(Mostly) Non-Hockey At Last: Lilacs and License Plates and Phone Calls

I've been watching and waiting for the lilacs since April, in vain (the lilac is a stealthy bush, and somehow hard to notice when not in flower). I seem to remember picking some for my mother last year when she was in town, and that would have been in April, yet there was nothing and nothing this year. Finally, a week ago, I saw the first ones, and by the beginning of this week, they were everywhere. Ahhh. So beautiful! I only have one picture, a quick from-the-car shot, to prove it:

If you want to see more, time-travel back to a few years ago, when I went nuts at the Arnold Arboretum. There are enough lilacs pictures there to make anyone happy.

Another thing I've been looking for is goslings, and the little fluff-balls are not yet everywhere. I did see some last week, as this photo proves:

I know. But look on the right side, in front of the adult, and there's one there. Or here, there's another one to the left: it looks like a yellow-ish tussock of grass:

Yeah, you almost have to take my word for it. The funny thing is, I haven't seen any since, just adults (and sometimes none at all), so who knows. They're running late this year, too, I guess.

Knitting! I don't have updated blanket photos; one of these days. Take my word for it that progress is being made. Meanwhile, last week, I made a little thing for the friend that I visited on Sunday; I wanted her to have a little something tangible to remind her of her friends and their support when no one was there. So I made two squares and stitched them together for a little pillow. One was the Heart Dishcloth pattern:

The other was the Love Cloth, the same as I made recently for a blanket contribution.

Together but separate:

And all together:

That is one crappy picture, but anyway you get the idea.

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There have been some good license plates around recently, which have not pushed their way onto the blog due to all the other angst. Like this one, which I wondered, does everyone know this at sight?

Or only those of us with Scandinavian roots? Because Svensk, that's Swedish, as confirmed by the sticker that was on the back window of this vehicle.

Then there are these two, which I saw the same day, but separately. One:

And two:

I prefer to loaf, thanks, and even that at half speed!

I also enjoyed this one:

Something about the ay-oh makes me think of this again:

To close out the plates, how about this one?

That's a Verizon truck, and yes, he was driving with a bag hanging off the back, mostly covering the plate. I keep wondering, was that on purpose, or did he get out at his next stop and say, whoops!

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I'm not a fan of making phone calls, and for a while I've been putting off some necessary making-appointments calls, but today I finally sat down and did it. It's not that hard, and I don't know why I put it off, but I do, every time. Now I have rescheduled the dentist appointment I missed over the migraine weekend, and scheduled my annual mammogram (ugh) and the car's oil change. Whee, three things crossed off the list and put on the calendar at once! And what a calendar: within a month, I'm seeing the contact lens guy, the chiropractor, the dentist, mammogram, my primary-care, the dermatologist, hairdresser ... whew!

One more call I want to make is to the Globe, to change my subscription. I've been frustrated so long with the weekday delivery, always late, often thrown among the trash cans, and now that I have the iPad, I'm going to switch to digital during the week, and only get the "paper" paper delivered on the weekends. I tried out the iPad app and the experience suits me fine, plus I won't have to wait for Mister Doofus to swing by. And, less to recycle! I think the cost is going to work out much the same, and the experience will fit my needs better. We call that win-win.

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Now, I know, I know, hockey, but I only said I'd try not to keep posting about hockey. At least this hasn't been all hockey! But two things must go here.

First on the Marek vs Wyshynski podcast Tuesday, they were thanking their guest, San Jose Sharks broadcaster Drew Remenda, and finished, "...we admire the cut of your jib." To which he promptly came back, "Thank you very much. You know what, that's never been admired before, and I've always said to people, I have terrific jib." I guess you don't get far as a broadcaster without being able to think on your feet, but it certainly made me laugh!

Second, video of Jack Edwards calling the OT goal Monday night. Man, that's never going to get old.

As Puck Daddy calls it, "expectedly animated", but I also like Andy Brickley's reaction: Brick is far less vocal a homer than Jack is, but he spent part of his playing career in Boston, and he's clearly delighted for them. And then he carefully adjusts his pocket square. While Jack lets the moment speak for itself.

Ahhh.