Well, hello there!

And... suddenly it is August. I never meant to make a post about NABLOPOMO back in March, then walk away from this little pet blog of mine for five months, it was just sort of one of those things that happened. Goodness. I found myself completely blocked, and that just never happens to me. I always have something to say. But if you had asked me to describe the shape of a frozen green pea, I would have had to ponder it for a week.

So what did I do. I set out on a series of adventures this summer. Nothing spectacular, but I road tripped back home to KC to visit friends and family three times. I spent a grand ten days in Alabama with my family there, getting some decent news on the state of my dad's cancer. (He will go back again next week, cross your fingers for more decent news.) I've been reading books, I'm considering going back to school, I've gotten lost in my thoughts while breathing in the fresh air out on the porch. I've worked on a special writing project I consider therapy, anyone else do that? Curious. Anyway, looking at this written out, it seems like more than it feels like I've done. Hmmm.

I guess what I'm trying to get around to saying by making all of these excuses, is that I'm sorry for abandoning you my little blog, and my readers who still pop by every day. Thank you for being there.

March nablopomo... Over.

Okay. So I tried this again this month as a tool to help myself get back in the swing of keeping up with my blog after being so sporadic with it due to illness in the family, illness personally etc. Blah blah blog. Missed one day yesterday because honestly I was sick and had nothing to say, unless the incoherent whining of someone on painkillers going on and on about the same old crap is interesting to you... doubtful. Therefor, I'm saying I had nothing to say. So naplopomo... March... Fail. But I think it served my purpose. I believe I'm back on track, for the most part, with the blog. When I have something to say... I will. I do believe it is a good exercise in self discipline, often I need that. Sometimes, though, I just need a day to be quiet.

Almost... Wordless Wednesday.

Hole Punch Cloud

Perhaps I would actually be wordless if I saw this with my own eyes. Spectacular photo. I had a rush of things going through my mind when I saw this. First, I imagined a sense of relief from pressure and pain. I had my Daddy in mind, as I do so often right now. Curious. Does this invoke any emotions in you?

I'm Calling on Tall Paul.

I think this photo is fantastic. I don't remember where I found it, but I'm going to call it Tall Paul. I always thought a guardian angel might come in the form of a shadow, perhaps mine might look like him. Now I have a tall order for Tall Paul. I'm going in for a follow up CT in the morning, one for which I'm drinking copious amounts of berry smoothie flavored barium tonight and tomorrow morning, and since I'm allergic to iodine, I'm prepping with prednisone and benydryl. All of this prep is not a big deal. I've had three of these in the last month. Just mentioning it as part of the context of my little story. If I may, I would like for my test to come up clear, so I can just be over this junk that has been messing with me for the last several weeks and get on with life. I don't like to be tied down to my house, or relegated to resting due to doctor's orders. I am hopeful. I have behaved. So, I would like good results. I know that is a tall order, but I need to give my energy to my daddy, and not to spinning my wheels around here just... being. So come on Tall Paul. What do you say? A favor? I'm asking for your help, I've already gone out on a limb and asked the Big Guy upstairs for the big miracle for my dad, which is the one that truly matters, but he doesn't give immediate answers. Hoping yours will come in the form of a good report on Friday. Thanks Paul.

Barbie you 50 year old teenage freak!

So, today is the big Happy 5-0 for the preternaturally young, beautiful fashion doll Barbie. Most of us know about Barbie and how, when and why she came to be. That info has been all over the web lately, I certainly don't need to give you a history lesson about Mattel and the evolution of Barbie. Personally, I hadn't given Barbie much thought in years until today then I started remembering what fun I used to have playing "Barbies" and one thing led to another and before I knew it I was looking up all of my old favorites.

The doll above is much like the first one I had. A hand me down from my older sisters, probably from the early sixties, when I finally got my own dolls later on this doll always took on the roll of the mom. Most likely due to her stylish sixties mom-do.

This is the Francie & Casey townhouse that my Barbies took up residence in. Unbelievably hard to find a photo of this on the web. The other girls were all interested in the Barbie dream house, but I had this cool vinyl fold out case with mod furniture. I do not know who Casey was, but I did have a Francie doll. This from the late 60's time period. I always associate this with kindergarten, so I must have received it around that time but played with it from then until I quit the Barbie game.

Ah. Malibu Barbie and Ken. I had them both, issued the first year available. I was in first grade. After I received these, no pale Barbies would darken the doorstep of my townhouse again. I mean, come on. These guys were cool. Except Ken's clothes, my Ken generally wore his swim trunks year round because he generally looked like a big dork in everything sold commercially. In my mind, as a child, I sort of thought Ken was not a good match for Barbie. I thought GI Joe was a much better choice. My Barbie and Ken never married in a dream wedding ceremony.

One thing all the dolls did quite a lot was go camping! This was possibly my favorite toy ever. I believe I had a dune buggy or some type of vehicle they cruised around in. This thing came out early seventies. This is the color scheme I had. I believe later editions were pink. Many times, I would drag the townhouse along on these camping trips (because in your imagination you can do whatever the hell you want to do!) and the dolls would have one gigantic house - camper party, because even then I did not believe in sleeping outside and only traveling in style. My friend K. contributed to the travel theme by adding her Barbie's Friend Ship on our play dates. We would take over the entire family room floor of one of our houses, hers or mine, with these elaborate doll scenarios.

The Friend Ship was very cool, a plane when opened up it had a seating area...

A wing with the stowing are painted on and even a little galley with a push cart and dishes!

Hours and hours of fun. We couldn't give up that Barbie habit until sometime after sixth grade. We played Barbie secretly in sixth grade because her next door neighbor teased us at school about it, so a few times there was a rush to hide the Barbie stuff when the girl knocked on the door for us to go out and play. I think it is sad that kids grow up so fast now. Also, I think the old Barbie accessories were so much more clever then, than they are now. Perhaps I'm biased, but looking through hundreds of items today I was surprised at the variety and detail of things we had available back then. Now that I have that out of my system, I can move on. No need to start a collection, but would love to have all the things I had back so I could sell them on Ebay. I can't believe what people pay for some of those old collectibles.

Sleep, Daylight Savings Time Style.

Having nothing at all to do with rebelling against Daylight Savings Time and losing that hour of sleep which really, when I think about it, would be very in character for me to do, I slept 13 hours last night. That makes two nights in a row. The difference between today and yesterday, I am not going back for a nap today like I did yesterday. Enough is enough.

So, having mentioned all that sleep I wish someone could measure in real time the amount of that time I spent in nightmare land. Good Gawd y'all. Yes, I am prone to nightmares. Crazy, outlandish, often bizarre with elements of humor sprinkled in to delight me and scare the hell out of me at the same time. I remember these in great detail for the most part. Sometimes completely, like a movie playing out in my mind. Sometimes, I only remember snippets... like a short scene. Those short scenes are usually the creepiest.

Once, I had an odd yet delightful little dream/nightmare about being trapped in a basement of a house. Stay with me here. This basement was huge. And like a maze. And I was being chased, by barnyard animals. Not just barnyard animals on four feet, no. These were special. These were billy goats on hind legs, wearing denim jackets lined with sheep's wool. I know. What the hell. The leader wore sunglasses. You can see how that is humorous? I sure can. I managed to get away from them after a very long foot chase through this basement, by finding my way out through the door that led to the driveway. What does all that mean?

Another time, I had a dream that I was at a wedding, outdoors. It was in a mountain valley, just at the base of a mountain. Very very lovely. The odd thing? The entire wedding party and all the guests were on pogo sticks. It was such an odd thing to celebrate a wedding by jumping on pogo sticks, on the side of a mountain.

Then there is this. A little girl, blond with braids down the sides. Wearing a prairie dress. Sitting on the end of my bed cutting tails off mice with huge scissors. This was one of those dreams that comes to you when you are sleeping in that odd paralyzed state where you want to wake up so badly, but can't? Terrifying. She just kept cutting off those tails. Evil evil girl.

There are also the recurring variety. I have one in particular that just won't go away. It is a house, not my actual house, but my house in my dream, that is always changing and has a secret level that whole families sometimes move into and live in until I discover them there. There is also a room there that is locked, but is full to the brim with junk. It is in the basement and the walls are painted pink. The back yard is forgotten. In my dream I often see the back yard and seem surprised that it exists, then feel overwhelmed by its state of overgrowth. Then, there is the dining room. It is lovely, but in such bad repair that the ceiling is open to the sky. I hate that dream it brings on such anxiety. Did I mention that one family that moved in was the Beverly Hillbillies? Yeah. I know. Ellie May poaching on my property. Don't say anything.

Last night I had dreams upon dreams. None as fascinating as those above. But it is no wonder I don't get any real rest.

Springing Forward

Just a reminder, don't forget to set your clocks ahead an hour tonight!

Friday Fun Facts - Irrational Fears Edition.

Friday Fun Facts!

Welcome to another edition of Friday Fun Facts! Today another narcissistic list about me, because if I weren't just a tad self centered... why would I blog about myself right? At least I recognize my weaknesses. Speaking of weaknesses. Let's get on with the list, shall we? Since I freely admit to being a neurotic woman, I thought I'd share with you some of my most irrational fears. Whoa. I have a lot, but these are a few of the highlights.

• I have a freakish fear of highly polished stairs and stairs with open backs. I absolutely know in my heart that I am going to slip and fall on one of these staircases someday, and break every bone in my body... if not die. I think they should be labeled a safety hazard.
• Clowns. Get those things away from me. There is nothing funny about them. Nothing.
• Raw Poultry. I don't really enjoy any kind of poultry, but if I have to prepare it I can't eat it, and touching it requires a complete sterilization of the kitchen. So much work for a so/so food item.
• Becoming a pack rat. I can't stand clutter, piles and I enjoy throwing things away.
• Crowds. They make me feel claustrophobic, panicked and afraid.
• Driving in the dark. This is not that irrational... I have night blindness, I can't see which makes me a road hazard and fearful.
• Living beyond the point where my mind and body function together.
• Things that creep and crawl and hide in dark corners. I have never let a spider outdoors to survive in my life. I am all about the kill. Sorry. I have nightmares about spiders. Often.
• Feet. I will not touch another person's feet. Ever. Unless it is a baby. Period. I will also not go barefoot. Ick.
• Motorcycles. No bad experiences with them, I'm just very afraid of them. When I was little I cried when they drove down the street. Now I just stay away from them.
• Loud noises. Maybe that explains the motorcycles? Hmmm.

Wallowing in it for one day.

Giving myself one day to wallow in self pity. Typically, I am not a self pity kind of girl but, I was very much looking forward to spending the next two weeks by my daddy the cowboy's side. It was going to be just the two of us, spending some quality time together while he undergoes radiation treatments for his cancer. Today my doctor told me that due to my own recent hospitalization, the infection that prompted it being so serious and the fact that I'm still not feeling energetic or well, plus I still have follow up tests that should be done next week (like a CT scan) she had to advise against my going on my trip, as planned. I felt shocked and sad and anxious, and all I really wanted was my dad. Like a little girl.

I'm sure any of us who has had a parent or relative or friend going through a difficult time like cancer or some other illness has had similar helpless feelings. Sad, anxious, heartbroken. Ahhh. It is so hard.

There is an upside to this story. My husband is going in my place, which is generous, loving, and the sweet. So very characteristic of who he is. No one asked, he just took care of it as soon as he got word that I couldn't go. Yeah. Go ahead and tease me for calling him my hero. This man is my hero and that is just the way it is and this is one of the reasons why.

Film Festival .. stop by if you are in the area!

http://www.lindseyfilmfest.com/festival.html

Last night I dedicated a post to my sister, saying that this week was a very big deal to her. I was a little bit cryptic about it on purpose, only because I was saving the why this is a big deal for today. So it is today now. An hour and a half from tomorrow, actually, as I look at my clock.

My older sister teaches English at the University of North Alabama. She also devotes a good deal of her time, (a good deal of her time is a value I can't assess, as there is no time clock involved but I know that it equals many many hours) as a volunteer, to being part of the team that is the George Lindsey UNA Film Festival. You may remember George Lindsey as Goober, of Andy Griffith fame. He attended UNA, and the festival is named in his honor. I was proud to meet him at last year's festival.

This is not just any academic film festival. This festival, located in Florence, Alabama, in the Shoals area brings in first class talent, and interesting and informative workshops, panel discussions and submissions. Last year the headliner was Billy Bob Thornton. I believe I already mentioned on this blog that I was overly giddy over that, as he is one of my very favorite actors of all time. Okay, gosh. Fine. Here I'll show you the photo again. Quit asking. This photo was taken at the President's reception, where the Talent gets to mix with the important folks who put the festival together. *IMPORTANT NOTE* Hubby and I were not originally invited and it was only a polite last minute invite that we ended up there. We are not cool people. Trust me. If we were, I would have been wearing my hammer pants, and not Banana Republic jeans.

Brother in law J, Hubby, Sister, The Man the Myth the Legend, Me.

I am really not going anywhere at all with this post, except to say that if you are in the Shoals this week and feel like checking out the festival, visit the link above and get the info. Also, my very cool cousin Nathaniel Teal Minton will be there for the second year in a row, as a Screenwriting Workshop Presenter. Word on the street has it that this was a very popular session last year.

As for my sis, I hope she is getting a good nights sleep. I know she will need it. There will be much running, last minute calls for help, frantic searches for extra chairs and last minute flight changes to be deal with, not to mention the fans. Lee Majors and Rance Howard are there this year. Yes folks. The Six Million Dollar Man and Ronnie's Dad, though that is reducing them to the simplest of terms. I'm flying in Sunday afternoon, and am sad that I am missing the whole thing because these guys must have a lot of history to talk about.

Love you sister sledge, good luck with the festival and remember to have a good time. See you on Sunday!

Giving to my Sister.

Because this is a very big week for my sister, and I can't be there with her in person, I'm giving her my good thoughts and some energy. I'll be talking more about the details later in the week, but today she needs to gear up, gather her energy stores, drink her favorite beverage... coffee, and bring it. Which is really all about what she does best.

Here are a few motivational aids, sister style, just for her.

So she doesn't forget she comes from a very long line of very strong bitch slapping women, there is this:

Rest in Peace, Susannah Martin.

So she doesn't forget that her generation was full of rebellion and here is the remnants of what remains of the graffiti placed on the railroad bridge by her rival classmates from our hometown that we discussed at the holidays, (photo courtesy of a generous friend of mine). The photo is faint, but she knows what it is.

Stay strong. You decide who to say "hey" to.

Because you live in a part of the country where they serve an enormous amount of this animal, I couldn't resist. You know how I feel about this stuff. But go on girl. Enjoy. You need to fuel up.

And finally, I'm not sure why I never gave this pattern back to you in the 80's. So it is in the mail. I Fed-exed it to you this morning. You will receive both it and a fresh outfit, in your favorite color black, just in time to wear to the President's reception. No need for thanks, I just want you to look your best. Because I love you. I really really love you.

It's Hammer Time!

Adventures in the Sunshine. And the snow.

And so, despite it all I did get my butt up and out the door this morning for a short adventure. In keeping with my new plan to get on with my life because it is not getting any longer, I drove my skinny ass to the bank. And! Since, there are 167 branches of this bank in the Chicago metro area I decided I would try a new one today. I chose one of 10 within 9 miles from my house in a town I don't often visit. Good lord. No wonder the banks need a bailout. Do we really need one of these banks on every street corner? They may as well combine them with Starbucks. Let's not go there. Anyway. What the heck, an adventure on a SUNNY snowy day. Hey, do you think this was a wink from an angel? That alone was worth getting out of the house to see. Yes, the sun was shining and it was snowing. I'm not a meteorologist, just a spectator. All I know is what I see, folks. I realize this is the most boring post about a trip to the bank ever, but it is my adventure and it is the first time I've been out of the house in weeks, unless you count a week in the hospital... which I DO NOT. So, I do my business with the bank, lose my checkbook in the process (thank you good Samaritan for turning it in for me, now I get to visit that bank again in the morning.)

Realizing here that grammar is poor. It is both late, and I'm tired. Moving on.

I also needed to pick up a few things for the house and one of them was a shower caddy, you know the thing you hang from the nozzle to hold shampoo etc.? Is it just me, or does anyone else get completely overwhelmed by too many choices? I stood in TJ Maxx for 45 minutes just staring at the end cap housing these things. Overwhelmed. Just give me three and let me decide. I can't decide between 15. It is too much to bear. Finally I just grabbed a sturdy looking one and threw it in the cart and walked away. Fast. My legs were tired, I couldn't stand a change of mind.

When I turned down the next the aisle, I found the little object you see pictured at the top of this post. Really, how could I resist? Doesn't every little housewife who is hopped up on happy pills and pain killers need a set of these for her kitchen? The moment felt right. Appropriate. And not even ironic. Me. Still medicated, still motivated. Still not giving up.

Not Giving Up

Even though it is very much winter here in the Midwest and I'm still recovering from the dumb aftermath of an even dumber illness, all I can think of today is springtime and fresh air. Seems I'm suffering from the winter blues. Tomorrow I think we are getting snow. Later this week the weather should be nicer and in my effort to log it, therefore I shall accomplish it... I plan on taking a walk outside. Perhaps that will serve as my mood brightener. Frustrated with my body not keeping up with my mind right now. One of us is quicker than the other. I'll let you figure out which one.

I'm not giving up on my quest for energy. Hero keeps telling me it takes time. All I know is I'm done giving it my time, life is getting shorter every day. Time is wasting. I'm restless. I'm not really feeling poor me... I'm feeling lets get out and make things happen despite it all.

Sometimes, Health just gets in your way.

So. I have some explaining to do. Again. I typically am not the type to take on a project, and walk away from it for a month, just casually throwing my hands up in the air, oh la dee dah. Fidledee dee, I have better things to do like sip a nice cool lemonade out on the veranda. To be clear, I have not gone all Scarlet O'Hara on you. Thank you for caring, those who popped by and commented and I know my site meter is showing many more passersby wondering whats up in here.

First, the big things. I had been under the weather for a while. Since December, actually. Something that kind of came and went and came back with a vengeance but took hold of my energy like a dog with a bone that wouldn't let go. Last week, my body finally had enough and the husband got me to the hospital in time to make sure that a small perforation in my bowel didn't turn into anything horribly serious. I spent a week there in the hospital, and am home now recovering and will be working on revamping the website over the next few weeks. Everything old is, well... old. I'm sensing the need for fresh air and sunshine and dusting out corners. This old blog could use a little of that too.

Looking forward to getting onto the mission of this blog, which is all about exploring my new life. And, should anyone be interested... I'm a twit now. Find me at Twitter, hellownewlife is my name.

I must clean up my act.

Confession time. Hee! Don't you love those words? Confession! The dirt! OR, maybe... not! Confession can imply something dark and mysterious. Bad or naughty. Here? Not so much. I just need to confess that I've been terribly lazy. (If you only knew to what extent.) My hope in publicly confessing a few of my "sins" here is that I will somehow be more motivated to accomplish something, anything in the coming weeks. One can only hope. Please save me from myself.

I think a list is in order. These are the worst, so I need to start with these first.

• I am heading back to Alabama on the 21st to be with my family. I cannot wait. Guess what? I still haven't completely unpacked my suitcase from my December trip. At least I washed the dirty clothes. What remains are the clean ones that I guess I do not wear here in sub zero new home town. Maybe I should just leave them packed?
• I have not read a book since I've been home from my last trip in December. Normally I would have read 4 or 5 by now. My brain is going to turn to mush. I will read a whole book by the 21st. Period.
• I go whole weeks without taking the daily paper out of the plastic sleeve. What a waste of money. I either need to read it or cancel the subscription. End of story.
• I have neglected this little blog, which I love. I am very sorry.
• I have been feeling unwell. Sort of the understatement of the year. The result is my neglecting my husband's diet, and also the rest of the items on this list. I have to fix that ASAP.

Less important, but important for my mental health.

• Maybe I should unpack that bag after all.
• I never enjoyed clutter, suddenly it is all around me. To say that it is making me feel crazy is not exactly the right term. It is making me feel out of control. I do not know where to begin. I need organization in my life.
• The chairs in my bedroom? Full of clothes. I kid you not. I feel like a teenage girl. The effort to hang things up feels like too much some days. This is NEW, not new, reliving some long forgotten part of my youth. Gah. I don't like it.
• My vacuum has not been out of the closet in a month. Partly because I don't have the energy to lift if, but... still. Gross.

True confession time over. I will unpack my bags, read the paper with my morning coffee, spend time in the evenings reading a book, clearing the clutter in my life, dragging out that Dyson, making doctor appointments that I've been putting off, and OH! beginning training for a little walk I'm doing in May to raise money for Pancreatic Cancer Research. All this laziness and hibernation from the cold has made me a little less than fit. Maybe, just maybe I'll be in better form to update this little blog more often.

Friday (Fun?) Facts.

Welcome to Friday afternoon! I'm beginning to enjoy these little show and tell sessions. This week, I've been dreaming of spring and venturing outdoors. Here in the city where I live, we are currently hosting our coldest winter in ten years. Quite a party. Seems like it will never end. so, I've been thinking of warmer days ahead, and this is what I have in my bag to tell you and show you today.

• I have been thinking about spirituality a bit lately and have even had the opportunity to discuss the subject with two of my friends. While we all have our own ideas on the subject, and I don't want to be too deep or complicated here, I want to share that I feel most spiritual when I am outdoors, listening to the wind in the trees, hearing the birds sing, feeling the sun on my face, hands in the dirt just pondering what a beautiful earth God has given us. Quite a miracle.
• I have the opportunity to start a new garden this summer. We recently moved, as many of you know, and I had to leave my beautiful garden behind. (It was beautiful at times...) I've been busy drawing circles around my favorite plants and flowers in seed catalogs for a couple of weeks. I favor a less formal garden, so many of my favorites are wild and free looking.
• I do not grow vegetables. I cannot eat most of them due to my dumb health issue and my husband will not eat them. If I could eat them, I believe I would give being a vegetarian a try. I love them that much.
• I grow flowers, pretty ones that are easy to grow. I don't believe in complicated.
• Since moving to this area, I've been making a list of places I'd like to visit. Near the top of the list is the Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio and Ginkgo Tree Bookshop. See this link for info: http://www.galenfrysinger.com/illinois_frank_lloyd_wright.htm
• Speaking of the Ginkgo. Did you know this tree does not exist in the wild anywhere in the world? Only the cultivated form survives. This tree is also known as a living fossil. Fascinating specimen, it was Frank Lloyd Wright's favorite tree. When his popularity took off, so did the popularity of the Ginkgo, prompting many cities to plant this tree in rows down city streets. The problem with the Ginkgo is that the female (yes this species is dioecious, which means there are male and female plants) tree produces a very stinky fruit, whose odor has been compared to rancid butter or excuse me... vomit. Ew. So, the tree that is often called the Maidenhair Tree, also has the distinct moniker of being the stinky tree. Lesson. Buy the male version. These trees are lovely.
• This concludes our botany lesson for today.
• Back on the topic of spirituality. I would like to be cremated when I die.
• I would like to be scattered someplace magnificent.
• My relatives are welcome to keep a small piece of me.
• I do not feel this is a desecration of the body, in the biblical sense. I feel that God created this big lovely world. He will find me when he needs me.
• If there were such a thing as reincarnation.. I sort of hope there is.. I would like to be a bird. Not that I would get to choose, but I would like to be a bird.

I will see you back here next week! Everyone have a lovely weekend!

In My Heart, and On My Mind.

My daddy playing Cowboy.

My dad. Daddy, as I have always called him. He is suffering badly this week with the effects of his pancreatic cancer. I sorted through boxes of photos looking for a couple of these. One is always framed, and usually sitting alongside a pair of my dad's childhood cowboy boots, west Texas dirt still ground in the leather. They make me feel happy, make me visualize him strong and fighting.

Baylor University Rodeo Club

I can't be with him in person, but I am with him in spirit. I never tire of listening to him tell of his days growing up on his family's ranch, of the trouble he got into going into town on Saturday nights in the summertime with the cowhands. My dad has had a restless spirit, one that I can relate very well to.

Somewhere along the rodeo circuit, 1950's.

Daddy is 75. He has tried to retire several times in the last ten years. His retirement never lasts, and he inevitably goes to work doing something to stay active. Until a year ago, he worked out most days to stay in shape and kept up with league bowling. I'm feeling restless for him now. I know in my heart that he wants to be strong and be stirring up a little orneriness somewhere. I know that because I inherited that very trait from him. So, today while my daddy is recuperating in the hospital from yet another procedure, I'm far away in distance but near in spirit praying for his strength to return.

So many hugs to my sister and her family for all the care they give to my mother and daddy each and every day.

Yes, More Friday (Fun?) Facts.

Oh lordy. Welcome back for another edition of Friday's little treasures I like to think of as me copping out of genuine writing and making self centered lists instead! Sometimes it is really all about me. Recently, I've had the good fortune to reconnect with a few old and dear friends from my past who have reminded me that I am, indeed, a circus freak to be reckoned with. (At least in my own mind.) A few of those appear on this list.

• Do you remember 1982, do you love Rock and Roll? Because I used to love Rock and Roll and I used to love Joan Jett too, until the militant girls down the hall from us in our Dorm played this 45 yes folks, a 45, non-stop every single afternoon at full volume. Being a mouthy one- hundred pound preppy weakling, I figured standing in the hall screaming at them to shut it off would actually do something productive. I see now I was just adding to the noise.
• Do you remember wearing bandannas? Around your head? Who the hell was I kidding. I even had to have my best friend roll the damn thing because I couldn't figure it out. Some bad-ass Pat Benatar wanna-be I was!
• Leg Warmers anyone? How about Flash Dance style cut up clothes? Check. Check. This is a fashion trend that should have never come back a second time unless you truly ARE a dancer. I am not. I am the least graceful person you will ever know.
• I make a funny face when I have a headache. The hero says it is a fish-face. I don't do it consciously, but it eases the tension. It also makes me look odd in the grocery store, just casually strolling along... alone with my list and my cart. Yes, very pretty. I'm so lucky they let me out once in a while.
• Have you ever been drinking a soda and laughed resulting in a painful expulsion of soda out your nose? I have had a similar experience with an entire sliced olive. Again, very dainty. And I'm sincerely thankful they let me out at least once a week. And I'd like to add... How the hell? I really don't understand the mechanics of how this happened to me.
• At one point in my life, hello Junior High School, I was the most awkward little dorky girl in school. Do the girls who never go through an awkward stage during that time have an awkward stage later in life? It only seems fair.
• I worked my way through college by flipping burgers at a well known fast food restaurant famous for the slogan "Where's the Beef." For a brief time, we had to wear visors with flashing lights for long forgotten promotion. It was painful. For the ego.
• Even more painful... I worked at that job for over five years.
• I made fantastic friends at the painful job. That is not freaky at all. It is just worth mentioning.

This wraps up today's edition of Friday Fun Facts. Tune in next Friday ...

Have a happy and safe weekend!

Since today is Inauguration Day, I just don't have anything to say that can trump history in the making.

Be back in a day or two!

Friday (Fun?) Facts.

I haven't done one of these for a long time... maybe never on a Friday, so may I present to you Friday Fun Facts. I may not do this weekly, but whenever the whim strikes. These may not always be about me but today they are, so lets go!

• I am a clean freak. I think the photo above should be captioned, "As God is my witness, I will never have a dirty floor or counter top."
• I have not always been this way, but for all of my adult life.
• I do not pull out my fridge and clean back there until it is time to change the filter. I have family members who think this makes me a bad housekeeper... ;-) You know who you are!
• Right now my house is a mess because I've been under the weather for weeks. This makes me feel out of control.
• Sometimes I smell things that aren't there. Today I keep smelling something burning, like something on fire. This is something that makes me crazy. I've been all over my house feeling walls for hot spots. Yes, paranoid a lot. I have plenty of working smoke detectors.
• This week it has been below zero more days than not. Are we having a new ice age? I'm looking forward to next week!
• This is the coldest winter in the last ten years in the city where I live.
• Spring will be here in a few months and I'm picking out seeds and plants for my new Garden.
• I love to feel sunshine on my face, but always wear a hat. I'm careful that way.
• I love to get my hands in the dirt, but always wear gloves.
• I do not like to feel the grass between my toes. I always wear shoes. Even indoors. Bare feet creep me out.
• As God is my witness, I WILL get the rest of the Christmas Decor stored this weekend. Now that it is listed, I have to do this!

See you next week!

Bathing Beauties of the last One Hundred Years. Oh, and American Idol.

I adore this photo. Notice the title, AFTER THE BATH. A hundred and eleven years later we've shed all our modesty and prance around like exhibitionists. Not that I want to go to the beach in a long woolen suit and pantaloons. But having something left to the imagination isn't necessarily a bad thing. Witness the speedo.


I have not been an American Idol watcher all along, and generally do not care about it whatsoever. I got caught up in it last year out of home town pride and started watching. Last night I watched the auditions from Phoenix, and will watch again tonight because I want to see if they make the folks from KC look like a bunch of mindless idiots like the media tends to do, but I'm off topic and tell me please. Aside from the obvious reasons such as this woman trying to get attention... I'm smart enough to figure that much out on my own, has this woman taken leave of her senses and lost all of her self respect?

Yes she is beautiful, yes she is a model, blah blah infinity. I don't think she can sing well enough to move on. I'm calling it now. She is going to be thrown off on her kieister in the first round. If I'm wrong, I'll be sentenced to watching the entire season to the end, which is horrifying enough. Damn you Simon and Randy for acting like school boys. (Paula and Kara? You behaved awful too.) Simply put, y'all should not have given her the attention she so badly wanted and didn't deserve. So glad to have that rant out in the open.

I am not a TV Blog. Say that ten times with me.

So... Let's Talk about 24.

Oh come on. Y'all know me better than that. I'm not a TV blogger! I'm passionate about certain shows (24 being near the top of the list and since it just started up again, yeah... my passion is burning hot) but I leave the critique to the professionals. I have to tell you though, something big and shallow happened to me last night while watching episode 4. I stumbled onto my new obsession. I don't have the actual photo of the objects of my desire, though I've been to the Fox website and have watched and rewound a certain scene between President Taylor and Ethan Kanin because it contains the best shot of my new loves.

Just what are these lovlies that have me in such a bother? I have a passion for certain things. Let me give you a few hints. These are beautiful things. Things for the home. Things of quality. Things that are old. Things with two arms and four legs. Okay, I hate guessing too. Just not fun. Just look what I found in President Taylor's office yesterday. I know it! They were just sitting there by the fireplace, looking all gorgeous in their antiquey (not a word? it should be, just sayin') yellow embroidered silk finery. (Not the upholstery shown below.)

These are not the the actual chairs, but the best substitution I could find. Typically called Gainsborough Chairs, they are a high-backed upholstered arm chair, the arms set back and depending on the chair, there can be very elaborate carving.

George III Mahogany Library Armchair, c. 1765

I have decided that having a pair of these chairs whether antique or quality new reproduction is going on my list of things to accomplish. This is non-negotiable. It doesn't need to be soon, it just needs to be. The chairs below would also be acceptable to me, though I'm not obsessed.

1930's/1940's French Leather Armchairs

And the following chairs are interesting to me, but just aren't going to ever work in my home.

Hemingway Chairs by Dutch Company Leolux

I guess by now you are getting that I'm a traditional girl. Modern lines interest and inspire me, but old things and traditional shapes make me feel at home and safe. Warm. So, with that I'll leave you with what may be my most boring post ever, but something I had to get into words. Those chairs make me feel warm and fuzzy. Much like this makes me feel. Not that there is a comparison. These guys are the real deal.

For My Hero.

Falling in love and getting married is a gamble every time. I feel somewhat qualified to say that, having been married twice. Once a failure, a bad gamble if you will, and the second time a resounding success by all accounts.


These are not the sort of things I tend to discuss on my little blog, but my last post was raw and emotional and my handsome hero (seen here in the 1970's during his college years, Go KU Jayhawks!) felt a little less than heroic after reading it. That was not my intention. This man will always be my hero.

This is how I see him in his very heroic moments. So, let me straighten this all up. Hero? You will always be my hero. No, I do not place you on an unreasonably high pedestal. In fact, there is no pedestal at all. You are not, in fact, a SUPER hero. You are my hero. Not perfect, but mine. You keep me happy, sane, and feeling loved. You stepped in and took care of me and my son and my dog,, making us all yours . You love us and the rest of my family unconditionally. You have adopted my ex-inlaws as if they are your own family. These are the things that make you my hero. My big Jewish hero.

I love you.

Now, off topic but I need to mention this. I found this image on the page of one of the bloggers from KC. I hope they don't mind my using it. I don't tend to publicly get political or state my position on things. The nation of Israel is dear to my heart. I won't get all preachy preachy. This is how I feel.

Life's Mysteries.

Why is ketchup labeled "fancy" on those little foil packets you get from fast food restaurants? Just curious. The ketchup doesn't seem fancy at all. Please tell me what makes it fancy. I need to know. Also, what is the difference between catsup and ketchup? The hero and I were in L.A. once, and took the opportunity to see the taping of an episode of the old show King of Queens. There was an exchange between Doug and Arthur at the top of the show about this very thing. While hilarious, I still didn't get an answer. Moving on. It is just ketchup.

Other things I wonder about.

I know she is saving the world singlehandedly, but you know what? I just. don't. get. Oprah. Sorry.

How did the Dog Whisperer learn his spooky powers? He is awesome.

When will reality TV go away? God, so mindless. Though I'm guilty of enjoying plenty of other mindless TV. I'm not a snob. Trust.

I've talked about this before, but when will that Dugger woman's quiver finally be full? It is too much to bear, me thinking about it. Sorry.

How did According to Jim run for so many years?

How is it that life can be cooking along smoothly one day and the next it is all helter skelter? Now I am off balance, feeling distrustful, betrayed, naked and exposed. The past becoming present which I thought would be scary but is fine, secret conversations that shouldn't hurt me do, family members are divisive and losing sight of the mission at hand. This confuses me.
I am topsy turvy again and there is nothing to be done about any of it. A complete mystery!

I'm off to sleep, the fitful dreams of a person prone to nightmares. Again... where the heck do those come from anyway?

Welcome to the New Year.

Belatedly, I say Happy New Year to my friends, family, blogger friends and three faithful readers! I kid you. There are more than three. Happy New year to my anonymous friends in the middle east and Great Britain! Happy New Year to those of you landing here in search of the photo I posted back in August of Philip Johnson's Glass House. Yes, it is eye candy isn't it? But, a topic for another day. Really what will be a topic for another day is that we have another famous glass house very near where I live, also an architectural wonder, and I'd like to talk about that sometime soon. Perhaps that should go on my to do list.



Speaking of lists. Who here makes resolutions? I do not. I do not resolve to lose weight or exercise more or whatever else can make me more disappointed in myself than I tend to get on my own without some list glaring at me as if pointing a big fat red finger and telling me I'm a failure with each unchecked item. Nope. Typically my self esteem takes a beating all on its own. I'm the panic driven, anxiety ridden, paranoid freak girl next door who apologizes for everything even when it is clearly NOT my fault. But! I've been thinking about some things and reading some posts fellow bloggers have put up in the past few days and events going on in my own life have made me pause and reconsider this resolve to not resolve policy, at least give it some deeper thought.



I think it is practical, for instance, to consider the idea of writing down a list of goals to accomplish as a way holding yourself accountable. My friend Pat mentioned this the other day in his blog and I thought it was a wonderful idea. The way he explained it inspired me. Today, he put up his list. 101 things to accomplish in 1001 days. Please go there now. Read. Be inspired to do good things. I know I am. I don't personally have a list compiled for you to read, just an attitude to pass along.



Be fabulous in 2009. 2010. Whenever. Enjoy life, live it to the fullest, grow, learn, explore, dust out the corners and do it all over again with joy!








Stay tuned, I am planning on discussing items on my own list... which will be so very short, most likely one at a time. I'm just underwhelming that way!