Beauty from nature

This beautiful specimen is a Hackberry Emperor, Asterocampa celtis.
Family:Nymphalidae
Subfamily:Apaturnae

All of this time I thought this was a moth but I discovered it is instead a butterfly. I found all of my information on the site, Butterflies and Moths of North America.

Speaking of dinner

DO not watch during dinner. This is not for the faint of heart or should I say stomach? Something old is new again. I heard about this not too long ago and thought it was crazy. Then I saw this video and well I don’t know if I still think it’s crazy or not. I know a lot of people thought electricity was crazy to so I will let you decide for yourself. This is a video explaining why a new mother would want to ingest her placenta after the baby is born and how it is done.

http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/parenting/oh-wow-turning-placenta-into-pills-for-new-moms-video-2514761/

The Stranded Alien

One of my real friends writes a great blog that I would like to share with everyone. This is completely unsolicited, he has no idea I am doing this. So when you have time run over and check out The Stranded Alien.

Really?!

Casey Anthony goes free but this soldier gets life?! WTF is going on in this stupid world?

They gave him a gun, trained him to use it and sent him out to use his best judgement in a stressful situation. Then they threw him under the bus.

I really don’t know how we can expect these people to keep on with this nonsense.

Opps sorry I forgot the link!

Ginny’s Yarn Along Wednesday (Small Things Blog)

This is a fabulous book. A must read for everyone. Especially if you know someone who has had a stroke. I know that it will be on Nancy’s (Spirit Light’s The Way Blog) favorite’s list after she reads it.

And yes the baby has been born and I am only half way through one little bootie! Or is it booty? Ok baby shoe.

Molly and the cicada

This is getting crazy.

Strengthening high pressure across the Southeast will push Charlotte’s temperatures near or above 100 degrees later this week, and one major private meteorological company predicts more of the same next weekend.

Today’s high temperatures, expected to reach the mid 90s in Charlotte, are tempered by lower humidity levels. Dew point temperatures at midday were in the mid and upper 60s across the region, keeping heat index readings below 100 degrees.

That is expected to change Thursday through Saturday, when dew point readings are predicted to climb to 70 degrees or above. And with high temperatures forecast to approach 100 degrees, heat indices could climb to between 105 and 110 degrees — the same as late last week.

Heat advisories are possible Friday and Saturday.

Forecasters say a weak cold front will cross the region Sunday, probably bringing a round of showers and thunderstorms, as was the case Monday in the area. But no significant cooling is expected for early next week.

In fact, forecasters at Pennsylvania-based Accu-Weather are predicting high temperatures above 100 degrees Friday and Saturday. The record high for Saturday is 99 degrees, set in 2002.

Accu-Weather says that after slight cooling early next week, another blast of 100-degree temperatures will cover the Charlotte region a week from Friday and Saturday.

Read more: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2011/07/27/2484894/100-degrees-this-week-and-next.html#ixzz1TL7zh5Mo

Darla and the cicada

Hey Nancy I found a live one! They remind me of trolls and fairies all rolled into one.

Fabulous Morning Surprise!

I am a grandmother for the second time as of 12:30 something last night!

I wish that I could write beautifully like so many of you but I can’t. Let me just say that she is such a beautiful little girl. She looks just like her six year old brother did. Sadly I am not allowed to post any pictures. If I did you would gush. She has lots of brown hair with slightly silver tips just like her brother did. Hopefully if will turn blond just like his did.

The baby was born in a pool at home. It was a wonderful and fast birth. Baby momma is a doula herself so she has had some experience in that area.

I was so excited to get there this morning that I almost got into an accident on the way over to their house. It’s only about three miles but I felt as if I couldn’t get there fast enough. They didn’t tell anyone when they realized she was actually in labor. They wanted to surprise everyone. They sure did since I just talked to her last night and she said everything was normal. She just thought she was having braxton hicks contractons as she had been for awhile. Imagine my surprise when my son called and gave me the news this morning. I almost didn’t answer the phone. Everyone knows not to call me before 12! This time it was worth it. I am one happy grammie.

Go big or don’t have fun

I just had what I think is a great idea. It came to me as a result of the fact that I do not (usually) like to draw or paint on a small scale. I like to use entire walls. Oh the fun! Or even floors.

So a great idea for kids is to take rolls of craft paper and “wall-paper” their walls with it. You don’t have to actually wall paper them. Just cut sheets as tall as your child can reach and use painter’s tape to tape them too the wall covering as much width as you can. The more the better. More paper, more fun. Trust me your kids will thank you for it. They will have so much fun.

If you want to keep them close to you in a certain room tear off a suitable amount and tape it one child sized sheet just long enough too entertain them for you too finish whatever you need to do. Then it can be moved to their room for show and tell. Or rolled up and taken to school for show and tell.

The kids will feel as if they really are drawing on the wall, which will make it that much more fun. That much more. Is that proper grammar? Doesn’t sound right. But the giant sheets of craft paper will feel right for you kids. Have fun.