Picture it...Tennessee, 2014, December....

Picture me who is so vain of her hair, (now keep that in mind).  Here I am, trying to take down the rubber banded plastic baggie full of CLR shower head cleaner from my shower head this early morning. Well firstly, it, the CLR, spilled all over my hand and arm and certainly it spilled down into the fiberglass tub (which doesn't want certain irritants on it).  But I got it loose finally, thrown away and I wanted to flush the tub of that stuff and make the shower head clear of CLR.  

So what did I do?  Why, I turned on the shower.  What happened?  It sprayed all over my punkin head which was still in the tub area as I was manipulating the faucets.

I had shampooed and set my hair yesterday, brushed it out (it's long) had it in a knot on my head till I finished cleaning house. It was gonna be pretty for today.  Not. I had once again experienced the Drenched Head Syndrome. 

I have done that same bone headed stunt probably five or six times in my memory.  I guess it's the "she'll never learn" department.  I laughed for a few minutes and tried to get on with my day. 

xxoo

My Goodness Mercy Me

Getting closer to the Christmas feast.  I was just asking the middle boy what he thought would be a change or something good.  I will have the three boys, one daughter-in-law, a grandson who will show us what he looks like end of March, and me.  Well Katie too, but no human food for her.  She does not like it.

I am pleased they will all be here and that everyone is well this year.  First time in three years that Thanksgiving and Christmas can be celebrated by the three of us all well and fit. I think neither my son or his wife ever read this blog but I am afraid to take a chance.  I want to tell you my favorite present for the three of them but you never know.

I had a fabulous time at that meeting and if I knew how I would attach a voice recording I made for 29 seconds that would blow your hair back in the listening because it is THAT loud.  LOVE it.

Everyone talking loudly at once so really not identifiable except for one shouted out declaration about insurance and their rehab after a heart surgery.  We colleagues know who it is as the voice is very unique, but no one else in the world would.

I bought a four inch memory foam mattress topper and had to get in a son to help get it OFF the floor and onto the bed it was so heavy.  I got to sleep on it last night and so did Katie who hogged my side of the bed without moving she was so comfortable.  I was till I wanted to turn over.  It was like swimming in the ocean to turn, for one thing.  And that cat would NOT move, for another.  Then she decided to give my hair a good wash in the middle of the night.  I asked her not to so she changed to washing my hand and arm.  As there was lotion on them it would not have been good for her to continue even if I could stand it. Then later in the deep darkness she spoke to me softly.  Faint headbonks onto my head and arm.  I asked her to quit.  Later, she thought perhaps she could roust me from my place I regained when she took a bathroom break.  It was an active night and she has never behaved like that in her life.  That bath for me has got to quit but I appreciate her effort.  I had one so no need to repeat.  :-)

Everything is bought, wrapped and waiting.  Tree won't go up till Christmas Eve due to Miss Katie.  It will come down Christmas night.

Sleep tight.  Don't let the you-know-whats-bite.

Where Have I Been

No idea.  Time slips away so quickly.  The ol' I just got up even though it is daybreak and I have turned around maybe two times, lo...it's bed time!  How do the hours pass so quickly?

The count down to Christmas morning is getting louder and louder.  I had better wrap the gifts I have here and see what is missing if anything.  I have a baby grandson to get things for although he won't know it.  Makes me happy.

I dropped by last weekend with another of my sons here from Charlotte and saw the progress on the baby's room.  I can see they will need a larger home.  Sad in a way from my standpoint as they are so easily gotten to now.

I am practicing not using so many commas.  I was  educated far better than I show when I blog.  I forgot some important principles and I asked my son who is a teacher for some quick advice on when to hold off inserting a comma.  Now I can mostly have run-on sentences instead of fifteen commas per sentence as well.

Oh my goodness!  A speck of sun.  It's been raining and/or gray steadily for days and is scheduled to continue in that way for the rest of the week and weekend.  That's the way it is here where I live.  So much rain.  Last year we were a foot or perhaps  more than over a foot I think of rain to the plus side.

Just saying'.

Within an hour I will be headed to the restaurant where we all gather, those working and those retired to make noise and create auditory discomfort among the unsuspecting other diners there as we converge.  Can't wait.

So long until tomorrow (someone famous once said.

My Two Smiles For the Week just passed

The first thing I wanted to share was me walking with my son down the endless hallways of UT Medical Center last week from his surgeon's office. 

 We came upon a mom and her baby girl toddling along (baby, not Mom) and the little girl had a charming little pink pacifier in her mouth just twirling!  As we each approached the another, the little girl who was just about as tall as her mom's knees waved that little starfish shaped hand at me.  Just like the Queen of England does...side to side, but with tiny fingers spread out.  Looking straight at my face.  I was enchanted!!!! Made my day!

The other thing was last week on Sunday a toddler, maybe two, in her pink dress and pink hair bow (just out of church I bet)...was being shepherded by her grandpa in the pharmacy part of the store.  He was following her as she walked or lurched really, about.  I got my toothpaste purchase in hand and made my way back to the main aisle through to the store's front area and there she stood!  A bottle of pink Pepto Bismol in her right hand, it pressed against her ear.  She had her eyes rolled up, mouth slightly open and her feet slightly crossed, and in deep concentration absorbed in her "phone call". 

I heard her grandfather say "where's Amy?" and the mom said "she's talkin' on her phone!"  Oh it was so funny to see her ernest face and that stance! Made my Sunday afternoon.

Just sayin'

Hurrah!

Son got the all clear of everything and he is healthy as the proverbial horse.  No problems other than mundane so-so ones were found despite all the dire warnings.  God is good.  I knew He would be.

The weather has finally gotten chill...downright cold.  Others have had it worse to be sure.  But we will steadily get colder and snow will come.  I just hope when it does that I can still get down my hills and to the workouts I enjoy so much.  I got somewhat out of the mainstream by missing a good several weeks due to not only my absences but my back and knees were killing me.  They will get better.  I will see to it.  Work injuries that have never healed.  Most occurred on the Range qualifying with weapons.  You do have to get into some interesting positions, and in a hurry.  So you do it and hang the consequences.  After years pass, there always are consequences.  :-)

One of my colleagues passed away from a dread disease last week.  We others attended his Friend Visitation several evenings ago.  Old home weekin a way; you know how it is with all of us together.  We remarked that years don't pass and these things (death) don't happen to those we know.

You have to know that we all of us know better than that.  I am illustrating that it is always a shock.  And no one ever ages.  If they were 22  years old when you met them, they still are 22 years of age despite the current 54 years of age that a piece of paper says they are. Who?  Me age?  Nonsense.  Can't happen, doesn't happen, won't happen.  However you do (me) wake up each morning and move a bit less enthusiastically into the kitchen and when kneeling feeding the cat, you think that there must be some ultra strong gravity anomaly pressing down on you as you try to rise from kneeling.  Knees screaming for help..your back in a pretzel twist as you make your way upwards again.  But me?  Age?  Hurt joints from work?  Who? ME?  Nonsense.

Here's my side yard, a bit of my deck, the privacy fence up  on street side to keep the honking and stuff from the street down.  This was Sunday last.  Still lots of leaves there and still some color.

Thank You Each One.

All is well. There is recovery to get through but it appears all is well.

There is one area that will be re-looked at but other than than, all is well.

I give my thanks and he will too for your care and love and prayer.  I am fortunate to have you as friends.  I knew I was all along.  xoxox

A Few Spare Thoughts (and Prayers?)

Tomorrow is a big day.  My boy will be going to the University Medical Center to endure another surgery.  We will leave here at 0800.  I will return who knows when as it is hours long surgery.  Maybe  six +.  So, I have hired someone to feed Katie.  I will be home late evening.

Will you remember me and my boy?

XXOO

Rainy Sunday...

Gonna have rain all this week coming as well with 3-4 inch downpours on Tuesday I think he said.

Meanwhile, headed to my son's mother in law's home for lunch.  I was invited this week.  Looking forward to it.  Haven't been there ever so this will be a first.

Have a great Sunday.

Another Rainy Rainy Gloomy Dark Day.

But, better to have that than none at all.  :-)

I just got back from getting my flu shot.  They are short handed so it took a while of sitting to get called to where they were giving shots.  There were two nurses and I was at my doctor's office.  Nice to get that done.  They usually swell a bit, turn red somewhat and sometimes itch.  My reaction lasts a week or so.  But it beats having the flu.

One of my good friends and a colleague passed away several days ago and his family is receiving friends this evening and of course, I will go.  It really bothers me that he is gone as it was his choice as opposed to illness or accident.  You hope that anyone you know will reach out to their family or even friends or a doctor rather than feel that hopeless.  But it is not for me to ever know.  I just feel saddened by it.

Moving on to another topic, I want to thank those who were concerned about me and my family and expressed that either here or in Katie's blog.  Not many know I have one but everyone knows about Queen (or Countess) Katie. :-)  So dear and concerned comments poured in there.  Thank you each and every one.  These dear thoughts and prayers make a huge difference because He is always listening.

Can you believe that Thanksgiving is about on us?  And Christmas only 4 weeks past THEN?  WHERE do the weeks fly off to?  I am always saying..you wake up Christmas morning..turn around several times and it's the 4th of July!  Turn around again and it has become time for Christmas again.

See you soon.  Getting somewhat busy around here.  xxoo

Gloomy Rainy Dark Dark Day

Now if that's not an awful title, I don't know what is.  :-)

Seems to always be raining here regardless of the rain gauges at an airport miles and miles away that make the decision if WE have had rain or not.  I wrote several weathermen on our TV stations and asked why that is done. And I asked that the instruments come back to the town/City (Knoxville) that they are claiming the statistics for.  They didn't understand the question I guess because two that I wrote said because that is where the weather station instruments are hence, Alcoa's stats are supposed to be Knoxville's.  Oooookaaaaay!   Well, who woulda thunk it?  Sheesh.

Here is a picture of my room, without a flash.  It is grainy and taken with the phone.  It doesn't do well in such low light.  The whole house is lit with lights in the various rooms that I am mostly in...i.e. the living room and here, the computer room and the kitchen.  SO dreary and gloomy.

Meanwhile, I have the pleasure of my son, his wife and the baby grandson-to-be coming over for supper tomorrow night.  I'm trying out a new recipe, with thick pork chops, yellow potatoes and onion, other things including a bit of Parmesan cheese.  I so hope it turns out well.  I made an apple pie too.  WE are having some steamed broccoli and carrots as a side.

I went to work out this morning an hour later than usual and the owner had some type of exercise class going so I left.  Maybe I can go tomorrow and get there early enough not to run into that.

xxoo Have the best of days and the rest of the week too.

OFF to See My Rednecks

Ladies and Germs, I am headed off to the Redneck Room.  (That is just an affectionate term that another blogger named the room where we colleagues meet and talk so loudly) There is no such thing  as a place in a restaurant called  a Redneck Room. It is just what my blogger Pal, whom I miss very much, called it in a comment he made way back when.  He said "I'll go get the Redneck Room ready" after I had written a blog describing how loud and happy we get, and how we run others out of the room who dare encroach to sit and eat their meals.  They apparently can't abide our noise and constant laughter.  His comment tickled me then-- and it still does to this minute.

I wish he would stop by again after all this time and see how enduring that one comment he made still is.  LOL.

At the Redneck Room, we will have a very early lunch.  Our bellies are still set to 1100 hrs. as that is about the time we ate (or still do, for those who are working) our lunch. When you start your working day way before 0500, you are really ravenous by 1030 which is when we usually tore into our lunches. If it was midnights instead of yucky days, then we ate about the same time at NIGHT--- 2230 (or 10:30 PM. )

We are L-O-U-D because it is a habit ingrained because many times, noise was such that you kept your radio almost wide open in order to hear crucial things.  You could use an ear type receiver but it got in the way.  And we are loud because we are happy to be together, working or not.  It is a close knit family as no one does what we do.  So we can trade experience and other related things that are ours alone.

So, I'm off to be loud...look as pretty as I can as there are few women other than me.  (not a job for most ladies, very demanding in several ways).

Anyhow, I had a fabulous birthday (September 25th).  My family showed up on Friday, two days later by choice as I had school Thursday the 25th till 2100.  What a GREAT evening.  I'm not allowed to say yet, as it is early on in my grandchild's development, but I got to know the sex of the baby, and what a celebration!  I was squired out to a more upper end restaurant for my supper and ice-cream later with lots of laughing.  Almost like the redneck room atmosphere.  I have a Pandora bracelet  with, what else, a kitty charm to start.  I have an Apple brand (I'm a MAC person) new WIFI unit.  My guy was at least 9 years old. And, I have a new purse, Hello Kitty!  I LOVE it.  It is not girly as there is a black background with small Hello Kitty faces on it.  Generous size.  It's going to the RedNeck Room today.  And a card to being tears to my eyes it was so loving.

Seer you over there..let's eat!

A Special Day

Today, I am elebenty squillion years old.  I really am.  I was there and I ought know.

It is a traditon these past years that on my birthday assuming it is a weekday, my son who teaches middle school in Charlotte NC will ask his class if they would like to sing Happy Birthday to me.  So if they agree they would like to by a majority, he fires up his cell phone and calls me three times total on my birthday so that three of the classes can sing Happy Birthday to me.  I got the first call at 0930.  I love it.  It's an honor as far as I see it.  🔆  Makes the day even more special.

Last night one of my sons and his wife and I had supper at my daughter-in-law's Grandmother's home.  Talk about delicious!  Now she can't read this so you know I am telling the truth.  I overate the broccoli casserole because I have never tasted one that delicious in all my days.  (elebenty squillion of 'em.)  I asked for the recipe but it didn't seem forthcoming.  That's alright.  Everyone has their secret recipe.

My next phone call with a song (if the kids want to) will be 1130.  Next after that about 1415.  I always get three.

Tomorrow, two sons and daughter-in-law will squire me to supper and stay a bit.  SO looking forward to that.  They can't make it today and that is fine as I have a class to attend tonight till 9. I missed last Thursday's class as I was still in Knoxville and could not make it back in time.

You all have a happy day today and be grateful for anything you wish to be grateful for.  xox

You Never Know Dept.

The header would be pink asters.  I took that a few days ago.



I had gone to the grocery store three days ago.  While I waited in the check out I saw a woman ahead of me (duh) who was as short as I am.  She was of a certain age as they say, and she was stretched as far as her arms and tip toes would allow to reach a selection of t shirts that were displayed WAY too high for anyone to reach unless you are six feet and over.  No, you were not supposed to ask the cashier, you were expected to get them yourself.

This is the same store that had THREE times put a low heavy framed steel basket at knee level over by the milk to allow cookies to be displayed there as well.  A customer is looking at the shelves and absolutely KILLS their knee on that heavy steel thing jutting out about one foot from the cabinet where milks are displayed. I ought to know as it happened to me that many times.  Who dreams of something being there that is hard, sticking a foot outward at knee level as you walk on by looking for your product? Obviously, not me.

ANYway, she kept at it. I couldn't help because I am equally as short.  Within a blink of an eye she fell to the floor in a heap.

I bent to assist her but she would have none of it.  I asked her to be sure her arms, legs, ankles were not cracked or broken.  Meanwhile the oaf of a cashier just kept on ringing up her purchases!  I was astounded! She was finally able to rise and told me she had gotten dizzy.  (probably pressure on the nerves at the back of her skull from keeping the pressure on from her tipped back head).

At any rate, I told that man cashier that she had fallen (like he didn't know) and he finally said after she had risen in a small barely audible voice, "are you ok"?  Me, I would have called for the store manager at LEAST never mind help her up!  She stood to pay for her purchases and ol' hero there got her T-shirts down that she wanted. She was shaking all over as though she had hold of a jackhammer. Not much exaggeration there either.  I asked repeatedly could I assist her to a bench,  No.  Could I follow her to her car.  No.  So, I contented myself watching her through the plate glass window.

I wonder how she did.  I know the bruise would be a huge painful one.

Well, my oldest son will be here soon and just overnight.  So I am looking forward to that.

Happy Autumn my friends.

Day Light Come and Me Going to be Gone...

Busy day and will be till late afternoon.  Going to The Big City and I'll be back as I said and see if I can at least VISIT!  It has been unusually busy for me these past several weeks.

xxoox

Additional Note About Beth Marie

My friends, I was so surprised and happy beyond the telling that within an hour or so of having heard from Beth's daughter, Beth herself called!  She sounded not at all like herself at first but I soon grew accustomed to the temporary change of timber and knew within seconds this was our good friend Beth.

What a joy.  She said for the circumstances, she was doing all right.  I didn't tax her by asking a lot of questions.  I just mostly listened.  She will know better what is going on very soon.

Just a note for you all and many many thanks for coming over to visit.  I treasure each of you although because of my own circumstances, I have not been about as much as I should be.

But I remember each of you..that is a true statement.

xxoo

A Word About Our Friend Beth Marie

Fellow bloggers, I got a phone call from Beth's  (Day by Day with Beth Marie) daughter half an hour ago and she said her mom was still in the recovery room.  

Today was the day of her surgery for the cancer on the other side of her neck.  Without going into all the detail, I will only say here that she is all right, that she got through the surgery and various biopsies here and there in that area she was operated on.  And her daughter sounded heartened.  I give thanks to the Lord for that!  I know Beth will when she is conscious and able, as will her family.

I have tried to walk with her as has her family every inch of the way.  Some bloggers are more than that; they are heart friends with a friendship shared through the years.  Ours is like that.  Regardless of our relationship, I would have prayed just as hard were it someone I did not know.

She did not ask me to do this but I know she will not mind at all.

Please join in prayer for her and for her family who have suffered much on the past several months.

My own rose and it's for you, Twin.  xxoo

Through the Night

 Unless you savor every thing that comes to you as I always do..sight, sound, smell, things I see, this blog topic will mean nothing to you and I will be more boring than ever to read.

My oldest and I went to have a Happy Birthday supper at my youngest son's home.  His wife prepared dinner.  It was yesterday that the birthday occurred, but his wife was attending the birth of her best friend since childhood's baby!  So son and wife and my other sons and I celebrated tonight.

I left their home about 2030 and took the oldest back to his place in The Big City.  Then I started home.  Not much traffic anywhere I was and there was a ghost of light in the sky's edges left as I hurtled down the road.  Here is where and when  I became enchanted.  It will be nothing to you all I know.  But as I traveled through the dusk to almost dark..enjoying seeing the trees silhouetted against the darkening skies,  even though I had the cars' a/c on, I could smell the green scents of freshly mown grasses along the side of the road.  I smelled some vehicle exhaust occasionally, again, the green fragrances of summer's wild growth as I sped through their realm.

The air was a steady but not forceful cold against my face and the fragrances thru the window that was slightly down took me way back in my mind for a few moments to times as a teen I would take a friends car after getting my license, and drive the dirt roads...windows down, cool night air coming in and the same wonderful fragrances.  Yes, including gasoline scent wafting through occasionally.

I had a CD tonight that I played that I bought on a lark 12 years ago.  Way before my time style music.  It had that music they call swing music.  I think all these are from the 40's.  Glen Miller and other big band leaders of that era.

I don't care for that style of music.  I bought it 10-12 years ago in the grip of nostalgia for my parents. But tonight I finally played it in the car.

I was hurtling down the highways, about a 28 mile trip...cool night scented air in my face and nostrils.  Oh what heaven.  And what nostalgia.  I smiled all the way home.  Partly in gladness for the lovely evening and seeing him open his gifts from us all.  And the rest, the magic of the dusk, the quiet, the chill air so utterly fresh, the low old music, the sights of night fall.  The clear roads all the way home accompanied by night music and the subtle sounds and joyous fragrance when the music went away. ..it was magic.

But only to me.

Having Trouble Again With Comcast...

You know, just when you think things will be all right again, along comes the time when one must call the Comcast  service phone number.  I got someone from one of their, Comcast's, out sourcing Countries.

I admire that someone has a command of my language.  But what I find exceeding difficult is when I cannot understand ONE word you are saying despite the English you are speaking.

I am simply saying if Comcast wishes to outsource, I only say please please please please have the representatives take training to help with their accents.  I have only in the past week become cognizant that there is such a service.

We have a National Lab here, and many Scientists from all over the world.  Classes are given/offered to alleviate that heavy incomprehensible accent.

I even handed the phone to one of my sons and he too could not understand a word she said.  This was at 1600 hrs. 14 August, if it matters.

The phone and the internet were out and truly--- I asked for her to repeat each and every sentence or spoken "paragraph" as I could not understand a word.  Nor could my son.

I pay too much money per month to go through the hades I went through for half an hour straining and straining to understand even two sentences in the entire ordeal.  Is it "fixed"?  Yes.  But I myself thought to reboot to get the email up when only Safari was working.  She DID get the modem's lights to start again.  There were only 2 lit when I called. with no phone and no internet.

I think it is almost cruel to inflict a helpless million or more of Comcast clientele to this abysmal incomprehensible customer service.  It was awful to go through.


The girl is blameless.  It was her impossible accent and speech that resembled a machine gun in rapidity that got in the way.  Her hiring personnel failed her.  And me.

Rant over.  For now.  Thank you for "listening" to me friends.

xxoo

Lotsa Old Stuff

My goodness, I got going about Daddy's fork and then, I traded pictures of an ancient 1 1/2 cup pan Dad made simple syrup in or boiled something really small (duh!) with a blogging friend.

That friend showed me some pictures of old things that were left after his mom passed away.

When I was in my teens and even early 20's, my mother would show me some things that she had from her mother and none of it, even those things of hers, were of the least import to me.  I didn't care and I thought to myself that they were ugly.

MY...how we change when we get a little mental as well as physical maturity.  Now these things are treasures and certainly they are memories.  That picture I sent him of the little pan dad used so often showed how terribly coated it now was.  Dad kept it clean but one has to face that there was/can be a residue not always visible on the outside of the pan and so years later the pan looks like heck! All black and brown.  However I love that pan and don't want to try to scour and polish it all away.  There are even more marks on the left side (he was right handed) where he stirred or used his fork in the pan and its contents.  :-)

I took the picture in May.

Stopping by.  It has been über busy for me thee past several weeks and this week is as wel.  Love all of you.  xxoox

Oh...where are the fans? The lavender water? The smelling salts?

Almost said "Kitties!" again.  Habit for certain.

So, instead...Friends, guess what I am in for?  Can't guess?  I'll tell you.  I live in a very very heavily treed area.  I have one last huge tall tall tall oak tree in the front yard that is poised on the edge of a bank.  There is not one level place except at stores and parking lots, in all of my town.  ALL the streets are at least gentle hills but I live in the hilliest part of town and my lot, as are all the others on the street is hilly, lumpy and goes straight down at quite an angle to the city/county line.

So, the oak tree is perched right on the edge of the bank in my front yard.  It is just a matter of time before it falls as we have many tornadoes of varying intensity.  The area is dubbed "Dixie Alley" by the weather gurus.  We  have lots of straight line winds, ample rain to loosen a root system in the event of wind as well, the tree is a horrible accident waiting to happen.  I kept getting estimates on it but finally caved and took one.  It will be $2000.00 to get it down.  It is towering over the city power lines and over my house.  If it fell forward it would cut me and the house in two.  Seriously.

So the cutter will be here either next week or the week following.  He wanted an additional $500.00 to grind the stump.  I said leave it.   The ants can have a picnic on it The special order kitchen door and storm door plus labor to install it cost that much as well.  I am about to enter the sweepstakes or the lottery.  Man.  But I must maintain and as always my anthem is I will do it all because no one else will jump up and do it.  :-)

It is  stately tree and loved by all of us but I can't justify continuing to take a chance and too, I am filled with worry whenever there is a storm (and we SURE have lots of those!(

Just wanted sympathy. :-)

Here's a bunch of pictures that I just took.

My front yard and the tree on the bank

Too tall to capture in one photo so breaking it up. This one is showing close to the canopy.

Next section going up

Ooops, here is the first section.  Out of sequence.

The canopy into the 3:33PM sun and over the power and utility lines.

One of My Many Time Machines

I need pages and pages.  So I need to write a story and keep it here on the computer because all I want to say here is far far FAR too long for a blog.  No one would care about my Time Machine really, and to go into exquisite detail would intensify the readers boredom.

So, briefly (if you call this brief) I was talking to a dear friend on the phone about food  The food of the South is distinctly different than the North or midwest.  I described Daddy's cooking as he is the one who reared me and my two brothers.  He always made a big Sunday dinner for us for all the years we lived there at home with him. There would be (of course Southern) fried chicken, pan made gravy, biscuits, his excellent salad, home cooked and snapped by him green beans, potatoes that were buttered and in quarters...not mashed.  A cake made with cake flour and home made icing.  I learned at his knee and after reaching my early teens I took that over mostly.

There is something Daddy had at all times when he cooked.  He used it as a tester, a food turner, a tenderness indicator and as a whisk.  When he was finished with all those functions and after putting the meal on the table, it was his personal fork.  Here it is.  Aluminum tines, a wooden handle and two brads of aluminum to hold it all together.  Oh this is an old old fork.  Daddy had it when he and mother were married back in The War Between the States times.  When he passed away (Oh, my friends, I still miss him terribly and it has been many years) I took this fork that was so sweet a reminder of him to me from my childhood home.  I wanted to use it myself I missed him so terribly but I never did.  It is still darkly stained if you will, by a VERY very VERY long time of use.   I would never do anything to remove that old old dark "patina" nor refurbish this fork in any way,  The only thing that he didn't do is bend the tines.  That is my fault through the years.

I had told my friend how a Southerner cooks fried apples.  They are not dessert-like in the least.  I see Daddy standing at the gas stove, after putting the cut-up green apples into the cast iron frying pan with some lard in there all melted, and shaking a few teaspoons of table sugar onto them while "stirring" them about with that fork.  Then, turning them with a spatula.  The whole cooking period was only 10-13 minutes or so.  They went with certain meats we had, usually pork chops or ham.  Green peas as well.  I will close this.  Sorry.  I saw and remembered the fork and I had to tell just that part of daddy's story.
  xo

Busy Week and Another on the Way

I have the pleasure of a new FitBit.  I was going to buy one today but when I mentioned it to one of my sons, he said he was not using his and he would change its ownership and let me have his.  I really appreciate it too.  Tomorrow I will go work out so I am bustin' to see how much it said I did for burning calories.

This one can attach to your upper undergarment!  :-)  or lays in a pocket, clips to your belt.  It has a VERY strong grip and won't fall off.  Tonight, I get to tell it when I am ready to sleep and it will monitor that and in the morning it will tell me when I slept, when I tossed and turned (hear that, Katie???) and the duration of it all.  I have to tell it I am going to sleep and I tell it when I wake.  That's easy.   You wear a soft wide wrap on your wrist and slip the monitor down in its little cubby and it does its job through the night.  Missy here trots up and poke me three times on the mouth with her front paw and then bats the one lonely roller I have that I keep in my bangs to keep the hair off my face. And she does that at 0610 so that is when I will tell the FitBit that I am up.   Drives me crazy when she bats at my roller!

Thought you would like to see this picture of me done in pencil with an app on the computer.

If not, don't look.

xxoox

Saturday and Ear Worms

I can NOT get "I'll Fly Away" out of my mind for a WEEK now.  A friend in the UK mentioned it in an email...it immediately started playing in my poor brain and it still is.  HE and his family are also infected and his daughter and he had a duet just this day singing it as close to a Southern accent as they could muster.  How I wish I could have been there.

I start not to think of it and he or his sister will mention it--perhaps that they were singing or playing it and wham!  I am infected again.

I almost got started with "In the Sweet By and By" simultaneously but I was spared.  Ear worms!


Go to your prayers and there is a song playing...sigh... BUT you eventually get the better of it till someone mentions is AGAIN! 

Meanwhile, another absolutely perfect sunny not too warm and not humid day.  High 50's at night for two nights.  That will end now but my, it was good while it lasted.

xxoo

I Would Love to Show You My Gift

Look!  A dear friend of me gifted me with this wonderful and very personally meaningful coffee cup. Karen, this is a treasure and thank you so very very much.  I was able to show it to Bruce when he was here for my oldest's BBQ I had written about.  He could see you had read his City Journal.  xxoo always dear friend.

All the names on the cup are significant to  my family and the prescription number is extremely significant to me in particular.  Note the top of the cup!  It has the look of a serrated pill bottle edge!  Love that touch.   If you biggafy you may be able to read the "warnings" and barcode. And  Karen, I am wearing that T shirt again today and I did pay it forward.  <3

The Poet in Me.

Roses are Red

Violets are Blue

Can you guess

Who's Not gonna do

That again!

My word.  Bless my heart!  That was the most awful night ever as far as trying to sleep was concerned.  I raised my arm once it was dark  the lights were out there in the sleep study room and I heard the intercom pop as it blazed into being with a "Keep still."

I described on Face Book what I looked like last night, all night and this morning was searingly bad!  My hair I had stated on FB looked like dreadlocks from all the sensor fixative all over my scale to hold the fifty million sensors on.  I will post one selfie I took of what the tech jokingly called my "necklace" that draped around my neck.  All the rest were on my face, legs and my chest and back for an EKG.

It's worth it though if it helps anyone.  Just a night of discomfort is a small price to pay.  I have to wait a for several week to hear the results.

That small flesh colored blob lower left is my arm.

 Here is the camera.  Very disconcerting.

Not a Fun Evening But Necessary

This is a good thing coming up for me but I have had to drag myself for two years kicking and screaming to doing it.  I just had to give up and face that I had to have a sleep study and so tonight I will go sleep there at the facility all wired up and looked at by the folks who attend the camera until they allow me to leave in the morning.  Sigh.  I am trying to remember to take a bottle of water that I can refill from the sink in the private bathroom.  They have nothing for the individual and warn you to bring something to snack on etc.

I detest being looked at while I am so vulnerable.  Not like it's a husband who has the right.  But I am paying some stranger to do so supposedly for my safety.  I think I understood several years ago when I was going to do this and chickened out two days before going in to actually sleep that it also protects them against slander or whatever as well if a tech has to come in for some reason and a patient makes up some silly story to other.  Makes complete sense there.

Can I sleep without making the entire bed but the very edge where I can sleep,  available for a cat to take over?  Is it possible to sleep without a 11 pounder hot hot cat on my chest?  Only the Shadow knows.

So at 2000 hrs I will be there being wired up and trying to go to sleep.   I know I have apnea so it's a no brainer but this is the only way I can get the CPAP machine of course.

I now FINALLY have my new main door to the kitchen installed and the new screen door.   The chocolate color of the door matches the trim and shutters on my house perfectly.  The color of the screen door matches my siding perfectly.  I have a good eye for color as I just declared those were it while at Home Depot.  Now I will go and clean the glass and try to get the label off the glass.

xxoo

HEY!

Dudes, my fishies are gone and so is Maulkie the cat.  Both are gadgets.  Does anyone know if Google was mean and took them away?

Extra Nice Day it Was

Heeeee. I almost said "KITTIES!" but instead I will say hello.  Katie exerts her influence on me.

It started out to be a wonderful day yesterday right there where I was working out.  When I walked in, the girl behind the desk asked if I came from another area not too far away.  (near the Smokies) and I replied that no, I came from here.  Curious, I asked why she thought I might come from the other place and she said ladies there seemed to be like me.  That got me more curious so asking again, I said how did I seem to her, if she thought I was from that other place.  She then gave me the best uplifting compliment I have ever had and I think it was sincere.  She told me  that I had "the sweetest face".  And that I seemed to be one who would be sitting in front of a fire, creating something and perhaps cooking a lot.  That from a high school senior.  To be told I had the sweetest face not only made my moment, it has continued to make my day to this second.  It will continue to do so.  She saw me as a gentle sweet person. I hope I am.  If I am, I earned that comment because I have worked hard spiritually.

Then, later in the say as I was walking down an aisle of a store after passing a woman who was walking slowly in front of me, I continued on down the aisle and I heard "Carole".  I kept going and I heard "Carole" again.  I knew then it had to be for me.  I turned and it was a treasured friend that I haven't seen in a long while.  I asked how she knew it was me.  She said "you were walking the Carole walk"  I said "what is that like"?  And she said "swift as the passing wind and bouncy"!  True.  I always walk quickly and I do bounce when I walk.  Guys used to laugh at that  during my career and people still do.  Just the way I roll I guess.

Anyway, I just had my dinner and about to toss back an orange water.  And I'll do some dishes and go see you.  LP, I did get the comment and I didn't publish the comment in case you'd prefer your email not be out there.   Otherwise it would be a pleasure to publish.  xox

Proofreading is Missing About Everywhere as is a Careful Eye for Content in Newspapers. This was in MY Paper,

Happy Father's Day to All

As I always do, I would want to wish a very happy Father's Day to all of the Dad's out there who have been there for their children.  Thank you from the bottom of my heart.  My Dad was there for ME through it all until I got married.  He was still close to me until he passed away.  He visited as often as he could. He wrote every week, and back when they were popular he and I exchanged a little cassette tape back and forth instead of writing; and we did that once a week as well.

Happy Father's day also to the Mom's who have reared the children by themselves becoming the best Dad as well as mom that they could be.  It is extremely hard and very very important.  I know.  I had to do that.

Have a blessed day to the Dad's everywhere.

Doors and Things

I called Home Depot yesterday to ask about when my new doors were going to be here.  They have had a handsome sum of money from me since April 29th.  The door had to be ordered, in all fairness. It is the kitchen door and the door way is more narrow by three inches than the standard doorway.  Hence, they don't have them just lying about in the store.  But this is a long time.  I called and they said it is on the truck making its way and the installer will be calling me before long for a day and time to get 'er done.

I am so looking forward to it.  Not only because it will be far more attractive but because I am hoping that finally there will be a far lessened chance of winter's cold air leaking through the door jams and under. I have weather stripping on this old one, yes.  But I have been forced to stuff paper towels all around the door frame and door when it is cold!  Now that looks like heck and you hesitate to open it to take out last minute trash after all that work.

I have no ability to do any repair or whatever around the house.  I can keep it clean and that is it.  Not having a man can be a detriment as most times they have learned how to do these things.  My three sons are as useless as I am.  Well, not quite as useless at house things, that was an exaggeration,  but with no Dad to teach them they too are at a disadvantage.  The middle son got some instruction from the place he went to in order to get his deck repaired, and they told him how HE could rip off boards and replace them himself and he did a remarkable job!  He just needed being told as do/did the other sons.   He by far, the middle teacher one, is the more talented at house repair.

Sorry.  Got off on a tangent.

Katie said good morning at 0530 with a throw up on the carpet in the bedroom.  Sigh.  That is a sound every pet owner knows by heart.  :-(  Stuff happens.

Hope your weekend is relaxing and fun.  xo

OH, I'm so proud of me!

You know why?  No?  Because I FINALLY went to work and got all the shredding done.  We are talking months worth and the situation was exacerbated by the fact that there were 400 mis-printed personal checks that also needed to be shredded.  I emptied that can three times.  BIG ol' bag of shreds out there in the trash.  But I procrastinated so long.  Each time I saw that horrid pile of papers etc I groaned inside and pledged to do it.  Well, I finally did!!

Last week I tackled the linen closet in two stages.  I have a long table that I set up and I put all the sheets etc on one end and all the towels and hand towels, wash cloths, dish towels and hand towels all on the other end.  I culled out the old and pilled and picked ones and put them in a leaf and lawn bag for the animals at the shelter along with two cotton blankets that came with my son each time he was unloaded from the ambulance several years ago.  They need blankets too.  The personnel can cut them to their preferred size.

I sure have more room in the closet now.  That is essentially what drove me to cleaning it out...that and the animals needed it.  I got rid of some sheet sets that were ew-glee too.  Especially twin sets.  The shelter does not want those. I pitched 'em.  I bought the dogs and cats each a case of Purina One foods and last week I took kitten food and milk and some nursing bottles in.

Closet cleaned up..shredding down, bathroom cleaned again, all the vacuuming done..hey, the girl's got game.

Thank you for putting up with my three a year celebrations of my grown up men sons.  I am that proud of having them.  And Mother's Day and Father's day are equally family (of course) oriented.  Fair warning.  That's six times a year I get all mushy.

Okey doke.  Done.  Just wanted to brag about the shredding. Yes, yes, I know..keep up with it.

Happy Birthday First Son

This is, as are all my children's birthdays, a momentous day!  You likely already know how I feel about my children, and having the privilege of their being in my life, as I have written about it each birthday as it came along.

It was a cold day with the windows open in the delivery room as I lay shivering occasionally while waiting for my boy to appear! This happened to have been in Europe while my husband and I were there.   The tree leaves were only in bud form that May 29th.  A brisk but sunny day.

And the memory of that sun and my son that day have been in my heart since.  Today is the anniversary of the first son to come my world and forever effect how I see it.  He and the others are the best gifts I have ever been given.  Today I celebrate that first treasured and loved son.  He has been through a great deal and I as well as my and his friends have stood with him shoulder to shoulder while he traveled a hard road.

Happy joyful Birthday dear dear son.  Many more to come.

Here's to another sunny day with your brothers and your friends.  LOVE those sunglasses!  :-) Happy Bird watching too.

Should I say it?

Well, this is what happened.  And a friend sent me a picture of what I will be talking about, so I will use that to illustrate the garment I am going to tell you about.  Thanks Mary.

After working out last Friday, a friend and I were sitting in McDonald's having coffee.  A quite older lady walked past us on her way to the ladies room.  I am guessing at least her 60's and past the middle of those years I would guess.

It was quite startling as she was making her way past us (took a little longer as someone was blocking her path).  She wore on of those men's muscle shirts with the exaggerated arm holes down to the waist.  She wore nothing under it and it was terribly embarrassing to see.  I don't think she really knew that her entire upper anatomy was exposed to all.   A young man and a young woman were with her. Maybe their mother.  I wish they had persuaded her to wear something else.

Meanwhile, tomorrow I get my hair done and then I will come home and bake my oldest son' birthday cake.  Chocolate with chocolate icing.  His birthday is the 29th but he will be in town for a doctor appointment---just the GP.  So, he'll stay here and entertain Miss Katie Isabella while waiting on his brother and his sister-in-law to arrive and his birthday will be celebrated a day early as he heads home on that day.

I am so disappointed that the arboretum has nothing I can take pictures of that interest me even a little bit.  This is the third year in a row.  I want wild flowers and they were an excellent source until these past several years.  I will try the municipal garden, but driving past, it looks dull.  Looks like I will have to head to the Big City and their gardens.  My camera will get dusty.

I am starting to eat a lot of protein and counting calories.  Hoping I stay with it. xxoo

And THEN There Was the Time I......

And then, there was the unfortunate time I did a thing I won't soon forget.  Left a bad taste in my mouth.  What is that, you may ask?  Let me start by saying I was peeking out onto the deck about five minutes ago, looking to where my hummingbird feeder is, and I saw a girl hummer there having a good meal.  Then memory crashed onto me like a towering wave!  (I was corny on purpose) (as usual).  The reason follows.

You know I went to see my middle son who lives over the mountains for Mother's Day.  My extreme pleasure to do as usually, for whatever reason I am here with the other two sons.  However, I traveled over and satin his house waiting for him to come home,  I wanted a glass of cold water so I opened the fridge and took out the filtered water carafe and poured a 16 oz glass full.  I hefted it up to my thirsty mouth and lo!  I quickly found I was quaffing the home made hummingbird nectar that son made for HIS Hummingbirds.  I cook nectar for my birds and he does  the same for his.  ALL that nectar wasted, as I poured it down the drain--that which was left in the glass as I did not want them to share MY germs.  I sent him a text saying: "next time, LABEL the hummingbird nectar why don't you!?"  He read it after he got out into the parking lot.  He thought it was funny  I didn't as I needed several spoonful of peanut butter to kill that sweet taste.  He just changed carafes and gave them the older one and had a spiffy new one in the fridge for water.  Who knew?

He had the Nursery and Landscaping person over today after school as there is now a severe drainage problem at the end of his driveway.  There are TADPOLES living in the standing water at and on the driveway! so as soon as possible, that will be fixed. An estimate will come on Tuesday.

That particular son will be honored by World Affairs Council of Charlotte (WACC) with a black tie dinner and recognition in Charlotte NC where he lives, on June 3, 2014 for being chosen among all the City-wide applicants, the  2013-2014 Council Scholar.  He will be headed to Belize and Guatemala for several weeks somewhere in July I think,  to impart ways and means of learning to institutions of learning there.   I am always proud of all my sons and here is an accomplishment  by this one that makes me proud all over again.  

Oh, Mark, that was a mother's day gift, the plate with the kitty.  :-)

OK...What's the Deal?

I bought this while gone

Here is a numbered plate I was given for Mother's Day along with flowers and papers to grade. 

Here I was coming out of a grocery store and the woman and her baby who were behind me came out as well.  The temperature is 49 degrees, there is a light rain and the wind is very brisk.  But while you the mother wear a sweeter, your baby girl, about 6 months old maybe, is in a pair of shorts and a baby T shirt.  There she went out into the cold rainy wind with baby in her arms.  Lady, WHY?????

Just saying'.

Had a wonderful Mother's Day with my son who is in Charlotte.  I just put all my concerns on a table here at home and left without them.  I had a fabulous time while there.  I got to go to several of my favorite places but I bought very little.

One of my favorite places is a higher end consignment store.  I can hardly help getting something small.  There is beautiful furniture in there too...and HIGH prices.  :-)

Here are flowers son gave me

Here is MY share of the stack of homework to help him grade

Look at this.  Got to be from the 50's. Consignment store.

Happy Mother's Day to Come

Happy Mother's Day my dear friends.  That includes single Dad's who are rearing their family by themselves just as I reared mine alone.  Happy Day to you.  I will wish you the same on Father's Day, you Dad's who care for their children and I will wish Mom's as I have been a Happy Father's day too.  We are both to our families as are the dad's.

I am headed tomorrow morning over the mountains to spend Mother's Day weekend with a beloved son.  I have not been there for That day in quite a time.  I am looking forward to it very much.

I am so grateful to have children.  The greatest blessing there is and the greatest gift there is.  NOTHING..not money nor any other thing could equal the absolute joy of having children.

I will be thinking of each of you while I am gone (yes, matter of fact, I will).

Have a happy day today and a wonderful weekend full of love.

Here is a rose in your honor.  I took it last Mother's Day.  The header was taken a few days ago.

Saturday and kittens

Face Book does do some good.  A friend of my son told him that our local animal shelter needed kitten food.  He passed that on to me and so I bought about $40.00 worth of cans of kitten food with some kitten milk to so as to dilute the kitten food for easier lapping.  They were trying to get the babies to eat KIBBLE! They are hardly weaned if at all from their mommy.  KIBBLE?

There was a teenager boy cat playing with a wand toy all by himself so I took up the wand and played with him awhile.  Man, he leapt so HIGH!!! And a ginger boy in a cage whose purr was like a trill.  Oh how sweet it sounded.

Does anyone reading this have a MAC?  If so, do you use Skype?  Every time I try to open Skype, it says it unexpectedly quit.  It gets reported it says, to Apple but it still, after a week does the same thing.  I can't get Skype to open and no idea why.  I wonder if there is a conflict with Mac's OS?

Horst, if you're reading this come on down.  I have a kitchen door with the doorknob set needing changing and the coast is clear!!!

Button, you too.

If you are reading this Carrie, thank you for the dear comment.  Wasn't that odd to dream that.  I had read your blog hours before and that is likely why I had you in that dream.

Well, mine eyes are burning.  I could use a good 24 hrs. of sleep.  Pain makes me keep turning over.  It must be pressure because once I walk off from the bed the pain is gone, but man it sure hurts while I am down for the count.  I turn like I am on a roasting spit.

That is a white bearded iris in the header with true rain water.  I stood out IN the rain to get the picture.  I took it a good three years ago.

Boston Boy, all my headers are taken by me.  I have yet to use anything else.   But my better pics are in Flickr.

xox

Friday and the Weekend with Camera in Hand I Hope.

A little busy.  Worked out  which felt wonderful and I was glad to get to go, although this was the only day this week.  That's all right though.  It will get better. But I got to do the usual grocery shopping, go to the bank, the post office, paid a zillion dollars for stamps and pennies away from three dollars to mail a tiny padded envelope to WI. He said because it was padded, it became a package, not a letter.  I waited about 15 minutes to mail that envelope.  SIGH.  One person working in there.

Rained to beat the band and rained HARD too for quite a few hours.  Wind was very high.  I did go out afterward and pruned back all the way to the  very base, my dead gardenia bush.   The harsh winter got it this time.  I can't dig in my concrete-like soil so I won't get another until someone can plant it for e and no idea how to get anyone to do that.  I also need my kitchen doorknob replaced but no one to ask to do that either.  I have the money but no one to ask.  No one advertises for that sort of thing..small jobs.  None of my sons knows one end of a screwdriver from another.  So that's not gonna work.  They don't seem to "make" handymen any more.  This is where, when I tell certain friends, that they say " Oh, I do all that kind of work myself.  It's easy."  Well, good for them.  It's not for me.

Heck, I can't even smile and bat my eyes to get some help because there is no one to smile and bat at. :-)

Oh well...burglars..easy mark right here!

Oh, the picture is blown up too large for the header.  I didn't know how it was going to turn out so large via Google till I put it in here.  That's OK.  I will change it tomorrow.

Hey, I'm gone.  See ya soon.  Planning for my trip to Charlotte for Mother's Day.  Cannot wait.

xox

Another Day For Which to be Grateful

Nothing is wrong, just I really DO feel that way.  Each day is a gift whether you are 21 years old or 51 years old.  Age does not factor in here in gratitude for our lives.

Anyway, the header is not one of my "good" pictures  :-)  but I wanted you to see what the whole tree looked like.  Well, at least PART of the entire tree.  The little frame around it is to hide some of the distractions.  I'll leave it up a day or so.

Something wonderful happened to a member of my family here yesterday and we are in a celebratory mood!  :-)  That's a good thing as ol' Martha would have said.

Other than changing the header and saying that, I am done (my!  I think I felt the wind of all those gusty breaths of relief)!  I know I am usually pretty lengthy.  Especially on my rants.

Have a good day with some good things happening.Just getting to do your work is a good thing.  Think of those who can't.  No, not me.  Just saying'.  ❤

I am always so fascinated by this phenom!  It's very near me.

Have a Blessed Easter

I believe I will do as I used to do back in the day on MSN Spaces days.  I will state something I know, believe and glory in.

He is Risen.

Thank you my friends.

Oh fer pete sake!

Here it was a wonderful non humid day at 83 degrees yesterday and in the 70's the two days previous and now...now...a freeze warning.  Rain to beat the band this morning and while it is still cloudy at the moment no rain.  Tomorrow however that will change and the ever present winds we have had this past week will still be there.  Snow in the Plateau and maybe a tad of it here where we are.  GIVE US A BREAK!!!  UNCLE!  AUNT!  Whoever you want. QUIT with the freezing temps but especially the snow!  And why do you always snow on the several days every few weeks that I MUST make a trip to the city?

Anyway, just saying'.

Two of my sons and the wife of one of them are at the Outer Banks in NC again.  I hope to see some great pictures when they return.  This is the Spring break of one of them.  Me...I did get out with the camera this weekend and that made me smile.  I didn't get much and the wind was blowing like a hurricane so the flowers were always in a tizzy.  I did the best I could to catch a shot in between vast movement brought about by gusts of wind.

Oh, I am fuller than a tick again.  I had a very early supper as I had no lunch and I was hungry.  One of the things I had was a baked potato.  I just add better and salt.  But that and the fish and veggie were enough to bust me wide open. *groan*.

I may change the header today with my red dogwoods.  :-)

I Wish I May, I Wish I Might

Someone in the past several days had a most excellent blog and in it they said if you could turn back time for a while, where would time stop for you? If I could only remember who wrote that I would give them credit right now.  I just cannot recall and I have tried hard all day.

The blogger then opened the blog comments to our thoughts on the matter.  I chose something not unlike me.  That would be when my children were one year as the youngest and three and four years of age for the other two.  That was truly a very happy time for me.  It was before I had to struggle so much and so long and when I could give all the nourishment to their hearts and minds I could possibly give them.  They learned, and knew they were loved.  The passage of an additional five years from then was also a beautiful time for me.

wind blown daffodils in my side yard. 

After some more consideration I have decided that the age of two years till five years of age were a wonderful three years for me.  Both parents, two much older brothers and being the baby of the family and a little girl had advantages in that I was protected a bit more perhaps.  I do know regardless of  the accuracy of my perception now that I was happy.  Lying on my stomach on the warm grass in the spring and summer sunshine, munching the tiny tiny flowers (from weeds no doubt).  Giving our long suffering tolerant bull terrier a  frequent mud bath with the wooden spoon from my little dixie cup.  Walking back and forth on the concrete barrier about ten inches high, that guarded the lawn from the street.  Listening to my brothers with their buddies and seeing their comic books, trying to make sense of them.  Playing with my blocks and being taught to make designs with them.  The ritual of being put to bed at night, hearing the same music that was played just for me.  Just all manner of things.  A happy time.  A nice home and neighbor little girl friends to play with.

After the age of five, things were not easy for me. Two things have been good since the age of five however.  A vast amount of travel outside this Country,  and having my children.  Perhaps I shall include my career as  it changed me completely except for the love of my family.  There, I remain the same.

MORE windblown daffodils in my yard

Enough of memory lane.  SO: I will stop the years at my age of two please, and again when I had my three children.

Were would YOU stop time or would you?  Many will say not ever, for any number of reasons.  But it is fun to think of an hour or a day of carefree happiness.  Some have that 7/24/365 and that is good.

Yello Everbodee

Well, I have comment moderation after 24 hours on this blog but I will have to go to immediate moderation here as well as Katie's blog as some of my friends have done.  The reason is some troll said some really ugly ugly things to Katie Isabella this morning.  There was no call for that.  I see s/he is making the rounds to many others in the CB (Cat Blogosphere) so I may as well be the only one seeing the deranged things.  Spare you all.

Spring has gotten here at last and toward the middle of the week, it will be 80 degrees.   The weeds are sprouting.  Good thing as they are the only thing I have that's green out there. Grass meets the kiss o' death here in my yard.  I'm beginning to think it's personal!  :-)

Is it me or what?  I am referring to something new here.  I want a canister vacuum.  At least a 12 inch power head to the floor.  ALL I can find to fit that bill are on-line ONLY.  That means shipping and handling but it also means you have to assemble it (I am NO...repeat NO NO NO good at that.  Never have been, never will be.  AND with it on line only I can't see it or ask questions.  I have checked so many places and online only for the most part.  The uprights which I don't want but would settle for are either terribly cheap or...online only.

My back is killing me (it is in bad shape anyway) leaning over to vacuum with this little truly short upright I have.  AND it only has like a 20 foot cord,  MAJOR problem.

OK.  Had to complain.  Bye.

The front of this thing reminds me of a Star Wars Storm Trooper in appearance. Just saying'.

Oh MY!

Oh MY!  As I have mentioned before in my blogs all the way back to MSN Spaces days, there must have been a great theft of all the turn signals in all the vehicles in this State.  Has to be!  Why else do I never see one flashing at a turning place?  Burglars must have been well coordinated to get them all like that.  Luckily I had mine chained to the steering column so I am still able to use it.  It's precious, so I expect someone will creep in during the night while they can be unseen and steal mine too!  Little do they know I have a garage nearby where I can have another installed!!!

I think too that most drivers have had one of their two arms drop off.  This is amazing!! Why else do I see just one handed steering coming at me down the road or showing up right behind me?  Four knuckles popped up like four tiny suns rising over the curve of the steering wheel. And their fingers maybe or maybe not gripping the steering wheel.  Have to admit that the casual wrist placement only atop the steering wheel gets me  every time.  Wrist driving!  Whodda thunk it?

But meanwhile, moving on,  last night I dreamed I got married.  Yes, I did.  His name was George.  I never could see his face really well but I had enough of a sense that he was O.K. looking.   Not fat, not thin.  Average.  He was not easy to deal with as he was very quiet and rather puny seeming.  Wraith-like. Probably that signified that I do not wish to be married again (and I do not).  But somehow I found myself married.  As the saying goes,  "Go Figure"!

So.  I have told you my thought for the day of theft of vehicle safety features and my most peculiar dream.  :-)

Almost There...

 I miss the days that were like gemstones. Especially when I was a young mother and again later on after I started a demanding career.  Those endless seeming days still gleam to me like molten precious metal.  I see them so clearly.  Like droplets that have fallen from the whole of who I am.  I still stand, but spare and compact. 

Here is a little one whose skirts were spread out this morning when I stepped out to the driveway.  There were others as well and I sense a wonderful event about to happen.  I will be there to take their photos for them if they wish and if I am granted permission, you too shall see what they have planned.  I think it's a gala!