Disconnected

I'll soon have limited computer access. The phone and cable will be turned off. It's going to be a busy, crazy couple of weeks. And lots of rain is predicted. That's always fun for a long drive, isn't it?

I'll pop in when I can to remind myself I'm around.

Tu Tranquilo,

Miss Roxie

Flying time

I just spent 90 minutes going through years 1996 to date. Sorting through old papers. My gosh, we are captive to paper! I wish I could make a big fire. Who keeps all this stuff besides me? I can't let go of my little letters. Found three more boxes of books ....oh golly, but did settle on two boxes of books for the library. And have lots of homeschooling books to donate. What a job this is. I am a pack rat.

Last days around here

It's coming to an end.

We are packing more stuff and *discussing* what can be given up. Isn't that always an interesting conversation.

It was hot today and then we lost power. And it rained. A very big and mighty rain. It's nice though because we really needed the rain. My plants needed that extra fertilizer from the sky.

We feel like we are moving incredibly slow. We do take little breaks now and then, but these last two days have lasted so long.

The television news is full of chaos and I am waking up in the morning thinking of Hezbollah and how I wish this mess over in the middle east would end, and knowing that it won't. I think about those people over there, and think how small my problems are, and why would I fret for a second about leaving behind a dresser here.

It has always amazed me how the world is set up, and that the problems of others bring about such clear focus to the fact, that in fact, we have no problems; we may think we have, but's it all relative .... all relative to the story of telling God that your cross is too heavy to carry, so he allows you into a room to choose another. And you look in and see all those other crosses, so huge, and you think, oh well, I'll just keep the one I have.

Thank you, God, for my problems. Thank you, God, for giving me the family and the friends that I have. You have chosen wisely for me.

Be careful what you wish for and other things

Well. I said I might need a trip or two to get used to moving? I should have kept my big mouth shut because it looks like it will be that. Several trips. Oh I'm about dizzy.

Wednesday I think I started having a panic attack. I got double vision. And then by Thursday I had to whopping headache. And then Thursday night, I felt like a horse was standing on my chest there was so much pressure. But I thought, 'you know what, you?' you're having a panic attack.' So I took two aspirins and went to bed and wished for things to be different..

Today my niece called me. Seems she was attacked by a raccoon this morning. She lives is a regular neighborhood, quiet little place near a lake...and she went outside at 6 AM to smoke a cigarette. And yes, we all tell her she shouldn't smoke and she knows it, but she has a real problem with her nerves and says it's the only thing that helps...
anyway,
She saw something out of the corner of her eye at the cat's food there, but didn't pay it much mind until it ran up a tree there in her front yard, Big tree really.

The thing hissed at her, and she said, 'don't you be messin' with me this morning.' And apparently that was the wrong thing to say to a hungry raccoon. He charged at her! Hissing the whole time!

She freaked and ran inside and it was a fight to get the screen door closed! He was trying to get in and had his paw in the door.

There are 3 adults and 3 kids asleep in the house. She didn't scream because she didn't want to wake them up, and she didn't want to let go of the screen door because that raccoon was serious about being angry.

But she finally got the screen door closed, and the big door, and woke her husband. Who got his rifle and came out and killed the raccoon.

Now here is the weird part to me. He fire 28 shoots to kill that raccoon. And no one came out (except her mother who is my sister, and she thought he had gone stark blooming crazy and was shooting her cat out of a tree because she saw it fall and didn't think for a second that it was a raccoon that had just attacked her daughter.) But not one neighbor came out!

They called the animal control. And the animal control said they don't handle things of this nature. Nor do they come out regarding animals unless someone is hurt or in danger. And being that the said animal was now deceased, it was their said problem.

My morning didn't start out that way. And I am glad.

The Separation Anxiety

I think it's finally here. Thursday is my husband's last day of work. That must be a strange feeling for a bread winner. Jobless. He says he's planning on just packing it all up and moving south, so he can be about the business of finding a job.

It's not that I didn't *know* we were moving; it's just that I wasn't as ready for it as I thought I would be. I think I needed another trip or two. Thought maybe I could get my home down there set up at least before I moved in. But instead, I feel like I might throw up!

After tomorrow, he's coming up with a plan.

Our house is not sold officially, really ... I'm feeling like that contract isn't even *real* ...

So basically, I have let go and given it over to God. Because there is not a thing I can do about it.

I miss my school schedule. I miss school with my daughter. I can't imagine what it must be like to really go through the total empty nest thing. Like dropping out of the sky.

Time's a wastin'

I can't believe it's been such a long time since I posted on my blog. I've had hardly a private moment to myself, as of late. My thoughts have been stuck in my head with no way to release them. And then, when I get near a writing source, and they are gone ….that does sadden me, but I have to let that feeling go and move onto the next thoughts.

Since the 4th of July, I've been packing and throwing things out, and planning my most recent trip South.
I just returned yesterday. Well that would be the day before now because it’s taken me so long to finish this!

I took many more boxes to the new house, and I really, still, have no idea what's in them, as I am functioning here just fine without whatever is in those boxes. Scary thought! Could I just - throw them all out when I get there? Ummm. Just load them up and take them to Goodwill? Ummm. I know I have to find all my keepsakes and get them in a special place, but after that ...Ummm.

The days there were busy. Always are. I helped with my nephew again. He's a hoot. Thank goodness he's a good little boy. But I get paid and that helps finance my trip, which is quite costly these days; I don't have to tell that to anyone who is traveling.

I took a boat ride along the intercostal Saturday and had lunch. It was beautiful and relaxing.

I went to see Pirates of the Caribbean - Dead Man's Chest.

I went to Shakespeare on the Sea. They were doing Julius Caesar in a bit of an updated version. They killed him by shooting him instead of stabbing him to death. Oh dear! Did I give away the ending? Sorry.

I had to leave before the play was over, not because of the shooting, but because I had an allergic reaction to the bug spray! LOL. Bug spray was recommended in the program there, so I put it on, and I began to itch and my arms and legs welted up! Very annoying. It was fine after I got it washed it off. But never again.

My son Sean made his singing debut! That was such fun to watch. He sang a song he wrote and he sang a couple of other songs. A Sister Hazel song – Starfish – it’s cute, I liked it. I’d never heard of it before. He even sang "Take It Easy" and asked could he get any help from the audience to sing it.. LOL. He was being funny because I'm a Jackson Browne fan and that's the one Jackson song that their band sings. They need to learn a different one.

The name of their band is Seldom Seen and the Remainders.

I spent yesterday recouping a bit, but I'm going to be back to packing and planning on making another trip down to the house around the last week of July.

Our house still isn’t 'officially' sold yet in my opinion. There's a signed contract on it, but it's one with a contingency in their favor. The people have to sell their home before they can buy ours. And, well, who knows how that is going to go. God only.

Call it a clan, call it a network, call it a tribe, call it a family. Whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one. ~Jane Howard

Perhaps the greatest social service that can be rendered by anybody to this country and to mankind is to bring up a family….George Bernard Shaw

Easy Peasy Tea Delight Sandwiches

When one makes a perfect pot of tea, one does like to have a special treat along with it. It's nice to serve guests little finger bites of snack. Sandwiches are actually just one course of tea with the second course being scones, and the third dessert. I've shared here three delightful sandwich ones.

You always need little breads. But if you have none, cut your bread into little squares, or just cut off the crusts, OR use a little glass to make a circle shape ... However, one should think about making the sandwiches first, before doing all the decrusting and fancy slicing and shaping. I've tried it both ways ~

Cucumber-Dill Sandwiches (Makes 12)

1 tsp fresh dill (it works best, but you can use the other)
2 TBS butter, softened
1/2 medium cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced
6 thin slices of white bread (doesn't have to be, but it does affect the taste - bread tastes come through)
Salt and pepper to taste

Mix the dill well with the butter, and spread each slice of bread with a thin coating. Place the cucumber slices on 3 slices of bread, making sure each slice is well covered with probably about 6 to 8 slices. Then salt and pepper each sandwich. Cover with the remaining slices of dill buttered bread. Trim the crusts and cut each sandwich into 4 sections. (You choose the shape)

Cheese Walnut and Pear Sandwiches (Makes 12)

1/2 cup walnuts
4 TBS cream cheese
2 TBS blue cheese
1/2 pear, cored
6 thin slices 7-grain bread
Butter

Toast the walnuts and chop fine, very fine. Place the cheeses in a small bowl and blend together well (mashing is more like it),
Slice the pear into very thin slices, you will need 12.
Spread each slice of bread with a thin coating of butter. Divide the cheese equally among 3 slices of bread and then gently spread the cheese. Sprinkle the walnuts, about a heaping tbs, on each slice. Place four slices of pear on each sandwich. Top with the remaining bread slices, pressing them each firmly down.
Trim the crusts and cut each sandwich into four sections.

Ham Salad Sandwiches (Makes 12)

1/2 cup of a good flavored Ham, finely sliced
1/4 cup red pepper, finely diced
1 TBS scallion, finely sliced
2 tsp sweet pickle, minced
3 TBS mayonnaise
1 tsp honey mustard
6 thin slices dark bread, such as pumpernickel
Butter

Put the ham, pepper, scallion, and pickle in a small bowl and toss to combine will. Add the mayonnaise and mustard and mix together well.
Spread each slice of bread with a thin coating of butter. Divide the ham mixture equally among the remaining bread slice.
And as always, trim the crusts, and cut the sandwiches into 4 sections.

Tidbits of advice:

1. Plan on serving each person 6 to 8 sandwich pieces. Little sandwiches are deceptive and sometimes guests are unaware of how many they are popping into their mouths

2. Be sensitive to your guests tastes. Serve more than one choice. Also, don't forget you can always choose to serve an open faced sandwich, use a cracker instead of bread, or even the small pita breads available.

3. Make sure you spread your butter thinly regardless of which filling you are choosing.

4. Whatever you do, don't forget to have fun! And did you know that cream is not recommended with tea? Milk is considered best because it does not overwhelm the flavor of tea.

Enjoy your tea!!

Tu Tranquilo,

~Miss Roxie

Interesting concept

The further one grows spiritually,
the more and more people one loves
and the fewer and fewer people one likes.
-Gale D. Webbe, clergyman and author  

(1909-2000)

Happy Birthday Sean

End of the Dirt Road is a song written about my son Sean. He's the guy in the white hat.
He's with my brother in law in the top photo, and that's my brother in the second.

In May of '05 I wrote a post on a Message Board about Sean. A friend of mine on the board, Doug Barnett, is a song writer and a singer, and all 'round general good fellow. He took my post, and he turned it into a song! Incredible, I thought.

He put it on one of his CD's and in honor of today being Sean's birthday ~ I shared a link up there so everyone could hear Sean's song. It's called End of the Dirt Road. The whole vision of the post was my little boy was now driving off the dirt road and headed out to the highway --I do love that boy. He is a most fun child, the one that made me laugh every time I tried to discipline him! Take a listen to the song; you might like it.

If you like the song and wish to listen to some more of Doug Barnett's music - here's his homepage and information on the cd that I bought.

It's funny, how no matter what happens in your life, you never forgot the day you gave birth to your children. Their birthday. You beginning the most important assignment in your life. Never just another day.

Sean had a good day today. He's with his brother and my brother's family, and my parents, and my great nephew Nate, who looks at my boys like they hung the moon. And that is cool beans.

Happy Birthday, Sean! We love you, today, always, and forever.

The night is passing

"Count no day lost in which you waited your turn,
took only your share and
sought advantage over no one."
-Robert Brault

I'll post the tea treats tomorrow.
I'm living here amoung the boxes,
and I think
I have located the correct one.
I look forward to posting them.


Tu Tranquilo,

Miss Roxie

And so the proper pot of tea

For Athena in the minivan ~

The proper way to make Tea –

Fill the kettle with cold water and bring it to a boil. Use the cold water because it has more oxygen and it makes a better brew.

While the kettle is heating, run hot water through your teapot to heat it. Once your teapot is heated, pour that water out, and place in the pot your loose tea or your tea bags. When you use loose tea, it’s always suggested that you add one more teaspoon for the pot.

Once the water has boiled, and some authorities suggest allowing the to water to boil for one minute to dispense with the proper amount of oxygen (really, I think it’s a mute point, but I’m sure someone might disagree on this), pour the water into the teapot, put the lid on the teapot, and allow the tea to brew for 3 to 5 minutes.

Don’t pay regards to the color of the tea. This can be very deceptive and leave you with a weak brew should you choose to regard the color over the proper timing.

When the brew is ready, remove your tea bags by placing them in a spoon and wrapping the strings around the spoon so as to squeeze out all the excess of the lovely tea.

For just a cup, you follow the same rules, heating your cup before you pour the water for your tea.

I also have tips for serving the tea and some delightful recipes for Tea Snacks.

Tea Quotes:

There is no trouble so great or grave that cannot be much diminished by a nice cup of tea. ~Bernard-Paul Heroux


If you are cold, tea will warm you. If you are too heated, it will cool you. If you are depressed, it will cheer you. If you are excited, it will calm you.
~Gladstone, 1865

Tea should be taken in solitude.
~C.S. Lewis


If man has no tea in him, he is incapable of understanding truth and beauty.
~Japanese Proverb


Find yourself a cup of tea; the teapot is behind you. Now tell me about hundreds of things. ~Saki

Flying lower than the radar

Man I hate when this happens. It's one of those days, I just can't get going. It's not an energy thing, it's a mind thing. This state of limbo is like a scrabble game, trying to pull letters up to spell a word. You can see them all there, you keep moving them around, and you know you must have something, the letters are good letters! - but you wish you had the blank ..

I should listen to some music. What I would like to do is go walk on the beach for a few days - or be like Forrest Gump and just start running, but my ankle is no good and I'd probably fall down after a quarter mile ... Rambling ~ It's a fidgety day. I think I want a cookie.

So I baked some cookies and they turned out badly. Trying new or different ingredients doesn't make Mr. B happy, he's always saying, "Please! Do not mess around with the chocolate chip cookies!"

So I settled for some yogurt and bran cereal with blueberries. Blueberries are good with just about anything. Bran cereal is for old people like me so they can have a healthier constitution even with a bum ankle.

A few people came to see the house this past week, no takers, someone is coming tomorrow night. Things gotta be right soon. My husband and I just finalized the selling of his business, so on July 1st, he doesn't own it any more.

I am very proud of my husband for building a business after being dumped out of another one ~ it was a sad deal the way it was handed over to him, but he made the best of it and built it up with a fine reputation. So that part's done, all's right there, now just the selling of the house part. Really need to get that done.

But she'll be right, mate. I'm ready to turn and face the change. Time will turn it the right way. Faith in the unseen.

We're hanging in ....

Hope you're having a good day.

Tu Tranquilo,

~Miss Roxie

Abigail Adams

"If you complain of neglect of education in sons, what shall I say with regard to daughters, who every day experience the want of it? With regard to the education of my own children, I find myself soon out of my depth, destitute and deficient in every part of education. I most sincerely wish ... that our new Constitution may be distinguished for encouraging learning and virtue. If we mean to have heroes, statesmen, and philosophers, we should have learned women."

Abigail Adams (1744-1818). U.S. matriarch; wife and mother of United States President. [In a letter to her husband John Adams, who was away at war. She was reacting to his letter of August 3, in which he lamented his 'countrymen's' lack of 'art and address' and 'knowledge of the world.'] Letter (August 14, 1776).

The Family Tree

The Family Tree
by Carole Cadwalladr

If anyone is interested, I wrote my rickety review here.

If you are not interested, have a really nice day. May there be blessings reigned upon you. May you do a kindness to another because a kindness done out of no other reason than kindness, multiplies and circles back to you.

The beginning of a better world begins with you.

Tu tranquilo,

~~Miss Roxie

Father's Day

The fifth largest card selling holiday. I'm not sure the top four - Maybe Birthdays, Christmas, Mothers Day and Easter? I don't know.

I have a problem every year picking out a card for my dad. I always go with a character from Peanuts. You just can't go wrong with Snoopy.

Snoopy doesn't talk. But says everything. I believe the secrets of the universe are held captive in Snoopy's doghouse.

Snoopy is a Beagle. Beagle's are independent thinkers. They can be stubborn and can learn how to manipulate you. A Beagle would take over the complacent Charlie Brown. Perfect.

And by the way, I just found this out recently, Snoopy's birthday is August 28th - according to the comic strip, Charlie Brown brought him a birthday cake that day - my anniversary is August 28th ... Perfect.

An Irish Blessing

Always remember to forget
The things that made you sad.
But never forget to remember
The things that made you glad.

Always remember to forget
The friends that proved untrue.
But never forget to remember
Those that have stuck by you.

Always remember to forget
The troubles that passed away.
But never forget to remember
The blessings that come each day.

Truth, stories, and old laundry tales

What is true and untrue?

I read stories about people collecting money from their wash machine and taking vacations to ~ oh say ~ Hawaii. I have been collecting money from my wash machine since January 1 this year ~ and I have $37.82. I don't think that will even get me to Miami. It's about $67.00 on a bus to get to West Palm Beach.

I have 27 socks; I just counted, with no mates. (They are my husband's work socks. they will graduate to Rags now. An honor truly.)

I have 8 Tupper wares with no tops. I have 22 tops with no bottoms!! I just put them in a bag and put them in the closet and will wait to see if the bottoms return.

None of my silverware matches any more and I don't know where all this silverware in the drawer has come from. When I met my husband, in 1981, I had one single set of silverware that matched.

I counted my drinking glasses. I have no complete sets of anything really ... The only sets of *four* I have are some three ounce juice glasses my sister in law bought me when I said I was looking for a small glass and couldn't find one. She sent me a box of twenty.

That was a couple of months ago and forget it ... I can find seven. I have heard no broken glass ... so, what did they do? Run away with the socks I suppose.

My very nicest sheets are the ones that the elastic is too loose on. The old Walmart standbys are still hanging on. However, I have no matches. This is not a big deal, but I am downsizing so ...ummmm, decisions, decisions - which ones to keep?

Oh well, I'll continue on "with my maps and my faith in the distance, moving farther on" …*

*(Farther On by Jackson Browne)

Living with the decisions of others

In this post I mentioned my great nephew's experience in viewing a rated R horror film at a children's birthday party. A party for a 10 year old.

His nightmares didn't end. And he hears voices. My sister promised him she would take him to the doctor. She did.

The diagnosis is Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome, and counseling has been suggested.

The pediatrician said that movie (Nightmare on Elms Street) is horrible and could give any child nightmares for the rest of their lives. My sister told him that other children had viewed the film and not reacted this way. The doctor said all children are different, but he wouldn't guarantee that they weren't affected by it in some way.

My sister will be seeing the careless parents at a wedding soon. She plans on telling them what has happened.

"Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity."
-Anonymous

"Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former."
-Albert Einstein

Flashback ~ Madam B and the Wild Bunnies

Tis the season of Wild Bunny Rescue
Posted by roxie on Mar-12-03 at 10:57 PM

So the year is about the first quarter gone. Do you remember what your New Year's Resolutions were?

I don't know about any of you, but life has a way of hijacking me into constant movement of activity, and I forget about long-term plans. I really have to refresh my memory from time to time about what is really important. I get caught up in the never-ending list of daily dues as my so-called life keeps jumping up and down in front of me demanding my attention. Ever so demanding schedules and deadlines that aren't often forgiving.

I was caught today in the headlights of a child's view on things. It pinned me still.

For the last two days, one of our cats has brought home three baby bunnies. There was so much activity involved with this. Finding a box to keep them safe in, making a bed in the box, while in the meantime they peed on everything creating more laundry, going on line for information about what to feed them and how to care for them as the first two were found around 9 at night and I didn't want to run off to the Animal Hospital till morning.

Oh and by the way, going on line to search for the bunny info ... my husband said to my daughter, enter "wild bunnies" ... I said, 'no wait! Don't enter wild bunnies. Better try wild rabbit care (Who knows what she would come up with entering 'wild bunnies!' and I didn't want to know.)

Anyway, so for two days in a row I have had to drive over to the Animal Hospital, which is the drop off for the St. Francis Wildlife Refuge, and it's _not_ right around the corner. And there's so much to do, and gas prices are high and whine and blah, blah, blah going on in my mind ...

And I heave a great sigh just before we got out of the car to drop off the third bunny ~ and my daughter says, "I hope we find another one today".

And I am like, "Huh? We have been here twice. Why would you hope we find another one?"

To which she replied, "But I love this! This is so much fun!" And she spends 5 minutes telling me of the joy that comes with finding wild bunnies. And she brought me back from my pit of overwhelment to a place where I could smile and not feel bad about all the things waiting on the edges. They will still be there tomorrow.

Tonight she went out to follow the cat to see if she could find the burrow he has been snatching those bunnies from. She didn't find it. But she surely did enjoy the looking.

Tu Tranquilo,

Miss Roxie

2001 ~ a day that December

Between the life that we expected and the way things have always been...

I am not sure what I expected.

And I am still trying to figure out what I have got going on in my brain, that causes me to create these situations I do. But it seems to be, that's the way it's always been. I just never noticed it early on. I mean, I am painting my house, 14 days before Christmas! What kind of insanity is that?! And, I swear, my house keeps getting bigger!

The reason I know I am stressed --oh, did I mention I was stressed just a tad? --- is that, I just cut my hair this morning. I am a (retired) hairdresser. And I cut my hair at times when it really doesn't need cutting, and I have realized, through the years, that this (power) works as some kind of therapy for me. My husband comes home,.. looks at the sink, says "you cut you hair again"... with the little knowing smile (fear)...

next, will be finding the milk in the pantry and the eggs in the cupboard with the mops and the beans or, forgetting to put the coffee carafe on the hot plate part of the coffee maker and wondering, 'just_what_is that brown line coming down the counter?' -- which I did yesterday. Very confusing site, that. It never reached the floor, just kept traveling along the counter towards me. Eerie. Like a Stephen King movie.

I didn't expect living la vida loca in the ebb and flow of my daily comings and goings. But, here I am. Painting my house a color that I am not crazy about 2 weeks before Christmas! Ha!

Last night I had a moment. I was painting away and made a star, accidently, on the wall. I got carried away with making things - I was using a roller - and felt peaceful at the moment and into what I was (or thought I was) creating there, and didn't realize that I was tilting the paint tray. Towards me. I was covered with globs of paint running down my left sleeve. I didn't want to yell out, didn't warm to alarm anyone -- it's only paint on my favorite knockaround old sweater -- so I laughed out loud.

In my house that always works to get attention because everyone is always saying, 'what is so funny?' Not that I laugh at my family all the time, but certain things strike me as funny, that maybe they don't think are so funny... So, when I began to laugh hysterically, I heard the cries of 'what is so funny?' (you have to say this with a tad bit of annoyance to appreciate it)...but someone came to help me.

Now. I was in a corner. Stuck. Behind a computer desk and another desk that had been pulled out about, oh say, 3 feet. There was no place to put the paint tray or roller down. (I said I was 'painting'; I never said I was a 'painter who might know what they are doing')

Well, once paint is on a roll, it doesn't stop, even when you straighten the tray. Does life get like that? We start a way of living and it just keeps rolling? And then by the time we are mature enough, or enlightened enough, to look at it...we are just *there* -- not 'getting our act together' anymore, but instead, 'this is our act' --in Scene XXXXXLMIV - enter assorted relatives at holiday crunch time... etc?

Oh well. In the hard light of an angry sun, no one 'mentions' what was said or done, I suppose, if we are just tender...tender to ourselves through the mess-ups we make, tender to the people who help us make the mess-ups and the ones who help us through the mess-ups, tender to the people who don't even know they are making us crazy enough to throw paint or cut our hair off, then I suppose we can say, All is Well.

I hear a paint brush calling. It will have to wait until I get back from the Chiropractor. (Actually, I think the paint brush said a bad word.)

That's all for now.

~~ Special Thanks to Jackson Browne for the Song Tender is the Night ---