Bloomingdale

Pine Trees Know When It's Easter

Pine trees start their new growth in the weeks before Easter. If you look at the tops of the Pine Trees two weeks before Easter, you should see the yellow shoots.

As the days get close to Easter Sunday, the tallest shoot will branch off and form a cross.

By the time Easter Sunday comes, you would see that most of the Pine trees have small yellow crosses on all the tallest shoots.

(From the Internet)

Red Tree Frogs

Hang In There!

Human Statue of Liberty

This photo, taken so many years ago, actually still exists! And now, someone has put it online for all of us to see. This INCREDIBLE picture was taken in July 1918.

It is 18,000 men preparing for war in a training camp at Camp Dodge , in Iowa.

EIGHTEEN THOUSAND MEN!!!!!

What a priceless gift from our grandfathers!

(Sent to me through email by my friend, Jaci Harris.)

Tulips

History Repeats Itself. . .In A Different Tune

THEN:
A Black girl escorted to school - 1960


On November 14, 1960, nearly 49 years ago, 6 year old Ruby Bridges faced hostile crowds, and had to be escorted by U.S. Marshalls , because she was the first black child to attend previously all-white William Frantz Elementary School in New Orleans , Louisiana . Ruby was 6 years old. (The Great Norman Rockwell cr eated the painting above depicting that event.)

That morning, she had only been told by her mother that she was going to be attending a new school that day and 'had better behave.' Little did little Ruby know that she would be bombarded with jeers and even death threats; and that she would end up being the sole child in her first grade class because all the other children were kept home by their parents. All because Ruby was Black.


NOW:
A Black girl escorted to school - 2009



On January 5, 2009, nearly 49 years after Ruby attended her school, 7 year old Sasha Obama, faced cheering schoolmates as she is escorted by her Mother and U. S. Secret Service Agents to Sidwell Friends Elementary School in Washington , DC . Her Mother, the current First Lady of the United States of America , had Secret Service escort because Sasha's daddy, Barack Obama, is now the 44th President of the United States.

Snow Storm

Snowfall started on Sunday evening. We heard that weather condition would be bad the following day. Truth be told, I woke up the next day finding out that snow had continued falling since the night of Sunday.

Six inches. . . or, more. That was how deep snow would accordingly be on Monday, the 2nd day of March.

Done fixing up myself, I slowly walked to the bus stop, just across our house. Snowfall was heavy. "Snowplets" (or snowdrops?) were rushing to my face. The wind blows away snowdust everywhere. My bus didn't come. Oops! It's not snowplets, nor snowdrops. It's snowfall!

I crossed the street back home. Once inside the house, I turned on the TV for news. . . and set-up my laptop. Schools have been closed. But opening of federal government offices was to be delayed two hours. I text-messaged our Admin Officer. Asked him if it's going to be work as usual - or not! Told him I've been to the bus stop but my bus didn't come. That snowfall was heavy.

Came his reply. He was still waiting for advice from the Ambassador. Then came another text message from him. There was no advice from the Ambassador.

Fortunately, Rey offered to take me to work. I text-messaged my boss again. Told him, am on the way to the office. I found a ride.