Spring Has Sprung! or Sprang; A Week in Review

This past week has been a rich and full week.  We celebrated Easter with our neighbors with a grand cookout, celebrated with our parishioners at church, and with our family. Each night this week has been something after work and a workout before each workday.

Friday night, all across North Carolina, star gazing parties formed, peering into the night sky beyond the stars.  My wife, kids and I joined in looking at Jupiter and its four moons, the rings of Saturn,  Orion, and many other bits of the universe as part of the state wide North Carolina Science Festival. Star parties were held across the state.

Above is a picture of Saturn with its rings.

From April 5th -21st, there are events all over the state.  For example, Alton Brown of the Food Network is due to pop-in in Durham and Charlotte and discuss science in cooking.

Check out the calendar events on the link http://www.ncsciencefestival.org/

My tulips are blooming, purple, pink and many green sprouts about to burst open. Spring is here!  Spring has sprung, or sprang.  If you are a connoisseur of words, you may enjoy this link I found on words… http://www.nytimes.com/1995/07/16/magazine/on-language-how-shrunk-snuck-in.html?src=pm

If you have not yet checked out the latest episode of Doctor Who: Rings of Akhenaten, then I highly recommend you do!

Yesterday, I attended my friend’s wedding and today I enjoyed a nice run barefoot.  What a great week to be out!  Enjoy each moment, for this life is much too short!

Make It Fun!

God Bless.

http://www.exploreasheville.com/things-to-do/outdoor-adventures/stargazing/

http://naturalsciences.org/programs-events/family-stargazing

http://www.nytimes.com/1995/07/16/magazine/on-language-how-shrunk-snuck-in.html?src=pm

http://www.ourstate.com/stargazing/

Easter Smoothie

HAHA.  I crack myself up sometimes.  I thought I had published my  previous post titled “Springtime Brew”.  However, as I went in to edit it to then make a new post for Easter Smoothie, I suppose I did not make two separate posts.  Oh, well.

 

I shall recreate what I posted.

I do not eat at McDonalds, nor Taco Bell, Burger King, or pretty much ANY fast food place.  I have many reasons, but generally out of principle, I do not.  Also, we do not have normal tv, cable or satellite.  We have netflix and hulu.  Therefore, I was surprised when one of the kids asked for a “Shamrock Milkshake from McDonalds”.  I stopped into a local grocer and picked up the ingredients I assumed would be in a “shamrock milkshake”.  I found myself amazed, appauled and happy when I was told, “This tastes EXACTLY like a Shamrock Milkshake”.  So, here goes…

I took a quart of Bryers French Vanilla icecream and relocated it into my blender.  I added whole and 2% organic milk (add to the consistency of your liking), 18 drops of green food color paste from Williams Sonoma, and 2 teaspoons of mint extract.

The kids took the recipe from  my Springtime Brew smoothie and took it a step further.  They added colored sugar sprinkles.  I couldn’t help but think it looked Easter-ish.

Enjoy.

Make It Fun!

God Bless.

 

Happy Easter

Each year, I plant more and more tulip bulbs.  Tulips are perennial, therefore they continue to grow each year. This year, the cooler weather has clung to the area.  Warm days cede to cool nights.  My tulips say it is time to grow.  They poke their heads out, testing the waters and scoff in the face of subfreezing temps.

Often it is easier to stay in our shell.  It is easier to keep our heads down and go with the status quo. It is less painful to take the easy path.

Tomorrow is Easter.  As most know, it is not about candy and bunnies. It is about the love and mercy, more importantly the salvation through Jesus Christ.

I wish you the best in all you do. Make each day count.

Make It Fun!

God Bless

Springtime in North Carolina, Possibilities

There is so much to do in North Carolina with mountains in the west, large cities and the Triangle in the middle, sandhills, swamps, farmland, and all the beaches. As spring finally presents itself, right and proper, I popped down to Fayetteville near Fort Bragg, North Carolina. I spent the morning on a day hike with the family and some friends.  We set out at the Cape Fear River Trail.  Many runners, dog owners, and cyclists were enjoying the cool, moist morning.  Approximately five rain drops found their way to my skin then the clouds danced on.  Soccer players (footballers) were enjoying the morning batting the ball around and chasing it, cheering each other.  Small violet flowers were in bloom.

The path wound this way and that. The kids played tag, running here and there.  Dogs met and sniffed.

Water trickled down the hills, finding its way toward the river and eventually the ocean.

Train tracks flitted through the underbrush and eventually displayed in great grandeur a trestle bridge.

Foot paths and bridges connected the hills.

I enjoyed the morning.  Kids were pretending sticks were bow and arrows and they were as tall as trees riding on my shoulders.  My wife enjoyed a run with friends. We returned home. I put on Doctor Who; Vincent and the Doctor.  The episode where the Doctor and Amy meet Vincent Van Gogh and show him how much his life of torment has made in the lives of others. What if you could really make a difference in someone’s life? What if you could show them through your eyes and your heart just how much of a difference they make in the world? What if you could see just how important your own existence truly is?  Take a moment and think on this.

Make It Fun!

God Bless.

All the photos were borrowed from my friend at http://yerttle.wordpress.com.  I must give her the credit.  Thanks for a great day out!!