Spring surprise revisited

In a previous post I mentioned that I had some other irises that had buds but had not shown any color yet. Well, three more have bloomed and the last two are showing color. Of the three that bloomed one is yellow and the other two are a light yellow and purple. One of them is a darker purple and yellow than the other. They all have wonderful fragrances. I'll have to post some pictures later, when it isn't raining. It has been raining every day for almost a week now. It mainly just rains at night. We get at least half an inch of rain every time it rains. So we are having some flooding in the area. My house is still dry, thank God.

Spring surprises

I bought, and my house mate and I, moved into a house on the east side of Des Moines that had sat empty for two or three years. Since it was late fall (Halloween day) when we moved in, everything in the yard was brown and/or dead. We had no idea what the yard would look like in the spring. Two things I wanted to plant was asparagus and rhubarb. I was outside this past Monday hanging up my laundry (I have a clothes line! yay) when I looked in the corner of the backyard and saw some plants that looked suspiciously like rhubarb. When I went over to look at them I found that they were indeed rhubarb! There are six plants. Two are bigger than the rest. I think they are all in need of some fertilizer and some tender loving care. I was looking at the plants yesterday to see if they were big enough to harvest some for a pie when I noticed that some of the leaves were yellow. I did some research on rhubarb but could not find that particular problem mentioned. I'm hoping just a good feeding and some extra water will help. The Old Farmer's Almanac has a lot of good information on rhubarb and other things but they didn't have any information on yellow leaves on rhubarb. I left a comment on the site. I'll have to wait and see if it gets an answer.
I am still waiting on the asparagus. It takes so long (three years!) to get it established that HM doesn't want to bother. I am of the opinion that it will be worth the wait. We'll have to see how that one turns out.
When I bought the house I knew there was a lilac bush on the side/rear corner of the house. The only question was what color was it? My parents had three different colors of lilacs at their house. A light purple with a single bloom, a light purple with a double bloom, and my favorite, a dark purple double bloom. My mom called that an "old fashioned" lilac.
Lilac bush against house Close up of lilac.
As you can see from the pictures, my lilac is a light purple double bloom. It smelled wonderful when it started blooming but now it has faded.
I also have several irises growing and putting out blooms. This iris has a beautiful fragrance. There should be at least two more that bloom. I hope they are not all the same color. If they are, I will have to plant some different colors this fall.

What Kind of Celebrity Would You Be?

You Would Be a Smart Celebrity

You're already very well read and curious about the world. So why would that change simply because you got famous? If anything, with more money to devote to traveling and charity, you would be even more worldly. Even though you may abhor most celebrity causes, you'd probably have a cause of your own if you were famous. You just care too much not to. You'd be a celebrity in the mold of Angelina Jolie, Gwyneth Paltrow, Brad Pitt, and Matt Damon.

What Kind of Celebrity Would You Be?

Blogthings: Quizzes and Tests and Memes, Oh My!

Something fishy?

The White House has launched a new e-mail address with the purpose of getting citizens to inform on each other. The address is flag@whitehouse.gov . They want us to send examples of disinformation in the health care debate.

Here is the text of my e-mail:

"My name is Debbie Fee, I saw the message on the White House Web site and wondered when we became the society of George Orwell's 1984? You want us to inform on our neighbors and friends because they "might" disagree with the administration? I don't think so!

What happened to the first amendment? During the George W. Bush administration dissent was seen as necessary and patriotic. Now suddenly we're supposed to sit down, shut up, and just accept everything proposed? I say "No, I will not just accept something I see as wrong!" When our own president is seen on unedited video saying he wants a single payer system, I will not be silent and let this "disinformation" go unchallenged.

The truth will be known!"

The real disinformation is Mr. Obama saying he does not want a single payer system. There is video of him telling the AFL-CIO that he does want one and will work on implementing it. It can be seen here: http://www.breitbart.tv/uncovered-video-obama-explains-how-his-health-care-plan-will-eliminate-private-insurance/ More information can be found here: http://blog.heritage.org/2009/08/05/morning-bell-the-people-spreading-disinformation-about-obamacare/

The lies of this administration must be uncovered! HillaryCare was stopped, now it's time to stop ObamaCare.

The Second American Revolution

Thomas Paine, author of "Common Sense," returns to modern times to pleas for a second revolution to take back America, Now!

O Sacred Head, Now Wounded

From Tony Perkin:

Today is Good Friday. How can the worst day in human history be described as good? This is the day that Our Lord was crucified. It is the day he hung on the cross for all our sins. It is the day of darkness at noon.

The story of the last days of Jesus' ministry should be familiar to all. Knowing he would be killed, our Lord entered Jerusalem on the back of a colt. He was hailed by the multitudes, who lay their cloaks in his path, who spread palm fronds before him. "Hosanna to the Son of David," they cried. How quickly that would all change.

When Jesus was betrayed by a kiss, violent men took hold of him. He would not allow his disciples to respond in kind. Taken before the Roman Governor, Pontius Pilate, Jesus said "I have come to bear witness to the truth."

Pontius Pilate answered: "What is truth?" How many governors to this day, rulers of the earth, ask that same question? They act as if truth is all relative, a matter of perspective, if it exists at all.

Jesus feared not. When Pilate told him he had the authority to put him to death, Jesus answered. "You have no authority except that it is given to you from above."

Surely, this was the greatest political statement in history. All authority exercised by the rulers of this world comes from above. And they are responsible to God in heaven for their exercise of it, whether they know it or not. Nothing that happens on Capitol Hill is as important as what happened two thousand years ago on that hill of Calvary.

We hear much of death with dignity these days. Our Lord's death was anything but dignified. He was beaten, mocked, spat upon. They stuck out their lips as they cursed him. When he cried out in thirst, they gave him only vinegar on a sponge. Roman soldiers cast lots--they actually gambled--for his garments.

I hear that some people today prefer not to be called Christians. They tell reporters that this word has too much "baggage." Imagine the baggage--the weight of all the sins of the world--that Jesus carried along with that rugged cross.

We strive, knowing we are unworthy, but we strive nonetheless to be His followers. Being called Christian is our greatest hope. Being despised for His sake is our greatest honor. Perhaps the best words for this most sorrowful day are to be found in that timeless hymn, "O Sacred Head, Now Wounded."

O sacred Head, now wounded,
with grief and shame weighed down,
now scornfully surrounded
with thorns, thine only crown:
how pale thou art with anguish,
with sore abuse and scorn!
How does that visage languish
which once was bright as morn!

What thou, my Lord, has suffered
was all for sinners' gain;
mine, mine was the transgression,
but thine the deadly pain.
Lo, here I fall, my Savior!
'Tis I deserve thy place;
look on me with thy favor,
vouchsafe to me thy grace.

What language shall I borrow
to thank thee, dearest friend,
for this thy dying sorrow,
thy pity without end?

O make me thine forever;
and should I fainting be,
Lord, let me never, never
outlive my love for thee.

I thank you, my Lord and my God, for every breath I take. I thank you for bearing my sins and the sins of this fallen world. Make us yours forever, Lord, and let us never outlive our love for you.

IOWA WEATHER HISTORY

IOWA WEATHER HISTORY
Back in 1973, a severe storm brought high winds and heavy snow to Iowa. Belle Plain received 20 inches of snow, and 19 inches blanketed Dubuque, record totals for both locations for so late in the season. Snow drifts up to sixteen feet high closed highways.

I was 13 years old when this storm happened. I remember a snow drift across our driveway that was up to the bottom of the eaves of our house. That's over six feet high. That's the highest I've ever seen snow drifted, ever.

Iowa Supreme Court Okays Gay Marriage

The Iowa Supreme Court this morning upheld a Polk County judge’s 2007 ruling that marriage should not be limited to one man and one woman.

The ruling, viewed nationally and at home as a victory for the gay rights movement and a setback for social conservatives, means Iowa’s 5,800 gay couples can legally marry in Iowa beginning April 24.

There are no residency rules for marriage in Iowa, so the rule would apply to any couple who wanted to travel to Iowa.

Once again a judge or group of judges throws out a law that reflects the will of the people of a state. I hope the legislature will reword the Defense of Marriage Act. Since Iowa does not have residency rules, we will become a mecca of gay marriage, the Vegas of perversion, if you will. As if Vegas isn't perverted enough with straight marriage.