Lunar left overs

It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.~Charles Darwin~

Last night was an eclipse of the moon. It was truly lovely. Madam B and I watched it from the front yard. I tried to take a photo. All I got was this teeny tiny little dot in a black space. I held the camera as far away from me as I could, Madam B began laughing, 'oh yes, mom, that extra foot will definitely make the difference." It didn't.

I have a new computer, and I'm not sure how to post photos on it. I have a new camera, too, and I don't know how to load the memory card on here. I'll put that down on my list for another thing for do. I only have 5000 things, so far, so now 5001.

My mom is ill. Things are not right when your mom is ill. We've all had this crude flu thing that the world is sharing, and mom started coughing on Monday. I could tell by the sound of it, ummm, not good. She went to the doctor today, for blood work actually, and my dad insisted that she speak to the doctor about this condition she's in, and the doctor didn't like it at all (the condition, not that my father spoke). So, she's being treated for pneumonia, she feels awful and she's laid up in bed (lain up? laying up? laid up? oh, she's in bed very ill). I don't like that picture. Me poor mum, so tiny in the bed. Nope. Don't like that picture.

Mr. B is still out of town doing his training. He misses me terribly but our friend Pam is an excellent cook and cooks a fine dinner every night. Which I hadn't been doing lately, so he's made out on this bargain.

He went by the house we lived in when we first got married. He says it looks so small! Well, it was small. It was only a two bedroom! Funny, how time makes things look differently to some people.

I'm still on the down low from the flu bug. I'm tired. I wanted to get a few things done while Mr. B was out of town, but I ended up being exhausted every night. Oh well.

I have done a lot of shredding. The shredder is actully fun. When Jacob comes over, as he did this morning at 9 AM, in his pajamas with a big smile on his face, he loves to do some shredding. Four year olds think things like paper shredders are really cool, something akin to large bulldozer equipment in their living room. I forget what he calls it, I'll have to ask him again, but I save up the papers for him, and we sit there together, and he puts them one at a time in the shredder and each time we are constantly amazed at the results. Jacob shouts, "Wow!" a lot.

He's learning the paper can't be to thick, can't be to thin, can't be to wrinkled, either. It's funny to watch him try to unwrinkle a paper. He once asked me to iron it, but I told him, nahh, it'll be fine. I let him mess up, too, now and again, when he doesn't follow my instructions. Of course, I don't ever put the machine in too much danger, and Jake in no danger, but now and again, he jambs up the machine, and we have to take time away from our fun to go unclog it. So far no damage has been done and a lot of paper has been successfully shredded.

I'm still working on my decluttering. I've begun to realize that one must surely not need as many pieces of paper as I keep. I must have some kind of fear of something. What kind of fear could a person have that doesn't let them throw away a copy of a bill that they paid right away? Maybe if I just start throwing everything out, I'll discover what it is when it happens to me! Okay, that will be my new rule - Unless it's tax related, shred it.

Oh my gosh! The cat just crashed into the sink!!

Life is always at some turning point.
~Irwin Edman~

Not Last Week of Training

They said it was 8 days of training. Now, it's 10 days of training. Which only proves one more time the old adage; you can never tell which way the train went by looking at the tracks.

My flu has turned itself into the common cold. I don't know if I should stand up and cheer. Never mind. I'll get to dizzy.

Here's a cute story - A friend of mine took her three year old son to a Chinese restaurant. At the end of the meal, his mom handed him the fortune cookie which he carefully opened. As the little white piece of paper with his fortune popped up out of the cookie, he excitedly exclaimed, "Look Mommy! I got mail!".

Job saga - last week of training

Driving to the training place and back is costing $25.00 a day in gasoline. Friends of ours live about 30 minutes from the place (we live 2 hours), and have offered to let Mr. B stay with them to help with the commute. There is even an offer of one meal a day.

We have decided to accept the offer. This will be the last week of training. Then, we should begin to have an idea of what we are up against. It's really annoying not to know, but trusting God in all things is comfortable.

In my humanness I do have concerns, but they are for tomorrow. And the Good Lord will probably beat me there.

I often find myself constantly adding things up. I do have to remind myself to relax. Ah, but not that often - just now and again. I take a deep sigh and find something to do. There are lessons to learn, and by golly, we are going to learn them.

Take no thought for the morrow; for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. --
Matthew 6:34 KJV

If the flu is in hell...

I don't want to go there.
I felt the beginning on Thursday. Did all those great things to take care of oneself, much positive thinking and gargling. I made it to 5 PM.

Then I was on the couch, unable to move, at all until last night. (I moved to the bed.) I thought if I moved something really bad would happen to me. And I wasn't sure what it was. Just knew it would be bad. I wasn't sure I would survive it. I took no medications. Drank no water. Ate no food. I turned off my cell phone. Sounds felt like power drills through my eyeballs.

This morning I actually walked around. Had some chicken soup (healing soup made special by my mother in law) Then drank some coffee. THAT was a mistake. My body said, "You fool. You absolute fool. Putting coffee into me? You have your nerve! Why do you think people lose weight when they have the flu? Well, guess what, girl?"
It's not over yet.

This is the first moment of very clear thought I have had. How clear this is, I'm not sure.
Conversations seem like a dream.

The dreams I had when I was melded to the couch were like movies, scary movies. I was driving buses with killers on them, along with Nicholas Cage, whom I never think about during any given day ...flying planes into houses accompanied by Dane Cook who was injured in the crash...then there was an air attack by the Asthma Association (yes, only in a dream). I was told by headquarters that they do this on a regular basis.

The dreams went on and got crazier. I have no idea how high the fever got, as I felt as if I'd never slept.

I have no idea how to advise someone how to not get this. I didn't get the flu shot this year. Nothing personal. My doctor's office ran out, and I never got back there.

Even though the coffee has racked my body, I think it gave me a moment of clarity, which seems to be passing by me now. And I'm fading away, the aches and pains in my joints are shouting at everything I'm mad about, and my head is beginning to throb. Probably because I'm doing something strenuous, like typing ...

later,
and may you be safe from all flu germs.

Twists and turns on the journey

Is life a journey? or an assignment? is it your job or career? your family?

Some people never ask themselves these questions. Some people can never escape these questions.

Mr. B began his training for his new job today. And, it sounds terrible - so far. First, they scheduled the new employees to show up in the wrong city. Where they are supposed to be is another 30 minutes away - making the drive a 90 minute commute. Secondly, they said, 'don't expect to have another life outside of this one.' Oh, bad sign if your journey is not 'my career is the journey.'

So, at this time, we are just coasting. Going through the motions of following through what this job might really be like, if indeed it is different than described today, but at the same time, changing our plans. A job like this isn't what we want for our journey together.

So, watch with us as we decide what to do, how to play the cards we drew, and make the hand turn out as we would like it to be.

Oh my! our cat just fell into the open washing machine half full of water and then got out and ran through the house panicked! If one should believe in signs, wonder what that is a sign of?

Good day,

Miss Roxie

Yes, I love flowers...

Last week I moved some hanging plants to where they can be viewed from my dining room window, which is the most visible window ~ and it is just lovely to look out the window and see the flowers displayed there.

In a Woman's Day magazine I read this little clip:

"Take 2 minutes to smell the roses and say so long to the blahs. People who made a point of looking a flowers first thing in the morning reported feeling cheerier and even more energetic throughout the day, according to a recent study."

Now, they don't say what study, but maybe that's not important when you are looking at flowers.

I know I find a real pleasure looking at nature. Sunsets and sunrises. The ocean on a windy day. Even beach sand has it's allure for me.

And shells! How beautiful are shells!

You know, I was just thinking it is a genuine responsibility to have a garden. You have brought plants and flowers into captivity and now you are responsible for them! Serious business to be responsible for the life of something.

Invitation to the party

I'm ahead of myself and behind at the same time. I've got my tax things ready for the accountant which I don't normally have done until about August! That's freaky. But, in the rest of my life, I remain, in a way, stagnant.

This, this being part of the unemployment statistics, is very warying. As much as one wishes to be positive, one must still deal with feelings, comments and questions from others, as well as the comments and questions that well up from inside ourselves, causing all kinds of emotions that run a tributary of wild thoughts through our minds.

Emotions must be respected. That is how someone is not made to be crazy.

Lots of people want to deny feelings that are what some might call 'negative' ...but feelings are real things, real messages are being sent and must be received and dealt with least they deposit themselves somewhere in our body or in our actions that could be deemed unhealthy. A person can feel nervous about a situation and find that their body is flushed and think their blood pressure is going to shoot their brain out of their head! Most likely - not.

Just relax and let it pass. Otherwise, you might lead it in the wrong direction. Take deep breathes, drop your shoulders, give them a roll back and relax.

In respecting all our feelings, we can allow them to pass through without damaging ourselves or things around us.

I have found that movement is very important. Positive movement regardless of whether you clean a drawer, weed a flower bed, or go for a walk, or pet the cat. I have cleaned the inside of my cabinets and the cabinet doors. Something that has always been in the back of my mind to do. It's lovely. Even Mr. B noticed! And I've started back on a regular workout routine. (Let's see how long that lasts!)

But, if one should feel the need to be still, than by all means, respect that feeling and be still. Outside is probably best. On the beach is probably better. Sometimes, being still is best.

But, I know regardless of the situation right now, there could always be something worse going on in my life.

The consequence of changing things in the middle of one's life, without preparation, is surprise. Like - **Surprise!!** Only there is no party. Except for the one you might give yourself.

The wandering mind

I'm beginning to wonder where my mind has wandered off too...
as you know your mind is not with you
when you begin to wash clean clothes.

"One day Alice came to a fork in the road and saw a Cheshire cat in a tree. Which road should I take? she asked. Where do you want to go, was his response. I don't know, Alice answered. Then, said the cat, it doesn't matter."
~~Lewis Carroll

It's always a place to be

If you got up today and didn't feel like doing anything, honor that feeling for a moment or two.

Take the moment outside with you. Look up. Expand your chest and breathe. Let yourself feel the air going through you body, circling all the parts of your being. Stretch and breathe deeply.

Sometimes I think when we are overcome by the feeling to not doing anything, that is exactly what we need to do. Nothing.

Don't feel guilty about it. Allow yourself to be recollected. Allow allow all the little particles of thought that went scurrying about all day, all week, all however long, to settle in a nice soft place. Be there quietly for the settling and the reconnection.

Then, quietly, move on.

Status Quo

What do you think would be the status of a bag of opened pistachio nuts that go through the wash cycle? I have first hand knowledge on this.

I also know about wallets, keys, pedometers, candy bars, flip flops, change and regular bills, gum wrappers, tissues, fast food napkins, air filters, old hoses, cable wires (clipped and unclipped), caps that go on cable wires, caps that go on other tools, tops that belong on other things like laundry soap or bottles of water, and other assorted miscellaneous pieces of plastic, ping pong balls, along with other substances that could no longer be identified, not excluding the standard of sticks, rocks, washers and bolts.

"One out of four people in this country are mentally unbalanced. Think of your three closest friends. If they seem okay, than you are the one."
Ann Landers

When I grow up

When I grow up, if I live in this world,
I want to be detached by my poetry.
My poetry will make the walls I need,
and if someone is looking for me,
they can read a poem I have written and find me.
And if it's not me they are looking for,
perhaps they can find themselves
or their friends or loved ones there,
when I grow up.

When I grow up,
I don't want too much stuff.
That's too much dust and space taken up,
by material things,
I want living things around me
When I grow up.

Still stunned

I'd like to not focus on my husband being unemployed, but that's not really working, uh, no pun intended. I am going through my daily stuff, wondering when I should change that stuff. I have a part-time job, and I'm wondering when I should look to seek full time employment.

I went to the grocery store today. I took a list with me, but I didn't bother to look at my list and bought only what we needed for today. I'm wondering now, what do we need? We've never had that much nor have we wanted much, but our basic needs we've always been able to meet and a little extra now and then, so I'm thinking, well, we should be okay for a while, but truthfully, I don't know. I really don't know what to expect.

I know that Mr. B has to go through his cycle of emotions about his situation. He's quiet man. He's a good worker. A hard worker by most standards in this country, let me correct myself here - A hard worker by any standard in any country - he's a person who gives all to the hour for his employer. Come the end of the day, he is always entitled to his paycheck. So, now he feels cheated by something. Some mystery something that writes on the wall, hard word deserves a good reward. What did all his hard work get him, he thinks. But I'm thinking, maybe, rewards are paid in the likes of other things. Maybe reward for hard work is paid somehow, by the universe. Maybe it's paid by the devotion of your family in times of need. Maybe it's paid by the phone call of concern and offer of help from your nephew when he finds out about your situation. I refuse to forget that love conquers all ...

I know Mr. B is in a rationalizing mode, as I realize, as he does also, that the place he was working for was not well managed, and cast a blind eye in his direction for his value as an employee. They focused more on his age. They choose youth, so that they could pay them a lower wage. It's a capitalistic society we live in, after all. Profits are a great concern to the corporation. And while I don't think any one begrudges any one making a profit for a job well done, it's how they come about those profits, how they reach the goals of those profits, that bothers the conscience of a lot of people.

There is not much in the newspaper in the way of decent employment for hard working men.

I am waiting for that light to go on in my head that we are in real trouble. But it's not dawned yet. We are all quietly turning off all extra lights (haha, again no pun intended), but oh gee, we already do that, ummm, so where can we cut back we are discussing.

There are always bumps in all roads of our journeys . Life is not always smooth sailing, now is it? And every cloud has a silver lining. Things always happen for the best. It will all work out - anything sound familiar yet? We all have heard, and even know these little truths to be true. We all know that all will be well. Now comes the challenge - Can we live it?

I'm going to keep track of us and see if we can. Resilience is needed now. Spiritual resilience. But regardless of our situation, I know, things could always be worse.

(And remember, love conquers all.)

Ancora Imparo

The credit for the quote is given to Michelangelo and means "I am still learning", and I find that is me. Each time I scale some mountain that contains new information from experiences, I look over the top and see stuff coming I do not know about. It looks foggy at first, but if I wait long enough, the fog clears, and I walk through a lovely forest of peace and then, out of nowhere, the fog appears again.

So, just when you think you have experienced much, a new curve is thrown and out of the fog comes something different. Mr. B called me yesterday morning to tell me he has no job. Unemployed and so late in life, very interesting, and possibly, worrisome place to be. I have no idea what we will see when the fog clears.

Come to think of it, I might feel more like Alexander Graham Bell when he realized that his instrument of new discovery actually worked - "What has God wrought?"

We shall see.

We are concerned, but not to the point of worry. Actually, I'm not sure I do worry anymore. I try to 'go placidly amid the noise and the haste' and it seems to work for me, as I don't like noise and I don't like haste.

There is also another philosophy that I have learned from and that is the one that talks about viewing the same things from different angles and seeing different things. So, we are not looking at this harshly as of yet, and hopefully, we won't find ourselves 'living in a van down by the river!'
'

Masterpiece Theater and Jane Austen

January begins has a fantastic schedule for Jane Austen fans!

Persuasion - January 13, 2008

Northanger Abbey - January 20, 2008

Mansfield Park - January 27, 2008

Miss Austen Regrets - February 3, 2008

Pride and Prejudice - February 10, 17, + 24, 2008

Emma - March 23, 2008

Sense and Sensibility - March 30 + April 6, 2008

Great Souls

"Great souls take advantage of every moment and every opportunity to give happiness to others through kindness in their thoughts; such souls are willing to overlook weaknesses and mistakes and have the desire to help everyone reach their potential."

I found this quote today and loved it! I want to be a great soul.

It reminded me of this quote --

Love generously, Praise loudly, Live fully ~~ Elias Porter

Nothing much else really going on. I've been keeping up with things around the house today, just didn't feel like going out. Lots of laundry to keep me busy.

Last night, I watched the movie Waitress. it was that typical story of someone who has it tough, really, and oh wouldn't it be nice if someone just came along and helped them out - some great soul - and they did.

The movie wasn't what I expected it to be at all, but it was a (mostly) happy ending, and I love happy endings.

My caterpillar has passed. This makes me sad. I looked up everything I could find today about it, and there are so many things that could have gone wrong. Some of them could have been my fault, but it is difficult to know for sure. But I will correct those things I know about, you can be sure, before I try this again.


"Christmas is not a date. It is a state of mind." ~~ Mary Ellen Chase.


So don't be frazzled by the season! ~~ Be dazzled for the Reason!~


Have some hot chocolate and relax!! It's a lovely evening.

On the 5th day before Christmas....

I can-not be lieve it is almost Christmas! I know I am sure to catching on to things - but, goodness gracious somebody needs to light a ball of fire under me!

I don't have that much to do, really. Some things are last minute no matter what --

talked with an old friend last night. That was cool. She called me at 10:13 PM - so my cell phone said - and that's my birthdate so I think that's cool beans.

Last this afternoon I had to make a run to the dentist with Madam Blueberry, as she had chipped a tooth and didn't have a clue as to how - but they took us and charged us - gosh, it's good to be a dentist - and then we went to Barnes and Noble for some last minute shopping. I still have one more thing to pick up, aside from food and such.

It's raining bullets from the sky and they are not paper -- (see Shakespeare: Much Ado About Nothing) ...

The presents are wrapped.
The tree is shining brightly.
The house smells like candles -- fragrances like vanilla and sweet treats.
My daughter is reading.
My husband is listening to music.
Our new kitty is sleeping peacefully now, so he will be up all night (grrrr, can't wait till he gets tha feeling that he has conquered everything in the house and finally settles down. Ooops, why? Because then, Madam B will want another kitty, because kitties are so lovable and cats are too settled....)
My caterpillar, Willie, is in sleeping on his Milkweed plant. I bought myself a fish tank for housing caterpillars. I know I'm like a first grader with them, but I really love them! and -- well, they are not mine, they are God's, but I figure I'll just babysit them until they are ready to fly ...

Listening to: Hard Times, by Charles Dickens. What a wit he has with character names -- Mr. M'Choakumchild? Hysterical! The novel is not so.


"So, Mr. M'Choakumchild began in his best manner. He and some one hundred and forty other schoolmasters, had been lately turned at the same time, in the same factory, on the same principles, like so many pianoforte legs. He had been put through an immense variety of paces, and had answered volumes of headbreaking questions. Orthography, etymology, syntax, and prosody, biography, astronomy, geography, and general cosmography, the sciences of compound proportion, algebra, land-surveying and leveling, vocal music, and drawing from models, were all at the ends of his ten chilled fingers. He had worked his stony way into Her Majesty's most Honourable Privy Council's Schedule B, and had taken the bloom off the higher branches of mathematics and physical science, French, German, Latin, and Greek. He knew all about all the Water Sheds of all the world (whatever they are), and all the histories of all the peoples, and all the names of all the rivers and mountains, and all the productions, manners, and customs of all the countries, and all their boundaries and bearings on the two and thirty points of the compass. Ah, rather overdone, Mr. M'Choakumchild. If he had only leamt a little less, how infinitely better he might have taught much more!"



Yes, indeed ..."how infinitely better he might have taught much more!" - if only he had learnt a little less ....

That's about all for now.

Take care out there ...
Don't be frazzled by the season. Be dazzled for the Reason.

Just another Manic Monday

Part 3:

Just when you thought, oh please, not one more thing - you run out of gas. Stone cold - O.U.T.

I do thank God that I was IN a parking space at the grocery store when I KNEW for sure that I was OUT of GAS! I cannot imagine my horror of that situation had I been with one of my nephews at the time! I would never have out lived that story.

I called Mr. B. who had not even left his job site - it was almost 6:30 - and he was over an hour before getting home, so he started rapid fire asking me, "have you called ??? or ??? or ???" --

"No. Darling. I called you first." I know he loves me and worries about me because he knows I don't do gas cans.

So calmly, I called #2 son.

The conversation was simple:

"Hey Sean, you home?"
"Yes."
"I'm up at Publix, and I'm out of Gas."
"Be right there, Mom."

Now. Who could ask for anything more?

So - how does someone run out of gas in this day and age? Broken gas gauge. Oh well.

So - Sean came up with a 5 gallon can and as he poured it in my tank, and any conscientious observer would have been able to tell it was, indeed, Stone Cold Emp-TEE!! Goodness Gracious, I am a lucky woman!! Sitting in a parking space! How lucky is that!

Part 2:

Our house is a haven for some furniture my oldest son has come to possess for a home theater he and Mr. B plan on building together. The furniture was a deal. Couldn't be passed up, so - there are theater seats in my already small living room and our Christmas tree was on the front porch.

I came home this afternoon and Voila!! Madam Blueberry had the furniture rearranged so you can walk around, the tree inside the house, decorated, and the house in now decorated and it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas! She's been wrapping all the presents and has them under the tree. Oh, she does spoil me.

Part 1:
"What's well begun, is half done." ~ Horace

I must be well begun, because I am always half done!!

A Color Test

I found this on a message board ~ Try it --

The Color Test

So, are you left brained, right brained ....or do big words bother you, too?



Don't underestimate the value of Doing Nothing, of just going along, listening to all the things you can't hear, and not bothering....Winnie the Pooh

The Brain and Music

Music cleanses the understanding; inspires it, and lifts it into a realm which it would not reach if it were left to itself. ~Henry Ward Beecher

There are some interesting facts on this that I am sure most people have already heard about.

Browsing through the library yesterday, I came across a book - Making a Good Brain Great by Daniel G. Amen, M.D. - and since "I am a Bear of Very Little Brain, and long words Bother Me," this book looked like it might hold some interesting keys for me.

The chapter on music talks about how the brain listens to music. It listens with it's whole self. We hear often about 'left brain' and 'right brain' but rarely 'whole brain' -- unless you mean bread. Oh wait, that's ...something else.

Anyway,
The book states that certain types of music can enhance the function of the brain, the memory, and emotion. While other types of music can help us solve problems.

And because the brain can process music with both of its sides; music is found to be healing and enhancing of any function it needs to make because music does integrate the whole brain.

Singing is supposed to be good for our brain. The book speaks to singing, not singing well. Singing stimulates the parts of the brain involved in memory. Bet you can still sing the "ABC" song, can't you? So did you know, you know Mozart? See just how cool you are?

Thomas Jefferson used music to help him write the Declaration of Independence. He wanted to use just the right wording, and if he should get stuck, he would play his violin. And voila! We are all created equal!

Music also makes you move. If you can feel it, why couldn't you heal with it? Studies say that following surgery, those patients in intensive care where background music was played needed lower doses of medication than those where no music was played at all.

I'm all for it. Music everywhere! Let Music be the Food of the world -- It's good whole brain substance.

So, go listen to your favorite stuff. Take your newfound or rediscovered calmness, happiness and less stressful being out into the world tomorrow and make this a better place! And I will do the same.

Tu Tranquilo,


Miss Roxie

Music, once admitted to the soul, becomes a sort of spirit, and never dies.
~Edward George Bulwer-Lytton

The Heisman Trophy Winner 2007

Congratulations Tim Tebow - This year's winner of the Heisman Trophy. A homeschooled Florida Gator!

On January 7, 2007, Tebow was featured prominently in an ESPN “Outside The Lines” feature on homeschooled athletes seeking equal access to high school athletics in other states. In fact, his popularity inspired "equal access" supporters in Alabama to name their bill in the Alabama Legislature "The Tim Tebow Bill"....

Happy Birthday Nate the Great

And he's thrown the pass that is life ......


Twelve years ago today, Nathan was born and shifted my status up to The Great Aunt Sasha. I loved my new title. He was only about 4 lbs, as he was born a little earlier than expected, but against all odds, and he is still overcoming odds and continuing to conquer the world - he came home to be loved by us all.

We wish you a Very Happy Birthday, Nate the Great! And many, many Happy Returns.


And he scores!!!! Best wishes, Nathan, from Uncle Desi, Aunt Sasha, Bill, Sean, Scarlett, Shadus, Harley and other assorted family members and friends.

Historic Date

December 7, 1941

In rememberance of those who fought for freedom, we say Thank You.

19 Days till Christmas

"Tis the Season to be jolly...." Deck the Halls

Madam Blueberry went shopping with her dad to get a tree last night. They came home empty handed because the trees were a little bit pricey for what you are getting. Madam B is a very sensible girl. More sensible that we had thought, actually. Maybe we will put lights on a pole?

Yesterday was my sister in law's birthday. She is another ageless type person. Her spirit is forever young. Seven of us celebrated at Chili's fine foods restaurant because Shannon has just started to work there as a hostess. Her very first job! So, what we did tonight was make a memory! Making a memory is one of the best gifts you can give someone.

We have all our gifts wrapped up to date (thanks to Madam B - who has really wrapped them twice because as soon as she put them on display, Shadus, the new kitty, 'played' with them....grrrr).

I still have more thinking to do as far as what to buy for whom. I did order somethings on line because I really don't care much for shopping. I like browsing. Probably what would work best for me is to buy a lot of things that I think people would like ,during the year, and then shop from my closet. I think people find my standing and thinking in public places annoying. And sometimes I talk to myself. Out loud. But really, today that shouldn't matter to much because people will just think I'm on my cell phone. Hahahaha.

I'm going to head out today and do some think-shopping in public.

I had a good look at my butterfly garden this morning. Gosh, I really love it. I recommend gardening to anyone for just the most beautiful and delightful experience. Boy, I need to get some new photos~~


"And be renewed in the spirit of your mind...." Ephesians 5:23

December 4, 2007

What is reality but a concept of our own daily perceptions?
~~Miss Roxie


Now the 5th --

The Christmas Shopping and Planning of Baking and Feasting begins. (Actually, began on December 1, but I didn't get that post posted.)

One Shopping Hand Off --

The Place - Bath and Body.
The Hand Off Strategy

~~~Bath and Body is giving $10.00 coupons with a $30.00 purchase. My daughter went in and made her purchase while I browsed around. After she made her purchase, she gave her $10.00 coupon to me. I made my purchase and my son looked at me and smiled and reached out his hand for the $10.00 coupon, so he could use it for his purchase! All legal and no animals were harmed.

We later met for coffee to discuss who should get the $10.00 coupon that Bill got, and I said it should be me, and he says it should be Madam Blueberry. I guess there's a technical call in there somewhere. It's becomes a philosophical question --

Wrapping -
Madam B jumped right in. We have paper and bows, etc from last year! Hooray! The gifts we have purchased so far are all wrapped! (Of course, you can't walk in this room, the new kitty has destroyed all remaining paper, and will probably get some rare disease from eating the wrapping paper.)

So - We organized a place for the wrapping goods - a large bag from Bath and Body suited that purpose.

Now we are moving things around in our living room to make room for the tree. All the furniture is askew and we abandoned that project and Madam B is outside working on Christmas lights. (We are the original creators of the rash last moment decision to beat the early rush into the realm of holiday insanity. Please be advised we do not promote the state of it, we only suggest that it does exist.)



You, after all, are the one who defines your existence. Be kind to yourself and other people during your time of definition.
~~Miss Roxie

Since the Monday Tempus fugit

Again. I have eight Save As Draft posts sitting -- to sum up. I have been busy as the bees in my garden. But aren't we all? Or is busy just a philosophy?

I've been attending to my normal everyday things - and rocking and rolling along with everyone else's normal everyday things. But there is always a thing or two to add to the everyday.

My biggest accomplishment? My butterfly garden!! I can't wait until I can get a photo posted. I got it together this week and last and two days ago, I was visited by my first butterfly!! yes! He was just beautiful -- and then today! a yellow one! Pale and lovely. It was such a great feeling!

I have several butterfly plants - When you go to sites on line listing butterfly plants, I couldn't always find those so we have -- Scarlett Milkweed, Verbena, (and some other lovely white and lavender flower), and some others I'll just take photos of.

When I was visited today by a Monarch and a yellow butterfly... It was such a good feeling to have two visitors!...I felt like,* feast your majesty; I'll bring in more color for you tomorrow.*

My husband is thinking because the children are so big and don't need mama in the ways they used to, he says I am enthralled with this because it is taking care of living things - "they need you," he said," you make them better, I'll bet they know you - and you always said you wanted a butterfly garden..." This is so much fun!

So I've got the knack of it. The butterflies are coming. Now, next, I will be finding the necessary plants for my moon garden or night garden as some people call them. This will be fun and exciting.

Good things on the horizon -
1. Madam Blueberry got her driver license!! Oh and wow - she is a good girl, an amazing girl, and she is a good and cautious driver. But still - my prayer closet will have new padding installed today.

2. My only sister is coming sometimes during the holiday time, and my niece and nephew, who are of very fine standing with me (and always fun), are also coming. I think they are coming for New Years - so the band is ready to rock and roll!!

3. Mr. B. is actually getting -vacation time - around Christmas!!

4. I am getting a laptop for Christmas!! I am really exxcciitteedd about that!

5. More later ~~

I hope everyone does not go crazy with holiday shopping. I have a survey to post in a day or two, maybe I will do that --something to think about anyway -

Whatever you are doing today, live for it - Today. The past is like a foreign land. Things there are done differently. Wave goodbye and Live in the Now.

Tu tranquilo,

Miss Roxie

A Thanksgiving without left overs?

No leftovers! What? That is almost unAmerican! But it happened.

Well, it's weird. I got 'some' leftovers;
1. corn (boring),

2. cookies and brownies (fattening - but I ate them any way),

3. creamed spinach (I don't know about anyone else, but I don't trust creamed spinach that's been sitting out. It looks bad enough when it begins, but it's ending ...don't know that we would recognize it!)

4. a pumpkin pie that I made for my son Bill who did eat a piece and the rest they gave to me because Bill went to Gainesville to see the Gators do something -- something with sports and a ball of some kind.

5. raspberry tea (guess no one liked it so that gave it to me)

6. 2 globs of stuffing. I ate it for breakfast.

7. 2 packages of the 4 packages of rolls that I had brought. They are the Hawaiian Sweet rolls, so I've been eating them, and I'm sure I've gained 6 pounds.

8. Now I ask you, how can anyone have a successful left over feast with that?

So, I decided I am cooking a Turkey dinner. What day? Maybe Monday or Tuesday. Depending on wheather or not the turkey I buy is frozen. I have a friend who didn't know that you had to thaw the turkey, so she cooked it frozen. Interesting. This is the same friend who preheated her oven to make cookies and didn't know that her husband had loaded all the dishes, tupper included in the oven....the smell revealed all.

Anyway, I'm going to cook the whole shebang and I think this will become my Thanksgiving tradition. After Thanksgiving - I'll cook a proper Thanksgiving meal for all the people who didn't get the proper amount of left overs for a proper go at a second time around with Thanksgiving! Hey, sounds like a plan!!

Go ahead and be thankful right out loud

He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has." ~ Epictetus ~

Ah, Thanksgiving ...it was so much easier when I was not one of the cooks! Hahaha.

What a child waits for on Thanksgiving Day is just to be called to the table. Then, they graduate to setting the table. Then, they bring the food to the table and then, they all try to disappear before clean up and hope that Aunt Nan and Aunt Sheila just keep on washing those dishes!

It's like a graduation process, this participation in the food preparation for Thanksgiving ....

After I moved away from home, there came the day I was assigned things to bring - it began with bringing paper plates and napkins (she's young, she can't cook yet). Then, rolls were added to my list. Maybe after that, I brought some cans of something the corn or green beans, or maybe the cranberry sauce.

Then one day, after I had kids to be called to the table -- I made the turkey! and someone else brought all the other stuff. (And since then, my daughter has made the turkey!! Of course, now, she wouldn't eat a turkey ever/never.)

And then one day, I made everything, and people came and brought stuff besides what I made!

I became exhausted, and held a new appreciation for my mother and mother in law, but it was always a great time.

Many Thanksgiving years in the Tallahassee house, I put three tables together in the dining room, so we could all sit down together. Nobody cared that the tablecloths didn't match. What a challenge that was to get the food on the table, still hot, at one time! -- and to make my mother in law SIT DOWN so we could say the blessing! She was always serving, serving, serving, and still is, bless her heart.

But all the Thanksgiving memories are good.

I remember when my oldest niece was born. My sister was in the hospital for an extra day because of a complication, and we had Thanksgiving dinner at a restaurant after our visit with her and our newest family member, first niece, first grandchild...

This year we are having somewhere between 22 to 25 people for Thanksgiving dinner. How much food is that? If the turkey leaves the train station at 4 PM and travels at 35 mph (hahaha, not really...turkey's never take the train, know why? They don't have to - they fly!)

How much turkey per person? One is called upon to do the math, but only after one decides whom to believe. One site says if you are cooking a 12 lb turkey, that's leaving the train station at 4 PM going 60 mph (hahaha, not really, I just threw that in there about the train station) -- one site says 1/2 lb person, one site says it depends on how much turkey you want them to have, another site asks you what else are you serving (like anyone has just turkey?).

Anyway, up to a 12 lb turkey, so it says you are to figure 1 lb of meat per person. But if your turkey is 12 lbs, you decrease that to 3/4 lb per person. I haven't figured out why that is ....We have two 10 lb turkeys and one boneless turkey breast, and one ham, and 25 people. Oh well.

I love the answer to How much Turkey to buy for 40 guests. Actually, I could put in here plenty of discussion on line on how much turkey you need per person, and they are hilarious -- as people can get cheeky being asked to pinpoint such things as How Much Turkey Do You Really Need?

The winning answer, and it's mine is -- It all depends.

1. Do you want leftovers?
2. Does everyone eat turkey?
3. Don't forget kids will waste, so you have to figure them a least a half of the adult serving not a quarter. Parents will put the food on their plates, and they may or may not eat the turkey depending on how good the Sweet Potato Casserole is.
4. Are Des and Gene and Don going to be there? Then add an extra turkey to serve the three of them.
5. Count up what you think you need, and then buy more than that.
6. Bring ziplock bags to send home the leftovers in.

I know the story of Thanksgiving is being told differently than when I was in school. I know that a lot of people don't believe in the Pilgrims and Squanto and the first founding fathers sitting down together. But, all that aside -- What can you do on a day about Thanksgiving?

Just be Thankful. Right out loud. Go ahead and be thankful. Tell your spouses, parents, children, friends, neighbors ~ anyone you need to ~ all the things that you are thankful to them for. No one gets through this crazy world without the help of someone. So go ahead and be thankful - and say it right out loud. No better sound could you make.


"Thank God--every morning when you get up--that you have something to do which must be done, whether you like it or not. Being forced to work, and forced to do your best, will breed in you a hundred virtues which the idle never know."
~ Charles Kingsley ~

Thanksgiving Week 2007 - Day Two

1. Woke up late. Again. (Must make note: see therapist for underlying reason for waking up late when there is so much to do!)

2. Wash hair. Haired turned out worse than it ever has. Ever. Wore a pony tail. (Must make note: Don't bother to wash hair on busy days. Wear a pony tail.)

2A. Put contact lenses in backwards. When wearing monovision contacts this makes everything blurry.

3. Went Shopping. Did not have a pencil to cross off items on list that looked like it had been through the washer and dryer and than rolled in oatmeal exploded from the microwave. Bought pencil.

4. Came home. Unloaded groceries. Found that I had bought wrong Items for Madam Blueberry's special dessert of something that looks like a turkey you can eat. Got too many of one thing and wrong thing of another thing.

5. Went to work.

6. Came home from work.

7. Cooked dinner.

8. Turned television on to catch Oprah. Immediately turned it off, as Oprah's show was about buying gifts that costs way more than I make in a day for each gift!

9. Wrote down a list of things to be grateful for --

10. Turned on some music and danced

Thanksgiving Week 2007 - Day One/half way through

1. Got up late. Very late. I've been getting up at 7:30 AM and today I got up at 9:45. I thought, surely, _surely_ I had my clock set it's usual 45 mintues fast - at least. But no. I had overslept.

2. Went to Home Depot. I needed plants. Doesn't everyone need plants during Thanksgiving week when they have so many other things to do besides buy plants and play in the dirt? I took my mother in law, so I'll count that as a good deed.

I am expanding my butterfly garden. I bought a Scarlet Milkweed along with a couple of other things. I want to build a Butterfly House! I'll expand on that later.

Mr. B says I have attracted a new type of bee in my garden. It's one he's never seen and he has been stung by many bees. I got stung last week, and good grief, I thought I would cry forever!! Anyway, I want to help bees and butterflies exist.

3. Exploded my oatmeal in the microwave. Good Grief. What is the matter with me. Do I not think I get enought attention?

4. Go shopping. Make list. Come to terms with the fact that you will make more then one trip and it's okay!!

What do you Want Then?

1. Want wealth? Then don't need much.

2. Want happiness? Then be happy.

3. Want food? Then work.

4. Want music? Then sing.

5. Want to be comfortable? Then relax.

6. Want to bear the mark of a distinct individual? Then think for yourself.

7. Want to live life without regrets? Then learn from everything that happens to you.

8. Want to be right all the time? Then plan on learning to live alone.

9. Want to be loved? Then love people unconditionally

10. Want to turn your whites a creamy salmon color? Then wash them with yours daughter's pink socks!

Kitchen Confessions

1. My oven is full of salt. There was a fire in my oven. A big fire. I stared at it for a little while and then said some Mark Twain words under my breath. Thought I might be in a wee bit-a trouble there, and salt was the only thing I could think of. I had no baking soda. And I did baking soda once and it's a bigger mess than salt. Salt works. And, I'm here to testify, salt does not change after you turn on that self-cleaning unit. Salt is still there waiting for you.

2. I opened the burritos on the wrong side. I never notice that one side is correct or incorrect. I am not of the generation that recognizes these types of rules.

3. I cut through all the plastic things that say "tear here" with a knife. If I tear them, they do weird things that defy scientific terms of explanation of all things plastic. I detest them actually. I'm not sure what would make me happy. I think if someone just served me a burrito, that might make me happy.

4. I forget to run my dishwasher.

5. I spill things in that teeny weeny tiny little space between my oven and the counter top, gosh, I am still seething at the person who invented such a thing as that space. It's like you might as well put up a sign that says, "Welcome all bugs of any species. Come dine in the crawl spaces of my oven walls."

6. I never clean my refrigerator often enough. That is one of the problems of refrigeration. It keeps bad stuff as well as good stuff at a reasonable temperature. But soon, there will be no mistaking that you need to throw*X* out. However, sorry to the one who tried to eat something that was nearing it's time of being *X*, but not quite reaching *X* point, still looks like a *V* maybe ...Nahhh, stay away from *V*, too. I think too much refrigeration is responsible for global warming.

7. These are not necessarily in the correct order of importance, but I store things in whatever I find handy to put a left over in. I've put whole pots in the 'fridge. I know all about the to quick cooling of pots ruining the pots (how do you think I found out?), but that does not stop me. When I am in a hurry to get out of the kitchen, let's say it's almost time for Ugly Betty -- anything could happen.

8. That's all I can handle posting right now. The tea kettle is whistling away and that means that steam is going all over everything and there won't be any water in the kettle when I get there ...and, oh yeah, burnt pot bottoms, hmmmm, that's another thing....

From "Just Here for Now"

It's a Friday -

Again --

When I first started blogging, I lost my blog. I'm not sure why now, that was so long ago and life continues on at a perpetual pace of 5th gear with a grinding tranny and unbalanced tires. But since this was my official first blog post, ever in the whole entire world, I wanted to save it and I decided to repost it ---

So here I am, and there you are, and we are looking at the same sky.

You be well.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It's a Friday
August 26, 2005


I do believe it's the last Friday of the month of August. August being such a long month. And August being the reason February has only 28 days because of being jealous of Julius and all...did you know about that? Augustus Ceasar was jealous that Julius got 31 days in his month of July, so the calendar had to be redone so that Augustus got 31 days in his month. But I don't think that's what makes August a long month ~ I think it's because it's hot. And somehow when we get to August, we are ready for a change. But that is probably not the case in Figi.

Perhaps I should introduce myself. Hello. I hope you are doing well and all is fine in your world.

My world is crowded with things to do.

I am married with children.
I am older than most of my friends.
I am taLLish with hair that graying, and I can't decide what to do about it.
I am bad with commas and proper spelling, but I try.
I am currently homeschooling one daughter who is 30 somewhere in her head, but 15 according to her birth certificate.
I have two boys that are not living at home. One is living on his own, and the other is attending a junior college and rooming with his brother. Look for the expansion of that relationship! LOL!
I am a mediator for many.

Today was a normal day by most standards in that it was boring and I was safe. I say safe because there is a war in Iraq and I can't quite understand a war in which men and women are dying and we are safe at home going through the drive through windows of the bank and shopping at our local markets.

In all of history, I am trying to remember about times that wars were fought and people were comfortable in there homes watching their favorite tv program ~ well, it just doesn't seem right that there should be a war and not all are involved. I find this very confusing, and honestly admit, I feel some guilt about it.

I don't mean to leave you feeling down or sad. But if you are a person of prayer, please pray for those young men and women who are serving in the armed forces.

And in my part of the world, it's that time of the evening where one would go and clean a kitchen and make their husband lunch for the morning ~ yes, he is working on Saturday.

And I am leaving on a trip tomorrow!

So ~ this is my first official blog posting. I guess now ~ I am a blogger!

tu tranquilo,

Miss Roxie
(who really is, Just Here For Now)

God, clouds, diamonds and love

Got time for a chat? It's kind of a long story.  I
hope I can remember it all, so I need to get it down
before I forget it ...

I was taking my 8-year-old nephew, Zack, to Hebrew
School. As we rode along, over to the west we saw this
beautiful sun setting into this dark cloud formation
and the sky was brilliant with the sun streaming
through those ominous clouds.  Somewhere in between
talking about the clouds being dark and the sun
shining through them and marveling at their beauty,
Zack asked me if God had a beard.

I told him, "Well, I didn't think so myself, but that
people might think so because people most often think
of things in a way they can understand, and they might
think that one as wise as God might have a beard, in
their minds.  I said I thought God was more like the
clouds than like an actual person like we are.

We talked about what God might be like if he wasn't
like a man, and how God would be like clouds.

I told him that we can see clouds, and we think
because we can see them that we can feel them, and we
think we can imagine exactly how they feel.  I asked
him if he had ever been in an airplane.  He said no.

I told him that when you are in an airplane, you can
fly over the clouds and you can clearly see them, they
even look like you can walk on them! But when you fly
through them, they don't appear like anything you have
seen from the ground or from above them, but you know
you are in them.

He declared to me, "But clouds are made of water!!
And you would be flying through water!"  I told him,
yes, but the water was "fine, fine, fine."..He
interjected quickly "Why did you say fine, fine, fine?
Why did you say fine three times?"

I said I used 'fine, fine, fine' three times in an
effort to explain something that is more than you can
imagine it to be from the word you actually know.  I
used the example of 'really, really, really tiny' -
"How tiny is that?" I asked him.  "Oh yeahhhhh", he
said, and I could tell by the way his voice sounded
that he had gotten the idea.

And we went back to talking of what God would be like.

I asked Zack, "What is the strongest, most beautiful
thing you can think of?"

"Diamonds," he answered.

What a  a very good analogy was to be made from his
choice of examples of what God might be like! -

I agreed with him that he was making a very good
point. I began, "A diamond was a good example of
something that illustrated people thinking they know
what something is, but that they might not really know
what it is because if they didn't know about diamonds,
had never even seen a diamond, and didn't know what
the properties of diamonds were, they would think
diamonds might be ...what?" I asked him,---and he
filled in the blank ...'glass', he answered assuredly
.

Then we talked about the different properties of
diamonds and glass (I'm not even half way to our
destination yet) - Zack knows all the differences
between diamonds and glass!! LOL -- He gave me a
qualified, scientific, genuine correct answer!

So, I said, God is like the diamond (we discussed the
good things about diamonds).  But, if someone doesn't
know about diamonds, they might think that God was
like glass, and all the while they might be thinking
they were looking at the very same thing.

Then, I asked him, how would you describe what love
is?  (hummms from the backseat)

"Can you see love?" I asked him.  (I hear, louder
hummmmmms, from the back seat) and I heard the door of
understanding open as he breathed, and I knew he did
understand.

He said, "You could sort of see love, but you really
couldn't because love is a feeling."

I said, "To me, God is like love, too.  Something you
can feel and maybe see evidence of, but maybe not see
clearly, but you do know it is love".

Then he said, "Without love there would be nothing.
Without love," he said (or more exclaimed), "Nothing
would be here at all.  If Adam didn't love Eve," he
said, "and didn't kiss her and make a baby with her,
there would be nothing here at all," he declared this
emphatically!!  I told him, he was right, that love is
that important.

We also talked other things; like about the sun being
93,000,000, miles away and that if you can't look
directly at it here on earth that must be an
indication of just how hot it must be, and Pluto not
being a planet and we couldn't remember the name of
the new planet, maybe it was Sharon, he said, but it
has a small moon and he could ride his bike around
it!!

Then, as we road past this little airport we pass
every Wednesday on the way to Hebrew School, he hoped
excitedly that we would see another airplane that
looked like it might land on us (as that had happened
last week).  "Remember that Aunt Sasha?  Wasn't that
cool?"

"Yes, it was, Zack," I said, "It was very cool."

Then we talked about what he wanted to be when he grew
up.  He said he didn't know. But, he wants to be
something that's hands on, but not dangerous.  Not a
fireman or a policeman because those things are
dangerous but he wants something that is definitely
hands on.  And he also said he can't bother making up
his mind now because what if he changes it when he
turns 9?

That's all I can recall at the moment, and I am
smiling.  There aren't too many things more
stimulating to the mind than riding to Hebrew School
with Zack on a Wednesday afternoon.



~~Zack's Aunt Sasha

a/ka Miss Roxie

Thoughts in a notebook

The shelves fell down again. I found an old notebook of mine -- here are some of things I have written down. These things are not dated but I got this notebook in the year 2000.

These thoughts can be recognized by some people, I am sure. I'm not taking credit away from people, I just had these things written down. I'm sure some of these things are paraphrased established quotes from someone, or even exact quotes. I have no wish to offend any writers.

1. You can't give away what you don't have. Do you have love?

2. There are no justified resentments.

3. No blame - no responsibility

4. All living creatures will respond and will cease to feel fear or enmity or anger in the presence of those who can send love in response to hate.

5. Don't die with your music still in you.

6. You can't get wet from the word 'water'.

7. A closed mind looks for ways to be offended.

8. Have a mind that is open to everything but attached to nothing. (I have some question marks after this thought and the name 'Thalopa'.)

9. No one knows enough to be a Pessimist.

10. Progress can be made in yourself if you can make an effort to give up your personal history and let go of some of the things from the past.

11. You can't solve a problem with the same mind that created it....Albert Einstein

12. Admit your error and choose differently and you can free yourself from blame.

13. We love the things we love for what they are....Robert Frost

14. Savor the moment. It is true that life is short. Live each moment one at a time. Slow Down. Find things to Savor. Find things that will wholly devour you. Find something that gives you life - something that will uplift you. Color!

15. Called Leslie from the Sushi Bar.

Life is Art

"A man who works with his hands is a laborer; a man
who works with his hands and his brain is a craftsman;
but a man who works with his hands and his brain and
his heart is an artist. -Louis Nizer, lawyer
(1902-1994) ~~

And I thought that kind of applies to me, too. And
many of you - if not all. I mean, I do work with my
hands, my little brain and my heart. I'm an artist in
this life in a way, I think. I like myself when I
think that. It feels better than some of the other
things I think about myself.

Then I was thinking - what is my medium? Myself? My
Wit? My never ending quest for information? My desire
to understand the people I am raising, so that I can
help them continue on in the world? And a zillion more
questions.

Art doesn't reproduce reality.  Art takes a spin around
it and allows things to be seen from different angles.
Is that what we do as we walk around and interact with
our children and our families and friends and strangers?
Are we not inferring some type of reality?  I.E. life is
good or life is bad, or life is boring, or life is nothing
but a string of days that are hard work?

But everything I touch is a tool. I have
to decide how to use it best to represent what I want
to have known ... or what I want to say. And then
someone else can interpet the cookies as they will?

All this, and I am still not sure of my specific
assignment. Just have an endless list of questions.

Yesterday I wanted to count all the lives I have come
in contact with and my head got really like
--boy-oy-oy-ing --. I just couldn't recall.

I had a down moment this weekend.  Just a crash and burn,
I think from so much activity.  Some people call them
'bad moods' - 'black clouds' - 'being stressed out' --
Whatever it was, it's over now.

I have recovered my heart.



   

What? What day is this and where am I?

The week has passed quickly by -- maybe it's been two, I'm not sure. I'm feeling as if I put two into one, though.

1. The bug people are going to reimburse us for the cost of replacing our shelving. (Thanks to my oldest son's cool, calm and collected way of handling things.

But, I can't complain. Because if I did, what if all the people that do things for me just suddenly stopped doing those things?

One thing these kinds of incidents do to me (I didn't post about what happened in CVS) is give me a desire to make my world a little smaller, as far as interacting with people is concerned. So, I do that for awhile, and then I venture out again. I try not to get too overly annoyed with people and things they do, but, it happens. But people do things and I get annoyed with them. (Not that there aren't nice people -- see how I am? I keep undoing my doings.)

2. Bill is in Gainesville for the Gator Game.

Sean is in New York. His girlfriend, Kellie, whom we all adore, goes to school at Columbia, and Sean is enamored with New York City! This is his second time there. Kellie has family there and Columbia is located in an area that allows them to walk and enjoy the sites of the city. So, Sean, is having a good time if Noel (the tropical storm force that followed him up the coast) isn't doing too much damage there.

It's quiet here.

3. I had to work in my garden. It is so neglected, poor garden -- all out there waiting for me, growing and smiling and falling all over each others overgrowth ... I did some pinching back, and transplanting (maybe one shouldn't transplant in October? Oh, good grief, it's November already! But it's Florida, maybe that changes all the rules?)

4. I don't know

Do you have a shopping bag to call your own?

I have to admit, I don't -- have a particular shopping bag for my groceries from the store (or anywhere). And I say, shame on me. What am I waiting for? A personal invitation from a tree or some polluted lake?

Publix (the grocery store where I shop) is selling a bag for $25.00. There was a time that there was some confusion with Publix people who were bringing their own bags. (I know. It's so hard to believe something like that, but it's true.)

I don't need to buy one, I have plenty of bags around here I could use, but I'm thinking --"Why aren't I doing this? Why aren't I taking a bag with me when I go out?"

Possible Answer: It's not what I'm used, too, is about the only thing I can come up with aside from forgetting, which gets me back to not what I am used to.

And, I usually buy so many things at one time -- but, I'm seriously thinking about changing my lifestyle about this situation.

The store is close to me, so why can't I shop more often and take in my own bag? Or, I could just reuse all the freakin' Publix bags that I currently use for trash bags. One always ends up with too many of these brown plastic crinkle things.

Anyway, I might be late getting on the train, but I’m buying a World Pass and I'm going to make this lifestyle change. I'll put my own shopping bags in the car, and then they will be there when I need them. (Then, after I bring them in, I'll forget them again -- no, scratch that -- that's negative thinking -- erase, erase, erase!)

I want to make some lifestyle changes anyway. I don't see anything wrong with helping the environment as much as I can because I am after all, using it for my workstation.

The Battle of the Ants

...is not a new movie. It's a battle that's been raging in my home. I live in Florida. I know there are bugs, but these dear, dear little ants -- too many to make friends with -- are just everywhere to be found. I realize they need a place to go, and I realize that I have plants around my house and they like that, but ...

We were losing.
So.
We called in a Professional.

Yes, we bit the bullet and got prices and choose the best price, and the new bug man came to put down some stuff that will take care of our problem.

And is that all that happened?
No. Not quite.

I have mentioned from time to time, shelves -- shelves are very important in a small and tiny home. I love my shelves.

In the closet that has the attic opening, there are shelves on both sides, and across the back. Holding lots and lots of books and other memorabilia.
So.
The new bugman has to go up in the attic to fog the attic. It's to be done one time, and that is supposed to take care of that -- for at least a year, I guess.
So.
On the way down from the ladder (a three step ladder), the bugman tries to 'steady' himself, on the shelves in the closet.
When they came down, it was the loudest noise I've ever heard in a house. And, no, he was not hurt. One strip of the shelving was ripped out of the wall, three shelves come away from the wall.

He quickly told me that the shelves were not installed properly (didn't know that shelves in a closet were required to meet a code that held 200 + pound human beans), that they should not have been 'held up by just a nail' (good grief, like that was even a little bit true!), and, oh yeah, he said he was 'sorry about that."

(I have to admit, I stood there shocked at his reaction. The expression on my face was, expressionless. I have no expression for such an extreme lack of intelligence and common sense. After all, he did just cause a huge margin of damage in my house...I mean, somewhere, termites are laughing.)

Lots of books on my futon right now.

Looks like, the ants are (still) winning.

So.
I'm leaving this note on my door --

Dear Ants,

Please accept our sincerest and most heartfelt apologies. We regret calling in the likes of Human Beans to act as a mediator betwixt us and thee. Can you forgive us?

We wish only to live in peace. Perhaps we could make a peace offering to you. Perhaps we could deposit bread crumbs and/or dried cakes on the boundaries of our property for you to feast on. We could leave raisins, also. Rumor has it that ants love raisins, yes?

Please let us know if you accept our terms before the humans of the world do more damage to our home than you ever could.

And, just so you know, we are firing the humans. (They are rude and careless things that we sometimes find so annoying...)

Respectfully yours,

Your humble neighbors of the planet.

Can you indentify the source?

There are so many phrases that we use daily – have you given a thought to where they might have come from:

Do you know who would be credit for any of these:

1. X marks the spot
2. Shiver me timbers
3. Three sheets to the wind
4. As cold as any stone
5. Rhyme nor reason
6. In the twinkling of an eye
7. Hoist your own petard
8. It is better to keep your mouth shut and appear stupid than to open it and remove all doubt.
9. Noise proves nothing.
10. No great artist ever sees things as they really are, if he did he would cease to be an artist
11. As you sow so shall you reap.
12. Let not the sun go down on your wrath.

Give yourself a little quiz. Share it around the blog boards, if you wish. Add a few as it goes round, if you wish. This is a unique little way to refresh your memory and redirect our focus should we find our mind needs a wee bit of a refresh.
Good day --
have a sunny one!

~~Miss Roxie

I lost my chocolates.....

not just once, but twice.

One of my marvelous sister in laws (I have two - and they are both the personification of the uniqueness of the mysteries of the differences in the world - they are absolutely marvelous. )

anyway,
Kim gave me a box of chocolates. For all the wonderful things I do, she said.

And these are chocolates from a very wonderful place - Hoffmans. Oh, my gosh, they are (not) to die(t) for! So, I wanted to eat these chocolates - without sharing. Now, we all know, deep down inside, that not to share is a sin.

But, I decided not to share, so I hide my chocolates after I had but one, and when I wanted another (I was really trying to pace myself), it was then I realized I couldn't find them! Much to my chargrin.

So, now, I became panicky, especially after a couple of days, and so it was that I confessed to my family that I had hid the chocolates from Hoffmans. I listened to all the outrage that was't bestoned upon me for the Chocolate Crime I had committed-- and then they helped me look for the chocolates, thinking, of course, there would be a reward in it for them when we found them, but....

We didn't find the chocolates.

Two days after that, I found them.
I was alone when I found them.
I ate one.
I still didn't want to share.
So,
I hid them again!

And, now, today, again, I cannot find them!!

I shall keep you posted on the Lost Chocolate Mystery. In the meantime, I shall keep the house temperature at 70 degrees, so as not to melt the missing chocolates!

All Out Of Love

...no, not me, Romeo.

Romeo, Romeo,
what was his whereart?
This he knew not.
He doth did love, but love for what?
He wearried foes and friends alike
with the fascinations
his love didth spike.

Everyone knows about Romeo. The Teenage Romeo in love with thirteen year old Juliet from William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet was "out" he said. And Benvolio asked, "of love?"

And which then, Madam Blueberry and I both sang the song by Air Supply, "I'm all out of love, I'm so lost without you, I know you were right, believing for so long...." and then we laughed.

Madam B is very irritated with Romeo's carrying ons. She feels he is so immature, and just in love with love, or what he even thinks love might be, and the physical aspects of love, and takes no time to get to know someone. I think she might want to smack him upside the head to prevent his troubles to come!

But, least anyway, I was just thinking that, yet, again, another Shakespearian phrase - Out of Love - made it to the airways with the song by Air Supply.

And then I realized Air Supply sang other songs using "love" and "out" -- "Making Love Out of Nothing at All" -- which, when I thought about it, that is what Romeo is doing. He's making love out of nothing at all! Well, maybe angst - Maybe he's making love out of the angst of not knowing what to do with himself.

Poor Romeo. Of course, it's too late to warn him.

"Why would Shakespeare write such a play?" I asked to no one in particular. This gives me pause. To think that I would, or even could, answer a question concerning why Shakespeare would do something. I am no scholar. I merely guess at the answers to mine own questions and musings. And we have only read to Act 2. There is much to understand here, no doubt.

But, if I had to make a quick stab at it, it would be to say that those young people who don't learn early to curb their implusive tendencies may quickly find themselves in a position to lose everything faster than they could breathe a heavy sigh or call for mommy.

Young people who come into families with much excess baggage and then didn't bother to exercise their own minds and thoughts and ideas about things, could swiftly find themselves drawing their sword against and possibly killing someone they are hardly accquainted with because ....because...he was unaware of his Observer. (Although, most young people these days don't carry swords, so it's probably not as much as a problem.)

And he
Was not thinking. Was not listening.
Poor Romeo. A slave to the emotion of wanting love, of wanting to be a man, and thinking his way of loving was the answer, just got all caught up in the moment! -- Thank you, William Shakespeare, for this Romeo who serves as a horrible warning of the question, Why did it all have to go and get so complicated?


More to come on Romeo and Juliet ~~

Where now?

It's not that I don't have anything to say. It's just that I haven't been saying it. It's like I turned 60 -- and I decided to get quiet. I have 16 posts in 'save for draft' ... I just can't bring myself to come out of the place I'm in right now.

I have so many things on my mind. And so many things to do. My 'to do' list is about 3 pages long and incomplete at that. Maybe everyone has one of those. Maybe they call it everyday life.

Right now, I'm calling it 'Overwhelmed' ~ which for me seems to be a constant state.

"Unless I accept my virtues, I most certainly will be overwhelmed by my faults."
~ Robert Coleman

(I have been counseling someone on this very issue)

"How embarrassing to be human." ~ Kurt Vonnegut

(I hear the news and read the paper and think, "what is _wrong_ with people? when will we stop hurting each other so foolishly and cruelly?)

"Have a heart that never hardens and a temper that never tires, and a touch that never hurts."
~~Charles Dickens

(I like that quote. I want to be just like that when I grow up.)

"Always behave like a duck, keep calm and unruffled on the surface, but paddle like the devil beneath. ~ Lord Barbidan

(That is what I am doing, paddling as fast as I can and taking notes.)

The Mom Song

LOL!! Everyone should write a few verses of their own!!

I think I'll do that later.

Today I am 60

Wow. I never thought about being 60 until I was 50.
I never thought about being 50 until I was 49.
I never thought about being 49 until I was 48.
I never thought about being 48.
I do remember being 45. That's probably one of my last age memories.
All my children were born later than was normal for women who had babies - 29, 39, and 42. That probably made me wiser and more tired-er. And, at that time, part of the 'high risk' generation. Seems that changed. More women are having babies later and not being afraid of it. I wasn't afraid of it at any time. That's just when I happened to have my children.

I'm thinking - what's different today than yesterday? Maybe there are some things that are different than 10 years ago -- I'm not even sure about that. My kids are sure big.

I opted out of a big party. Just not my thing. I worked in my garden today. It was great. All I wanted was more dirt and more plants!

If there is any new wisdom for me this day, it might dawn on me tomorrow morning.

What I did this morning was call my mother. I asked her if she remembered her labor? "What?" she said.
"Your labor," I said, "don't you remember what you were doing 60 years ago today?"
"Well," it wasn't this early," she said!
Then she described the ambulance ride and how she had to go alone to the hospital because my grandmother couldn't drive, and my grandfather was at work, and my father was in the Air Force stationed in the Panama Canal Zone, so there she was 17 and off to the hospital all by herself!
My great grandmother got there before anyone else did and before I was born. Curly blonde hair and Blue-eyes which are both gone now. Blonde gave over to brownish reddish and blue gave over to hazel.

Actually, many things have given over to many things, but I guess when they come on slowly, you just don't notice them all that much. That could be good and and that could be bad. I suppose I've experienced a bit of both.

Well, I'm invited to have some sushi and wine with friends, so I'm off to do that. We'll play a little guitar and sing some songs.

I'll check in with myself tomorrow and see how different I am being 60. But somehow inside, I think I will always be 24.

With mirth and laughter let old wrinkles come.

William Shakespeare

Okay- well, I've got a few winkles...

If you carry your childhood with you, you never become older.

Abraham Sutzkever

I think that is what I'm doing! And it's really fun.

Old age: A great sense of calm and freedom. When the passions have relaxed their hold, you may have escaped, not from one master but from many. ~ Plato

Okay, well, I can agree with that, too....

The Door in the Dark and Tuesday

The Door in the Dark
~~Robert Frost

In going from room to room in the dark,
I reached out blindly to save my face,
But neglected, however lightly, to lace
My fingers and close my arms in an arc.
A slim door got in past my guard,
And hit me a blow in the head so hard
I had my native simile jarred.
So, people and things don't pair any more
With what they used to pair with before.

I had not realized that Robert Frost had a sense of humor so similar to mine. And, I didn't realize, like myself, he walked around in the dark straight away into things that could cause bodily harm.

My thing was a wall. My husband had moved a dresser in from the wall
about 6 inches.
And in the dark, that changes everything.
The wall, because it was not where it was before,
but there, right there in front of my face
now was a place,
a place that I,
gave no thought to protecting with my fingers and my arc --
me as well, encountered, a blow so hard my head bounced, and
I saw the stars that I'd seen last week while outside walking.
Methinks there were no comments regarding a flattering look for the new day.
Just - smash- and there was a road less traveled that had been discovered.
So what's new?
Me and Robert Frost on less traveled roads or more?
Maybe he knows a good story about the

Loads less washed?

Two loads in two baskets merged, tan and yellow could
Time to go was now you see, and I could not wash them both
But being one laundress, long I stood,
And looked through the piles of one as far as I could
to where it bent in the undergrowth
(as someone was gardening before morning toast!)

Umm, then there, look the other, just as fair
It may have shown the better claim
Because those grassy stains -
umm, were they wash and wear?
The wearer had brung in some flowers,
now there placed in a vase
to see in their splendor beauty,
Hardly to be ignored
so they each deserved the same reward.

And both that time did equally have
consideration for mud and stains
which one would I choose this day?
But knowing how laundry does not go away
To not come back another day?

I shall be telling this with a sense
that laundry stays and cares not hence
Makes not a difference to diverge and I --
Put the loads together since
Together, in the long run, it makes no difference.

And I so, now, apologize to those for whom this makes no sense,
and whom my be, a greater fan of Robert Frost
than me.

Timing the Lightening

Tonight my sister in law made me come outside and look up in the clouds. There were huge clouds and when the lightening would show itself it would be gone in a flash (no pun intended ) --

So my niece and I both said, 'wish we had a camera!' ~ well, duh! I live here, so I went inside to get my camera. Madam B had it set on a fluorescent setting - which I wasn't aware of, but good thing really, as the only photo that turned out was pretty interesting.

It's really hard to 'catch lightening' in the act of being itself -

This scene is looking over the top of my son's house.

Next time, I'll try to be more prepared. Everything that could go wrong about owning a camera went wrong - I didn't know what the settings were because I didn't use the camera last, I couldn't see in the dark to take the picture, couldn't find the flash button, lightening doesn't pose exactly - you have to catch it in the act! - so I began 'timing' it, trying to anyway, counting the seconds in between and this is the only decent photo I got, along with about 12 blank spots, and the battery went dead, as well.

But ~ I'm happy. It's a memory we made. We were there together, and we will remember it with love - the love you have for your crazy relatives.

I'll be at the end of the line....

I'll never get it. Whatever 'it' is, if it is a 'tekkie' thing - it'll pass me by.

Part 1 - I had a post here, and I thought, because it says 'save now' constantly on the bottom of the little box you type in - that it was actually saving.

But I left to go practice some Spanish with Sean and it didn't save anything. Not now, nor then. Why? I don't know.

I haven't figured out how to blog. And most likely, I won't until it's the end of the blogging world and people will be on to something else, like Pling Sailing.

My son Sean has met a girl who taught herself to speak fluently 6 languages. He now wants to speak more than one language, too. So he's trying Spanish because if you can speak Spanish here in Sunny Florida - you have a much better chance of getting a job.

Part 2 - I asked Sean if maybe I could use his Spanish CD in my computer. Than I said, 'oh no, I can't because I don't have sound on mine.'

"What do you mean, you don't have sound? You have sound," he said, "I put the sound card in myself."

"I don't know then what happened."

Well, long story short - what happened was, my speakers got moved to another computer, and Mom thought - she had no sound - when infact - she had no speakers. (duh! - Which in Spanish is the same only with an upside down exclamation point in the front - making you twice as duh!)

Part 3 - There are many things you can do on your blog. I can do about three. I can post pictures now, I can type in the little box and look at the preview, I can add a link -- oh, and I learned about the 'labels for this post' box, but I have not learned how to link that to wherever it is that you can view those things together in their same likeness. That's a worm hole to me.

I am thinking about setting up a practice blog. One I can play on and try to do things with and not worry about what happens. You know what? I think I just came up with a very, very good idea.

The Blue Drawf

My latest Garden Discovery

I went out to my little garden the other day and found this little surprise.

Awhile back, I had used this area for a compost pile - then I decided to plant flowers, and I just covered up all the compost --

Well, seems something broke through. I knew it was a cantaloupe vine growing, but I never expected this!! ---

These photos were taken at two different times of the day. I notice that some insect is quickly eating into the vine. So, I don't know if I can save it. And, it's doubtful I can save the cantaloupe. I called a friend of mine who knows about these things, and she told me I have to find a way to support the cantaloupe because it will surely fall.

I don't know it's fate. But I was just pleased as punch when I found it hanging on the vine. Gave new meaning to 'hanging in there!'

Life is a celebration of awakenings, of new beginnings, and wonderful surprises that enlighten the soul. ~~ Cielo

After Enlightenment....

...the laundry. ~ Zen Proverb

I never really new what that meant. I actually thought some Zennist was making a joke about laundry being there all the time, but I don't think that is it.

I recently ran across this Zen Proverb -- Before enlightenment, chop wood, carry water. After enlightenment, chop wood, carry water.

So, I got to thinking that what the saying means is, you still must work - no matter what you think you know, or don't know, or could know, or should know -- you still have work to do. Enlightenment, or knowing things, or being smart doesn't give you an excuse to be lazy and not do a job well.

I think what might happen to me, sometimes, is I become unnoticing of tasks that I consider mundane - you know, the regular reoccurring ones I wasn't allowing myself to focus, to be present as it were with the task and do a good and complete job every time. The laundry could not depend on me, but now it can! Because today was different, and I noticed that today I had more time to myself to actually do the laundry I had decided to do. (Usually I am interrupted many times, but today was quite peaceful) ...

So, as I did my laundry, I concentrated on the task before me more, and it was done perfectly. I felt calm and not rushed, the things are all folded nicely and in their places, and I have a special way I do my own clothes; I don't put them in the dryer --and since I don't have a clothes line, I have to convert my laundry room into one (that's always interesting)

--But at the end of the night - all done - all put away. And I feel enlightened. Think I'll go chop some wood and carry some water--or maybe empty the freezer. I think there is some Ben and Jerry's in there taking up to much space. I'll give all my concentration over to enjoyment of the task of sharing my new depth of enlightenment with Ben and Jerry. The carton is half full.

End of the week or beginning of the Weekend?

How do you look at it? I always think the Week has Ended! I love Fridays!

Tonight I didn't cook. I ordered pizza and a sub for the family - I had my Pasta Fagioli, which I make from scratch, and I love it - but no cooking, as there are dishes sitting in my kitchen from last night (okay, they are put away now, but they weren't at dinner time.). I've just been doing other things.

I have been painting my new and first bookshelf! The one Mr. B made for me this past week. As I was painting it, and for all the painting I have done, I was sorely disappointed in the job I as doing (two coats of primer and two coats of paint already!) - but, oh well - it's done with love and all that -- and

I was thinking about how important Carpentry is. Such a necessity to be a good carpenter if one should choose that profession. How many professions could you choose that your lack of skill could make something fall down?

Anyway, I decided to paint the shelf in a Ultra High Gloss White. Maybe that is the problem. It's not so easy for me working with this High Gloss paint. Maybe I didn't stir it enough. Maybe I shouldn't paint outside on a windy day. Maybe I have to heavy a hand. But I've seen the results of High Gloss White before, and this is turning out exactly like that, only this is not how I wanted it to look. Oh well. It'll be lovely when it's up.

And, I've been working on my sons books - business books that is- yes, aside from being a good cook (my husband told me that!), I have some minor bookkeeping skills. Really, it's just posting to a Quicken program, but somebody's got to do it, and since it's boring to a lot of people and accountants charge a ton of money, I volunteered.

I found a surprise for me in my garden. I'll try to post a photo of that tomorrow.

Poem selections - Emily Dickinson this week

My daughter loves poetry. I allow her to choose a poem each week for copy work and to use for dictation and memory work - here is the choice for this past week ~~


I died for beauty but was scarce
Adjusted in the tomb,
When one who died for truth was lain
In an adjoining room.

He questioned softly why I failed?
"For beauty," I replied.
"And I for truth,--the two are one;
We brethren are," he said.

And so, as kinsmen met a night,
We talked between the rooms,
Until the moss had reached our lips,
And covered up our names.

~~Emily Dickinson