Thursday, February 24, 2011

I am not lazy

The conversation I just had with my husband went like this:

ME: This is a goldfinch, right? (Showing him the photo on my laptop).

HIM: We have a stack of bird books right over there on the windowsill.

ME: But you’re sitting right there and you already know the answer.

HIM: I’m not telling you. Go get the book.

ME: Are you kidding me? You’re not telling me? I’ll just look it up online if you’re going to be like that.

HIM: Are you kidding ME? You can’t even get up and walk across the room?

ME: You can’t even say yes or no?

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American goldfinch

Realizing this could get even more ridiculous, I would like you to know that I got up off the couch, walked all the way across my living room, got that book, brought it back to my comfy, cozy seat and looked it up. I already knew it was a damn goldfinch, but I just wanted to make absolutely sure.

And I wanted to prove that I am not totally lazy.

And while I had the book open, I checked to make certain that the little woodpecker that I was posting below was exactly what I thought it was.

 

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Downy woodpecker (female)

And I was correct.

My husband is the birder in the family and although I have learned much over the years because of him and his love for his aviary friends, when I’m posting about something, I want to make sure I’m right.

Maybe I rely on him too much at times.

: : :

This afternoon, my office phone rang. It was one of my co-workers who had already left for the day. She told me that she’d just driven by a local florist who had a sign out front that said, “IF YOUR NAME IS KATE, COME INSIDE AND GET A FREE ROSE.”

I want to thank my co-worker (thanks, Sue) for telling me about this.

 

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I have a pretty pink rose to show for it.

: : :

So . . .

What are your plans for the weekend? Inquiring minds and all, you know . . .

123 Signature

46 comments:

Country Gal said...

I hear ya , some times Hubby and I do the same thing. Lovely photos.
We are to be getting hit with another snow storm tomorrow and through out the weekend. Miggy is getting better but she still needs watching to make sure she doesnt hurt her self so basically just hanging around in side , maybe watch a few movies, or read or I may even do some baking what ever tickles my fancy ! Have a great weekend!

thecatalanway said...

Love this post! You know we had a similar discussion yesterday -
Me - Can you ring the phone people for me about my new mobile?
Him - no you can do it.
Me - it's so much easier for you. Maybe I won't understand what they say
Him - you speak good enough spanish and you need to practise
Me - I can't believe you are refusing to help me when it's easy for you
Him - you can do it yourself

So, I did. but felt peed off for a while!
Maybe there is something in the air telling us to get up and do it for ourselves!

And, the birds are gorgeous - i am so envious as there are hardly any here in town.
Great idea to have roses for Kates!

Am I the first commenter today? Yippee!
Kate in Catalunya x

Alli said...

that's lovely! What a beautiful rose and a kind shop owner. Your photos of the finch and woodpecker are great too. I'd be more likely to ask the internet than look it up in a book although I'd have a few things to say if he wouldn't just tell me the birds....Haha.

Dar said...

I do believe, we have all had these challenging moments with our guys. They just like to see how far they can take it before we, just get up and figure it out for ourselves. You know what they say, "If you want a job done right, do it yourself."
It's a guy thing. Glad you didn't get all tied up about it, and even more glad you got the Kate rose today.
BlessYourHeart

TexWisGirl said...

As usual, your bird shots are stunning - regardless of whether you properly i.d. them yourself or with (ahem!) assistance. :)

What a great and odd marketing technique for a florist! Just random names to promote and spread some joy. Pretty smart.

michelle said...

Oh my gosh I am in love with that little downy woodpecker! Too cute for words!

Martha said...

My florist, in Sunset Hills, Mo., puts a name out every week to give a free flower to. I thought it was his idea - I guess it is a florist thing. I'm always so happy to help - I loved to be asked - but men (my husband too) just.....

Hilary said...

Ah yeah, Google exists because of stubborn husbands. ;)

Love the rose idea.. how sweet is that?

Dawning Inspiration said...

Ah - men....what would we do without their stubborness??? ;o)

Awesome choice on that rose - my favorite color of roses!!! ;o)

Beautiful job photographing it too!

mrs mediocrity said...

well, at least you got a rose... men. hmmmph.
i love downy woodpeckers, they are so cute and friendly.
this weekend is my husband's birthday, i still don't have a gift for him, i am stumped this year. but i am taking him to our favorite restaurant for lunch.

nancy in ks said...

Holy Toledo woman! Your photos just get better and better.

Loved your story.

Do you mind sharing what you use for backgrounds, such as with today's rose and with the calla lillies the other day?

Country Girl said...

Oh, well thank you Nancy in KS. (And to everyone else).
Today's rose? Well, I took it outside and stuck it in the ground. It still had the little water pick thing and it stuck well. I used the white of the snow as the background. I layered a Florabella texture over it on a multiply blend mode. Then I layered one from Kim Klassen called 'framed'. I don't remember the blend mode. I brushed the texture off the rose on each layer.

For the calla lilies the other day, I shot them against the blue of a windowsill and used a Florabella texture with scratches, brushing off the texture from the flower.

~ C.G.

Donna S. said...

That sounds like a typical conversation.

It is pouring rain & tornado warnings around us right now. I don't have to watch the grandkids tomorrow.....I may hibernate!! I need to run to JoAnn's & get some material to line a purse I knit. I want to do a little weaving-I have some waffle weave dish towels on the loom. We will see!! :) Have a great weekend Kate.

Nancy Grossi ~ Churned In Cali ~ The Wife of a Dairyman said...

I think I would have gotten up, walked across the room, picked up the book, walked back to the computer and then looked it up online! Cheers:)

Unknown said...

I'm glad you got your rose,
and then shared it.
That's what you do without fail.

Thank you .
Your heart is the real deal , Kate.

Deb said...

Great story...good to know others have the same conversations....love the marketing technique...and you were so lucky to have the right name...

From Beyond My Kitchen Window said...

I think its the same in everyone's house. Too funny!

Mrs Catch said...

That sounds like my hubby and me!. The photos are gorgeous. It's also interesting seeing bird-life from another country.

Cloudia said...

Funny, we couples!




amazing rose




Aloha from Honolulu,


Comfort Spiral

><}}(°>

Andi said...

As little as possible!! :) Daughter has an appt. Saturday, so errands will be done. Hubby and I have a "date" sat night at our new favorite Italian place, well HIS new favorite Italian place but when the guy says, "We are going out to dinner", who am I to argue!? And frankly, I have to agree, it is good. Sunday, nothing on the calendar...hoping to maybe get out for a nice walk..maybe exercise the camera a bit...

PS we have a yellow bellied woodpecker that visits our feeder. I believe we have watched him grow up, it was tough to identify him at first, but as he has matured it has gotten easier...and I had no idea they do actually make a noise other than tapping! Duh. He was in the small Kusko(sp) dogwood outside my bathroom window last week, circling the tree trunk and squawking. It is a very well alive tree, not sure what he was doing, but he did it two mornings in a row....usually he sticks to the feeder.

Anonymous said...

this had me laughing as did most of your friends here. It must be in the moon for men these days. My Man is just Plain MOODY. It's in the air and it happens every spring. I even got him recognizing that he gets this shortness about him every single spring. Is it the sap rising?
Love the rose for Kate, you deserve it.
and one of these days (way down the list as long as you keep doing them) I will learn the layering trick you do soooo well. Love your blog
peace n abundance,
CheyAnne

Chesapeake Bay Woman said...

For some reason I feel like stomping on a watermelon plant.

Instead I will revel in the fact that the world deemed today Give a Free Rose to Kate Day.

All is right with the world now.

nancy in ks said...

Thank you so much for your background and PS secrets.

I forgot to say what I'm doing this weekend. I have no idea, but I'm feeling closed in and would really love to drive out into the country and sit in a field for awhile. The weather does not look like it will cooperate though.

Low Tide High Style said...

I only have one question, did you then beat him with the book?! ;-) hehe

I love the photos and how come there is never a sign out at my local florist saying if your name is Katherine, Kathy, or Kat, come get a free rose...I could qualify for any one of those names!

Kat :)

Char said...

out taking photographs if this beautiful weather holds up. :)

Bluebird49 said...

Hmmm-you mean if 20 Kates had come by--they'd have all gotten a free rose??? Or just our Kate?? Either way---awesome!

My husband asks me when he's calling friends (with his hand over the phone), "HEY! What's his wife's name again?"

And, since my memory is kinda bad-- I just tell him I'm pretty sure my names isn't HEY. (But at least I always remember the wive's names of whomever he's calling.)
I just can't imagine I would have walked across the room to show I wasn't lazy...but, that's because I really AM lazy.

I got a picture (a very bad one) of a what I think might be a male goldfinch ---was that one you took a female? I so very badly want a telephoto lens...and maybe new glasses wouldn't hurt. :)

Caroline said...

LOL...you really walked all the way across your living room? I am sure it was exhausting! Your husband is a stinker. :)

Hmmm...weekend is just going to be chill...we have a big storm rolling in (which means I will finally get around to organizing!).

JacksDad said...

When they have a 'if your name is tall guy, come by and get a free car' would you call me? Thank you! :)

Sweetpea said...

Well now, it appears that BOTH our husbands are prone to severe cases of cranky pants. geesh. We might be accused of getting our knickers in a twist but there ain't nothin' to compare to trousers with the trots, if you catch my meaning.

Beautiful birds. Thanks for taking the time to do all that leg work ;>]]

ahomespunyear said...

We're very interested in the birds we have around our garden,something I've always loved, being brought up on a farm, but now my husband is really keen too. So it's great to see your pics.
And how lovely to get a rose!

Skeletalmess said...

Being the only male in attendance, I'm not sure if its a wise choice to leave a comment! LOL!

I think we all have these "hen pecking" moments, and I'm sure most of us have a laugh about it later.

First off, I'm glad to hear you're safe, safety above all else. The intestinal fortitude it took to make it all the way across the living room must have been a near death experience. ;-)

Secondly, hubby must have had a bowl of extra cranky for breakfast.

But in the end you came out smelling like a rose.

Lovely captures my dear.

Marcie said...

Gorgeous images. And - you made me laugh - describing the dialogue between you and he!

My Mind's Eye said...

Your conversation with hubby reminded me of ones I had with my Mom as a child.
I'd ask my mom how to spell a word...her reply was 'look it up'.
My reply was but I can't spell it?!

What a pretty rose wonder how many they gave out?
Madi and Mom

Karen thisoldhouse2.com said...

LOL... he had you at "We".

Anonymous said...

The problem being in this house, that Hubby offers so much information that I have to ignore him or my head would explode. Seriously, it would explode!

Di

Linda said...

After I had gotten "up off the couch, walked all the way across my living room, got that book, brought it back to my comfy, cozy seat and looked it up" and found I was correct, I would have pitched the book at his head. ::giggle::

sharon said...

Loved your rose!! I bet it smelled good.
I am taking it easy this weekend! had my every third month spinal tap yesterday and I am quite sore!!I will be going home from work at lunch time and make a birthday card for my youngest child. She is 17 today. They grow so fast.
You have a great weekend and have fun looking at the birds. They are beautiful creatures aren't they!!!

JC said...

So true about the books. They are all the way over on the table.

How cool about the name and getting a rose ...

Going to the beach place. Hope the snow melts. Still trying to get over my cold. (it's almost gone)

the wanna be country girl said...

You just gave me a major flashback! Sitting at the dinner table with my family, all 6 of us are talking, and someone says a word I don't know the meaning of. "What does that mean?" I would ask, "Go get the dictionary and look it up," "never mind" My father the doctor never bough 'never mind'. To think day I can't bring myself to use the dictionary. Thank goodness for spell check.
the wanna be country girl - Caroline

Unknown said...

I am changing my name to Kate......smiles.

Jan's camera said...

Oh, gosh, you're husband is too funny, or annoying, not sure which. I love the bird photos. Love them! And that was so nice of your co-worker to call and tell you about the rose. Beautiful processing. I have nothing special planned for the weekend except I am looking forward to watching the Academy Awards. Have a good weekend.

Lili said...

Call me crazy, but I'm thinking that your husband arranged for the florist to put that sign up to make amends with you. At least, I really think he would have, if he had thought of it! That is one beautiful rose right there. xo ~Lili

Gail Dixon said...

Ha! Reminds me of my mother when I'd ask her what a certain word meant. She'd always insist that I look it up in the dictionary. Boo.

Love that rose. It does have your name all over it.

Have a nice weekend.

abb said...

I think that relying part is pretty much mutual.

Just sayin'.

Mary said...

Oh, I always love your bird pictures!!!

The other night my husband wouldn't talk to me because I pointed out that he always ends up with all the blankets touching the floor on his side of the bed. I didn't even accuse him of doing it on purpose. Sheesh.

And how wonderful about the rose! Beautiful!
xoxo

Jeanne Walker said...

Roses are red, violets are blue, I woulda thumped him on the head, if I were you!

When my husband comes up with that kind of an 'attitude' I just chalk it up to 'it's his time of the month'!

Love the pics...love the rose...love you!