I wonder what Midnight is up to today.  I have the feeling that he is keeping an eye on me, watching my every move.  Where can he be?

Let me know if you should see my little guy.  Please.

The effect in the photo was created using Photofunia.  I have had quite a bit of fun using the various effects.  You also want to visit the lab (click on tab) and perhaps the blog.

I plan to use Photofunia in the preparation of photos for a video presentation for an upcoming wedding reception.

² Very early on Sunday morning, just at sunrise, they went to the tomb. ³ On the way they were asking each other, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?” ⁴ But as they arrived, they looked up and saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled aside.
 ⁵ When they entered the tomb, they saw a young man clothed in a white robe sitting on the right side. The women were shocked, ⁶ but the angel said, “Don’t be alarmed. You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead! Look, this is where they laid his body. ⁷ Now go and tell his disciples, including Peter, that Jesus is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there, just as he told you before he died.”

  ²² And they brought Jesus to a place called Golgotha (which means “Place of the Skull”). ²³ They offered him wine drugged with myrrh, but he refused it.
 ²⁴ Then the soldiers nailed him to the cross. They divided his clothes and threw dice to decide who would get each piece. ²⁵ It was nine o’clock in the morning when they crucified him. ²⁶ A sign was fastened to the cross, announcing the charge against him. It read, “The King of the Jews.” ²⁷ Two revolutionaries were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left.
 ²⁹ The people passing by shouted abuse, shaking their heads in mockery. “Ha! Look at you now!” they yelled at him. “You said you were going to destroy the Temple and rebuild it in three days. ³⁰ Well then, save yourself and come down from the cross!”
 ³¹ The leading priests and teachers of religious law also mocked Jesus. “He saved others,” they scoffed, “but he can’t save himself! ³² Let this Messiah, this King of Israel, come down from the cross so we can see it and believe him!” Even the men who were crucified with Jesus ridiculed him.
 ³³ At noon, darkness fell across the whole land until three o’clock. ³⁴ Then at three o’clock Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” ³⁵ Some of the bystanders misunderstood and thought he was calling for the prophet Elijah. ³⁶ One of them ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, holding it up to him on a reed stick so he could drink. “Wait!” he said. “Let’s see whether Elijah comes to take him down!”
 ³⁷ Then Jesus uttered another loud cry and breathed his last. ³⁸ And the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom.
 ³⁹ When the Roman officer who stood facing him saw how he had died, he exclaimed, “This man truly was the Son of God!”

They can wound, and they can heal.  They can tear down, and they can build up.  They can introduce sorrow, or usher in joy.  Our words do matter.  Not only what we say, but how we say it.

Do you think about your words and their delivery before you speak or write?  It makes a difference.

The following video has been called to my attention a couple of times recently by friends.  I’m glad they shared it with me.

The calendar says it is spring.  The longer days say it is spring.  The sunrise and sunset, having both moved northward say it is spring.  Everyone is ready for spring.  There is only one glitch in the lovely scenario.  The weather.  uiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiij  Oops kitty on the keyboard . . .

As I was saying before Midnight tried to help, the weather is not acting like we think it should in the spring.  Sunday morning, I looked out the kitchen window.  An eighth of a mile north it was snowing, but it wasn’t snowing here at the house.  It wasn’t the first time I’ve seen the boundary between dry air and precipitation.  But why did it have to be snow?

Monday morning, I woke in the recliner — I frequently finish my night’s sleep in the recliner.  I looked out the dining room window and saw what appeared to be foggy morning.  I arose and put on my glasses.  Oh!  That wasn’t fog.  It was snow.  Fortunately, it was gone by late afternoon.

This morning (Tuesday), it is struggling to reach the mid 30s.  A good day to sit in front of the computer with a warm cat on my lap or spread across the desktop in front of the monitor.

To lift my spirits, and hopefully yours, I offer the following photos of flowers from around the house and barn.

The snowdrops grow on the west side of the barn.  For that reason, they are late to bloom.

These crocus are also in the morning shadow of the barn.  The yellow crocus beside the house bloomed a few weeks earlier.  But these are worth the wait.

The hyacinths beside the holly bush near the house are a bit slow to bloom this spring.  I understand their reluctance.  I wouldn’t want to get out of my bed in this kind of weather either.

Daffodils are in full bloom.  It took patience to capture this shot.  The wind was very strong on this day, as it has been for several days now.  There are also some miniature daffodils in the flower beds too, but the wind blows them around too much for me to capture a good image.

Okay, I’m feeling better now.  Pretty spring flowers and kitty dozing on my desk have me feeling fine.  I hope you are having a good day.

Ready in just a few more weeks

What refreshes you?  Gives you a lift?  Physically?  Mentally?  Spiritually?

Some find refreshment in a hot cup of coffee, tea or chocolate on a chilly morning.  It could be some ice cream on a hot afternoon.  What can top a cool glass of clean clear water when you are thirsty?

That hot cup of brew is fine on a chilly day, but not so great when the temperature and humidity are hovering around the 100 mark.  Right?  And do you really want that ice cream when you are standing outside in a wintry gale?  I don’t think so.

One aspect of life here in the blogosphere that I’ve come to appreciate is the general lack of sharp words and snarkiness.  That is especially true of the bloggers I visit regularly and that leave comments here.

If you read this blog regularly, you know that I’ve just gotten over a cold.  It was not the typical cold that I’ve experienced many times in the past.  I didn’t have terrible congestion in sinus or chest areas, but my major muscles ached and I felt very weak.  It sapped not only strength, but spirit as well.  I was feeling low.

And then our friend Shark left a comment on yesterday’s post.  It really wasn’t that much.  And to the rest of the world it would surely appear to be a polite and friendly comment in the form of an observation.  To me it was pure poetry — based not on rhyme and rhythm, but on simile and contrast.  Poetry that was an encouragement to me and that said things were going to be better.  It was exactly what I needed to hear.

In Proverbs 25:11 the Bible says, “Like apples of gold in settings of silver is a word spoken in right circumstances.” (NASB)

The Psalmist’s prayer was, “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my rock and my Redeemer.”  (Psalm 19:14 — NASB)

Doesn’t it make you feel good to know that you have friends who are trying to live like that?

At least the rain has stopped for a few hours.  Sure is nice to have a sunny day.

The rain is forecast to return this evening and continue through Sunday.  Temps are mild today and should be warm tomorrow.

Now if this bug would just leave.  I’m doing a bit better, but still short on energy.  Hope you enjoy a great spring weekend.

Yesterday was a rainy day.  Tomorrow promises to be a repeat.  Some relief today — it is only gloomy.

I’ve got a cold or some kind of bug that has left me coughing, tight-chested and achy.  No energy left to write more that these few lines.  I know where there’s a nice recliner and a warm cat to sit in my lap.  Here’s hoping you have a good day.

I envy this little guy today.  It is a chill and rainy day and I’m suffering with a cold.  I’d like to curl up in something warm and cozy and have a nice long nap.  That would be good!

Last Friday, Rebecca posted this article on her blog The Older Geek.  The post title is How to Tell if Your Blog Has Been Hacked.  That happened to me last year.  Some hacker or hackers added malicious code to this blog and to a few Websites that I manage.  It was a painful process and terribly embarrassing to have visitors greeted with a message warning of possibly malicious content.

Fortunately, I was able to eliminate the malicious content, but it took a couple of days.  I also changed user names and passwords.  I do not store passwords on my hard drive.  I have them organized in a notebook, but an extra thumb drive or memory card would also work well for that.

I have since switched to AVG free anti-virus program.  I am very pleased with that.  For safer browsing, I use Ad Aware, which blocks and warns the user of malicious code on a Website.

When you go to Rebecca’s, The Older Geek, take some time and browse through the other posts that you find.  I think you’ll find it not only interesting but very helpful as well.

Did I tell you that I really envy that kitten today?