Cats Who Study....

...are smarter than cats who don't.

(Warning: some cats may appear to be sleeping on books. Same thing. Also, cats are well known for reading upside down. In their sleep.)

Hey Dude, Where's my Monday?

I was supposed to hook up with Flylady and clean 15 minutes of clutter in my living room today. I don't know what happened. I did do the daily load of laundry and some stretching. I know I did some other stuff. Drat! I should have blogged this morning, then I could remember what I did!

I got up early. I know that.
And then,
I don't know what happened.

I know I had a doctor's appointment today. It was the orthopedic surgeon. I went for a follow up for some pain in my neck and arm and hand. Anyway, now I have to get an MRI - geesh.

It's like just when you are at the age of feeling content with your mind and spirit, your body goes haywire! I know this is from the gardening. The digging with the shovel. I know it is. I'm not a construction worker. My frame is not made for it. Drat. Oh well - that's the way it goes. (And doctor bills, ahhhh, no mercy)

And tomorrow, I start physical therapy for my foot. This should be interesting. If this works to take the pain away, I will be surprised, surprised, surprised.

Also, I pick up my orthodetics. Those inserts that go in ugly shoes. And they are telling me I have to pay for them. Duh. I already paid for them. This should also be interesting.
And. I have to pay _up front_ for the MRI! Good grief. I mean, my insurance company is not the greatest with the friendly benefits. Basically, Blue Cross Blue Shield gets you in the door. I'm charming and have a good payments reputation. I may be able to talk them into something else.

Six quirky things

...about me.

Tim's Mom tagged me to write six quirky things about me.

Here are the rules:
1) Link to the person who tagged me.
2) Mention the rules.
3) Tell six quirky yet boring, unspectacular details about myself.
4) Tag 6 other blogger's by linking to them.
5) Go to each person's blog and leave a comment that lets them know they've been tagged.

So 6 uninteresting quirky facts about myself are . . .

1. I make my husband weird lunches with stuff that's left in the 'fridge. Yesterday, it was two slices of turkey, a left over cooked hamburger with cheese melted on it, lettuce, sliced onion, sliced red pepper, banana pepper juice (as there were no more peppers left in the jar), with hot mustard on rye.

2. I don't like other people's germs. I have to make myself not think about other people's germs. I could easily be phobic.

3. I really don't like telling people long stories unless they are funny or really interesting. And then I don't like being interrupted. I am polite about this, but I really get annoyed when people interject their great stuff into my great story. But in the end, they never know.

4. I like coffee fresh. When people offer me coffee, I find a polite way to ask 'how old is this coffee?'

5. I am a (retired) hairdresser. I don't mind cutting people's hair. But I am a quirky mess about touching hair that's not freshly washed. Maybe that's the germ thing, though.

6. I wish someone would massage my feet.

I don't have anyone to tag.

That is a photo of Pickles. I call it 'Fat Cat in a Chair'

Half the year

Do we realize that half the year is gone? Where did it go? I am grateful for my blog so I can at least remember some of it!

I had a wonderful visit with my sister last week. She came to visit and stayed part time with my mom and part time with me. We enjoyed our time together, and it went by some quickly. I do love my sister.

This week I'll spend time getting my house back in order. Flylady.net is focused on the living room, so that will be good. I'll pull in Madam Blueberry to help me, so maybe we'll get some other things accomplished ... maybe.

I have to post my 6 quirky things about me as I've been tagged by Tim's Mom, but I like to figure out that linking inability first.

Let's see, follow up on doctor today, bank, bills to pay, letters to write, grocery shopping, meal planning ...

But I got some new plants in. That was fun. Things are looking good out there! I'm working on a couple of new themes. Making a new area for a butterfly garden. I have already attracted two new species of butterfly. That is amazing to me!

It was a good half a year. I am looking forward to the next.

But here I am today. Yeah. I will enjoy it.

This is beautiful

This is a beautiful view of the earth. The music is lovely.

The earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. ~~ Psalm 24:1

Free Rice

I found this site while looking around at some gardening blogs.

It's called Free Rice.

I happened upon it from a blog that is written by the daughter of one of the gardening bloggers, but I have lost the link for her. When I come upon it, I'll post it. She's a young writer and is reviewing books. Very interesting.

Are some days like this?

What Kind of Spice Are You?

You Are Basil

You are quite popular and loved by post people. You have a mild temperament, but your style is definitely distinctive. You are sweet, attractive, and you often smell good.

What Spice Are You?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Basil is so easy to grow! It requires so little care. It blooms and blossoms and provides such flavor, and I love the smell. I don't mind being Basil!

More rain on Wednesday

That's an old photo I just came across of Bill and Sean. It's probably about 4 or 5 years old. I lost a bunch of my photos in files. I thought about this one recently, too, when Sean and Kellie (Sean's girlfriend) were going to jump from an airplane last Friday. However,

Sean and Kellie didn't jump. The weather was not considered good enough. Oh,happy day. But that's all postponed, as they want to do this in a couple of weeks. Right now, they are planning on vacationing with her family in North Carolina where they will ride wild horses. At least, they are on the ground.

Bill and Adrienne are in St. Petersburg on a business trip. Their little doggie, Cooper, is here at my house. I have realized that they have a bad leaving strategy. They brought Cooper over here. Said good-bye and 'stay' to Cooper and went out the door.

He went immediately into my bedroom and pooped on the floor.

I think a better plan would be, to leave him at home, as they go out all the time, and then let one of us go over and get him; then bring him over here. I think then, he wouldn't feel rejected or left behind. But, what do I know about dogs?

I just thinking that my plan would be more like a rescue than a leaving.

July 18, 2008

My darling adventurous #2 son, is planning on celebrating the one year of his anniversary, of meeting the girl he is crazy about, by together, jumping out of an airplane. I don't quite see the logic, but sounds as if precedents are being set here.

So. 9 AM tomorrow morning in Miami, they will jump together out into the sky. I'm not surprised that Sean would want to do this. This is the boy he is. He is blessed with kinesthetic intelligence. And he has always wanted to fly jets and jump out of a plane!

So. I'm not surprised.

But tomorrow I'll be praying, as soon as I finish my prayers from tonight, and spend my day waiting for the call and the invitation to view the video that will be taken of their flight, as you can jump with a camera on your head! What a world we live in.

I know that after tomorrow, nothing for them will ever be the same!

Lions for Lambs

This is one of those films that dropped off quickly from the box office being given really bad reviews. Actually, I don't recall one good review.

I saw it last night. I liked it. I didn't like what it said, though; the film is on a topic that can make you uncomfortable. It said, pretty much, if you do nothing for your country, just what do you expect? If you talk the talk without walking any kind of walk, what do you expect? Do you believe what the media writes? How do you know it's true? Where have you been? What have you done to say you know what is right?

It asked all those questions and more.
Who is accountable?
Are we accountable for nothing in our country?
It's almost like you can't even say, "oh well, I vote." Then, it's "well good for you...now, what do you really know about what you are voting for or whom?"

There are overlapping stories in the movie that show we are all one if you look hard enough. A political science professor (Robert Redford), a Republican Senator (Tom Cruise) and a journalist who has seen and heard probably all the bs (Meryl Streep) try to cope with the places they are in life right now. They are different ages and have seen different times, but all can and are affecting the world right now.

I found it thought provoking.

Robert Redford, Meryl Streep, Tom Cruise and a very good unknown supporting cast.

Part of the bad wrap was the fact that the film was said not to be entertaining, that it went around in circles, well, know what? So does the world, just keeps spinning 'round.

Joe Cool The Magic Boy

Okay. So now I love Flylady

(That's Jasper wondering what all the fruckus is about just because he wants to sleep in the bathroom sink!)

Flylady.net. The place to go if you really, really, really have a desire to get your house up to standards that you and your family deserve. My friend, Leslie (Tim's Mom) told me about her years ago. Flylady starts off with making your kitchen sink shiny. I guess I was not emotionally mature enough to handle her the first time around! Now, I love my shiny sink. My. How I have grown.

She was about to drive me mad at the start of the reintroduction, though. Every night, telling me to go to bed (albeit she be right, mate!), and every morning, telling me to "swish and wipe", and clean my sink -- grrrr -- but she was right, is right, I should say!

In the end, it's all about habits. Small little habits that you need to form early, that would be helpful, but if you did not, NOT to worry -- you can retrain that ole brain of yours. Don't ever think you can't! As Henry Ford said, "If you think you can't, then you can't."

It's a recipe for disaster if you think you can't and keep telling yourself you can't about doing things. If you really want to do them, then, my guess is, as uneducated as it might be, is that you can!

I'm going to take the evening off and watch a movie with Mr. B. Lions and Lambs. My sister said it was good, so that's all I need to know. Ready for a glass of wine and some relaxation time.

Joni Mitchell: Rock Photo, June 1985

JMDL Library: Joni Mitchell: Rock Photo, June 1985

If you scroll down this article, you will see a photo of Jackson Browne that Joni Mitchell took. It is a double exposure that turned out very cool.

Random acts of thinking

1. Visited Barnes and Noble three times last week with my nephews. I had a few books one day piled next to me. But, I meet this very interesting young mother with her two darling children and talked with her for about three hours. Books are great, and I love them. But, people...people are unique, charming and wonderfully irreplaceable.

I may never see this young lady again, but I know that I will never forget her. The Beautiful Margaret.

2. My pain threshold shot past where I could stand it, and I found myself spiraled back to the orthopedic doctor again. It's steriods and anti-inflammatory meds, again, heavy doses for two weeks, and then I have another visit, and we will decide a course of action.

I did like his attitude, though; he thinks all will be well, if I just DO WHAT HE SAYS. He says I am aggravating *my condition.* That made me think of that song line, "I just dropped in, to see what condition my condition was in..."

So, I'll give it a try. Which means, no gardening. Blahs on that. But it's raining this week, so, maybe that's a good thing.

3. The Twilight Series. Every time I turn around, I hear about it. I guess I'll go ahead and read it.

Madam Blueberry was all excited when I told her that the hard cover of, I think it's the third book?, has an iron on decal with the names Edward and Jacob, so you can choose which one you support. The Beautiful Margaret told me this. She was reading the series, too!

4. I mailed Kenny his next letter in the series of his money making deal with The Great Aunt Sasha (that is moi). Let's see how he fairs. I sent him a list of questions to be answered from the book What Your Second Grader Needs to Know.

Kenny is tough. And smart. I am interested to see what he sends back to me!

5. I was just thinking about Sean, and he walked in the door! Wow, these steriods have given me super powers!

What kind of flower are you?

I am a Daisy What Flower Are You?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"You are just a sweet person. When a friend needs a shoulder to cry on, you are happy to offer yours with a box of tissues as well. Once in awhile, you wish you could be a little more dramatic but then sensibility sets back in and you know that you are perfect the way you are."

Leftovers

Cheese and crackers. June is done! Good Grief. Has anyone started their Christmas shopping yet? I mean, it will be time to be searching for those special cookies recipes and asking each other 'what are we going to get grandma this year' purr rity soon...I kid you not.

I am getting bogged down again, so I signed on with FlyLady.com. And now, I remember what it was, when I signed on years ago, that I didn't stick with her.

Oh, her instructions and ideas are all good! But those first few days your inbox is filled, filled, and filled! with emails telling you fairly much the same thing over and over, but it's all good advice, no denying that, it just gets overwhelming, and they send you an email at 10 o'clock every night and tell you to go to bed! Which, they are probably right about -
and I will go to bed in a minute...

This time of the evening I use my lap top without the cord plugged in so that helps me put it away within an hour because that is already the only amount of juice I will have.

so, right now, these days, it's all about tricking myself and making these little side deals with Fly Lady to clean my sink (made it two days now!) but my big job - my desk - is coming up. I'm giving myself a month. I really don't know if that's to long or to short, but it sounds realistic to me now.

Most likely the only reason I'm thinking about it so much is that I am stuck inside because of the rain. I was able to clear our some overgrown areas and I was glad about that. Put in an Avocado tree, wonderful ...It's just a never ending palate out there, and I love it.

~~I wrote that the other night...
today I moved that twisty lavender tree off my porch. And yesterday, I cleaned out some beds and clipped back some things and transplanted several things so I could put the tree where I decided to put it. I was outside for about 5 hours and I didn't really want to come in. But I knew, the body can only take so much.

It's really my fingers that hurt. Mr. B's says it's just like any other muscle and that because I'm using it so much in one day, it hurts. I hope he is right. I'm hoping it's not like arthritis or something like that.

My father in law said to me yesterday, "I had no idea you liked this kind of thing" (meaning gardening),
and I said, "well,
you know...
I had other stuff to do before. I needed to get my kids off the ground. Now I have time for this."

I do not regret a single minute I spent at home with my kids. Not one teeny tiny single moment. And I would do it all again, and this time, I'd pay even more attention.

That time goes by so fast - hug 'em and love 'em while you got 'em.

I have to plant a tree...

...and I'm not in the mood for a cook out.

Actually, I think what is "wrong with me" is that I have not been out in my garden - working!! It's been raining, raining, raining, and that's really a good time to go out and dig, but it's just not worked out for me.

But here's the deal - my thing I have to do...I have a tree on my porch (The tree in the photo), and I really should not have done this, but, I love the way it twist and turns its self, and for some reason, I don't know why, I'm losing my mind? I saw it in a dream? Like I said, I don't know...

but I decided I wanted that tree growing right up on my porch, but when Mr. B saw what I had done i.e. stapling that tree to the outside of the porch area, (that second photo is the tree tacked up to the porch),

and he said, "oh, why did you do that?" He said it very quietly, but this lead me to believe that maybe it was not such a good idea? He denies that he meant anything at all, but come on, after 25 years? I can take a hint.

So, tomorrow, I have a day off...
so I need to plant this tree.