Rambling Thoughts and Thoughtful Ramblings

Mother Earth Produce

2012-02-08T22:45:00.000-05:00

I started a small second business not long ago, setting up and maintaining Facebook pages for businesses. I was recently hired to set up a page for a new business in the Asheville area, Mother Earth Produce. I really like this idea; a delivery service that brings locally grown organic produce right to your door. Such a great idea for those who can't get to the local farmer's markets and such. This way, you can still get fresh veggies that have been grown right here in WNC even if you don't have the time to go out and do a lot of shopping. We all need to live a bit healthier, and now there's no excuse not to. (Well, for those in the delivery area anyway. LOL)

This is Graham, Andrea and Totem Duvall. They're the heart behind this endeavor. (And Totem is the cuteness of course. Just look at that face.) I really hope they do well, and I honestly think they will. How about checking out their Facebook page and "liking" it. Then pass the word around about them and what they're doing. Even if you don't live in the Asheville area, the more likes their page has, the more it gets caught by the search engines and such.

Welcome to Western North Carolina Mother Earth Produce. We look forward to watching you succeed and grow.

Mom's Birthday

2012-02-05T10:46:00.002-05:00

(Mom in the early 80s. Not too clear a picture, can't find the original scan.)

Today would have been my mom's 76th birthday (she died in 2000). For several years, we weren't too close at all, but being the baby of the family, and the only one at home from the time I was about 7 or 8, there was a time when we were almost inseparable.

Mom raised me singlehandedly, doing the best she could with what she had. I'm not going to say she always did the right thing, or that she had no fault in the fact that she was divorced several times. I don't believe in white-washing things and making people sound like saints just because they have passed away. But, my mother taught me a lot, and one of the most important things she taught me was about accepting people for who they are regardless of race, religion, etc. Despite a family with a lot of prejudice flowing through it, she did not look at a person's skin color and decide they were less of a person because they weren't white.

I wish my mother had lived to see our first black president. I also wish she had been able to marry the man she was so in love with and dated when I was in high school, but he was black and she was afraid my brothers would not accept him and she'd lose them. Her relationship with my siblings was strained as it was, she did not want to chance losing them completely.

Although we weren't close any more, Mom was the one person who was in my life from the very beginning as my dad and I went years at a time without even speaking to each other. When someone who has been with you like that, losing them is almost a surprise, even though you know the time will eventually come. And my life was shaped by this woman, even by the bad moments with her, as what matters most is not what happened in your past, but what you do with that throughout your life.

My mother was searching most of her life for something. I don't know what, and I don't think she ever found it, even though we moved 30+ times in her quest for whatever it was. Maybe it was just simple acceptance. We all long for acceptance at some point in our lives. After several years of fighting illness, she got tired of fighting and stopped treatment. Maybe she did find what she was looking for in the end.

(I know I've written about Mom before, but for some reason, I just felt like doing it again.)

More Funnies From The Interwebs

2012-02-01T18:57:00.000-05:00

Check out who's driving the car.

Just Keep Writing

2012-01-14T14:34:00.000-05:00

OK, so here I am. Sitting in front of the computer as usual. Writing a bit, which is not too usual lately.

Most days I kick myself for not spending more time on my writing. But then, I recently read something that made me think more about the writing I do manage to get to. Can't remember who said it, but they said to spend a set amount of time writing every day, NO MATTER WHAT THAT WRITING IS. Basically, it could be journal writing, blogging, letter writing, etc. Anything counts. Just spend that time writing.

I've never really thought of it that way. I always felt like I had to make sure I was sitting here working on my novel (yeah, still working) or a story or poem of some kind. I do write in a journal, but I've never counted that as part of my writing in general. I also have this blog and a couple others, but again, never really counted that. I wonder why. It's writing. It's putting my ideas down on paper or on the net.

From now on, no more kicking myself. From now on, I'm going to make sure I sit down and write something, but it doesn't have to be a BIG something. As long as a spend time writing; in my journal, my ratty notebook, on one of my blogs, etc. It all counts.

Mr. Snippers Yet Again

2011-12-24T15:49:00.001-05:00

Just a quick update on Mr. Snippers. He was checked out on Wednesday, December 21st, which was also my birthday. Kind of a great birthday present, being able to get him to the vet like that. Anyway, the vet said he appears to be completely blind. He MAY be able to see a bit of light/dark type thing, but if so, it's not much. They tested him for the usual diseases and he came out negative. YAY!!!

Thursday: Mr. Snippers was neutered and received all his shots. He came through the surgery with flying colors and it was remarked how kinda funny it was to watch a cat that was not only blind but also a bit drunk from the anesthesia. (We're not laughing at you, Mr. Snippers. With you, I promise.) I stopped by to check on him and he loved on me like crazy, seemed none the worse for wear. Everyone talked about how sweet he is.

Friday: Picked Mr. Snippers up around noon as the vet's office was closing at 1pm. Took him to stay (in a large dog crate) with Mr. Christoper at Salon Zen. Someone had been talking about adopting him, but we hadn't heard from her, so Mr. Christopher was planning on taking him home to stay with him for the weekend. Mr. Snippers raised a bit of a bru-ha-ha stuck in the crate, and after some thought, it was decided he should come home with me for the weekend instead. Mr. Christopher has two dogs and we had no idea how they'd react if confronted with a yowling kitty all night, and I've had to set up my bathroom for sick kitties for a week at a time before, so I have a bit of experience. Just before I was getting ready to bring him home, the prospective adopter called, and we decided to meet up today (Saturday - Christmas Eve).

Mr. Snippers was great all night. I sat with him a couple times and he would just lay in my arms and go to sleep, purring so loudly. A part of me was thinking about just saying forget it, he's mine. But, I had decided to see how he'd react with other cats as I also had a woman in Raleigh who was interested in him if the local adopter did not work out, and she has 4 cats of her own plus 7 fosters. When I brought in Google, there was a lot of sniffing, then Mr. Sniffers slunk away hissing. Not too good of a start. made me wonder how he's react with the dogs.

Saturday: The big day. I held Mr. Snippers this morning and explained to him that everything we'd done was for his own good, and maybe he could be on his best behavior when we visited the lady who wanted to adopt him. I told him this could be his new mommylady, and as her dad lives there too, he'd even have a grandpa to spoil him. We just needed to get past the doggie test. He curled up in my arms and went to sleep. Maybe that was a good sign, or maybe I was just boring him. :-)

D (not gonna use her name since I didn't ask if I could and don't know if she'd want me to) is an artist and has a small studio space next to her house. She thought it would be best to take Mr. Snippers in there first, and bring the dogs in one at a time to see how it goes. First good sign, that she would think about that. Made me feel good. We let him walk around first, get the lay of the land, then she brought in the first dog. (The first two are small poodle mixes, the third is a poodle...not too much bigger than the others.)

All I can say is WOW. Snippers (my husband calls him that saying that he can no longer be called Mister, LOL) walked right up to the dog. They sniffed each other, sniffed each other's butts of course, and kinda walked around in a circle. Then Mr. Snippers (yes, I will continue to call him that Dear) actually loved on the dog, rubbing his head up against him. He even rolled over on his back like he wanted to play. The next two dogs, same thing; although he did end up laying down under a table to get away from the third for a bit as he was VERY energetic.

When we took Mr. Snippers into the house, he walked around, kind of feeling out the area. It was neat watching him walk the perimeter basically, like he was measuring out exactly where the walls were and such. All three dogs....well...dogged him basically, but he never seemed the least bit scared or nervous. At one point, they were surrounding him, with the especially rambunctious one barking like crazy. Mr. Snippers just scooted his way out of the fray and found himself a hiding spot; all calm, just getting away. Not once did he seem upset or scared or nervous.

I really had a good feeling when I was there. D and her dad seem like really great people, and I kinda have the feeling that Mr. Snippers will be hanging out with her dad a lot. He'll want to get away from the dogs some, and he is turning into a bit of a lap cat, which pleases me to no end. He let me hold him so much the past couple days, and it melted my heart. (Oh, I forgot; D is on the board of our local animal rescue. Another good sign?)

Snippers has been given the very best Christmas gift he could ask for. As for me, is was a gift for me as well. One that I really needed. Hopefully, he will settle in quickly and live a very long and happy life with his new family. They know where I am if they ever need me, and D promised to keep in touch and let me know how he's doing. (She's going to email me tomorrow to let me know how he did on his first night even.) She even said I could visit any time I wanted to. She may have just been trying to be polite, but I may have to take her up on that. :-)

Merry Christmas Everybody!!!

Winter Funnies

2011-12-23T08:09:00.001-05:00

So far, Walken in a Winter Wonderland from yesterday is my favorite. But, here are a couple more winter funnies.

(For my literary pun-loving friends.)

(For the pun-loving wrestling fans out there, if you guys remember the first Steve Austin anyway.)

:-)

Facebook Funnies

2011-12-22T20:13:00.000-05:00

And now for some funny stuff that has been shared by my various Facebook friends. Enjoy.

Mr. Snippers Part 2

2011-12-20T11:16:00.000-05:00

The appointment has been made. Mr. Snippers will be snipped on Thursday. I am taking him in tomorrow morning so Dr. Stewart can go ahead and do the exam stuff, see how blind he is, make sure he's healthy otherwise. He will stay the night, get "fixed" Thursday, then stay that night as well. I really wish it would be possible to have an inside home ready and waiting for him when I pick him up on Friday, but I guess that's a bit much to ask right now. But, I have the blind rescue organization in St. Pauls on stand-by to post him on their Facebook page, and hopefully we can at least get him into a foster home for the new year.

Thanks to all who donated. I will continue to post updates and more pictures when I get a chance.

YAY Mr. Snippers!!!

Online Scavenger Hunt

2011-12-16T08:18:00.000-05:00

(First off, and FYI: With the money I've collected on the Chip-In for Mr. Snippers added to the money that has been given to me personally, we are up to $205. Only $95 more to go and he will be on his way to the vet and hopefully a new forever home. How very cool. If you have no idea what I'm talking about and would like to learn more, check out my last blog entry: http://susanswritinglife.blogspot.com/2011/12/mr-snippers.html.)

On to new business: I have set up an online scavenger hunt for WNC Woman magazine. It's on their Facebook page (facebook.com/wncwoman) and we will be giving away two one-year subscriptions. If you already get your copy in the mail or from a local business, you can send the prize to someone who lives out of the area and can't easily get it. What a great Christmas gift.

The page for the hunt is here: http://www.facebook.com/notes/wnc-woman/wnc-woman-online-scavenger-hunt/286643444707304, but just in case you're not a Facebook person, and don't really want to be one, I am posting the instructions and questions here. Take a gander and try your luck. It's fun....trust me. :-)

Welcome to the first ever WNC Woman Magazine Online Scavenger Hunt. First, directions and the rules…

All answers can be found through our website: www.wncwoman.com. Some are actually on the site itself, others can be found by searching online, using links or listings on the site. All 10 questions must be answered correctly for your name to be put into the drawing for a free one-year subscription to WNC Woman. In the event that no one is able to provide all 10 correct answers, we will go to those who answer 9 correctly, etc. (But come on, we know all of you will ace this with no problem.)

When you think you have the answers, send them in an email to wnc.woman@yahoo.com with the word “hunt” in the subject line. You don’t have to send the questions, just number the answers and send them along. Also, send them in the body of the email. Do NOT send an attachment. Attachments will not be opened. (We have to be careful with things like that.) This hunt is open to anyone 18 or older who is not employed by WNC Woman magazine. Entries are accepted from anyone, anywhere, but subscriptions can only be sent to US addresses at this time.

All entries must be received by 11:59pm on December 16th. Correct entries will be numbered based on the order they are received. The numbers will then be fed into an online random number generator on December 17th and two winners will be chosen to receive the subscription. Winners will be notified via email and will have 48 hours to respond with their snail mail address (or the address of the person they wish to gift the subscription to). If they do not reply within the 48 hours, another winner will be chosen using the same method. If you wish to gift the subscription, a postcard will be sent announcing your gift to the recipient. Subscriptions will start with the January 2012 issue.

OK, I think that’s all the rule and legal type mumbo jumbo. Now, on to the questions:

1) Artist Susan McBride has done several business logos. In which local business ad is a very large tomato prominently featured?

2) This book is described as “..a heartwarming story about three generations of women who find their way past old hurts and losses to understanding, forgiveness and love.” Name the author and the book.

3) What Brevard eatery has a Blueberry Stuffed French Toast offered on their breakfast menu?

4) Fill in the blanks: “Starting with _________ __________, let’s explore how to uncover it, to acknowledge it, and to use it for the highest good.” **hint; can be found in a VERY early issue of WNC Woman. **

5) What WNC Woman advertiser has the tag line “Helping Professional Women Break Out of Old Mindsets?”

6) These two WNC women are working on a play together called “Between the Tackles.” Name them.

7) On average, women make what percentage of purchasing decisions?

8) This shop in downtown Spruce Pine holds an annual fundraiser on the first Saturday in June to benefit the local animal rescue.

9) This Asheville eatery offers half-price wine every Tuesday as well as a “fabulous Bloody Mary menu.”

10) Fill in the blanks: WNC Woman prints between _________ and _______ copies every month.

Don’t forget; email your answers to wnc.woman@yahoo.com with the word “hunt” in the subject line. And good luck everybody.

Mr. Snippers

2011-12-10T09:24:00.004-05:00

This is Mr. Snippers. He is a little fella who has taken up residence at a local beauty salon run by my friend Christopher (Mr. Christopher's Zen Salon). He was very skinny and dirty when he showed up, but is looking much better now. Problem is, he is at least partially blind; not that he lets that slow him down.

Mr. Snippers loves to lay around in the warm sun, but then what cat doesn't. He is super friendly and just loves to be cuddled and loved.

The shop is right on the road, and we do worry about Mr. Snippers, especially with his sight being what it is. Christopher can't take him home since he has a small place and already has two dogs. Someone has offered to take him home and let him live in their barn if we get him neutered, but with his eyesight, our goal is to hopefully find him an inside home. There is an organization in St. Pauls, NC (Blind Cat Rescue and Sanctuary), but they are full (84 cats right now) and can't take him. But, they are going to help me find a home through their contacts and Facebook page. They have been very successful in this type of thing, and I'm so glad they have agreed to help out.

Problem is, we need to get him neutered and checked out first. We need to get his shots done, find out just how blind he is and make sure he is negative for all the bad diseases and stuff. I got an estimate from my vet's office (Stewart's Mountain View Animal Hospital) of close to $300 for everything. So, I have set up a fund raising Chip-In.

I don't normally ask for money for anything on this blog, but this is a special case for me. This little guy has totally melted my heart. He has such a great personality and I would so love to get him a good home for Christmas...or at least the new year. (I'd take him myself, but I have 8 cats already....and I'd kinda like to keep my husband. LOL) So, if you can help in any little way, I would so appreciate it. And if you need to call my vet's office and make sure this is legitimate, they already know to expect the call - (828) 765-7059.

If someone would rather, they can make out a check to Stewart's Mountain View Animal Hospital (SMVAH will work) and send that to me at PO Box 3, Spruce Pine, NC, 28777. I know some people don't like to do things like this over the internet.

Those of you who know me, know it's been a tough couple years for my hubs and me, with him being sick and all. And I'm not going to hide the fact that the past couple of Christmases have been extra tough. We don't really "do" Christmas any more, but then the holiday is not about the presents and such. It would make this Christmas so special if I can actually help this little guy. Maybe that's why I've been brought into this whole situation. Maybe this is just the Christmas "gift" I need.

Anyway, if you can't help money-wise, maybe you can at least pass this info along to friends and family. I would so appreciate it, and I know Mr. Snippers would too.

Thanks so much.

Wordless Wednesday (found on the interwebs)

2011-11-30T10:36:00.000-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving

2011-11-24T06:00:00.002-05:00

Tango is waiting patiently for his turkey to come strolling by.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

Wordless Wednesday (Prepare to Say AWWWWWWW...)

2011-11-23T15:29:00.000-05:00

So Much Anger

2011-11-20T22:45:00.000-05:00

Some days it just doesn't pay to get out of bed. And some days you just want to smack somebody upside the head. (Hey, that rhymes.)

Anyway, I've been having a bit of an ongoing argument with a friend of mine on Facebook about the whole campus pepper spraying incident that has been all over the internet. I firmly believe it was uncalled-for and there should be an investigation and repercussions. My friend firmly believes the officer in question was perfectly justified and the protesters are just a bunch of trouble makers. (OK, he didn't use that exact word, but it's pretty much what he said, trust me.) Then of course he implied that I was just jumping on the bandwagon and he's all disappointed in me....blah, blah, blah.

Well, I love how someone who hasn't seen me since 1987 thinks he knows how I operate. But, that's neither here nor there. This really just illustrates how situations like this can boil over, and not just when it comes to the actual incident itself. People have pretty strong opinions about things, and they often go off on a tangent and get lost in all the emotion. Sometimes things come out of no where, and some times things that have been under the surface for a long time finally bubble up.

Another argument I have been in today (again on Facebook) is about a recent meeting (the very first) of the newly formed Mitchell County Gay Straight Alliance. I heard about the meeting about 5 hours before it was to take place, and I immediately knew I wanted to go. I have relatives and friends who are gay/bisexual, and I feel they should have the right to marry whomever they choose. I had already decided I was going to do all I could to help stop the passing of this "marriage amendment" in NC, and here was my chance to really make a difference and meet others who wished to do the same.

Of course there were protesters, but by the time the meeting was over, they had gone. I will say when I got there, right at the start of the meeting, they were all very quiet and polite, which is not really what I expected. I figured that hey, maybe we can all agree to disagree and have some civil discourse. Well then I saw the postings on Facebook. So much for civility.

I think the internet allows a certain amount of anonymity, and that can be a good thing. It's good to be able to have open and free discussions. The problem lies in when people get on there and think they can say anything without any repercussions, especially when they are using their real names. You're not anonymous when you're signed on with your real name.

I for one do try to be civil. And yes, I am signed on with my real name. I decided a long time ago that I needed to start standing up for what I believe in. It's not those who do bad that are the problem, it's those who sit by and do nothing about it. (That's a paraphrase of course, but I don't remember the exact quote or who said it.)

Anyway, that's my slightly incoherent rant for the night. Maybe tomorrow will be a quieter day.

Wordless Wednesday (found on the interwebs)

2011-11-09T18:48:00.000-05:00

Happy Lake Logan Memories

2011-11-08T12:47:00.000-05:00

Back in 2008, I was lucky enough to attend a weekend writers retreat at Lake Logan sponsored by WNC Woman magazine. What a fun time it was, and I still think about it often. I was recently going through some photos on my computer, trying to organize them a bit, and came across some from that weekend.

The early morning view from the back porch of the cabin I stayed in.

A shot of me, my friend Alessa (r) and her mom Linda.

Have no idea what this is, but I like it.

We met all kinds while we were there.

Lavinia Plonka and Sandi Tomlin-Sutker enjoying some canoe time.

And butterflies; the place was swarming with butterflies.

I met a lot of great women writers that weekend, and Alessa took me on my first ever canoe ride. We had workshops galore and some wonderful food (I even got the lodge's recipe for peanut soup...yummy). We worked, we played, we talked, we laughed. I loved it.

Shirley's Obituary

2011-10-29T22:36:00.001-04:00

I know I wrote about Shirley's passing, but I wanted to share her obituary today as well.

Shirley Styles Phillips

Shirley Styles Phillips, 75, of 389 Orchard Road, Bakersville, North Carolina passed away October 23, 2011 at home after a long illness. She was a native of Yancey County and the daughter of the late Theodore and Zona Harris Styles. She was preceded in death by a son, Robert Scott Phillips.

Survivors include her husband Bobby E. Phillips of the home, and her beloved daughter Janet Kenniasty of Columbia, Maryland as well as three sisters, Teddie Styles Hall of Statesville, North Carolina, Erma Styles of Lynchburg, Virginia, and Doris Styles Laughrun of Midlothian, Virginia.

She was valedictorian of her Burnsville High School class, a graduate of Mars Hill College, Meredith College and received a graduate degree from Rollins College, Winter Park, Florida. She spent 21 years as a teacher in the post secondary schools of Osceola County, Florida.

She and her husband, Bobby, were married in Burnsville June 9, 1956.

She enjoyed active membership in First Baptist Church of Spruce Pine, the Blue Ridge Red Hats, the Mitchell County Extension Homemakers, and the Mayland Writers Club. She loved painting, writing short stories, and singing.

To remember Shirley, a gift to Hospice Of Mitchell County in Spruce Pine is suggested.

A memorial service will be held at First Baptist Church of Spruce Pine, North Carolina on Saturday, November 5 at 2 pm. Following the service, the family will receive friends in the fellowship hall until 4:30 pm.

Henline-Hughes Funeral Home of Bakersville is assisting the family with arrangements.

The Loss of a Great Writer/Person

2011-10-24T18:46:00.001-04:00

I received an email today letting me know that a member of my writers' group had passed away last night. I was stunned beyond words.

Shirley Phillips had been battling cancer for some time, but every time I saw her, she seemed to be doing so well. She was always smiling, never down. A few months ago she had sent an email letting me know she wouldn't be at the meetings due to health problems. I let her know I was here if she needed me, and asked if all was OK, but she never answered that question. She was like that, at least with me. Private. Not really going on about her health or illness.

When I think of Shirley, I don't immediately think of the cancer she fought. I think of the stories she brought to our group meetings; stories taken from events in her life that never failed to make us laugh. I also think of her artwork, which she exhibited at a local gallery alongside her husband's woodworking pieces. And maybe that's what she wanted people to remember most. Not the cancer, but how she touched our lives with her writing and her art.

I don't know which she liked to do the most, painting or writing. I do know that I always wished I had her dual talent and her seeming perpetual happiness and joy in life. I also know that I am a better person for having known her, and one of my biggest sorrows is that our newest members did not get to meet her or hear her work.

I think I have copies of some of her stories filed away. I am going to look for them and introduce our new members to Shirley at our next meeting. They should get a chance to meet her.

Shirley was 75, and taken away much too soon.

More 365 Project Pictures

2011-10-20T00:41:00.000-04:00

Still keeping my camera with me every day as part of the 365 Project; a picture a day to illustrate a year of my life. I take many more than one a day, and have gotten so many pictures that I really like. I've shared some here before, and here are some more.

Mountain Thoughts

2011-10-13T13:03:00.000-04:00

So, here it is, autumn in the mountains. Love this time of year. The leaves are changing fast, turning those wonderful hues of gold and yellow and orange that make these mountains even more beautiful. Soon the trees will be bare and we will make way for mountain tops covered in the whiteness of frost, ice, and snow. I love it all. Have never gotten tired of living here, and don't think I ever will.

When the hubs and I moved up here in 1993 (arriving on Halloween no less), we only knew one family in town. We came here with a few possessions packed into our car, no jobs, no credit, and no real idea of what we were doing. All we knew was we were coming to the mountains. That was enough.

Now, 18 years later, we have never regretted that decision. Yeah, it's been a tough 18 years. We've been through surprise layoffs, family deaths, illnesses (still dealing with one of those), and more financial worries than I care to mention. But, here we are. Still living in the mountains, still enjoying the beauty of the land around us.

And now we know a few more people, some friends we've known almost from day one. I'm not used to that. I moved around a lot as a kid; over 30 times by the time I graduated high school. I didn't keep friends for long. This is the longest I've ever stay in one place. The longest I've ever been in one house (moved in to our home in 1996). And from the first day, I've felt at home here. Something I never felt anywhere when I was a kid. These mountains are my home, the home I've looked for all my life.

And the best part of all is I get to share this feeling, this home, with my very best friend. Even when times are tough, we've still been able to lean on each other, talk to each other, laugh together. My love for him has never faltered, just grown over time. And I know he feels the same way. I have never in my life completely trusted anyone (not even family) until I met my husband. I trust him fully and completely. We tell each other everything; our dreams, our worries, our past secrets we'd never shared with another living soul.

Living in these mountains with my husband by my side, I have finally come home.

Paying Tribute

2011-09-11T10:40:00.000-04:00

I have decided that the best way to pay tribute today, the 10th anniversary of the terrorist attacks, is to go about my usual business. Yes, I will remember those lost, but living our lives is the best way, in my opinion, to mark this date. Those who took so many lives that day did so with the intent of bringing us down, of taking away our sense of security, of disrupting our normal lives. What better way to keep that from happening than to move on from that point, enjoying each and every day since, giving to our fellow man and just plain LIVING?

We will never forget, and hopefully what happened showed all of us how quickly this life can be taken away. Hopefully we learned to hold each day precious and to let those around us know how much we really care about them.

Oh the Sweetness of Corn

2011-08-03T21:08:00.000-04:00

Oh the sweetness of raw corn-on-the-cob. I used to love it boiled to death, or even nuked in the microwave, then covered with butter, a bit o' salt. Then one day, I took a bite of fresh corn, just shucked and not cooked. I was hooked. Good sweet corn does not need to be destroyed with excessive heat. It does not need to be slathered in butter or sprinkled with salt. It just needs to be eaten in its natural oh-so-sweet state.

YUM!!!

Seussical

2011-07-22T13:49:00.001-04:00

Headed to the Parkway Playhouse with my friends Judith and Chrissy tonight to see Seussical. Can't wait. Our friend Stephanie is in it as well as our friend Suzan's daughter, Myra. Love all the Playhouse actors. This will be my second musical this year, fourth overall performance, and they impress every time. I'm really enjoying this theatre thing. It's a great way to get your mind off the day-to-day stuff that can often bring you down. And you sure can't beat spending time with friends.

Next up in August is Robin Hood: The Legend of Sherwood.

Notes From The Confusion

2011-07-20T20:07:00.000-04:00

What do you tell someone when they ask how you are during a long illness that many people don't believe in in the first place? What do you tell someone when they ask how someone you love who is in that situation is doing? How do you explain something that has no exact known cause and no known cure? Something that causes a myriad of symptoms including depression and lots of pain.

My husband has had several health issues for the past two years. He had his gall bladder out in 2009 and was also diagnosed with hemochromatosis of the liver at that time. (Basically, he has too much iron in his blood.) Then depression hit along with muscle and joint pain over his entire body. A diagnosis of fibromyalgia soon followed. Here we are, two years plus in, and still no end in sight. He regularly sees his GP plus three specialists, with a fourth one soon starting. (I'm making him an appointment with a pain clinic.) He is also starting a second round of physical therapy that we are having to fight tooth and nail to get done, even though he did so much better during the first round.

Don't get me wrong, some things are better. The liver issue has really improved. For three months, he had to have a pint of blood taken every week. Now he's down to every three months. That might even get better, but ever three months is a major improvement.

And the stomach issues he had before and after he had the gall bladder removed have greatly improved. He can pretty much eat what he wants, although I do try to not give him many iron-rich foods for obvious reasons. Most days he even has a decent appetite, although he still has days when he doesn't want to eat anything at all.

The pain is the worst part. He hurts all over most of the time. Trips to the doctor's office two miles away are torturous, and don't get me started on the ones to doctors in Linville or Asheville (23 miles and 52 miles away). He feels every little bump in the road, and those of you who live up here know how these roads are.

Of course there are also medications. Many medications. All you can do is treat the symptoms and each doctor works with their specialty, and they all have their list of meds they start with and work through. So many pills.

Fibromyalgia is a real disorder which causes pain, fatigue, sleeplessness, concentration problems.....etc. The biggest problem is that some people, and even some doctors, don't believe it's real. I wish those people could be in my husband's shoes for just one day. I wish they could feel the way he feels for even one hour. They would change their minds very fast.

A Cheesy Deal

2011-07-18T13:49:00.000-04:00

Hello cheese fans. And when I say "cheese fans," I mean those who like/love cheese of all kinds, not those who love cheesy jokes and such. (You know who you are.)

I love cheese. It's one of my favorite food groups, right up there with bacon and chocolate. Any time I make a trip to my local Ingles grocery store, I check out their little gourmet cheese section looking for markdowns. Why markdowns? Have you ever looked at the regular prices of that stuff? Then you shouldn't have to ask.

A few weeks ago, I came across a small block of cheese marked down to .99. It was going out of date the next day, which is of course why it was marked down. How drastic was the markdown? Well, this little block of cheese normally costs $14.99lb. Yep, you read that right. $14.99 for a pound of cheese. Don't know who actually pays that much, but it sure ain't me. :)

Anyhoo, the cheese I got to try that day was from a German company called Kaseberg, and the cheese is Butterkase. Buttery cheese? Well heck, I knew it had to be good. And for just under a dollar, what have I got to lose?

What indeed? OMG, I was in heaven. This cheese is so creamy and oh-so-freaking-good. And of course, I knew it would be a long time before I could ever get it again. Every trip to Ingles took me over to the gourmet cheese to see if maybe, just maybe, they had more marked down. But alas, it was not to be. Not for weeks and weeks.

Then, there it was. The beautiful image of an orange "Special Today" sticker on several packages of the wonderful cheesy goodness. I immediately rushed over and picked them up, only to find that the "Special" was a markdown to $7.99. There were several days before the sell-by date, and I guess they were trying to get them out of there as fast as they could. But still, $7.99?!?! Not this cheese eater. So I put the packages down, noting the sell-by dated listed. I had a plan.

The day before the sell-by date, I made a trip to Ingles. There were two "Special Today" packages left. Just two. And they were still marked $7.99. I grabbed my booty and approached a deli worker. I explained the situation. The cheeses were going out of date the next day and would not be able to be sold. I had bought some for .99 before and wondered if they might mark these down as well. He took the packages, thought for a moment and proceeded to affix a sticker for .99. I thanked the polite young man profusely and left the store that day a happy camper.

For $1.98 I got two packages of a wonderfully delicious cheese that would normally cost a bit over $11 a piece. Now that is what I call a cheesy great deal. (I did also check the other packages and the next date is mid-August. I will be watching.)

Independence Day

2011-07-04T12:32:00.001-04:00

So, today we celebrate our Independence Day. There will be food, fun and fireworks...if your town hasn't had them already the way many have, including mine. That is one of my little frustrations. We should celebrate the holiday ON THE HOLIDAY. But, that's just my opinion, and we know all about opinions, don't we.

Nothing really special going on at the Bell house today. Just another day, although I am going to bake some of my super famous Chocolate Mint Chip cookies and maybe some brownies. Yes, I am baking in the middle of July. Can't help it. I like to bake. And as for it being too hot, well, that's what air conditioners are for.

I would like for everyone to remember something today. We are a great country that has made some mistakes. But in the end, we are all in this together. Our opinions may differ, but that shouldn't matter. Healthy debate is good, compromise is a necessity and name-calling is just plain stupid. Stop it.

Have a great holiday, y'all.

Wordless Wednesday (Floral Edition)

2011-06-08T15:36:00.002-04:00

Things to Do

2011-06-07T07:16:00.000-04:00

Ah, Tuesday. The week isn't even half over, but at least it's not Monday. Woke up two-and-a-half hours before the alarm was set to go off, and couldn't go back to sleep. Oh well. The morning/early afternoon is filled with a med appointment for the hubs and pet sitting for Jack the Parkway cat, a wonderfully delightful client I must say, then it's back home for.....a nap. Yes, I see a nap in my near future.

Google here has the right idea. But then, he is a cat after all.

Green Bananas

2011-05-29T15:09:00.000-04:00

I have a bunch of bananas that just will not get ripe. They sit there, all pretty green, mocking me. So, I decided to look up recipes using green bananas. Now, I know there are ways to get these things to ripen. For instance, I've read that if I put them in a Ziploc bag with some tomatoes or apples, that will do it. But am I going to do this? No, I'm not. I decided to go the unconventional route of actually using these bananas as they are if possible. Why not? I love to experiment after all.

So, off I went on the great green banana recipe search, and I actually found some interesting sounding dishes. Like Samoan Green Bananas on All Recipes. It contains just 3 ingredients (green bananas, onions and coconut milk), which sounds a bit like an odd combination, but I'm willing to try it. Why not?

Also on All Recipes, I found a recipe for Green Banana Fries. What an idea, to cut green bananas into strips and fry like French Fries. Another interesting sounding one to try.

Then on the Cooks.com site, I found recipes for Green Banana Chips (just like fries only cut into slices), Green Banana Salad, Green Banana Pie and various others that sound equally good....or at least interesting, depending on your tastes.

There are other recipes out there. Just glancing down the search results page shows Green Banana Curry (not too sure about that one), Boiled Green Bananas (sounds kinda dull) and even a Green Banana Smoothie (um, maybe). I've even seen a recipe or Mackerel with Green Bananas (probably NOT).

I'm sure if I keep looking, I'll find a green banana recipe that uses some form of chocolate. Now that one I would definitely try.

365 Project

2011-05-14T15:37:00.000-04:00

I've been working on something called the 365 Project. The idea is to take a picture every day for a year to show what you were up do basically. It can be a picture of anything that you happen to see and want to take a picture of. I post the pictures on my Facebook page, and thought it would be nice to share some here with y'all.

This was taken on February 14th. I was driving down the road and when I saw this vertical cloud and how it was casting a shadow on the clouds behind it, I had to stop and take a photo. It looked so cool.

The camera was sitting on top of the truck for this one, which is why it's a bit crooked. This is me with Jack, one of my pet sitting clients. I've been visiting him twice a week since last September while his owner is in Ireland. The owner will be coming back soon, and I'm really going to miss my visits with Jack. He's such a good boy. (Although, you can tell from the picture he is not much for being held, especially when he's outside.)

I just like this one...the bright yellow against the old gray house. Would love to know the story behind that house. Maybe I should just make one up.

I almost always have my camera with me and take several pictures most days, not just the one for this project. The problem is deciding which one to use for this.

Today is day 103.

Going Nuts?

2011-03-28T14:48:00.000-04:00

Sometimes I wonder if I'm just plain losing my mind. Today is one of those times.

Last year, I lost one of my little kitties, Yahoo. I swear I remember posting about that. I remember putting up his picture and talking about the loss, etc. I even remember people commenting on that posting. Now, when I look back to March of 2010 in the archives, that post is no longer there. Other posts seem to have disappeared as well.

I find this fact rather disturbing. Could it be my mind is merely making this stuff up, that it never actually happened? Or is Blogger for some reason taking down certain posts? Odd either way.

I have to wonder, have any of you had this experience? Or is it just me? If it's just me, I will simply file it away as one of those odd quirks of the human mind and let it go at that. If it's not "just me," although I'll still be angry about my posts having disappeared, at least I'll know I haven't totally gone off my rocker....

...yet.

Good News

2011-03-13T12:58:00.000-04:00

Cat Island was spared. I am happy beyond words. They had a good bit of damage of course, and are in desperate need of supplies for both humans and felines, but the island itself was not submerged as originally feared.

Please continue to keep those affected by this disaster in your thoughts.

Sadness

2011-03-12T07:58:00.002-05:00

Today I am feeling especially sad. The earthquake and tsunami in Japan weighs heavily on my mind, but maybe not for the same reason it weighs on the minds of so many others. Yes, I am saddened by the loss of human life, a total number of which we are no where near knowing yet, but I read about a tiny island there yesterday that has my heart breaking.

Tashirojima, or Cat Island as it is also called, is just off the coast of Japan. From what I've read, it is in one of the most vulnerable spots when it comes to the tsunami that rolled in after the devastating earthquake. Many fear it has been totally submerged.

This island is home to around 100 people (83% of them elderly) and a cat population that tops even that. The cats are fed and taken care of by the island inhabitants as it is believed feeding cats brings wealth and good fortune.

My thoughts are with those living on this island, and with the many cats. I keep searching the internet, hoping to find a report that says this place has been miraculously spared, but I'm not getting my hopes up. As heartbreaking as it is, I have to be realistic as well.

My husband calls me the Crazy Cat Lady, and I adore my cats. I know the fear we as humans go through when something horrible is happening, and I can't imagine the fear the animals feel, especially since they have no way of knowing what's going on in the first place.

My thoughts are with everyone in Japan, but especially with the animal citizens. The Rainbow Bridge is very busy today.

(To donate and help the animals affected by this tragedy, go to The American Humane Association. Our furry friends thank you.)

Odd Habits

2011-02-19T18:55:00.000-05:00

I wonder how many of my friends have odd and quirky habits. I don't know what brought this thought to mind. Oh wait, yes I do. I was making a glass of chocolate milk earlier this week, and drinking it in my odd and quirky way. Ever since I was a kid, I have had a habit of drinking my chocolate milk with a spoon, like a soup. I don't know why. It's just something I do.

Another thing I like to do is when I use a straw, I blow bubbles in my milk. I used to get fussed at for that one, but I'm an adult now so I can pretty much do what I want. Odd thing is, I never really got in the habit of doing that with chocolate milk. Only plain milk. Weird.

And if I'm eating cookies with my milk, I hold the cookies in the milk until they are nice and soggy. None of that just simply dunking them in real quick. Heck no. When I was a kid, my brother Dennis got mad because he was the one doing dishes and I had dunked my cookie in my milk glass until it got too soggy and part of it broke off into the glass, sitting there in the bottom like a big old clump of mud. He fussed about it, then had to wash it anyway. Poor kid.

My odd and quirky habits don't stop at milk. I also have this odd habit of looking for even numbers in things. If a license plate on the car in front of me doesn't have an even number of letters/numbers on it, I will count the number of lines it takes to make the ones it does have, looking for that even number. I do the same thing with signs, often adding in the signpost if I have to in order to make the number even. If I'm slicing a piece of cheese off a block, I will get two small pieces instead of one larger one so I'll have an even number. If I'm eating M&M's, I like to get a bunch and organize them by color with an even number in each group. (And no, I'm not organized at all where it really matters. I can't find a thing in my purse or in my house for that matter.)

I'm sure I have other odd habits. Could probably ask my husband and get a nice long list of them. But those are the ones that stick out right now. I'm sure more will come to mind as soon as I post this. That's what usually happens.

Just Some Random Thoughts

2011-01-31T13:15:00.000-05:00

1) I am an avid Facebooker. Can't help it. I love that little social networking sight. It has helped me get back in touch with people I went to high school with, whether I wanted to or not. It has also brought me a group of friends I would never have known otherwise, and yes, my life is that much richer for it. Sure, I won't ever meet many of them, but I know I will eventually meet a least a few. And who says you have to meet face-to-face anyway? We share jokes, life stories (happy and sad), advice. We do all the things friends do in the "real" world. We may live hundreds or even thousands of miles apart, but we have found each other through the "miracle" that is the internet and we are all so very glad we did.

2) The Super Bowl is coming up next weekend. I'm not the biggest football fan in the world, and what I know about the game could probably be written on a matchbook, but I do have many (MANY) friends who are avid fans, and most of them seem to be Steelers fans. So, since my Minnesota Vikings couldn't be bothered to actually do much of anything but lose this season, I have decided that for this very huge game, I will do my Steelers friends a favor and pull for their team. I apologize to any of my friends who are Packers fans, but they outnumber you and more of them live near me. (Not to mention that two of them are also pet sitting clients, so I really don't have much choice. HA.)

3) I think my cats enjoy driving me crazy. I know Muffin does for sure. She disappears every once in a great while. Not often, mind you. If it was more often, I probably wouldn't worry when it happens. Every couple of months or so, she doesn't show up for breakfast, today being one such day. Sometimes, I can go over to my neighbor's house and find her "trapped" in his basement. When he's down there working with the door open, she can't resist going in. She spent two full days in there one time, me panicking all the while. Now it's usually the first place I look, and sometimes she's there. Today isn't one of those times. I know she'll show up later on, staring in the window to let me know she's home, giving me that 'look' that cats give when they think you're crazy and they're the only sane ones here. As if they don't know that they're the ones driving us crazy in the first place.

4) I just realized that I am sitting here putting my random thoughts into a list format. My friend Angie would be so proud.

Katharine Hepburn

2011-01-06T13:38:00.000-05:00

I adore Katharine Hepburn. I think I always have. Can't remember a time when I didn't know who she was, and boy what a woman she was. She jumped into Hollywood with a look that was at the time considered unusual...certainly not conventionally beautiful. She had a confidence that was usually reserved for men, definitely not women. She wore pants more than skirts, was very athletic and was never afraid to speak her mind. What a great role model for women then and still today.

I own a copy of the book "Kate Remembered" by A. Scott Berg. It is one of the few books I've read more than once. Although I wish there was a little more of her in it, and a little less of him, I can still read passages and hear her voice in my head. I can picture the look on her face when she fusses at the author for something silly or brushes off a comment about her legend. And a legend she was.

I recently picked up two other books about Hepburn from the local library, and I have to say, the one I am looking forward to reading the most was written by the lady herself, "Me: Stories of My Life." It was written in 1991 and is so full of wonderful pictures. I was just sitting here looking through the photographs and as I flipped to the end, I found a section where she wrote a letter to Spencer Tracy. Yes, I went ahead and read it, and yes I will read it again when I read the book. And yes, it will probably again bring tears to my eyes.

(My favorite picture of Tracy and Hepburn.)

Tracy and Hepburn had a relationship that you would think in that day and age would have been a big scandal, what with him being married with children and moving in with her where he remained until his death. Maybe it's a testament to how much everyone respected them that it wasn't. Or maybe it says a lot about what good people they really were. Even Tracy's wife knew about it (of course) and was called by Hepburn when he died. All I know is, there was something about those two when they were on the screen together. (My husband and I love the movie "Desk Set" and the way they played off each other in that one. Pure joy to watch.)

I have to say that my absolute favorite Tracy-Hepburn movie is "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner." They were so good in this one. All those years together really showed, and it's even more poignant when you realize that Tracy was ill at the time and would not even live to see the finished movie released in the theater. Sidney Poitier was terrific as always and really seemed to have a genuine respect for the couple. Katharine Houghton, who played the daughter and is Katharine Hepburn's niece, also radiated a type of love for them both. A great movie and a fitting way to say goodbye to a man Hepburn often said was "the greatest movie actor."

Katharine Hepburn died in 2003 at the age of 96, and the world is a better place for having known her.

Wordless Wednesday (A Man Who Needs No Words) :)

2011-01-05T14:20:00.000-05:00

**SIGH**

2010-12-29T06:00:00.001-05:00

Martha Stewart I’m not. Never claimed to be. Don’t really want to be. As a matter of fact, I find some of the things she does more amusing than useful.

I know some people like to do the things she does. I even have some friends who are all Martha Stewart-ish. But I just can’t bring myself to that level.

OK, first off, she makes her own vanilla extract. Me? I’m perfectly happy with the stuff on the store shelf. I’ll go as far as to get the “pure” stuff once in a while, but I’m not ashamed to admit I currently have a large bottle of the “imitation” extract sitting in my cabinet. Nothing wrong with that. Works just fine for me. As for homemade, well, I don’t often have vodka (a required ingredient) in the house, but when I do, I think it tastes much better mixed with a bit of orange juice instead of a bunch of vanilla beans.

Then there are marshmallows. I remember watching Martha Stewart actually make her own marshmallows. From scratch. (Which she promptly put into steaming cups of her from scratch cocoa.) Yeah, I’m sure they taste great an all, but I like my store bought marshmallows. I even like the tiny little hard ones that come in the instant cocoa and get a bit soft when you add the hot water. One friend of mine whose daughter recently made her own homemade marshmallows told me that I’m missing out on the different flavors you can use when you make them yourself. Well, I actually found chocolate flavored marshmallows in the store and really, what other flavor do I need?

I can make some things from scratch of course. I love to make chocolate chip cookies. And I do make a pizza casserole that the hubs just totally loves. (Although, since it uses biscuit mix for the crust, I don’t know if it’s really considered “homemade.”) There are some things I have tried over and over again to make and can just never seem to get it right. Take gravy for instance. I cannot make gravy to save my life. It always comes up either too thin and tasteless or so thick you could cut it into slices and just lay it on top of your potatoes. (Not very appealing really.) So, anytime I need to make gravy, I grab the cream of mushroom soup. A can or two thrown into some pan drippings and you’ve got gravy. As far as I’m concerned you do anyway.

And don’t get me started on biscuits. My mother could make the best biscuits (although she said her Aunt Marie’s were even better), but I just can’t get the hang of it. They just never taste right and the texture is really, really bad. So, I pull out the biscuit mix. I can make some pretty good biscuit mix biscuits. I even worked at the local McDonald’s for a while making biscuits on Saturday and Sunday mornings and was told I made the best biscuits there. (Yes, they are made with a mix. Surprised?)

Years ago, a friend told me that if I loved my family, I would make everything from scratch, something she claimed she did. I told her it’s because I do love my family that I don’t make everything from scratch. I’d really like my husband to live a good long life, and by not subjecting him to my from-scratch culinary skills on a regular basis, I think I’m helping him in that respect.

So, it is true I will never be a Martha Stewart, but really, why would I want to be?

She kinda creeps me out.

Late Birthday Thoughts

2010-12-23T20:55:00.001-05:00

Tomorrow is Christmas Eve....but I'm not going to talk about that.

Day before yesterday was my 41st birthday. Let's talk about that for a bit.

When the hell did I turn into an adult?!?! I honestly don't feel like one most of the time. Most of the time I feel like I'm around 16 or 17 years old. Yeah, I have the usual adult bills to pay, and many extra ones from the hubby's illness over the past couple years, and you'd think that with that responsibility I'd feel all that ADULT weight on my shoulders. Well, I don't.

OK, so I do look in the mirror and notice a few extra lines here and there around the eyes. And yes, the gray hairs are starting to multiply at a rate that can only be called hyperspeed. Oh, and I sometimes actually see my mom looking back at me even. (Was always told I looked like her, but this is getting ridiculous.) But, I still can't wrap my mind around the idea that I am 41 years old. That's supposed to be like middle-age or something, right? Well,I certainly don't feel like my life is half over. NO WAY! NO HOW! I still have a whole lot of things to do. For example...

...I want to see Mount Rushmore...

...I want to visit Hershey, Pennsylvania (for obvious reasons)...

...I want to go on a real-live ghost hunt (not just one of those mamby pamby tourist attraction type things either, although I want to go on one of those as well)...

...I want to win the lottery (a girl's gotta have dreams)...

...I want to meet His Holiness the Dalai Lama (Yeah, I know. This one may have to wait until my next life)...

...and that's just a few of the things I want to do.

I have a friend who is fond of lists. I've started following her lead and making some lists myself, trying to get organized and not really succeeding. I don't like the idea of a "bucket list" because that makes it sound like something that I HAVE to do before I die. I don't care if I don't complete my list before my time in this life is done. The dreaming and trying is half the fun.

So, I mark my 41st birthday, not feeling anywhere near that age, by counting not candles...no way am I EVER going to count candles. Instead I like to count the laughs I've had over the past 41 years. It's been a rough road in some spots, but there has always been time for a laugh or two with my friends. That's all that matters.

Oh, and chocolate. CHOCOLATE MATTERS!!!

Blog Issues

2010-12-01T16:42:00.000-05:00

I have to wonder if anyone else is having trouble with their blog setup lately. I like the way my blog used to look, but for some reason it has changed and I can't seem to get it to look the way I want any longer. Maybe it's just me. Maybe I'm just a bit internet illiterate.

In the mean time, I keep trying to get it going the way I would like, which means the look will change every once in a while as I fiddle with it. Can't help it. I've never been on to leave well enough alone.

:-}

Not Entirely Wordless Wednesday

2010-08-25T12:28:00.000-04:00

(What kind of tree/bush is this?)

An Evening At Lake Wobegon Part II

2010-08-18T17:09:00.000-04:00

Besides the signs I printed an taped to the truck windows, I also made this pin and wore it the whole night. It's amazing what you can do with scotch tape, duct tape, a safety pin and a picture printed from the internet. (Didn't get me back to see the guy, but it was worth a try.)

Garrison Keillor and Sarah Watkins (former member of the bluegrass band

Nickel Creek) singing one of my favorite Elvis hits along with the audience.

Garrison, Sarah and Fred Newman performing a Guy Noir skit. (Fred Newman does great sound effects. He is also a voice actor and played the character of Skeeter and Mr. Dink in the cartoon "Doug.")

I read that a lot of the stuff that Garrison does is off the cuff, using no script. After watching this show, I believe it. As he is telling a story, Fred Newman is doing the sounds for what he is describing. There were times he was barely keeping himself from laughing, and the looks he sometimes gave Garrison were hilarious. (And now I know what a pterodactyl chasing down a man who's hunting mushrooms sounds like.)

At the beginning of the show, Garrison and Sarah walking through the audience. They did that again during the short intermission, when they sang the song in the video I posted, but they walked down this same aisle both times. Guess where my seat will be next time.

Toward the end of the show, Garrison gave us the news from Lake Wobegon; where all the women are strong, all the men are good looking and all the children are above average.

After the show, and the long wait while the very packed parking lot cleared out, Troll Doll and I stopped at Denny's in Black Mountain for some much needed coffee. It was way past our bedtime, and the drive was pretty long...about 2 hours. It was well worth it, though.

It was a great show. Didn't get too many pictures, but that's fine. I just enjoyed sitting back and listening to the stories and music. And as for souvenirs, there was a "Summer Love Tour" tote bag that I almost bought, It was only $10. But, in the end common sense won out. Tote bags are to me like purses or shoes are to most other women, and I need another one like I need a hole in the head. :)

If you ever get a chance to see "A Prairie Home Companion" live, go for it. It really was fun.

But next time, Mr. Keillor, I will get to meet you. I already have a plan in the works. MWAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

An Evening At Lake Wobegon Part I

2010-08-17T22:17:00.000-04:00

Well, I didn't get to meet the man, but I made it to the show, and that's good enough for me. I got a few pictures...from a distance mind you, but reminders of the night none-the-less. Actually, I didn't take a whole lot of pictures in the end. I was too busy enjoying the show itself. :-)

Brought my Troll Doll with me for company. This was taken from my original seat. I ended up switching with someone whose wife really needed the end seat. I moved to the third seat in, which was fine. Sat next to another Minnesota native. Cool.

The sign I made for the back window of the truck.

Had one of these in each back side window.

Took this video just to show the venue. The people on the lawn ended up getting rained on for a bit, but no one seemed to mind, and it really didn't last long.

That's the start of it all anyway. Tune in for Part II tomorrow. :-)

The Day Has Arrived

2010-08-14T13:48:00.003-04:00

The Realization of a Dream

2010-08-13T17:05:00.001-04:00

In late 1990, I was 20 years old and living in Waycross, Georgia. My apartment was one of four in an old house that had been converted. There were two apartments upstairs and two downstairs. Mine was the smallest as there was a laundry room put in behind it. I had two rooms and a tiny bathroom. When you visited my apartment, you walked in to a combination living room kitchen. The kitchen area, separated by a kind of bar/counter, was a tiny bit larger than the living room, which was only big enough for the one chair it contained.

The bed room was connected to the living room by two doors. One was just the usual door leading right to the other room, the other was a bit odd. You opened that door up to the closet that both rooms shared. You could walk through the closet to get to either room if you wanted. I guess it was their way of giving you a sort of coat closet area from the living room (like you even had room to entertain enough people to need a coat closet).

During the time I lived in this apartment, I had no telephone or television. What I did have was my library card and the radio. Not having a car, or a driver’s license for that matter, I would often walk to the library and lug home stacks of books. At night, I would either sit in the living room in front of the little gas heater and read, or talk my Walkman radio (remember those?) out on the front porch and just sit in the dark and listen.

One thing I loved about this apartment was the fact I could just open up the front window and, ducking my head down just a little, walk right out onto the front porch. I didn’t like using the front door a lot at night because I was always afraid of disturbing my neighbor across the hall (which is also why I wouldn’t turn on the porch light). So, I’d go through the window, sit in one of the rocking chairs on the front porch and scan through the channels on my Walkman looking for something to listen to.

One night, a voice came over the airwaves that immediately brought my scanning to a halt. I listened to him for a few minutes and realized he sounded like my dad. I had come across Garrison Keillor, whom I would learn was from Minnesota, which is probably why he sounded like me dad who was born and raised in St. Paul (where I was born as well). My dad and I weren’t close, but I often got sentimental for him and for Minnesota even though I hadn’t lived there since I was 6 years old.

For 20 years, I have been a fan of Garrison Keillor and his radio show, which was later called “The Prairie Home Companion.” I can’t say I listen every week, but I listen as often as I can. No matter what’s been going on in my life, his show has always been there. My big dream was to one day travel to St. Paul to visit my dad and take him to see the show at The Fitzgerald Theatre there (the show’s home base basically). Unfortunately, that never happened. But, I have continued to dream of seeing the show live.

Tomorrow night, I am finally realizing that dream. After 20 years, I am going to see Garrison Keillor when he brings “The Prairie Home Companion Summer Love Show” to Brevard. And I’m hoping to get to actually meet him and have my picture taken with him as well. How cool would that be!

A Quick Story and the One Week Countdown

2010-08-07T11:33:00.006-04:00

OK, first off I have to elaborate on an incident I mentioned last time. I'm sure you all have been sitting on pins and needles since I mentioned in passing my interview with the naked man during my recent stint a a census enumerator. Well, the wait is over.

During my first week driving around talking to people for the census, I met a very unusual man. When I pulled up to his house, and he came outside to speak to me, he was wearing a pair of cutoff jean shorts. He made the comment that it was good that he'd heard me coming up his driveway because at the time he had been outside washing his Harley naked. Now this guy lives in a very rural area and his house cannot be seen from the road or his neighbors' houses, so hey...to each his own.

So, we sat down in a couple lawn chairs and started the usual census questions, and as he was telling me about washing his Harley naked he asked "you don't mind nakedness, do you?" Well, silly me, I thought he was just talking...trying to see how I'd react...that kind of thing, so I said no. HA. Joke's on me. He said "good" then stood up and stripped off his shorts.

Here we sat, me keeping my eyes on the questionnaire and him just sitting there in all his glory. Now, some people have told me I was crazy and that I should have insisted he put his clothes back on or gotten up an left. (And let me tell you, my husband, whom I thought would get a laugh out of this whole thing, was not happy when he heard about it.)

I didn't tell him to get dressed because I was kinda startled by the whole thing, and still trying to be polite I reckon. His yard and all that, and he wasn't in the least bit threatening. I mean, this was a tiny little old man. Well, maybe not "old" but older...let's say that. (And from the way he was acting, I kind of wonder if he'd been smoking the "happy" cigarettes.) Ya' know, if I was going to have to interview a naked man, he could have at least looked like Hugh Jackman. **sigh**

Then, there was the fact I was sitting in this crappy lawn chair, and with my knee acting up the way it was that week (osteoarthritis sucks), there was no way I could get up and run. And, I surely didn't want to have to come back to his house, or send someone else out there to deal with this situation.

So, there I sat, asking him the questions, and keeping my eyes averted as best I could. At one point, he said something about friends of his saying his penis didn't appear normal and asked if it looked normal to me. OMG! I didn't look, merely paused in my questions long enough to say that I wouldn't know as I hadn't seen that many in my life. :-)

It was an interesting day, and I am working on an essay about it to add to the book of essays I'm writing. And who knows, this fella may end up in my novel as well. I mean, fact really is stranger than fiction. And it's like I told my crew leader later that week. When I signed up for that job, in the back of my mind I was a bit worried about someone pulling a gun on me. I never thought I'd have to worry about someone pulling a penis.

There are a couple more details to this story, but you'll have to read my essay when it gets published. :-)

**Side note: Seven days and counting. In exactly one week, I will be in Brevard for Garrison Keillor and his Prairie Home Companion Summer Love Show.**

Two Weeks To Go

2010-07-31T22:38:00.003-04:00

In just two weeks, I will be watching Garrison Keillor and his Prairie Home Companion show. Yeah, I know, my last few posts have been about this. Can't help it. I'm still so excited.

I promise I will start writing about other things, like the naked man I interviewed for the census. That was interesting. :-)

The Golden Ticket

2010-06-26T09:16:00.005-04:00

OK, it may not be THE golden ticket...

...but that hasn't stopped me from singing that song every day since my ticket to see Garrison Keillor arrived in my mailbox.

"I never dreamed that I would climb

Over the moon in ecstasy

But nevertheless, it's there that I'm

Shortly about to be

'Cause I've got a golden ticket

I've got a golden chance to make my way

And with a golden ticket, it's a golden day"

WOOT!!!!!

Home on the Prairie

2010-05-31T12:35:00.002-04:00

Well, I did it. It's a go. One of the many things I want to do in my life is happening. I am going to see Garrison Keillor and his Prairie Home Companion show live and in person. WOOT!!

I had actually decided I wasn't going to go as I would have to buy my ticket now, and money in the Bell household is mighty tight with the hubs still out of work due to illness. But, Chris being the person he is, he kept telling me to get a ticket and go...that I deserved it. So, I finally gave in.

No, I did not buy the $68 seat. Could not bring myself to do that. I did buy the $46 dollar seat, which is in the 3rd section. I went online, checked the view from various seats on Brevard Music Center's website and made my purchase. I will have the ticket in my hot little hand in a few days.

I am bouncing off the walls over this one. Every time I feel like things are really getting to me, I just remind myself of what I have to look forward to in August. Add this to the fact that I have actually gotten a lot of writing done on my novel, which is taking many odd turns I must say, and I find myself actually smiling once in a while. :-)

Prairie Home or Bust

2010-05-16T21:20:00.002-04:00

OK, so here I sit, lurking around Facebook and listening to the thunder rumble through the mountains. I have known for some time that it’s way past time to update my blog. There are various reasons of course; don’t like the computer I’m currently using, have been busy, etc. But, in the end, there really is no GOOD reason. I mean, I’m often sitting here late at night, not able to sleep, and yet I don’t bother to hit the blog. That would be a great time to do some blogging.

Well, it’s not late at night, but here I sit just the same, and I am finally updating this thing. You can all breathe a collective sigh of relief now. I know you’ve been sitting on pins and needles wondering where I was and when I would return…..again. You can now resume your regular lives secure in the fact that…..I’M BAAAACK!!! J

My return to the blogging world was inspired by some much welcome news I just found posted on my Facebook page. Garrison Keillor is bringing A Prairie Home Companion to Brevard, NC. OK, that may not be earth shattering news to most of you, but to me it’s a wish come true. That’s only about 2 hours away from where I live (I looked it up), and it has long been my dream to see GK and his show. It’s on my list of things to do in my life.

Now, the list of which I speak is not an actual, physical list. It’s pretty much in my head. And it’s not a “bucket” list. If I don’t do everything on it, so be it. It’s not like I won’t have had a great life anyway. It’s just a list of things I aspire to do, and even if I don’t get there, the journey is more often than not the best part anyway.

So, back to GK. He will be in Brevard on August 14^th. The “big” tickets are $68, and there are others available going all the way down to the lawn for $25. My goal is a $68 ticket. If I don’t make it, oh well. The ULTIMATE goal is to just be there in the first place.

Watch out GK. Here I come. J

I Want To.....

2010-02-06T15:08:00.003-05:00

My friend Angie has this thing for making lists. From what I’ve heard, I think it’s practically an obsession. Me? Not so much. I’m not organized enough to make lists. Not usually anyway.

Lately, I have been putting together a few small lists in my head. Maybe it has something to do with the recent “passing” of my 40th birthday. That’s a pretty big milestone when you think about it, and since that day, I’ve been not only looking back at my life, but forward as well. I’ve been thinking about things I’d like to do at some point in the future. If I don’t get them all done, oh well. It’s not a big deal. It’s just nice to think about going to various places, doing various things. A lot of times, the planning is most of the fun in the first place.

So, today I am posting a list of some things I want to do in the future. You could call it a bucket list, except like I said, if I don’t complete it, it’s not a big deal. These are things I know I won’t be able to do in the next year. I have another list for that; things I want to do in my 40th year. (Angie is currently working on one of things she wants to do before she turns 40, but since that’s come and gone for me, I made an adjustment.)

Here goes:

**Visit Edgar Allan Poe’s Grave: This is something I’ve wanted to do since I was a kid. Actually, I’ve always wanted to visit on his birthday and watch the mysterious visitor who would leave a bottle of cognac and a rose, but alas it appears I have missed that opportunity. The visitor was a no-show this year, and I’m betting the ritual is now over. So, I will have to take my own bottle of cognac and a rose and place them on the grave of the man whose stories opened a huge world of story telling for me.

**Take an Alaskan Cruise: Most of my friends want to go to the Bahamas or some such, but not me. I have always wanted to board a ship for the great tundra of Alaska. I want to see the glaciers and watch the whales come up out of the water so close you feel like you could almost touch them. I want to see what the world looks like when the sun continues to shine at midnight, and the northern lights splash color across a darkened sky. (More than one trip may be called for.)

**Karaoke: OK, this one is probably more doable than most of the others on my list. I thought about putting it on the list of things to do this year, but I just don’t think I’ll get to it that quickly. Lot of stuff going on already, and I really don’t want to feel like I have to rush to complete something. Takes the fun out of it. And karaoke has always looked so absolutely fun to me. (Of course, I may need a drink or two in me to screw up the courage to get up in front of a bunch of strangers and make a total fool out of myself.)

**Take the Hubs to Washington, D.C.: Now this one will kill two birds with one stone. He has never been to D.C., nor has he ever been on a plane. My goal is for us to fly up there, staying somewhere in Virginia maybe to avoid the astronomical hotel prices in the capital. I also want to make this trip while the cherry blossoms are in full bloom. I’ve been there twice and never seen that, and the hubs has said he’d like to see that as well.

There’s more to the list of course. Much, much more. I want to visit California (have a friend there I haven’t seen in about 23 years or so), go on a real live ghost hunt, travel to St. Paul to meet Angie and her family….so much to do. And I do hope I get to do all of it. If not, hey, at least I’ll be able to say I enjoyed the planning.

Better Late Than Never

2010-01-24T14:45:00.001-05:00

Well, they say better late than never, and I whole heartedly subscribe to that thought. (Although, I still wonder who “they” are. I mean, “they” seem to have a lot to say about a lot of things.) Anyhoo, I was supposed to give the Kreativ Blogger Award to seven blogs a few days ago, but life in the real world got in the way. So, here I finally am, telling the real world to go away for a bit, and handing this little award out to seven blogs that I love to follow.

*Cat Sitter in the City: Being a pet sitter myself, this blog has a special place in my blog list.

*Blogging My Way to a Better Life: I met Stephanie when she came to one of my writers’ group meetings. She is a very creative person, and I love her blog. (I adore her two dogs as well, but that’s another story.)

*Dying for Chocolate: Oh, come on. The name says it all.

*The Itty Bitty Kitty Committee: Again, the name says it all. I love cats.

*Wildhair: This is one by a new Facebook friend, who I “met” through another blogger/Facebook friend. It’s such a joyous, endless cycle.

*Confessions of a Middle Aged Suburban Diva: Very funny. Makes you think, too.

*Meanderings and Muses: I love mysteries and crime novels. That’s how I stumbled upon this little gem.

OK, those are the seven I’ve chosen for this award. Mind you, I follow so many blogs, it was really hard to choose just seven. I also read many blogs by people who don’t really get into the blogger award thing, so I didn’t want to “force” this on them. I also didn’t bother to nominate any who had already been given this award. Why make them go through the whole thing again?

While you’re surfing the net, aim your browser on over to one of these blogs. And if you’re feeling really adventurous, try looking at their list of blogs they follow and check some of those out as well. That’s the best way to find some really great blogs you never even knew existed.

Kreativ Blogger Award

2010-01-15T18:16:00.006-05:00

My friend Angie over at Eclectic Catladyland gave me a Kreativ Blogger award a few months ago. (Thanks Ang.) One of the stipulations of this award is that you have to share 7 things about yourself that no one would really know. SEVEN?!?!

Those who know me personally know that I talk….ALOT. (There is a button on my Facebook profile that says “People who don’t know me think I’m quiet. People who do know me wish I were.”) There isn’t much about me that my friends don’t know. Some may know more than others. But, I’ll give it the old college try anyway.

1) I love, love, love toe socks. They are a wondrous invention that I would wear every day if I could find enough of them. The local Wal-Mart sells them at Christmas and Valentine’s Day, and that’s about it. And those aren’t quite my size. I try to buy at least one pair though, even if they do only come up to just above my ankles.

2) I wear my regular socks (not the toe socks) inside out. Those little seams on the toes bug the heck out of me. Turn them inside out, problem solved. (And no, I don’t know why that seam bothers me, yet having the fabric in between my toes with toe socks doesn’t.)

3) I’m a light smoker. I say “light” because a pack of cigarettes can last me anywhere from two weeks to a month. No lectures. I know it all. I will quit (again) one day. Just not right now.

4) I love penguins. Don’t know why, just always have. Maybe it’s the little black and white “suits” they always wear. Maybe it’s the cute way they walk. Don’t know, doesn’t matter. I just like ‘em.

5) I used to be a “professional” shoplifter. I say professional because we (an old friend and I) were so good, we’d take orders for items from friends. We could walk into the mall and walk out with hundreds of dollars worth of stuff. Stopped when she got snagged by the cops. I wasn’t with her thankfully as she was a minor and I wasn’t, so I would probably have been looking at some jail time. I actually parlayed my skills into a job as a shopper for a security company. I had to walk around the store watching for shoplifters. Told them I’d be good at it because I used to be one of the “bad guys.” Hey, at least I was honest.

6) I am dying (OK, not literally) to try Karaoke. I can’t sing worth a flip, and I really don’t care. I love to sing. I especially love to sing the “old” 80’s songs. I don’t know if there is a Karaoke bar anywhere around here, but one day I will find one, get together with a friend or two, down a drink or two for courage and have at it. (I promise to post pictures.)

7) Last but not least, as much as I love my late mother (and I really do), one of my big goals in life has been to not be like her. Oh, I know I share some traits with her. My brothers have told me I sound just like her, and I know I look a bit like her (my dad, too), but Mom had a rough time and really got pretty bitter as the years went by. When life threw her lemons, she fussed and cussed and blamed everyone around her…men mostly. She was really angry with the men of our species. I love my mother, but when life hands me lemons, I will forever try my best to make lemonade.

Well, that’s it. Nothing real earth shattering, not to me anyway. I’m keeping that kind of stuff close to the vest. :-)

I am also supposed to nominate seven other blogs for this award, but since this has gotten so long, I will save that for tomorrow. Hope that’s not against the rules. Until then, take life as it comes, pour on the sugar and enjoy the lemonade.

Happy Birthday To Me

2009-12-21T08:53:00.006-05:00

Today is not only the first day of winter, it is also my 40th birthday. The Big 4-0! I have decided 40 is the new 20, as much of the time I don't even feel like an adult, much less a 40-year-old one.

Today I'm going to get away from the usual writings about cats and/or snow. But, I do reserve the right to get back to those later on. For now, I'm going to mark my 40th birthday by listing major events for each month in the year I was born, 1969 of course. Let's see how many of you remember these.

*January: Led Zeppelin I is released marking the beginning of Heavy Metal, Richard Nixon becomes the 37th President of the United States, The Beatles give their last public performance on the roof of Apple Records

*February: Yasser Arafat is elected leader of the PLO, The last issue of The Saturday Evening Post hits newsstands, the Boeing 747 makes its maiden flight

*March: the novel The Godfather is published, Apollo 9 is launched to test the lunar module and returns safely

*April: Dr. Denton Cooley implants the first temporary artificial heart, Robin Knox-Johnston is the first person to sail solo around the world without stopping

*May: Apollo 10 is launched and returns safely (a "full dress rehearsal" for the moon landing), John and Yoko conduct there "Bed-In" for peace, the film Midnight Cowboy debuts

*June: Elton John releases his first album in the UK, the Stonewall Riots in New York mark the start of the modern gay rights movement, Give Peace a Chance (the first single by a solo Beatle) is recorded by John Lennon

*July: Apollo 11 makes it's historic trip to the moon and returns safely, Chappaquiddick ('nuff said), the very first US troop withdrawals are made in Vietnam

*August: the Manson Family murders take place, Woodstock music festival takes place

*September: the first ATM machine in the US is installed in Rockville Centre, NY, the very last Looney Tunes cartoon is released by Warner Brothers, The Brady Bunch premieres

*October: Monty Python's Flying Circus premieres on BBC One, the "miracle" New York Mets win the World Series, the first message is sent over ARPANET (precursor to the internet)

*November: Sesame Street premieres, Dave Thomas opens the first Wendy's, Apollo 12 goes to the moon and returns safely

*December: the first draft lottery since WWII is held, the Boeing 747 makes its public debut carrying mostly reporters and photographers (191 in all) from Seattle to NYC

Those are just a few highlights from 1969. There are lots more, and I found the list on Wikipedia. And that is my way of marking my 40th birthday. Thanks for listening. ;-)

Snow Kitties

2009-12-20T08:19:00.009-05:00

We got over a foot of snow up here in the mountains, and a bit more is falling now. I figured the kittens wouldn't leave the front porch except maybe to go to the basement while the fluffy white stuff was on the ground, and boy was I wrong. Besides following me around the yard while I took some pictures, they actually played in the snow. Google especially seemed to be enjoying himself.

I would love to edit our voices out of the video, but don't have the software on this computer. But it's cool, watching little Google play in the snow like that. This is before the bulk of the snow fell, of course, and later on, when it was so deep, he mostly played in areas where I had walked.

Hope followed me out into the yard, but wasn't real happy about it. She stayed right next to the house, then walked out to get under the car. From there, she ended up under the storage building, then hightailed it under the deck.

Was surprised to see her sitting in the snow on the deck with Google for a bit.

Yahoo did follow me around the yard, but not for long. He stayed mostly under the deck (trying to clean snow off his fur)...

...or on the porch, curled up on his favorite cushion.

I really want to find a home for these guys. They are just the sweetest things. Yahoo especially loves to sit on your lap and be held. They are still young enough that they would make great indoor kitties. (They are constantly trying to come in our front door.) They are now spayed/neutered and are up-to-date on their shots. All I ask for their adoption is a donation to the local animal shelter. Not a bad deal if you ask me.

Today, I am thankful for...

2009-11-26T10:01:00.001-05:00

...my husband. Even as we have been dealing with his recent illness, he still tries to keep me smiling. And this through his own severe pain. When I told him that I had seen a co-worker of his at Wal-Mart, and that he had asked how I was doing, Chris was appreciative of that. He felt people should be thinking about me as much as about him. (Which we're sure they are, but he just like hearing it.)

...my cats. Yes, they are a pain at times, but they also provide some entertainment and brief respites from the stress and frustration of daily life. Even the kittens, who will hopefully have a furever home at some point soon, are a welcome addition. We often go outside and watch them play in the leaves, or run through the backyard.

...my many and varied friends, including those I have only "met" on the internet. Even distant friends who you may never see face-to-face bring joy to your life. Imagine/remember how BIG the world once seemed, how far away so many people were. Now, with a few clicks of the mouse, a few taps of the keyboard, we can "talk" with people all over the world. How cool is that?

...my life in general. True, there are some things I haven't done that I've always wanted to, but who doesn't have that list? And there are some things that have happened in my past that were pretty painful, but again, who doesn't have things like that in their life? Everything that's happened in my life has made me who I am, and I kinda like me. (Well, most of the time, anyway.) :-)

...bacon. I am so very thankful for this wonderful, fattening, tasty product that makes everything taste better. I even heard about a chocolate-bacon cake. Gotta find that recipe.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYBODY.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SESAME STREET!

2009-11-10T10:40:00.000-05:00

Everyone is getting in on the celebration, even Google. For several days the search engine has put a character from the show into their logo. Today, it's a group shot. Most of my favorites are there, with Big Bird being my all-time favorite character of the show. Wouldn't be Sesame Street without him.

Sesame Street debuted on November 10, 1969, one month and 11 days before I was born. I grew up with the show, learning my ABC's, numbers and even a smattering of Spanish (agua - water - agua). My mother said it was a babysitter of sorts. She'd come in from working nights, get the other kids off to school, set me in front of the TV to watch Sesame Street and be able to catch a nap on the couch. (I hear the grumbling going on out there about television and kids and quality time, but hey...you do what you gotta do.)

My favorite characters on the show have always been Big Bird and Snuffleupagus. I remember in the 80's hearing about how they were going to finally let the adults of the show see Big Bird's "imaginary" friend. How cool was that, to finally have have his frustration end. And he would be able to say "I told you so" to boot.

I have to say, I am glad to see Sesame Street is still going strong. It's nice to know that future generations will continue to enjoy the wonderful characters that live on this street. As a matter of fact, I always wanted to live on this street, too. I wonder if there's an apartment available near Big Bird's nest.

IT'S A GIRL!!

2009-11-09T16:41:00.001-05:00

Well, the kittens are still here, and I am hoping to get them to the vet to be neutered in the next week or so. The person I was hoping would take them wasn't able to, but she has promised to keep watch for anyone who might be interested. In the meantime...Jeeves has given us a bit of a surprise. He is a she.

I would have sworn Jeeves was a boy. I would have sworn I saw little...thingies...as she walked away from me. But it must have been a visual trick played by the way the fur was growing, because now they are obviously not there. Then I took her to the vet's office on Saturday and had my suspicions confirmed. The littlest brother is now the little sister. (She still play fights better than her brothers, though.)

So, we are trying to figure out a new name for the little girl, but aren't having much luck. We're still calling her Jeeves for lack of anything better, and she doesn't seem to mind. We thought about Eve since the sound is close to the same, but it just hasn't stuck. Maybe Jenny, but that hasn't made the cut yet either. If we stick with the search engine theme, the task becomes even more difficult. There just aren't many search engines out there using female type names.

For now, Jeeves is still Jeeves, and her brothers (Google and Yahoo) still treat her like a little brother, wrestling with her in the front yard, chasing her up trees. Or maybe, that's how little sisters are routinely treated. Either way, she doesn't seem to mind.

Kitten Update

2009-10-22T09:19:00.001-04:00

May have a home for one or more of the kittens. (Keep fingers crossed.) For now, they are still running all over my front porch, raising a heck of a racket. Today, I gave them a treat...a bit of sardines. Boy did they like that.

My usual readers know I have a small house outside for the cats. (a couple actually) The kittens recently discovered the foam one that Muffin usually sleeps in. I'm betting the little microwaveable "heater" I put in there has something to do with their discovery. What's odd is what they're doing with this "new" item they have taken over. Instead of sleeping inside it, they seem to like the idea of sleeping on top of it, collapsing the thing around them.

That's Jeeves and Yahoo in the picture. When I went out there early yesterday morning, Jeeves and Google were laying there like that. They came running to me, and then I was surprised to see Yahoo come crawling out of the house. They were laying on top of him. Maybe it was his idea, a way to keep warm.

I still get a kick out of Google's eyes. He is always wide-eyed and ready to go.

And Yahoo is such a beautiful boy. Sometimes he just sits beside me and watches the others play.

Jeeves is a hoot. Still more standoffish than the others, but does come running to be petted. He's a doll.

They're growing like weeds. I see a difference every day. Such beautiful little guys. Even Muffin is learning to accept them being around.

Sort of.

These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things

2009-10-09T11:45:00.000-04:00

One of my favorite times of the year has arrived. The weather is turning cooler, the leaves are changing and the catalogs have begun to arrive. And I don't mean the usual clothing, toy or electronic catalogs. I mean the cheese, sausage and chocolate catalogs.

Every year I pull these colorful marketing tools out of my mailbox and drool over the items they contain. I have long dreamed of one day getting a huge box of assorted meats and oh-so-wonderful cheeses from the likes of Hickory Farms, petits fours from Figi's or even a Forest Friends log from Swiss Colony.

I've even told my husband he is welcome to get me something from those purveyors of pure pleasure for Christmas or my birthday, but he thinks that wouldn't be a good present for a husband to give his wife. One year, my mom did send me something from one of them, and I eagerly ripped open the box to find...a small soup pot and bag of 21-bean soup. No chocolate. No cake. No cheese. *sigh*

I may have to break down and purchase something for myself one of these days, but for now, I will enjoy my trips to the mailbox. I will revel in the visually aromatic photos of cheese spreads, chocolate-covered cakes and various fudges from various parts of the world. For now, I will simply continue to indulge in one of my favorite fall/winter traditions. Maybe I should purchase that sterling silver drool cup I saw online.

Life Goes On

2009-10-06T10:43:00.005-04:00

I still start to cry when I look at pictures of my Little Buddy, or read about him in my journal, but there are three other kittens, not to mention all the adult cats, who need my attention.

This is Google (on left) and Yahoo (on the right). Google was the first named because he had such googlie eyes. His eyes are always wide open like that. We decided to go on with the search engine theme and called the other one Yahoo...because it's another search engine and he follows along behind Google, who seems to be constantly searching for something. It all works.

In thinking about other search engine type names, we decided to call this little guy Jeeves (along the lines of Ask Jeeves). We don't know for sure yet if he's a boy, but it works anyway. He's the most skittish of them, but he always has been. We're working on it though.

Here's Yahoo letting me pet him. It helps if I try while he's eating. He's getting to where he really wants to be petted, though. I even managed to pick him up for about a second or two this morning before he yelled at me.

Not everyone around our house is happy about the kittens being here. Muffin gave them a good talking-to this morning. But, with all her hissing and such, the other night I went outside to find her actually running around playing with them. When she saw me watching, the play stopped of course. You know how cats are.

I'm Sad Today

2009-10-03T11:49:00.004-04:00

I lost one of the kittens last night. Second from the left, looking up at the camera, is the one of the bunch who let me hold him. He had gotten to where he would come up to me and rub on my legs and we'd play a bit when I went out to feed them. He was a sweetie and I was really hoping to find him an indoor home. But, it wasn't to be. I found him lying in the grass this morning. There was a small wound on the back of his neck, and we figure a dog probably got hold of him. (You know how they shake things like that.) I have seen a coyote not far from my house, but if that had been what got him, it probably would have taken him off.

The other kittens are a bit more skittish now, which is understandable. After my pet sitting appointment this morning, I came home and buried the little guy in my front yard. As I was digging, the others came out from under my porch. They sat near and watched me until I was done. Almost like they were saying goodbye themselves. I think they will probably move over here now as they can go up under my porch where there is a small opening that leads into my basement. Much safer area.

I wish I could handle things like this better. A part of me wishes I didn't get so attached so easily. I'm second guessing myself when it comes to how I've been dealing with these guys now, and I'm really tired of crying over animals like this. (If more people would take care of their own pets, this type of thing wouldn't happen so often.)

At least I know the little guy was pretty happy. He and his siblings were over here on our porch late last night and I held and played with him. He had the loudest purr I've ever heard on a kitten. I'll never forget that, or him.

I'm Back...I Hope

2009-09-28T12:24:00.008-04:00

OK, after a long absence, I am returning to the world of blogging...hopefully on a regular basis.

Updates: (1) The hubs is still home, but getting better. He's had his gallbladder removed and they are now working on getting the correct combination of medications to take care of his other issues, as well as the usual ones brought on when you have the gallbladder removed in the first place.

(2) I am giving up on vegetable gardening. What a time I had with it this year. I did manage to get a few tomatoes, but had a better crop last year when I planted them in buckets. When I dug up my potatoes, every single one had teeth marks in them; moles or voles I assume. Two cabbages managed to grow a bit, but one was run over by a lawn mower when a friend came and mowed the lawn for us. (I'm not complaining. I was happy for the help.) The other cabbage was covered in slugs the last time I looked, and it was pretty well devoured. The green peppers never grew, I got 3 radishes, the beans didn't grow and I did manage a very few small green onions. The soil here is more clay than anything, so I think I'm going to hit local farmer's markets next year and just plant some wild flowers to attract the humming birds and butterflies.

(3) I am again earning my title as the Crazy Cat Lady. Four tiny kittens showed up at my neighbor's house about a month ago. We figure they were about 2 months old. Don't know where they came from, but of course I couldn't just let them alone. I have been feeding them and doing my best to socialize them. Our local shelter doesn't work with ferals (don't really have the room or the funds) and would put them down if I had taken them in. They don't think they can be socialized, but I know better. So, for the past several weeks, I've talked to and tried to pet each little guy. So far one will let me hold him, two will let me pet them some and the one really shy one has finally gotten to where he doesn't run away like he used to. I have emailed a cat rescue organization in Morganton to see if they can help me find homes for them. I wouldn't even mind if someone wanted them as barn cats. At least they'd have a chance at a life. (Anyone want a kitten?)

There are other things going on here and there, including a deer who visited us last month, but I will write more about that later on. I think I've written enough for now. I'm beginning to think I should open a wild life park here. :-)

We Will Never Forget

2009-09-11T08:30:00.003-04:00

On September 11, 2001, our world was changed forever. Time passes, but we still remember where we were that day, what we were doing when we heard. We will always remember.

Please, Sir. I Want S'mores

2009-07-30T23:05:00.008-04:00

OK, I am not a camper. The closest I've ever come is one of those campgrounds that have the shower/bathroom building in the center of the area, and the campsites have a water faucet and usually a grill. I remember having fires...usually in the back yard and often in a barrel of some sort. What I've never had is honest to goodness, sitting around the campfire type s'mores.

That's not to say I haven't had s'mores at all over the years. I've just had to go about getting them in nontraditional ways. This usually involved either a gas stove or a microwave. (Yep, I have more than once roasted marshmallows using the flame from a gas stove burner.)

For some reason, I have been craving these gooey treats like crazy this week. And I mean craving them like I'm addicted or something. I just cannot get them out of my mind. (And no, I am not pregnant. Although if I was, I would definitely be rich as I know a certain doctor who would owe me LOTS of money. But I digress.)

So, I decided to not only give in to my craving, but to find different ways to satisfy it. I thought about the marshmallow in the microwave thing, but that would be too easy.

My first foray into the world of chocolate/marshmallow goodness involved the usual graham crackers and Hershey bar. To that I added mini-marshmallow (the only kind I have on hand), a wooden skewer and a cigarette lighter. I like my marshmallows pretty crispy, so I just put a bunch on a skewer and light 'em up. Burning marshmallows make such a pretty light. And the results were pretty tasty as well. But of course, it didn't end there...

Next, I decided what the world really needs is INSTANT S'MORES. I took one graham cracker and spread it with milk chocolate frosting. Then, I took another and spread it with marshmallow fluff. Put them together and VIOLA! Instant s'mores. Not warm and gooey, but not too bad when you're in a hurry.

Then, tonight I tried what I think is the best s'more inspired concoction of all. Graham crackers, chocolate ice cream and Smuckers Marshmallow Ice Cream Topping.

I did not even know this stuff existed until a couple days ago. What genius came up with this, I don't know, but I hope the powers-that-be at Smuckers gave them a nice big bonus. How wonderful to be able to get that s'mores taste in a cool, creamy treat. Pure bliss.

Now, I wonder what kind of s'mores delicacy I can find next.

Anniversary

2009-07-08T16:04:00.007-04:00

Me and the Hubs - 1995

Chris and I went out on our first date on July 8th, 1991. We were married on July 8th, 1992. It's been 17/18 years, and I'm looking forward to many, many more. We are lucky in that we are not only husband and wife, but best friends as well.

For our first date, we went to see the movie Terminator 2. You hear a lot of couples who say their song is from the first movie they saw together or some such. Well, there really weren't any romantic songs in this one, so that was kind of out. And I couldn't tell you anything that played on the radio that day. Wasn't paying much attention I guess.

After seeing Prince of Thieves, the song Everything I Do (I Do It For You) by Bryan Adams became our song. There are others of course, many songs that remind us of each other, but we always come back to this one. Yes, it's sappy and sentimental as heck, but we like it. And the words describe perfectly how we feel about each other. (And I get all gushy every time I hear it. It's amazing knowing someone actually feels that way about you.)

(Everything I Do) I Do It For You
Written by Bryan Adams, Robert John 'Mutt' Lange and Michael Kamen 1991

Look into my eyes - you will see

What you mean to me

Search your heart - search your soul

And when you find me there you'll search no more

Don't tell me it's not worth tryin' for

You can't tell me it's not worth dyin' for

You know it's true

Everything I do - I do it for you

Look into my heart - you will find

There's nothin' there to hide

Take me as I am - take my life

I would give it All - I would sacrifice

Don't tell me it's not worth fightin' for

I can't help it there's nothin' I want more

Ya know it's true

Everything I do - I do it for you

There's no love - like your love

And no other - could give more love

There's nowhere - unless you're there

All the time - all the way

Don't tell me it's not worth tryin' for

I can't help it there's nothin' I want more

I would fight for you - I'd lie for you

Walk the wire for you - Ya I'd die for you

Ya know it's true

Everything I do - I do it for you

Chris, to steal a phrase from another great song, I love you more today than yesterday, and half as much as tomorrow. Happy Anniversary.

(The sappiness is over now folks.) ;-)

Let Me Talk...

2009-06-18T18:53:00.006-04:00

Hi everybody. This is Blondie. No, I'm not one of the sisters. (Trust me, I did not pick out this name for myself.) I am Major's big brother. Well, not BIG brother really. He does weigh quite a bit more than I do. But, that's an issue for another day.

Anyway, I read what Major wrote the other day, and I thought he was nuts. Why would any self-respecting cat want to sit down at some monkey's computer, no offense MommyLady, and blog? Who came up with this blogging thing anyway? It's just nuts. I mean....wait, I'm off topic again.

So, I sat back and proceeded to make fun of my brother every chance I could. Until today. I heard the MommyLady and DaddyMan discussing something rather disturbing and decided I just have to put in my two-cents worth.

It seems they saw a news report this morning about this President Obama fella killing a fly during an interview. After this happened, some group called PETA sent up a bit of a fuss. Over a fly. A FLY!!!

OK, first off, get over it. Have you ever had one of those things buzz around you nonstop for hours at a time? It's annoying. It's beyond annoying. It really sucks.

Second, what are flies good for? Buzzing around and annoying you for hours at a time. Period.

Third, I can think of only one thing wrong with the president's actions. It was a waste of a good snack. I love flies. If you pick one up in your mouth and let it buzz for a few seconds before you swallow it, not only does it kind of tickle, but it really impresses your siblings. Major and my sisters Face and Eddie thought it was a really neat trick when I did it. Not to mention the reaction I got from the MommyLady and DaddyMan when I finally swallowed the annoying creature. I did not know it was possible for someone to gag like that without coughing up a hairball. That is so cool.

Well, that's my opinion, and you're very welcome to it. You may go back to what you were doing now. I think I hear something buzzing in the next room. I'm going hunting.

It's My Turn

2009-06-09T17:08:00.004-04:00

Finally, I get my turn at this computer thing. This is Major...the handsome one among all these cats around here. I swear, if any more cats show up, I'm leaving. Well, maybe not leaving. But, I sure will be miffed. May even stop letting the MommyLady hold me on her lap so much.

The MommyLady and DaddyMan went out the door a few minutes ago, and I've decided to take this opportunity to set the record straight about a few things. I can't imagine why they go out that door so much. Every time I've gone out that door, after being shoved into a box mind you, I end up in a real horrible place where they set me up on this cold metal table and a mean lady in a white coat not only sticks me with needles, but worse...she puts some sort of stick up my butt. What kind of perverted thing is that to do to a cat? I give MommyLady the cold shoulder for at least an hour afterwards, but she still insists on taking me there. She just doesn't understand.

Anyway, what I want to set straight is all this talk I hear about these cats she has outside. I see them in the window once in a while. They just sit there and stare in. The girls, Eddie and Face, don't like that at all. They jump and hiss at the window, then at each other, which is all just a waste of time and energy. The problem is, MommyLady just keeps on feeding them. I don't understand that. If she would stop feeding them, they'd stop coming...and there would be more food for me.

Which brings me to another point; there can never be enough food. MommyLady has put us on this thing she calls a "diet." What confused human came up with this concept? Probably the same one that came up with the stick up the butt thing. I mean, who in the world thought it would be a good idea to limit the amount of food that is given to a cat? What bunk!!!!

Look, I'm working on getting the MommyLady to go back to the way it used to be, when our bowls were kept very full all day and night, but until then, let me tell y'all how it should be. Cats do not need diets. Cats need food. The bigger we are, the happier we are. Skinny cats? Miserable. They hate the way they look. Fat cats are much happier. Why we.....

...Oops, gotta go. I hear them at the door. Just remember: lots of food - GOOD! Sticks up the butt - VERY BAD!!!

Books, Books and More Books

2009-06-05T01:30:00.002-04:00

I've been reading a lot lately, and I've noticed more than ever how my tastes run pretty much all over the place. I tend to read at least two books at a time, sometimes up to four, and they are rarely all the same type of book. I read biographies, mysteries, paranormal novels, science fiction....you name it, I've probably at least tried to read it.

One of my recent reads was William Shatner's autobiography Up Until Now. When I was a kid, I loved to watch Star Trek reruns. We moved a lot, and it seemed like everywhere we lived, one of the local channels played Star Trek. And then along came T.J. Hooker. Remember that one? I adored that show. Even wrote lyrics for the theme music. (No, I won't sing it for you.)

Now, Shatner has become a bit of a joke over the years. His biggest redeeming quality came along when he finally decided to jump on the bandwagon and start making fun of himself. Then came Boston Legal. He was pretty good in that. In this book...? Well,

This book is very disjointed and hard to trudge through. He bounces around, interrupts himself, and even gets some of his facts wrong (Dale Earhardt, Sr. is the one who died in a crash, not Dale Junior). A good bit of the time, I found my self asking "where the heck was the editor?"

I discovered this book about a month ago. It's the first in a series about a cat who suddenly finds he can not only read and understand English, but he can talk as well. Throw in a murder and you have the makings of an interesting story. It's not the most complicated plot, but it held my attention all the way through, and that's saying something.

I love Denis Leary's comedy. When he gets going, you just sit back and enjoy the ride. This book is just like that. As you ready, you can just about hear him. It's great. It's funny. It's thought-provoking. What more can you ask for?

And the thing about Denis Leary, who has an honorary Doctorate and can use that title now, is no matter who you are, you will find yourself agreeing with at least some of what he says. He makes sense, even when he's saying something that is actually aimed at people like you. I mean, no one is safe, not even himself. One thing I did notice though; he points out more than once how wonderful his wife is and how lucky he is to have her. She sure has him trained right. ;-)

Well, that's the latest ones I've read. Right now I'm reading Serena by Ron Rash...which if you like regional novels should be on your must-read list. It's the first book of his I've read and his main character gives me the heebie jeebies. **shudder**

I'm also reading Deadly Harvest by Heather Graham. It's the second book in one of her series, but one thing I like about her books is the fact that if you pick up the middle book like this, it stands alone enough that you'll be fine reading it. (Kay Hooper's are much the same.) I've just started this one, so I don't know for sure how good it's going to be. I'll just say "so far, so good."

I guess that's it. I'm always on the lookout for something interesting to read. If you have any ideas, pass them along.

Adopt-A-Shelter-Cat Month

2009-06-04T17:01:00.004-04:00

June is National Adopt-A-Shelter-Cat Month, and you all know how I feel about cats. They are wonderful animals full of love and mischief. They make great companions, friends, bed-warmers. They are nothing if not honest and will let you know exactly how they feel about you, your friends and your family. They are full of personality.

So, if you are looking for a great companion, someone who will accept you as you are, then make you into just what they want you to be (just kidding - sort of), then head down to your local shelter and adopt a cat. (For those in my area, I am offering pet sitting discounts if you adopt.)

Now, that's not to say shelter dogs don't still need good homes, and please go to the local shelters if you are looking for a dog as well. (And remember, October is National-Adopt-A-Shelter-Dog Month.)

Adventures In Pet Sitting

2009-05-31T21:34:00.011-04:00

Remember Emma and Gracie, my first official pet sitting clients?

They are just the cutest things, aren't they?

I got the chance to pet sit for these two again over Memorial Day weekend, making me one of the happiest people in NC that weekend. I love these girls. They are adorable, lovable...frustrating. :)

OK, the frustrating part: Emma gave me my first job-related injury on Sunday morning. It was a great morning really. Emma ran around outside more than anything, while Gracie sat with me in the living room. We rough-housed a bit (she loves to growl back and forth with you). The weather wasn't too bad, so I left the back door open so Emma could come and go as she liked. She mostly stayed out.

Time to leave and I got Gracie in her crate with no problem. No sign of Emma. I walked around the house to find her in the yard "playing" with a chipmunk. (Little critter was beyond playing by that time.) I tried to get it away from her, and she was having none of it. She managed to drop it, and I got my hand under her collar to pull her away. She was barking and yelping, I was fussing...I'm sure the neighbors thought I was killing the poor girl. She wanted that chipmunk bad.

At one point during all this, she twisted and went under my arm trying to make her way to where the chipmunk lay in the grass. When she twisted around, my fingers got caught up in her collar and got yanked good and hard. I managed to keep myself from saying the words that came immediately to mind as I extracted my finger from the collar. Wow...that hurt like heck.

My mind finally kicked in and I went back into the house and got Emma's leash. She saw that in my hand and came running, chipmunk firmly in mouth. I hooked her up, managed to get her to drop the chipmunk and led her to her crate. All this time, my finger was throbbing like crazy.

I guess the finger was just bruised pretty good. Got one of those little finger braces and have been wearing it. I could barely bend the finger for a bit, but now I can make a fist without much pain in that finger. I still wear the brace at night since it seems I manage to bang it around in my sleep.

Funny thing is, it was my middle finger. Perfect.

I still love these dogs.

What's Going On

2009-05-18T15:32:00.005-04:00

I have been so buy lately with the garden, yard work, getting the business going and doctor appointments for the hubby, I just have not been able to find the time to sit and write or work on my blogs.

First off, Chris (the hubs) has been sick off and on for several months now, and he finally decided to start really "bugging" the doctor about it. (You know how men are when it comes to going to the doctor.) After a small abnormality in an EKG, he was sent for more tests on his heart which thankfully came out negative. He was also sent for an ultrasound of the gall bladder as well as a HIDA scan, another gall bladder test. We were actually kind of hoping something would show up there as it would explain a lot and would probably be pretty easy to take care of. But, those tests also came out negative. So, it's back to the doctor tomorrow to see what's next. (Keep good thoughts for us.)

Second, the garden.....OH MY GOODNESS!! This gardening thing is driving me nuts this year. I finally got it all in, but it's not looking too good. Now, I haven't had to go out and water it but once since it's rained a bit every day around here, so I guess that's pretty good. But, the tomatoes and peppers aren't looking too good. I'm hoping it's just taking them a bit of time to really take hold. The baby limas haven't come up yet and neither have the carrots. The icicle radishes are holding on, so maybe I'll at least have some of those. The potatoes and onions aren't poking through, but they haven't been in long enough really. The cabbages? Well, I think I will be holding their funeral pretty soon. **sign**

Every thing else is the usual. The yard has grown up a lot, but I'm slowing getting it tamed. The pet sitting is slow moving, but I am still hopeful. I've had a few initial consultations, which are free, and have clients who are going to be taking vacations during the summer and will need me then. (If you surf over to my pet sitting blog at www.tccrittersitters.com, you can see a pet adoption success story I'm pretty happy about.)

Well, I remember hearing about an old Chinese curse that says "may you live in interesting times." Interesting? I think that may be an understatement.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY

2009-05-10T10:18:00.003-04:00

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms who read my blog.

Earthworms and Cats and Ticks...Oh My...

2009-05-01T19:50:00.007-04:00

OK, first off I have to apologize for not having any new photos for today's post. Both batteries to my digital camera are dead, and organized person that I am, I can't seem to find the charger. It's around here some where.......

So, between rain showers, I finally got a bit of my garden in today. Not all of it mind you, but a good bit of it. It's actually a trial and error type of thing. I have a feeling some of my plants will be moved before all is said and done. I may have planted them too close together. But, at least they are in the ground.

The soil here isn't the best, but a while back, when I dug out my little garden spot, I tossed a couple bags of Miracle Grow Organic Garden Soil on top. I am trying to grow my veggies with no chemicals, which is why I chose the organic mix. As I was digging and planting, I did come across some wiggly little earthworms, which is a good thing. Maybe there's hope after all.

Muffin followed me out into the yard, as usual. I'm a pretty realistic person. I know there is no way I'm going to be able to keep her, or any of the other little monsters....I mean felines...completely out of my garden. But, about five minutes after I got my icicle radish sprouts planted, she was playing around, tossing a dirt clump in the air, and she dug one of my radish babies up. So, I told her to get out of my garden (she just laughed at that one) and replanted the sprout. Cats!!!

Then, there is the tick problem. I have a feeling it's going to be a bad year for ticks. I walked back into the house and immediately pulled one off my pants leg. Of course, any time I work in my garden, I will head right for the shower and scrub like crazy. I am so paranoid about ticks. Any time I find one on my person, it's all I can do not to run screaming hysterically around the house. And for good reason, too. Let me explain....

When I was a kid of about 5 or 6 I reckon, Dad decided to take me camping on one of our weekend visits. So, late into the evening of our first day on this little trip, I suddenly started screaming and holding the side of my head. Dad had no idea what was wrong, just that I was going nuts basically. The youngest of my brothers, Dennis, was along with us on this trip, and Dad figured he had done something. (Dennis was picking on me a lot apparently.)

Dad started getting onto Dennis for picking on me, and in the mean time, I kept on screaming. Deciding something else entirely was going on, he piled us into the car and and off we went to the ER. Upon close examination, the doctor found that a tick had gotten into my ear and was sitting right on top of my eardrum. (There was no pain as it hadn't bitten me, but the screaming was set off by the crawling of the thing I'm sure.) **shiver**

The doctor was worried about getting the tick out as quickly as possible so it wouldn't bite into my eardrum of course, but he didn't want to try and get it out with any type of long instrument as I might not be able to sit still and a worse injury could ensue. I guess the solution was obvious. While nurses, my dad and the hospital janitor probably, held me down, he shined a light into my ear and let the tick crawl....SLOWLY....up on its own. Yeah, there was more screaming involved. But, it did work.

Now, I know that was a long story, but can't you see why I am so nuts when it comes to ticks. My heart feels like it's going to beat out of my chest when I find one of those things on me. And if it's actually attached, I'm just plain gone. I can't even remove it...have to get Chris to get it. (The things he puts up with.)

I have a feeling this gardening thing is going to be interesting......

From the DUH Files

2009-04-28T05:27:00.004-04:00

OK, this was the view over New York City yesterday. The Boeing 747 is Air Force One (when the prez is on it anyway), and it is being followed by an F-16 fighter jet. Now, if you live in NY, this is a sight that would put a good bit of fear in your heart. As a matter of fact, people actually began evacuating some of the taller buildings in the city, and who can blame them.

But, this wasn't another attack of course. It was a military photo-op. Seems they've done this in other areas, taken photos of Air Force One around national landmarks (the photographer is in the F-16). This time around, the photos were to include the Statue of Liberty. Now, not only is this a stupid idea anyway given past events, but then no one thought to let the city of New York know they were going to do it. The mayor wasn't even told.

Here is one of probably many videos on YouTube of the flight.

If I was a conspiracy fanatic, I'd wonder if this was actually a military exercise or some thing. Some way to see how prepared the city or control towers or some such are since 9/11. But, I think it was just a very stupid idea that someone came up with then managed to get past some other idiots who also weren't thinking right, or were asleep at that time.

I mean....DUH!!!!!

Local Glass Art

2009-04-25T20:28:00.000-04:00

My husband is taking an online art appreciation class as part of his work toward a Bachelor's Degree. One of the projects he had to do for this class is check out some local art work. So, off we went to the Crimson Laurel Gallery to see what they have. I'm going to post some photos of the glass art here, since those were some of our favorite pieces. I figure that would be a good way for his fellow classmates to get a look at what he's talking about in his postings on the class site (as well as a way to get even more traffic to my blog). :)

This is an untitled neon glass piece by artist Jacob Fishman. It's a kinetic work, one of those things with electricity running through you and when you touch it, the light follows your hand.

I like the detail of the glass human figure encased in the blown glass. It's pretty cool.

This is another neon glass piece called Life Form by artist David Wilson. This one is in a wood display case, and is a bit more expensive than the other one. They are both way cool, but I have to say I kind of like the other one better. Has more visual impact for me.

This is one of my favorite pieces. It's called Earth Paperweight, and it's also by artist David Wilson. I would love to have this one. When Chris and I first moved up here, we saw a larger version of this, and it was so amazing. I am going to try to get a better photo later. This one just doesn't do justice. I am so amazed at how the Earth just appears to be floating in there.

This is another favorite of mine...second only to the Earth Paperweight. This is called Acro Bag and it is by John Littleton and his wife Kate Vogel. (John's father Harvey Littleton is the founder of the American Studio Glass Movement) I like this piece because it's actually pretty simple and is very colorful. If I could afford it, this would be on my mantle...right along side the Earth Paperweight. **sigh**

Newest Addition

2009-04-23T06:45:00.004-04:00

Finally, some photos of the newest member of the menagerie. This is Alexander (my husband tells me that's his name). He showed up around here a few weeks ago, and is still a bit wary of me. But, I can pet him some when he's eating, and he does let me hold him, just not for too long. He's not quite solid black; has about four strands of white fur on his chest, and from this photo, I think he has a few on his belly as well.

I'm assuming Alexander is a stray as he's pretty skinny and very timid. So, soon he will be "taken care of," so to speak. We have enough kittens running around out there, and in our shelters, and he will have a much longer, healthier life in the end. (Not to mention that hopefully he and Tango will stop their little territory-marking competition on my porch.)

And from the looks of it, Alexander is starting to feel pretty safe here. :)

Just Stuff

2009-04-20T07:50:00.005-04:00

Well, I'm a bit too busy to write much of anything, but since it's been so long, I wanted to do something, so here are some funnies to keep us amused. Enjoy.

*Pictures courtesy of LOL Cats at http://www.icanhascheezburger.com/.

Pet Sitting Blog

2009-04-14T16:28:00.005-04:00

I'm writing this under Muffin's watchful eyes. Well, figuratively speaking I guess.

I own the URL for my pet sitting business, but haven't been able to get a website built yet. Everyone I've contacted about doing it seems to be too busy, or just too busy to even get back to me at all. So, for now, I have started up a blog for it (http://www.tccrittersitters.blogspot.com/). It's not much yet, but it will grow. I have posted my services/rates list there as well, so that will help a bit. Once the site is up, I can just include a link to the blog and keep it going with stories about my pet sitting "adventures."

So, let's see, that brings my blog count up to four. I think I'll hold there for a while. :-)

Happy Easter and a Birthday

2009-04-12T16:26:00.007-04:00

Easter Sunday dawned bright and sunny this morning. What a beautiful day it is. Of course, they're calling for more rain tomorrow, but that's OK. Rain can be a beautiful thing, too. For now, I hope everyone is have a very Happy Easter.

Today is also special for another reason. Chris, my significant other, is celebrating his 38th birthday today. (I say celebrating...he's actually taking a test in one of his online classes. He's studying for his Bachelor's Degree.)

Now, Chris and I have been together nearly 18, married for almost 17, and I have very few pictures of him. He really hates getting his picture taken. You'd think he was wanted by the FBI or something.

But, every once in a while, I get a photo of him. And they are usually pretty good.

I'll be the first to admit that I don't really like photos of myself either, and this one isn't much of an exception. But, it's one of the few (3 I think) of us together. It was taken about 7 or 8 years ago, when we were students at Mayland Community College. (After I lost my job when OMC shut the doors and filed bankruptcy. But, that's another story.) We've both lost some weight since then, and he no longer has the long hair. (I cried when he cut it.)

This one was taken in October of last year...my two favorite men: the hubs and the Stumpy (better known as Major). Chris claims they are all my cats, but he has a soft spot for Major. Actually, he has a soft spot for all of them, but just won't admit to it.

Happy Birthday to the love of my life...my very best friend.

Spring in the Mountains

2009-04-07T20:09:00.004-04:00

Here are some photos from today (April 7th, 09). I had to check the calendar. It's spring, right?

In case I haven't said it 100 times before....I love snow.

But I really would like to get my garden planted.

Miscellaneous Musings

2009-04-03T05:40:00.005-04:00

Poor Herman the Possum. Haven't seen him for a few days, then this morning he was on the porch, chomping on the cats' food as usual. As he started to climb down the porch railing, my husband noticed his tail...it's partly gone. Looks like Herman got caught up in something, or with someone. Poor thing. His tail is too short to hang from now. Too bad possums aren't like lizards. Would be cool if he could just grow a new one. (No new picture of the little guy. Didn't want to startle him more than we already had by going outside in the first place.)

A while back, I walked in the living room to find Major staring intently at the front door. I walked over and heard some scratching outside. Thinking Muffin was playing around, I opened the door. Well, I guess she had cornered a mouse between the glass door and the front door (there's a small gap at the bottom corner), and my opening the door gave that poor little mouse an escape route. It ran into the house and hid behind a side table. Major and the other kitties sniffed around at different times during the evening, but they aren't the best mousers in the world.

So, I pulled out a humane mousetrap that I bought years ago (and my husband made fun of me for buying) and placed it where I thought the mouse would probably end up trying to make a break for it. It was still empty the next morning, so I took a small piece of bread and put it in. Later on in the morning, I heard some scratching around and there the little guy was...safely ensconced in the trap. How cool. I took him outside and let him loose among some overgrowth in the yard. Hopefully he's learned his lesson and won't get around Muffin again.

Took this picture on a warm day at the beginning of March. Muffin was in the front yard, sunbathing among the ivy. She loves the sun. It's been raining for the past couple days, so needless to say, she's not happy right now. Of course, in this picture, she's not looking too happy either. Maybe she just wanted me to leave her in peace and let her get back to her sunbathing. (Would this be considered nude sunbathing?!?)

Blue Moon Bookstore

2009-04-02T13:41:00.004-04:00

Independent bookstores have a hard time staying open when the economy is good, but an even harder time when things are tough. The latest casualty is Blue Moon in Spruce Pine. My writers' group held our monthly meeting here, as did the local women's poetry group, Eve's Night Out. The building used to be a pharmacy complete with soda fountain I'm told, and it has such great historic charm. Hopefully it won't stay empty for long. (There's even talk of someone wanting to try their hand at the bookstore thing, with maybe art classes and such as well.)

This is my friend Sharon Huskey. She bought the bookstore (building is rented) a few years ago and has been a downtown fixture ever since. She held on as long as she could, but it just wasn't meant to be. But Sharon has come out the other side with a bushel of friends at her side and a strength only a woman, especially a red-headed woman, can have. ;-)

Judith Smith, a member of my writers' group, organized a pot luck at the store on Tuesday evening, the last day of business. Lots of people came to offer Sharon support and she really seemed to be enjoying the company. Great people hang out at bookstores.

Sharon gave me one of the bookstore's chairs since my recliner was falling apart, and she knew I couldn't afford a new one right now. I love this chair...it's like my own piece of the store, and it's bigger than it looks. I can even curl my feet up under me when I sit in it (a big deal when you're a large person like I am). But, I don't actually get to sit in it as much as I'd like to. For some reason, Face has adopted it as her own. She has never done that, usually stays in our bedroom or in her own little bed in the living room. She likes smells so maybe it's the "new" smells she gets on the chair: Sharon's late dog (Bascom), her cat (Freda), the various customers, the store itself. Whatever it is, The Empress, as Face insists on being called, has claimed it and will not give it up. Sometimes she lets one or both of her brothers cuddle up in the chair with her, but not often.

As long as I have this chair, I will look at it and think of Blue Moon...and smile.

Welcome to the Menagerie

2009-03-26T06:33:00.010-04:00

My house is turning into a menagerie. Who am I kidding? Turning? It's been a menagerie for a long time now. Besides the various birds that I feel the need to provide tons of feed to, other animals keep showing up...mostly those of the feline persuasion. But, the "herd" is not limited to cats.

Of course, there's the neighbor's cat, Tango. He's a sweet guy, but since another tom cat has started hanging around, he's taken to marking every part of my yard, including items on the front porch. (I've given the people around me the neuter lecture. Only so much I can do.)

Then there's Drifter. This one has been hanging around for a while and still won't let me too close. I think it's a girl, but haven't been able to tell actually. (The new tom cat that's hanging around is jet black. {Haven't been able to get a photo of him yet.} What a contrast the two make.)

And of course, there's always Muffin. She's a sweetie, but a bit odd at times. Yesterday, she ran out into the rain to greet me when I got home from an appointment, then complained the whole time about getting wet. I kept telling her it was her own fault, but she didn't seem to believe that at all.

Squirrels used to be very abundant in my yard, but seemed to disappear for a bit after we had the large maple tree trimmed back last year. No where good to hide I reckon. But, I think they will return. I do know I often see them using the power lines to cross the road and come to my feeder. Maybe they just wanted to use that little trip as their form of exercise. This little guy looked up just as I was taking the picture. How perfect was that? (On a later post, I'll tell you about the three "regulars" we used to have and how they got their unusual names.)

This is Herman, the mostly black opossum that shows up at night to eat the cat food. He's pretty cool really. We have a couple old tables on the porch that were supposed to be hauled off, but the cats started using them, so now their food gets put up there. This guy just climbs right up to eat.

This is the little house Muffin uses sometimes. It sits right by our living room window, and since she doesn't like the wind, when it's cold and very windy, I'll put her plate of food in front of it so she can eat without being bothered. One night, I looked out the window to see Herman happily chomping away. I grabbed my camera and tried to sneak out the door. He panicked of course, and turned and ran into Muff's house. No escape there. I didn't get too close as I really didn't want to scare him any more than he already was, so the zoom feature came in handy. (Took the picture then went back in the house so he could eventually come out and finish his nightly raid.)

And of course my four "little" cuties who love to watch the others from the comfort of the bed or sofa. Have I ever written about how I got these guys? I'll have to check back and see. For now, I'll just say they are a bunch of bottle-raised, spoiled-so-rotten-they-stink fur babies...and I love them as if they were my children, because when you think about it, they really are.

And so the menagerie continues to grow. We even had a mama raccoon at one time that came around in the wee morning hours to eat. (Probably the only time she cold get away from the little ones.)

Wonder who's going to show up next?

Yippeeee!

2009-03-24T03:19:00.011-04:00

Vicki Lane has given me my very first blog award. I'm doing the Snoopy Happy Dance here. Thanks Vicki.

Now, I have to pass it along to five deserving blogs. That's a hard thing in a way. I'm always surfing around and finding new blogs to read. There are so many good ones out there. But, here are five I feel deserve this little honor. (Just right-click and copy the picture of the award for your sites, then pass it along to five you think deserve it as well.)

First there is my friend Stephanie over at Blogging My Way to a Better Life. Steph is a member of my writers' group, and the first client of my new pet sitting business. (I ADORE her dogs.) She's a great writer and definitely a major sports fan. (Go Steelers!) :0)

Katey Schultz is another local writer. She is also one of the organizers of the Carolina Mountains Literary Festival which takes place in Burnsville, NC, as well as the Eve's Night Out monthly open-mic poetry event. She is currently working on a book about Western North Carolina's swinging footbridges. Check out her blog, The Writing Life.

The CUPZ by Watie in Malaysia is all about cupcakes. Yep, an entire blog about cupcakes. She's a baker and decorates those wonderful little cakes for different occasions. I love checking out her blog. The photos of beautifully decorated cupcakes are enough to make your mouth water. YUM!

Over at Frugal Family Recipes...What's for Dinner Tonight?, Michelle Jones of Atlanta has put together a great blog of home cooked recipes geared toward the very busy cook with very little time. (That's most of us, isn't it?) I'm a huge recipe addict, and this site is one way I "feed the need" without stacking up even more cookbooks in my house.

And last, but most definitely not least, is Angie Bailey over at Eclectic Catladyland. I love this blog. Maybe it's because we're both "crazy" cat ladies, or the fact she's from the Twin Cities (I was born in St. Paul), or because according to her profile we're the same age...wow, now that I look at all the similarities, it seems kind of creepy. ;-)

Check out these great blogs when you get a chance.

Business Logo

2009-03-19T11:44:00.003-04:00

When I decided to start my pet sitting business, I searched around for some sort of artwork to use as a logo. My search on the net brought me across the picture above. It was posted with a statement that anyone who wanted to use it was welcome to. Well, it was pretty close to what I was looking for, but not quite. For one, it shows only dogs, and my business isn't limited to just canines. So, I put out a call to people I knew who were artists, and my friend Gera Girard answered that call. I told her my ideas about adding in a bird cage and fish bowl on either end of the couch, as well as changing the hair to look a bit more like me...and of course adding in cats. She took those ideas and ran with them.

This is what Gera came up with and I am happy as can be. I especially love the look on the fish's face. Best part of all, when I first saw this picture, it made me laugh. That's important to me. I want people to know that their pets will be safe and happy while they're gone, and I want them to know how happy taking care of animals makes me.

It's a happy little picture, don't you think? :-)

Erin Go Bragh!

2009-03-17T06:49:00.006-04:00

Here it is...the one day a year when EVERYONE is Irish. :-)

I have added the book Irish Girls About Town to my reading list, and will start on it today as way of celebrating my Irish heritage (Family name is Flanagan way back there).

Today, find your own way to celebrate your Irish heritage, or that of a friend. Read a book, wear green, drink green beer, dye your hair red...go for it.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Five Questions

2009-03-11T13:21:00.005-04:00

OK, I was reading Vicki Lane's blog the other day and she wrote about how on another blog, the author had invited her readers to answer five questions on their blog...and then invite their readers to do the same. Vicki got her questions and answered them, and passed along the invite. So, I figured why not, and threw my hat into the ring.

Vicki posted my questions in the comments section of my blog, and I grabbed them and went to work. And what work it was. I still think I could add more to my answers, but it's time to stop "fiddling" around and post them already. If any of my readers would like to do the same on their blogs, let me know in the comments section and I'll pass along some questions of my own for you to post.

1. What was your favorite toy when you were a child?
For some reason, I have very few clear childhood memories. I do remember having a box of toys in the basement at one house we lived in. There were so many odds and ends in that box, including empty tomato paste cans for some odd reason. I also remember having a Weeble’s Treehouse that I adored, and a Big Wheel that my stepsister (for a time anyway) would tie to her bike so she could pull me along behind her.

But, in the end, I have to say my favorite toy was, and still is, my teddy bear, Fudge Brownie. Still have her. She’s 37 now, and a bit beat up, but she’s still a comfort when I’m in a bad mood or sad about something. For some reason, she gives my hubby the creeps, so I kind of keep her in a place where he doesn’t have to see her a lot. :-)

2. If you could spend a day being invisible, what would you do?
This is a tough one. (Thanks a lot, Vicki.) ;-)

My husband has lots to say about this one. Mainly things like how it would depend upon, when we say invisible, do we mean only in the visual spectrum, are we still detectable through body heat, etc? (Kind of annoying, that.) I’m thinking totally invisible. I’ve tried to think of what I would do, especially since time travel isn’t involved. (Would love to see my parents first meeting so I could know how those two ever got together – albeit temporarily.) I’d love to spend a day in the west wing of the White House, just to see a “typical” day in the running of our country (if any day is typical there).

Then, there’s that little part of me who would just like to be able to hang out in my own home without anyone (cats included) knowing I was there. To be able to sit outside in the sun reading a book, or stretch out on the bed and take an undisturbed nap with one of my Enya CDs playing in the background…ah, what dreams.

3. If your cats could speak English, what would they say?
Major (as I’m getting ready to walk out the door): “Hey, where’re you going? You can’t leave me. Wait a minute. You can’t leave.”

Eddie (the Princess): “I really should be an only kitty. I just don’t understand why you had to let those others live here.”

Blondie (the former athlete): “Hey, did you give me my snack today?” (then at about 2am) “HEY, ARE YOU AWAKE?!?! Just checking.”

Face (the Empress): “Feed me now, monkey, before I die of starvation.”

Muffin (originally Muffinhead – an homage to her vast intelligence): “Why do you keep all those cats inside? Did they do something wrong?”

4. What would you like to be doing in 25 years?
Writing still, but actually being paid for it. Maybe with my pet sitting business expanded enough that I can either “retire” and let someone else run it for me, or just sell it to someone outright. (I can dream.)

5. What is your favorite tree and why?
I’ve never really thought about my favorite tree. Favorite flower of course, but tree? Let’s see…there are three trees I really like: the Weeping Willow, the Magnolia and the Live Oak with lots of moss hanging from it. Out of those, I have to say the Live Oak is probably my favorite, especially those that stretch down, touching the ground so you can just climb right up and sit on a branch. I also love those places that have moss draped live oaks on either side of the road or driveway, the branches crossing over above you like some giant canopy. They just draw you in, seeming to call you down the lane, making you want to see what just might be waiting for you at the other end.

Small Voter Turnout...

2009-03-11T02:11:00.003-04:00

...but it looks like the referendums passed anyway. (http://results.enr.clarityelections.com/NC/Mitchell/10288/15074/en/summary.html)

I woke up at 1:30 this morning and just could not go back to sleep. Hate it when that happens. But, I figured since I'm up, I might as well go to the Board of Elections website and see how the vote went yesterday. It does look like all four of the alcoholic beverage issues passed, but I have to say I'm kind of disappointed in the voter turnout. Only 51.71% of registered voters actually showed up to vote on an issue that it seems EVERYONE had an opinion on. Well, maybe that worked out for the best in the end.

I also have to wonder why it appears that some people voted on one or two of the issues but not on all four. That's kind of odd to me, but who knows why people want one thing and not the other, or vice versa.

So, we are finally coming up into the modern world. Took long enough.

Am I Just Being Picky?

2009-03-10T12:39:00.006-04:00

There are currently four dry counties in North Carolina, and I just happen to live in one of them. Of course, we're only dry on paper if you ask me. There is golf course in our county that has a store that sells beer and wine. How that works, I have no idea.

That being said, today there is a vote in town to bring in sales. (Four different referendums on the ballot actually.) Now, this is only in the city limit, so only those living in the city limit can vote. Which leaves me out...which I hate. I understand there are those who don't want any of the referendums to pass, but I for one like an occasional glass of wine, or *gasp* even a mixed drink. (I discovered chocolate martinis a couple years ago. Yum.) And considering how many people go outside the county to purchase now, our we are losing out money-wise. (Even purchases made at the golf course do not benefit our county.)

So, here we are, awaiting the results of a city vote. If this stuff passes, maybe it will open things up county-wide. Who knows. There are many signs around town pushing both sides, which brings me to my actual reason for this blog. Do you see the problems with these signs?

I'm not an English major or anything, but I have this issue with signs that are just plain wrong. This one for instance. It should read "proposals," plural.

And then there's this one. If I'm not wrong, it should read "alcoholic beverages." (Someone correct me if I am wrong.)

Now, since I'm on the 'other' side of this issue, some may think that's the only reason I'm pointing these out. That really isn't true. These are the only such mistakes I've seen in the dozens of signs that have popped up in my town. And I really wonder if I'm just being too picky when I say that grammatical and/or spelling mistakes on signs (ANY signs) is one of my biggest pet peeves.

Always Welcome Fluffy White Stuff

2009-03-02T08:03:00.010-05:00

Just some snow pictures today.

Ankle deep snow, too fluffy to make a snowman or a good snowball, but very beautiful.

Muffin hates the stuff, and really hates the wind (as do I) but still insists on following me around the yard as I take pictures...complaining all the while.

If the squirrels want corn today, they're going to have to work a bit for it.

Paul Harvey: 1918 - 2009

2009-02-28T22:47:00.003-05:00

Legendary broadcaster Paul Harvey died today. He was 90 years old, and will be greatly missed.

The Eye of the Beholder

2009-02-25T05:11:00.005-05:00

Art. What is art? I think that depends on who you are. What is one person's art, is another person's...well, trash.

This is my favorite work of art: Vincent Van Gogh's Starry Night. The first time I saw this painting, I had a real emotional reaction to it. I don't know what it is. There's just something about it that gets to me to this day. To me, this is a true work of art.

This is Jackson Pollack's No. 5, 1948. Pollack is one of those artists whose work I just don't understand. To me, it's just a bunch of paint splattered on a canvas, or in this case a piece of fiberboard. I've seen children's fingerpaint pictures that look more like art to me than Pollack's work.

An artist I recently discovered is Charles Bell. My husband, Chris, is a fan as well. He was a photorealist, and when I look as his paintings, I can't believe how much they look like photographs instead of oil paintings. This one is call Marble Swirl.

Chris is also a fan of Leonardo da Vinci (self-portrait above), but not only for his paintings. In actuality, I don't think he really pays much attention to the man's paintings. He likes him for the fact he was what we now call a renaissance man. da Vinci was a scientist, mathematician, engineer, inventor, anatomist, painter, sculptor, architect, botanist, musician and writer. His insatiable curiosity led him to become one of the most diversely talented people to have ever lived. To this day, I can't think of anyone who comes close to this man's talent and achievements.

Most artists seem to agree that even if their work elicits a negative reaction, they've accomplished something. Positive or negative, the goal is to make a person think and react in some way.

Try Something New

2009-02-18T16:18:00.010-05:00

Never be afraid to try something new. Especially when it comes to food. As I get older, I have found that my tastes have changed. Even after my hysterectomy about a year and a half ago, I found I liked some things I didn't like before. Odd huh? Must be a hormone thing.

A month or so ago, I decided to give sweet potatoes a try. I don't know if I'd ever actually tried them before. I think I did as a kid. If so, it was more than likely in the form of a casserole at Thanksgiving or some such. Walking through my local grocery store, I noticed how inexpensive these things are, and we all know they are healthy. So, I bought one, brought it home and baked it.

To use a phrase from an old Shirley Temple movie, "Oh my goodness." I love these things. What the heck have I been missing all these years? And I wonder if they are as easy to grow as regular potatoes. I'm still planning my garden after all.

More recently I tried turnips (left, above) and rutabagas (right), two other veggies I have long avoided. They kind of look like the radishe's larger, odd-looking cousins. Should have told me something. Anything that reminds me of a radish deserves a chance. Again, I can't believe what I've been missing all these years. These things are oh so good.

My latest "discovery" is the avocado. Last week, I went to lunch with my friend Liz. We decided on Mexican as we have a pretty good Mexican restaurant here, El Ranchero. (Plus I think Liz likes to flex her Spanish chops.) She ordered guacamole, another food I have always stuck my nose up at...fiercely. Being the brave soul that I am, I let her convince me to try it. And yet again, what the ever-loving heck have I been missing all these years. Then, I tried a slice of avocado that came with our meals. Jeez, I've been in the dark way too long. Those things are pretty darn good.

Definite proof that you should try something new every once in a while. You never know what treasures you will find.

Surfing the 'Net

2009-02-17T05:20:00.002-05:00

Wow, over a week since I last updated this blog. Time just goes by too fast sometimes.

Today I'm going to point y'all to some blogs I've come across while surfing. I actually like to go out looking at random blogs using the "next blog" link found at the top of most blog pages. Some of the blogs have links to interesting websites, some have great family stories and yet others simply have photos that I found interesting. The reasons a blog makes my favorites list are many and varied.

At the blog titled Lloyd's Newfoundland Photos (http://lloydsnfldpics.blogspot.com/), Lloyd C. Rees posts some great pictures. I especially love the ice photos; nice winter images.

I don't remember what initially interested me in the Billboard Jen blog (http://billboardjen.blogspot.com/), but it does have some interesting links. Like the link to a site where you can see famous paintings recreated with Legos (http://oddee.com/item_96540.aspx).

The Billboard Jen blog had a link that led me over to the Shakin' & Bakin' blog (http://shakinandbakin.wordpress.com/). Some interesting things can be found here as well. Such as the link to a site where you can buy anti-theft lunch bags (http://www.thinkofthe.com/products/lunch_bag.php). These are very interesting. Check them out.

Well, that's enough surfing for this morning. So many blogs, so little time.

Saying Goodbye Part II

2009-02-09T15:58:00.002-05:00

My dad's funeral is this afternoon in St. Paul, Minnesota. I could not be there so have said goodbye in my own way.

Courage Campaign

2009-02-08T20:43:00.002-05:00

Not long ago, California passed Prop 8 banning gay marriage. Now, attorney Ken Starr has filed a brief that seeks to forcibly divorce the roughly 18,000 same-sex couples who were married before the propostion passed. I love this video. It's very touching and puts a very human face on the whole thing. (You can go to this website and sign the letter for the state supreme court if you wish as well: http://www.couragecampaign.org/page/s/divorce)

"Fidelity": Don't Divorce... from Courage Campaign on Vimeo.

Saying Goodbye to My Dad

2009-02-06T20:50:00.004-05:00

I received a call this evening from my stepsister. My dad passed away sometime early this morning. He was battling a malignant brain tumor, and the last time I spoke to him, he actually sounded a bit better. I was hopeful and planned on going to see him in the next month or so. I won't be able to make his funeral on Monday, the tightening of the proverbial money belt has hit so many of us these days, but I do still plan on heading for St. Paul some time to see Sandy, my stepmom, and to visit Dad's grave.

Somewhere I have a picture of Dad giving my first bottle at home on December 24th, 1969. It is the only picture I have of my dad and me. Actually, it is one of only two or three pictures I have of my dad. He wasn't one for having his photo taken. He was the photographer. Any time I visited him (my parents were divorced when I was 4), he seemed to always have a camera at the ready.

Years ago I wrote an essay about how trains reminded me of Dad. He worked for the C&NW railroad. The essay sat on my computer for the longest time until I took it out and dusted it off last year, sending it in to Western North Carolina Woman Magazine for their Y Chromosome issue. That essay can still be found at http://www.wncwoman.com/june08/page38.html.

Dad and I have never been very close. He wasn't an easy person to get close to. But over the past several years, we kind of found a place where we at least knew what was going on in the other's life. We talked on the phone once in a while, and we emailed each other a bit. (Dad was never a letter writer, so when email came around, it was perfect.) In the last couple of years, Dad seemed different, like maybe he was realizing what he missed out on as the years sailed by.

I didn't grow up with my dad around, so I used to think he really had no influence with me. But, to paraphrase a comment left by Vicki Lane on yesterday's blog, when it comes to parents, even when they're not around, there's still a relationship. For better or worse, they are a part of your life. You just have to take what ever they give you and go from there.

Goodbye, Dad. I will miss you.

Happy Birthday Mom

2009-02-05T16:06:00.005-05:00

Today would have been my mother's 73rd birthday. She passed away from leukemia in the summer of 2000 at the age of 64. She lived 8 years with a form of the disease that usually had a survival rate of only 5 years. She had treatments every few months in Bethesda, Maryland at the National Institutes of Health, and it's possible that the only reason she died when she did is because she stopped going for those treatments. She said she simply was tired. Can't blame her for that.

Mom and I didn't have the best relationship in the world. To tell you the truth, she didn't have the best relationship with any of her six kids. She had a hard life growing up, and as an adult didn't make the best of decisions, especially where men were concerned. That being said, it's still an odd feeling to know the one person who was in my life from the very beginning is no longer around.

I decided to go through the few photos I have and pull out the ones of Mom and me together. There aren't many. {I will warn you, the quality isn't too good as 1) the pictures are old and 2) I don't have a scanner so had to use my digital camera to make copies for the blog.}

This one is probably around December 24th, 1969 or so. I was born December 21 and the hospital sent me home on Christmas Eve in a giant Christmas stocking. Cute idea, huh? Check out those curlers in Mom's hair. She used those type of curlers all her life. Heck, it may have even been the same ones all those years. And if you have to go out for any reason with those curlers, you mustn't forget the obligatory scarf. It makes all the difference in the world.

According to the date on the edge of this photo, it was developed in April 1970. It seems in the back recesses of my memory Mom may have said something about this being taken the day I was christened. (Was christened Catholic as a baby, but not raised that way. Long story for another blog. Or for a book.) I love the little dress, but boy what a big head I had. And check out Mom's hair. She always wore it that way. I call it the Steel Magnolia hair. She used to tease it up and shape it into a big, red football helmet. (As opposed to Sally Field's big brown one.) We were living in Minnesota, but Mom never lost her "Southern" hairstyle.

This blurry one is from Christmas 1970, which makes me a year old. I love the blanket sleeper pajamas I'm wearing. Wish I had some now. Mom's hair isn't styled quite as big as in the previous photo, so I guess she wasn't planning on going out anywhere. You can't really tell, but those glasses are the cat's eye style that was so popular back then. (Gotta love the 70's.)

I have no idea where this one was taken, or what year. I'm assuming I'm about 4-years-old or so, as Mom is tying my shoe. (I remember being "forced" one day to finally learn to tie my shoes. Couldn't go outside and play until I tied my own shoes. Sheesh!) It looks like we're in a hotel room. The bedspread looks like another 70's thing, and this has to be the only time I ever saw Mom go out without the big hair. Wow!

No matter how dark some of the water was that flowed under the bridge, I can look back on life with Mom using the eyes of an adult daughter who has learned from her own experiences. She made some wrong choices, but don't we all. And besides that, she taught me a lot. She came from a deep south family with LOTS of prejudices, but she taught me differently. I wish she was alive today if for no other reason than to have been able to see our first black president take the oath of office. I have this mental picture of her calling her family to rub their noses in it. She would have enjoyed that.

And I have to smile when I think of the times Mom came to my rescue. Like once when I was in the third or fourth grade and another girl accused me of cussing at her. (I didn't even know any cuss words back then.) The school was threatening to suspend me. I was devastated. I loved school. I was standing next to Mom when she called the school and told whomever she spoke to that if they tried to suspend me, she would be at the next school board meeting and it would make Harper Valley PTA look tame. To this day, I wonder what she had on those people.

No matter what, life with Mom was interesting. And as I look back, I have to admit there's quite a bit of fodder for my writing back there. Times were tough, but that life made me who I am today.

Thanks Mom. Happy Birthday.

My Newest Photographic Goal

2009-02-02T17:09:00.003-05:00

When it comes to taking pictures, I have a new goal.

This is a photo I found on the internet when I ran a Google search for an "albino cardinal." I ran the search because I saw what looked like a white cardinal in one of my trees. I wanted to know if they really existed or if I was seeing things. Low and behold, they do exist.

I have always had a goal of getting a decent picture of a cardinal in the snow. I know I'm not the only one with that goal as I've seen it mentioned on various websites including Ray's Weather. And yes, I still have that goal. But now I have another one added to it.

I will continue watching for this elusive white cardinal, keeping my feeders full in the hopes that she (as I think it was a she) will join the more common red and brown brothers and sisters at the ever present feast. Now that I know she is out there, I will not rest until I get a photo.

Just hope she doesn't become my Moby Dick.