Southern Lady Bug

Yesterday, after working at my computer all day, I finally got myself out to the back porch to read a little. I saw my first lady bug of the season. This was a little bitty one. The poor thing was crawling around on my table and kept getting itself turned upside down. Then it would kick its little lady bug legs trying to get turned back over. I finally intervened and gave it a little stick to attach to so it could crawl on the topside and right itself.

I hesitated to intervene after a couple of failed attempts to help Mother Nature. There was the time I tried to run off the rouge birds that kept hanging around while bluebirds were trying to build a nest in my bluebird house. After doing a little research, I discovered that the birds I was trying to run off were juvenile bluebirds. Silly me, I felt terrible. Then there was time I was watching a spider build a web. It seemed to be struggling right at the end with attaching part of it to a branch. I decided to help by moving the branch closer. One touch and half of the web disintegrated.

After those two attempts, I swore off trying to help Mother Nature. Obviously, these creatures know what they are doing way more than I. However, I couldn’t resist helping the little lady bug and this time it worked! I didn’t get much reading done but the ladybug and I had a nice evening.

Today’s Lagniappe: Ladybug Appetizers
Try these at your next Spring Luncheon. They are from Taste of Home online

* 2 ounces cream cheese, softened
* 2 tablespoons sour cream
* Black paste food coloring
* 1/2 teaspoon snipped chives
* 1/8 teaspoon garlic salt
* 1/8 teaspoon minced fresh parsley
* 36 butter-flavored crackers
* 18 cherry tomatoes, quartered
* 18 large pitted ripe olives
* 72 fresh chive pieces (about 1-1/2 inches long)

Directions:
In a small bowl, beat cream cheese and sour cream until smooth. Remove 1 tablespoon to a small bowl and tint black. Place tinted cream cheese mixture in a small plastic bag; set aside.
Add the chives, garlic salt and parsley to the remaining cream cheese mixture. Spread over crackers. Arrange two tomato quarters on each for the ladybug wings.
For heads, halve the olives widthwise; place one half on each cracker. Insert two chives into olives for antennae. Use tinted cream cheese mixture to pipe spots onto wings. Yield: 3 dozen.

photo by amateur with luck