Bargain puzzles

Besides the 5 decorating books I purchased at the Friends of the Library book sale yesterday, I bought 4 jigsaw puzzles at 50 cents each. I guess I was in the Spring mood looking at the flowers in these puzzles. I worked at the Grace Village library this morning. This afternoon I am going to start in on a jigsaw puzzle. I think I will do a 500-piece one so I can sit in my sunroom using my round table. A bit of sun from time to time breaks thru the cloud covering. It will clear out tonight which means the temperatures will drop. 34 early tomorrow morning, 33 Saturday night into Sunday morning. I am glad that I am enjoying puzzle flowers, not real ones as they would be frost nipped.

I received a letter in today's mail that the court case I was summoned to serve on as a juror was settled. I do not have to go to county court Tuesday after all.

Almost cool enough to wear the fuzzy top I picked up at the recent Grace Village Swap Shop, but I will refrain. 

Since gray is a blah wardrobe choice, I tucked in the striped scarf that belonged to my mom. I suppose I might wear a black turtleneck and add color with earrings instead. Something to put away for next fall/winter. Trying to enjoy Spring colors now.

Godiva Wins

In looking for a chocolate Easter bunny, I limited myself to those in dark chocolate. The Godiva I think we had once before; the Lindt was new to us. I liked both. My husband said the Lindt was too dark and tasted bitter to him. Keep in mind that I like semisweet chocolate. So the Godiva wins and will be next year's choice. Probably just one bunny next year, too. All this candy is starting to show up on the scale.

The pear tree blossoms are open! I saw a few neighborhood tulips not quite open. My quince bush has buds, some showing a coral tinge. Spring is really here! Quite a bit of rain in the forecast, however. I don't have much time for walking outdoors next week anyway. I have a summons to jury duty in Warsaw; I have to call the night before because the case might be settled out of court.

I went to the North Webster Friends of the Library book sale this morning. I bought 5 decorating books to desecrate by cutting out photos for my decorating folders. One is about Barbra Streisand's house decorating. I really like her style. The others are mostly cottage and country decorating. One is about using baskets in decorating, describing the many kinds of baskets. I really like baskets. If I had a beamed ceiling, I would collect and hang baskets. Now I just have to be satisfied to read about them and peruse photos.

Happy Easter

Rejoice! Jesus Is Risen Indeed!

Happy Easter

More Zappos

I used to buy many of my shoes at Carson's, either locally in Warsaw or in Fort Wayne. I would usually wait for a sale or use a coupon. I try not to pay more than $65 for a pair of shoes unless they are hiking boots or athletic shoes. Unfortunately, Bon Ton which was the owner of Carson's shut down all of its stores last August.

I ordered a pair of sandals from Zappos last week. They only took a few days to arrive. I chose these based on the description and the customer reviews. I have a pair of brown Bare Traps sandals from T.J. Max. I did wear them quite a lot; I am disappointed they are wearing out after only 3 years though. Coming unstitched and a chunk fell off the outer upper strap edge. I only paid $20 from the end of season racks so I guess I got my money's worth. The Zappos pair are to replace them.

I have never seen Soul Naturalizer. I guess it is a division of Naturalizer Shoes? I only walked around in them in my house, but so far they are very comfortable. Cushy, padded footbed, pretty good arch support. I am looking forward to wearing them soon.

They canceled the Easter egg hunt at Winona Lake park today. Rainy, windy, cold. Tomorrow morning will start out cold, but should warm up to low or mid sixties. We have a potluck brunch at church at 8:45 a.m. 

Our local newspaper the Times Union changed over this week to having the U.S. Postal Service deliver our newspapers in the mail. Supposedly a budgetary decision. Our delivery person who has been delivering for over 40 years is out of a job though. I feel sorry for her. We will get credit if the paper doesn't come in the mail, but no replacement copy like we did when the personal paper carriers brought one if missed. At least in the winter we will only have to go outside once to the mailbox, no separate newspaper run. 

Secrets of the Savanna

Though I had seen the novel Where the Crawdads Sing on best-seller lists, I knew nothing about its author Delia Owens. My sister-in-law mentioned that she had read a book by Delia and her husband about the wildlife research and programs they did in Africa.

When I saw there were 56 holds on 13 copies of the crawdad book at my local library, I decided I would look for the earlier book. As it turns out, Delia and Mark Owens wrote 3 books together, but the library had only one available: Secrets of the Savanna. Since the chapters in this book are marked as written by Delia or Mark, this would be a way to get a taste of Delia's writing style.

Secrets of the Savanna takes place in the North Luangwa National Park in Zambia. The Owens couple preferred to work in fairly isolated areas. This large park fit the bill. After securing the necessary authorizations and permits, they went to work to build a camp in the park. They, however, discovered that the park, once known for teeming wildlife, had depleted populations of large mammals. After hearing shots and discovering elephant carcasses, they realized illegal poaching had decimated these herds. 

They came to the realization that a program to end poaching would be needed so the animals (especially the elephants) they wanted to study could be reestablished. They devised quite a well-thought-out approach to helping the perimeter villages rely on other industries and crops to support the residents. The villagers had worked for large poaching syndicates hauling ivory and bush meat to outside markets. They were paid very little. The poachers dealing in ivory made the big money. An incentive to change was the recent ban on international ivory trade by the United Nations. Ivory could no longer be sold in the open, and the prices dropped.

Beekeeping, sunflower oil pressing, milling of grains, sewing of clothing, fish farming were some of the industries tried. The workers received no-interest loans from village groups supported by funds from benefactors to the Owens' foundation. 

They also provided uniforms and weapons and transportation to the game rangers who were to patrol the park enforcing the laws against poaching. 

Educational and medical services were provided by training locals as well. The midwifery courses were well-received.

The descriptions of the animals and landscape of the park as well as insights into the Bemba culture made for an interesting read.

When did Delia and Mark leave Zambia and what were they doing now I wondered. We have all heard the adage that there are two sides to a story. The truth will probably never be known. Not only were there different points of view, but some of the witnesses said one thing, then later recanted. 

The Owens were not afraid to confront powerful people. They had left their study in the Kalahari of Botswana because they made known internationally the fencing of land which prevented the large migration of animals such as wildebeest. The government felt what was best for the country (the raising of cattle) had priority over the migrations. The couple were told to leave Botswana. 

Now they had crossed poachers who had connections high in the government of Zambia. There were frequent rumors that the poachers intended to kill them. Secrets of the Savanna ends with the couple in the United States, their property confiscated by local district bigwigs who supported the poachers, and the United States government telling them not to return out of fear for their safety. The book presents all of this as illegal activity meant to drive them out. Their employees were held under "house arrest" in the villages, but since they were not Zambian, the embassies brought pressure to release them.

But there is another side which came out shortly after they left on what they said was a routine visit to the United States. It is telling that an event that may have precipitated this action against them isn't even mentioned in the book. 

The year before the Owens left Zambia, ABC filmed a documentary titled "Deadly Game: The Mark and Delia Owens Story". Mark had become more Rambo-like in his antipoaching efforts. He used his helicopter to take rangers to stake-outs, made reconnaissance flights using night-vision goggles, set off firecrackers, and supposedly encouraged the patrol rangers to beat native poachers to scare them and to get information (though statements of this were recanted later). He was so obsessed and engrossed in these efforts that he and Delia became estranged, with her taking up residence at another camp she had set up for field study. She disliked the violence, and the risks Mark took scared her. They later reconciled.

During the filming of the documentary, footage was taken of a patrol scout actually killing a poacher. The face of the scout was smudged out, and an additional shooter off-camera was not identified. Some speculated that the killing was staged. ABC denies that they stage anything in documentaries. The filming crew had been staying at the research camp, but Mark did not go out with them. The rangers were men who worked under his direction though. 

ABC used the footage the next year when they aired the documentary. Then questions were asked as to why ABC didn't report the murder. Zambia did not have a "shoot-to-kill" policy regarding poachers, though other nearby countries did. It wasn't until a photographer mentioned to another colleague that the off-camera shooter was Christopher Owens (Mark's son from his first marriage) that the perspective on Mark's and Delia's circumstances changed. 

As I mentioned earlier, recollections changed and were sometimes recanted. There was no body, and the poacher's identity was never made. I have seen on the internet a few mentions of the documentary, but the link I provide is the only detailed account. It may explain why the Owens never returned to animal research in Africa. A Zambian who had worked with them was able to obtain funds from one of their donors, and the changes in the villages continue. Poaching also seems diminished.

Mark and Delia eventually settled in Idaho, buying a large ranch in lightly-populated rangeland near the mountains. A few years ago they divorced, each living on the ranch but in separate houses. An author I thought unknown and of little importance actually has a "past". Part of this past, her field observation of social interactions in animal families/groups, has probably benefited her novel. It is unfortunate that there is a murky darker aspect of this past.

Getting Ready for Easter

As a girl in California, the special treat at Easter was a See's Candy chocolate egg. If there were a store near me, I might continue the tradition, but alas I must substitute. But I have some good subs. Dark chocolate of course. We will see how the Godiva compares to the Lindt bunny.

Yesterday I bought an Easter lily at Meijer. I tried to find one with unopened blooms. The one I picked out had one bloom just starting to open and another not far behind. This morning they are both open a bit more. I really want to have a plant full of blooms on Easter Sunday, but the timing is always tricky. I really like the patterned purple paper around the pot.

The daffies are opening up now. I had tried to replant some of the bulbs deeper last fall as the winter soil heaving had brought them partially to the surface; but I still have blind daffodils (no blooms) any way. Still it is nice to have a few cheery blooms. Now I will have to keep my eyes on the tulip plants in the neighborhood so I will know when to visit Peabody Retirement Community again for its multitude of flowers. Probably not until May this year.

Our roller coaster weather goes from 70 one day to 45-50 the next. The ten-day forecast even shows the chance for light snow. We have sat in our sunroom twice for lunch in the past week and a half with the patio door ajar to hear the bird sounds. Too windy to sit on the porch yet. 

I don't buy an Easter outfit each year like I did as a child and teen. No matter what the weather is like that day, I can just pick something out of the closet that is suitable. I am going to Fort Wayne on Friday and will look for a Springy top or blouse, but not with the idea of an Easter outfit.

In the past few weeks I have arrived at the library to find plastic bags of books one time and three boxes of books another time. The bags held large-print fiction books. The lady who was donating 8 Love Inspired books each month has stopped. I moved the non-fiction large-print books (about two dozen) to the countertop next to the Love Inspired books. That was the only way to have room for the fiction gifts. I am almost done cataloging them.

Most of the books in the boxes duplicated what we have; there were maybe a dozen keepers. I have my book truck shelves double-rowed I have so many books to process. I am busy with other things and unmotivated to spend time in the library other than to shelve returned books. It may be several weeks to clear off the book truck. I have a tablecloth draped over the truck because in spite of a sign saying not to remove items, they were disappearing. The cloth doesn't quite cover the bottom shelf. Sure enough, a book from there is gone. There are also grimy fingerprints on the tablecloth where somebody eating in the library decided they needed to explore. It is what it is. The library is accessible 24 hours a day; no way to monitor what happens.

Touches of Yellow

With rain predicted for tomorrow, I took advantage of the sunshine and 65 degrees this afternoon to walk over to the pond. As I walked, I looked for signs of spring.

One of the first houses I passed had daffodils in bloom!
It turned out they were not alone as I saw a few others also. Many daffodils had a bare touch of yellow at the tip. They should open next week.

In front of Grace Village, the daffodils were not yet open, but signs of activity in the forsythia showed.

I didn't get as many photos as I intended because I was joined by a chatty walking companion. An elderly woman was raking up leaves along the side of her house. She stopped and walked out to the road and asked if she could join me on my walk. Sure, why not?

Carolyn carried on a conversation with little input from me. She has been widowed 19 years. She is 79 years old. She was a teacher in several places and at several levels as an adult. At Malone College in Ohio she was called Schultzy, a nickname that carried over into her first job. I did mention the big tree that had blown over on top of her backyard shed in heavy winds in early March. She shared that she had scheduled someone to come look at the tree with the intention of having it taken down later that week. This was before the wind storm. She praised God that the insurance paid for the removal and she didn't have to pay anything. 

She repeated herself a lot and once mentioned that her garden tractor that succumbed under the tree needed to be replaced, but that she gave her daughter permission to spend money on a new one. Her daughter, she told me, was in charge of Carolyn's finances. A good idea I would say. Her mind is slipping some, but she is a happy person, trusting in God to meet her needs.

When we came around the loop past the pond, she seemed a little confused as to my house's location. I told her I would be going straight, but she should turn left and head back to her leaf raking and bagging. I watched until she was halfway down the block towards her home. I could hear her faintly humming a song, a hymn I think. God please watch over and protect the vulnerable I prayed. She had been lonely and put herself out there for human contact. I gladly reciprocated.

Slowly Spring Appears

At 40 degrees with morning drizzle and afternoon gray skies, it doesn't seem much like spring, but then again neither does it seem like winter.

Slowly there are signs of spring. My daffodils have not only leaves but now the flower stalks are about 8 inches above ground. The grass is greening up a bit. Lots of fat robins roost in the trees. The landscaper took the protective cones off of the rose bushes this week and removed the bright orange plowing markers from the sides of the driveways. 

Easter is 2 1/2 weeks away, and the stores oblige us with big displays of candy and toys and decorative rabbits and chicks. I even bought a Godiva chocolate bunny to unwrap and enjoy on Easter Sunday. Our church usually has a potluck brunch on that day; we haven't gone the last few years, but I think this year I will bake a breakfast casserole and join in. After church, I plan to hopefully grill a pork tenderloin (bake if bad weather); we can eat a bit later than usual. 

I was melancholy this afternoon. I thought about my Mom who has been gone about 20 weeks. My pastor is having chemo for his prostate cancer, and my niece will be starting chemo for recurrent breast cancer soon. We and our world are so broken. To change the focus, I got out my spring tablecloth and pillows for the sunroom.

 Time to think about the new life in Jesus we celebrate in spring.

Wednesday we had a first at Winona Literary Club as far as I know. Our speaker from Marcel Fund that ministers to the elderly in the Ukraine gave a very nice presentation. As she brought it to a conclusion, a guest who had Ukainian roots and was visiting at the invitation of one of our members hijacked the meeting. He stood up and started to give us a history lesson about the geopolitical events of Ukraine. Starting with the early nineteen hundreds when the Turks were a thorn in the side, he worked his way through the 1920s, 1930s Stalin oppression, and was starting in on World War II, when I politely interrupted and said we had a schedule to keep. Maybe that's why we are a women's club--no assertive insertion of our agenda on the members. ;-) 

At our next meeting we will go ahead and vote for next year's officers even though we have nobody to serve as Vice President. Originally, the soon-to-be President said she would only serve if she had a strong VP. She has decided we will cover her absences on an ad hoc basis using other officers or one of the executive committee members. She has been busily recruiting committee members and seems full of excitement about next year. That sure beats my burnout and minimal coping. I prayed much about this situation, and I feel this change of attitude and acceptance of no VP is God's answer. 

I asked my husband if we could eat supper at a restaurant tonight. Looks like it will be La Troje, a Mexican place in Warsaw. Yippee! No cooking and cleanup this evening.