Wearin' o' the green and Coffee

Today several cities hosted an Irish gathering of some kind. They all featured walking in the streets wearing green, carrying a beer, weird hats, and live bands. One band was singing, "I see a red door and I want it painted black" when I got there. Very Stoney Irish, I suppose.

Anyway, we ate at a pub called Rooney's, watched many people go by dressed in much green, and drinking freakin' dark beer. I ordered a fried cod fish sandwich, which was the least awful thing on the menu I thought, the bread for the sandwhich was wonderful!

That was that...

Watched people who wore green somewhere on their body. Watched people watch me and my sister in law.

Came home - watched Addicition on HBO. Boy, lot to learn if someone in your family is suffering from Addiction. Sometimes, I think we are all addicted to something.

Oh well, I don't have a PHD and don't even do things PDQ, so I shouldn't be telling everyone that they are addicts of some kind as we are all fallen creatures. You normal people know who you are.

I am not normal
I need coffee every morning
I need to move into the day slowly
and quietly
I need to read some inspirising things
I need to open the window and look outside
stand in the fresh air and breathe it in
and hope that no one talks to me for
awhile.
I need my coffee hot. Sometimes I heat my cup.
I love that.
But I need to drink that first cup,
undistrubed by anything
if possible
and then let the thoughts flow
and connect while
they are fresh and kind and willing
at that morning coffee time
and I know for sure God Loves ME
then, later I will probably forget
The morning is clarity
The day is clutter
The evening tries hard to shine a light on it all
so I can see it again
But oftimes the pieces have been moved
too, too much,
and I can't recognize my morning plan
I gather my notes in a pile
find clothes for tomorrow
and wait for the sun to rise again
so I can enjoy that next cup of morning coffee...
~~Miss Roxie

I had some dreams, they were clouds in my coffee. ~Carly Simon


In Seattle you haven't had enough coffee until you can thread a sewing machine while it's running. ~Jeff Bezos

is there a Global Warming crisis....

or not?

I live in Florida. A hot spot for Global Warming fanatics who believe in Global Warming. I can't figure it out.

I tried reading somethings about it. And mostly, what I can gather is there is Global Warming. But what I can't get a clear focus on is ....the threat to my homestead.

ReasononLine Blog and This blog provided a piece that I think provides some kind of hope in that we are not in terrific danger. Quoting from a quote in the blog piece --

"If temperatures continue to increase by 0.08 degrees Celsius per decade, the planet will warm by 0.8 degrees Celsius by the end of the century. That compares to an increase of 0.6 degrees Celsius during the 20th century. Not much of a crisis. Richard Lindzen says he's willing to take bets that global average temperatures in 20 years will in fact be lower than they are now."

These blogs I'll probably check out, too. See, I am keying in on that phrase up there "Not much of a crisis". What it is, is, I don't feel a crisis in my gut. I've never had a wrong experience with my gut. Of course, I don't have an 800 # or anything, I kind of keep my gut feeling details to those around my inner circle.

When we went to war with Iraq, I felt a crisis in my gut. My whole being said, "oh expletives of different kinds we are in trouble now why is he doing this he should not do this this will not be good" ...and with Global Warming, I haven't gotten that tug of fear. (Maybe I've lost my abilities to get the gut going?).

I mean, not to think that the state of my insides are the closing statement on important issues ...oh haha, never met to infer that, but it's always worked for me as a leveler in the past.

anyway, my sister in law is a Global Warming fanatic chripping in my ear like a minor bird on a sugar high, and I listen patiently, and suppose I must find some facts of my own. So I'll be researching and if anyone wants to add some thought, that will be great.

I'm thinking an odd thing like - why are people, who are believing Global Warming is going to be the reason Florida will be washed away in less than 10 years, bother to buy plants for their front yard? Why would they spend water watering their yards? Just little things like this pop in my head.

But, that's enough for this evening. I'll look at some more stuff and report back what I (think) I see something that makes a little bit of sense to me. If I am supposed to be worrying. I truly want to know and understand the reason as a truth.

A Sunny Day

What we see depends mainly on what we look for.
- Sir John Lubbock 

What a lovely long day.

I still haven't recovered from the time change and probably won't until June. I'm dragging every morning to get out of bed at 8:30, which is really my normal time of 7:30 ~ (grrrr) ~

My computer is still on the blitz. Right now, I am on Madam B's computer and she is poking me in the back of the head with her parasol or some kind of long strange umbrella thing she bought. It's really cute actually, and she is bouncing her slinky off my back. She is being totally silly.

Sean is frustrated with the computer situation because it worked when he hooked it up at his house, so - what could it beeeeee!! (grrrr)

Jake and I went to the park, as per usual, and no one was there, and I thought, 'oh, pooh, we're going to have a lonely long day.' But then in a little while, after we walked the whole park area, we saw Sage, who is the dog of one of the artists we met who paint together in a garage across the street.

Sage had his lease dragging on the ground, so Jacob and I (oh and haha on this scene) managed to corral Sage and get the leash. If someone had a video, they could have made some money because an old lady, a dog, and a three year old running around in circles is kind of funny.

Anyway, we took Sage back over to the house and the artists - 6 of them who paint together - were working away and Sage's owner didn't know he was gone. Sage is like a big lab who is still a puppy dog and will probably be gigantic when he is finally grown.

We visited for awhile and watched them paint. (Well, I tried, too. Jacob walked around and around and I had to keep track of him. And there is a lovely nature conservatory in the front of the garage with a butterfly garden and stepping stones to follow and you know three year olds, they have to know where stepping stones go)
Anyway,
They all have different styles. It's amazing to watch them just put their brushes to the canvas and make things like flowers and people and oceans and trees and sunsets -- and even gnomes. Which is what Jacob went home with.

Suzanne, the artist who owns the garage studio, said to Sage's owner (who's name I cannot remember, and shame on me), she said that he should paint Jacob a picture because he takes such good care of Sage and brought him back. And he did. He painted a gnome and signed it, and matted it and gave it to us before we left. I'll probably make them some cookies or something next Wednesday. They paint together every Wednesday.

Then we went back over to the park and a friend of mine, that I met at the park, came with her 4 year old son, Daniel. And we had just a great visit, and walked around and enjoyed the most beautiful day. We didn't leave until almost three o'clock!!

I didn't cook dinner today. We had left overs and I made a big salad. Then I decided I needed to go to the beach. So I called my sister in law and we did that. It was just so good to breathe all that air and I felt the need to be overwhelmed by something bigger than myself. And the ocean does that for me.

It was windy tonight. The waves were rough. But I love the colors of the ocean this time of year.

Madam B has stopped poking me and is now trying to put together a new digital camera I have. And she keeps asking me to turn around and she is taking photos to test the flash. I am blind now.

I'm going to bed early tonight in hopes of combating this time change thing. Maybe that's the way to do it. I really don't know.

I just got flashed again.

If you're going through hell, keep going.
~~Winston Churchill

Computer problems

Yep. What a bummer. Don't know what is going on, 'cause I just don't have that computer gene. My son Sean has taken my hard drive and is trying to save me and my stuff. Tell you what, it's a nightmare not being able to take care of your own stuff.

It's actually been a rough two weeks, not feeling well. Not getting much done, and now that I'm finally feeling better -- Mr. B is not better and Madam Blueberry is sick!

And this month is presenting a list of things to do - My sister is having surgery on her knee and is coming here to recover. Then there is Easter and my husband's relatives are coming to town (they bought a huge house here, have furniture but haven't totally moved in), and I guess they are being talked to about hosting the whole Easter dinner there. They wouldn't provide the food (we would). Just the place. Ummm, I don't know how I would feel about having 20 people in for dinner when I didn't quite live in my house. Oh well. They are certainly better folks than I.

I think I'm going to go ahead and get a laptop. That will free up some space in one of the rooms. And we need space.

I have fallen behind on my organizing my tiny house. That's bugging me. But how can I let it bug me when it's something I just can't get to? So therefore, I have to just accept. And just carry on.

Some people swallow the universe like a pill; they travel on through the world, like smiling images pushed from behind.
~~Robert Louis Stevenson

Splog ahead for the sake of time

The hour - messing with my mind and body. I will be jet lagged. I should be sleeping now! Right now! Now! And I'm not.

I set my clock back last night. That didn't help. That only meant that I got up 'late' as 9:45 IS late to me even when it was really 8:45.

So, I ended up giving my car a cat's lick of a washing, as Mr. B was going to do it, but he is still sick, and which I didn't want to do because I have scheduled a mobile cleaning place to do it Tuesday, but I had to do it today because there were 6 of us going to a concert tonight,

but it wasn't until the last minute that two cancelled and Mr. B had already cancelled (real bummer because he is the one I got the tickets for!!) - so my niece Shannon got one ticket and she was beyond the zone of thrilled - that was fun to witness- but we didn't take my car.

Therefore, if you've followed any of this trip down whinery lane, I didn't have to wash after all and vacuum my car. Today. But I did anyway. It gave me a headache and my chest hurts. I'll take two ibruprofen and probably survive. However, now the debate. Do I cancel the guys for Tuesday? Mr. B says no.

The concert was great - Lindsey Buckingham. I'll write about that later.

yesterday, I spent the entire day - and I worked all day - doing laundry. Washing, folding and putting away. I was exhuasted by days end. I did take a nap and that was wonderful. But clothes can get boring. I did go to the store for food for dinner. Oh. how so exciting.

We watched Man of the Year last night. Did I mention that? No? Well, it's nothing to run out to the video store for, but it certainly won't harm anyone to watch it.

Why Me Lord?
~~Kris Kristofferson

why me lord?
what have i ever done,
to deserve even one,
of the pleasure i've known,
tell me Lord,
what did i ever do,
that was worth lovin' you,
for the kindness you've shown,

Lord help me Jesus,
i've wasted it so help me Jesus,
i know what i am,
but now that i know,
that i needed you so help me Jesus,
my soul's in your hand,


try me Lord,
if you think there's a way,
i can try to repay,
all i've takin' from you,
maybe Lord,
i can show someone else,
what i've been through myself,
on my way back to you,


Jesus, my soul's in your hands

Getting Over it

The 'bug' I mean, the one that is going around, or the allergy,or the 'whatever it is' that has everyone sick one way or another - hacking, coughing, under the weather - I am ready to abandon ship! I think I have coughed unattractively for long enough.

I have done everything right except get enough rest. There is no rest for the cougher/hacker/choker woman who also has to keep up the rest of her deal in the bargain of life. If you get that, you are a mom, wife, friend, neighbor, sister, aunt, and might have a job.

Life will not stop for me, probably even when I'm dead.

It is all including of a wave of dirty laundry and unpaid, unopened bills, and an empty refrigerator that people stare into. They, most probably, are looking for the wisdom to impart into their brain that there must be some way in which they too, can participate in filling it -- only without going out of the house and to an actual grocery store. (Unlike MY car, which goes there automatically if I change the radio station or happen to be distracted for just a second while driving.)

The others in the home are not interested in the envelopes that lay in a pile freshly gathered from the daily trips to the mail box, or the mounds of laundry that refuses to color code itself with an honor guard salute --

No. They are interested in The Food.

But. No matter how hard I try to avoid it, things will shuffle around to a version of normal again, and again, the laundry will dance into it's proper places, and the bills will circulate around the world to it's proper topographic point, and food will once again fill the 'fridge.

Meantime, I think I'll take a short nap.

“When a thing is new, people say: ‘It is not true.’ Later, when its truth
becomes obvious, they say: ‘It is not important.’ Finally, when its
importance cannot be denied, they say: ‘Anyway, it is not new.’”
—William James

Kris Kristofferson - After all these years!

Last month I saw Kris Kristofferson in concert. I cannot believe the man is 70 years old!! He was great! And he sang for an hour and 50 minutes.

I attended the concert with my brother, who is nine years younger than I, and I'm not as old as Kris, and my dad, who is almost a generation older than Kris - and we all thought this concert was great!

The audience was loaded though with every fan in the city that could get a ticket, as Kris' concert sold out in one hour. It was the only Sold Out concert at the Lyric Theater in the 8 months I've lived in this town.

Kris came out with just a guitar. Just walked out on stage and said hello and started playing. His set list was great. He sang all the best ones that you could remember, and all the new ones, I totally enjoyed.

If one is to believe he is a songwriter who tells about himself than you know these things:

He realizes he is a lucky man.
He believes in God.
He loves his family and friends.
He appreciates everyone who ever gave him a break or covered one of his songs.
He owns up to his past mistakes.
He is saddened when he looks around and sees the state of the world.
He is not happy with this administration.
He is grateful for his fans.
He is still not sure why women might find him attractive. (And he still is!)

Although, he didn't talk a lot, you could feel his conversation with you in the songs he sang. His voice is raggedy, but it fits him so well. That's part of the draw. Probably a love him/or leave him kind of fella!

Kris got a standing ovation and was giving a signal to the audience that he would sing one more song by holding up one finger and smiling. He sang that song. Then the applause and he signaled, okay two more. He sang those songs. Then more applause, with people standing, and he signaled again, one more.

The hairs on my head were standing on end for a lot of the songs – but especially In The News. If you click on the song title, you can hear the song. There is a video to watch, and honestly, I think, regardless of your voter’s registration card, you will feel something deep in your soul when you listen and watch it.

To me, that song is saying, we are throwing away innocence in the name of God, and how sad that is. I’m not asking anyone to agree with me or disagree with me, or change your mind about things that you think – I just feel that the world is in a very sad state of affairs. It makes my heart heavy.

I’m so glad I had the opportunity to attend the concert. My brother had bought tickets for my mom and dad and himself, but when I moved here and found out about the concert, it was too late to get tickets, so my mom gave me hers. It's funny to see Kris up there after all these years of being a fan. I'd never seen him before.

At this point, Kris may not be someone's cup of tea because he's never been a singer, nor I think did he claim to be. So listening to him sing might not bring one solace or pleasure, for that you might have to be a fan. And for the life of me, I just can't figure out why I am!! But I am. And have been since I bought his first album Me and Bobby McGee back in the early seventies, and the song Why Me Lord? has always been one of my favorites. Matter of fact, that song kind of sums up some of what, I think, he was trying to say.

Maybe his age has caused him to touch more openly on his spiritual side? Maybe he's always been that way and that was the attraction for me.

In the end, to each his own. But I am glad that I attended the concert!

The New Blogger sent me here

For weeks I have been ignoring the New Blogger notice. I've not the time as of late to participate in one more thing -- but yikes and bewilderment, Old Blogger was saying good-by and New Blogger was saying, no more warnings, this is it - figure it out you ole duckie. So I did (I think - haha)

Anyway, much has been happening - I'm tired right now. I've had that hacking, very unattractive cough from unknown sources called allergies. I don't know. Just been coughing and loosing my voice and making all kinds of weird noises.

I need to catch up with myself - so I'll best make a quick list and then expand later ...

My sister came to visit.
Saw my niece in prison.
I got laryngitis.
I developed a bad, annoying, hacking cough.
Rented the movies Wah-Wah and Sherrybaby (Don't recommend them to children).
Jacob went through some discomfort going to library classes this and last week - I figured out he uses his 'park behavior' during library story time and it's not a hit with some of the moms.
Went to the park almost every day - I enjoy it actually.

Sean was in a car accident, and I was so proud of him for how he handled the whole situation. He wasn't hurt and it wasn't his fault. I went down to the scene anyway, just to make sure his car would start, and it did and he went on to work, after being in the road (one of the main ones) for 2 1/2 hours! Three cars were involved and the real culprit got away!

Here's what happened:
This is an intersection at which the left turn lane has it's own light and it is delayed as the southbound traffic has a green light first. So Sean is proceeding with the green light --
suddenly, someone in his lane realizes they can't turn left -- SO
they hit their brakes because (like an idiot) they don't want to keep going south and miss their left turn!
(When all they need to do is go up a short distance and make a U-turn) -- SO
the cars following this (idiot) car begin to brake, and the car behind Sean, a young girl, doesn't get what's going on because she's all focused on the fact that the traffic next to her is moving, and the light is green, so therefore, she doesn't think about STOPPING,
and she doesn't.
She plowed right into Sean, who barely bumped the guy in front of him, but Sean's car has about $4,000 worth of damage.
(Of course, these days, even a bumper costs $500.00) -- SO
she tries to blame the whole accident on Sean saying he had just STOPPED because he had hit the car in front of him (which when you look at the damage, you can see that's not so) --
Sean wasn't ticketed. She was. The other guy had just a scratch, but he had to stay there for the 2 1/2 hours anyway...I felt sorry for her at first, but I didn't after I realized she wasn't going to own up when she saw the evidence of what happened, and almost lost my cool when she started screaming about Sean not getting a ticket.

But the officer on duty explained to her that Sean getting a ticket or not, had nothing to do with her situation. She was getting a ticket regardless.

Anyway, Sean handled all the rest of the stuff, insurance calls, rent a car, getting his car dropped off -- and I very proud of my son. He didn't lose his cool for not even one minute.

The rest of the days ~ just a blurr.

Mindwalk

I saw parts of this movie yesterday and I loved it.

A poet, a politian, and a scientist meet up and walk together and talk. They talk about things they know, things they think they know, things others have said they know, things they are still wanting to know, and really not knowing all the answers but believing some stuff at the end of the day.

There is hardly anyone in the film. Maybe 6 people that I saw. It's all just talking and thinking, and walking.

If you liked the movie What the Beep Do We Know ~ then you will most likely enjoy Mindwalk.

And I like the word Mindwalk ...I've never thought about it that way, but I walk through my mind everyday!!

Living in a small town

The town I live in is very small. The big towns, if you can call them that, are 20 minutes in either direction - north or south. The ocean can drown us should she decide so.

This town was created with the idea of encouraging walking. You can walk to purchase anything you need, go to churches, doctors, dentists, parks, sports activities, fire department, police department, water and utilities, library, movie rentals, banks, one fast food, plenty of other restaurants and eateries, dry cleaning, hair salons, businesses, plenty of shopping ... you can see, they meant it. It was built to encourage walking.

Recently, there has been a lot of conversation about a Starbucks Cafe and Drive Thru buying out one of the banks on the main intersection corner. A lot of people don't want it. They say a Coffee Drive Thru will encourage ... driving thru and not walking.

I'm not sure what they thought the Wendy's drive thru or the Banks drive thru-s encouraged...but they don't like the idea of the Starbucks.

I do suppose that many people would be going there for a Latte on their way to work and that particular intersection will slow down. It's bad enough now with people pulling out of the gas station there across from that particular bank, who want to make a left turn across two lanes of traffic (I get so annoyed with people who do that), and cause a real slow up when they get into the first lane because they have tricked the oncoming traffic as to what their true intentions are of where they are headed...

anyway,

We'll see what happens.

You cannot step twice into the same river, for other waters are continually flowing in.
Heraclitus ca. 500 BCE

(I really don't know if that has anything to do with walking and a possible increase of traffice problems, but I thought it was a neat quote.)

Once again and around ~ It's Friday

1. Thank God it's Friday. I love Friday's! I celebrate them. They are wonderful. (However, I know this is Saturday – blogger would not accept my post last night!)
   
   2. I am tired of people's negative thinking. Why? Do they want to stimulate conversation? It's boring. Go away from me with it. Negative voice, negative thinking ~ be gone!
   
   3. I can't believe this idea I had with my closet! I wish I had Nate Berkus the decorator from the Oprah show right now, along with her checkbook, to bail me out of this. This is not a pretty picture here. Messy, messy, messy. I did begin to organize (but you can only know that from a distance) and have begun to put all my photographs on one side of the closet. (I need a closet as big as New York, really.)
   
   4. I have a concert schedule. It doesn't include Jackson Browne, sadly, but I'll be seeing Kris Kristofferson next week on the 28th, then Lindsey Buckingham on the 11th of March, then Leo Kottke on the 30th. Not bad entertainment any of them.
   
   5. I tried to get to the beach the other day, Thursday it was, and couldn't get there!! I think it was just so beautiful and we had come out of some very cold weather, that everyone had the same idea! I could have walked from my house, but I had Jacob with me and didn't feel up to that. At some point he would have said, 'carry me' and I would have said, 'no' ... I suppose I could have pushed the stroller. Oh well, maybe another day I'll do that.
   
   6. There was a lady at the park yesterday with her 4-year-old son. She has 5 children total, but only the youngest with her. She knew everything there was about child rearing (she seemed to think. She interrupted every activity with the explanation of what to do and how to do it and what not to worry about. Like no one knew but her.) Ever met that person? Funny thing was this -- she said she would have liked to have had the opportunity to have hired someone to be with her children for a several hours everyday.
   
   I asked her, if she could have done that, what would she have paid them. And she spoke very boldly in her answer saying she would definitely have paid them at least $7.00 an hour.
   
   $7.00 an hour? That's almost laughable. Someone is 'in charge' of your CHILDREN, (and five at that) and you would pay them at least $7.00 an hour? (Well. Good luck with that honey. You need Nanny MacPhee, my guess is).
   
   Why does someone think, that a person who is paid to be with your children - to replace the parent for any given length of time - is worth only at least $7.00 an hour? They are not laundry, you know. People get twelve to fifteen dollars an hour to clean a house!
   
   I do understand that some people don't have a choice about working (or think they don’t) and have to leave their children in some kind of 'care' somewhere, be it a school or a home or someone coming in the house, but I really think the value of that service, of that time someone is putting into your child (or not actually) is worth something so much more than people seem to acknowledge. Are people really that stupid?
   
   I take care of my nephew and his parents do pay me. Do I get paid what I'm worth? No. They could not afford me if they tried to measure it in dollars. The worth of me, and my time spent with their child, cannot be measured in dollars and cents because the total will keep coming up - forever and ever. And if you don't get that -- you just don't get it.

Whatever one puts into a child, one puts into the world. And that is on and on ad infinitium.

Out in the great wide open

...that's a line from a Tom Petty song that I borrowed for today's theme. Which stems from judgment...

This Judgment I am thinking of is the judgment regarding the power that one feels another's thoughts, ideas, or actions have on your thoughts, ideas, or actions. And Really - they don't have Any, other than the power one gives them.

Today's Judgment is of how my place - my home - looks. I have a closest that is not serving me well because I have, since I moved here, just basically shoved stuff in there.

Why? Because someone was always coming to visit, and so therefore, no one could see all my stuff.

Why? Because they might judge me or pass remarks on my stuff or amount of stuff or boast on their success of having attained distachment from or dealt successfully with their stuff...

It's silly, I know. That thought is all in my head. Regardless of what the person might say or think, right?

So today - Out in the Great Wide Open - is the contents of my closest. And I shall begin, today, to put it away as I would like it put away, arrange it as I would like it arranged, and judgment be damned. In other words, I shall no longer be silly about this.

For This Day

To You who are out there sharing this day with me,

Think positive today.
Start the day with being grateful in all the things you can.
Do something today to make someone feel great. And give them the gift of being able to pay forward a good action into the universe.

I don't think I mentioned the day I ran out of gas and some gentlemen helped me out - well, I'll tell the story later - but today I'm going over to their shop and giving them some money even though they asked me for nothing in return. And that day, I didn't have a dollar in my pocket.

Be well this day.
Treat this day well.

It is a gift to you.

Love always,Miss Roxie

Check this out

Arinocdcg to rencet rseaerch, the hmuan brian is plrectfey albe to raed colmpex pasasges of txet caiinontng wdors in whcih the lrettes hvae been jmblued, pvioedrd the frsit and lsat leetrts rmeian in teihr crcerot piiotsons.

The fcat taht you are ridenag tihs now wtih reaitvle esae is poorf of the thoery.

Wehre did all of tihs strat?

It smees taht the trehoy orgteiinad form a 1976 ppaer at the Uvnitsriey of Nigaonthtm wtiertn by Graahm Rwsnailon of Asrhodelt, wichh gvae rsie to an acirlte wihch aaeprrped in the 'Narute' pbuolitaicn in 1999.

A fhrtuer alircte in the Tiems neppeawsr in Speemebtr 2003 pivroedd mroe eanxopiatln auobt the peohoemnnn.

In the Tmeis aitlcre, Dr Reoaesln MhActcry, a neruo-phylcoogsy lruecter form Knig’s Ceglloe, Cgmdbriae, ssegegtud taht hmuan bnegis are albe to usnatdnerd jeublmd up wdors buaecse the hmaun bairn parimliry raeds the mannieg rehatr tahn the piothenc cnontet of wdors (the sdnuos of the wrdos and leertts).

Dr McRtcahy was qoteud as saiyng, taht "...if you can acaitinpte waht the nxet wrod in a snnetece cloud be, you wlil not nslsciareey ntcoie if smoe of the leettrs in taht wrod are out of pclae...", and she aslo taht she was sepsrruid at jsut how rosubt the barin’s rgceotnioin aeiibtils had been pverod to be. "The hamun biarn is a lot mroe toanelrt tahn we had pahrpes risaeled, and it has to cpoe wtih diisputrng in eevydray lfie."

The torehy pdeoivrs a fiatsincang pprciesetve on mderon cutonacniimmos and the dmveelnoept of laguange.

The terohy aslo hples to eaipxln the doepmevnlet of merodn txet mseniagsg lagunage, and how the hamun biran so rlaidey utendrnsdas atboivbinears and cimtonobnais of lrettes and nbrmeus mainkg new 'wdros' whcih we've nveer seen beofre and yet stlil are albe to usterdannd alsomt iammeiltdey. For emxpale: 'c u lte8r', wihch you'll nitcoe you can utransnded eevn thgouh it's jmulebd.

One of the gerat lsneoss form tihs troehy dmsttnareoes the rmaaebrlke pweor of the huamn biarn.

Wehn we are yonug we not olny lraen how to raed, but aslo ibcerndily and uninaenionltlty lraen how to raed waht wuold by nmoral cooevntnin be decerbisd as uettr nnsosnee.

Tihs bges qtuseonis abuot the dicrieotn of laagngue eolotuvin.

Waht wlil lgganaue look lkie in geotrnaiens to cmoe?

Whtuoit dobut hmuan binegs are albe to asobrb pvrseiogerlsy mroe maening form pvolesesrrigy rucdnieg anotmus of wrdos and lrttees.

We now raed in shohtnrad - and iamegs - and sfcginltianiy we are beord by aiytnhng taht is too lhtngey.

Posorneiafl witerrs need to get tehir pniot asorcs in jsut a few seodcns, or the raeedr's anitttoen is lsot.

The jmbleud wdros torhey datrmneeosts jsut how caalbpe the biarn is at arnboibsg mneaing far mroe qilcuky tahn msot wrietrs wuold eevr iaimnge.

And a fnail daioertomstnn of how celver yuor barin is - can you raed tihs?...

Compliments of
Scrambled, Jumbled Words and Language Recognition Theory ---

Did you know that ....

1. Chewing each bite of food 25 times causes women to eat up to 210 fewer calories a day? (It doesn't say men, it says women.) True Study. It has to do with our satiety signals. They need time. Time to tell us, we are satieated. We rush them when we eat fast. (I eat fast) ...

Eating fast makes us race ahead of our bodies ability to keep track of our total food intake and we don't when we are full because we have interferred with the signal! (Source: Food Timing Diet, Mike Adams). Slow Down. You're moving to fast. Ya' got to make that cookie last -

2. A 10 to 15 minutes daily walk in the natural sunlight not only clears our head, relieves stress and increses circulation, it could also cure the risk of breast cancer at least 30 to 40 %. (Source: Target News.com)

3. Hula Hoops are back! I'm going to steal one from my little nephew! It's a pink one, I don't think he'll care. Hula Hooping is now considered a very "approachable fitness method", according to Christabel Zamor. Cool Beans! Anybody else willing to get on board for Hula Hooping!?

What I do think is charming, though, is that there are 'instructions'.....you need a DVD or you should take classes. They even tell you to be sure to move your furniture should you do this at home. No offense, but ...Duh.

And you are supposed to buy a 'fitness hoop' not a child's hoop ....Shucks, I'm still gonna steal one from my nephew. He has four of them. I just don't think life should be all this complicated. It's a Hula Hoop.

The Music is Returning

...and life goes on -- in a good way.

Anyone who has come near my blog has heard me with this long drolling _w-h-i-n-e_ about this moving situation I am in.

Well, in the midst of it all, my brother decided to buy my husband a bass guitar. (I always spell it 'base' but apparently that's wrong?).

Does my husband play guitar? No.

Does he have time to practice? He says No.

But he's got the music in him. He did play drums. His father had a band and played accordian, his family can sing, my kids have some musical genes (I just sing ...ah, because I want too, not because I can!) ...so we all have faith in him.

Anyway, so he's out there practicing with a burnt CD of the particular tunes he will be playing on, my kids are helping him (Madam B is learning guitar and Sean already plays in the band*)...the music is playing, everyone is singing and dancing, and I am so happy right now.

*The Band - Seldom Seen and The Remainders. That would be my brother, my brother in law, my son Sean, and now Mr. B!! LOL.

"The Girls" (myself, my sister, and my sister in law and one of my nieces, Shannon who also plays guitar very, very well) will be practicing our way to officially step up to the mike. Mostly, up until now, we've just jumped in whenever and wherever -- well, mostly me, because I just do that. It's my little brother after all. Big sisters have some rights. Just ask Lucy.

"Poetic Art for the Heart"

I just love the title of this article I found recently. I was in a doctor's office and there is a little magazine called Natural Awakenings. It's one of those black and white, free, publications.

The article sites it's source as Prevention.Com --

The summary is this --

Reciting Poetry with a good beat can give your heart a relaxing break. Some researchers in Germany have discovered that "walking around a room breathing in time to a poem with lines long enough to afford a long, full exhale" can actually calm our heartbeat. (Isn't this amazing? I love this!)

It also works "to enhance how well our heart rests and recuperates from daily stresses." According to the International Journal of Cardiology, the latter signals decreased risk of out of rhythm heartbeats and even heart attack or stroke. (Is this not so cool?!)

"Recitation links body and soul-mind, breath and body-in a unique way," says researcher Dietrich Von Bonin of the Institure for Complementary Medicine at the University of Bern. Von Bonin suggest using verse comprised of long lines with "three or four repreated rhythmical stresses throughout each line." Rhyme is optional!!

Samples of effective poems include Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's "The Song of Hiawatha" almost anything by Charles Kingsley or "modern poems with requisite long lines and rhythmic pattern."

I'm not sure yet about my knowledge of modern poetry or who they would refer to as a modern poet, but I love that research has found that poetry can help the heart. Because poetry has been a matter of the heart, in my opinion, since the first poem was uttered.

Happy Valentine's Day

I realize my blog has been neglected. I'm still on the planet. I am very tired these days.

I am dealing with the left over 'stuff' from the storage shed clean out, planted some flowers along the side of the house and have been properly fighting with the cats for the territory.

I didn't really honor Valentine's Day this year. Madam Blueberry made some be-yout-ti-ful chocolate covered fruits for her boyfriend! What a great job she did. She gave us the -shall we say-ugly ones? But there is nothing ugly about chocolate to me!!

I made some candy. Which is now known and very popular - around this house.

Mostly, I am just trying very hard to still make some sense out of moving in! We have maybe one more BIG project (I need my shelves for my books) aside from buying some furniture.

Madam B is still working away at here school. I have some new books to add next week and she needs a new Shakespeare book. I saw that the Sonnets were on the list - so I'll be picking those up then. She just finished Merchant of Venice. We need to watch the movie now.

In the meantime, in between time, ain't we got fun?

All because of the peanuts

...I decided to make my own candy. I was frustrated beyond a measure about the peanuts left in the can of mixed nuts. No one would eat the peanuts.

So I thought, I had to find a way to use those peanuts. Candy. I thought "Candy" ...I would make candy.

I do it the easy way. I don't buy any fancy ingredients, just semi-sweet chocolate chips.
I melt the chocolate and add -- whatever I want.

Madam Blueberry likes just raisins. So I just put some raisins in a bowl with the melted chocolate ,and stir them around, and then drop them in teaspoon size pieces on a piece of foil (you can use wax paper) that I have sprayed with some non-stick spray, and then put them in the freezer. When they are frozen enough to stay together (doesn't take that long), I put them in a zip lock bag and store them in the freezer. Yum.

Mr. B and I like a bit more stuff in our candy. So in the bowl with the melted chocolate I add, raisins, nuts, and anything else I want. I've added Cherries from Smuckers Jam, Peanut Butter from a jar of Natural Peanut Butter, different cereals - you can try anything.

So the recipe --

Pour chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl
Melt chips in microwave
Take out and stir
Add whatever ingredients you like (I'll bet you could get away with adding finely chopped carrots!)
Drop by teaspoonful amounts on prepared surface
Freeze in Freezer.
Transport to ziplock bag.

Easy Peasy. And your popularity rate will sore!!

Because I said So

If you have already seen this movie, I do apologize for not getting here sooner. I just got home. But please, please, please, as the review in my newspaper said …do not see this movie because I said so.

It is so bad. I have never in my life seen a movie that was (so) bad from the first second of the first sentences, before they even showed the name of the movie – it was like you wanted to choke the character that was played badly and annoyingly by Diane Keaton.

Honestly, do not walk into the theater that is playing this film. Run to the nearest exit and scream so everyone else will leave.

This movie not only is bad, but it gets worse as it goes along. How much worse? So much worse that you feel like you are having an out of body experience because your body is trying to get you out of the chair and back to your car and into happy hour somewhere to convince yourself that you have not made such a terrible error as to have purchased tickets for this film because you could have done so much more good with your $5.50. You will forever be punished for this sin. The best thing you can do is warn others.

My sincerest condolences to those of you who have already suffered through this film.

And, please, should have liked it, please post a message to my blog. I can't believe there is someone out there ...

the YARD SALE

Quick Notes from a Crazy Lady in a little Blue House –

Tomorrow is the huge Yard Sale. I really don’t like them. This one is very big with police and yellow ribbons and cones and markers. We have two booths and tons of junk, ‘er, uh, stuff – goodies – fares and wares – with little red, yellow and green tags on them.

Some of them are white tags, so as to contain an explanation of what the item might be. Isn’t this a weird world? Buying something the likes of which had to be explained to you what it was…. how ingenious.

So my car is loaded up, and Mr. B’s truck is going to be loaded in the morning with the rest of the storage/attic treasures.

AN OPEN LETTER:

Please, please find a home with someone else, dear stuff, it’s not that I don’t love you any more, I just don’t have the room here, and you have served us well, and we have looked at you long and in all it’s propers, so now it’s time to allow us to exchange a few tokens with someone new, and they can take you home and have a good look at you and feel the joy that you have brought to us.

ON THE HOME FRONT:

I will be glad when this is over! My house and porch are once again filled with more things to make a decision about. I look through it and think how can I throw this away? So. I’m not. I’m just putting it in the attic for another day.

THE BEANIE BABIES

I think the Beanies are cute. We have lots of them. My son Sean won 100 in a drawing so that started us off really well, then gifts they were from relatives and friends, and the kids buying their own in the collecting of them, so what I’ve decided is not to sell them. I’m giving some to special friends, and then I’ll donate the rest to someplace that helps children who might need a little beanie friend to help him through something. They’re just to darn cute to sell to a stranger on a hot humid day.

Or. If all else fails and I keep them. Perhaps they can be used for money one day – along with everything else here that was Made in China.

I find Yard Sales overwhelming. I want to crawl under a cover and sleep until it’s over. I’m nervous right now about being able to get up in the morning!! What kind of person gets stressed out over a Yard Sale!! They are supposed to be fun! And Prosperous!

But for right now, I’m hangin’ in – just hangin’ in.

What do you know about Organics?

A quiz about Organic *

1. Organic produce is grown with little or no fertilizers. True or False. (Trick question. Think. Not all fertilizers will actually kill you. Some just really stink.)

2. Organic means, that no antibiotics or hormones were fed to the livestock sold, as food. True or False? (Geesh. Do they think we are that dumb?)

3. Organic produce is completely pesticide-free. True or False? (Again, another trick question. Not all chemicals are going to fry your insides slowly.)

4. Vitamins and mineral supplements are allowed to be fed to poultry and livestock raised as organic. True or False? (Oh come on…feeding plants vitamins is a whole lot cheaper than hiring Billy Blanks to get them on a work program.)

5. Any animal treated with medication cannot be sold as organic. True or False? (Oh alas, they think the organic crowd has no brains? Who wants to eat poultry on Prozac? There has got to be a law about that? Okay, well, let me rethink that…maybe a chicken should be on Prozac.)

6. Studies show no significant flavor difference between organically grown and conventionally grown foods. True or False? (Somehow, I don’t think taste is the main attraction for eating organic. I mean, would you believe someone goes around saying to himself, “Oh this broccoli filled with pesticides is so tasty I could never choose the organic.” No. I don’t think so. You choose organic because that is what you want.)

7. Organically produced foods cost more because they cost more to produce. True or False? (Well, hardy, hardy, har – they cost more because someone figured out that they are worth more, so it’s big business to buy food that actually might not kill you as fast and even be good for you!….ooops, I kind of gave that one away. Sorry.)

8. Organic produce is clean and ready to eat. True or False? (Well, now that depends on where you get it. If a mommy hands it to you in the kitchen, you would answer ‘yes’ …but if we buy it in a store…oh duh, now what do you think? Ooops, sorry again.)

Okay – if you are stumped for the answers “1. False. Manure, compost and other organic wastes are used to fertilize crops. 2. True 3. False. Farmers are allowed to use chemicals found in naturally in the environment such as sulfur or copper. 4. True

5. True 6. True 7. True 8. False.”

*from The Palm Beach Post (1/25/07) –Today Section E. Reference from: “American Dietetic Association Complete Food and Nutrition Guide, Revised & Updated 3^rd Edition by Robert Larson Duyff (John Wiley & Sons, Inc.)…TCPalm.com --

(--- however, the parenthesis are mine).

Who is Dr. Oz?

I mentioned Dr. Oz in a recent post and I should have provided a link because he is a very interesting doctor. He has provided some good, no-nonsense, straight forward information IMO regarding good health via television and radio and books.

He has teamed up with Dr. Roizen sometimes, and they have hooked up with Oprah on television.

Dr. Oz is on Oprah's satellite radio show. The information he clues us in on the workings of the body is very informative.

(Thank you Mommy22ss for pointing out that I left that information out! -- Miss Roxie)

It's in the details

1. I woke up at a decent hour. Got a load of laundry done, read with Madam Blueberry, and totally forgot what else of the morning went on.

2. Jacob and I went to the park. He brought the park home with him in the form of dirt on a boy in layers.

3. When I came home I took a nap. I could not believe how tired I was. I didn't think I played that hard at the park, but I must have.

4. I spoke with my sister on the phone this afternoon and from the conversation about someone else of which I am concerned, and I thought about something -- people sometimes forget about the message of forgiveness. They forget that forgiveness is bigger than the sin ever was. Forgiveness is like White Out.

5. I went to see The Lettermen tonight. They were really good, but I didn't remember they had actually had so many hit songs! I mean like a kagillion! When I got home, Madam B asked me what did they sing. I told her Unchained Melody, which a lot of people don't know the title but know the song; I sang a few bars and she remembered. Got that familiar, "Oh yeah! Oh yeah!" But that was it. After that, song after song, there was only laughter from her because she recognized nothing else. And I was singing now so badly because I was laughing.

Now, I really don't know who sang Unchained Melody first. On this blog there is a story of the song and how it came to be. But no mention of The Lettermen.

And I searched around, and as of yet, now I'm not sure who actually recorded it first as a hit.

I always like to know the story behind songs. And the stories behind books and stories. The back stories. I always like to know them. I guess I have this thing for mystery and truth.

6. My brother gave us a ride home from the concert in his convertible. I was amazed at how good my hair looked when I came home! I mean, really, it looked like it had been professionally done! All that time spent on fixing hair, when all we have to do is ride around town for 20 minutes at 45 miles an hour in a car with the top down!

7. I am committing myself to more prayer time. I need it. I'm still frustrated with my physical state and I can feel some unhappiness about it coming on. But there is just too much going on in my life, and my families lives, that I just don't have time to feel sorry for myself right now even though I feel like I want too.

8. Bad breath. Some people have bad breath. I've asked my closest people to tell me if I have bad breath. They think I am being obsessive. I'm not. There are men bagging groceries and ladies working who have bad breath. It's a turn off. Find a way to check as no one has the nerve to tell you. I realize this probably reveals a shallow part of me, but I'll take that risk. Floss people. Use a mouth wash or rinse, rinse, rinse. Change your tooth brush every three months. Actually, Doctor Oz says every 30 days!! He says your toothbrush can carry e-coli!!

Still moving in

I told myself when we moved that I would give myself a year to get settled in. I’ve got to remember that. It gets frustrating some days.

This weekend we emptied out the storage shed that three of us have been sharing. That means, the sense of order I had here is gone. It can be overwhelming should I allow it, but I shall try not.

I have boxes in my living room, dining room, front porch, spare room, and on a trailer outside. I’ll be having to go through them and revisit my life.

There is only a couple of things missing that I’m aware of – but I have made do without them. So what is in those boxes?? A lot of it is pictures, and things of the past – oh dear.

But oh well, I will deal with it.

This weekend we continued on with trying to figure out new ways to live in a very small house. We bought a new organizer thingy for the laundry room. It is a unit thingy consisting of three bags for dirty laundry and a shelf and a pole for hanging clothes. It has to go in front of a window, so I suppose that might violate some law of esthetics or something, but we will survive. I doubt Architectural Digest will be showing up any time soon.

On the first week of February we are having a huge yard sale. I’m selling all my dishes. Yes, I am. I would like new dishes, as I’ve not had new dishes since we got married in 1982. The dishes I own have been gifted to me by someone else or are pass alongs, so by golly, I’m selling them all and getting some new dishes! Sometimes I think I am crazy.

Ending another week

1. Being a coach has it's benefits. My sis/in/law has joined Weight Watchers and I have become her coach. I have an interest in eating correctly and breaking all these bad habits I have created in my life for the reasons that I eat food, so this is kind of right up my alley.

Like today, she was ready to 'eat' because she said she 'felt' hungry. Well, it was almost noon, so it's lunch time, right - reminded her of that - and then asked what she had had for the morning meal and it was lacking in protein, so suggested a very healthy and light lunch -- sliced turkey wrapped in a large lettuce leaf with green pepper, red pepper, sprig of basil, small slice of cheese if you need it, tomatoe, black olives (few) and even a slice of onion should you desire. Yay. It worked out for everyone and I snacked on grapes.

2. Snacking can be good. Put out good snacking things like grapes and strawberries, and raw veggies. It sounds simple, right? But you would be surprised how many people just don't do this and end up having a show down with every carb in the house!!

3. We ate in an Italian Restaurant last night. My husband's choice. And I was so, so tempted to order something pasta and white sauce with heavy cream from that menu -- but when I asked the waitress about a 'shrimp and tortellini alla vodka sauce', she informed me, "It's in heavy cream. Heavy, Heavy cream." And on that note, she looked me straight in the eye and I found my sister in disclipline.

I ordered a Greek Salad (it was wonderful) and a bowl of Pasta Fagioli. Okay, so I got pasta! But the soup was excellent and seemed better than heavy, heavy cream.

4. I still make my green smoothie every day. I still take my Holy Basil (I think that stuff works). And I still am not allowed to exercise for another 4 weeks. Bummer.

I feel trapped. I don't like this feeling of being restricted and dealing with pain should I 'cross some line' of movement. It's very frustrating. Even though I know I have no right to complain because there is always someone who worse off, I know this. Still. It's frustrating.

I'll have to figure this out.

5. We saw the movie Invincible tonight. It's a story based on the Vincient Papale (Pa-pal-lee) a 30 year old bartender, born and raised in Philadelphia, who got a chance to play football with the Philadelphia Eagles.

The new coach was desperate for players and held an open try out. It was touch and go for Vince, but the coach signed him on because he had heart and character and thought he could put some life back in the team and the feeling of the city. Apparently, he did. It really was a feel good movie. Not a bad family movie either.

6. I still have things to do from my last weeks list. Things don't ever seem to go as I plan them, but I still think planning them is best, or else - my gosh - who would know what would happen!?

7. I did start my garden! I have basil, oregano and some lettuce. I can't tell what kind of lettuce it is. The container just said, "lettuce." Good enough for me.

8. If my life were a movie, I would say the cast is turning out to be very interesting, very loving, very funny and a good group of people. The plot, however -- still a mystery.

May these young men survive

If you follow the news at all, you are aware of the return of two boys that were missing. One was missing for 4 years, and one was missing for 4 days.

I watched Oprah today and cried. I feel so for both sets of parents. I remember when Shawn Hornbeck went missing.

I cannot imagine the heartache. My prayers are that these boys can be/will be successful in their future life.

Shawn said today in the interview on Oprah that he comes from a Christian family and that he was praying every night for his family to find him. Today on the show, I hope he felt the love the audience tried to give him.

10 Things that (also) mean absolutely nothing (still) except for number 10

1. The weather is affecting my mood. I am melancholy and so is the weather.
2. I should go for a walk. I can’t seem to make myself do that.
3. I was reading the newspaper today, The Stuart News, and it’s full of typos. They must have no proofreader worth their salt.
4. I thought I had my three days off planned out. Things didn’t work out like I planned. Firstly, I only have two days off …then the weather made me melancholy.
5. A lady who was rude to me at the pharmacist has decided to be really nice to me all of a sudden. Today she told me the long story about her old cat and her new cat. – You see, one day I was there and picked up my prescriptions, and I said, “are you sure you charged me for both of them?” She didn’t really like being questioned, but upon further examination of the situation, she realized that she had not charged me for one of them. She never said a word, just corrected the mistake. Now, today, she tells me that my driver license picture is very good and all about her cats.
6. I need to loose 5 pounds according to me. Actually, it’s just my middle. Dr. Oz has informed us that is the omentum.
7. I gave up wine for two weeks. And eating at night. (Ha Ha – these are two of my pleasures so we’ll see how long it lasts. So far, two nights.)
8. I’m impressed that Oprah started that girls’ school in Africa. I’m sure there will be some bad press about it.
9. I can’t believe that people still care about whether or not Britney Spears was drunk, stoned or tired on New Years Eve. My gosh, people, get over it. Don’t buy that junk. Just read it in the check out line for heavens sakes.

10. Did you know that you can major in being a Clown? Check out this list under Miscellaneous, 4 down from the top – I’m not kidding “Clown” ….(if the list doesn't show up - click on Child Related Careers on the left column --)

Not for Human Consumption

My sister is a produce manager at a major grocery store. She encounters many different and unique situations.

Recently a woman called her frantic with fear! My sister had to do some research, but she was finally able to tell the woman she would live.

Here's what happened - did you ever buy those little prechopped veggies? They come in a plastic container all ready to go. This particular one the lady on the phone had chosen is called 'trinity mix' ... three veggies together, onions, peppers and celery.

Seems the lady just opened the package and dumped them in her soup. Her soup was wonderful and she ate a couple of bowls before she realized that she had dumped that little "not for human consumption" blotter that absorbs the excess moisture from the veggies into her soup! She was frantic.

That is what the blotter says, "Not for Human Consumption" ...so she panicked upon rememebering this, called the store and my sister took the call. After making several phone calls, my sister found out the ladies health was not in jeopardy.

I thought it was kind of humorous that in trying to save yourself a few steps, you could end up in the emergency room. But what am I saying? Don't most accidents happen in the home?

Most of us spend our lives as if we had another one in the bank. ~Ben Irwin

Monday Monday

I just found out I'm off for at least three days this week. Wow. I have so much to do; I'm thrilled. Now I am wondering, realistically, how much I will actually get done! This will be challenging.

1. I have Madam Blueberry's 2nd semester schedule to formally write up.
2. Set up Madam B's computer.
3. Put many things on shelves.
4. Get ready for a garage sale on February 3rd. (My sister is law is telling me, "we need to get together and price these things out." And I'm thinking it will work like this, "This box - Each item - 50 cents." To me, that's the key to a successful garage sale!
5. Line some shelves. I love doing this. It's so nice after you are finished.
6. I have bookwork to do with a deadline of January 31st.
7. Choose a book to read. I'm readying nothing! What a bummer.
8. Ummmm, I'll add more later, I'm sure.
9. oh, write a review ....

Right now, my phone is ringing ....

How far you go in life depends on your being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving and tolerant of the weak and strong. Because someday in your life you will have been all of these. ~George Washington Carver

So you think it's easy?

This is so fun ~

The Dancing Vlog!

Learn another language and get some exercise at the same time! How fun is that?

However, I'm not recommending any of the other dancing vlogs on this site ...just so you know.

10 Things that mean absolutely nothing

1. I can't say Dashboard without thinking of Mrs. Dashwood.

2. I hate that I know the words Al Queida, Al Kazeer, and Jihad. (I didn't say I knew how to spell them, I just said I hate knowing them.)

3. I like to make a spinach quiche and eat it all day.

4. I love magazines but buying them is expensive, so I catch up on stuff in the check out line. And, yes, I admit, I do like to catch up on the drama now and then, too. I think it's funny to ask a perfect stranger, 'so do you think she going to leave him?' and they laugh and give their opinion.

5. I love naps. I would rather get up early to get my work done (even before sunrise) and take a nap in the afternoon than sleep in.

6. I am a mess with paper work. If I have any paper, I make a mess with it.

7. I love cooking. I think it's fun. It makes people happy to eat, but they don't always like you messing with their food with fancy things.

8. If you have a family of 5, you are fortunate if three people like the same thing. If all 5 like the same thing, rejoice, as you have been blessed.

9. I like my blog. It's fun. It's an easy way to catch up with myself.

10. I love Fridays and Sundays. I usually work around my house on Saturdays, but I wear leisure clothes, translated means, things might not match but I am comfortable. I like to get all my laundry done on Saturday. I think it's wonderful when I don't have to do a load of laundry during the week, but, honestly, that doesn't always work out. On Sundays, I like to just relax.

So Me and Rachel Ray

And so you think you’re Rachael Ray in a rock and roll movie …

You think, hey, she’s there in a small space making a meal in thirty minutes, I mean, really, you say, I’ve been cooking for like – ever – just what could be so hard about that?

Okay. Well, I added one more thing to her deal but, Gees and Louise,

It weren’t that easy.

The meal I set out to copy was vegetarian and healthy. Both these facts, at least, remained at the end of my program.

Firstly, if anyone has watched Ms Ray perform her culinary skills, I do say, she does make it look easy. Good on her.

And when she is finished, there is no mess. My kitchen looked like Hurricane Andrew and Katrina had children illegally and they were fighting over the inheritance of the South Seas.

The menu –

Penne Pasta with a Cauliflower sauce

Portabella mushrooms and Kale in wine sauce

Of course, it so sounds like a piece of cake. There is no cake. But there are things caked on to my stove and floor now.

The Cauliflower Sauce was quite interesting. You sauté 5 garlic cloves and one red onion in some EVOO (That’s what Rach always says, “EVOO” – sounds kind of spooky, doesn’t it? But it’s Extra Virgin Olive Oil).

Now, you should have your things chopped and diced and ready to go. I, however, did not. I’m skilled at it, remember? (Ha Ha Ha)

I had put my EVOO in the pan and set it on low, as you are not supposed to let that kind of oil smoke, so I kind of forgot about it. …Then I smashed my garlic cloves with a little jar because I can’t find my press and I peeled them quick as I could and threw them in the pan. Yes, forgetting …

1. Splatter some places.
2. Recover and on to the next step …

Add one chopped red onion. I didn’t think it would take that long to chop a red onion, Rach takes about 30 seconds!! So I noticed that my garlic cloves are getting kind of brown, and I begin throwing my red onion in there. I mean, what is this red onion doing? Growing as I chop it?

Okay. So I get the onion in with the garlic and now I am supposed to chop the cauliflower. I watched Rachael do this. No big chore she showed there. She does have a tad bit more space than I do. And the woman is very organized with her little garbage bag on the counter (best invention in the whole of the kitchen world) – but I, of course, did not have one ready because I have no space and I – oh never mind –

I began chopping the cauliflower. Then, I thought,

1. This is taking forever so I’ll just chop it over the pan.
2. No. Dumb Idea. That takes even longer.
3. Back to chopping on the counter.
4. I’ll be days finding all that cauliflower
5. I got some in the pan

It begins to simmer in a lovely way. It is suppose to cook down. At this point I forget what else is supposed to go in it. Ummm. So I put some Italian seasoning and it seems like it’s drying out so I added a cup of vegetable broth. THEN I remember, Rachael added the water from her pasta!! Her already cooking pasta.

Which I had forgotten about getting ready at all.

1. Boil the water for the pasta
2. Put the pasta in the water. Do not cook for the 15 minutes IMO.

Now the portabella mushrooms. I didn’t have a pan left that was big enough for the big mushrooms that you slice into nice ¼” sections and brown in the EVOO. You brown them first, before adding any salt for flavoring because if you add the salt first it will dry out that mushroom. Isn’t that interesting? The pan I had to use was quite small.

I only say this because I didn’t end up adding all the kale she suggested ….a pound and half of kale…which I am glad about because even if kale is good for you, and you do put two rounds of a turn of merlot on it, and some nutmeg…it’s only going to taste ‘just so good’ – if you get my drift, as in “there is no chocolate in kale” …

Onward,

After the mushrooms have browned (there in my little tiny pan), you turn them over.

By now I have about twenty cooking utensils in various places all over the counter.

My cauliflower sauce needed to be mashed. Yes, you mash it. With a potatoe masher. Now, in the real recipe at that point you would have added some of that stock from the cooking pasta. Which Rachael says, with much vigor, is full of great whole wheat things and all.

This, however, would not have worked for me because I didn’t have a pot big enough for all the pasta I poured in and so it was kind of drying up to the top. At first I poured in like half of the pasta, and then I thought, you know what, as long as I’m cooking, might as well just cook the whole thing. Why? Why do I do these things? Rachael Ray doesn’t do these things?

Okay, so where was I?

Oh yeah, I’m supposed to add the kale that I mentioned earlier. I did add some. It’s beautiful looking, but like I said …about kale…if you like it, you add it and move it around and let it get wilty, and then you add more and let it get more wilty, until you have added a POUND and a HALF of Kale. (Do you know how much BeanO I would have to eat to have a pound and a half of Kale?)

Alrighty, then.

To recap:

1. Pasta is boiling.

2. Cauliflower is mashed.

3. Kale is steaming over the browned mushrooms, on which you have poured two turns of the merlot should you wish. If not, you can use some chicken stock and you should put some nutmeg on there. Rachael did. But I forgot. And drat about that.

Back to the Cauliflower Sauce. You add one cup of Parmesan cheese. You are supposed to grate it fresh, but I had enough going on and am glad I had the presence of mind to buy some that was already fresh grated.

I’m trying to think.

I think that’s it.

My Cauliflower Sauce didn’t look like a sauce. It looked like some kind of hash brown potato dish. You are supposed to pour the pasta in it, but I was afraid to do that in case it was not so good.

Oh, the other thing I was cooking was some meatballs and turkey sausage in Italian gravy. Actually, I never call it gravy, I call it spaghetti sauce, but I just felt like saying gravy just then. It’s fun to call it gravy. I think I will from now on.

So. I called in Madam Blueberry.

And she’s very cautious.

“Oh, is this that recipe you got from Rachel Ray?” (She’s being very sweet because she is hungry). “Looks good,” she says.

And believe it or not, it was!! I recommend the Cauliflower Sauce.

The Kale I can live without.

I think I’ll call the Governor about the state of my kitchen. Maybe I can get some funding.

New Limits

Ack! how frustrating to have new limits!

This back injury, or whatever it was that put me in the ER, is just taking forever to heal. I did a round of Prednisone (Can you say, "Miserable?"), and now I'm doing 10 days of anti-inflammatory medication.

I am burning up. My eyes are on fire. My face is on fire. Can this be good? I do not know. And hungry! Oh my gosh, this stuff makes you want to eat, eat, eat. Because if you don't, I think it burns up your stomach. What the 'hey' is it doing for me? I don't really know. I'm trusting some guy that went to medical school.

I bought something today called Mona Vie because a stranger in the park said it helped her husband with his back. That's how desperate I am. I'm talking to strangers in the park and taking their advice. Pain is a frustrating place to be.

But my back spasms every time I try any kind of exercise or stretching. By the end of the night, I am wanting a muscle relaxer so badly.

But, you know what ~ I'm going to deal with this. And if this doesn't work, ummmm, okay, I'll find someone else in the park who can shed some light on my situation!

Thank the Good Lord that Madam B is a cooperative homeschool student! I love this child. She just gets her books and does her thing. I mean, I do have to say, 'oh hey, what about history?' "oh yeah, I'll get to that." she says.

Something about history ~ she just doesn't think it's necessary to study. She says no one listens to it anyway. They don't pay attention, she says; they just keep making more and more of the same mistakes. Okay, well, I can't really argue with her there, can I?

How Well Do You Know Your Calories?

How Well Do You Know Your Calories?

(This is from an article in the Schripps Treasurecoast newspaper transported from another article in the Sacramento Bees)

1. True or False? Light whipping cream has less fat than cream in aerosol cans? (I don’t care. I don’t use light whipping cream or buy cream in aerosol cans. My kids always put it on everything, and it was gone in a day. Not very cost efficient).
2. True or False? Light coffee cream has fewer calories than half and half? (I don’t care. Light coffee cream tastes like diluted dishwater. I’ll die sooner for the 2/3 seconds more of a calorie.

3. True or False? Cup for cup, a soy beverage is higher in protein and riboflavin than cows’ milk? (I don’t care. I don’t drink cow milk, and I don’t drink soy beverages. I drink water, tea, and red wine.)

4. True or False? Cottage cheese has more calcium than other cheese? (I don’t care. I don’t buy cottage cheese. I do use other cheese because I like it in things, I just like cheese, and so I don’t worry about cheese. I worry about liking things like cheese, though.)

5. True or False? Frosted cake has fewer carbohydrates than angel food cake. (Trick question. But I don’t like angel food cake. It’s not really cake. It’s stuff that reminds me of diets, and not having fun at a party. I like the frosting on the frosted cakes. I don’t even really like the cake. I like a plate of frosting. Homemade.)

6. True or False? A rum ball has more calories than a piece of divinity. (I don’t care. I love rum balls. I hate divinity. What is divinity? They should make divinity with rum.)

7. True or False? A peanut butter cookie has more calories than a chocolate chip cookie. (I don’t care. I would never choose a peanut butter cookie over a chocolate chip cookie. Ever. That’s almost cruel to think about!)

Okay, now if one should care – these are all False.

What ideas have you borrowed?

I'm thinking of things I've seen or read that other people do and then incorporated that idea into my own life.

I came back from a visit to Tennessee with Leslie and bought myself a package of white little wash clothes for my kitchen, and a package of colored little wash clothes for my bathroom because that's what Leslie has, and it seems so efficient.

Of course, we won't talk about the fact that some of my white little clothes are now pink because I washed them in with my cranberry colored Christmas napkins by mistake ....

I always carry a hair tie in the car. That's what my friend Sasha does so she always has one when she needs one. And I never could find one when I needed one until I did that. Course, now I always have to run out to the car to get one ....

Rachael Ray always has a little bowl on the kitchen counter for her garbage when she cooks. Very convenient little thing to have there.

My friend Phyllis always used one wash cloth a night for her face. And at the end of its use, she wiped up her bathroom sink and put that cloth in the clothes hamper. I started doing that. And my sister did, too. She said she got the idea from me. I don't know where Phylliss got it. But your bathroom sink stays tidy.

I carry a little notebook in my purse at all times. Just a little one so I can jot down anything. Now my mother in law does, also, as well as Mr. B. Ooops, no, he doesn't carry a purse, he carries the notebook in his truck. A truck is much bigger than a purse.

Somewhere along the way, I learned to keep all I need for cleaning in each place I do the cleaning. I keep extra personal items in the bedroom so if I have company I don't have to always go in the bathroom for lotion or such stuff.

And because Mr. B goes to bed earlier than I do, I keep meds and contact solution stuff in the kitchen as well as the bathroom.

That's just a few ~
I'm sure there are more. As I go through my week, I'll think about them.

But I'm thinking, what would I do without my friends? They are such a source of brain power to me. I love my friends.

Who finds a faithful friend, finds a treasure. -- Jewish Saying

Hold a true friend with both your hands. -- Nigerian Proverb

"A faithful friend is the medicine of life."
-- Apocrypha

Lost in Translation

Well, I had a plan to throw three things out at least today, maybe seven. But I broke three things. Glasses. So, I just have a few more things to decide on getting rid of.

I was lining my cabinets with shelf paper, and Mr. B was downloading the tree. Together, things crashed and the vacuum cleaner is a lovely thing to have.

I told Mr. B, "For living here only 4 months, our shelfs were sorely dirty.

He said, "That's because they're white."

I said, "Really? You mean if they were another color they would not be dirty?"

He said, "It wouldn't show."

I said, "But they would still be dirty?"

He said, "Yes, but they are white."

I said, "Let's talk about something else." And put some music on.

And since you know you cannot see yourself,
so well as by reflection. I, your glass,
will modestly discover to yourself,
that of yourself which you yet know not of.

~~William Shakespeare (from Julis Caesar).

In Making the Year Better - Make more Space

Today I threw out more stuff...

Throw out 7 things every day that you don't use -- anything you see no matter how small. Or if you are afraid to throw them out - put them some place in a box, and leave them there out of the way,

and if you haven't reached for anything in this box in a month, throw it away or take it to goodwill or someplace like that.

If you can't do 7 things, do three. Three is a quick fast number. A real winner.

Today, I am trying to follow some of my good advice in my very long last post:

I wrote a letter to my niece in prison and sent her songs lyrics and a poem. And I told her the wonderful things about her I know. And I told her about what she looks upon as mistakes, big bad and ugly mistakes, are turning into something beautiful out here in the free world.

We must not believe the many, who say that only free people ought to be educated, but we should rather believe the philosophers who say that only the educated are free.

Discourses --Epictetus

Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven
- for she loved much.
But he who has been forgiven little loves little.
- The Holy Bible - Luke 7:47