Love Was All Around

I don't have a lot of really good memories from my childhood. It was a difficult time, but I don't dwell on the painful times too much anymore, instead I think about the moments here and there that brought me the most comfort in those painful turbulent times. I did a lot of reading as a child, I almost always had a book either in my hand, or close by, and when there wasn't a book by my side, there was a newspaper. I loved reading, to make sense of the world around me. I also watched TV, especially after my brother left for Viet Nam. I wanted to know why he was gone, why he left me, and if he would be coming back.

As you might guess, I learned to grasp the world around me a little earlier than most kids, and when other kids didn't want to discuss Watergate... lol... I would feel a bit out of place. I always loved TV and I wasn't so single minded about the world that I only watched the news and 60 Minutes, I watched sitcoms, because I also learned at a young age that humor was another great escape from the sadness!

I watched the Monkees, and I had a mad crush on Micky Dolenz. I loved Star Trek, "Space, the final frontier" and who didn't want Rob and Laura Petrie (The Dick Van Dyke Show) for the their parents? I missed that show when it went off the air, but was thrilled to death when Mary Tyler Moore came back to TV in her own show, called, of course, The Mary Tyler Moore Show. From the first episode, I was hooked. Mary Richards was my big sister, and I loved watching along with my real sister, as we tuned in each week to see what was in Mary's closet. Mary had a classic style that could still be pulled off to this day!

I loved every season of the show's seven year run, but my favorite episode came right out the gate, in season one. It was season one, episode three... "Bess Is Your Daughter Now." It was all about Mary bonding with her friend Phyllis's daughter Bess, and the transformation of what had been a strained relationship into what would become a lifelong appreciation for each other. From that episode on, Bess referred to Mary as "Aunt Mary,"and it all came about because Mary took the time to get to know a 10 year old girl,  Bess, and form that friendship. 

I was about Bess's age, and I think I thought of Mary Richards as my TV aunt from then on as well. It impressed me that someone Mary's age would make the effort to not just spend time with Bess, but truly find out about who Bess was. Not everyone has the ability to bond when children, or the patience, at least that had been my experience, and I also had a mother who deeply resented any friendship I attempted to make, including with my peers.  Forming healthy friendships was difficult, so it really impressed me and gave me hope that one day, I might meet someone from the adult world, willing to be my friend, just for the sake of being my friend.

I did. And we discussed politics and world events till we were both sick of it LOL. But we also discussed music and art, and she was a great teacher who was instrumental to bringing me out of my shell. She encouraged my creative side, and she helped me feel less alone. Sometimes I think about that time in my life, and I am glad I had learned the lesson that friendships are sometimes spontaneous things, and sometimes they need time to build, but if you are willing to put yourself out there... Love Is All Around No Need To Fake It. The friendship I made with that teacher continued for years, and I was grateful for it. Always.

Thank you, Aunt Mary!

Side Note... 

The little drawing on my sidebar, is of the poster hanging in Mary's Richard's apartment in seasons 2 through 6.

 ( "Why" By Ben Shahn )

Mood: Quiet

~Me

My New Favorite Show... Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt ( Netflix Original )

"To say I'm an overrated troll, when you have never even seen me guard a bridge, is patently unfair."

~Tina Fey

Bossypants

Yesterday I told you about a documentary on Netflix that I had enjoyed thoroughly, and today I am at it again, I found a show I have to share with you, because Netflix is quickly becoming my favorite way to be entertained. This time out, I want to tell you about the newest, and funniest, 23 minutes of viewing, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. It comes from the wonderfully twisted minds, and comedic genius, of Tiny Fey and Robert Carlock. It has the pace, comedic bite, and some stars of the marvelous 30 Rock, but with a few new twists along the way. I don't want to give too much away, but imagine what life would be like, if you have just spent 15 years living in a small underground doomsday shelter in Indiana, and then once you learn the world didn't actually end, you decided to spend the rest of your life in New York City, and there you have the predicaments of our girl Kimmy. 

Life, once you emerge, would be fun, and strange, and well, strange. And so is Kimmy, but strange in the kind of way that you might wish she was your next door neighbor, because not only can you trust her, but you might actually be able to get a contact high from her never ending enthusiasm. I find myself thinking of Kimmy as a less cynical Bridget Jones, which is easy to do because of the slight resemblance of Elle Kemper to Rene Zellewigger. But the biggest difference between Bridget and Kimmy, is Kimmy can wrap up her missteps in 23 minutes, and nothing is hopeless if you take it in 10 second increments. It's that thought alone which makes Kimmy a lot less lost than Bridget, so yeah, I would next door to Kimmy in a minute. If only to learn her coping skills! The only downside to the show being on Netflix, is the limited release of only 13 episodes. The show was originally developed for NBC, but it passed on it. Silly networks... their bonehead decisions are Netflix's and our, gain!

More Please!

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Everything You Need To Know

( Rolling Stone )

Mood: Me? Excellent!

~Me :)

Ellipsis Misses Vol. 1 Episode 1: Carly Misses Her Cat

"Today you are YOU, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than YOU."

Dr. Suess

Happy Birthday To You!

"A Learning experience is one of those things that says, 

"You know that thing you just did? Don't do that."

~Douglas Adams

The Salmon Of Doubt

So... stuff happens. Flat tires happen. Head colds happen. Dropping a fork of spaghetti down the front of your low cut dress happens. Spontaneously dancing in front of a group of strangers in San Francisco happens. Walking around all day, looking for your sunglasses, only to realize just before going to bed, that you had them perched on your head all day... happens. HELL... running over yourself with a car happens... I know that for sure! Being given food poisoning by your boyfriend's mother can happen, and it does more often than you might think. Walking around with a piece of pink fuzz, fresh of your brand new pink fuzzy sweater, sticking out off your nose, happens. If you own a cat, he probably will wipe poop off his butt on your brand new duvet cover, at least once in your relationship.They can also ignore you more masterfully than any living entity... in the history of living entities. You haven't been ignored, until you have been ignored by a cat who loves you! It happens! Even SHIT happens.

And last, but not least, Fibromyalgia happens. 

So, what's this all about? Well, the other day I was looking through my archives for a photo I haven't posted before, because, well, I have been in some pretty bad pain from the Fibromyalgia, and there is little to nothing I can do about it, except ride it out, and hope for the best. I am really struggling with it. I got a mild case of food poisoning, in early January, and my Fibromyalgia has been raging ever since. I have had small remissions from the pain, here and there, but I have been in more pain that not. But just because I have been in pain, doesn't mean my creativity has to stop with the rest of my body. So, while I can't get out with the camera as much as I want to, I have other options, like making a cartoon graphic of my life, by way of Bitstrips. 

I think it will be entertaining, and it will be a humorous look into what life is like in my cave. I am starting out slow with it, and like with my blog, I plan to let it evolve into what it will. Now, this doesn't mean I will never post new photos again, in fact I am hoping to post some new stuff as early as tomorrow. HOPING. We'll see. Sometimes I have to just put on extra clothes, and grab all my cameras, load up on the pain killers, pretend I am a normal person! Alan does everything he can to make life easier on me, and he encourages me to soldier through the pain. He is amazing that way. So, wish me luck!

And now, the first installment of 

Ellipsis Misses

Carly Misses Her Cat

Funny story, we live in a small cottage, which would make one believe it would not only be easy to keep clean, but that it would be an easy place to find all our your cats in. Neither is true. My cats can find the most interesting places to have there "alone time" in. Like the old soup pot I keep on top of the refrigerator. Dylan will get up there and curl up. I can't tell if he is in the pot or not, so I have to do a good bit of kitchen mountain climbing to find him. But then there are other times when he holds folk concerts from the bathroom tub. That's not his alone time, so much as his creative mode. Which sounds exactly like you would expect a slightly bitchy cat would sound while airing of his grievances in an ear piercing tone. 

But I get it, and I would join him in the bitching if I could. But sometimes I just want my orange cat by my side. Mr. Pissypants gets me. And after that one time, he got out, and decided it was a good idea to go exploring in the neighbors yard I have been a bit over protective. On that particular adventure he decided it was a good idea to bitch slap a dog big enough swallow him in a single gulp. He's a tough, no nonsense little man, who snuggles me, but doesn't hover. Who bitches daily, but also listens... and purrs. And sometimes that is exactly what I need. It's better than the strongest pain killer... well... almost.

Funny how when you get to be my age, 
simple things, like finding your cat, can make you really happy.


One thing you can look forward to about this new series,
 there will be less wordiness, and more pictures.

Mood: Happy

~Me :)