i HATE snails (and I never, ever say the word HATE)

I know your looking at this picture of the snail to my left and thinking, oh how cute, look at those little antennaes and the cute graffiti on it's shell, you may even think that you want to have one for a pet. I know my kids do. My kids actually kind of like snails. In fact my kids have even had snail races on rainy days shouting and cheering their li'l snail champion on as they sluggishly slime their ways across our cement patio. But let me tell you. These little vandals of the animal kingdom are criminals. CRIMINALS! And they aren't as slow as you think they are. They are speedy and focused when it comes to destroying your garden.

Hey, I am a believer. I know that everything on this earth was made for a purpose. I know that God is wise and all knowing and I trust him, but boy am I confused when it comes to snails. I know there must be some reason for snails, besides being a French delicacy (ho, ho, hoooo zey like to eat the escargo), but for the life of me, I can't figure out what it is. They are slimy, creeper, over eaters. Really! they are major breakers of the seventh of the deadly sins -- Gluttony. I mean how many plants can one snail eat in the course of 8 hours? And don't give me that line that it's all greens of little calories so they can eat as much as they want. NO!! No way.

Its about time someone stand up and say enough is enough.

When I put a sweet, healthy dahlia in the ground one afternoon and wake up to nothing but the stems the next morning, I think it is okay to say that that snail over ate. These unwelcomed guests completely took advantage of my hospitality and I say it is about time they hit the road literally, hit it hard, with a crushing blow. I detest these varments so much that when I see one in my garden, I pick it up and hurl it over my house to the street. I don't have the guts to step on it... but I have no problem chucking it out to oblivion...really just over the fence into the street but to a snail that is like galaxy away... haven't you seen Bugs Life? In the past I have had a passive aversion to the snail. I turned my nose up at them, like the french would American french fries (which I love by the way) not giving them too much of my energy but not approving either, in my best french accent"oh escargo, I find you slimy and gross, I don't like you. Poo-poo to you." disliking but not with passion. But after I tucked my sweet dahlias in their beds and came out a couple of days later, to find them stripped down like a cadillac on the south side of Chicago, I have become impassioned, crazed even, like the french love their cheese but only opposite. I curse the snails that munch my plants like Agustus gloop loves chocolate. those snails congregate around my plants like Norm sits at the bar at Cheers sucking down beers. They leave nothing left-- eating my plants like Choncho loves chips. They are relentless, destructive and vandals of the highest order.

How do I get rid of them? There is that deadline poison. You basically poor black tar out of a spout around your plants and when the snail touches it they die. That is effective and kills on contact. But it doesn't get to the root of the problem and it's ugly. If you want to get rid of these pesky snails you need to invest in another snail called a descollate snail. These snails look the same as their cute cousins, but have a conical shell. They eat the eggs and young of the bigger plant eating snails. They are snail assassins and I love them like the french love their wine. oh la la. You can purchase them here. These snails cut down the snail population in my garden ten fold. After a year or so it was hard to find a snail in our yard and when we did they were of the descollate variety. So purchase your little descollate snail army and bounce those unwanted guests out of your garden. You'll be glad you did. I need some new recruits. I am calling in the reserves asap.

Lily Grace

With a heart of gratitude I can honestly express my joy in knowing this beautiful young woman brings much honor to her family.
We are so proud of our Lily
her tender heart,
her kind way, her nurturing spirit,
her diligent work ethic,
her playful personality
Her competitive spirit
Her joyful disposition
Her goals for the future. Lily, we are very pleased with you and your choices. We know your good works and your good heart. We love you dear daughter, how honored we are to be your parents. Love you.

Hope

"Craguns" Mn 2008

We can all use more rainbows

"NEP" November 2008

To get us through the storms of life

"Craguns" MN 2008

To purge our pain,

Minnesota July 2008

And dash our sorrows.

Craguns MN, July 2008

with life giving light.

"The Montage" at Laguna Beach Owen's 4th birthday 2008

So instead of chasing sunsets,

"The Hill" September 28th, 2010

through cloud choked skies of night,

Millikin February 27, 2010

hunker down and wait

La Jolla June 15th 2010

my dear ones

Mitchell's 19th birthday 2009

for dawn's blushing light

6:45 am January 22, 2010

Glory Be Spring

We concluded our spring break with a day at Laguna Beach. It was an amazing day with temps int the high 70's and beautiful clear skies. My friend Kristine Woolf took some picks I would like to share.





I took some shots of my own:

The boys made a crab palace or a couple crabs they found

One of the many hermit crabs found

All the kids enjoyed playing Zim Zam

Will looked at each tide pool very closely, sometimes too close.

Meeting March

March 21 is his birthday.

March, who was named after his birthday month;

March, who was born in a stable because they didn't have cars back then;

March, who became a jockey and rode with Shoemaker.

In the early morning of my son's baptism, when the clock struck 12, I found myself at Ralphs fetching ingredients for an additional entre I decided to add for the luncheon the following day. Shopping at Ralph's at midnight is peaceful. There you are, all alone, just you, the click of your heels on the cement tile floor, the supermarket music,the checker standing sleepy eyed behind his register. Of course although I went for just two items and decided against a cart, I noticed the sale items and so my arms were heavily loaded as I approached the check stand, and this was the first time I noticed him, March, a little elf of a man in a blue hooded sweatshirt standing around 4 foot tall. His hood covered his head to protect it from the scattering rain that had been evident through out the night. He was standing at the foot of the check stand chattering happily with the checker. I unloaded groceries from my arms and asked the checker where I could find Pepperoncinis. Both Checker and hooded box boy, turned to face me with smiles on their faces as the checker motioned with his finger and told me to head to aisle 14. As I left I thought first about this older gentleman working such late hours and pondered how tough things are for people who never seem to be able to retire anymore. Although he was old and working, I was impressed with his attitude. He seemed to be happy, and why wouldn't he I guess, he had a job and they are getting harder to find, I should know.

I returned with the peppers in hand to more chattering and smiles from the supermarket duo, I surveyed the groceries and realized I had forgotten the napkins, "Where can I find napkins?" again the checker turns to me smiling to instructs me to head down aisle 6. "Thanks." I say, As I turn to find the napkins I hear a voice say, "You don't look a day older than when I first met you!" I could tell it came from the hooded man with the hump. I found that statement interesting since this is the first time that I had ever met either of them.

Upon returning to the stand the checker motions to the little hooded man hunched over and says" He says that he helped you out about 6 months ago. He has met you before." I looked over and March was smiling at me. "Really?" I replied, I don't remember him helping me before."

"Yes, I helped you with your groceries, and you don't look a day older..." Oh stop with that one liner I thought. Sheesh! They both continued to chatter as I surveyed my groceries passing over the scanner and thinking of the things I still needed to get to done. As I was about to pay, March asks "May I help you out?"

"That's okay. I have it." I never accept help from the box boys and I wasn't going to make this old gentleman go out either.

"No," he replied, "I will help you out." He seemed harmless, although a bit confused. I looked over to the checker who said, "He likes to help all the customers out." I was able to discern that March did not actually work there, but hung out there to chat with the employees and help the customers.

"Alright," I state, "thank you very much." Hunched over, he began pushing my cart of which he was barely able to see above the handle bars. A little uncomfortable, I began to make conversation, "Wow you are up late tonight."

"Oh I never sleep," March says with enthusiasm.

"You don't?" I ask surprised

"Nope" March replied definitively. How can he function on no sleep? At this time I am thinking that March needs to earn some extra money and so decide that I will tip him for his effort. On the way to the car March begins talking about the rain. "I love the rain. It blesses this world, this amazing world and blankets it in green. It is beautiful. I love to be out in the rain." I nod in agreement.

"This is my van," I say smiling, "let me unlock it and then I can load."

"No let me get those for you," March says with a sincere desire to help out.

"Thank you," I say feeling a little awkward, and then March begins to express his love for Spring.

"I love Spring. I was born in the Spring, on the first day of Spring, March 21" and this is when he introduces his name to me, "March, my name is March. I was born in a horse stable because we did not have cars then, only horses, on March 21st I was named March for that reason." I nod my head interested. "I love Spring. It is a beautiful time of the year. It is full of beauty and color, and new growth. It is a time when the earth is reborn when new babies are born, it is God's greatest season, a celebration of all his creations." I am smiling as I listen to this little man bear testimony of the earth and Gods hand in creating it. He looks up at me with his dark eyes that twinkle with the little smile wrinkles. He waves his crooked hands into the air as he joyfully describes how spring is a season of love, how the birds are mating, all the animals are mating, all the bees are pollinating to make new, to regenerate, to bring to pass new life again. He states that he is Navajo, and that his people have reverence for the earth and all that it offers. As I listen to March. I feel an immense appreciation for him and the love that seems to exude from him as he shares his feelings with me while we stand out in a misty February night.

It is at this time that a car pulls up and unrolls the window. tilting my head to look in I notice that it is an older couple that was also roaming the aisles in Ralphs. The woman, who was driving, leans over and says, "Is everything okay?" She is looking at me. I understand that she is concerned for my safety and I shake my head yes, March leans toward the couple smiling and says, "Yes, Yes, things are well, we are well, and bless you that you are well, healthy and happy on this beautiful night. Drive home safely and God Bless You." The couple look to me again, they are smiling now , we then exchange waves of good bye and they leave.

March continued to share a bit of his life with me. How he was a jockey and rode with the likes of Shoemaker and how they looked exactly alike and they often confused the sports writers. He shared his love of riding and his passion for horses. Everything he shared was done with an expression of love and gratitude.

Because it was late, because I had to get home and still start this second entre and it was past twelve-thirty, because I really shouldn't be out at that late hour, I had to cut our conversation short. I felt badly because I could tell that March enjoyed the company and I enjoyed his stories. The groceries were in the trunk and I grabbed my wallet to give March a tip. March smiled and waved his crooked hand and said, "No, no, no. I did it because I wanted to help. Here, this is all I need," and he held out his hand to shake mine.

I reached out and shook his hand and said, "Thank you." reverently smiling.

"Your welcome, and God bless you." and with that he took the handle of my cart and began pushing it back to Ralphs. I slowly backed out and began heading home feeling joyful at the opportunity to meet March and to hear his testimony, his love for his Father in Heaven and his beautiful creations. I felt lifted by all the love he expressed. I will never forget him, that little elf of a man, hunched over in a hooded sweatshirt, who looked up at me with bushy eyebrows, dark eyes and smile wrinkles.