Catching Up...

As usual, I didn't blog over the weekend. Howie's off Saturday-Monday, so we tend to do our running around when the weather's nice on weekends. And it's been REALLY nice. While Howie and my dad watched the OSU game at mom & dad's on Saturday, mom and I did some picture-taking in the country, went shopping, and had dinner (and dessert!) at Tom's Ice Cream Bowl in Zanesville. I got some good pictures, some great bargains, and a fully tummy - oh, what wonderful ice cream.

Sunday was terrific. We went to church and then enjoyed lunch with friends at Ruby Tuesday's. It was so good to be around people and to laugh. Howie and I stopped by the house and loaded the doggies up in the car for a ride. We we headed out to our church's property to let the dogs stretch their legs and play. We thought that Emma and Buddy would not run too far away from us since we would be in the huge field away from the road...But they did. They just took off together, mutt and Jeff, and ran straight back down the gravel driveway and toward the road. We got back in the car and headed out after them, and by the time we got back down near the church, they'd stopped running and got in the car. Leashes, always, from now on!

As usual, Sarah found something suitably repugnant in which to roll, so we drove home amist some truly nasty smells. We also learned that having all three dogs in the car does not distract Buddy suffiiently to stop him from getting carsick. So, while Howie gave Sarah a bath, I cleaned the carpet and upholstery in back. Oh, fun.

At the back of the church property there's a tall hill, and at the top of this hill a wooden cross overlooks the valley. For the first time, we braved that steep hill and climbed to the top; we had to stop several times during our ascent, but it was so worth it. A talented stoneworker donated his time and created a tiered patio area there at the base of the cross; I don't think there's a prettier spot to sit and survey the area. :)

Last night we got together with Jeff (not of mutt and Jeff, LOL) and watched Panic Room. It was a pretty intense movie, but somewhat predicable, I thought. I can't remember a movie that has the F-word in it more, either, so be forewarned. I don't want to give anything away here. It's worth watching, but there's a few holes I couldn't reconcile.

Choices, Choices

It's that time again, Friday Five. This sounds like one of those "you have to go live on a desert island - what would you take with you?" kinds of things. We've been watching Survivor Thailand (Bye, bye, Denver Diva, LOL) and I've contemplated what my choice of luxury item would be if I were ever to be thrust into that situation (not a snowball's chance in h*ll of that, though). Anyway, here's the FIVE:

1. If you could only choose 1 cd to ever listen to again, what would it be?
Gosh, that's rough. I think what I'd have to do is make a compilation of my favorite songs onto one CD. I got around that one pretty well, didn't I? One of the songs would have to be Kim Hill's rendition of "You Are Still Holy". Wow, what an awesome song - a real cry of my heart.

2. If you could only choose 2 movies to watch ever again, what would they be?
My first choice was easy: As Good as It Gets. The characters are so full, so real and detailed - it's funny, it's sad, it's thought-provoking...It's a wonderful story of friendship and getting outside of our comfort zones. Choosing a second is so difficult! Right now, I think it would be the 1995 adaptation of Jane Austin's Sense and Sensibility. The cinematography and costuming is so rich and beautiful in that one, and the characters are just terrific. I need to rent that one again - it's been too long since I've seen it.

3. If you could only choose 3 books to read ever again, what would they be?
Definitely the Bible. In particular, I'd like the NIV Life Application Study Bible; I've always liked the NIV translation, and since I'm not heavily into finding the nitty-gritty, original Greek and Hebrew translations, this Bible's study notes are pretty down-to-earth and practical. I don't own this Bible yet, but I want to get it sometime. The second book would be Wally Lamb's I Know This Much Is True, a fascinating (and sad) story of twin brothers and their unique mental illnesses. I was so engrossed by their story, so touched. The book which rounds out my list of three is Colony, by Anne Rivers Siddons. That is another incredible journey through the lives of a family; this one follows Maude Chambliss from the time she's a young bride of an aristrocratic family's son, through her incorporation into their family and becoming a matriarch of her own right. It's really something, in Siddons' lyrical, descriptive writing; it's a true pleasure reading anything by her.

4. If you could only choose 4 things to eat or drink ever again, what would they be?
Mmmmmm. Assuming HEALTH isn't an issue, I'd choose coffee, chocolate, macaroni and cheese, and pizza. No, I don't like junk food. ;)

5. If you could only choose 5 people to ever be/talk/associate/whatever with ever again, who would they be?
Wowsers, I really hate questions like this because I don't want to exclude anyone! And my answer would change depending on what's going on in my life at the time, you know?? Right now, I'd say Howie, Amy, Pastor Steve, Lisa, and Mom. But at any time, Angie, Julie, Naomi, Carol, Vikki....Gosh, any number of folks could swap out! Aaaaaargh!

Do You Really Wanna Hurt Me

I could adopt this as my theme song, only it would be my body singing to itself. I am a klutz. There's no disputing the fact, ask my husband. Bless his heart, once he sees I'm not mortally wounded, he usually breaks into uncontrollable chortles as I jump around or grasp dismally at the injured part of my body. I usually end up crying "it's not funny!", but the fact that I'm laughing doesn't add any weight to my assertion.

I once broke my toe in what proved to be a goldmine of amusement for my husband. We were newlyweds and lived in a huge old victorian home that had been split into apartments. Our back door opened to a hallway which led to a few other apartment doors and to the outside door out back. On this particular evening, I was fresh out of the shower and, ummm, still not dressed. I heard him walking down the hallway toward our door and thought it would be great fun to run and greet him, au naturale.

So, off I went. I rounded the corner and was making good progress toward the door when things went terribly wrong and I ran a bit too close to the desk. Have you ever had your pinky toe bent outward, sideways? No? Trust me, it is no fun. Carried on by sheer momentum, I reached the back door just in time to greet Howie as he walked in. What a sight greeted him: his wife, naked and hopping on one foot, uttering dark, terrible words. Oh, my, we've certainly had our laughs over that one the last ten years.

Today holds no exceptions. I have several nice, deep papercuts on my hands. Actually, they're yogurt container cuts I sustained while washing a yogurt cup for reuse. I don't know how I do it. And I'll tell you what else, it stings when you get homemade laundry soap in those little fissures. Man! I made a triple batch of that today, and wished I'd made it prior to washing out that danged container. Ah well.

Photoshopping

Okay, I am awestruck by Bert Monroy. This guy does unbelievably photo-realistic artwork using Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator. He doesn't scan photos in and manipulate them; he starts from scratch. Wow.

A Mouse In My Mailbox

Well, technically, we only have a mail slot and it's in our front door, but we did get a mouse in the mail. Okay, technically two mice. And a duck, and a couple dogs (at least I think one of them is a dog). Thanks for the postcard, Busgirlie! :)


Speaking of traveling...We won't be a leavin' on a jet plane for a while yet, but we did buy the tickets for our Thanksgiving visit to Louisiana. I am SO excited - other than visiting Tennessee last year and again this spring, this is the first real vacation (more than 4 days) we've taken since visiting my sister-in-law in 1999. We're going to stay at the home of friends we made via Dave's Garden and met last year. It's really cool to visit people you know, because they know the good stuff to do and what stuff isn't. Lisa and her hubby are really sweet, funny, laid-back folks -- and can they cook. Their little girl was so sweet on the phone the other night - she's a darling little thing, a four-year-old sprite with a smile that could melt the Grinch's heart.

We're don't usually have to dress for summer temps and humidity in November, so I did some shopping for cool and comfy clothes since ours are pretty ratty for anything but yard work. And, like I told my aunt, I've become an old fogey. Yes, I will soon own five seersucker shirts from Blair.com. I bought four seersucker gingham-checked shirts in various colors, along with a pair of shorts. Hey, as far as I'm concerned, they're pre-wrinkled so they'll be a breeze to pack. They're also lightweight and cool to wear. I can wash and dry them and have clothes to wear the next day.

This is my second order from Blair and I've been really happy with their products and with their service. These shirts are on clearance now, and I couldn't pass up $9.99 each, with free shipping and no sales tax. Check out currentcodes.com for all the latest online discount codes for your favorite online stores - that's where I got the code for free shipping. :)

Move Over, Mr. Coffee

We finally broke down and decided to try Gevalia for their free coffee maker offer (pictured at left along with a groovy Dave's Garden coffee mug - they're great!). It's so nice having our coffee brew directly into a thermal carafe, y'all. Vikki told me she has one and it works great, so we thought we'd give it a shot. Of course, it helps that Mr. Coffee, may he rest in peace, died. The first pot I made overflowed the filter basket and poured onto the counter; in my haste to try it out (and thanks to my math-shunning brain), I put in twice as much coffee as I should have. The water couldn't make it through the resulting coffee-ground sludge. So far, there's been a bit of a plastic taste to the coffee, this despite my running vinegar water through as directed, but it's getting better.

While I'm on the subject of coffee, I must mention The Mug of Honor, not to be confused with the DG mug pictured above, LOL.

The mug was given to me by Dad (my stepdad, Bob). He thought it was really something. And it is. It's become a family joke (or a family institution, if you want to be positive). It's a truly repugnant mug depicting an angry-looking, surly cat. It's not just his face that is disconcerting, no. His tail curves around the handle of the mug, and even then the handle is uncomfortable. Every time Dad visits, his coffee is served in The Mug of Honor. It's only fitting that he should enjoy this fine piece of ceramic artistry since he is the one who hand-selected it.

Friday Five?? I Never Did Monday Mission!

It's Friday Five time already? Thanks for reminding me, Naomi - I truly would have forgotten all about it! These questions are nothing to make a stink about; they're treading on thin ice. Those old shoes just love to wag their tongues and sing soul. Ok, I'll stop. Gosh, I'd like to hear Imelda Marcos' answers, or maybe Leona Helmsley's. Shoot, my mom's answers, for that matter. My shoe-happenings are pretty tame compared to theirs, I'd wager.

1. What size shoe do you wear?
Big ol' size 11's. But not wides, just regulars.

2. How many pairs of shoes do you own?
How many do I own, or how many can I wear? I own around eight pair, including winter boots. Frankly, I'm comfortable (and barefoot) and I don't feel like getting up to check!

3. What type of shoe do you prefer (boots, sneakers, pumps, etc.)?
I prefer sandals first, the athletic kind with lots of cushion in the heel. Next to that, I like tennis shoes. I do have a pair of buffalo hide boots I adore.

4. Describe your favorite pair of shoes. Why are they your favorite?
I love the bison boots I got at a warehouse sale at my old job. They're made of soft, supple hide and it's the most buttery leather I've ever felt. They're the type of boots that lace up, and they go just a little above my ankles. There's a rolled cuff at the top, which cushions them against my legs. They're really well made, really comfortable, and really cute.

5. What's the most you've spent on one pair of shoes?
Hmmmmm....Probably $60 for a pair of really good tennis shoes once. Even my bison leather shoes were only $32!

Keats Eats

"...this moment I was writing with one hand, and with the other holding to my mouth a Nectarine - how good, how fine. It went down all pulpy, slushy, oozy..."
-- John Keats, English poet

Now, I enjoy a good nectarine, too. Only I eat it with my left hand so my right is free for mouse-clicking and hunt-and-pecking on my keyboard. ;)

Birthday Grrrrrrrrl

Haaaaaapy Birfday to U
At Disney World, Wooo-wooooo
Happy Birfday Dear Busgirlieeeeeeeee
Haaaaaapy Birfday toooooo Youuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!

And here's a group of adoring fans, waiting for YOU to blow out the candles. Just make believe there are 38 candles. Oh, and pretend that these nice folks weren't randomly selected off the web to serve my purpose, but that they're your good, good friends!



Yep, when you care enough to send the very best....

Got Pollen?

I took this back at the beginning of September at my mom's. This little fella was going from flower to flower, just revelling in the pollen. As you can see, he was covered from head to tail. I used to be afraid of all bees, wasps and hornets. Now, though, now I'm pretty much only really afraid of yellowjackets; those things get right in one's face and cause me to run away, screaming like an idiot. Don't tell me to sit still and they won't bother me. Don't tell me that running only makes it worse. I consider myself fortunate to be able to enjoy little honey bees and bumble bees at this point in my life, because at some point it occurred to me that they're far more interested in the flowers than they are in me. The yellowjackets, however, are another story!

Friday Five Time

I can't believe how this week has flown by...It's Friday Five time already!

1. What are your favorite ways to relax and unwind?
I love cuddling up with DH and reading or watching a movie; if he's not around, I love to snuggle down into the cushions on our couch, adorn myself with a living, breathing blanket of puppies, and read until I doze off in a little nap.

2. What do you do the moment you get home from work/school/errands?
Usually, I head to the bathroom. Then I greet the yipping, yapping, happy dogs and enjoy being Queen of The World for a little while while they scramble out of the cage and go scrabbling on the hardwood floors toward the kitchen. It's a joyful, barking parade to the great outdoors.

3. What are your favorite aromatherapeutic smells?
I like the smell of the steam coming from the dryer vent when laundry's drying, as well as the smell of freshly-laundered linens. The sweet smell of a hayfield just cut is wonderful, as is a hayloft full of sweet hay. When night comes, the sweet nocturnal perfume of nicotiana sylvestris (flowering tobacco) bids me to breathe deeply and drink it in.

4. Do you feel more relaxed with a group of friends or hanging out by yourself?
I guess it depends on the company, the activity and the duration. Generally, as an only child with an active imagination, I can amuse myself and like solitude.

5. What is something that you feel is relaxing but most people don't?
What girl doesn't like backrubs, footrubs and having someone play with her hair? I guess some don't, but I can't imagine being in their ranks. Other than that, I think it's really relaxing to putter in the garden, deadheading, pruning, and admiring all the little things we tend to not notice in our rush as humans.

Bella Bella!

Our pesto-day was a success, everything I'd hoped it would be. Bev brought two big bags full of fresh basil leaves, along with tomatoes and garlic cloves she'd just harvested from her garden that afternoon. Mom was here and, aside from mercilessly dissing my first (admittedly very weak) pot of coffee, was a lot of fun to be with. ;) Bev's pesto recipe was a little different than the one I posted in my previous entry:

• 1 1/2 cups basil leaves


• 1/4 cup nuts (I used walnuts)


• 2 cloves of garlic (if clove is large, use 1)


• 3/4 cup parmesan cheese (Calls for freshly grated, but I used canned, grated cheese


• 3/4 cup olive oil

Put nuts and garlic in food processor and run until incredients are finely ground together. Add basil leaves and process until ingredients form a paste. Add parmesan cheese and blend again, then add olive oil and blend until all ingredients are mixed really well. If the mix looks too runny for your taste, add a little more basil and give it another spin.Toss with cooked pasta and serve hot or cold with sliced tomatoes. :)

This shows you what we enjoyed, farfalle pasta and pesto. Those little pear tomatoes were wonderful dipped in pesto, too! I made a salad using some of the leftover basil leaves mixed with lettuce, and the rest of the basil I will probably dry (if I don't get more parmesan cheese and make more pesto, LOL).

Pesto is so ridiculously easy to make, and it is so flavorful and worth the little effort it takes to make it. Last year it took me hours to make the same amount because I had only an upright blender to work with and it was next to impossible to mix the ingredients with it. The food processor we got for Christmas made it a breeze this time, though. What we're not going to use right away, I put in zip-loc bags and flattened out for freezing. I like freezing it this way, because I can easily break a section of it off the frozen plank-o-pesto and put the rest back in the freezer.

Pesto will keep well in the refrigerator for a week or a little longer; it's best to freeze what you don't want to use in that time. Here's a good pesto link with some recipes and history of this marvelous concoction.

Our Cup Runneth Over

Tomorrow afternoon, my friend Bev is coming over with fresh basil from her garden. My mom is going to be here, too. Together, we will pick the leaves from the stems, talking and laughing. Bev loves gardening, God, dogs and cats, too, so there's no lack of topics. We'll rinse the leaves and pat them dry, still talking.

Then, we'll take the basil and put it to its glorious use: Fresh pesto! The one we're making has basil leaves, fresh parsley, garlic, parmesan cheese, olive oil, and walnuts. It freezes well, so some will be frozen for later. Some, though, we will be compelled to toss with fresh pasta (I use that term loosely - this house has never seen truly fresh pasta). For your cooking enjoyment, here is the recipe:

Re-Evaluating Winter

Here's a winter memory from a lovely snowfall we enjoyed in January, 2002. More below...




I used to say I hated winter, but I'm re-evaluating that statement. The cool fall nights have me in mind of putting the garden to bed, raking leaves, and settling in for a cozy winter. Thought I don't like the usual winter weather our area offers (cold and damp - we get more rain than snow I think), I love the simple rest it offers. The pace of life slows and we light candles on those early winter evenings and listen to music more often. We read, cuddled under the various lap throws that are scattered throughout our home. True, we also wipe mud from the dogs' feet (that's twelve feet now!) and from ours, and the cold can get a little old. But I don't fret about my plants not getting enough water, about the stuff still needing to be deadheaded, and I don't chastise myself for not weeding. Yes, I really do like winter for the different things it offers -- But perhaps I'm only glamorizing it in absentia, LOL. Anyway, wouldn't you think that warm doorway looked inviting? And isn't that guy up there cute?

Okay, Busgirlie, this one's for you. Complete this phrase for me, and end the day-long debate Howie and I have had over this.

She's a Rose Princess
Dancin' ___ ___ ____

I'm still feeling dizzy and headachey, so I've not been at the computer much. Even when I am online, I'm just kind of aimlessly wandering and unfocused (more unfocused than usual, LOL!). Don't expect anything earth shattering from this neck of the woods for a few days, LOL. In fact, the biggest news around our house is that Howie and our friend Mark replaced our horribly wobbly concrete back steps with a nice set of wooden stairs. Wow, what a difference that makes! No longer do we have to wedge bits of stone and concrete beneath the pre-formed concrete steps to keep them from wobbling. No longer is there a loud clunk when we go in or out of the back door. Best yet, we no longer must step down as soon as our feet cross the threshhold of the door; the first step is even with the door now, so there's a nice 14" spot to tread before taking a step down. When negotiating two leashed, enthusiastic dogs, this is a key thing. The dogs didn't quite know what to think of the new steps for a while, and it was funny seeing them react to them. They've given them a good sniffing, though, and now walk on them with almost no trepidation.

Today I give thanks for sweaty men who make the world a better place. :)

FridayFive.org Time

1. Would you say that you're good at keeping in touch with people?
I am much better at it since e-mail. I always mean to pen actual notes, and sometimes I even do, only to forget to mail them; at some point the news in them becomes embarrassingly old and I discard the sealed envelope only to begin afresh. But I am very good about answering e-mail!

2. Which communication method do you usually prefer/use: e-mail, telephone, snail mail, blog comments, or meeting in person? Why?
Nothing beats getting something in the mail and having that handwriting to cherish. Next to that, I prefer e-mail because (1) I am an archivist at heart and I love being able to go back and look at old correspondence, (2) it is so timely and (3) it is so convenient.

3. Do you have an instant messenger program? How many? Why/why not? How often do you use it?
Yes, I have several. I used the free version of Trillian for a while because it allowed me to combine the three IM programs I use into a single application, but it was buggy and I finally decided it wasn't worth the hassle. I use MSN predominantly, though I'm careful to only chat with those I know from elsewhere. I use it daily, several times a day. I also use Yahoo IM and, on occasion, AOL IM.

4. Do most of your close friends live nearby or far away?
My closest friends, my years-long friends live within an hour or so radius of us, and that's nice. Other friends I've met online and, later, in the flesh, are spread all around the country! I love the Internet. :)

5. Are you an "out of sight, out of mind" person, or do you believe that "distance makes the heart grow fonder"?
I think it largely depends on the quality of your relationship with that person. Certainly the personality quirks which annoy us seem distant; it's easy to glamorize a person in absentia. Conversely, a good friend is a sweet breath of fresh air you come to miss like the scent of flowers in the winter.

J.M. Barrie says it best: "God gave us memory so that we might have roses in December". So it is with friends, yes?

Pick A Winner and Take Me To DQ

Joanie's nose-picker story reminds me of a story a friend told me once. He was out driving his car on the freeway and glanced over at the driver of the car next to him as he passed it. That car's driver was a pretty lady, who waved at him. Sweet! What she failed to remember was that she had a wad of Kleenex sticking out of her nose. He politely motioned, pointing toward his nose, and she responded by rolling her eyes a little and waving again, in thanks. This whole interchange took place in a few seconds, a marvel in non-verbal communication.

By the way, to view two funny Kleenex TV ads, go here.

The second thing that entry in Joanie's blog brought to mind was a childhood trip to Dairy Queen with my father. It was a big deal to order for myself, so I marched right up to that counter and very maturely ordered a brassiere burger.

Yeah, as in bra. Over-the-shoulder-boulder-holder. Double-slingshot. I couldn't spell it at that point in my life, but I darned well knew how it was pronounced! I don't remember much except my father laughing and my thinking "well Brazier sure looks like it ought to be prounounced brassiere"!

A Countdown

This nifty list thingie I found on Joanie's site

Ten movies you'd watch over and over:
1. As Good As It Gets
2. Braveheart
3. The Princess Bride
4. Shawshank Redemption
5. Star Trek (any of 'em)
6. The Matrix
7. The Abyss
8. Pleasantville
9. You've Got Mail
10. A Christmas Story


Nine people you enjoy the company of:
Only Nine?? This list is not all-inclusive!
1. Howie (& our family)
2. Amy
3. Angie
4. John
5. Amy
6. Noah
7. Bonnie
8. Lisa
9. Yeah, and me ;)

Eight things you're wearing:
1. Wedding Band
2. Glasses
3. Barrette
4. Right earring
5. Left earring
6. Undergarments
7. Outergarments
8. A smile

Seven Things on your Mind:
1. Getting over this cold
2. Hoping Howie doesn't catch it
3. Cleaning I need to do
4. Deciding it can wait until I feel better
5. Writing, how I enjoy it
6. Contemplating bringing my music keyboard upstairs
7. How fleeting the days are

Six objects you touch everyday:
1. My glasses
2. A coffee cup
3. My hubby
4. My cats
5. My dogs
6. My dogs' leashes


Five things you do everyday:
1. Kiss my hubby
2. Wake up with no alarm
3. Eeeeeeliminiate
4. Surf the Internet
5. Count my blessings

Four bands that you couldn't live without:
1. Phil Keaggy & Sunday's Child
2. The Beatles
3. Men at Work
4. Randy Stonehill & band

Three of your favorite songs at this moment:
1. You're Worthy of My Praise (version from John Tesh's CD A Deeper Faith)
2. Shoofly Pie (Doris Day)
3. You Are Still Holy (as sung by Kim Hill)


Two people that have influenced your life the most:
1. Mom
2. John

One person that you love more than anyone in the world:
1. Howie

Mirror Mirror...

Well, I finally did it. I submitted a photo to
The Mirror Project and they put it up today. I owe it all to Randal, the Big White Guy...Even if he did shave his goatee off in a moment of abandon, I admire the guy. Hey, we even have the same camera - how cool is THAT? If he can take such great shots with his Olympus, I know I can do better.

NyQuil Poster Child

You know that commercial for NyQuil, the one that says it's the "nighttime, sniffling, sneezing, coughing, aching, stuffy head, fever so you can rest medicine"? I am destined to be their poster child, I think. And this cold or flu - whatever it is - wouldn't be so bad if it weren't for the poop.

No, not mine. Buddy's. Our beagle has the runs, and it's been oh-so-fun at our house today. I awoke to the sound of Howie making gagging noises as he cleaned up the first mess of the day, one which the dog managed to make right on top of some computer cables, coax cable and phone lines. I've been taking the dogs out regularly, hoping to avoid any more accidents, but I'm afraid he did it again. I cleaned up the little spot I saw, thinking it was good it was just that little bit...Then I saw more under my desk. Much more. On the carpet, of course.

Waaaaaah! Can I just say that I'm really sick of bodily fluids today, human and otherwise? *sniffle* Okay, I've had my pity party.

Tourism by Microsoft

This computerized kiosk is in the foyer at Heini's Cheese Shop in Berlin, Ohio. People seemed divided into two camps at the sight of me laughing and snapping shots of this thing: those who stared unabashedly and those who averted their eyes. ;)

Better late than never...Monday Mission time!

1. Do you have a favorite piece of poetry or prose written by someone else? Care to share it?

I am very fond of Robert Frost's Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening, especially the last line, And miles to go before I sleep, and miles to go before I sleep. How often I've felt that way when out enjoying time photographing nature, then realizing how late the hour's gotten and how I need to get home!

2. In High School, did you enjoy creative writing? Do you currently do any other writing in addition to your Blog?

I loved creative writing in high school. One year I was an editor for the Literary Magazine, and that was fun, too. I always write, but not always publically. To me, e-mails deserve as much care and attention as "real" writing. Some of my favorite things to read are well-written letters I receive from friends and family. I want to do more writing, though, even free-lancing if I can find the right avenues.

3. Have you ever noticed that the Blog entries you least expect to get the most comments do, and those you expect to generate a lot of feedback don't? Which Blog entry of yours surprised you by getting a lot of comments? Which one did you think would generate a lot but didn't?

I never expect many comments, so I am really glad when I do see them. I get private e-mails from people, too, and that's fine. I just like hearing back from others; the blogger's curse, I suppose!

4. Sometimes you get a chance to make a lifestyle change that has a huge impact on the course your life takes. That is, a moment where something became very clear to you, and that realization changed your life, such as: the need to leave a relationship, to stop an addiction, to bond with someone, to start a new career, and so on. Have you ever had an "awakening" moment in your life?

There are far too many to mention. Realizing I wanted to marry Howie was a big one. We'd gotten to be friends over a period of almost a year, and three days after we first kissed and began dating in earnest, I realized I didn't want to be with anyone but him. I blurted this out to him one evening, then freaked out that I'd said it, feeling it was carved in stone. Then, I realized it was okay even if it had been carved in stone, because it was so true.

Recently, I have become much more aware of how my actions affect other people, both positively and negatively. I know I need to be out with people, not only for myself and my need to connect, but also to encourage them. And I know I need to work much harder on not running late, because it devalues the person who's waiting when I dilly-dally around and run behind. Gee, I think my most recent realization can be summed up in the words it ain't all about me!

5. Then there are other times where you can have a huge impact on someone else's life. You suggest they see a doctor, stop them from taking that last drink, or maybe just say some kind words at the moment. Have you made a lasting positive impact on the life of someone else?

I sure hope so. I try to encourage people, even complete strangers. I try to smile, knowing how one smile can bouy my heart on a rough day. I believe very much in the power of words.

6. Are there any charities or organizations which you support? How did you come to be involved with them?

Mainly, we support our church, though we've been absent for a long time and have not been as faithful with our pocketbooks as we once were. Other than that, I am more vocally supportive than financially.

7. Care to collaborate with me? Help me out and write the rest of this poem:

I drifted though a dream last night,
visions full of colors bright.
My thoughts began to drift to you,
and in an instant we were two.

I touched your hand,
We began to blend,
Filled with a feeling
that should have no end.

A question knitted tight your brow
You tried to ask, not knowing how
To vocalize that heart-felt need
Without sounding full of greed

BONUS: Hey cutie, what's up with this attitude?

Awww, c'mon Babyface, don't be cruel...

Cold Viruses by E-Mail

Well, I have a cold. I swear, I got this virus from my aunt, who e-mailed me and said she and her hubby have just reached the turning point in their colds and are starting to feel better. This insiduous cold virus of hers made its way through cyberspace and landed right on my fingertips. Thanks, Bonnie. *sigh* Right now, I could sing a low baritone rather than alto. I could give Phoebe Buffay a good run for her money with the sexy cold-voice thing. I have a voice which would scare small children, so keep them away. Keep them away, anyway; I don't want their germs right now, since I have quite enough of my own, thankyouveddymuch.

Now that you're sufficiently grossed out, let me post a pretty little picture to make up for it. This is Emma, mooning over her beloved Nylabone:

Lap Dance

This Lap dance is one of the funniest Flash animations I've seen. Don't worry, it's just about a guy and his cat, LOL.

The Bunnies' Keeper

This boy was shielding these dwarf rabbit babies from the sun at the family's small market set-up near Heini's Cheese Shop in Berlin, Ohio. He and his brothers took turns holding the umbrella, and a battery-powered fan also provided a breeze. I stood a discreet distance away and used the zoom on the camera, and I made sure not to get a full-face shot of the boy...But I had to take this picture. Having the LED on enabled me to rest the camera on a fencetop and glance down at the screen to frame the shot rather than holding the camera up to my eye.

Yesterday Howie and I drove over to Berlin with my folks, our friend Kathy following us in her plant-packed car, for a get-together with some other Ohio Dave's Garden folks. We visited a bit in the parking lot of Tis The Season a year-round Christmas shop, traded some plants and seeds, then headed over to Der Dutchman for some good food. It's always been so cool to meet the folks we've come to know and enjoy online, and this was no exception. They're the salt of the earth. :)

I spent the night at Angie's last night and Howie got to be a bachelor and watch a football movie with the dogs, LOL. Angie'd invited me to church with her since it was Friend Day, so I thought why not? It was really cool, from the Sunday school talk to the worship (great music!) to the sermon. It was just what The Doctor ordered. Angie's going to be baptised tonight, so I'm hanging out with her all day and meeting Howie back at the church for the service. It's been such a cool weekend, even if I was reluctant to get moving. I always enjoy being out and around people once I get going...It's just the getting-going that's tough.

Thanks, Angie. :)

The Friday Five

1. What was/is your favorite subject in school? Why?

It was definitely art. It allowed me to be creative without having to adhere to rules of syntax. It also let me lose myself in the medium for even that finite time, something important for a troubled kid. Anyone who creates with their hands will know what I'm talking about; it's wonderful.

2. Who was your favorite teacher? Why?

It would have to be David Scherer, who taught my fourth grade class at Wescott Elementary in Northbrook, IL. He had brown hair and a beard, and kind eyes. My home life was violent and dismal with my father, and I carried my frustration and anger to school. I acted out Mr. Scherer's class as I did in all my classes, but with him I'd met my match. A telling memory I have is about a day he told me to go to the Principal's office. I refused and sat stubbornly at my desk. Well, Mr. Scherer grabbed onto the desk and pulled it -- and me -- down the hallway toward the Principal's office! Looking back, I wonder if he just did that in terrific humor, or if I pissed him off so much he didn't know what else to do!

We had big cardboard study carrols to use in the classroom, letting us make cubicles out of our desks (early indoctrination into a Dilbert society! My God!!). Mr. Scherer set up the carrols like a gameshow set and held spelling contests, too. It was in his class that I learned to spell psychology; we all learned to spell it by year's end. Do kids still learn to spell psychology in fourth grade?

He also was the person responsible for me finishing the required half-mile track for the President's Physical Fitness Program. I was as far from athletic as a kid could be, and I hated gym class. Mr. Scherer stayed after school with me one day and we went around that half-mile track together, alternately walking ten steps and jogging ten steps until we had finished. I still am not athletic, but that memory really stays with me.

And, yes, I was hopelessly in love with him. In truth, he was the first positive male role model I ever had. He left teaching to work at a bank, and for a while we kept in touch by phone. His leaving the education field was a loss for children, especially those without a niche of their own.

3. What is your favorite memory of school?

Second to all those I listed above, it would have to be the times I snuck out of lunch period and went to eat lunch with Joseph Zulawski, my seventh-grade art teacher at John H. Springman Junior High in Glenview, IL. I was labelled a behavioral problem and bussed to that school to participate in that school's special ed classes. I was a very bright girl, and bored silly with what they tried to pass off as lessons. The one place I found myself was in the arts arts, both visual and music. We'd sit and eat and just talk as friends. He was another good man God saw fit to put in my life.

When I graduated from eighth grade, Mr. Zulawski gave me a box of treasures: a box of charcoals, an art gum eraser, a timer...Just an odd assortment of little things, but ones I treasure. I don't do charcoal drawings to speak of, but I still have that worn little grey cardboard box of charcoal sticks. Mr. Z and I corresponded for a while after I moved to Ohio, but we lost touch. He was a good man.

4. What was your favorite recess game?

Reading. I hated recess. I wasn't a popular kid, and didn't play kickball, hopscotch and all that. I was pretty much self-entertaining, and I still am. Not that I didn't want to be with people, and not that I don't enjoy being around people now, no. I just play well by myself. :)

5. What did you hate most about school?

I think the darkest time school-wise was junior high. In retrospect, I realize I was clinically depressed as a pre-teen and teenager. Back in those days, I went to a counselor, but they just didn't give kids anti-depressants. I wonder how differently my life would have turned out had I had those amazing, helpful medications back then instead of decades later.

As I said, I was sent to a neighboring town for school because they had a special ed program. The stigma attached to any kids in those classes was longstanding. That, combined with my then-combative nature and lashing out, made school life difficult. Until I was "mainstreamed" into the "normal" classes there, my lessons were comprised of readings, followed by questions and sometimes puzzles, from workbooks so simplistic it was embarrassing. I would get weeks worth of lessons done in an afternoon, then have time to kill. Nothing's worse than an emotionally hurting, but intelligent child who has run out of things with which to occupy her time. I got in trouble a lot, but Mr. Zulawski was my saving grace and sanity during that time. If you're out there, Mr. Z, I love you.

A new twist on the lemon truism

I read this today at The Anti-Adelphia Movement, and it struck me rather funny:

When life gives you lemons, squeeze the juice into a water gun and shoot as many people as you can in the eye.

Don't you just feel like doing that sometimes? ;)

Real Men Do Clean!

In answer to Vikki's question, yes, I have been cleaning! Howie borrowed his friend's steam cleaner this weekend, and he cleaned the carpet, couch and loveseat (and the myriad of cushions that go on them). He attacked the living room with the gusto of a true man -- nothing was beyond his reach. The baseboards, the exposed wood floors, even the windows! AND he took the miniblinds outside and hosed them down. Boy, I love that man! In the meantime, I concentrated on cleaning the &%#)^ out of the bathroom and kitchen. Will the smell of ammonia ever leave my hands? ;)

To all you lurkers: Glad you're here. Just wanted to say hi. You can comment - I won't bite! ;)

Promoguy's Monday Mission

1. Where were you and what was happening in your life the moment when you first became aware of what was happening at the World Trade Center in New York City last September 11th? What was the first thing you did when you heard the news?

Howie and I had just gotten up and he'd read the news at Dave's Garden. It was unreal watching it unfold, and I remember just feeling dumbstruck. One of the first things I did was call the friends my folks were visiting out of state, just needing that connection and to make sure they were okay. They'd already gotten to the friends' home, and they were all watching the news together.

2. When those truly responsible for the attack are apprehended, what do you think would be the most fitting form of justice?

My first inclination is a trial, and death to those who are behind it. Of course, that would make those people martyrs, I suppose, and that could serve to fan the flames. But if they are kept imprisoned, there would be attempts to free them and who knows where that would lead, either. Yuck. The problem is knowing who really is behind it, I guess. I am not a big politcal person, to be honest. And these questions make me squirm...I don't blacklist an entire ethnicity based on the actions of a few. I know politics are going to outweigh any normalcy in due process. But I think any murderer should be brought before justice if the evidence is clear. Justice...Boy, that's weighted, isn't it? Just working through this folks - I don't see any black and white at this point.

3. This will probably be much like when our parents respond to "Where were you when JFK was shot?"- an event never forgotten by those who were there. But how do you think the history books should present the 9-11 attacks? Should it be included for all future generations? How can we truly convey the shock, the outrage, the emotions and pain of that day to the children of our children?

YES, I believe it should be included! First-hand accounts of those searching for their missing friends and families, stories of the brave people who volunteered to aid in the seraches...None of it should be kept out. I don't know how you could fully convey the shock and pain of it; after all, there are those who staunchly believe the Holocaust never happened. Tell that to the tattood survivors and their families.

4. No one in that building, in the Pentagon, or on the planes (other than the terrorists) knew that 9-11 would be their last day to be alive. For me, it brought home the reality that I could be gone at anytime, without any warning. Now, I really want each day to have some value. Did the events of 9-11 bring about a change in the way you live your life?

I am more thankful of my friends, and more conscious of keeping in touch with them. I must admit that, as that date fell further into the past, my sense of urgency about it has declined. I have, as the pundits told us to, tried to "go on living my life" and to me that sometimes become a very insular existance.

5. Several who loved to fly in planes will not step foot in one anymore. Many parents are more protective of their children. A year later, do you find yourself feeling more secure than back then? Or is it just a matter of time before something else happens?

I vascillate between feeing doomed and forgetting there's even anything wrong. I guess I feel a sense of anticipation, feeling something is going to happen, but I try not to dwell on it. What can my worrying about it do to change it? I can pray, though, and I do.

6. The best way for me to honor the those impacted by the attack will be to refrain from any media that day. No papers, no radio and especially no television. Others will light candles, and others will attend special services. What, if anything, will you do to personally reflect on the tragedy?

I think I will talk to others about it, especially with the close community of friends I have online. I don't know how much regular media I want to see, or I can handle seeing again. I watched a little bit of 60 Minutes Sunday night, but I made myself quit watching because...Well, because I didn't want to see the images again. I'll never forget them.

7. One of the visuals that touched me the most were the walls and walls full of hand made "Missing" posters. What image will you always have in your mind when you recall the events of 9-11?

The image I will carry forever is one of people leaping from the towers, choosing to jump rather than be burned alive. It's so horrific, especially the pair seen jumping hand-in-hand. Oh, God.

BONUS: Who's gonna come around when you break?

Who? Why The Cars, of course.

No, Buddy...

As most of you know, our beagle is named Buddy. He's a good little guy, but he's sorely tempted by trash and anything remotely chewable. Just now, he was nosing around in the trash can by the desk (banana peel...irresistable). I intoned in a low voice, "No, Buddy...."

Then Howie chimed in, "knows the trouble I've seen".

Sheesh.

Something Fishy...

Today, thanks to the arrival of a check from Greenfield Online for some surveys I took, mom and I hit some garage sales while our husbands watched an OSU football game together. I was happy as a clam to find a big fishtank and wrought iron stand at one of the garage sales, It came with two Whisper power filters (one is a large, double-cartridge one, and the other is a single), two air pumps, a bubbler, and a heater. The only thing I need to get is a hood and light.

I asked the owner what he wanted for it and he said...are you ready? He said he'd take $20 for everything.

No, that's not a typo. That, my friends, is an answer to prayer. I've been wanting one of these large tanks for at least ten years, but they've always been too much for me to justify the expense, even for a used set. Well, and it's easier to justify computer and camera expenses, LOL. The tank is older (from what I've seen in online searches, Metaframe no longer manufactures aquariums), but the owner said he'd kept goldfish in it while he worked on his pond, and the tank did not leak. Shoot, the stand alone is worth $20, and I could easily make it into a nice sofa table if the mood ever struck.

Even if it did leak, my mom said she's fixed leaks in fishtanks before, so why not give it a try? We're giving it a try in the garage first, LOL...There's a cement floor sloping toward a drain there. Hey, I'm optomistic, not stupid!

Gallery

I loaded a few pictures on my homepage until I get a gallery going. Peruse and enjoy. :)

4 O'Clock Heaven

I began harvesting seeds from my psychedelic yellow and fuschia Four O'Clock plants today. I tell ya, it's fun to tap those tips, so laden with with ripe, black seeds, into the rim of a coffee can and hear the plink! plink! as the ripe seeds come loose and hit the bottom. These plants predate our ownership of this house, and I suspect they've been here for many years. They can be propagated by tuber or by seed, so I've got lots to move to other areas of the yard and to share. They are a bit past their peak of flowering, but still making lots of blooms each evening. Like me, they run late. Here, they should be called Six O'Clocks, I think.

It's The Friday Five time again!

1. What is your biggest pet peeve? Why?

What excellent timing on this one. My biggest pet peeve has got to be people who throw cigarette butts and/or trash out their car windows! Like whoever owns this car did...

Yes, I always have my camera handy when I'm out. This guy just ticked....me....off. He and his buddies looked like some kinda rough guys, so I just did the passive-aggressive thing and took a picture of his car and license plate rather than confront him directly. Heh. But now his idiocy is publicized around the world. Jerk. My big fantasy is to pick up a cigarette butt and flick it back in the person's car window, saying "Hey, you DROPPED something."

2. What irritating habits do you have?

Well, this pot sure ain't callin' the kettle black, here. I have lots of irritating habits; they irritate not only those outside my skin, but the one inside it. I am a perfectionist and put things off until the last minute. I talk too much sometimes, even as the words are cascading out of my mouth and I cringe inwardly to hear the blather issuing forth, I seem powerless to quell it. It's mostly when I'm nervous, I have not been out amongst other live human beings for a while, and/or when I've had too much caffeine. I need one of those T-shirts which says, "I'm talking and I can't shut up!"

3. Have you tried to change the irritating habits or just let them be?

Oh, yes, I've tried. The talking thing is something I'm especially conscious of, because I don't like it when people monopolize conversations and I don't want to do that to others.

4. What grosses you out more than anything else? Why?

No contest: The medical documentaries showing things like liposuction and breast augmentation surgery. Ooooooh, yuck. But it's like a car wreck, and I still must peek. Ish.

5. What one thing can you never see yourself doing that other people do?

I was going to say I can't see myself being purposefully mean, really nasty, to someone. But that would be a lie. Everyone has their moments of lashing out in anger and self-righteous nastiness. What I can't see happening is me acting that way and not immediately feeling a twinge of conviction. I can't see myself doing that and not feeling bad about it.

Good Lines

Hee, hee...Howie (aka my DH, aka TheHMan) drew a picture of me and put it on his webpage. I've added it to my sidebar here...I love it!

In The Zone

Today I enjoyed taking a couple hundred pictures at my mom's house, all outdoors. She and dad have a garden just jam-packed with all sorts of plants, both blooming and non-blooming. There are ornamental grasses, hostas, sedums...Sunflowers, firecracker vines, canna lilies...Ponds with water hyacinths, lotus, waterlilies...Just everything in its season. Looking through the pictures from today makes me feel so happy. I think actually taking the shots pleases me even more.

When I was younger, I never could understand what athletes meant when they'd recall being in "the zone" during a game. I guess I've gotten involved with my music or artwork in that way, but maybe never quite to the extent that I'd call it "the zone". (Although worship in music would qualify, yes, but this context is a bit different).

But photography, there is my zone! When I was knee-deep in the ornamental grasses today, getting just the right angle for a shot, I was there. And what came bursting to my mind were the words of the character Simon in As Good As It Gets. Simon's an artist, and a few times he expresses that need to capture something he sees. Oh, I can so relate to that! It's like the scene where Carol is drawing a bath at the hotel, and Simon is mesmirized; he's not lusting after her (he's gay, for one), but he's captivated. And he says "I have to draw you!".

Yes! I have to take pictures. I can't type fast enough to keep up with the excitement I feel just at saying this. I see all these marvelous things - colors, patterns, events, blooms, expressions, ironies - and I just have to record them. Even if those images are destined to be seen by only a handful of people, only my family, I need to take them. Life - everything around us - is just so cool if you just look.

I especially love close-up photography. Doing close-up work has taught me to notice things fully. Today, for instance, I saw a tiny crab spider on one of mom's flowers. Had I not been looking closely at the blooms, I never would have seen it. These spiders blend in with their suroundings, much like a chameleon does; if you're not looking, you'll miss them. I loved the fact that I saw it. Wooooooo! I was so excited to see it, I exclaimed aloud. And I was so glad I could get a picture of it to share.

This is why I quit carrying a purse in favor of my camera bag and gear. There's too many times I've been out and seen something truly wonderful, only to rue the fact that my camera was back home. I don't want to miss a thing! :)

I think I need to get some sleep now, LOL. I've been working on my photos from today and felt compelled to blog this while it was fresh in my mind.

I'm working on a photo gallery, but it's not ready for its debut just yet. But stay tuned!

Update About Chanah

This is the same thing I posted at her site, so just skim it if you've already been there, LOL.

Vikki called and said the surgeon got in there and saw everything from her tonsilectomy had healed up nicely...Except one scab. A big scab (since those tonsils were whoppers, you'll recall). That one scab, though, was over an artery, so when it came off, she bled. A lot. He cauterized the artery with the laser, just to be safe, and they cleaned out her stomach so there wouldn't be any blood coming up if she got nauseated. The whole Willis clan has seen enough blood for a lifetime, don't you think? And, AND...Chanah went back home this afternoon. She slept several hours; when she woke up, she said she was HONGRY and promptly downed two bowls of ice cream. She's playing games on their computer right now.

Vikki just called. Chanah woke up sick at 2:00am, vomiting blood and blood clots, so an ambulance was called. She's in surgery right now, and they're doing exploratory surgery from her nose on down her throat to see where this bleeding is coming from. Please, pray -- Vikki's having a tough time of it, as you can imagine. I'll let you know more as soon as I hear. Thanks, everyone!!

Hey, ya'll, keep Busgirlie's daughter in your thoughts and prayers. She's having some complications from her tonsilectomy. Go to Busgirlie's blog for more info and updates...

I've republished my entries as well as my archives, but still I am faced with a "page not found" when trying to click any of the entry's links on this first page here. The archived pages work fine. I also notice that my August 25-August 31 entries are not archived as they should be, but are still on this current page. It's probably something really simple I'm missing here, too. Aaaargh!

PromoGuy's Monday Mission 2.35

1. What's the most embarrassing thing that's ever happened to you on a date?
It would probably have to be something that happened when I was in high school. I must have been a freshman or a sophomore, tops. My boyfriend and I were riding my horse, and my horse tossed his head backwards, soundly connecting with my nose and giving me a fine bloody nose! My head snapped backward and, since BF and I were riding double, hit my boyfriend's head. He suffered no ill consequences, of course. I remember being mortified that he would have to see me all gross with a bloddy schnozz!

2. Do you eat your veggies?
Oh, yes! I especially love asparagus, fresh picked and steamed. I've never gotten around to growing any asparagus because we don't have a good, sunny spot for it, so I settle for supermarket asparagus when it's the season for it. If you've ever wondered why eating asparagus makes your pee stink, thanks to this link and this other link, you can find out just why. Inquiring minds want to know!

3. Most people are comfortable going to the bathroom in front of at least one person. Has anyone ever used the restroom in front of you that you wish wouldn't have? What happened and how bad was it?
Heh, heh, heh....Yeah I have a story about this one! Back when Howie and I lived in the lower of an old house, we had one bathroom. We both had the flu or food poisoning, or what have you. Not a good situation. I was sitting on the pot (again) and Howie came rushing into the bathroom. "I've really gotta go! Are you going to be long?" Well, I was in the throes of another colon spasm and wasn't going anywhere too soon. Poor guy was so desparate he grabbed a bucket out of the closet and used it. Oh, it was not a fun day, no.

4. Have you ever had a bad online transaction? You know, the item wasn't what you thought it would be, you got totally ripped-off, no refunds, it just plain sucked? What's
the story there?

The first feedback we received on eBay was negative, owing to a vendor who got ticked off when I asked him to make right on a item which did not meet our expectations. It was an antique railroad stock certificate which had holes in it, ones which didn't show up in his scan. He wrote a nasty feedback in all caps "not nice people!!!". I was crushed that my first feedback would be so nasty. Now I have 40 positives and that's the only negative we ever had, so I've gone on with life. I survived it. ;)

For the most part, our transactions have been flawless, actually. When we have had problems, I've found that writing a polite e-mail, one with all the facts stated and my expectations clearly spelled out, has gone a long way in remedying the situation. I think a lot of people zap off an e-mail in anger and forget that the people answering the e-mails usually had nothing to do with the problem and are only trying to help. Who wants to help when the e-mail he's received reams him before he's had a chance to do anything, you know?

5. Ever have a current love find any old love letters (or similar item) you kept that probably should have been thrown away? How did that turn out?
LOL, my husband has seen some of the cards and letters from a few ex's, but he isn't really threatened. If those ex's and I had been physically intimate, that would bother him. But we weren't.

6. A secretary at work was telling me about a trip she took to Mardi Gras. She showed off her beaded necklaces and proudly said she "earned' each and every one of them (for those not familiar with this tradition, ladies walking up Burbon St. in New Orleans will flash people who are upon the balconies, in return the guys will throw them worthless plastic necklaces). I was shocked, I had no idea this quiet gal had a wild side. Was there ever a time when you did something totally outrageous because you knew no one would know who you were, or maybe didn't care even if they did?

No, not totally outrageous. I did some stupid things when I was in high school and hung out with a not-so-good crowd, but nothing totally outrageous. And if I had, modesty would prevent my giving the details, anyway. ;)

7. Hey, what happened to you last night? I waited forever!

Good things come to them that wait. ;)

BONUS: I know I could break you down, but what good would it do?

I could surely never know
That what you say is true.
Here i am in silence,
It's a game i have to play.
You and i in silence.
With nothing else to say.
more...

I've never heard this. I'm just a fan of Google.com, LOL.

Today's Comment Question*: Who's your favorite recording artist?

I have several in different genres. It depends on my mood for the day, really. I love The Beatles, Phil Keaggy, Kim Hill and John Tesh, especially. I like female vocalists who have alto voices and that sort of sing-songy delivery of lyrics, and I love good accoustic guitar work. And I like oddball stuff like Daniel Amos/Terry Taylor.

Quick question for you blog experts. How do I put a link in each entry that's a permanent link to just that entry? Some day I'd like to go through and put headings on each entry so they can be indexed somehow, too. Better do that before this gets huge and unmanageable, hadn't I? :)

My BIL Steve the miracle man. If you have a good, strong stomach and want to see what my BIL Steve's injury looks like, I have made a page on my website. It's really a testimony to God's protection and how He works through skilled surgeons.

Congratulations are in order!

The seller accepted the Busgirlie family's bid on the cedar house! And at an offering price of $35k less than the seller's asking price, that's a bonafide miracle and answer to many prayers (not the least of which were offered fervantly by Vikki and co.!). Anyway, congratulations you guys!!

By the way, I like how Razzi has her blog page set up. I like the list by date with the entry titles. Very cool. :)

Friday Five Time!

1. What's your favorite piece of clothing that you currently own?
Hmmm, I'd have to say it's my Birthday Suit. It fits me like a glove. Second to that would be a black knit 3-piece trio of shirt, jacket and slacks. The fabric is a wonderfully draping, sort of shiny knit. It is so comfortable and it's flattering. I like my Birthday Suit, but it looks a whole lot better when clad in my black suit. :)

2. What piece of clothing do you most want to acquire?
I would love to find a soft cotton knit sweater that's actually long enough for my torso and arms. Something generously cut and comfortingly casual.

3. What piece of clothing can you not bring yourself to get rid of? Why?
I have a few...I garden, so I have several loose, stained t-shirts which are irreplaceable for working out in the yard. They look horrid, but I figure no one expects a person to look her best when she's out sweating in the sun and has dirt and mulch adhering to nearly every surface....Right?

4. What piece of clothing do you look your best in?
See #1.

5. What has been your biggest fashion accident?
Well, none of it was an accident; I did these things on purpose. But I was a teenager, so I was insane. That said... Gosh, probably the 80's. Tight, tight jeans with a bandana tied around one leg, just above the knee. Tank tops (or, worse, tube tops) overlaid by open-weave mesh. Spiked hair in front, long hair in back - no graceful transition between the two lengths. Oh, and legwarmers. I need to find the photo of when I dressed up with some friends and went to Max & Erma's restaurant on my friend's birthday. We really thought we were dressed to the nines, too.

This column is way too wide! And my right column is too far over; it's lost in the far-scrolling-reaches for those viewing 800x600 I'm sure, and I hate for anyone to have to scroll back and forth on a page. In a nutshell, right now I want the text in this column to have a right margin about the same as this left one, but with the whole column being narrower. Blargh! I am not an HTML queen, and have just been modifying a very basic template. Help, Angiepangie!

Eventually, I'd like this center column to have its own scrollbar independent of the sides. That would entail frames. Shudder.

Sarah and Howie, my two first loves as a married lady. Sarah's my first dog (as a married lady), and Howie's my, well, first and only husband. ;)

This struck me as really, really funny...Folks, this is NOT gumbo. It's condensed, chicken and vegetable soup with a little rice thrown in for good measure. It isn't even spiced, let alone spicy, for Pete's sake! You ain't HAD gumbo 'til you've had Lisa's gumbo. That gal can really cook. We're going to Louisiana for Thanksgiving this year - the first year either of us has made plans outside our families for the holiday. We've gotten to know Lisa and her hubby through Dave's Garden, and they invited us to come on down south and visit. We can't wait to try turkucken. Ya'll heard me right....Turducken. See it for yourself, and drool. You can also listen to the Turducken Song at that same site. ;)

My BIL Steve came home from the hospital today! He's staying at my MIL's home while he heals. She changed his bandage today and said his poor arm looks terrible, but what can you expect? It's an arm and it's attached again, so it's a miracle. He has what the surgeone jokingly called an "erector set" bolted into his arm to immobilize the bones while they heal. I'm looking forward to visiting him now that he's back home and five minutes from my home - I just wasn't up to the long drive to and from the hospital plus the long walk from the parking garage to his room and back. I felt so bad not visiting, though!

Howie came home today with three doggie presents: three Nylabones, the kind with the transluscent middles full of nubs to clean their teeth while they chew. AND they're bacon flavored. I tell ya, this evening was the first time since Buddy came into our lives that it was quiet. All three dogs were gnawing away in happy abandonment.

Emma demonstrated one of her peculularities again; for some reason, she loves to take a chew toy and put it in one of Howie's shoes while she chews it. Whether this produces some added olfactory zing, I'm not sure. I suspect so, however. She also seems to like how she can prop the bone up in the shoe. Howie's friend Mark stopped by tonight with his wife and one of his girls so they could meet Buddy, and Emma was true to form, bringing her bone over to mark and putting her paws on top of his shod feet to chew her bone. Goofy dog.

Our old meezer cat Elliott used to take his toys and make a game of putting them in empty tennis shoes. There was a little wind-up furry dog he especially loved, and at least one time I put my shoe on only to find my toes blocked by that little gadget stuffed down in the tip of my shoe. For that matter, he liked just burying his head in stinky shoes and wrapping his front feet around them. I'd forgotten about that until just now! Ah, memories.

What IS it with shoes??

I'm sad right now. I just learned that a friend of mine from Dave's Garden died. A prayer request was posted for her family. I'd never met Tink76627 (Peggy) in person, but we'd e-mailed back and forth and she posted a lot at Dave's. She was always sending some little cheerful e-card or note, and I'll miss that. She had crippling rheumatoid arthritis and had a lot of pain, but she still kept gardening, still laughed, and just went on living. I don't face near the trials she did every day, and I get mired down in self pity sometimes. God love her. I hurt for her family, too, and pray they'll be comforted. :(

We just finished watching Braveheart and I am once again reminded of (1) how complacenet and comfortable I am in my freedom, (b) how darned sad it is when a great character is killed in a story and (three) just how much I like Mel Gibson and his movies. It's been so long since I'd seen this movie, much of it - especially the strategizing, politics and betrayals - were new to me. I was feeling like heading to bed with my Stephen King novel and letting Howie finish watching the movie on his own, but now I'm glad I watched it. Historical accuracy/inaccuracy aside, it is a movie of epic proportions and brings out some incredible acting from its players.

It also brings out some thoughts in me. America. Of course I love living here. But do I value the freedom? When I watched the horrific battle scenes, perfectly realistic given the weapons of war we know they fought with back then, I recoiled. It was repulsive! Now we push buttons and make phone calls from the safety of bunkers, and planes deposit their payload on our enemies, and missles are launched remotely.

When I see something like Braveheart, I am forced to think about the battles which have been waged so that I can enjoy this complacency I find myself in. Isn't that ironic? Ugh.

The following was hand-written in a little spiral notebook because a thunderstorm prompted us to unplug all the computer equipment. I was going to scan the pages and post them as images, but decided to just type them here, verbatim, instead. Just pretend what you see is written with a gold metallic gel pen in my loverly handwriting. ;)

We had a good bit of steady rain today. The computers are unplugged as I write this, and I am stretched out on my side on the couch, hunkered down in its voluminous cushions, snuggled up with Buddy and Sarah at my feet. Emma's sought out a more solitary siesta by herself on the loveseat across the room. That's probably for the best since things are a little crowded.

The rains have ceased for the time being, but it is still overcast. It is nice to have the blinds drawn open; usually the afternoon sun forces us to shut the living room up, dark and cavelike, until nightfall.

Sarah, as she always is when the view of our yard and street is unobstructed, lies up against the back of the couch with her head resting on a pillow. She's watching for squirrels, people, and other dire hazards.

Buddy is curled behind the crook of my knees, breathing softly in slumber. He's not gotten to the point of snoring just yet. Besides the hum of the electric fan and the occasional hiss of cars passing by on wet pavement outside, it is really quiet here.

Why am I writing this? Because it's all culminated in one of those sublime, peaceful moments in life. As I lay here reading my novel, I got one of those lovely feelings of well-being. When you get right down to it, stripping away all the petty complaints and whinings about wants, what more could I really need?

I have a comfortable, restful home, a husband I love dearly, and these surprisingly wise and wonderful goofballs with fur. It's raining, the couch is comfortable, and my book is really good.

And I've learned that I am still able to write without the aid of a keyboard and mouse.

Is it GODZILLA?
brought to you by Quizilla

In case you don't know what this is about, check out this link. It's only one example of Toho Co., Ltd.'s quest to stomp out anyone using "zilla" in his or her name. Why? Because Toho owns the trademark and all rights to GODZILLA. Gimme a flippin' break. Go to http://www.davezilla.com and show your support, y'all!

An update about my brother-in-law Steve, whose right arm was caught in machinery at work this morning. The arm was pretty much severed below the elbow and he's in surgery now - and they're attempting to re-attach his arm. The surgery was expected to take 10 hours. Please keep him in your prayers. Thanks so much!

ADDED: Another update. It wasn't as bad as they thought. The surgery went well. The arm was more crushed than anything and they think he'll have use of it back within a year or so. He will be in the hospital about a week, they think. Oh, thank God.

Wooo, I'm actually getting these done on Monday....Here is PromoGuy's Monday Mission 2.33:

1. Many children have blankets, or a favorite nubby stuffed animal that they like to keep near them for security. Do you recall what you had for your "security blanket" as a child? When did you finally give it up? What brought that about?
This one's easy. My favorite stuffed animal was Pink Dog (hey, maybe my creativity was latent, okay). Like the Velveteen Rabbit, Pink Dog was loved threadbare in spots and the luster went out of his coat. Somewhere I have a picture of me in my grandma's camper, nestled in the hammock-like bed with Pink Dog held close to my heart. I'll see if I can find that and post it sometime.

2. Now that you are a big kid, what do you have to give you that same sense of security?
Three real dogs, but none of them are pink. Seriously, though, I think my husband gives me the strongest sense of security. I know it's not good to find your security in any person or thing, but I can't help it that he makes God's love more real in my life just by being there for me.

3. With a little over four months left in 2002, have you accomplished everything you wanted to for the year? Is there anything that you would like to accomplish before the year is over?
Have I accomplished everything? Being that I am not a goal-setter by any stretch, that's hard to quantify! My poor garden pooped out as soon as the weather got really hot, and then I was limited by health problems and things went further downhill in the yard. But I've reconciled myself with the fact that it's just a yard and I can always clean things up when I'm better. Before year's end I would really like to clean up the spent perennials and do a good job of putting the garden to bed for the year. And I want to be sure the leaves are all raked and shredded before winter; cleaning up wet leaves in the spring is a bummer!

4. I don't know about you, but it seems to me children have it pretty good these days. Game systems, computers in the home, microwaves, cable TV, the internet, cell phones and pagers, they certainly have a wider variety of technology than most of us did as children. What modern convenience, if any, do you think it would be good for children today to do without? What would they gain?
I think it would be good for kids to do without TV. Of course, that would mean the parents would benefit, too. When a kid is fed a steady diet of TV every day, there's little left to imagination (unless they buy TV-related merchandise and roll-play based on what they've been told about the characters). Kids who are brought up on the hyper-manic production techniques of today have a harder time concentrating at school because real life is not so fast-paced and action-filled. Kids would read and do more imagination-driven things if they had no TV, too, and that would benefit everyone.

5. Many of us have one thing in which we believe we excel. What do you do better than most?
I think I communicate better than most, especially in writing. Wherever I've worked, people have appreciated my written instructions and communications, and that makes me happy.

6. In the United States, and possibly other countries, teenagers in High School usually wind up falling into several social circles or "cliques." Stoners, Rich Kids, Jocks, Cheerleaders, Band, Drama, Goths, and so on (though the names are probably different today). What High School "clique" did you find yourself in? Was it by choice or did it just happen? Did you look down on other groups? (Aw it's ok, it was/is High School, we all did dumb stuff)
I moved from a Chicago suburb to a small Ohio college town just in time to start high school. By the time I came on the scene, the largely preppy and affluent kids had been going to school together since kindergarten. I was neither preppy nor affluent, and I was non-athletic and troubled. The kids who took me in were the stoners, at our school known as motorheads back then. I jumped right in with the wrong crowd and did a lot of stupid things as a youth; the funny thing was, though, I was also very artistic and read a lot, so my group jokingly called me the "intellectual hood". I still smile to think of that because it pretty much sums up who I was for a time there.

7. (it begins) I have great news! I won the contest and we now have plane tickets to anywhere in the world. The bad news is we have to pick a place now and leave in the morning. I can't decide where to go, so you get to pick. Where should we go, and what is the first thing we should do when we get there?
LOL, you expect me to decide something like that on such short notice?! Okay, I say you should fly to the birthplace of your ancestors. Make it on your father's side for now. When you get there, you should find the town where your kin lived and take lots of pictures - interview any surviving friends/family while you're there.

BONUS: Must I beg you?
Oh, yeah, with all your heart and soul.

This week's comment question: What's your favorite dessert?
Mmmm, I have voracious, insatiable sweet tooth. The best desserts for me are the creamy ones with the light, Cool-Whip sort of topping. I love those cakes with Jello poured into the holes poked in the cake's top. Mmmmmmm.....

Please Pray

...We just heard my DH's brother Steve has been in an accident at work. Steve's arm was caught in a machine and they have taken him to a hospital in Columbus. We don't know which arm it is or how serious the injury is. I hope and pray he doesn't lose that arm! Aside from his work, Steve's worked so hard to learn blues guitar and really loves to play. If you're the praying type, we'd surely appreciate some prayers going up on Steve's behalf. I'll update more later after Howie gets back from visiting the hospital and knows more.

It's been another movie kind of weekend here at the homestead. Be ready with a cup of your favorite beverage and be ready to read. :)

Having never read anything by Truman Capote, I now want to. Howie and I watched The Grass Harp, the adaptation of one of his novellas, on the Independent Film Channel today. The official link is at its producer's site, Fineline Features. Wow, what a great movie!

As usual, it didn't get too high a rating in the consumer reviews I've read at Internet Movie Database and Rotten Tomatoes, but we loved it. It's typical that movies we like others find boring. We love a good people story with in-depth characterizations, movies about personality quirks and family conflicts and healing.

This one is set in the 1940's, one of my favorite eras when it comes to music and style, and set in a small southern town. When young Collin's mother dies, he goes to live with his father's two spinster cousins, Verna (Sissy Spacek) and Dolly (Piper Laurie) Talbot. A few days after that, Collin's depressed widowed father drives himself off a cliff into the Gulf of Mexico.

A sidenote: Okay, but don't worry, it's not one of those movies which goes from depressing to more depressing. You will not watch the credits roll only to find yourself fumbling for razor blades or a handgun to end your misery, I promise!

Dolly and the housemaid Catherine (Nell Carter) are best friends, and they bring Collin under their wings and befriend him. Joining their odd circle is retired judge Charlie Cool (Walter Matthau) and itinerant mother-cum-evangelist Sister Ida (Mary Steenbergen). Jack Lemon and Roddy McDowell also play parts in this movie. They all do a super job and make you really believe in and care for the characters. It's just a magical, touching, and often hilarious movie.

The links I give offer some plot information, so I won't go into detail here (but beware of plot spoilers at those links!). The filming is exquisite and the costumes are wonderful - it's lovely both to look at and be lost in.

Breather here...Whoooooo.

We also watched a couple of fluff movies today, thanks to Howie's co-worker loaning us a couple of movies. Those we could have lived without, though one of them sparked some good conversation afterward.

Pure, silly fluff was Legally Blonde. Reese Witherspoon is such a cute thing, and so funny. If it weren't for her, I don't think I'd have stuck with the movie. You know something which I really liked about the movie? It probably isn't what most would expect to be a stand-out thing. Her character, Elle, is a rich, fluffy sorority girl, yet when she goes to Harvard, her best friend ends up being Paulette, the gal who does her nails down at the boutique; her friend is a high school dropout and what many would dismiss as "trailer trash", yet Elle identifies with her and befriends her.

Paulette plays a sounding-board role in Elle's life, I think, and serves as a means for the film-makers to voice the otherwise friendless Elle's thoughts to for the audience. I don't think the beauty shop scenes lived up to their potential at all, but I know this is just a light comedy. Like many such light comedies, it of course had plot holes you could land a plane in, but it was a fun diversion.

And finally...

We watched Shallow Hal, starring Gwyneth Paltrow, Jack Black, and Jason Alexander. This one we initially liked okay (not great, but with enough to keep things going). The more we thought about it afterwards, watched the cut scenes and interviews, the less we liked it. The movie's about Hal (Jack Black), a guy who has impossibly high standards when it comes to women.

Like his best friend Mauricio (Jason Alexander), his unrealistic and shallow expectations keep him from having many relationships until...Yes, the hook. Hal gets stuck in an elevator with motivational speaker and author Tony Robbins, who counsels with him during their wait and bestows on him via hypnosis the gift of seeing women as they really are. He will, says Robbins, see their inner selves and beauty rather than their outward appearances. Okay, just go with me on this.

Suddenly, every woman he meets is gorgeous by worldly standards. And they all like him. He thinks Tony somehow just gave him confidence and that's the reason for his new found success. What he doesn't realize is that the women he's so taken with are, by worldly standards again, fat and/or ugly. (This I will touch on in a moment). He meets Rosemary (Gwyneth Paltrow) and is smitten. They begin a courtship and he falls for her, head over heels. He doesn't realize that she really weighs 350 pounds. Everyone around him can see this, but he sees her as slim, siren Gwyneth.

You don't see much of the "real" Rosemary through much of the film. But the film-makers go out of their way to show you she's fat. A chair she's sitting on at a diner bends and collapses beneath her bulk. When she cannonballs into the pool, the resulting plume of water goes sky-high. The underwear she discards are gigantic (you wonder how Hal overlooks that). You see far-away shots of her in her real form, and some close-ups of her big legs.

Hal's friends are polite to Rosemary and to Hal, but are repulsed by her and can't understand what he sees in her. His friend Mauricio thinks Hal's been brainwashed and, predictably, hunts Robbins down and begs him for the magic words to release Hal from his hypnosis. Zap. Now the dilemma: Will Hal still love Rosemary now that he sees her as she really is?

I won't give the plot away any more than that. I will say this, though. The movie sets out to hammer the lesson of "inner beauty" into our heads, but makes so many fat jokes and digs at the "less than lovely" that it falls flat when you really think about it. It did develop Rosemary as a really neat person, but I wonder how the audience would have reacted if she'd been shown more in the fat suit. This movie just leaves me kind of torn -- did I like it, or did I not?

Things like the breaking chairs and Rosemary cutting herself a huge chunk of cake at an office event just play right into hurtful fat stereotypes. Not only that, but the other girls he thought were beautiful turn out to be homely and greasy-haired. In the "extras" portion of the DVD, they showed a brief interview with Brooke Burns, who plays a minor role as Katrina. She made this big deal about how ugly the character was, from her crooked, dirty teeth to her dull, greasy hair. So....Am I to believe that all homely people are also slobs with terrible hygiene? And do all fat people eat huge portions of food in public? Do they all dress in completely unflattering clothes?

No.

It reminds me of the episode of Friends when they put Courteney Cox Arquette in the fat suit to show how Monica would be had she not shed her pounds. Suddenly her IQ dropped 50 points, her voice became whiny and piercing, her dress and hygiene went bad, and she hoarded what little food she wasn't stuffing into her mouth. What? All because she was fat?

I don't think I can say it any better than this article does.

By the way...There was much about the movie I liked, too. I just feel so ambivalent about it right now. Yes, I am a plus-size woman, an ample woman...A woman of substance...Tall, but well-insulated and voluptuous. Could I relate to many things about Rosemary's character? Sure I can. Does that make me sensitive to fat jokes and put-downs? I'd be lying if I said no. I carry as much a burden of memories as I do of pounds, and I am realistic enough to know the two are inter-related.

One other thing...I find it interesting to read many people who negatively reviewed Shallow Hal at IMDB and Rotten Tomatoes made the point of saying they were not fat, but were very offended by its poking mean jokes at the same time it was supposed to say appearances aren't what count.

Okay, at this point I feel I'm rambling...It's late and I'm tired. What IS it with me lately staying up so darned late? It's not a good thing, I think; it's just been easy to do since I am still more comfortable sleeping on the couch because of the cushions and handholds for rising. But it is also where the computer is, and it's sooo easy to find a whole night's gone by while you've entertained yourself online. Do I hear an amen? Holy cow, I hear thousands of 'em! ;)

Feel free to leave some comments and let me know your thoughts on Shallow Hal if you saw it. Or that Friends episode. Or just anything I've touched today.

I've been much too lax in updating my blog. In truth, I've just been lazy! I've not written much personal correspondence, not written here...I've pretty much just surfed and participated in the forums at Dave's Garden and read other peoples' blogs. I made random comments on a few, even promising to divulge which Peanuts character I am. Okay, it's late, but here is my Peanuts profile, okay?






Which Peanuts Character Are You Quiz



There. Ya happy? Actually, I went from being Sally several days ago to being Snoopy now. I must have gotten a lttle smarter or something. At any rate, I guess it's better than Being John Malkovich. Sorry, couldn't resist. I have been meaning to rent that, by the way. Any of you folks watched that movie?

Angiepangie has unearthed a Veggie Tales personality quiz, I see. I have taken it and will now and report my findings before I comment in her blog and tell her to be watching my page for my results. Things seem to work better when I perform actions prior to promising them, I think. ;) Here ya go, I am Jr. Asparagus:






Which Veggie Tales character are you?

this quiz was made by Karen


Must be because I love asparagus and my favorite Veggie Tales video so far has been Larry Boy and the Fib from Outer Space! Did you know there's a new full-length Veggie Tales movie coming out October 4? I want to see it, but I'm not sure if I can stand sitting in a movie with an audience of 75% young children, LOL. Don't get me wrong, I like kids; I just like them in smaller numbers and in places I've not paid my burial money to enter for such a brief interlude. ;) I believe I'll wait until it comes out on DVD and watch it with our friend's son. :)

Let's see, what else is new? Oh yes, thanks to seeing Chari's write-up at Techfluid, I now am aware of (and listed at) Eatonweb Portal. It's a big old search engine/portal for bloggers and lurkers alike. If you're a blogger, go and register for free and be eligible for a free text ad to bring more traffic to your site. If you're a lurker, check it out to find blogs about everything under the sun; I found some really cool sites there just browsing by category and keyword.