Friday, May 23, 2008

Enough About Me...

Favorite joke of mine goes something like this: Oh, I've been talking about myself all evening. You've hardly had a chance to speak. So, what do you think of me?


Here is the final lineup: Pip, Lola and Betty. No, it's not an illusion. Pip towers over her sisters. She looked much smaller in the store.

Besides a few updates from critters here at Garage Mahal, I want today's post to be all about the world outside our domain. And good timing too, because I am still in denial, shocked really, by Wednesday's news. Feh.

First order of business: Joy! It's all about connecting, this internet and blogging stuff. So, I read "No Ordinary Moment," which gives me art and insight, and from there I meet a new friend at "Clearing the Air" and she's got these 5 beautiful children, more art and insight, and she has a friend in the middle of something big: An adoption, which they have been chronicling at "The Intersection" and at their blog, where they say: "The better we tell our stories, the better we want to live them." The joy is that they have just received a green light to go to Africa and bring home their 2 children. Gee, it sounds so easy, so happy ending, but trust me it has been a long road, a real labor and I think their happy ending is really a result of their faith and dedication to making a difference in the lives of these two children. And the journey is just picking up speed. Ahead: A flight to Sierra Leone!

"Apples and Ostriches Don't Mix." Headline from the morning paper? No, it's the latest post from "Em and the Gang." Em is a North Carolina woman, "mom, wife, student, babysitter, business owner," asking, "I never have enough time for everything I want to do each day -how about you?" I hear ya, Em. I hear ya!" If I mention her awesome giveaway, you might win the apron that I covet... such a dilemma...


I promised critter updates. You've heard about our 3 chicks and my daring madness, but we haven't said much about the tadpoles in a while. They are growing. We can count about 12 of them in our aquarium-pond. The smallest ones still look like little sperm or big sperm, to be more accurate. The larger ones, the ones that were starting to form legs, now have actual back legs. It's strange, because the legs were fused just beneath the tail and then I noticed that they just sort of separated, unfolded, and now they are fully formed little froggy legs. It's so cool!


Metamorphosis is strange and wondrous.

While we are on the subject of "critters," check out this critter! As a certain blogger would say, "Oh, my stinkin' heck!" That statement will make more sense if you actually follow the link and see for yourself the big, angry opossum Heather caught in her backyard. She wrote all about the "not so cute" critter in her most recent post, and the fun continues when you read the comments her readers left behind. It seems there are 2 camps in the 'possum debate, and "DaisyCake" left some well informed facts and tidbits about opossums.

Did you know:
"*Possums date back to the days of the dinosaur?

*they are N. America’s only marsupial?

*unlike rats, (and much like cats) they are fastidious and groom themselves?

*Opossums are extremely resistant to disease. They very rarely, if ever, carry rabies.

*Opossums are sometimes referred to as the sanitation engineers of the forest. They help to keep the environment clean by consuming carion and all kinds of bugs, including ROACHES (shout out to East Texas!). They help gardeners by consuming snails, slugs, and other destructive creatures. They also catch and eat rats."

Of course, Heather makes the very good point that 'possums eat chickens, so I don't know how much good will I have toward the giant one that lives in our backyard. By the way, Heather is an amazing person, great web-designer and all around fun blogger; not limited to 'possum wrangling!

Yesterday I met a new (to me) blogger, his name is Adrian and his blog is "Baldy's Blog" He has a story to share and a message that needs to be spread. I have to warn you: He's cute looking, even bald. And, his story is hard to read. He is fighting for his life, and sharing the journey. The internet and blogging are all about connecting and so is life on this planet. We are all connected and Adrian has reminded me of this in a very heartbreaking and inspiring way. Please help me share his story so that we can put our blogs to their best use: Spreading support, news, love, information and connections in the real world.

7 comments:

nikkipolani said...

I can't have chicks, but I can have lots of friends with chicks! Thanks for sharing yours with the world, Natalie :-) (p.s., did you get any rain? Did Maria get out her boops?)

Anna Banana said...

I think you should get a goat so that Gary Bob won't feel so bad about kicking you out. Get two!

Laura Jane said...

Baldy's blog is absolutely inspiring Natalie. Thanks so much for the link.

What a brave, sensible young man.

I admire his decision, and hope I would have the courage to make the same one.

Gives us all some perspective hey?

amy smith said...

oh natalie... thank you so much. for caring, for loving, and for getting it.
i cried all over again reading your words about jody and andy. they are amazing, and i can't wait to get my hands on zeke and kora! so happy we "met"!

Tarie said...

Dang, those chicks are cute and those tadpoles are cool. :o)

I checked out the critter link. That possum is scary! I don't like it! Waaahhh.

Dallas said...

Your RSS feed is finally working for me, so I'm backreading a bunch of your past posts. Your chicks are adorable - Pip definately has a unique look to him. And great shots of the tadpole - it's hard to shoot through glass.

OMSH said...

Awwww...you are too kind. I think I need a new shirt that says "Opossum Wranglers UNITE!"

Yep, I totally see that in my future.

Your chicks are beautiful. We want to incubate a few soon, but I've got to save for an incubator first.

OR...I DO have a birthday coming up! How many mommas ask for eggs and an incubator for their birthdays?