4Kj15RREH8wx4yRcGQniItjuA3jcg8ic04YMLLIZsySEsl0LSDO4y_jaUJpB3PbETWzbxEzrq4e9GkS06Fr13jeTJ6z48D3rIuXAn72ZEeUKyFjykgzt7n_xkuIkaj_v--VPIZrHeKtfamS7Ce-fME/s4032/IMG_4343.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidvHXnxfM-K4AVgaysGlhOlKFpLFBDDGiXBpqQQi4Kj15RREH8wx4yRcGQniItjuA3jcg8ic04YMLLIZsySEsl0LSDO4y_jaUJpB3PbETWzbxEzrq4e9GkS06Fr13jeTJ6z48D3rIuXAn72ZEeUKyFjykgzt7n_xkuIkaj_v--VPIZrHeKtfamS7Ce-fME/w480-h640/IMG_4343.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Running through the spray on a hot day is so refreshing</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>It rained on and off, so we checked out a building or two. </p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8J1zvrPf_aV3oiQV3Rj6O6-0fktIjLufThVMuxYyM5eT9Pfa0k8DPKgE3PvxtWOO-C2puq96zbYBOlgWwvELTaIPSe-5atUNpOA9j8UImHVdpy8nZPpI0c7QFeSdnPCkmjLMhOzUEFPShgpeMqeSlWwThviP73Nw5YxMDuOb4KdEPA6EyUDGefWwIcZks/s864/wb_0869ADJ.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="574" data-original-width="864" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8J1zvrPf_aV3oiQV3Rj6O6-0fktIjLufThVMuxYyM5eT9Pfa0k8DPKgE3PvxtWOO-C2puq96zbYBOlgWwvELTaIPSe-5atUNpOA9j8UImHVdpy8nZPpI0c7QFeSdnPCkmjLMhOzUEFPShgpeMqeSlWwThviP73Nw5YxMDuOb4KdEPA6EyUDGefWwIcZks/w640-h426/wb_0869ADJ.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">Looks like these two checked us out too!</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk-n7U8XdCklpB3tqrUZHbbc0mFQz3Q_PTfszmjs4sroQpU97A_NR8gpx4ZapCEgkyRfAhV_IW0wLYF5l1BmvHj5GHWuhTzoar8i5ewwTFpl3VrmNoVp1DDySVhYgmKtFgsk_zR3b-0fUNg1M8eRCu8EMn9TTZPQvATKVYybUCLBGHwcQKkSCfEg38jU0h/s864/wb_0724.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="492" data-original-width="864" height="364" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk-n7U8XdCklpB3tqrUZHbbc0mFQz3Q_PTfszmjs4sroQpU97A_NR8gpx4ZapCEgkyRfAhV_IW0wLYF5l1BmvHj5GHWuhTzoar8i5ewwTFpl3VrmNoVp1DDySVhYgmKtFgsk_zR3b-0fUNg1M8eRCu8EMn9TTZPQvATKVYybUCLBGHwcQKkSCfEg38jU0h/w640-h364/wb_0724.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Hippo wallowed. (I don't think it's moved in 20 years!)</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdMEbTeOoGNi-RzImR8lrcgCmxSFcZyF8MJMr9u3EKEWjXdLQD3AONCRwHsehQTC6zxDrimZtVYfwTlhzQQKJ8EQDNdaAuBShtw0ZxPHHv9MAZJd9pwbaM9TVZBSMGlAxvkG61L2VoFXWSvgH9yVnlmzmjk-hZo5OywHx7lLS-Pv-XrI5LrLravSsIE0RW/s864/wb%200730.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="574" data-original-width="864" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdMEbTeOoGNi-RzImR8lrcgCmxSFcZyF8MJMr9u3EKEWjXdLQD3AONCRwHsehQTC6zxDrimZtVYfwTlhzQQKJ8EQDNdaAuBShtw0ZxPHHv9MAZJd9pwbaM9TVZBSMGlAxvkG61L2VoFXWSvgH9yVnlmzmjk-hZo5OywHx7lLS-Pv-XrI5LrLravSsIE0RW/w640-h426/wb%200730.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Rhino paced</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-WyWK-CPccYG4BRx196w30qYLvQ655lB2gB6MEHrWHT6uA3WH5gnoRtexhzqaKj5dp6oQ-SoDpacdHPi3EeKBUtaASHDfWT_U5kJwlKLxjWc3ogrT0N-HSf3SurbKdGLsSdr3iWTyr958cQ4KfSypTFMtdjBhr23gfqVTiAjW_FuDaBQXpUjGTmnQnOQs/s864/wb%20_0779.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="864" data-original-width="574" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-WyWK-CPccYG4BRx196w30qYLvQ655lB2gB6MEHrWHT6uA3WH5gnoRtexhzqaKj5dp6oQ-SoDpacdHPi3EeKBUtaASHDfWT_U5kJwlKLxjWc3ogrT0N-HSf3SurbKdGLsSdr3iWTyr958cQ4KfSypTFMtdjBhr23gfqVTiAjW_FuDaBQXpUjGTmnQnOQs/w426-h640/wb%20_0779.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Giraffes were entertaining</td></tr></tbody></table><br />It was a fun day, but.... having been to Africa and seen these animals in the wild, I swore I'd never go to a zoo again. And of course not everyone will be fortunate enough to have that opportunity. On one hand, it's a good thing that the rest of the world gets to see some of these animals, but it's sad too, to see them confined.<p></p><p>Some things are getting better for zoo animals - more realistic habitat, larger spaces for some, etc. but on the other hand, not much has changed. The spaces are still too small, and they are in cages. At Brookfield Zoo, where we went, there are no elephants. Sad in a way, yet, I was glad there weren't any. </p><p>The zoo is expensive! $17. to park and another $25 - $29 per person admission. The butterfly house was an extra charge, the safari train was another charge, and I'm not sure what else was an additional fee. </p><p>So, it's fun to go to the zoo, but...</p><p><br /></p><div style="text-align: center;"><i>As always, words and photos are my own, and require permission to reprint. However, feel free to share the blog in it's entirety. In fact, I encourage it! Interested in photo prints? Contact me! maureenblevins@yahoo.com See more photos at </i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/1-mauverneen-blevins.html</i></div><p><br /><br /><br /><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br /><p></p><br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7975895715125837101.post-49780440155395211532023-07-04T08:33:00.000-05:002023-07-04T08:33:31.732-05:00Positively Let Freedom Ring!<p> by Mauverneen</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVvxv1i6ugtQVLsChkRB3k16xvBsFrXhIQgIhTxUNH_cgJxWCkoPf4_Ioiy-JyQOi02rkWASXZv-8QhIlAoRqN_pqcZPLFTNO9jr852cBPYM6w8-R_3WyEA-zjk1jy9oDewhZ_lXCJRb9u4vANkhQJ9Dw2YUDepQ1L3R28-fJctSA-CMk2dCeaW_FC9UQJ/s1008/0774%20Am%20Eagle%20wb.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1008" data-original-width="672" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVvxv1i6ugtQVLsChkRB3k16xvBsFrXhIQgIhTxUNH_cgJxWCkoPf4_Ioiy-JyQOi02rkWASXZv-8QhIlAoRqN_pqcZPLFTNO9jr852cBPYM6w8-R_3WyEA-zjk1jy9oDewhZ_lXCJRb9u4vANkhQJ9Dw2YUDepQ1L3R28-fJctSA-CMk2dCeaW_FC9UQJ/w426-h640/0774%20Am%20Eagle%20wb.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><p><i>Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves. ~</i> <i> Abraham Lincoln</i></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #040c28;">The Secret Of Happiness Is Freedom</span><span style="color: #4d5156;">,</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d5156;"> The Secret Of Freedom Is Courage. ~Carrie Jones</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d5156;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">“Life without liberty is like a body without spirit.” - Kahlil Gibran</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: Charter, Georgia, Times, serif;">“The only real prison is fear, and the only real freedom is freedom from fear.” </span><span style="font-family: arial;">~Aung San Suu Kyi</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">"Lock up your libraries if you like; but there is no gate, no lock, no bolt, that you can set upon the freedom of my mind." ~Virginia Woolf</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: arial;">“For what avail the plough or sail, or land or life, if freedom fail?” ~Ralph Waldo Emerson</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: arial;">"Freedom consists not in doing what we like, but in having the right to do what we ought." ~Pope John Paul II</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: arial;">“For everything that is really great and inspiring is created by the individual who can labour in freedom.” ~Albert Einstein</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: arial;">“For to be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.” ~Nelson Mandela</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: arial;">“Is freedom anything else than the right to live as we wish? Nothing else." ~Epictetus</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: arial;">“Independence is a heady draft, and if you drink it in your youth, it can have the same effect on the brain as young wine does. It does not matter that its taste is not always appealing. It is addictive and with each drink you want more.” ~Maya Angelou</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: arial;">“We must be free not because we claim freedom, but because we practice it.” ~William Faulkner</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: arial;">“The only real prison is fear, and the only real freedom is freedom from fear.” ~</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Charter, Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 19px;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Charter, Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 19px;">Here is the link to my previous freedom post <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/7975895715125837101/7744410871685329246">https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/7975895715125837101/7744410871685329246</a></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>As always, words and photos are my own, and require permission to reprint. However, feel free to share the blog in it's entirety. In fact, I encourage it! Interested in photo prints? Contact me! maureenblevins@yahoo.com See more photos at </i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/1-mauverneen-blevins.html</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7975895715125837101.post-4711904848290616552023-06-06T11:06:00.000-05:002023-06-06T11:06:41.542-05:00Positively Pterosaurs<p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"> by Mauverneen</span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8fyJw0szReCaYNvGyFk5FWY8BPMkNXUbW-ufSef_5rrNyp2PWwaoobYOaOtl5t8S7u4Dzm3_mJthk6f5RXWoF-ALwNGneSBjUTLQu87HWAXX4ST6DYRCwCNlGU0Hg9elYzniMyA-HgGi2Rzjk4Ck89wmqqdSStdJM-soffbyPc1pUgmSjXQJ_O9eD8A/s3592/DSC_0342%20crop.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1877" data-original-width="3592" height="334" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8fyJw0szReCaYNvGyFk5FWY8BPMkNXUbW-ufSef_5rrNyp2PWwaoobYOaOtl5t8S7u4Dzm3_mJthk6f5RXWoF-ALwNGneSBjUTLQu87HWAXX4ST6DYRCwCNlGU0Hg9elYzniMyA-HgGi2Rzjk4Ck89wmqqdSStdJM-soffbyPc1pUgmSjXQJ_O9eD8A/w640-h334/DSC_0342%20crop.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Heron</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">Every so often I see a Heron flying past, and I look up and think how much like a Pterodactyl it looks. And then I imagine what it must have been like to have these giant birds flying past, and possibly swooping down and grabbing whatever it can (like yourself) to dine on, or maybe take back to the nest to feed it's young. We've seen it in the movies. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">I wondered if<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"> they really were that big and that scary.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"> </span>So, I looked it up. (If I were a bigger fan of Jurassic Park I might have already known the answer, but, oh well...)</span></p><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">First off, </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">Pterodactyl is not actually a dinosaur, but a pterosaur. Pterosaurs were airborne reptiles and most </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">specimens have been about the size of hawks and eagles. Nothing to worry about. But wait! One of those creatures <i>WAS</i> actually very, very large - about the size of a giraffe with a wingspan of 23 feet or more! </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">And you think pigeon poop on your car is bad? </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"> </span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">Anything with a wing span the size of a bus would have me worried - and not just for my car.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">There were actually several of these huge flying reptiles (flying reptile sounds worse to me than flying dinosaur and nobody ever says pterosaur) - the </span><em>Quetzalcoatlus, </em><span style="background-color: white; color: #1a1a1a; font-weight: var(--font-weight-bold);"><i>Pteranodon, and the </i></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #3a3a3a; font-size: large; letter-spacing: 0.25px;"><span style="font-family: times;"><i>Hatzegopteryx. </i>Even the names are scary. I can't imagine running from one and trying to warn your neighbors that it's coming. Before you could spit that name out you'd be a goner. </span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #3a3a3a; font-size: large; letter-spacing: 0.25px;"><span style="font-family: times;">The first specimen of that last one was found - you're not gonna believe this - in Transylvania. Really. Go look it up. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">For further reading: </span><a href=" https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/new-studies-unveil-details-about-the-largest-flying-creature-to-ever-live-180979193/#:~:text=Quetzalcoatlus%E2%80%94a%20member%20of%20the,a%20whopping%2040%2Dfoot%20wingspan." style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"> https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/new-studies-unveil-details-about-the-largest-flying-creature-to-ever-live-180979193/#:~:text=Quetzalcoatlus%E2%80%94a%20member%20of%20the,a%20whopping%2040%2Dfoot%20wingspan.</a></p><p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pteranodon">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pteranodon</a></p><p><a href="https://dinopedia.fandom.com/wiki/Hatzegopteryx">https://dinopedia.fandom.com/wiki/Hatzegopteryx</a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_lucdJZ9WONdsBsLXoXpyyHcFO4WKWQK1AnQN8YT0fwxdif6dXU8ZC7pfkPL6mmTQioagqAzsNAXrMqBDtOqDStBJyx8tDAJaw4Sao4HH_j4uqVOWqRSWA7iLzU-B9FxYk7QMeghI3fYOMiKYe919PtySFtdLevdYu6mVG5v7n9L4GlHp6t8WeUJHxQ/s348/png-clipart-pterodactyls-pterosaurs-silhouette-dinosaur-lambeosaurus-dinosaur-animals-animal-thumbnail.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="348" data-original-width="348" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_lucdJZ9WONdsBsLXoXpyyHcFO4WKWQK1AnQN8YT0fwxdif6dXU8ZC7pfkPL6mmTQioagqAzsNAXrMqBDtOqDStBJyx8tDAJaw4Sao4HH_j4uqVOWqRSWA7iLzU-B9FxYk7QMeghI3fYOMiKYe919PtySFtdLevdYu6mVG5v7n9L4GlHp6t8WeUJHxQ/w200-h200/png-clipart-pterodactyls-pterosaurs-silhouette-dinosaur-lambeosaurus-dinosaur-animals-animal-thumbnail.png" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk2Ar0Uigzw_8Dj2Xy98qGp6LGFOk6E-W5GqxJ6NCPdFrI7BuyEHTwccRah_Wv6jVqJ36lfYtru-E0mcdJ07icyFXW6uekmI4QS72_JQc8hzAWWkeWs_uuviwDqItm43LQ5Y7grmJvKgY4lSUmWiWgYtg7wtbZTOAqOGv8YnPLJ4Gugbso_-OtXi0GSQ/s1637/DSC_0342%20sq.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1637" data-original-width="1637" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk2Ar0Uigzw_8Dj2Xy98qGp6LGFOk6E-W5GqxJ6NCPdFrI7BuyEHTwccRah_Wv6jVqJ36lfYtru-E0mcdJ07icyFXW6uekmI4QS72_JQc8hzAWWkeWs_uuviwDqItm43LQ5Y7grmJvKgY4lSUmWiWgYtg7wtbZTOAqOGv8YnPLJ4Gugbso_-OtXi0GSQ/w200-h200/DSC_0342%20sq.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">See what I mean?</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><i>As always, words and photos are my own, and require permission to reprint.
However, feel free to share the blog in it's entirety. In fact, I encourage it!
Interested in photo prints? Contact me! maureenblevins@yahoo.com
See more photos at http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/1-mauverneen-blevins.html</i></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7975895715125837101.post-34168417993736473242023-05-23T09:21:00.000-05:002023-05-23T09:21:38.042-05:00Positively Content<p> by Mauverneen</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzBjY0h-y_UV7lz1GhTvwh1XU9rdHtxLK5wZ2a6QGC3AeNFAPNf12H_wgsrG0n_gjKa1RKsH8jRxuJbsJyWPsRHl5p_F1vuumeCSv-ScokIzjUZwwHvUNgeAAu0JPak4YtlV0Onre94U8_WtJzHRj6WrQGI3bKKGzcBGu470oYgLPQFn0w_TrCyjvAng/s946/IMG_3097.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="946" data-original-width="864" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzBjY0h-y_UV7lz1GhTvwh1XU9rdHtxLK5wZ2a6QGC3AeNFAPNf12H_wgsrG0n_gjKa1RKsH8jRxuJbsJyWPsRHl5p_F1vuumeCSv-ScokIzjUZwwHvUNgeAAu0JPak4YtlV0Onre94U8_WtJzHRj6WrQGI3bKKGzcBGu470oYgLPQFn0w_TrCyjvAng/w365-h400/IMG_3097.jpg" width="365" /></a></div><p>I have realized that I am - for the most part - 'content'. By no means do I have everything I want (I don't), and being content does not necessarily mean I am happy all the time. I'm not. Contentment is something else altogether. One definition says it means being satisfied and at peace with yourself, another says if one is content, one is more likely to be grateful for small pleasures. That sounds about right. </p><p>I am grateful for small pleasures; the smell of lilacs and the wonderful scent of those flowering trees that I do not know the name of. I am grateful for the birds that come to my yard and my feeders. I am thankful for the warm air and the sunny days. Grateful too for the rain that nourishes my garden. The gentle rains are best. I can sit under the eaves and enjoy the feel of the mist on my skin, the cool breeze on my cheek, the scent of damp earth; listen to it as it lulls me to sleep at night. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Cq0DrghW-nUY3cxVEWiMVirlNv0BjHrMb0YNd-2PjIM_ahy6oGDiHst1UMhBMgpyzzxZdp5Mffax6guATafzJHQkEhJ32yKOb6BFmPNZO76DRdzmbiNplIi48mKdvmJG4BnaS8FTN075mpi52wBXrcSvxsTeXBs_M26pbNMelKPcfFiTbjTK3kSsTw/s792/rain%20on%20window0406.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="516" data-original-width="792" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Cq0DrghW-nUY3cxVEWiMVirlNv0BjHrMb0YNd-2PjIM_ahy6oGDiHst1UMhBMgpyzzxZdp5Mffax6guATafzJHQkEhJ32yKOb6BFmPNZO76DRdzmbiNplIi48mKdvmJG4BnaS8FTN075mpi52wBXrcSvxsTeXBs_M26pbNMelKPcfFiTbjTK3kSsTw/w400-h260/rain%20on%20window0406.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p>I am also grateful for the bigger things in life, like my daughters, and having a house to live in and a car to drive, thankful and blessed that I can afford to have them. </p><p>I sometimes think of the things in my life that I've missed out on, things I never had, but I try not to dwell on them because I have so much. And I truly am grateful. And on days when I'm not so content? Mostly I make travel plans. Grateful of course that I am able to travel. And while I may not have the means to travel round the world, I am able to do some traveling. It nourishes my soul.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF-gfGb-ucmz5Cc6F3JQbuVKDwMvLcxRXHQfRnm5jThDxFOznqGB2g4Nx_UX7AvGmh35mC-9xrIComQynjB2b8T6H6ECZiHcEayH7RFxgK3SmtwYKPNYqOrA2Xak3g3CsjnbKkmaudV2gOpBdLnmKR0xwYVN-EcFzuPOQQYqRAWuMtTVMPAKl4WH2DNw/s864/sky%20w%20clouds%20wb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="561" data-original-width="864" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF-gfGb-ucmz5Cc6F3JQbuVKDwMvLcxRXHQfRnm5jThDxFOznqGB2g4Nx_UX7AvGmh35mC-9xrIComQynjB2b8T6H6ECZiHcEayH7RFxgK3SmtwYKPNYqOrA2Xak3g3CsjnbKkmaudV2gOpBdLnmKR0xwYVN-EcFzuPOQQYqRAWuMtTVMPAKl4WH2DNw/w400-h260/sky%20w%20clouds%20wb.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p>I'm trying to decide where my next trip will be. There are so many places to see. Maybe I should toss a coin, or throw a dart at the map. Or just decide where I would feel most relaxed, a place I can take lots of photos. Some days I am content to think about it. But that is not action, and that will never get me out of this chair. </p><p>Content I may be today, but tomorrow I will be antsy, and bored, and in need of a change of pace. I'm good with that too. It keeps life interesting.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0cDr2ZFPuJG0wA3oTr7nnaoT4-FGemJBqimb21jzxahl6FPJgBqrXcqKedrdppjWnJXlattJepd1vZSCOGvQqiZGhkq7gYKjM7ETlYy46AaI8wChy2ALGkLPxyQu-hU4S9ReRTtcJjECtTCNpDl7xysQgSIxiO9XJnBR9Mbv0CxrSmvPoFRSr-LGNGw/s864/DSC_0280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="575" data-original-width="864" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0cDr2ZFPuJG0wA3oTr7nnaoT4-FGemJBqimb21jzxahl6FPJgBqrXcqKedrdppjWnJXlattJepd1vZSCOGvQqiZGhkq7gYKjM7ETlYy46AaI8wChy2ALGkLPxyQu-hU4S9ReRTtcJjECtTCNpDl7xysQgSIxiO9XJnBR9Mbv0CxrSmvPoFRSr-LGNGw/w400-h266/DSC_0280.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"><i style="color: #b01600; font-family: times;"><span face="" style="color: black; font-size: small; margin: 0px;">As always, words and photos are my own, and require permission to reprint.</span></i></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small;"></span></i></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: times; 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color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small;"></span></i></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small;"></span></i></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span face="" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: #b01600; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: times; font-size: small;"><i>However, feel free to share the blog in it's entirety. In fact, I encourage it!</i></span></span></span></span></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small;"></span></i></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: times; 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text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small;"><i><span face="" style="color: black;">Interested in photo prints? Contact me!</span><span face="" style="color: black;"> maureenblevins@yahoo.com</span></i></span></span></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"><span face="">See more photos at</span><span face=""> <a href="https://fineartamerica.com/art/photographs/mauverneen+blevins" style="color: #2288bb; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/1-mauverneen-blevins.html</a></span></div><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/KNOW-That-Bird-Introducing-Children/dp/B0BKRZJXRR/?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_w=90cfi&content-id=amzn1.sym.8cf3b8ef-6a74-45dc-9f0d-6409eb523603&pf_rd_p=8cf3b8ef-6a74-45dc-9f0d-6409eb523603&pf_rd_r=FBSRARY4QS3CCFMESZGV&pd_rd_wg=yT4oS&pd_rd_r=83620935-b6ac-46b8-9d96-c463556fd4d3&ref_=pd_gw_ci_mcx_mi" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1350" data-original-width="1350" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8fMhKK0OL8UzBaZKe_E-y6wzmo53eBaY15c_Bv8HadIu1qJF1bA6gzzNt6Aa9k1_7bBAMLMWQpkxrwZtcu-6MlQsrDQw4DuVl9e8MkPaRDaCLj160FwLlubf5Wtir0q_SsQsC_hFKTQOPCs9ljK0mQVXdfoOMs1WN1RG3JDV1xWi2kb1d5Oxkj9htsQ/w200-h200/Bird%20Book%20COVER%20lowres.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Available at <a href="https://www.amazon.com/KNOW-That-Bird-Introducing-Children/dp/B0BKRZJXRR/?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_w=90cfi&content-id=amzn1.sym.8cf3b8ef-6a74-45dc-9f0d-6409eb523603&pf_rd_p=8cf3b8ef-6a74-45dc-9f0d-6409eb523603&pf_rd_r=FBSRARY4QS3CCFMESZGV&pd_rd_wg=yT4oS&pd_rd_r=83620935-b6ac-46b8-9d96-c463556fd4d3&ref_=pd_gw_ci_mcx_mi" target="_blank">Amazon.com</a>,</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.andersonsbookshop.com/" target="_blank"> Anderson's Bookstor</a><a href="https://www.andersonsbookshop.com/search/site/i%20know%20that%20bird" target="_blank">e</a> in Naperville, </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://Bookshop.org" target="_blank">Bookshop.org</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.threestorieslemont.com/" target="_blank">https://www.threestorieslemont.com/</a><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://bookmarketjoliet.com/" target="_blank">https://bookmarketjoliet.com/</a><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/uglyducklingsbykathleen" target="_blank">Ugly Ducklings by Kathleen</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">or request it at your favorite bookstore!</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7975895715125837101.post-1843894858093168962023-05-09T10:10:00.000-05:002023-05-09T10:10:03.887-05:00Positively Birds of Spring!<p> by Mauverneen</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5duX-J6SyWicFm-STUUCYO-wOluat9R9Q_dRyBMSxB5il4qslWAPM-NLv6DiEj_hu_J_VONi4m0ezWuvF3H6DdYYkffEqGiBWEni74vKH7TzTW63hMtLR5kzpdbbhbqiceD2HPSx5yeItSkwoEwP5ugZGDWrFVaXI-b1LDJwOjjaXg7omYszXkp1f0g/s864/wb0804.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="593" data-original-width="864" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5duX-J6SyWicFm-STUUCYO-wOluat9R9Q_dRyBMSxB5il4qslWAPM-NLv6DiEj_hu_J_VONi4m0ezWuvF3H6DdYYkffEqGiBWEni74vKH7TzTW63hMtLR5kzpdbbhbqiceD2HPSx5yeItSkwoEwP5ugZGDWrFVaXI-b1LDJwOjjaXg7omYszXkp1f0g/w400-h275/wb0804.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p>We always get excited to see that first Robin of Spring, but I get excited when I see some of the other seasonal visitors returning, too. </p><p>One of my daughters texted me the other day asking if I'd seen any Hummingbirds yet. No sooner did I reply that No, I hadn't, then lo and behold one stopped by to visit! I've had the nectar out for a week or more knowing they would soon be here. The Orioles too have now returned. I'm going to have to get to the store and stock up on their grape jelly. That and oranges. I also had a Rose Breasted Grosbeak at the feeder! Now I'm anxiously awaiting the Indigo Bunting. Spring will be complete!</p><p>I have an old bird house sitting atop the a/c unit and someone - not sure if it's a Sparrow or a Wren - has been cleaning it out. I can't catch sight of them, but they sure are doing some major remodeling in there. Hopefully they will find some nice new nesting materials and we'll have some baby birds to watch. </p><p>I hope your week goes Positively well. Take a little time to watch the birds. They're fun, and their happy little attitudes always perk me up. I'm sure they will do the same for you!</p><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"><i style="color: #b01600; font-family: times;"><span face="" style="color: black; font-size: small; margin: 0px;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK-H0D6mo3ldkvxxrGQHRlAECLGdVUzqmLvI2wi7JRRvNRBTWAt95JXZenF2fVZwVplOKZG1UpgJH1xhr-EXGldLTy6kaK1ST2cnIlCubJDpkXLy_rEjtb_ECT1undaMBNDLOpC1TlDIE3RBF9i5cyUb6CVE1uNdxBHwEs0GgJT6MRTlBymnGSty5DVg/s1000/wb0108.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="665" data-original-width="1000" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK-H0D6mo3ldkvxxrGQHRlAECLGdVUzqmLvI2wi7JRRvNRBTWAt95JXZenF2fVZwVplOKZG1UpgJH1xhr-EXGldLTy6kaK1ST2cnIlCubJDpkXLy_rEjtb_ECT1undaMBNDLOpC1TlDIE3RBF9i5cyUb6CVE1uNdxBHwEs0GgJT6MRTlBymnGSty5DVg/w400-h266/wb0108.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grosbeak</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuTvmtZcVHRuZumgMN1uVBTQrfRsANOkDOOh3DYw43B43Y6cupFHkDOEPMgXU4EeA8rk-lndbh4f_sQljJKFnTKssKpF-H5gI286z1PoRfPaBQUkeNKiItEjqS6FJE_07A6ppzisES8o7xTocB7Fl1o56qAv3_y3Us6RTrCYYCHAsVZ5hUsC4pkgzXGw/s813/wb%20_0347.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="813" data-original-width="690" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuTvmtZcVHRuZumgMN1uVBTQrfRsANOkDOOh3DYw43B43Y6cupFHkDOEPMgXU4EeA8rk-lndbh4f_sQljJKFnTKssKpF-H5gI286z1PoRfPaBQUkeNKiItEjqS6FJE_07A6ppzisES8o7xTocB7Fl1o56qAv3_y3Us6RTrCYYCHAsVZ5hUsC4pkgzXGw/w340-h400/wb%20_0347.jpg" width="340" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Although the Orioles have their own feeders with oranges and grape jelly...</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxy2jaQ8vGXWtW5Ux6nG7suLzsuz5Cu0EIPc4PeHZQ3E_OLhSm8I3oBkVEp37wPSmMOOvXsA761DX0WT-96-CVc4cYedK1Sg6rdlS64uvfLGVB1WN7fFWgg2EovAb7PG565jFT-NbiDpdJiPMm70kYLkJvhvQzZMPrA0e8kjyOYPePcPaum9yZcepCvw/s758/wb%200418.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="758" data-original-width="753" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxy2jaQ8vGXWtW5Ux6nG7suLzsuz5Cu0EIPc4PeHZQ3E_OLhSm8I3oBkVEp37wPSmMOOvXsA761DX0WT-96-CVc4cYedK1Sg6rdlS64uvfLGVB1WN7fFWgg2EovAb7PG565jFT-NbiDpdJiPMm70kYLkJvhvQzZMPrA0e8kjyOYPePcPaum9yZcepCvw/w398-h400/wb%200418.jpg" width="398" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">...they like to raid the hummingbird feeders for the sweet nectar.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>As always, words and photos are my own, and require permission to reprint.</span></i></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small;"></span></i></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small;"></span></i></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small;"></span></i></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small;"></span></i></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><i><span style="color: #b01600; font-family: times; font-size: small; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"></span></i></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small;"></span></i></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small;"></span></i></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"></span></i></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small;"></span></i></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small;"></span></i></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span face="" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: #b01600; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: times; font-size: small;"><i>However, feel free to share the blog in it's entirety. In fact, I encourage it!</i></span></span></span></span></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small;"></span></i></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"></span></i></div></div></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"></span></i></div></div></div></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><i><span style="color: #b01600; font-family: times; font-size: small; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"></span></i></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"></span></i></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"></span></i></div></div><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; margin: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"></span></i></div><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: center;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #b01600; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small;"><i><span face="" style="color: black;">Interested in photo prints? Contact me!</span><span face="" style="color: black;"> maureenblevins@yahoo.com</span></i></span></span></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"><span face="">See more photos at</span><span face=""> <a href="https://fineartamerica.com/art/photographs/mauverneen+blevins" style="color: #2288bb; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/1-mauverneen-blevins.html</a></span></div><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/KNOW-That-Bird-Introducing-Children/dp/B0BKRZJXRR/?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_w=90cfi&content-id=amzn1.sym.8cf3b8ef-6a74-45dc-9f0d-6409eb523603&pf_rd_p=8cf3b8ef-6a74-45dc-9f0d-6409eb523603&pf_rd_r=FBSRARY4QS3CCFMESZGV&pd_rd_wg=yT4oS&pd_rd_r=83620935-b6ac-46b8-9d96-c463556fd4d3&ref_=pd_gw_ci_mcx_mi" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1350" data-original-width="1350" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8fMhKK0OL8UzBaZKe_E-y6wzmo53eBaY15c_Bv8HadIu1qJF1bA6gzzNt6Aa9k1_7bBAMLMWQpkxrwZtcu-6MlQsrDQw4DuVl9e8MkPaRDaCLj160FwLlubf5Wtir0q_SsQsC_hFKTQOPCs9ljK0mQVXdfoOMs1WN1RG3JDV1xWi2kb1d5Oxkj9htsQ/w200-h200/Bird%20Book%20COVER%20lowres.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Available at <a href="https://www.amazon.com/KNOW-That-Bird-Introducing-Children/dp/B0BKRZJXRR/?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_w=90cfi&content-id=amzn1.sym.8cf3b8ef-6a74-45dc-9f0d-6409eb523603&pf_rd_p=8cf3b8ef-6a74-45dc-9f0d-6409eb523603&pf_rd_r=FBSRARY4QS3CCFMESZGV&pd_rd_wg=yT4oS&pd_rd_r=83620935-b6ac-46b8-9d96-c463556fd4d3&ref_=pd_gw_ci_mcx_mi" target="_blank">Amazon.com</a>,</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.andersonsbookshop.com/" target="_blank"> Anderson's Bookstor</a><a href="https://www.andersonsbookshop.com/search/site/i%20know%20that%20bird" target="_blank">e</a> in Naperville, </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://Bookshop.org" target="_blank">Bookshop.org</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.threestorieslemont.com/" target="_blank">https://www.threestorieslemont.com/</a><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://bookmarketjoliet.com/" target="_blank">https://bookmarketjoliet.com/</a><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/uglyducklingsbykathleen" target="_blank">Ugly Ducklings by Kathleen</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">or request it at your favorite bookstore!</div><br /><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7975895715125837101.post-67981465394436517902023-05-02T09:20:00.000-05:002023-05-02T09:20:45.213-05:00A Positively Tuesday <p> by Mauverneen</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrNJpIm5KlGdh4npYoP52EDp8TTmtcnUvq1u6c9K3X7Qj5W-n2y4jzSqnUx1bn02KZB6Fn3Vu7WPGLAWDiavbWZKw8CERLaU0zFK6XVXpqZhg0yw9iCYXiwt72GPP_kh4A-qbmRl5540B8lTsudx70QeBGg7xUUvAFkqDVpRDQvzYN592_T0oj-znn7g/s2750/IMG_4198%20crp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><i><img border="0" data-original-height="2750" data-original-width="2556" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrNJpIm5KlGdh4npYoP52EDp8TTmtcnUvq1u6c9K3X7Qj5W-n2y4jzSqnUx1bn02KZB6Fn3Vu7WPGLAWDiavbWZKw8CERLaU0zFK6XVXpqZhg0yw9iCYXiwt72GPP_kh4A-qbmRl5540B8lTsudx70QeBGg7xUUvAFkqDVpRDQvzYN592_T0oj-znn7g/s320/IMG_4198%20crp.jpg" width="297" /></i></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>A terrible pic but you can see how handsome he was! Admiring himself in a mirror.</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>I had a sweet little dream last night about birds - of all things. Someone was selling parakeets and I was looking at them wondering if I should get one. I spotted the cutest little green baby bird and decided that was the one. However, my aunt was there too and it became a bit of a competition as to who would actually get to take the bird home. We both wanted it. </p><p>I actually had a green parakeet once, when my girls were little. His name was Gizmo and we had him longer than we should have, as he lived to a very old bird age. He was adorable. And quite smart.</p><p>Sometimes, a thing tears you in two directions. Such as owning a bird. Are they meant to be caged? As much as we love them, is it fair to them? Of course, a caged bird knows no other life. And sometimes, an injured bird will be taken in to heal and end up staying a captive creature for its own good.</p><p>I'd really like to have another parakeet. But I have all the birds outside my window to enjoy. </p><p>Hmm, maybe I need to try and figure out if there was a message in that dream. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmlKjq90nC_ubT7jdvfEeifqnfa4DAv9lQdFWS3i5fybhvRjKaDu3uarLj_6NWy7TlTZZoK0yNokI5usCYBUQchOVGUUpLHngHmZgU9WlPSVEJHxVOCa5WcxjztkaTsFFbAxMh4qN-Zn7m1p40GbjPpf4jv-otz3exHn0KyrqDOLNTCLa-GwCNGZz03w/s504/Yellow%20Bird.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="504" data-original-width="359" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmlKjq90nC_ubT7jdvfEeifqnfa4DAv9lQdFWS3i5fybhvRjKaDu3uarLj_6NWy7TlTZZoK0yNokI5usCYBUQchOVGUUpLHngHmZgU9WlPSVEJHxVOCa5WcxjztkaTsFFbAxMh4qN-Zn7m1p40GbjPpf4jv-otz3exHn0KyrqDOLNTCLa-GwCNGZz03w/s320/Yellow%20Bird.jpg" width="228" /></a></div><p></p><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix2XtkLHXROhA9uTwKujMjU6B8vWVauCyH0W1MdMdFFRK-ukgtKYEGZJM4KuhFUpLwbZDaxdooNt5GccR5nj5Fy41LAxukWCTiv2Pn73AByNaAFb3ioQAzmW80ITe7eAePL1yvSs1nViaMHsidBHjFpjf0AIyCD52I_wBPuM3sxkcj9R0vo73a7Uy_ug/s648/redwing%20blackbird.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="472" data-original-width="648" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix2XtkLHXROhA9uTwKujMjU6B8vWVauCyH0W1MdMdFFRK-ukgtKYEGZJM4KuhFUpLwbZDaxdooNt5GccR5nj5Fy41LAxukWCTiv2Pn73AByNaAFb3ioQAzmW80ITe7eAePL1yvSs1nViaMHsidBHjFpjf0AIyCD52I_wBPuM3sxkcj9R0vo73a7Uy_ug/s320/redwing%20blackbird.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><i style="color: #b01600; font-family: times;"><span face="" style="color: black; font-size: small; margin: 0px;">As always, words and photos are my own, and require permission to reprint.</span></i></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small;"></span></i></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small;"></span></i></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small;"></span></i></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small;"></span></i></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><i><span style="color: #b01600; 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font-size: 13.2px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small;"></span></i></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"></span></i></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small;"></span></i></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small;"></span></i></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span face="" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: #b01600; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: times; font-size: small;"><i>However, feel free to share the blog in it's entirety. In fact, I encourage it!</i></span></span></span></span></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small;"></span></i></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: times; 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font-variant-numeric: normal;"></span></i></div></div><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; margin: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"></span></i></div><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: center;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #b01600; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small;"><i><span face="" style="color: black;">Interested in photo prints? Contact me!</span><span face="" style="color: black;"> maureenblevins@yahoo.com</span></i></span></span></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"><span face="">See more photos at</span><span face=""> <a href="https://fineartamerica.com/art/photographs/mauverneen+blevins" style="color: #2288bb; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/1-mauverneen-blevins.html</a></span></div><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/KNOW-That-Bird-Introducing-Children/dp/B0BKRZJXRR/?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_w=90cfi&content-id=amzn1.sym.8cf3b8ef-6a74-45dc-9f0d-6409eb523603&pf_rd_p=8cf3b8ef-6a74-45dc-9f0d-6409eb523603&pf_rd_r=FBSRARY4QS3CCFMESZGV&pd_rd_wg=yT4oS&pd_rd_r=83620935-b6ac-46b8-9d96-c463556fd4d3&ref_=pd_gw_ci_mcx_mi" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1350" data-original-width="1350" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8fMhKK0OL8UzBaZKe_E-y6wzmo53eBaY15c_Bv8HadIu1qJF1bA6gzzNt6Aa9k1_7bBAMLMWQpkxrwZtcu-6MlQsrDQw4DuVl9e8MkPaRDaCLj160FwLlubf5Wtir0q_SsQsC_hFKTQOPCs9ljK0mQVXdfoOMs1WN1RG3JDV1xWi2kb1d5Oxkj9htsQ/w200-h200/Bird%20Book%20COVER%20lowres.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Available at <a href="https://www.amazon.com/KNOW-That-Bird-Introducing-Children/dp/B0BKRZJXRR/?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_w=90cfi&content-id=amzn1.sym.8cf3b8ef-6a74-45dc-9f0d-6409eb523603&pf_rd_p=8cf3b8ef-6a74-45dc-9f0d-6409eb523603&pf_rd_r=FBSRARY4QS3CCFMESZGV&pd_rd_wg=yT4oS&pd_rd_r=83620935-b6ac-46b8-9d96-c463556fd4d3&ref_=pd_gw_ci_mcx_mi" target="_blank">Amazon.com</a>,</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.andersonsbookshop.com/" target="_blank"> Anderson's Bookstor</a><a href="https://www.andersonsbookshop.com/search/site/i%20know%20that%20bird" target="_blank">e</a> in Naperville, </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://Bookshop.org" target="_blank">Bookshop.org</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.threestorieslemont.com/" target="_blank">https://www.threestorieslemont.com/</a><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://bookmarketjoliet.com/" target="_blank">https://bookmarketjoliet.com/</a><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/uglyducklingsbykathleen" target="_blank">Ugly Ducklings by Kathleen</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">or request it at your favorite bookstore!</div><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7975895715125837101.post-45865223303179248122023-04-18T08:35:00.002-05:002023-04-18T08:35:31.217-05:00Positively More April<p> by Mauverneen</p><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtFlcYjL7rKa4vpPc_u0t2uv1hsstKUC0JB96VYUkMG_YyDXremh7r8BOsrhKUDUR6BZarAp6DLcqkmPt9GgZNbG6geUajgerFNUyrIAe7I7pNR-u1uKdAs_-63BaydC3O25ywezIiFCQycA8YPRfU2AN6uUzPKjDA0qm6GP226WyaAlLmh23iZW7-lA/s4032/IMG_4161.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtFlcYjL7rKa4vpPc_u0t2uv1hsstKUC0JB96VYUkMG_YyDXremh7r8BOsrhKUDUR6BZarAp6DLcqkmPt9GgZNbG6geUajgerFNUyrIAe7I7pNR-u1uKdAs_-63BaydC3O25ywezIiFCQycA8YPRfU2AN6uUzPKjDA0qm6GP226WyaAlLmh23iZW7-lA/s320/IMG_4161.JPG" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPdRcHsgHi5NVfvmnQsPZKeO_2zFCCAXyU2cA0SwggUOIVx55vUGnk4GWjPc5ACF9Jf_GQwBisceZH-JM21WASCBaDJ0BQUIDf3gEvJBZ_W5mLbbkjJ1NiTpNI4ouV6zZvMs-Ja5cBmUtAJ9ewEilZg_eYmC_Ie4_7LexalmUUgpHIvFH8TsxIoyWSow/s4032/IMG_4163.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPdRcHsgHi5NVfvmnQsPZKeO_2zFCCAXyU2cA0SwggUOIVx55vUGnk4GWjPc5ACF9Jf_GQwBisceZH-JM21WASCBaDJ0BQUIDf3gEvJBZ_W5mLbbkjJ1NiTpNI4ouV6zZvMs-Ja5cBmUtAJ9ewEilZg_eYmC_Ie4_7LexalmUUgpHIvFH8TsxIoyWSow/s320/IMG_4163.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">The April showers continue - but this week, it's a bit of snow. Hard to take after several days of 70 degree temps! But we cope, as we always do. And, being April, we know it won't last long. That's something to be positive about.</span></div><p>Trees are in bloom, flowers are coming up, the sun is shining and we've gotten to spend some days outdoors. It's a wonderful feeling to be able to walk out the door without first having to grab a coat - and gloves - and boots - and a scarf...</p><p>It's hard to comprehend that April is already half over. Wasn't New Year's Eve just last week?? Seems that way. </p><p>Have a Positively Wonderful day. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4w1l3TnT7CqWNNAPA82_ZO57ZuXOX03jtAWbHTHuwRAYWzaNJOkL-O89f34c5QxktoYf8AUsYhOx53OAQ7EzGZcKAkJ8EKBmBmySRnjTvcMlEmhwSLL3KqWtWwlPUpJ06w7I_B1sZX2zmIGVJAbcAnz66TXcl7Jv51bZ8RVNdvSmeupNLgn1lloGrLQ/s4032/IMG_4159.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4w1l3TnT7CqWNNAPA82_ZO57ZuXOX03jtAWbHTHuwRAYWzaNJOkL-O89f34c5QxktoYf8AUsYhOx53OAQ7EzGZcKAkJ8EKBmBmySRnjTvcMlEmhwSLL3KqWtWwlPUpJ06w7I_B1sZX2zmIGVJAbcAnz66TXcl7Jv51bZ8RVNdvSmeupNLgn1lloGrLQ/w300-h400/IMG_4159.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Look how the grass has greened up! And the trees are starting to bud. You can also see my 'topped off' tree behind the shed. The top 20 or 30 ft of it got snapped off in that last storm and landed in the neighbor's yard - on his shed. <br /><br /><br /><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><i style="color: #b01600; font-family: times;"><span face="" style="color: black; font-size: small; margin: 0px;">As always, words and photos are my own, and require permission to reprint.</span></i></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small;"></span></i></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small;"></span></i></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small;"></span></i></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small;"></span></i></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><i><span style="color: #b01600; font-family: times; font-size: small; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"></span></i></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small;"></span></i></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small;"></span></i></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"></span></i></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small;"></span></i></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small;"></span></i></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span face="" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: #b01600; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: times; font-size: small;"><i>However, feel free to share the blog in it's entirety. In fact, I encourage it!</i></span></span></span></span></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small;"></span></i></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"></span></i></div></div></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"></span></i></div></div></div></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><i><span style="color: #b01600; font-family: times; font-size: small; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"></span></i></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"></span></i></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"></span></i></div></div><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; margin: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"></span></i></div><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #b01600; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small;"><i><span face="" style="color: black;">Interested in photo prints? Contact me!</span><span face="" style="color: black;"> maureenblevins@yahoo.com</span></i></span></span></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"></div><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"></div><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"></div><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><span face="">See more photos at</span><span face=""> <a href="https://fineartamerica.com/art/photographs/mauverneen+blevins" style="color: #2288bb; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/1-mauverneen-blevins.html</a></span></div><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium;">I will be signing books at The Frugal Muse in Darien, IL on April 29 from 1 - 3 pm.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/KNOW-That-Bird-Introducing-Children/dp/B0BKRZJXRR/?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_w=90cfi&content-id=amzn1.sym.8cf3b8ef-6a74-45dc-9f0d-6409eb523603&pf_rd_p=8cf3b8ef-6a74-45dc-9f0d-6409eb523603&pf_rd_r=FBSRARY4QS3CCFMESZGV&pd_rd_wg=yT4oS&pd_rd_r=83620935-b6ac-46b8-9d96-c463556fd4d3&ref_=pd_gw_ci_mcx_mi" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1350" data-original-width="1350" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8fMhKK0OL8UzBaZKe_E-y6wzmo53eBaY15c_Bv8HadIu1qJF1bA6gzzNt6Aa9k1_7bBAMLMWQpkxrwZtcu-6MlQsrDQw4DuVl9e8MkPaRDaCLj160FwLlubf5Wtir0q_SsQsC_hFKTQOPCs9ljK0mQVXdfoOMs1WN1RG3JDV1xWi2kb1d5Oxkj9htsQ/w200-h200/Bird%20Book%20COVER%20lowres.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">My book is Available at <a href="https://www.amazon.com/KNOW-That-Bird-Introducing-Children/dp/B0BKRZJXRR/?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_w=90cfi&content-id=amzn1.sym.8cf3b8ef-6a74-45dc-9f0d-6409eb523603&pf_rd_p=8cf3b8ef-6a74-45dc-9f0d-6409eb523603&pf_rd_r=FBSRARY4QS3CCFMESZGV&pd_rd_wg=yT4oS&pd_rd_r=83620935-b6ac-46b8-9d96-c463556fd4d3&ref_=pd_gw_ci_mcx_mi" target="_blank">Amazon.com</a>,</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://www.andersonsbookshop.com/" target="_blank"> Anderson's Bookstor</a><a href="https://www.andersonsbookshop.com/search/site/i%20know%20that%20bird" target="_blank">e</a> in Naperville, </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="http://Bookshop.org" target="_blank">Bookshop.org</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://www.threestorieslemont.com/" target="_blank">https://www.threestorieslemont.com/</a><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://bookmarketjoliet.com/" target="_blank">https://bookmarketjoliet.com/</a><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/uglyducklingsbykathleen" target="_blank">Ugly Ducklings by Kathleen</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">or ask for it at your favorite bookstore!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><p></p><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7975895715125837101.post-58511300990308927322023-04-04T09:55:00.002-05:002023-04-04T09:55:47.809-05:00Positively April Showers<p> by Mauverneen</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhohZPCIv3OfVqbIvysJqv1BFbOZhCQisUgGt8ZvtEX31xeeV2ArNG2Jlfq_VDrMUkRW-P8Y3arwbgp_9FrK8m31NipAetCCd3lFDQ3NR-HpHEu9ZQ7W3vzhoOSd6GXG5Pq1WnTu3ElZ36vvMgVyxWSa8zlekZ4Fpv4ZZ-ra8BaOZ04jbBulCgBXqctOQ/s960/Umbrella%20through%20the%20window.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="782" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhohZPCIv3OfVqbIvysJqv1BFbOZhCQisUgGt8ZvtEX31xeeV2ArNG2Jlfq_VDrMUkRW-P8Y3arwbgp_9FrK8m31NipAetCCd3lFDQ3NR-HpHEu9ZQ7W3vzhoOSd6GXG5Pq1WnTu3ElZ36vvMgVyxWSa8zlekZ4Fpv4ZZ-ra8BaOZ04jbBulCgBXqctOQ/s320/Umbrella%20through%20the%20window.jpg" width="261" /></a></div><p>March came in like a lion and went out roaring! But now it's April...</p><p>Those showers will bring those flowers, but it also makes the grass green, the trees bud, and even the birds seem happier. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY4RhSmJd9uZOXX5F1L-yMitsb2t8pWNVMMnYsujVrRiwhNxNZZWUN6dUAinHrENR2Pfz_tyFfekBswmeos_CLqpJXvMn3W_o6A_IO7O2GPd7IADv1UD8g-5QeifCgJP-Stu7wDu6XCyDGWILqHHT_1UsmeIw0TzPk6Yski6rWkiIuo9RmlLgTZIoCjg/s720/walking%20in%20the%20rain%20wb.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="530" data-original-width="720" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY4RhSmJd9uZOXX5F1L-yMitsb2t8pWNVMMnYsujVrRiwhNxNZZWUN6dUAinHrENR2Pfz_tyFfekBswmeos_CLqpJXvMn3W_o6A_IO7O2GPd7IADv1UD8g-5QeifCgJP-Stu7wDu6XCyDGWILqHHT_1UsmeIw0TzPk6Yski6rWkiIuo9RmlLgTZIoCjg/s320/walking%20in%20the%20rain%20wb.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE47paBaETff2edA3SUO_EHEwg6UlJSkP9_FgClpoXlu2ctlCvTxZLFHgevI1C4qex0Mz6izXkuuSkk91Oy0Rot3fJYf80wjf_F0HNaNXJhX0wsfOKo2qrJPsf6q7cWNS5yNF5pwzx9jDwHm8RHCGULlU2viW3TaGWdhd5cTtB3mxWUMm3pz4TAQts0Q/s720/Wet%20street%20wb.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE47paBaETff2edA3SUO_EHEwg6UlJSkP9_FgClpoXlu2ctlCvTxZLFHgevI1C4qex0Mz6izXkuuSkk91Oy0Rot3fJYf80wjf_F0HNaNXJhX0wsfOKo2qrJPsf6q7cWNS5yNF5pwzx9jDwHm8RHCGULlU2viW3TaGWdhd5cTtB3mxWUMm3pz4TAQts0Q/s320/Wet%20street%20wb.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Keep those umbrellas handy!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"><i style="color: #b01600; font-family: times;"><span face="" style="color: black; font-size: small; margin: 0px;">As always, words and photos are my own, and require permission to reprint.</span></i></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small;"></span></i></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div style="background-color: white; 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font-size: small;"></span></i></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small;"></span></i></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><i><span style="color: #b01600; 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font-size: 13.2px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small;"></span></i></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"></span></i></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small;"></span></i></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small;"></span></i></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span face="" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: #b01600; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: times; font-size: small;"><i>However, feel free to share the blog in it's entirety. In fact, I encourage it!</i></span></span></span></span></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small;"></span></i></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: times; 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font-variant-numeric: normal;"></span></i></div></div><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; margin: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"></span></i></div><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: center;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #b01600; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small;"><i><span face="" style="color: black;">Interested in photo prints? Contact me!</span><span face="" style="color: black;"> maureenblevins@yahoo.com</span></i></span></span></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"><span face="">See more photos at</span><span face=""> <a href="https://fineartamerica.com/art/photographs/mauverneen+blevins" style="color: #2288bb; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/1-mauverneen-blevins.html</a></span></div><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/KNOW-That-Bird-Introducing-Children/dp/B0BKRZJXRR/?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_w=90cfi&content-id=amzn1.sym.8cf3b8ef-6a74-45dc-9f0d-6409eb523603&pf_rd_p=8cf3b8ef-6a74-45dc-9f0d-6409eb523603&pf_rd_r=FBSRARY4QS3CCFMESZGV&pd_rd_wg=yT4oS&pd_rd_r=83620935-b6ac-46b8-9d96-c463556fd4d3&ref_=pd_gw_ci_mcx_mi" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1350" data-original-width="1350" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8fMhKK0OL8UzBaZKe_E-y6wzmo53eBaY15c_Bv8HadIu1qJF1bA6gzzNt6Aa9k1_7bBAMLMWQpkxrwZtcu-6MlQsrDQw4DuVl9e8MkPaRDaCLj160FwLlubf5Wtir0q_SsQsC_hFKTQOPCs9ljK0mQVXdfoOMs1WN1RG3JDV1xWi2kb1d5Oxkj9htsQ/w200-h200/Bird%20Book%20COVER%20lowres.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">My book is Available at <a href="https://www.amazon.com/KNOW-That-Bird-Introducing-Children/dp/B0BKRZJXRR/?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_w=90cfi&content-id=amzn1.sym.8cf3b8ef-6a74-45dc-9f0d-6409eb523603&pf_rd_p=8cf3b8ef-6a74-45dc-9f0d-6409eb523603&pf_rd_r=FBSRARY4QS3CCFMESZGV&pd_rd_wg=yT4oS&pd_rd_r=83620935-b6ac-46b8-9d96-c463556fd4d3&ref_=pd_gw_ci_mcx_mi" target="_blank">Amazon.com</a>,</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.andersonsbookshop.com/" target="_blank"> Anderson's Bookstor</a><a href="https://www.andersonsbookshop.com/search/site/i%20know%20that%20bird" target="_blank">e</a> in Naperville, </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://Bookshop.org" target="_blank">Bookshop.org</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.threestorieslemont.com/" target="_blank">https://www.threestorieslemont.com/</a><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://bookmarketjoliet.com/" target="_blank">https://bookmarketjoliet.com/</a><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/uglyducklingsbykathleen" target="_blank">Ugly Ducklings by Kathleen</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">or ask for it at your favorite bookstore!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I will be signing books at The Frugal Muse in Darien, IL on April 29 from 1 - 3 pm.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7975895715125837101.post-33713283957457858002023-03-14T09:21:00.002-05:002023-03-14T09:21:21.983-05:00Positively PI!<p> by Mauverneen</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkK02HLb62adMEUT5BkdgUuaVFyaFan0F598_N--WbETkVW4J7BTfh2wFDEWksyZMfhNPeDbECyWneEWVaDp3MiFp29VCZfogekHwoFLUHeNF-Q5jkNYzyOtFgcop4VU-vUTv1rMt3abREs3bG6BWb1sNXmXyHaPluY4l14Arm4-4G9zh8WBowym0Wzg/s703/Pies.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="459" data-original-width="703" height="418" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkK02HLb62adMEUT5BkdgUuaVFyaFan0F598_N--WbETkVW4J7BTfh2wFDEWksyZMfhNPeDbECyWneEWVaDp3MiFp29VCZfogekHwoFLUHeNF-Q5jkNYzyOtFgcop4VU-vUTv1rMt3abREs3bG6BWb1sNXmXyHaPluY4l14Arm4-4G9zh8WBowym0Wzg/w640-h418/Pies.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>So, it's national PI Day - otherwise called PIE day. </p><p>It's on March 14 because the date is written as 3/14 in the U.S. Math Geeks will celebrate at exactly 1:59 - where you have the first six numbers of pi - 3.14159. It's also Albert Einstein's birthday.</p><p>I'm not a math geek, in fact I'm not all that into math, but I do like to celebrate birthdays and Einstein's is a good one to commemorate. And if he would have preferred pie to cake, so be it. </p><p>The bakeries might be busy today, selling those pies. Me? I prefer to make my own. Yes, I make them from 'scratch'. I make my own crust, and my own filling. In fact I have some cherries in my freezer that seem to be calling my name right now. Yep, I can hear them. Guess I'd better get busy. </p><p>Mr. Einstein, here's to you!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA68mJ5MbVBpfqnJ9PO2mu0WzUk5gLtXCqXksqwhZFBYRkD3lUXIGlK8x9_njigFhe0Z4smqKdYhlgeA1J-xuQ2a2npJD3VzBrc_Fe_qMf7S-D3TIQ_MY23YbSzpjnXWVhEcGBitsw0YHv0VfQ2ma7z3mIgP77l7U7PviIjOYmuVnDrL0XbVIYQKqjRg/s1280/Summer%20Reno2009%20298.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA68mJ5MbVBpfqnJ9PO2mu0WzUk5gLtXCqXksqwhZFBYRkD3lUXIGlK8x9_njigFhe0Z4smqKdYhlgeA1J-xuQ2a2npJD3VzBrc_Fe_qMf7S-D3TIQ_MY23YbSzpjnXWVhEcGBitsw0YHv0VfQ2ma7z3mIgP77l7U7PviIjOYmuVnDrL0XbVIYQKqjRg/w400-h300/Summer%20Reno2009%20298.jpg" width="400" /></a><br /></div><br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBzGP0TX4hl-SZ0IWUh4fAFPOiKPhJ0gBcFWNftzmz-uipC4VuX4qWzoAxZeI-dGJCUVxnj9fTvubHKq4xCZq-KuidXHLuG0UWh_KUkx_L8kONIHzIOtoSZWmY2UwXGeEmzmryqz9Ae5UQ4fwRsYLMrV2pmq-MhlZH11WQJWX_LMxFQKiBShPYSTrMtw/s1280/banana%20pudding%20002.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBzGP0TX4hl-SZ0IWUh4fAFPOiKPhJ0gBcFWNftzmz-uipC4VuX4qWzoAxZeI-dGJCUVxnj9fTvubHKq4xCZq-KuidXHLuG0UWh_KUkx_L8kONIHzIOtoSZWmY2UwXGeEmzmryqz9Ae5UQ4fwRsYLMrV2pmq-MhlZH11WQJWX_LMxFQKiBShPYSTrMtw/w400-h300/banana%20pudding%20002.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglZ60YPz2rPTjesJvFw4XLAnvg2MBK3HDDyP3UxHqxGFGYdAXPCMUQxVsn92ZfXlxn2PSbQ28C-KQyfmAL7OrrosLvsYbl2S8gk3C4uRUSHSlUpYwOApqZW24mbDPiVOQkoRCoPVg2CamSQT36VRYKgdPdMZ0iTsyZToXNaF4esAyNeRLQp6H9m8YIag/s4752/IMG_0041.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3168" data-original-width="4752" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglZ60YPz2rPTjesJvFw4XLAnvg2MBK3HDDyP3UxHqxGFGYdAXPCMUQxVsn92ZfXlxn2PSbQ28C-KQyfmAL7OrrosLvsYbl2S8gk3C4uRUSHSlUpYwOApqZW24mbDPiVOQkoRCoPVg2CamSQT36VRYKgdPdMZ0iTsyZToXNaF4esAyNeRLQp6H9m8YIag/w400-h266/IMG_0041.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"><i style="color: #b01600; font-family: times;"><span face="" style="color: black; font-size: small; margin: 0px;">As always, words and photos are my own, and require permission to reprint.</span></i></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small;"></span></i></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small;"></span></i></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small;"></span></i></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small;"></span></i></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><i><span style="color: #b01600; font-family: times; font-size: small; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"></span></i></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small;"></span></i></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small;"></span></i></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"></span></i></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small;"></span></i></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small;"></span></i></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span face="" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: #b01600; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: times; font-size: small;"><i>However, feel free to share the blog in it's entirety. In fact, I encourage it!</i></span></span></span></span></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small;"></span></i></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"></span></i></div></div></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"></span></i></div></div></div></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><i><span style="color: #b01600; 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font-variant-numeric: normal;"></span></i></div></div><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; margin: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"></span></i></div><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: center;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #b01600; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small;"><i><span face="" style="color: black;">Interested in photo prints? Contact me!</span><span face="" style="color: black;"> maureenblevins@yahoo.com</span></i></span></span></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"><span face="">See more photos at</span><span face=""> <a href="https://fineartamerica.com/art/photographs/mauverneen+blevins" style="color: #2288bb; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/1-mauverneen-blevins.html</a></span></div><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/KNOW-That-Bird-Introducing-Children/dp/B0BKRZJXRR/?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_w=90cfi&content-id=amzn1.sym.8cf3b8ef-6a74-45dc-9f0d-6409eb523603&pf_rd_p=8cf3b8ef-6a74-45dc-9f0d-6409eb523603&pf_rd_r=FBSRARY4QS3CCFMESZGV&pd_rd_wg=yT4oS&pd_rd_r=83620935-b6ac-46b8-9d96-c463556fd4d3&ref_=pd_gw_ci_mcx_mi" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1350" data-original-width="1350" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8fMhKK0OL8UzBaZKe_E-y6wzmo53eBaY15c_Bv8HadIu1qJF1bA6gzzNt6Aa9k1_7bBAMLMWQpkxrwZtcu-6MlQsrDQw4DuVl9e8MkPaRDaCLj160FwLlubf5Wtir0q_SsQsC_hFKTQOPCs9ljK0mQVXdfoOMs1WN1RG3JDV1xWi2kb1d5Oxkj9htsQ/w200-h200/Bird%20Book%20COVER%20lowres.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">My book is Available at <a href="https://www.amazon.com/KNOW-That-Bird-Introducing-Children/dp/B0BKRZJXRR/?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_w=90cfi&content-id=amzn1.sym.8cf3b8ef-6a74-45dc-9f0d-6409eb523603&pf_rd_p=8cf3b8ef-6a74-45dc-9f0d-6409eb523603&pf_rd_r=FBSRARY4QS3CCFMESZGV&pd_rd_wg=yT4oS&pd_rd_r=83620935-b6ac-46b8-9d96-c463556fd4d3&ref_=pd_gw_ci_mcx_mi" target="_blank">Amazon.com</a>,</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.andersonsbookshop.com/" target="_blank"> Anderson's Bookstor</a><a href="https://www.andersonsbookshop.com/search/site/i%20know%20that%20bird" target="_blank">e</a> in Naperville, </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://Bookshop.org" target="_blank">Bookshop.org</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.threestorieslemont.com/" target="_blank">https://www.threestorieslemont.com/</a><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://bookmarketjoliet.com/" target="_blank">https://bookmarketjoliet.com/</a><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/uglyducklingsbykathleen" target="_blank">Ugly Ducklings by Kathleen</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">or ask for it at your favorite bookstore!</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7975895715125837101.post-61550647233206757242023-03-07T09:40:00.000-06:002023-03-07T09:40:05.143-06:00Positively Women<p> by Mauverneen</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZAp_naTddGZAXeNkcrFSX_nbXFfKKVojZW8C33slEGogEm2iTmaCqcs3zrlP8QXjcB8yGvET2s2JzQxRJ1G2KHqj-BCZJ2nmsbM0PazTii9rDHqLxb14mwFUnk0TfmsVovZ-AH2sU2ZqaNJM6P33qvrXF-Wq-9611SJPXCfY4EpBLwE1Wm-NIOyd2PA/s342/wringer.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="166" data-original-width="342" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZAp_naTddGZAXeNkcrFSX_nbXFfKKVojZW8C33slEGogEm2iTmaCqcs3zrlP8QXjcB8yGvET2s2JzQxRJ1G2KHqj-BCZJ2nmsbM0PazTii9rDHqLxb14mwFUnk0TfmsVovZ-AH2sU2ZqaNJM6P33qvrXF-Wq-9611SJPXCfY4EpBLwE1Wm-NIOyd2PA/w640-h310/wringer.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I have one of these in my basement!</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">March is Women's History Month. I've been reading a bit here and there about a few women who broke barriers, or who accomplished things only men were expected to do. Some names we are familiar with - Marie Curie, Sacagawea,</span><span face="Roboto, arial, sans-serif" style="color: #202124; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white;"> </span></span><span style="text-align: left;">Clara Barton, Rosa Parks, Amelia Earhart, Jane Goodall, Susan B. Anthony... it's a long list. But there are so many others whose names we aren't familiar with. Like Effie Hotchkiss, who in 1915 made a trip from Brooklyn to San Francisco to see the Pan Pacific Exhibition - on her motorcycle, with her mother in the sidecar. 9,000 miles round trip. In 1888 Bertha Benz made the first 'road trip' in her husband's car. She took here two sons with her to go visit her mother, who lived 65 miles away, making several ingenious repairs to the car when it broke down along the way. Hedy Lamarr, a famous actress, was also an engineer.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicsiT9SNNqSnLo6mZRvpVUsEAlH6pSpWdpx5MiVnSqlYkCTfYLIHcNGxPgAe2H58cw-p6u0PbSaz7fB7eLhyLda2mi69_B6O2JBbeSltTUnHswOhiouvudbPNp6k1cTIg-5Rh4Dzio3jz0Kqg7XZ1o1Q-AY8Arq2WBToXOLGV6duIzRYIWPaboaQIiRg/s606/filters.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="536" data-original-width="606" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicsiT9SNNqSnLo6mZRvpVUsEAlH6pSpWdpx5MiVnSqlYkCTfYLIHcNGxPgAe2H58cw-p6u0PbSaz7fB7eLhyLda2mi69_B6O2JBbeSltTUnHswOhiouvudbPNp6k1cTIg-5Rh4Dzio3jz0Kqg7XZ1o1Q-AY8Arq2WBToXOLGV6duIzRYIWPaboaQIiRg/s320/filters.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p>A woman invented Kevlar, a woman invented the dishwasher (of course!), a woman invented windshield wipers, a woman invented the chocolate chip cookie, a woman invented the inflatable life raft. A woman invented Scotchgard, a woman invented the paper coffee brewing system, a woman invented the wringer, a woman is said to have invented the circular saw - and false teeth! </p><p>There may be women in your own family who have in some way changed the world - or at least changed your world. It's a positively good thing to celebrate. </p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHbNDIjaw6O9ri1sqIDGSzaygjo1I1rACgGtB-DisyAuLXMCQM9eLltXfIzTqC_iZoCjXDLl82mLThFQgaNrrrDxaKgu2scC44dqNDEy-vYsbc4SJspk4nahek2xukVV2jMZ53rf_wZVSQaZ-eJgjU5QFpMU62WLnt3wNfaTOf3E-NMgqPJpMLg3K2Ow/s840/choc%20chp%20cookie.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="840" data-original-width="836" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHbNDIjaw6O9ri1sqIDGSzaygjo1I1rACgGtB-DisyAuLXMCQM9eLltXfIzTqC_iZoCjXDLl82mLThFQgaNrrrDxaKgu2scC44dqNDEy-vYsbc4SJspk4nahek2xukVV2jMZ53rf_wZVSQaZ-eJgjU5QFpMU62WLnt3wNfaTOf3E-NMgqPJpMLg3K2Ow/s320/choc%20chp%20cookie.png" width="318" /></a><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/KNOW-That-Bird-Introducing-Children/dp/B0BKRZJXRR/?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_w=90cfi&content-id=amzn1.sym.8cf3b8ef-6a74-45dc-9f0d-6409eb523603&pf_rd_p=8cf3b8ef-6a74-45dc-9f0d-6409eb523603&pf_rd_r=FBSRARY4QS3CCFMESZGV&pd_rd_wg=yT4oS&pd_rd_r=83620935-b6ac-46b8-9d96-c463556fd4d3&ref_=pd_gw_ci_mcx_mi" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1350" data-original-width="1350" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8fMhKK0OL8UzBaZKe_E-y6wzmo53eBaY15c_Bv8HadIu1qJF1bA6gzzNt6Aa9k1_7bBAMLMWQpkxrwZtcu-6MlQsrDQw4DuVl9e8MkPaRDaCLj160FwLlubf5Wtir0q_SsQsC_hFKTQOPCs9ljK0mQVXdfoOMs1WN1RG3JDV1xWi2kb1d5Oxkj9htsQ/w200-h200/Bird%20Book%20COVER%20lowres.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Available at <a href="https://www.amazon.com/KNOW-That-Bird-Introducing-Children/dp/B0BKRZJXRR/?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_w=90cfi&content-id=amzn1.sym.8cf3b8ef-6a74-45dc-9f0d-6409eb523603&pf_rd_p=8cf3b8ef-6a74-45dc-9f0d-6409eb523603&pf_rd_r=FBSRARY4QS3CCFMESZGV&pd_rd_wg=yT4oS&pd_rd_r=83620935-b6ac-46b8-9d96-c463556fd4d3&ref_=pd_gw_ci_mcx_mi" target="_blank">Amazon.com</a>,</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.andersonsbookshop.com/" target="_blank"> Anderson's Bookstor</a><a href="https://www.andersonsbookshop.com/search/site/i%20know%20that%20bird" target="_blank">e</a> in Naperville, </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://Bookshop.org" target="_blank">Bookshop.org</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.threestorieslemont.com/" target="_blank">https://www.threestorieslemont.com/</a><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://bookmarketjoliet.com/" target="_blank">https://bookmarketjoliet.com/</a><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/uglyducklingsbykathleen" target="_blank">Ugly Ducklings by Kathleen</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">or request it at your favorite bookstore!</div><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0