TECHNOBABE'S ADVENTURES

The End Of Five Good Years

2011-11-12T15:53:00.001-06:00

For a few months I have been thinking about ending this blog.

The time has come for me to move on.

This is the last post.

I have learned so much during the five years of writing this blog.

It is possible I will start a brand new blog with my real name some day. If you would like to know about that, email me at cceagle111 at gmail dot com.

You will not be able to leave a comment on this post.

Thanks to everyone for the kindness and encouragement over the past five years.

Honoring All Veterans

2011-11-11T08:12:00.001-06:00

The flag hanging on our house is the flag my mother-in-law was given at my father-in-law's funeral. I didn't know them and had not met their son yet, but I am close to my brother-in-law and sister-in-law and enjoy hearing their family stories and seeing their family pictures. My father-in-law was in the Coast Guard.

It seems weird to wish people Happy Veterans Day when in fact the day is a remembrance of so many men and women who died in the line of duty to their country. Veterans Day is meant to honor and thank all who served in the United States Armed Forces.

I would have loved to meet and have time with my husband's name sake. I join my husband and his brother and sister in remembering their dad today and honoring all who have served their country.

Can I Have Your Autograph?

2011-11-10T01:53:00.000-06:00

James occasionally tells me stories of when he played in bands. This is one.

After working a steady gig for two years, the band was finding work at various venues. They were invited to play one afternoon center court at a large mall.

They arrived early to set up their equipment on the small stage. The four band members were used to working together and the setting up was proceeding according to schedule. The mall manager hurriedly approached them, asking them to not make so much noise. They didn't think they were being noisy, but they finished their task and began playing their music. The mall manager scurried over to them again, asking them to turn the volume down, it was echoing down the concrete halls in the mall.

Attempting to keep the volume down and still play the jazz, pop, funk that they considered their signature music, there didn't seem to be many mall visitors. They were used to playing to an audience.

Lo and behold, a group of Girl Scouts decided they liked the music, so they sat in a semicircle in front of the stage, moving to the music and giggling as little girls do. One girl jumped onstage to ask the saxophone/flute player, Mike, for his autograph. At the end of the gig, the rest of the girl scouts lined up for autographs too.

After disassembling the equipment, the band was on the way through the mall toward the parking lot. As they turned a corner they saw a pile of papers on the floor, each one scrunched up. There were all the autographs. Mike wasn't famous. Just a good sax player.

Working Toward True Good Health

2011-11-07T01:50:00.000-06:00

This Doctor

Wrote This Book.

That is what started a healthier life for me.

Bread was part of just about every meal. Toast or bagels with breakfast. Or cereal and milk. Sandwiches and chips for lunch. A main dish and bread or rolls and butter with dinner. Even had bread with spaghetti. Or if I thought a salad would be good, it was accompanied by bread. I actually believed that making a hot wheat or rice cereal was a healthier choice than eggs and bacon.

And all that time I thought I was doing something healthy. After all, it was healthy grains. Whole Wheat. Rye. Whole wheat and flax. Low sodium and again, thinking it was healthy.

I wasn't really concerned about putting on weight as I got older; it just happens, even when I was not eating differently. It was something to put on the back burner but not do anything about. At least I was doing well emotionally and had learned so much about myself the past few years. Much healing had already begun within myself and in my relationships.

Since going wheat free, changes are glaring. I no longer even think about bread. Believe me, if I missed it I would make wheat free bread to fill the void. But I don't miss bread or crackers or cookies. I do not feel deprived in any way. I am eating as much as I feel like eating. It just so happens that the quantity is less than I was eating before. The amount I am eating now is the correct amount for my particular body. A custom healthy diet without stress. Thank you, Dr. Davis.

Speaking of stress, these days I am calmer and have more interest in doing things instead of just barely getting by doing what I absolutely have to do. I can accomplish more and still able to do even more. My senses are jiving and swaying to the new dance without wheat. Aromas are exquisite and tastes are enjoyable beyond belief.

Before wheat free, you would have thought I owned stock in the company making TUMS I was chewing so many of them. A large bottle a week. No longer need an antacid.

Isn't it annoying when someone gets saved, or is new in their addiction recovery, or first falls in love and they are so happy they want to share it with everyone they can? I feel like I am on the preacher podium these days. I am feeling good, and I wish everyone else could feel like this. Because this is working for me and many other people, I am sharing the info here.

Sounds too good to be true, doesn't it? It is not. It is how we were meant to eat and feel.

Sundays In My City

2011-11-06T00:05:00.000-05:00

It is fun to find some rust or weathered walls to photograph.

Friday I slipped on icy place in back yard and tweaked my back. Hope to be better in another day or two. My husband, James, has one more song ready. I added to my sidebar for all to hear. This is a nice, relaxing tune.
Be sure to visit Unknown Mami to see more Sundays In My City posts.

Enjoy your Sunday.

Blog For Peace Day

2011-11-04T01:40:00.002-05:00

Nov 4, 2011

One day

One subject

One voice

Join other bloggers around the world.
Visit Mimi's blog here and link up.

Thanksgiving Comes First

2011-11-01T01:52:00.002-05:00

Have you heard about the annual blog club regarding Thanksgiving?

Suldog started something a few years ago. See his recent post here.

Did you already read it? What do you think ?

I have to tell you that I agree with his gripe about the retailers pushing Christmas earlier and earlier each year.

I am not a retailer, and if I had to feed my family (wheat free, of course) and pay mortgage and tuitions and buy shoes for all the rug rats, I would want people buying Christmas presents up the ying yang. But I would not begin before Thanksgiving.

There is enough rush, and push, and stress, and angst to go around. Lets give enough of it to each separate holiday in the order in which we celebrate them.

Like right now: Halloween. I personally do not like Halloween. But will there be a bowl of sugar, er candy, to pass out to the little sweeties who knock on the door on Halloween night. You betcha. Halloween decorations on the front porch. That is enough celebration for that holiday.

Veterans Day in our little town gets a lot of hype. Good hype. There is a pretty nice parade at 2:00 that begins in front of the veterans memorial on Main Street. I put up some pictures of the veterans memorial on one of my Sunday In My City posts here in case you missed that one. The memorial is pretty nice in this town and veterans are treated to occasional free dinners and other recognition. Just some of the perks of living in a small town of under 1100 people.

Thanksgiving is almost two weeks after Veterans Day. Christmas isn't for another month after Thanksgiving. Mr/Ms Retail Shopkeeper, if that month does not give you enough time to decorate your cute little trees and mark items up for the "sales", you suck. I am an old lady and I could do it in a day with one hand tied behind my back. So cut us some slack.

For lots and lots of Americans, Thanksgiving is a holiday we look forward to all year long. Yes, I love Christmas. But Thanksgiving is special. The memories of being a kid out in the country and killing our own turkey (not me personally, mind you, but I did get the turkey feathers to make an Indian headdress). Families got together even though they didn't even like each other. And we ate all day. And played games. And napped. Then ate some more. Of course my childhood was before the guys started watching football instead of participating with the rest of the family, and only stopped watching football long enough to eat the big turkey meal and say "great, this is so good" and hike back to the TV room. But hey, that is still tradition. Still sacred.

So I am joining the hundreds, er twenty or so, bloggers who are showing solidarity and yelling out our windows about the commercialism of Christmas and pushing Christmas to the public before even Halloween: I am mad as hell, and I am not going to take it anymore. (So maybe I did borrow that line from the movie "Network"). Works for me.

Halloween 2011

2011-10-31T01:02:00.008-05:00

Do you dress up in costume to pass out candy to the trick or treaters? We don't, but I enjoy watching James pass out candy and speak with the little ones who knock on the door of the little hippie house. I have never celebrated Halloween, nor did my kids when they were growing up. But we celebrated Harvest and Autumn with a party at home with any of their friends willing to pass on the door to door candy hunt, or a special night out together instead of costumes and candy. I just could not take a chance that any of my precious children would be the one kid in thousands that ate tainted treats from strangers. So many people told me I was anal about it and I should let my kids have fun like all the other kids. But they knew my reasons and if someone asked them what they thought about missing out on Halloween trick or treating, they said they thought it might be fun but that we always did such special and fun things on Halloween and they could have candy any time, that they didn't feel bad about it. The youngest was three when their dad and I divorced; so when they were with their dad and step mom around Halloween, they were taken out trick or treating. I knew they were safe when they were with me; that was all I could do. I couldn't control their environment when they were with their dad, which wasn't very often after their dad and step mom moved out of state.
For everyone who celebrates Halloween, have a great one. Or a spooky one.

Sundays In My City

2011-10-30T01:55:00.007-05:00

This is my favorite house in our little town.

This is James' favorite house in our little town.
These houses are way too large for us, but we like to see the variety of houses here.

Visit Unknown Mami's blog to see more posts with photos of other cities. On Mami's blog Sundays are like taking tours around the world without the hectic travel and expense.

Enjoy your Sunday.

Dog Pack Attacks Gator

2011-10-28T00:29:00.000-05:00

Dog pack attacks gator in Florida.

At times nature can be cruel, but there is also a rare beauty and even a certain justice manifested within that beauty.

The alligator, one of the oldest and ultimate predators, normally considered the "apex predator", can still fall victim to implemented team work strategy made possible by the tight knit social structure and survival of the pack mentality bred into canines.

See the remarkable photo below courtesy of Nature Magazine.

Note that the Alpha dog has a hold on the gator preventing it from breathing, while another dog has a hold on the tail to keep it from thrashing. The third dog attacks the soft under belly of the gator.

NOT FOR THE SQUEAMISH:

A friend sent this in an email. I got such a kick out of it I had to share with my blog friends.

We Have Been Living Without...

2011-10-25T03:24:00.005-05:00

Wheat, grains aka gluten, carbs, sugar.

Watch This Video my hubby made:

We read the book Wheat Belly by Dr. William Davis, an amazing human being, a preventive cardiologist, and a best selling author, and now, our friend.

When we do something, we do the Full Monty.

It was a one day chore to clean out everything in the cupboards and fridge with a grain ingredient. Then we purchased almond flour, buckwheat flour, coconut flour, coconut oil, and searched for wheat free, gluten free, low carb recipes.

Now: No more yucky stomach after eating!

For my entire life, after milk and cereal, my stomach was so bad, I thought I was lactose intolerant. I bought pills to take before I put any milk products into my mouth. Now I don't need the pills at all. I can get a piece of cheese and eat it without taking pills first. Who knew?

No more headaches!

No more water retention. (No swollen fingers, toes, face). Do you look at yourself in the mirror and see swollen puffy places under eyes, in cheeks, in neck? Just maybe it is the wheat causing that in you too.

Not as many mood swings! (Notice I didn't say "no more". I am a woman and I reserve the right to swing my mood any way I want.)

I have more energy and more interest in doing things, not just putting things off for another time!

I am weaning myself off blood pressure medicine. My blood pressure is better than it has ever been.

Eating natural foods has increased my sense of taste. Fortunately for me, I really enjoy all veggies and fruits. And I like meat and cheese and nuts.

I am losing weight and I am not on a diet. Changing the food I eat is a lifetime change for me, not a fad diet. Why would I ever want to return to a way of eating that aggravated my insides, made me moody, and packed on weight.

My internal thermostat has changed. As each week progresses without wheat, my body temp becomes more normal. I am not cold, or sometimes shivering. I have long ago said goodbye to menopause, so this was not night sweats or chills. Now I have a warmer body, able to enjoy outside activities in cooler weather.

I am sleeping better!

Now for some more big big news. James wrote a song about our experience of no wheat. It is really a cool song.

If you go to Dr Davis' blog and read his post about James here, you can go listen to James' song from Dr Davis' blog. Be sure to leave Dr Davis a comment and tell him thank you from James and me. His book has literally changed our life and I am sure it is not easy for him to stand firm against the pressure from many directions.

We are working on a video that will be done soon too so that will be here when it it finished.

Let me know what you think of the song. And while you are checking things out, give some thought to eliminating wheat long enough to see what I am talking about. Take care of yourself. Be the best that you can be. You are worth it.

Update: I added the video to this post.

Hugs,

Goodie Box

2011-10-24T01:18:00.000-05:00

Have you ever received a goodie box? One with many little individually wrapped gifts?

The mailman brought a special box to our door. Inside were sixteen individually wrapped packages and some pictures and one book and a journal. I was so excited to sit down and open each package and ooh and ahh with each new discovery.

I was the giveaway winner on Cinner's blog Things About Who,What,When,Where and Why.

Inside the box was a totally cool wooden inlay magnet of a flying goose, the book, the journal, a black bracelet, a rhinestone bracelet,a daisy candle in a holder, a rock personalized by Cinner, a cool bag which I will use when I walk around town because it has zipped pockets for camera, phone, etc, a turquoise ring, two keychains, a crystal, a roll of white ribbon, four little plates that will go in the kitchen, a painting of Canadian mountains that Cinner painted, four metal charms, an angel statue for the garden, 3 heart decorations (see pic), black cloth napkins, very lovely lace, 24 pearl buttons(see pic), and a toy tractor(peeking out under the white ribbon)!When she mentioned her giveaway, Cinner was sparking interest in someone using some of the items in crafty ways. Well, it worked.

Now, that is a goodie box!

Thank you, Cinner, for the sweet letter and for wrapping each gift with so much love. I have ideas for so many of the items. James and I are rockin' out that all around our little hippie house will be reminders of you when I finish the little projects.
Hugs, Hugs, Hugs.

Sundays In My City

2011-10-23T01:55:00.006-05:00

The Catholic Church in our city. Our little red car is in front.

Visit Unknown Mami's blog for all the other great posts linked to her blog and see the sights in other cities.

Enjoy your Sunday.

Crossing Paths

2011-10-20T01:51:00.002-05:00

Photo found on Graphics Grotto.

We cross paths with so many people in a lifetime. How we look at them and how we treat each one says a lot about our character. Do we really see each person? Do we think we are a pretty good person because we discount only some of the people we meet? Only the ones who don't have the drive to "be" someone, to achieve enough to be recognized. That's all right, isn't it? We can justify ignoring and thinking less of some others because we have worked hard to be who we are, to get where we are, and it is good to be proud of our achievements. Crossing paths with someone who may want something from us, or who might take some of our precious time is only an inconvenience. We don't need to be respectful of each one we meet; some of them just don't deserve it.

I wonder how many people really live like this. Really believe this. Missing out on so much. So much.

Fable Of The Porcupine

2011-10-17T01:39:00.001-05:00

I am probably the last blogger to see this. A friend emailed this to me.
It was the coldest winter ever. Many animals died because of the cold.

The porcupines, realizing the situation, decided to group together to keep warm. This way they covered and protected themselves. But the quills of each one wounded their closest companions.

After awhile they decided to distance themselves from each other, and they began to die, alone and frozen. So they had to make a choice: Either accept the quills of their companions or disappear from the earth.

Wisely, they decided to go back to being together. They learned to live with the little wounds caused by the close relationship with their companions in order to receive the heat that came from the others.
This way they were able to survive.

The best relationship is not the one that brings together perfect people; when each individual learns to live with the imperfections of others, they can admire the other person's good qualities.

Moral of the story: Just learn to live with the pricks in your life!

Sundays In My City

2011-10-16T01:54:00.007-05:00

Visit Unknown Mami's blog for lots more posts with photos about other Sundays In My City.

Throw The Stick

2011-10-13T01:05:00.001-05:00

Reflections

2011-10-10T01:46:00.004-05:00

The reflection of clouds in the window was a bonus when I took this photo.

This is the first picture I have taken that I really like. I have this picture as wallpaper on my computer and I see each crack, each space in the bricks, but most of all I enjoy the clouds reflected in the window.

Reflection has a different meaning for me for the past few years. When I look in a mirror, or think about my actions and reactions, I am open to seeing the true reflection of my inner being. What kind of person am I really? What things do I still need to work on to be healthy and happy? (Besides not freaking out when I see a large spider).Do you check out your reflection as I do mine?

Sundays In My City

2011-10-09T01:53:00.010-05:00

Some of the flowers in our yard.

Visit Unknown Mami's blog to enjoy more participating blogs posting Sunday In My City.

Some trees have begun to change colors but our flowers are blooming joyfully still. It will be interesting to see how many more months we have flowers to enjoy. All these flowers were near dead in little pots that the owner of the local hardware store gave me. I stuck them in the ground and they perked up immediately. We thank them every day.

Have a great Sunday!

The Sticky Note Club

2011-10-06T01:14:00.004-05:00

I joined a new club. The only requirements are sticky notes, pen, open heart. Here are my supplies on my desk. Pat, at A View From The Edge, is the Prez of the club. Read her post here. Then come back and read this post. See ya.

Did you get a lump in your throat about the crumbled sticky note? Did you get fired up reading about Pat's determination to change the world one sticky note at a time? Well, then, you just joined the club. Post your pics of your sticky notes and link to Pat in your post. Look out world, love is gonna getcha!!

I Need Your Help

2011-10-03T01:07:00.001-05:00

"I'm sorry I am like this."

"Sigh. That's okay. It is just something I have to endure."

Story about these spiders here.

I am a person who is usually barefoot. Not anymore.

Sundays In My City

2011-10-02T01:09:00.016-05:00

Glorious Morning photos taken while standing on the street in front of our house looking in all directions.

Enjoy your Sunday!

Click on the link and see other posts sharing in Sundays In My City on Unknown Mami's blog.

Disclaimers

2011-09-29T01:14:00.001-05:00

1. If I ever use the word crazy in any of my posts to describe someone or some thing, it is not to be associated with a medical condition unless I am specifically writing about a mental situation. Between my hubby and myself, we have plenty of off the wall and abnormal. For me, I don't see things in that light. I use the word "crazy" in many ways. Crazy in love. Boy, are you crazy! Which is really a compliment. What a crazy day. I give myself the freedom to use the word "crazy" without attaching hidden meaning even though sliding words under the door and go BOO! on the other side is something I do often. This is a crazy paragraph; I think you get the gist of it if you are awake and have enjoyed enough morning coffee and have read some of my previous posts.

2. When I write or speak about love I am writing about love in my life as it pertains to my relationship with my hubby and a newly discovered and growing love of myself. I am not leaving anyone out who does not live my lifestyle. I do not have a closed mind about who other people pick to love or have a relationship with for whatever reason. Since this is the first time I am in a healthy relationship and I am able to work through trials as they present themselves, I speak from that place. This is the first time I understand how to be in a long term relationship in a healthy way. Loving myself, my husband, and my fellow human beings is the love I write about and cherish.

3. As I wander around blogland and leave comments, it should be noted that I am not the voice of authority my comments would leave some to believe. I don't have all the answers; in fact, I don't have very many answers. If my comments seem to portray wisdom, that is just the way I write. It is not authority you are reading, it is experience. And that is just something that comes with age.

4. I don't own cookbooks. I get a general idea of a recipe and then have fun with it. Half our meals are experiments. Since I don't measure precisely, the recipes cannot be truly duplicated. But every variation is another way to express my culinary unrestraint. Very seldom do I share a recipe on my blog and though I show a real recipe, that is just similar to what I actually make.
Simple, down home food is what I like. Gourmet food is unappreciated; thus, a fancy restaurant is wasted on me. I have always been a cheap date!

5. This blog is no longer associated with the the domain name I held for five years:
the technobabe.com. The only url for this blog is thetechnobabe.blogspot.com.

6. Regular reading of this blog will not cause blurred vision, vertigo, or itching. It may, however, bring on tingling in the extremities, profuse sweating, and slight heart palpitations brought on by giggling and swearing when you read some posts. At least, I certainly hope for a reaction.

Since September Fourth 2006

2011-09-26T01:04:00.001-05:00

Five years!
What can I say?
Except THANK YOU.

When I wrote the first post September fourth 2006, I had no expectations and no idea of what to write. Now blogging is part of each day, the usual routine. Nothing to take for granted or become bored with though. I have learned so much from so many people in the blogging world. I believe I am a better person today for it.

So......

THANK YOU. ALL OF YOU. From the bottom of my heart.

With much love.

Sundays In My City

2011-09-25T01:33:00.012-05:00

Horseshoe pits are open to everyone to use. Perhaps one day we will be pitching horseshoes! This is perfect weather for a sweaty game of horseshoes.

There are batting cages in three areas of town.

Unknown Mami's blog has lots of people signed up for her Sundays In My City specialty. Seeing photos of other city interests through other bloggers' eyes is enlightening and fun. Check it out.

Online and Real Life

2011-09-22T01:49:00.000-05:00

Did you notice the picture of hubby in the sidebar? If you didn't know, that is James, my husband. He wears his Buddy Holly glasses for me. He only wears glasses for reading. He is younger than I am so he isn't into the senile cataract age range yet. The whippersnapper.

He stopped blogging for awhile and he removed himself from my blog; but he is back. Here and on his own blog.

He comes in and out of my blog, but he is steady and sure in my life.
My real life. None of that "here and gone stuff" in real life. Only in blogland.

Rainy Days

2011-09-19T01:55:00.003-05:00

Graphic found at graphicsgrotto.com

Does a rainy day spoil your good mood? Does the weather dictate how you feel, how you respond to others? How important is the rain or shine in your life?

Some people need special light in their home to boost their mood, to keep them stable when the sun is not shining. Not to minimize people suffering from Seasonal Affective Disorder. A day of rain and gray clouds can affect the human spirit. So much, in fact, that we may miss some joy, or a wonderful gift from nature, or from a friend. We may miss an opportunity to reach out to someone when a small gesture from us would make a huge difference in their life at just that moment.

I made up my mind I did not want to miss anything in nature. For most of my life I rode motorcycles and the biggest thrill was being close to nature. The smells and sights and sounds, no barriers. Most rides were fantastic and then someone would throw away a cigarette and it would fly out their window onto me. But it was still a thousand percent better than not riding in the wind.

I have owned a rubber poncho for years. I would step into my hiking boots, toss the poncho over my head, and walk in the rain. If someone were to ask me if I like the rain, I would have to say "not particularly"; but walking in the rain and coming home damp and worn out taught me I enjoyed the challenge. Walking in the rain provides a perfect atmosphere for thinking deep thoughts and remembering how much the rain is needed on the planet. Maybe walking in the rain was my way of giving thanks. I still have the poncho and now, living in Nebraska, I can see rain boots would be good to wear outside in the rain. Maybe Santa will get me some rain boots. But I still have some great hiking boots until or if Santa gets my message by Christmas.

Sundays In My City

2011-09-18T01:33:00.011-05:00

Guess what is in this pond?

These!
This lovely pond is a couple short blocks from our little hippie house.

I am participating in Unknown Mami's Sundays In My City. Visit her blog and click on the many other posts linked to her blog to learn more about other cities.

Remember: Jimi Hendrix passed suddenly on September 18, 1970 while touring through London. Jimi's music plays on.

Talents and Creative Energies

2011-09-15T01:11:00.004-05:00

Jilda pointed out some helpful ideas on her blog Transformation Information. Most times when someone speaks about talents, I zone out, as I don't think I have much of that. I hang around some talented folks here at home and online so I don't dwell on my short list.

But Jilda speaks about selling ourselves short when we say we don't have a talent. For me, I really just accepted that I was not given a special talent and I am happy that I have survived a harsh life.

But after reading her post here, I made a list of my talents and creative energies as she suggests in her post. Until now, I had only kept a Gratitude List. This is very different. Thanks, Jilda, for the inspiration. I don't play a musical instrument, I'm not a famous artist, singer, or author, but I know I have lots to contribute and share, and feel good about myself as well as having plenty of time to work on improving the gifts I have been given.

TechnoBabe's Talents and Creative Energies:

Cooking a variety of foods without recipes. I feel like I am a good cook. I enjoy being in the kitchen chopping, preparing and experimenting.

Facing things head-on and dealing with the situation and learning from my part in it.

Mixing paint colors and painting walls or furniture.

Speaking clearly and distinctly to people as I look them in the eye. Communicating.

Home decorating. I can make a tent a home if need be. Turning a house into a home is a fun challenge.

Gardening has recently been added to my list. Planting seeds and watching the tiny green heads pop out and grow into beautiful flowers is feeding my soul like listening to music.

Accepting people without trying to change them (like my kids)allows me to watch my grown kids live their own lives as they make their own mistakes and learn from them. Accepting hubby's idiosyncrasies helps me focus on the good things he does and not the little stuff that would usually bug me.

Keeping my word has always been important to me. I am careful not to make a promise unless I am sure I can deliver.

Being on time for all appointments, no matter how casual. Respecting other peoples schedules is part of that as well as honor in the commitment to meet.

Cutting hair is something I have done from a young age. In my early teens I cut hair for friends as well as my own. Hubby has an in-house personal hair stylist.

Now that I have begun my list, I will update it occasionally. This is another mooring line in my recovery work.

Watch This

2011-09-12T01:59:00.000-05:00

Beth, at Be Yourself, Everyone Else Is Taken, posted this video. I cried for a very long time. I have very strong feelings about Iraq. Please watch this video.

Sundays In My City

2011-09-11T01:25:00.007-05:00

The Scout Cabin in our little city.The scouts are very active here. A future post will highlight some of the scout projects around the city, permanent improvements that are monuments to the hard work they did to make them. Planters with plaques showing they were gifted by the scouts and other projects. The scouts are constantly making additions to the comfort and aesthetic pleasure we have come to appreciate in our little city.

Check out some fun places in other cities; go to Unknown Mami's blog for other people participating in Sundays In My City.

Hubby's Hard Work To Make New Garage Doors

2011-09-08T01:08:00.005-05:00

Quite a difference, isn't it?

Hubby painted the eaves yellow to match the house trim. He told me after he had all the work done on the garage that he only did it for me because it was so hard for me to open the old doors. Awwww.

Today is the older daughter's birthday so I am sending her lots of hugs and love for her birthday.

Scrumdiddlishus

2011-09-05T01:52:00.000-05:00

My new toy heats up quickly. In fact, it gets too hot to handle.

About a week ago I found a collector waffle iron at the local thrift store. It even has the original manual with it and sandwich grill plates as well.

I found similar waffle irons online and collectors pay $159 to $189 for one in this condition with the original manual and warranty.

After a wash and dry and seasoning of the waffle griddles, we had waffles. Plug it in, turn dial to hot, and the light goes out in about 15 minutes when it is heated to perfection. Turn it down a wee bit, pour some waffle mix into the griddle, put lid down and in four minutes you are eating golden brown waffles. We have had waffles two more times and each time they are superb. I prefer fresh strawberries on my waffles or some other fruit; whereas, hubby likes warm syrup on his waffles.

How much did we pay for our vintage toy?

$2.00.

1950 General Electric Combination Sandwich Grill and Waffle Iron.

Priceless.

Sundays In My City

2011-09-04T01:30:00.016-05:00

Beauty surrounds us, as well as acceptance, forgiveness, laughter, music, trust. Happy Anniversary to my dear hubby. I look forward to growing old with you, well, older than we are already!

All the flowers are celebrating with hubby and me on our anniversary today.

I am participating in Sundays In My City so check on Unknown Mami's blog post for other Sunday posts of interest. Enjoy your Sunday, everyone!

Summer Seven

2011-09-03T05:33:00.006-05:00

Joanna at The Fifty Factor invited her readers to join in her Summer Seven fun, so I am adding a post to the group. Here is my contribution to Summer Seven: Off-The-Top-Of-My-Head Summer Happenings.

1. Hubby made new garage doors and I scraped the outside walls of the the garage, then brushed them with steel brush, and painted three sides. Only one more side to paint. Whew.

What do you think of the Before and After?

2.This summer I started using my camera more, taking photos and experimenting with angles. This has been great fun. I tried and tried to get a shot of a butterfly with open wings and it did not happen.

3. Last winter was our first winter in this little hippie house and we found several things we would want to improve before we spent another winter here. This summer we checked things off the to-do list in preparation for winter. Bring it on, we are now ready.

4. This summer I started a photo diary of the construction work at the new library site. It is one block from us and I can see the work in progress. That will be fun to show the different stages after the new library opens.

5. I have been painting the bedroom a robin's egg blue. There is one small area left to finish this morning.

6. Hubby is working on his music, re-working the songs he finished last year and composing more tunes this year. His spirit is in such a good place and his music is better than ever.

7. Knowing my vision was not clear enough, my appointment with the eye doctor clarified I have cataracts. (Get it, clarified?) I have been wearing progressive lens glasses and after the initial adjustment, I am used to the glasses and can walk in and out of the house without feeling like I am stepping down into a pit. Eventually cataract surgery will be necessary and I have resigned myself to it going well when the time comes.

Want to share some things about your summer? Visit Joanna's blog and join in the fun.

Man Statue

2011-09-01T01:12:00.001-05:00

How does he do that??!!

Silly Mouse

2011-08-29T05:02:00.004-05:00

I am so easily amused. At 5 AM I clicked my link to the eagles nest. And the nest was empty, the adult eagles must have been out on an early morning excursion.

There was, however, a visitor at their nest. A mouse was scurrying around, from one side of the six foot across nest to the other side, pausing here and there to move a small piece of something, or check something out.

The eagles site I speak of is the Decorah Eagles cam. Hubby and I watched this past February as eggs were laid and kept watching so we witnessed hatching in April. So we were hooked. I would check in every day and watch the three eaglets change and grow and then the fledges in June were awesome.

As I watched the little mouse playing in the empty eagles nest, it brought back memories of the exciting events in the lives of the adult eagles and their three eaglets. In July one of the eaglets was banded and a transmitter attached. There is a map on the eagle site showing how far the eaglet is already traveling. Go, fly, wondrous creatures. Find mates and be as competent as your parents were to you.

The mouse moved too quickly for me to capture a photo on my computer, so I am using this photo I found on google that looks pretty close to the one in the nest.

Sundays In My City

2011-08-28T01:28:00.009-05:00

The sign at the main entrance to walking/biking trails.

The trails go in multiple directions.

Some parts are pretty straight. The scenery is beautiful on all sections of trails and signs are posted at various trees naming the type of tree and who gifted the tree. There are also benches strategically situated and the benches have plaques with the name of the city organization who gifted them.

Check out the other posts participating in Sundays In My City on Unknown Mami's blog. It is a great way to learn more about other cities. Enjoy your Sunday.

Some Short Cuts To Help You Have More Relaxing Time

2011-08-25T01:59:00.002-05:00

1. Drive the car out of the garage and open all the doors. Make sure you are on the side facing the neighbor's yard. Now plug in your leaf blower and blow everything out of the car. You may need to swish a clean cloth over the dashboard. There, done. Five minutes, max.

2. Write a personal letter full of charm with information on all the happenings in your life lately. Make several copies of the letter. Add a handwritten salutation and plenty of love at the end. Sign your name or nickname and address the envelopes and they will all think you wrote to just them and you have made lots of people happy. You can do the same thing with emails. Just blind copy the rest of the recipients. Attach a picture of yourself with a smile on your face.

3. Take a bottle of window cleaner into the bathroom with you when you are going to brush your teeth. While your teeth are being cleaned you can spray the mirror and sink faucet with window cleaner and they will be shiny clean by the time your teeth are sparkling too. Clean two whatchamacallits with one thingamabob.

4. If you are cooking a main dish make enough for two more meals and freeze the meals for the next two weeks. Not only does this save you time on a busy day in the next few weeks, it saves your waistline from expanding. By putting away the next two portions for the freezer, you won't go back for second helpings.

Now you have an abundance of time for yourself. For a bubble bath. Or a bike ride. Or a walk. Oh, you could take a small recorder with you on the walk to start a list of fun things to write about in your next set of personal letters. And be sure to carry a baggie to pick up bits of trash along the walk. Everyone likes a good neighbor.

These are a few hints I pass on to you. You're welcome.

Close To Nature

2011-08-22T01:04:00.003-05:00

When I sit on the couch and read, I have a view out the window into the back yard. I glance up and watch squirrels play and eat, birds taking turns in the home made bird bath, and rabbits munching grass. It is tranquil and serene.

Until a hawk wants lunch. I looked up to see a young rabbit running as fast as he could, across the back yard. I thought, wow, that little guy can run! Wonder who is chasing him. Just as I was saying "wonder..." a hawk flew into view, talons at the ready.

The rabbit made it to the side of the garage and zipped into the habitat James made for the rabbits. The hawk stopped short of hitting the side of the garage, flapped his wings to change course, and turned around mid air and flew to the clothesline pole, a few feet from the habitat. Can you see the hawk:? I took this picture through the window. The window was open so it was two glass windows. Darn. Not a sharp picture. The hawk waited awhile, then flew to the nearby tree.

Pandemonium broke out in the tree. Birds of all kinds were shrieking at the hawk. Flying into his face and trying to get him to leave. Squirrels were running up fairly close and trying to lure the hawk away. Maybe there were nests in that area. I walked outside with my camera and tried to get a picture.

In the meantime, it was a couple hours before the rabbit came out of the habitat. He stayed close, within a couple feet of the opening to the habitat. He ate grass and kept an eye out for the hawk. A blue jay flew over him and he panicked until he realized it was a blue jay. Whew.

This is my first experience living in a place that allows me to see nature up close. I can tell one squirrel from another and some of the rabbits too. If the hawk had swooped up his lunch right in front of me, I would have been happy for the hawk, even though I love watching the rabbits. That is the way of nature.

Sundays In My City

2011-08-21T01:27:00.010-05:00

Check out other posts participating in Sundays In My City at Unknown Mami's blog.
Enjoy your Sunday! I know I will. Today my hubby is clean and sober eleven years, one day at a time. I took these pictures of some of the plants and trees you see on you daily bike ride, my dear hubby. These are probably already on your grateful list.

Sometimes Even Trash Looks Pretty

2011-08-18T01:10:00.002-05:00

Can you tell I am looking at everything with a different eye? I want to take a picture of everything! The first thing I do in the morning is charge the camera battery. Used to be the first thing I did was pour a cup of coffee.

This is my morning's trash after I clipped some flowers.

Neighbors Sharing The Bounty

2011-08-15T01:09:00.001-05:00

This is two baskets of fresh picked veggies. A lady we met at the local grocery store mentioned rutabagas to us one day and she was telling us that the locals were not familiar with rutabagas. We told her we used to eat them often until we moved here. So she offered to share some of her garden veggies with us. The wonderful food in this picture is the third time she has brought fresh veggies to us.

This week's care package includes three fresh tomatoes, green and red peppers, a large cabbage, six ears corn, two carrots, four rutabagas, and about ten turnips.

Each time she gives us baskets of veggies, I wash the baskets and write a thank you note, clip the note to the basket and return the baskets to our veggie benefactor. It was a couple weeks till we knew her name. Let me hear a big cheer for Sherry.

Sundays In My City

2011-08-14T01:25:00.007-05:00

Tennis, anyone?

Check out Unknown Mami's blog to view many more versions of Sundays In My City.

Day After A Storm

2011-08-12T01:02:00.000-05:00

The southern states are experiencing record high heat and fires. The midwest states are dealing with storms. We looked around our little hippie town after two nights of storms that knocked over our planter of tomato plants and threw branches all over the yard. There were lots of trees down, and here are some samples. Because the storms have been during the night, I slept through it all. And now the days are cooler.

The Ready Position

2011-08-09T01:12:00.002-05:00

This cat is ready, has decided to sit and wait for lunch to fly right to him.

I found this cute picture on All Creatures Great And Small blog.

I sometimes feel like I am in the ready position. Not just when we are standing at the barbecue waiting for the chicken or veggies to cook. I deliberately open my mind to what is in store for me to hear and/or see. I am anticipating learning something good for me. Even if it is not about me, it can be good for me.

So many times I move from blog to blog, reading entire posts, and carrying bits of information to the next blogs; hence, my internal vision expands, my vocabulary increases, my life is more interesting. And I don't leave home for all this growth.
TechnoBabe's Adventures indeed.

Sundays In My City

2011-08-07T01:32:00.006-05:00

There used to be four banks in this city. Many years ago they closed and the current bank moved to this little city. This week they celebrated the 120th birthday and invited everyone to come and celebrate with them in the bank parking lot. Hubby and I did just that. We ate hot dogs, chips, cupcakes, drinks and chatted with some of the nice people who work at the bank. A few of them graciously gave permission for me to add their picture to my blog.

Click on the link and see how many people participate in Sundays In My City on Unknown Mami's blog.

Speaking of Books

2011-08-04T01:15:00.001-05:00

Since books and music are two of my dearest loves, it is a joy to discuss books with people who share an interest in reading. Terri wrote about reading on her blog Into The Mystic and her post inspired Rock Chef to write about reading on his blog The Spartan Rock Chef. Several of my regular readers posted about books since these two posts and I have been thinking of my books all along. Now I share some with you.

Some of my favorite books have been about subjects unfamiliar to me. For instance, one favorite book is "The Greatest Game Ever Played" by Mark Frost. The book about golfing could be a school textbook; however, the book is not a dull textbook. It has a thorough Index and follows the golf careers of Harry Vardon and Francis Ouimet with the results of extensive research and written so well that the reader is transformed to that era throughout the book. Students could learn much about determination and grit and dedication as well as cash in on the excellent writing ability of the author. Hubby and I each read the book and both liked it so much we rented the DVD. It doesn't work well to read a book and then see the movie; usually it means disappointment that some fun items were left out of the movie. Especially a book with so much history and information as The Greatest Game Ever Played. But the movie's passion and love of the game of golf brought the book to life.

Laura Hillenbrand's "Seabiscuit" taught me about horse racing in such detail that I never would have thought possible. The book held my interest every page and I neglected all else until I finished the book. This book is a keeper in our home. I have some absolute favorite books, some I have carried around from young adulthood, and "Seabiscuit" has joined that elite group. I have never been to a horse race in person, but when I was living alone the years before I met my hubby, I discovered the beauty of horse racing on my large plasma screen on the wall. Yes, I used to be one those and it was right before I met James that I stopped watching TV news and didn't turn the TV on every day. I was fascinated to see the beautiful colors and movement of the horses and the jockeys that were sometimes so close I could reach out and touch them. A couple years later I read "Seabiscuit", one of the best written and most interesting books for adventurous readers with a heart for real life.

A few years ago my older daughter gifted me with "One Thousand White Women" by Jim Fergus. I was captivated from the first page and limp as a noodle when I finished. Because I am interested in Native American culture, the added benefit was obvious. But the deep emotions of the book were a surprise to me and instead of being a downer, it was exhilarating. I quote Winston Groom, author of Forrest Gump:
"Jim Fergus knows his country in a way that's evocative of Dee Brown and all the other great writers of the American West and its native peoples. But One Thousand White Women is more than a chronicle of the old west. It's a superb tale of sorrow, suspense, exultation, and triumph that leaves the reader waiting to turn the page and wonderfully wrung out at the end."

"The Weeping Chamber" by Sigmund Brouwer tells a story that for me depicts Jesus the Messiah as people living in that time would have seen him. The book is in fact, about two men, one known as The Teacher and another looking for a miracle. Sigmund Brouwer is not a historian. The book "The Weeping Chamber" is a novel.

My hubby introduced Tony Hillerman's books to me in the first month of our courting. We have all of Hillerman's books on our shelves. Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee are now my friends, calming me with the mysteries these Navajo Tribal Policemen solve on the reservation. I say calming me because Hillerman's style is simple and clean; easy reading that incorporates native customs and traditions.

Reading is something I do throughout every day. I always have. If I had an appointment, I carried the current book with me and would disappear into what I was reading while waiting. I had audio books in the car that would carry me away from the traffic jams in California. Books have been my friends since I was four years old. One book I have had since then. It is too old and brittle to read but it is still with me.

Romantic Baking

2011-08-02T01:02:00.000-05:00

Do you know anyone who puts cookies in a heart shape when they bake cookies?

I do.

And he makes music too.

Sigh.

Exploring

2011-08-01T01:05:00.001-05:00

Going for walks and finding things of interest. Seeing things in a different way.
Seeing small pods on plants. Seeing trees with sun shooting through the branches. I took this photo this morning on my walk. It looked interesting to me.

I will be taking pictures of so many things and getting experience with the camera.

Yesterday I was watering some plants in the back yard when I very large butterfly flew around me and then landed on my shirt front and stayed there while I watered. I said thank you to the butterfly for the nice visit.

Hubby has put his blog on hold for now, not deleted. At least not yet. I have seen him let go of a few blogs so I don't know if he will be back to blogging again or not. He wants to concentrate on his music. He is no longer on my blog.

This phase will be about me. Finding things I am interested in. Sharing them here.

Sundays In My City

2011-07-31T01:56:00.007-05:00

This is the current library.

The new library will be one block from where we live. Since we are regulars at the library, this is really cool. The top picture shows the sign on the corner letting everyone know this is the site for the new library. The day after I took the picture this week there were lots of men working and trucks and people on cell phones. The work has truly begun. The second picture is the architects rendering of what the new library will look like after it is built. Supposedly the library will be completed the end of December. Since we live so close, I will be taking photos regularly for a collage later.

Have you seen Unknown Mami's blog yet? Sundays In My City is great fun. Link to her blog and put up your pictures of your area. And then check out all the bloggers who link to hers for Sundays In My City.

A Little Walk Down Memory Lane

2011-07-28T01:58:00.000-05:00

When I lived in the Riverside area growing up in southern California, it was a handy area to the things I liked. There is something about growing up amidst thousands of acres of orange groves that stays with you forever. Picking fresh navel oranges taught me to instinctively know the perfect orange. Which ones to pick and eat and which ones to leave for another week.

Jump on the freeway and in a half hour I was rubbing baby oil on my body and soaking up the sun at the beach. Running on the sand isn't really racing; it is moving at a speedy walk that is great exercise. Moving quickly in sand that provides resistance to moving at a fast rate.

Drive from Riverside toward the mountains and in a half hour the aesthetic senses are electrocuted. The variety of impressive features of the San Bernardino mountain communities are enough to please everyone.

Of course my memory banks are full of the way it was back then. Less traffic, very little smog, and today there are houses where the orange trees stood in their glory. By the time the numbers of people heading to the beach caused the trip to take over an hour, I was on my way out of California, not to return for many years.

Each person has their own ideal place to live. I am settling in to a wonderful little town and finding it fulfills each item on my wish list for today. Some people would say we found this town by accident. I would say this move has been a continuation of the fulfilling of destiny for my hubby and me. Just like our meeting was.

Eating Like The Angels

2011-07-26T01:50:00.000-05:00

One of our special treats is Angel Food Cake with fresh fruit on it. My favorite is strawberries but we will put other fruit on it and be happy. No whipped cream or sauces on top. Just cake and fruit.

We have been buying a loaf Angel Food Cake at our little store. One day a box Angel Food Cake found its way into our grocery cart. After looking through about fifty different recipes to make Angel Food Cake from scratch, I decided I didn't have a strong desire for homemade cake. A box mix sounds totally acceptable.

Having never made an Angel Food Cake, I learned to make do with the equipment I had on hand. The instructions were Do Not use plastic bowl (that is all we have here; we are both clumsy and tend to break things more than the average person), so I used our larger pan. It almost was not large enough.

Following the directions to the letter, something new for me, when the mix was ready to bake I realized I did not have a pan large enough so I used the bottom broiler pan. Even at that, the large broiler pan was just barely large enough for all the mix.

When it looked done, ten minutes longer than what the directions called for, I removed the pan from the oven and turned it upside down as per instructions.

The Angel Food Cake was just as good as the one we have been buying at the store. Hubby thinks I am a wonder and I will let him think that. He is giving the thumbs-up to the cake just out of the oven.

Sundays In My City

2011-07-24T01:03:00.016-05:00

I chose to take photos of our town pool early in the morning before the pool opened. Plenty of people enjoy the pool each day; however, some parents may not appreciate their children's photos in my blog.

The last photo is the toddler pool. The water tapers to one foot deep.

This post is linked to Unknown Mami's Sundays In My City post. Enjoy my contribution and click the link to visit Unknown Mami.

Planking

2011-07-22T01:36:00.000-05:00

This is a picture of my brother-in-law, Kevin. Isn't he cute? Oh, that's right, you can't see his face.

He is planking at four corners. He recently retired from teaching little rug rats for 28 years in the Phoenix area. He gets to play with adults now, so see what he is doing?

Good to see you enjoying your retirement, Kev. Thanks for the pictures. You can get up now.

NO! We Are Not Having A Yard Party At Our House

2011-07-19T01:53:00.001-05:00

When we moved into this little hippie house in October, our landlord walked us around the property and showed us the property line and the location where the previous tenants had a huge garden. He pointed out an area at the back property where wild Marijuana would grow in the spring. At the back of the property are huge trees in a horseshoe shape surrounding the yard. Behind these large trees is a wide walkway to the side street. The walkway is used by utility and emergency vehicles and must be maintained and mowed by the tenants (us).

When spring arrived in lala land, my friends, warmer weather coaxed us to mow some of the large back lawn and start planning what to do with the back yard. While walking around the back part of the property, Hubby spied some plants that looked familiar to him. Hundreds of plants.

We each carried large trash bags and hand picked every Marijuana plant, pulling the roots. Hubby has been clean and sober for almost eleven years now, but prior to that his drug of choice for over thirty years was this very plant.

Hubby explained that he has an addict mind and a recovery mind. While we picked plants, his addict mind piped up with weird ideas. He said it was the first time he had been in the vicinity of weed for almost eleven years. "As soon as the plants were trashed, the recovery mind laughed at the addict mind and the addict mind shut up."

Part of me is thinking how ironic that a person with Hubby's past would be renting a place that grows a plant that he was addicted to for so many years.

So we aren't having a yard party; we are pulling weed(s). Every time I walk out to the far end of the property I find a couple more plants to pull. Sheesh.

Sundays In My City

2011-07-17T01:49:00.008-05:00

This is my first time to participate in Unknown Mami's Sundays In My City.

This veterans memorial is a small park in the middle of our town. I am showing some of it here in these pictures. I will be practicing with my camera and finding interesting photo opportunities in our little hippie town.

Poo Prints

2011-07-14T05:04:00.000-05:00

Something is being done about the irresponsible dog owners in some areas. For example, New Hampshire. This post in CNN caught my eye.

Some apartments are implementing PooPrints, a program that matches dog waste to DNA collected through pets' mandatory mouth swabs.

"The tests bought through PooPrints, a subsidiary of BioPet Vet Lab in Knoxville, Tennessee, match the DNA already captured to a sample of each pet's waste. Poop that isn't scooped can then be analyzed."

I wonder who gets the outdoor in the fresh air job of doing the scooping. I wonder if that is a full time job or just part time. Sounds like something we senior citizens could do part time. I wonder if they pay under the table. I'll have to get the scoop on that. This could be another way to help the economy with more new jobs.

Stay tuned for updates on the DNA tests that provide the poop on bad dog owners.

God, This Is TechnoBabe Again

2011-07-12T01:58:00.000-05:00

God, what is the lesson I am to learn?
Do you send the spiders to me
Or do they enjoy a freedom I don't?
When do I get to be in charge?

I admit that during my young years
spiders were my friends, my play mates
They moved and were alive and playful
We were a family of poverty and dysfunction

What happened to change my view of spiders
And when it happened is a mystery to me
At least I am consciously unaware
of slipping into the state of dread

God, for many years I held out hope
Hope that you are truth, Father, Allah
Even if faith is the glue to belief
Blind acceptance is not in my nature

You gave me a brain, a mind to use
to study and interpret and decide for myself
What am I to learn from the spiders
who want to be close to me, on me, with me

I sit down and a spider walks across my chest
I walk through a room, a spider scurries in my path
I feel something tickling my neck and brush it off
A spider is flung across the room, disappearing

This morning another spider was on my foot
The shock and dislike make me react swiftly
Another spider bites the dust because of me
Why wasn't it in the garden doing its job

Spider Medicine teaches that spider connects
knowledge of past with possibilities in future
The web center is small, which is me
Expanding web denotes life's possibilities

There is a life lesson relating to the spiders
It is time for me to bring all spider knowledge
to the conscious level, expanding my mind
So that my spirit can be at peace.

Ninety Years On This Earth

2011-07-09T01:41:00.005-05:00

July 10th is my mother's 90th birthday. This is the girl who was ill with childhood diabetes but in a family of eleven children in the midwest, doctor visits were non-existent.

My brother and I were farmed out to families many times while our mother underwent surgeries for various problems. Back then children were not told facts so I only remember being an intruder with older couples with no children who insisted I sit still and eat whatever horrible thing was in front of me, or getting lost among the many children in a household and expected to be another hand with the early morning chores.

After the age of twelve I didn't live with my mother any longer but we were occasionally in touch by phone. She let me know when she was in the hospital with the first mastectomy and seven years later the other mastectomy. Then surgery for ovarian cancer. Then gall bladder surgery. The cataract surgeries were a couple years ago. She had a fairly major stroke about twenty years ago and mini strokes since then. And all the while she is an insulin dependent diabetic.

She started telling me when she was in her sixties that she would not live a long life. She was just too ill. In my mind ninety is a lot of years. So she has lived a long life, contrary to her predictions.

Hubby and I made a CD for her with us singing some songs she likes, and hubby playing guitar. She will get a kick out of it. One song will make her cry: You'll Never Walk Alone. It was the song I sang when I auditioned for the San Francisco Light Opera. That was during the three months I lived with her after living in foster homes several years. She has mentioned that song to me many times and told me how much it meant to her to go with me to that audition.

Of course the CD we made is just for fun. Just to make her happy. Other than hubby's singing and guitar playing there is nothing professional about it. But we had so much fun working on it together. Within an hour of finishing the CD we watched an episode of Frost on Netflix with a band and male singer doing a fun rendition of You'll Never Walk Alone. In all the years of watching shows I have never seen that song being performed. Twilight Zone moment.

My mother and I have gone through stages of getting to know each other over the sixty five years I have been here, to come to a place of contentment and acceptance. Ninety is a big number. Big enough to hold up the weight of mistakes and regrets.

Happy ninetieth birthday to my mother. From my heart. We may be making a 100th birthday CD in ten years.

Do Do Do Looking Out Our Front Door

2011-07-05T05:48:00.000-05:00

I mentioned in a previous post that it is not unusual to see tractors around town on the city streets. I need to remind you that the town we live in has less than 1100 residents. Hubby took a short clip of some tractors going down our street and we laughed so hard putting this together I hope you hear it loud an clear. Enjoy.

Fourth Of July Parade

2011-07-04T01:08:00.003-05:00

The high school marching band is playing
The clowns toss wrapped candy to the kids
Families and their pets walk along the side
Downtown has decorated its digs

Flags are flying and spirits are high
All ages celebrate together this way
In remembrance of a freedom won
Back on the first Independence Day.

Guest Post: Five Miles And A Miracle

2011-07-01T04:40:00.029-05:00

(Hubby wrote this, and asked to post it here, so here goes... TB)

I want to wander into the emotional and metaphysical forest here, so bear with me.

Five, Miles, and Miracle are words.

Words are a code. This code lets you know many things, depending on the placement of words in another code called a sentence.

So far, so good?

Five is a number, another code which defines everything, as math (quantum physics) is the basis for the universe.

Mile is a unit of length, and here's where we start our path into the woods.

Yesterday I increased my daily riding length to five miles, thanks to an incredible find by TechnoBabe: a nature trail built around the high school's track. I say "the" high school because we only have one here, you know.

I'd been riding a little over four miles by going around the outer streets of town and adding a spectacular one-mile stretch northeast of town. It's a straight, flat (wait, that's redundant, it's all flat here) ride through farm country.

With the new route I can do three laps to the mile on a concrete path through a beautifully serene woodland, and I can ride flat out; no people, no traffic, no intersections, just me and the bike and nature. So I am doing six laps and then riding a half mile to the "long road," as I call it. Five miles.

So, you can understand my code (sentences) because I am using smaller codes (words) in a way that creates a common understanding between us.

Miracle.

Now we're really into it. This word is LOADED with meaning. Five and Miles not so much. Miracle is defined as:

• A surprising and welcome event that is not explicable by natural or scientific laws and is therefore considered to be the work of a divine agency.

• a highly improbable or extraordinary event, development, or accomplishment that brings very welcome consequences.

• an amazing product or achievement, or an outstanding example of something.

I will use all of these definitions going forward. Here is how the miracles happened to us.

When I met TechnoBabe for our marathon first meal and chat, she told me many mind-blowing things which happened to her, and as the afternoon wore on I could not believe she wasn't a raving crack addict serial killer. I was amazed at how she handled these catastrophic events and went on to raise a family essentially on her own. I could see an awesome human being hiding back there in the foliage putting out crumbs for me to follow into her soul. She did not know this. Her inner self knew who I was, and had decided to reveal herself.

Now I can see that her ability to transcend this horrible damage was a miracle, not explicable by natural or scientific laws, and thereby caused by a higher power's interaction with her soul.

After six months of dating, we moved in together.

Then the real work began. And I encountered her Protector. This was a psychic response to a dangerously abusive situation. She created this entity before she had words to describe what was happening to her, and it became fully developed after she had to fend for herself after her mother refused to stop her abuse. She learned to dissociate. Then she was sexually assaulted and almost murdered when she was twelve.

Hence, a highly improbable or extraordinary event, development, or accomplishment that brings very welcome consequences. This extraordinary skill borne of horror allowed her to deal with the pressures of married life with increasingly dysfunctional men, and the raising of three children. As time went by, her Protector kept her from harm by dropping the gauze of slippery personality change over her, but eventually the consequences became unwelcome.

Her Protector took over whenever the slightest threat was perceived. This part of her did NOT trust me, and became increasingly agitated when I did not abandon her or cheat on her.

After a while I realized I wasn't living with a single personality, but I was too busy falling into my own damage to make sense of it. All I knew was that from time to time, she would fall into a scripted, repetitive response to disagreement which sounded like someone I did not know, complete with warped facial features and violent responses.

In August of 2008, some of you know that I had a manic episode caused by thyroid dysfunction. TechnoBabe moved out. When I left the hospital ten days later, we began to pick up the pieces and she eventually moved back in. The miracle here was that she met and learned to trust a therapist who realized and reinforced the same thing I did: she dissociated into another personality. The therapist said she'd never seen anyone flip so fast and so seamlessly. Tell me about it.

Her Protector was rude, dismissive, taunting, mocking, verbally assaultive, and totally blamed me for her feelings and behavior. We learned a Kabuki theatre of arguing, going from a sweet loving couple to horribly damaging spats that seemed to have no beginning, and no end.

Even through all of this, she respected my commitment to my music and in early 2010 played a monumental support role in the creation of Bipolar Shaman, my first CD.

Then the last, or most recent, miracle happened.

Her primary personality took over. She realized that the Protector was keeping her from taking responsibility for her behavior, and that it was killing us. I could fight the Protector to a draw, but as time went by I realized that my part had to change as well. So TechnoBabe became her true self, and I became a new part of our new life.

The Miracle part has been ongoing since December, and it's consistent. If you think about it, two people with catastrophically damaged lives working through the worst shit you could imagine and coming out the other side nearly whole and loving each other more all the time...

We are an amazing product or achievement, or an outstanding example of something.

Something called Love.

(Note: She read this prior to me posting it and didn't blink. This is another miracle of her growth, believe me.)

Babies, Babies Everywhere

2011-06-30T10:02:00.000-05:00

This has been a month of babies. These two little bunnies are enjoying the next door neighbor's yard. I walked out our front door and tried to zoom in to get a closer picture. I didn't want to get too close to them and scare them away. One day we were in the back yard and hubby looked down and asked what that was at my feet. It was a very young rabbit. We backed up slowly and left him alone. The baby bunnies and several adult bunnies live in a few habitats in our back area. Two habitats we made for them. One was here when we moved here.

Then one day while hubby was mowing, he looked down and saw that he had mowed across a nest of some kind. Upon closer inspection we saw brand new ground squirrels, all nestled in their mama's fur. There were four of them about the size of hubby's thumb. They were wiggling around. We found leaves and cut grass to cover the nest and would check on them occasionally. We watched them change colors and then the stripes were on their backs. They are Thirteen Stripe Ground Squirrels. We have seen a couple adults running around the back yard, checking out the food we leave on the ground for the tree squirrels and birds. They look like they are smiling, joyful little creatures. Have you ever seen a Thirteen Stripe squirrel?

The tree squirrels had babies as well. The baby tree squirrels couldn't get on the table at first and they looked like they had oversize feet. Like clown feet. The table is just outside our living room window. If the window and screen were not there we could reach out and touch all the critters. We sometimes have the window open and they are getting used to us talking and to hubby's music. The finches sing with his music and sometimes squirrels and birds are on the table at the same time.

There are plenty of baby birds too. Baby Grackles; baby Cardinals (the male Cardinal takes care of the babies most of the time); baby Robins; baby Mourning Doves; baby Blue Jays (who look exactly like the parents, just very small); baby Red Finches; baby Ring Neck Doves; baby red headed woodpeckers; baby lark sparrows.

With so many babies it gets noisy sometimes. It is an unbelievable privilege to be in the position of observing the birds growing, how they push their parents to the point of exhaustion sometimes, and especially how all the different bird groups get along in our yard. Calm and easygoing around each other.

Some day we will get better at photography so we can take clear pictures through the window and screen. The video was taken with the digital camera leaning on the inside window so the view is looking down on a table outside with bird seed and sunflower seeds on it. Unfortunately, the electric colors on the Blue Jay are dim and the powerful red,black,and white color design on the Red Headed Woodpecker don't show through the window and screen. But one day we will get better pictures that will knock your socks off!

Lets Go For A Walk

2011-06-28T01:34:00.001-05:00

This story is so heartwarming that I copy/pasted the whole story here. No other words necessary. Found this at All Creatures Great and Small blog.

"A dog who had all four of his paws amputated when he was just a puppy is going walkies once again, thanks to a brand new set of bionic legs.

Naki’o, a Red Heeler cattle dog, was abandoned in a frozen puddle and suffered such severe frostbite that he was left with just stumps to move about on.

His future was looking grim until veterinary surgeon Christie Tomlinson, who was looking for a playmate for her golden retriever, saw him at a Colorado rescue centre.

At first Naki’o was small and light enough to hold himself up on his stumps without too much difficulty.

But as he grew and gained weight it became painful for him to walk, especially on hard surfaces. ‘I felt so bad for him as his condition worsened,’ said Christie.

‘He is such a hyper and happy dog, but I was having to take him for walks in a stroller and carry him around.

‘He couldn’t be a normal dog, he couldn’t lead the life he wanted.’

Eventually Naki’o had to crawl along on his tummy at home and at the clinic’s daycare centre.Then Christie heard about a company called Orthopets in Denver, Colorado.

Founded by husband and wife team Martin and Amy Kaufmann, Orthopets began when Martin saw that his experience in creating human orthotic devices could be adapted for animals.

‘I felt it was barbaric that in the 20th century we were still amputating dogs’ legs,’ said Martin, who carried out the operation free of charge.

‘I thought we should be using the technology used for humans on our pets.

‘An animal is a much better patient than a human. They have drive, determination and they just won’t quit.
‘They don’t feel sorry for themselves.’
Since undergoing the pioneering surgery Naki’o can leap and bound with the best of them.Christie is amazed at her pet’s motivation and joy for life.

‘He was always a happy dog, but now he’s much more confident,’ she said.

‘It’s great to see him interact with other dogs at the park and play without a care.

‘Naki’o can now not only chase after a ball with other dogs, but he can beat them to the catch!’

Orthopets is working to open clinics worldwide. As well as dogs, they have fitted cats, horses, llamas and a stork with state of the art prosthetics."

Do you agree that this is a great story?

The Eyes To See You Better, My Dear

2011-06-24T01:22:00.002-05:00

Squinting and tired eyes have become normal lately. It had been four years since an eye exam, so I made an appointment for an eye exam.

The good news is my distance vision has improved.

The bad news is I have cataracts.

I ordered new glasses with progressive lenses.

The interesting thing about progressive lenses is they are customized to the measurements of my eyes. There are two circular areas on the bottom of the lenses for reading. My brain is training my eyes to look through those sections to read. Above the reading circles is a section for computer work. There is a specific area for this; again, my brain trains my eyes to use this section. If I look to the side it is blurry. The top is for distance.

I am simplifying it, and some people have trouble adjusting to looking in very specific areas for specific needs.

The glasses are such a help right now. For one thing, I only have one pair of glasses and they are usually on my face. Before getting these glasses I had a pair of reading glassed at the kitchen table, another at my computer, another with the current book and a distance pair somewhere around the place to watch movies and drive the car. All those glasses are gone now. I am seeing better than I have in years and it is a small adjustment for me personally to get used to the progressive lenses.

The usual procedure is for a person to use the progressive lenses while the cataract condition worsens. I am choosing not to wait for that. I have ordered eye drops that some people have benefited from and I am believing I will be one in that group. The eye drops have slowed the cataract process and even reversed it in many people. The latter group I plan on joining.

According to the eye doctor, it could be two months or as long as two years before cataract surgery would be required for me to see. She is telling me that my eyesight will gradually decline until I won't be able to see much at all.

We shall see. Now it has become a challenge to disprove that prediction.

Joanna Is At It Again

2011-06-22T01:50:00.001-05:00

You all know Joanna over at The Fifty Factor. You know when she sponsors a giveaway it is a GIVEAWAY. Nothing scrawny about her generosity.

Do the two people in the picture look familiar? They should. It is Julia Roberts and Tom Hanks.

That is all I am going to tell you. Go to Joanna's blog and get in on the GIVEAWAY.

You only have until midnight on June 27 to enter.

See you at the movies.

Going Through Changes

2011-06-20T01:31:00.010-05:00

Someone had been parked for two years on the domain name I owned for five years. We failed to renew the name on June 15, so there is a new owner of the domain name "the technobabe.com". The new owner is a corporation with a porn blog.

It is possible I will be changing the name of my blog. Not anytime soon though. My first reaction to the domain name directing people to the porn site was to get the heck out of TechnoBabeville. That still may happen but for now I will plod along and make some adjustments to my blog.

There are many Technobabes online, each with our own unique personalities and tastes. I will be thinking long and hard about keeping or letting go of my online TechnoBabe personna. I have grown comfy with it. I want to remain anonymous and if I change names it would probably have initials CW in the blog title so I would be known as CW. Maybe something like CW's Adventures.

Something I am in the process of doing is going to each blog that I current am a follower. I am checking to see which link I used when I became a follower. If it was the domain name at the time, I unfollow and then become a new follower.

One new thing is that I have added an email address to my profile:
technobabesadventures at gmail dot com.

The only link to this blog now is http://thetechnobabe.blogspot.com/

Just make sure my link has the blogspot.com part in it; do not use the old domain name.

If you copy and paste blogs into your Reader, the Reader code is http://thetechnobabe.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default?alt=rss

Some readers will probably get lost along the way but I hope to connect up with everyone eventually.

One blessing to come out of this chaos is that hubby realized that his domain name annual payment was due two days after mine was. Which was in the nick of time to update the automatic pay info so he wouldn't lose his domain name too. He had changed his email address and we had changed banks, and forgot all about the annual payments for the domain names.

I told you we are old! I would not want to lose the domain name to his blog about his music. I am with him one thousand percent regarding his composing his music. I never tire of hearing the work he does with his music. He calls it "our" music because I am an intricate part of it. This thrills me and blesses me and fills a place in my being just waiting for a way to share in music to this extent.

By the way, did you see the little ol' hippie lady in the reflection on the front door on the post on doors? Ha.

See the dancing girl in my sidebar? Click on the music bar to hear one of hubby's songs that keep me dancing. He is looking for feedback for the next group of songs he has started. The only feedback he gets is from me. I will be changing the songs periodically so you can hear different styles. One of them is my favorite. I will let you know when that one is on my sidebar.

Have a spectacular week everyone.

Summertime Fun

2011-06-19T01:21:00.002-05:00

Daddy's little girl
And Daddy's best friend.

Happy Fathers Day to all the dads from my hubby and me. Being a dad is a full time forever job. We hope you enjoy your special day.

Doors

2011-06-16T01:00:00.001-05:00

I have a thing for doors. Most women I know have a thing for shoes but mine is for doors. For most of my life I noticed doors and would save pictures of them from magazines when I was very young. Barely old enough to handle scissors. Today I have a file for door pictures on my computer.

There are screen doors, wood doors, metal doors, double doors, and so much more. Choices. So many shapes too. Standard shape, arch top, windows, bars. OMG the amazing textures.

Some doors have screen doors protecting them. Oh, I know they are put there to let some fresh air into the home, but in my thinking the screen doors also protect the regal front door. The front door is the sentry always on duty with the various locks and chains.

And don't get me started on the hardware on doors. I can spend days in a hardware store looking and drooling over hinges and handles for doors.

Moving so many times in my life has provided opportunities to handle hundreds of door handles in my time. Left my mark like a dog marks his spot on a tree.

Oh, oh, the colors of some front doors! Be still my heart.

I am sure I will be writing more about doors because this is a subject that has much meaning for me.

Getting Around In This Little Town

2011-06-13T01:30:00.000-05:00

Some housing areas are neighborhoods surrounding golf courses. One time I was interested in purchasing a house that was about three blocks from a golf course. I didn't play golf then and I don't now, but the house was perfect for me to own and rent to a roommate. The interesting thing about that neighborhood was that it was zoned for golf carts. It was not unusual to see people in their golf carts on the public streets running their errands.

Here in this little town there are a few golf carts, but there are more riding lawnmowers and tractors on the streets than cars. The older guys ride their mowers down to the Corner Cafe early in the morning to drink coffee and visit with their men friends. Then they drive back home after an hour or so. When they leave this town to travel to the next town that is much larger, most of the residents drive their SUVs or super size pickups. I think we have the smallest car in town.

Photo found on Google. Main St in our little town looks similar.

Sabroso Lentil Tacos

2011-06-10T01:19:00.001-05:00

The recipe for Lentil Tacos caught my eye on Eat At Home blog. Print out your own copy of the recipe here.

The same day I happened upon the recipe, we made them for our main meal of the day at noon.

Not only is it extremely easy (my kind of cooking), the lentil tacos are so good we will have them in place of hamburger tacos henceforth. Or at least often. And for lettuce wraps too. Superb!

Try making lentil tacos yourself, dudes and dudettes, and let me know if these are not awesome.

I don't take credit for inventing this recipe, I am but the messenger with the fine tuned taste buds.

You're welcome.

Flying Blood Suckers

2011-06-07T01:41:00.001-05:00

Camping in a tent with my kids in many of the fifty states taught us how versatile we could be.

Sometime it was hot , sometimes it snowed, sometimes we hiked, or swam. But every place we found to camp had its own type of bugs. Some were just gnats and sometimes we were swatting flies the size of a small frog!

Many times we resorted to bug spray, especially if there were mosquitoes. What a nuisance.

My arms and legs today look like I was camping in a swamp. For a week. Without repellent. Nude.

I don't mind that a mosquito gets high on removing some of my blood. Heck, I have lots; they can have some since that is the natural way of life for them. But the little mothersuckers leave something to share with me. It hurts. It stings. It swells.

The last two days I donned long straight tight pants that cover socks, my long sleeve light weight hoodie with the hoodie up and string pulled tight so my forehead is covered. I spray my face with repellent. I wear safety glasses. And my gardening gloves. Get the picture? Pretty sexy, right? I am sure all the neighbors and people driving by appreciate the charming picture I present to them.

All this just so I can water the plants. We just planted baby trees: Weeping Willow, Japanese Red Maple, Redwood Dawn, two Crape Myrtle, Crabapple, and many shrubs and flowers.

The soil is a rich black earth here. Maybe it's mosquito droppings that makes it so fertile.

Rip Off Game Was Not Won By The Rippers

2011-06-05T01:42:00.000-05:00

In January I enjoyed plowing through online companies selling various foods. I spent more time than usual in my search because it was a late birthday present for my son who lives in Hawaii. After a few hours I landed on an article at Hawaii Magazine about ordering Hawaiian food online. The magazine had a link to the company from hell: Hawaiian Food Online.

I place my order online. The next day FED EX emailed me that my order was canceled and I was to contact the company I placed the order with the previous day. The owner of the company assured me my money would be refunded.

I would caution everyone about buying anything from this company. After four months of leaving phone messages and sending emails, they finally responded to my hubby after he joined Facebook and left a negative comment on their Facebook wall. And then they acted like they had no idea I was having a problem with them. Whew.

I received a check in the mail from the company and it is in my bank.

Thank you for all the encouraging comments and for emailing the company referencing our order number. I appreciate your help.

From now on I will just order summer sausage from Hickory Farms!

Community

2011-06-04T01:10:00.004-05:00

According to the last census numbers, the population in our little town is just under 1100.

I told you it is a little bitty teensy weensy town.

Several times a year there are community events. And since it is a small population, almost everybody here participates unless someone has to be away on business.

We are setting up tables in our front yard and piling on items to sell. Saturday is Community Yard Sale Day.

We might not make enough to get a steak dinner but we will meet our fellow towners.

The Mud Room

2011-06-01T01:03:00.001-05:00

Joey asked me about our mud room I mentioned in this post.

Hubby and I started calling the little inside porch the "mud room" because that was what it was. Literally. The back yard was wet with little grass and lots of mud when we moved here. That didn't dampen our enthusiasm for moving here last October.

We now have a wooden walkway across the back of the house so we walk through the kitchen into the mud room, out the back door onto the wooden walkway all the way to the garage. Hubby is planting grass seed and some new grass is greeting us now.

Wikipedia explains "mud room" this way:

"Many suburban American houses have a mud room, a casual, generally secondary entryway intended as an area to remove and store footwear, outerwear, and wet clothing before entering the house proper. As well as providing storage space, a mud room serves to increase the cleanliness of a house proper. They can often double as laundry room."

Our mud room is a place for us to enter the little hippie cottage at the back of the house, plenty of rugs on the floor to wipe feet, four shelves to store lanterns and muddy shoes. This is the picture of our little mud room taken at seven in the evening with light in the mud room window.

Do Not Trust This Company

2011-05-27T01:13:00.007-05:00

See this logo? Looks nice, doesn't it? You'd think so. But you'd be wrong.

THEY RIPPED US OFF AND THEY WON'T ACKNOWLEDGE ANY CONTACT...

We ordered their products in January for birthday gift to son who lives in Hawaii. The owner of this company called, said they couldn't ship to a P.O. Box and they would refund our money.

THAT WAS FOUR MONTHS AGO. NO REFUND, NO CALLBACK, NOTHING.

We've called them and emailed them and they are totally ignoring us. They don't even have the decency to reply. I found this company at Hawaii Magazine online where this company was recommended by that magazine. That magazine will be hearing from me as well as the Chamber of Commerce in Las Vegas where this company is located. This company orders food made in Hawaii, has it shipped to their warehouse in Las Vegas and ships via FED EX from the warehouse. I would have been a regular customer but now not only will I not order from them again, I will be happy to tell everyone do not trust this company. It could have been so different and I would have been recommending this company. Like Julia Roberts says to the sales lady in Pretty Woman, "BIG MISTAKE".

So maybe you nice folks could participate in a little social media experiment.

Here is Hawaiian Food Online's Facebook page.

In the upper right hand corner is a "Recommendations" section. We already added an entry using our screen name Hawaii Ripoff, and we'd really appreciate it if you could visit the site and make a recommendation that they take responsibility and refund our money. Mention our ORDER NUMBER 5280. The total amount is $59.99. It is not a huge amount of money but it is something that I cannot stand: Dishonor.

NOTE: They have not called me but they sent me a one line email saying he would check to see if the package was not delivered. I emailed back and said this was not difficult, that a package was not sent and again reminded him about FED EX canceling the order and that they did not pick up a package. It took my hubby getting involved, getting a Facebook account which we do not want to have, and leaving the message on their Facebook page, for the company to even respond to my latest email. We will see if I do get my refund. In the meantime other people could email this company since they are trying to close the door on their Facebook page, but it is still possible to add a comment on their Facebook page.

orders@hawaiianfoodonline.com is the email. Thanks to anyone who takes the time to show a company the strength we little people have when we get together.

SECOND NOTE: Thank you everyone for your assistance. The company emailed hubby and the check is in the mail. I filed a formal complaint with BBB and they sent papers to the company. I told the BBB I would let them know when the check gets to me and has cleared my bank. I don't trust that company at all now. But thanks for sending the emails. I am sure that put the spark under their response. I will write a post with a summation when this is finally over.

Nose Warmer

2011-05-26T01:37:00.002-05:00

This past winter was cold. Did you notice?

Breathing in cold air sometimes gives me a headache. Sinus headache.

I cut the toe from one of Hubby's white crew socks (yes, it was clean).

I folded in the sides and sewed a piece of wide elastic I found in my sewing box.

Voila! My winter nose cozy.

It sounds like I have a cold when I wear it but I don't care. I breathe warm air.

I found the picture on Google. The one in the picture was crocheted. My socky nose warmer works fine for me but maybe next winter I'll crochet one. Or two. To match my neck scarves and hats. Stylin'.

No Two Look Alike

2011-05-23T04:30:00.000-05:00

The view from the windows in our little cottage is interesting. Different from any view I have had in the past.

The living room is in the middle of the house; a bedroom on one side and kitchen on the other side. Yes there is an indoor bathroom and there is also a mud room but they are not major rooms.

There is southern exposure in front and northern in back. So far not very different.

When I sit on the couch and look out the picture window facing south there is one type of sky. Today it is fluffy white (very white) clouds with deep blue; in fact the blue and white are wide lines, blue then white then blue then white.

When I turn my head to the right to look out the window facing north I see the back yard. And the sky is nothing like the view out the front. Today it is blackish blue and gray.

Am I just dense or does that sound weird to anyone else? Different sky depending on which direction I look.

Sometimes there is a gorgeous golden glow in the southern sky which makes the huge trees with the green leaves look celestial. And the view in the other direction would have the deep blue and purple and orange sky.

It is gorgeous and I am not complaining. It seems like we are in a movie theater or another world.

Photo found on Google. This is not a photo of a window in our house.

Snap!

2011-05-20T01:06:00.001-05:00

Stop that!
Sheesh.
That hurts.
It is irritating.
Annoying.
Every time
I enter the
house through
the front door,
it snaps me
on the butt.

Photo found on Google. It is not a picture of our front porch.

Arranging Books

2011-05-17T01:14:00.000-05:00

Are your books lined up on shelves or stored in boxes?

Do you arrange your books according to subject? By size? By color? By author? Or artsy-crafty?

Lined alphabetically by author name, or by book title?

Is it important to situate your books with titles right side up and books that are standing up with titles facing the same direction?

Are your books a personal thing or on view on your shelves for others to notice?

Do you take a book with you to appointments to read while you wait in the queue? Or do you pick up a magazine in the waiting room and mindlessly flip pages to pass time?

Would you describe your book life as "literary snob", "casual but chic", or "slob"?

This Hurts Just Reading It

2011-05-14T01:13:00.001-05:00

Cartoon found on Google. This post is re-posted thanks to Blogger being down.

Someone with a good sense of humor sent this story to me:

I actually kept my mammogram appointment. I was met with "Hi, I'm Belinda!" This perky clipboard carrier smiled from ear to ear, tilted her head to one side and crooned, "All I need you to do is step into this room, strip to the waist, then slip on this gown. Everything clear?" I'm thinking, "Belinda, try decaf. This ain't rocket science." Belinda skipped away to prepare the chamber of horrors. With the right side finished, Belinda flipped me to the left and said "Hmmmm. Can you stand on your tippy toes and lean in a tad so we can get everything?" Fine, I answered. I was freezing, bruised, and out of air, so why not use the remaining circulation in my legs and neck and finish me off? My body was in a holding pattern that defied gravity (with my other boob wedged between those two four inch pieces of square glass) when we heard, then felt, ZAP. Complete darkness and the power went off! "Oh, maintenance is working. Bet they hit a snag." Belinda headed for the door. "Excuse me! You're not leaving me in this vise alone are you?" I shouted. Belinda kept going and said "Oh, you fussy puppy...the door's wide open so you'll have the emergency hall lights. I'll be right back...." Before I could shout NOOOO! she disappeared. And that's exactly how Bubba and Earl, maintenance men extraordinaire, found me, half naked, and part of me dangling from the Jaws of Life, and the other part smashed between glass. After exchanging polite "Hi, how's it going" type greetings, Bubba asked, to my utter disbelief, if I knew the power was off. Trying to disguise my hysteria, I replied with as much calmness as possible "Uh, yes, yes I did thanks." "You bet, take care" Bubba replied and waved good-bye as though I'd been standing in the line at the grocery store. Two hours later, Belinda breezes in wearing a sheepish grin. Making no attempt to suppress her amusement, she said "Oh, I am sooo sorry. The power came back on and I totally forgot about you. And silly me, I went to lunch. Are we upset?" And that, Your Honor, is exactly how her head ended up between the clamps.

Texting

2011-05-09T01:57:00.002-05:00

The older we get, the fewer things seem worth waiting in line for.

Mothers Day

2011-05-08T01:13:00.007-05:00

In two months my mother will turn ninety years old. She and I have had our ups and downs and I didn't live with her after I was twelve. We have stayed in touch most of the time and lived in the same area some of the years, but most of the time there have been many miles between us. That wasn't what really distanced us though. I held resentment in my heart, which was unhealthy for me and prevented me from having a true mother/daughter relationship with my mother. It was so unhealthy that when I spoke of my parents they were referred to as "the mother" and "the father". It goes to show how far I have come that I can now speak in the first person and acknowledge "the mother" as my mom.

My mother was not the only person to disappoint me when I was a child. My brother still holds resentment and anger toward her and the few times he mentions our childhood he says if it had been today, our parents would have been arrested for abuse. We were four people living together for a few years but we were not connected to each other emotionally. The parents who were supposed to be the adults were ill equipped to be parents. Consequently, my brother and I did not have an example of what a family could be. We lived isolated lives and remained on the outside trying to understand how to fit in but not knowing who we were or how to participate in a well balanced life.

Both my parents came from lives of poverty and abuse. As I came to understand what their lives must have been growing up, it became clear to me that they didn't know how to break the chains of abuse in order to equip their children for a better life than they had.

Learning to forgive entails more than one aspect. Forgiving for me meant also letting go, forgetting the unhappiness. It meant letting go of anger. My anger affected every relationship in my life. And while working the twelve steps in a codependency recovery program, I admitted to myself that blaming others for my behavior is so lame. I knew I wasn't perfect, but facing truths has helped me to accept myself as a struggling human being, and at the same time accepting my mother as a woman coping with a life she detested.

My mother did the best she could. That is all any of us can do. She won't read this post because she won't use a computer. It is important to me that she knows she is cared about and I send cards and sometimes flowers to her. There is no sorrow in this post. I write this as a way to remind myself how far I have come and that I too am doing the best I can do.

To all the mothers out there, I wish you a day of love and appreciation.

Schools

2011-05-06T01:19:00.000-05:00

Did you read this post at Life With Kaishon?

For awhile I have been thinking of ideas regarding schools. I am not a teacher, my children are grown, but I am a concerned citizen. No, that is not the same thing as a nosy old lady with nothing to do.

The women who saw the need in Philadelphia for an early learning center and put the work into all the aspects of opening such a facility deserve a huge applause of appreciation from their community and from all of us too.

I think the word "school" no longer has the strength it once had. Too many tragic things are now associated with "school".

We need to put the emphasis back on the basics of education at all levels of learning.

That is why I am proposing we use the words "learning center". After the little ones are adjusted to the fun of learning at the "Early Learning Centers" like the one in Philadelphia, the little tots advance to "Elementary Learning Center", then to "Middle Learning Center" before entering "Pre-College Learning Center". Emphasis is on LEARNING.

Hola

2011-05-05T01:38:00.006-05:00

Happy Cinco de Mayo.

This will forever be a holiday I celebrate. I grew up in southern California. Cinco de Mayo was a celebration full of colorful costumes, amazing food, camaraderie, music and dancing. I have more of an attachment to this holiday than many of the monthly holidays we celebrate in this country. Time to make make some homemade refried beans, enchiladas, and rice. Yum.
When the people in Mexico took a stand against French soldiers May 5 1861, it was a boost to the morale in Mexico. That one day showed them what they could do when they worked together. France ruled Mexico for five more years but the one day of showing strength that caused the French to retreat is forever a victory.
The holiday has become a commercial holiday in our country, and like I said, it was a yearly event when I grew up in southern California. May 5th is a sentimental holiday for me.
Whatever the day is for you, enjoy your day.
Celebrar el día con alegría.
(Celebrate the day with joy.)
Feliz Cinco de Mayo.

Kids Do Say The Darndest Things

2011-05-03T01:20:00.000-05:00

Graphic courtesy of Glitter Graphics

A new teacher was trying to make use of her psychology courses. She started her class by saying "Everyone who thinks they're stupid, stand up." After a few seconds, Little Johnny stood up. The teacher said, "Do you think you're stupid, Johnny?" "No, ma'am, but I hate to see you standing there all by yourself."

Teacher: George Washington not only chopped down his father's cherry tree, but also admitted it. Now, Louie, do you know why his father didn't punish him?
Louis: Because George still had the axe in his hand.

A firefighter was working on the engine outside the station when he noticed a little girl nearby in a little red wagon with little ladders hung off the sides and a garden hose tightly coiled in the middle. The girl was wearing a firefighters helmet. The wagon was being pulled by her dog and her cat. The firefighter walked over to take a closer look. "That sure is a nice fire truck", the firefighter said with admiration. "Thanks", the girl replied. The firefighter looked a little closer and noticed the girl had tied the wagon to her dog's collar and to the cat's tail. "Little partner", the firefighter said, "I don't want to tell you how to run your rig, but if you were to tie that rope around the cat's collar, I think you could go faster." The little girl replied thoughtfully, "You're probably right, but then I wouldn't have a siren".

Free of Pretense

2011-05-01T01:01:00.000-05:00

Swinging in the breeze
Weightless and free
No strings attached
Unconditional love

Ears to listen
A shoulder to lean on
Advice if you request it
Tissues at the ready

No phony baloney
No bullshit either
Showing some love
With genuine feelings

Peace

2011-04-28T01:05:00.002-05:00

Maybe peace begins within. When we have reached the place of truth and serenity in our individual lives, we are capable of getting along with others; people in our immediate family, in our neighborhoods, at work. Then we bring a freedom from disturbance as we travel the highways, following the laws of the road and showing courtesy to other drivers and their passengers. The mental calm extends to strangers we make eye contact with in stores, in the library and museums. As we reach out to others, we begin to understand we are all important, we all matter, we all bleed when wounded. We are trying to survive. There is no such thing as status in humanity. Social standing is relative. Our rank is our right to exist. If we all truly understood this, peace would be unavoidable.

Image courtesy of Graphics Grotto.

Getting Ideas

2011-04-25T01:29:00.004-05:00

How many times do we miss a great adventure or a new experience because we give up?

An idea peeps through the window curtain, and we have a choice to glimpse and do nothing or open the curtain fully, grasp the idea and run with it.

We might have to try again and again to succeed, but what bliss when we do.

Easter Bonnet

2011-04-24T01:12:00.005-05:00

However you celebrate Easter,
Whoever you are with,
Wherever you are,
May you make the day special.

If you believe in miracles
Or in chocolate bunnies,
Cherish your blessings
And believe in hope.

Friend

2011-04-21T01:23:00.001-05:00

The statistics on sanity say that one out of every four persons is suffering from some sort of mental illness.

Think of your three best friends. If they're okay, then it's you.

Moon

2011-04-18T01:51:00.002-05:00

Image courtesy of Graphics Grotto.com

Your smile is gentle
Sometimes full beam
Even a sliver shows a hint
of humor

You scamp.
You flirt with us all.

Constant Craving

2011-04-15T01:29:00.001-05:00

If you don't know it by now, I am a big fan of of KD Lang's voice. If I could sing, this is the voice I would want.

When I think of craving, I don't think of food. Not food for the body anyway. My cravings have to do with sustenance for my inner being. Nurturing my soul is what I seek daily.

I am not perfect. Surprised? Ha. Living in this little town has put me around kindness and caring that I have wanted in my life. Thinking I was not worthy of love and believing being tough and disconnected was my only way to get through life, I prevented gentleness and serenity most of the time.

Now I understand that when I am challenged I am able to deal with the hard stuff without giving up the great stuff.

Good Intentions

2011-04-12T01:20:00.000-05:00

Are good intentions a waste of time?

I don't think so.

For me, thinking about doing something is the first step. I walk all around it in my head like a new dance step. It might take several turns on the dance floor to make the right moves, so in my head a smooth move is the result of the mental practice.

Trying something new takes courage. Making positive changes can be "ouchy". Uncomfortable.

Stepping out of the comfort zone is taking the first step. Sometimes it is a new adventure. Occasionally taking that first step leads to amazing growth and wellness. It all began with a thought, then became a good intention that morphed into a healthy change.

Drawing found on Google.

Some People Don't Get To Be-Bop Through Life

2011-04-09T01:41:00.000-05:00

A lone flower is propped up by a boot at a shoe installation marking International Day for Landmine Awareness at Simon Bolivar Square in Bogota, Colombia April 4. On each of the more than 9,000 shoes is the name of a land mine victim representing those injured in Colombia. Colombia is second to Afghanistan as the nation with the largest number of victims. (Fernando Vergara/Associated Press)

The more I wake up and smell the flowers in my life through my ongoing recovery, the more aware I am of other people. In my closed in little life I always said Columbia was one place I would never want to live. My previous husband and I almost moved to Belize about twenty years ago but after much investigation and meetings with other people living in Belize, I was the one who just would not live so close to Columbia.

Then I saw this photo today and cried for my fellow human beings who have lived and died in Columbia. I had a choice and most of them did not. I will keep this photo handy and when I feel sorry for myself, contemplating the hardships of others will take the focus off me. I am a card carrying member of the human race. We are all in this thing called life together.

Dare To Dream

2011-04-07T01:17:00.000-05:00

Reach for what you want
Work to achieve it
It's not going to be handed to you

The Importance Of A Water Supply

2011-04-05T01:10:00.002-05:00

A boy carries a container of water in Kabul on March 16. (Dar Yasin/Associated Press)

My grandchildren turn on the water faucet. And waste water. Children in Afghanistan fetch water like this.

Some Of Us Can Change Our Stripes

2011-04-01T01:35:00.005-05:00

I can only speak for myself.
The times that I would be present
in the moment and in sync with
the universe, were special times.
They didn't last long though.
But the memory of them lasted
much longer.

Each time it happened, I would seek change or ideas or suggestions of what to do outside myself, with no idea that things needed to change within. It would be funny except it was not funny at all. I was a miserable human being, depressed and playing parts to fit in with those people around me.

Now I understand the dissociation was learned behavior in early childhood. It had become so normal for me that I did not know what I was seeking was clearly within my grasp. I was no longer a child trying to survive; the tools I learned then were getting in my way as an adult. It was a disorder getting in the way of living a full and healthy life.

I learned to face the truths, forgive the past, realize when I would "disappear", and gradually spend more time in the present. The past few years have been a discovery beyond my dream, the life I wanted is better than the glimpses I had here and there. This has nothing to do with anyone else; my stability and health are not dependent on husband or family or friends. It is something I have worked hard to learn and incorporate into my being. The stripes that needed changing in my case were on the inside. It is the icing on the cake so to speak that my hubby and I have chosen to improve our relationship as we each worked with counselors individually. Life isn't a fantasy; it is real and sometimes scary and difficult. For me now, though, I choose to be in the moment, dealing with unpleasant things as they occur, changing what I can to make things more palatable, accepting the things I cannot change. Sounds familiar, right? Reading it or hearing other people say it is different from voicing the Serenity Prayer from my heart. It is not just some words to repeat over and over; the Serenity Prayer has helped change my life from stripes to polka dots of peace.

Dancing Together

2011-03-29T01:26:00.001-05:00

Waking up together
Smiling to see each other
Waltzing through the day
Another dance of joy

Sharing ideas and thoughts
Swaying in the serenity
Doing a spontaneous tango
Across the living room floor

Dancing through the days

Photo information: Mariano Balois and Yanina Fajar with Tango Inferno perform a tango called "Gallo Ciego" during a rehearsal Jan. 11 at the Joyce Theater in New York. (Timothy A. Clary/AFP/Getty Images) #