This Above All...

Carly's Chicken Bella Gusto (my original recipe)


This above all: to thine own self be true
And it must follow, as the night to day
Thous canst not then be false to any man.

~William Shakespeare, Hamlet

My goodness y'all... Paula Deen has had a bad week! Well, actually the last few years have been rough on the lady from Savannah! First came the news that after having lived a rather butter filled life, butter this, and butter that, she had contracted Type 2 diabetes. As much as I don't care for the lady, I didn't jump for joy to find out that she had been given that diagnosis, but what did bother me, a lot, was the fact that she knew she had diabetes for at least a couple years before disclosing it. Does she have to share the intimate details of her life, just because she is a celebrity chef? No! Certainly not, but what was disturbing to me was the fact that she was give the diagnosis and then continued to come up with new and exciting ways to help others contract the disease. It was irresponsible. If she had come out with the fact that she was in for a culinary lifestyle change, and perhaps incorporated some slimmed down versions of her dangerous recipes into her cooking shows, I would have not only applauded her for her honesty, I would have gained a world of respect for the lady. Instead it was revealed that she had been given a nice fat contract to act as spokesperson for a new insulin drug, and that was the true driving factor surrounding the disclosure.

Damn... that's sad.

Well, everyone lost their collective shit over the incident, and things died down, but now here is that southern belle in yet another pickle. This time over allegations of personally using racial slurs, and turning a blind eye to her brother's behavior of sexual harassment and the using of similar slurs as well, therefore creating a hostile working environment! The whole thing blew up this week, and only got worse when Paula admitted to using the slurs in a certain context several years ago. By yesterday, Friday, the damage had been done. The Food Network has fired her! And oddly enough, I feel kinda bad for her. I usually feel bad for anyone who finds themselves in this kind of circumstance. This was a situation that didn't have to happen, had Deen been a little more mindful of other peoples feelings. You know what I mean?

I think all of us have had a moment when we have thought something less than kind towards someone. I can admit right now that I have thought of the bad neighbor I have as being an idiot. Dumb. Useless. Stupid. Mean. You name it... I have thought it, and sometimes said it, especially to Alan, because you can tell your spouse anything, especially when you just need to express some stress. The simple truth however is that you can't indulge in the depths of negativity too long. You see, along with my father teaching me about politics, he also taught me there was a time and a place for everything, but there was never a time for using hurtful language toward someone. Racial jokes aren't funny. Neither are sizest jokes or gender jokes. Does that mean I have never laughed at a blond joke, no, I would be lying it I said that, but the personal jab is where I begin to tune out the comedy.

Sigh.

I am glad we have moved to a more politically correct world than when I was a child. I am a short lady. I am 4'11 on a good day, so I have been the object of many a short person joke. Frankly... I can take a joke. You kinda have to develop a thick skin or sink into despair from the insensitivity of others. It didn't happen over night, but now no one is better at making fun me than me. I know myself better than anyone in the world, including Alan. I know my strengths. I know that because of my Fibromyalgia I will make a mistake with my speech every single day. I am not exaggerating. EVERY SINGLE DAY. So if I can't laugh at myself... well... life would be intolerable.

Laughing at one's self is a strength. Laughing at other people... not so much. The use of self restraint when someone is getting on your last nerve... a strength. Reducing a fellow human to an ignorant racial slur... not so much. Using the counting to 10 method before reacting when someone is upsetting you is a strength. Not putting any thought into the weight your words carry because you are upset and you want to hurt them back... not so much. When you think about it, being politically correct is more for you than anyone else. It's about who you want to be inside. Sitting here, right now, I wish I had stopped while I was in the middle of my angry rant toward my neighbor, I wish I would have tried to express myself on a less angry level, rather than lobbing the expletive filled verbal salad at his head.

He got on my last nerve and the shit literally hit the fan! Of course on the plus side, he merely tries to annoy me now, rather than completely piss me off, which is a good thing... I think!?

LOL.

Will it ever happen again. I hope not. But you never know. Human here. But being human can't be used as an excuse! And believe me, I am trying really hard to remember that.

I imagine things will be difficult for Paula Deen in the next few weeks and months, but hopefully she will take some time to reflect. Perhaps this was a lesson she needed to learn. All the most profound and meaningful lessons seem to hurt us the most. Well, at least that's been my experience. But hey, anything that encourages us to grow as a person can't be all bad. If we remember to forget the blame and accept the lesson. I wish the lady luck. And one day, perhaps not all that long from now, she will be back, a little less butter laden, and a little more mindful.

We'll see.

And now, here's a little dessert. A simple Strawberry/BlackBerry on Buttermilk Biscuit. Type 2 Diabetic friendly of course!



YUM!

Mood: Reflective

~Me :)

Happy Summer 2013!

"Sweet, sweet burn of sun and summer wind, and you my friend, my new fun thing, my summer fling."

~K.D. Lang

It's here! Happy Summer 2013! My rose garden seems to be grinning ear to ear! Bee to bee? Rose to rose? LOL. Oh well, you know what I mean! It's happy... that's all. Just happy!

Summer Begins At 1:04 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time.

Today is also the longest day of the year, which is fine by me, because now the days will begin to get shorter. I can't wait for the those lovely shorter days of autumn. Happiness! But first, Saturday and Sunday will see the arrival of the 2013 Supermoon! It peaks on June 22, and 23rd and will be the biggest and brightest moon of the year! Go read all about it here! Now tell me, will you be joining in the fun of photographing this awesome event? I am going to give it my best shot, how about you?

 

 

 

Mood: Happy :)

~Me :)

Strawberries+June=Happiness

“I wonder what it would be like to live in a world where it was always June.”
― L.M. Montgomery

Alan found these lovelies at Costco yesterday, along with some Honeydew and Watermelon. YUM. It's nearly summer, just a couple more days to go, and my mind is already filled with culinary ideas. Homemade strawberry ice cream. Chilled melon soup. Heirloom tomato pizza. Fresh salad with edible roses, and lavender honey vinaigrette dressing. The possibilities are endless! Of the three months of summer, I like June the best, not only is it my birthday month, but it's not unbearably hot yet, so my creativity is at it's height, which gives me plenty of ideas for the rest of the summer.

I love strawberries, and boy do I have plans for them this year! :)

Mood: Happy

~Me :)

A Nice Place For High Tea

"One of the most productive ways a government can spend money on the people is by building more prisons. That's what makes the US so great. That's what freedom is all about."

Isn't that a pretty building? Odd that it is the main jail, and only jail, in Half Moon Bay, California. Half Moon Bay is one of my favorite places in the Bay Area to visit. As it's name suggests, it is a small coastal town on HWY 1, about 25 miles or so south of San Francisco. I visit Half Moon Bay often, but in October I haunt the place. Especially Pastorino's Farm, where Alan and I always buy our pumpkins for Halloween. Half Moon Bay is pumpkin central for the Bay Area, but they grow some mighty good Brussels Sprouts as well! At certain times of the year, if the tide is high enough, the world famous Maverick's hold their surf contest! There is plenty of things to do there.

Half Moon Bay is one of the great loves of my life, it's artistic, it's serene, it's inviting, it's quirky, it's spooky when the fog rolls in, and apparently it's pleasant even if you wake up and find yourself hooskow! LOL! To me, it looks more like a place you could stop into if you were peckish and wanted a mini muffin, and some sweet tea. But that's a good thing I think, after all, getting arrested makes for a bad day for most, so at least getting arrested in Half Moon Bay doesn't make it a completely wasted experience!

I mean doesn't it kinda look like Sheriff Andy Taylor will just come walking out the door any time? That's a good thing... right? :)

Oh, one more thing, if you like to garden with roses as I do, Half Moon Bay has some pretty great nurseries as well! Oh... and salt water taffy!

Mood: Reflective But Happy

~Me :)

Strolling Through The Seasons...

"I wonder if the snow loves the trees and fields, that it kisses them so gently? And then it covers them up snug, you know, with a white quilt; and perhaps it says, "Go to sleep darlings, till the summer comes again."

~Lewis Carroll, Alice's Adventures In Wonderland And Through The Looking-Glass

Yep. That's a picture of autumn. Why am I posting a photo of an autumn scene, as we sit on the cusp of spring and summer? Well because it will be summer very soon... less that a week... and I am busy finishing the last of the spring cleaning. An activity I should have really began months ago, but instead chose to all but ignore until about a week ago. Now, today, and most of tonight, will be spent packing up stuff, and space bagging other things so that it will finally be done! Why did I procrastinate? Why didn't I just do it back in March? Or April? Or May? Why?

I am home alone tonight, in fact I will be alone until Alan gets home from work at 6:00 in the morning. What will I be doing all that time? Well, you know... the usual. Mostly cleaning the front closet, arranging Christmas decorations, usually a late autumn/winter activity, and for company I have The Mary Tyler Moore show on the computer. I am on Season 1 Episode 3 as I type this. I love that show! It's one of those shows that I can watch over and over and never tire of it. Especially when I am alone, and I can remember back to watching it as a kid.

Anyway, here are some new photos from the garden. I promise I will be bringing some fresh photos later in the week. No flowers... I promise. :) I hope to make it over to San Francisco later in the week. Wish me luck with that!

Red/Gold Roses
June 15th, 2013





I love the color of those roses. It's a small rose to, perfect for a bud vase. And look at that color, it's a little like having all the seasons in one place, well, except for winter. Of course, it could always rain tonight... nah... it's cool, but not a drop in sight. Sigh.

Mood: Happy

~Me :)

My Rose Garden Update June 17th 2013

"I believe in roses. And I believe in putting roses into a vase and sitting the vase on the table. I believe in getting lost and being found, I believe in going barefoot, and in laughter! My religion is to laugh at myself whenever I can! I believe in the sunlight and in grey skies with big, beautiful clouds!"

~C. JoyBell C.

To my delight, my rose garden has burst with color. It's ready to take on summer in a few days, as are the plum tree and the pear tree! The garden is also showing the first of the Heirloom tomatoes! I have something special planned for them!

Stay Tuned!











Mood: Happy

~Me :)

A Little Light Summer Reading (Rated PG-13) Strong Language

"Winston Smith: Does Big Brother exist?
O'Brien: Of course he exists.
Winston Smith: Does he exist like you or me?
O'Brien: You do no exist."

~George Orwell, 1984

Given recent events I thought it was about time I read 1984. I had a chance to do so, when I was in high school, but didn't. It was in a list of books we could read to complete our literature course, but I didn't choose it because my father had referenced it many times in our political conversations, and I felt I knew the plot. LOL. Silly me. When I was in high school there were computers, of course, I'm not quite that old, but given the brouhaha over the Nixon tapes, and countless references  thereof in TV, movies, and literature, I foolishly thought American's would safe from being spied upon by our own government. I wish I would have thought that one through. Anyway, while it comes as no real surprise that a government program like Prism exists, I don't feel any safer. If this highly successful government program is such a smashing success, why were 26 souls... 20 children... 6 adults killed in Newtown? If our government is doing such a good job keeping us safe, why were two young men, able to carry out an act of terrorism at the Boston Marathon a couple months ago?

I don't buy... "It's for your own good."

9/11 was the worst day for America, since the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor.

In the days after 9/11 we were told our freedom was attacked. We say Thank You to members of the armed services for "protecting our freedom."

If we continue to compromise what freedom means to us, we will no longer have any freedom to worry about. What happens then? When you close your eyes, and imagine that world, what do you see? Smell? Hear? Where does compromising freedom end? Do you have a specific tipping point? Is there a line that shouldn't be crossed?

Sarah Palin agrees with me... FUCK ME!

"Don't you see the whole aim of Newspeak is to narrow the language of thought? In the end we shall make thoughtcrime literally impossible because there will be no words in which to express it."

~George Orwell, 1984

Is the conversation, if there is one, an honest one? Half of congress claims that even they didn't know how far reaching the Patriot Act went. I guess all the wiretapping stuff was in the fine print.We are being told that if we had the Prism project in place prior to 9/11 we might have been able to prevent it. I can't help but wonder about what we found out about 9/11 in the official 9/11 Report. Didn't it say that the system had been blinking red? We also found out that President George W. Bush had neglected to read a file titled... "Bin Laden Determined To Attack." Hmmm... Could his having read THAT REPORT maybe saved us that day?

I read on Salon the other day, that sales of George Orwell's 1984, at Amazon.com, were up by as much as 5,000 Percent. In particular, the Centennial Edition. I bought the 60th Anniversary Edition. Hmmm... up 5,000 percent... not bad for a book written in 1949.

"Then the face of Big Brother faded away again and instead the three slogans of the party stood out in bold capitals:

WAR IS PEACE
FREEDOM IS SLAVERY
IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH"

~George Orwell, 1984

Mood: Quiet

~Me

Round Robin Challenge: Wild Thing

"When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the universe."

~John Muir My First Summer in the Sierra

Round Robin Challenge: Wild Thing.

For this challenge, I bring you two kinds of Wild...

Wild #1. Wildlife

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Wild #2. Just Wild







From my perspective, Christmas is as commercialized as we decide to make it. We can go out and spend a ton of money, or we can make gifts. We can spend the next year paying off things we felt some need to buy, or set individual budgets. I find the whole "War on Christmas" and "Christmas is Commercialized" arguments silly. You can choose to be as negative as you want to want to be. But negativity is not for me, I will just enjoy awesome creativity and sparkly lights.

Okay, you've seen my pictures and read my rant, now go see what the other Round Robin participants are up to! Hey, better yet, you can play along. Just click the link at the top of the post to be redirected to the official Round Robin blog where you can find the list, and information on how to join in the challenge.

~Me :)

Art About Town Oakland: "Offering" And "Uprising" By Bruce Johnson

"Offering" By Bruce Johnson, 2009, Redwood and Copper

"A man should hear a little music, read a little poetry, and see a fine picture every day of his life, in order that worldly cares may not obliterate the sense of the beautiful which God has implanted in the human soul."

~Johan Wolfgang Von Goethe

Late last month, I visited a lovely park in Oakland, the Uptown ArtPark, that was filled with sculptures... and inspiration. I posted the first photo of the sculptures I photographed that day, here, which was titled "Dandelion" by artist, Karen Cusolito, now I bring you two more. They are titled, "Offering" and "Uprising" by Bruce Johnson. Both sculptures are made of redwood and copper, and both were dated 2009. I must say, I enjoyed them very much, but there was something about "Offering" that captured my attention longer as I studied it from all angles.


"Uprising" By Bruce Johnson, 2009, Redwood and Copper

So tell me, what do you think? Do you enjoy Public Art and if so, any thoughts on these two pieces?

"He he works with his hands is a laborer.
He who works with his hands and his head is a craftsman.
He who works with his hands and his head and his heart is an artist."

~St. Francis Of Assisi

Visit the artist's website to learn more about the artist and his sculptures...
Form And Energy... Sculpture By Bruce Johnson

I will be posting more photos of sculptures on display in the Uptown ArtPart next month, so stay tuned!


Mood: Happy

~Me :)

Paper, Plastic, Or The Bags I Always Forget?

"Life is never boring when everyday I weird, sill conversations with my husband that only us understand."

~IKA Natassa Twivortiare

Look at that! Does my husband rock or what? He fit the purchases from both Walmart, and Safeway in the back of our 2013 Chevrolet Spark, with no problem at all. I couldn't have done it in a million years.

The List Included...

2 37lb Boxes Of Fresh Step Cat Litter
1 40lb Bag Of Purina Indoor Formula Cat Food
6 12pk Coke Products
3 pkgs (Female Doo-Dads)
1 12pk Grade AA Eggs
2 pkgs Kraft Processed Sliced Cheese
4 Lean Cusine Frozen Meals
2 Boxes Family Sized Sundried Tomato Crackers
1 Gallon Fat Free Milk
1 Special K Cinnamon Pecan Cereal
2 pkgs Sargento Shredded Cheese


 He is my hero!

I have NO IDEA what the mental block is with both experience when it comes to remembering that we need to bring our earth friendly reusable bags, as mandated by Alameda County. Sheesh... the law went into effect last January. We bought tons of them for shopping, but we almost NEVER remember them when we leave for the store! The worst part... they are all there, clean and ready to go, on the very door we use to go out of the house! We literally have to look at the bags, in order to leave the house, and we almost always forget them! And the thing is... I have NO idea why we habitually forget them.

We like the earth.
We voted YES on the plastic bag ban. I think.
We like that the reusable ones never break like the plastic ones do.
We always remember to throw them in the laundry after we remember to use them.

It's nothing short of a mystery.

Of course some might say Alan and I are experiencing "senior moments." We are both over 50.

Personally, I scoff at that. To me, a senior moment is when you bend over to pick up a cat toy and suddenly you expel a fart you didn't know was lurking around. Of which I know nothing of, personally speaking.

No, I think our absentmindedness is a matter of that... absentmindedness! I mean after all, it's not as if we both forget to put our pants on before heading off to Safeway. Now THAT is a senor moment. And while I turn 51 at the end of the month, I don't even qualify for a discount at restaurants and theaters yet. Well... most restaurants and theaters anyway!

WINK.

But really, isn't Alan awesome?

Mood: Happy

~Me :)



 He was clearly a genius at puzzles. Me, not so much!

A Mid June Sunset

"Dusk is just an illusion because the sun is either above the horizon or below it. And that means that day and night are linked in a way that few things are. There cannot be one without the other, yet they cannon exist at the same time. How would it feel, I remember wondering, to be always together yet forever apart.?"

~Nicholas Sparks, The Notebook

 

When I walked outside to check on the roses last night, I actually didn't even make it to the garden. This sunset just grabbed my attention, and my imagination, and all I could do is spend the last few moments of light watching the colorful clouds move past. It was breathtaking!

Mood: Happy

~Me :)

My Rose Garden, June 2013

"It was June, and the world smelled of roses. The sunshine was like powdered gold over the grassy hillside."

~Maud Hart Lovelace, Betsy-Tacy and Tib

Just a short post today. The vegetable and rose gardens are both taking off. I will have pictures of the Heirloom tomatoes later in the week! I am a happy camper with the garden, but I am having to keep one step ahead of the aphids. It's seems like it will be a big year for those pesky pests.

 

Mood: Happy

~Me :)

Coping Mechanisms

"People say time will help you heal and move on, but it's not true. Time only teaches you to manage the tears so they fall when you are alone, because everyone else thinks you should be okay by now."

~Kaliana Dietrich

It's true. Time does heal you. But it's also true that time does teach you to manage things. It's also true that those who love you, friends, relatives, sometimes even mere acquaintances will expect you to return to your old self in their time periods... not yours. You don't have a say in it. You can give it a try and pretend to be okay, but you will eventually grow to resent the pressure to conform.

At the moment I find myself in a frustrating situation. I am being bullied by a neighbor. We had a falling out 2 years ago in one of those "final straw" moments. He doesn't just bully me, he bullies anyone he feels he can get away with bullying. Because he doesn't know when to stop, he always ends up getting his fingers slapped, but he will eventually start up again. It's pretty much a regular pattern. Behaviors such as making as much noise as possible without breaking the law. Letting his dog bark at 3:00 in the morning, then he reminds all of us who live around him that he has a police scanner on his iPhone and can quiet the dog before they arrive. Stupid immature behaviors like that.

I've done some research on bullies, and I have a new insight about things. Adult bullies were often bullied as children. If their parents, or teachers, didn't or wouldn't, or couldn't teach them proper coping mechanisms, they often grow up to become bullies themselves. It's not an excuse for their anti-social behavior, but it's a reason.  I try to have compassion. I try to remember that deep down the neighbor is seeking attention. I try. GOD HELP ME I TRY! But I am only human! I try. But there are times when I could just pack up and move from my cottage, but I cannot let someone drive me from a home I have lived in, comfortably, for nearly 15 years... and I won't. To give in is to empower the bully, and you know what happens after that!

So, I am trying my best to learn to have compassion, and understand that his behavior is more about his struggles than mine, and hope that one day he will tire of his own behavior... Probably not likely, but people do, sometimes, change for the better. What can I do? At age 51 I don't give into bullies, and especially not in his case. But for the sake of debate lets say I did move, I would always wonder if the empowerment I would be handing him, would be passed onto whoever moved in after me. I have seen him drive other neighbors off the property with his baloney, and that's exactly what happens each time, he becomes a bigger monster.

Truly, I would feel bad about passing that kind of a haunted house along to someone.

As for how I am dulling the pain and anxiety... with... my choice of coping mechanisms...

Alan, Head Phones, Researching The Subject, Old Movies, My Cats And Yes, The Occasional Valium.

For every evil under the sun
There is a remedy or there is none
If there be one seek till you find it
If there be none then never mind it

~Mother Goose

Mood: Quiet

~Me

PS: About the photo for this post. I saw these items in a shopping cart in the parking lot of a K-Mart here in the East Bay. I haven't touched them in any way, this is exactly as they were arranged. In a weird way it made me feel less alone.

And Now, Blue Jasmine... The Movie Trailer

"Men learn to love the woman they are attracted to. Women learn to become attracted to the man they fall in love with."

~Woody Allen

 

Finally... the trailer for Woody Allen's, Blue Jasmine, is here. The large picture above was taken at one of the filming locations in San Francisco, a few hours after filming wrapped for the day! LOL. On that day I was a few minutes late, and a Woody Allen short. If you look very closely at the trailer you will see this building, slightly altered for the film, but recognizable all the same. Alan and I only made it to two of the many locations used in the film, if I could I would have been at all of them, cameras with me, taking in the fun. Unfortunately, life... work, doctor's appointments... had to come first. That and good old fashioned mistiming. LOL. In the next few days that followed I was able to get the photos I wanted. Last August was the best part of the summer. The best part of any of my summers. :)

Okay... go watch the trailer. I can already tell it's going to be one of his movies that stays with you long after you have seen it. Kind of like Midnight In Paris, Manhattan, or Interiors. I already identify at bit with Jasmine. I have a profound first hand knowledge of what it feels like to have your life pulled out from under you... suddenly, and without your permission. Perspective gets lost in the pain, and yes, Xanax by the fist fulls becomes a bigger part of your life than breathing. That was my life 12 years ago. When they "no longer felt good about giving me Xanax, Anhedonia took over for me. Anyway, we will leave it at that. No need to numb every day, Anhedonia... is now just a distant memory.

And THANK GOODNESS. Because if I still had Anhedonia, I couldn't have taken the awesome photo you see above!

LOL. Go watch the trailer...

Mood: Grateful

~Me :)

Have A NIce Day!

"A computer lets you make more mistakes faster than any other invention with the possible exceptions of handguns and Tequila."

~Mitch Ratcliffe

 

Have you ever noticed that good news doesn't usually come on Fridays? As a matter of fact, bad news doesn't tend to come on Fridays either, well unless it's political. You see Friday has long been deemed the "news dump"day and politicians love it because they can come out and tell the truth, which is quite often ridiculous or infuriating, and they have two full days, AKA the weekend, to gather their collective wits about them, for the ensuing question barrage questions they know will be coming.

That's the world of Politics.

But yesterday, there was a pretty interesting bit of news that came from the Technology world. Well, it's kinda new, actually the article I read was dated June 5th, which was a Wednesday. I am not sure if Wednesdays hold any special good or bad connotations as far as news goes, but this was good news, and I read about it yesterday, which of course was Friday! LOL. Anyway, it seems there will be a major new update coming for Windows 8, on June 26th, a Wednesday, which when downloaded will make it's current operating system be called Windows 8.1.

Yeah, yeah... we know that. Right? Well yes, Microsoft did say a while back that they had heard our screams of WHY,WHY,WHY,WHY, WHY,WHY? Why oh WHY, did you change the Windows operating system so drastically? Why have you made it impossible and confusing to use? Thank you for making it pretty with the awesome little tiles, and the beautiful colors, but WHY did you take away the Start Screen Button? WHYYYYYYYYY? Just Why!

Okay, if you haven't read the article that came out Wednesday, hold on to your hats, and buttons, because as of June 26th Windows 8.1 will be available for download, with some cool new features that promise to make it much more user friendly, and without mentioning it, there is a strong indication that the beloved Start Button will be back! I know. If they haven't mentioned it, maybe I am in for a let down, but most articles I have perused seem to all agree it will be there... in the lower left corner... right where it belongs.

Frankly, I have come to terms with the Windows 8 system, and made my piece with it. After thinking long and hard about whether I should give up and have Best Buy downgrade my Toshiba laptop back to Windows 7, I chose to soldier on. After all, whether we like it or not, Microsoft has moved on from Windows 7, therefore all future computers, desktop or otherwise, will be sold with Windows 8 already loaded. Besides, while I was super annoyed in the beginning, I have acclimated to the Windows 8 system now, and I am okay with it.

But I have to say, I really love sitting her at my desktop PC, which runs Windows 7, and not have to put as much thought into the tasks I need to perform. My lovely Start Button is right there, in the lower left hand corner, like an old cherished friend. Smiling at me, and telling me in a soft voice... "It's okay... I am here. I understand. I am your friend and I will never leave you." LOL. Well, okay, it doesn't really say that, the most my computer ever says to me is... "You've Got Mail, And We Have Forwarded It On To The NSA."

Have A Nice Day!

Mood: Hopeful

~Me :)

They Know Your Uncle Jim Has Hemmorrhoids

"Of course I'm not going to look through the keyhole. That's something only servants do. I'm going to hide in the bay window."

~Penelope Farmer, Charlotte Sometimes

Sigh.

I took this photo on January 25th 2005, just 5 days after George W. Bush's second inauguration. As you can see, the owner of the Grand Lake theatre in Oakland was no big fan of President Bush, and if you have known me for any length of time, you know I wasn't either. But if you arent' aware, I think America changed with Bush in office. And it wasn't a change for the better. It was a change toward a country of infighters. I found myself, at times, thinking that we just might be on the verge of yet another civil war, fuel by the Bush administration nonsense. If you just happened to not agree with the administration, you better not say it out loud, or you met with not just hostility, but rather vulgar actions and death threats by rabid "Bushies". Just ask The Dixie Chicks.

But what could one do? The only things we on the left could do, was wait for President Bush's second term to end, and eventually it did. But about two years before that finally happened, both the right and the left was searching for our next national leader. I can't speak for the decision making process of the left, I have no idea what goes on in their minds, but as a Democrat/Liberal/Progressive, take your pick, I know I wanted most was some relief from the oppression of the Bush administration. The warrant-less wiretapping of average Americans, the TSA searching procedure at airports, his failure to sign the Assault Weapons Ban back into law, the holding of anyone, anywhere without due process.

Do I need to go on?

So, as we inched closer to the 2008 election it seemed more and more of the country had also grown tired of the same things that weighed heavy on me. We were all ready for REAL CHANGE. I was a Hillary girl. I thought in 2008, just as I do now, that Hillary Clinton would be the right person to dig us out of the desperate hole we were in. She could do wonders with restoring our name around the world. She could and would bring a fresh perspective... yes... as a woman. I believe she would have brought to the White House, and the nation, a sense of perspective. A decency. But alas, she lost in the primaries to Senator Barack Obama.

Remember him? Candidate Obama?

Candidate Obama and President Obama are two very different people... aren't they?

Did you read a newspaper (remember those) or visit and online news outlet yesterday? If you did, you know that once again America has sold out to fear. Personally, the article at The Nation was the one I read yesterday that brought a lot of perspective to the whole thing, "Secret NSA Program Gives the Agency Unprecedented Access To Private Internet Communications." Holy Cow. So, if I want to email... oh... say... my Aunt Sue... I don't have an Aunt Sue... but if I did... that means someone, somewhere, might be reading my HAPPY 89th Birthday E-Card before she does? Hmmmm. All in the name of national security?

Shame of Candidate Obama! Sir, you lied. You said one thing, and you are doing another. If you lied about what you will do as president, if only we trust you and vote for you, then what else are you lying about?

Shame on President Obama! Sir, you aren't any better than George W. Bush was! You have not just continued the work of Bush, but expanded the very things you promised to stop. Why couldn't you have had the courage to just come out and tell us, prior to the election last Autumn? Every single day more and more of those freedoms that we all enjoy saying we have are being taken away from us. Every single day! And ironically, all this wiretapping failed catch the Tsarnaev brothers who were involved in the Boston Marathon bombing. But what do they know?

They know if you Uncle Jim has hemorrhoids
They know if your neighbor Mr. Whoever, is having an affair.
They know that you get a daily horoscope
They know that your dog, Mr. Ruffles, threw up a tapeworm
They know that you think someone aught to invent a glue that is as sticky as a booger
They know that you are an avid Stephen King fan
They know that you want a real solution for Male Pattern Baldness
They know that you once Googled... "Why Can't An Erection Last Over 4 Hours?"
But do they know your deepest, darkest secret? How about your darkest thoughts? Not even the ones you are serious about, but the ones you have that go fleetingly by?

Would you want them to?

If you are me...

They know I Think George W. Bush is the worst thing, besides Dick Cheney that ever happened to America
They know I love cats
They know I send myself a list of quotes daily, for the purpose of using them on my blog
They know I am crazy about Mootsie's Tootsies
They know Alan and I flirt while we play Words With Friends
They know Alan and I play Words With Friends while he is at work
They know I LOVE ordering lunch to go from Chipotle
They know I watch One Life To Live and All My Children on Hulu.
They know I have a huge crush on Todd Manning
They know I love to order old movies from Amazon.com
They know... well... they know. They know whether or not I wanted to share. 

As for my deepest, darkest thought. Well. I have daydreams of a meteor, the size of a semi, hitting my neighbor. But I don't think of it often, because with my luck, I would be home, and I would end up getting hit right along with the pain in the ass neighbor. That's the luck I HAVE.

I miss the America we were on Monday, September 10th, 2001. Don't you?

And you know what?

You can't blame that on W!

Mood: Quiet

~Me :)

My Orange Tabby Heating Pad

"The smallest feline is a masterpiece."

~Leonardo da Vinci

I took this photo of Dylan after he had been a member of our family just 2 days! I was already hopelessly in love with him, having experienced love at first sight the minute we met. He and I were meant to be each other's family, it was written in a big book by God himself, and I never had a chance! Neither did Alan or Hendrix. Hendrix had been adopted a full week earlier, but he was very happy to have a little brother to beat up on, and share toys with. We are a true American family. A mom, a dad and their two little boys. Well... one little boy, and a tabby colored hot water bottle! That's right... you read that last part correct. We didn't adopt a kitten, we adopted an orange tabby hot water bottle. Or maybe space heater is more accurate. Either way... Dylan throws off heat better than any heating pad I have ever owned.

As I have mentioned many times, I am not a big fan of summer, other than the fact that my joints seem to swell and hurt less during summer, I don't really have much use for it. I consider it 3 months that are necessary to finally reach autumn. I don't like heat. Not one little bit. In winter, if one finds the temperature uncomfortable, you can always put another layer on, but in summer, you really only have a few options to rectify the situation. But what do you do when it's summer, and the kitty cat love of your life insists on sitting on your lap, or sleeping across your legs when it's summer? LOL. I don't have the heart to push him away, but even with the air conditioner going, and the temperature in the room reads 65 degrees, I still wake up sweating!

A cat's normal body temperature is 100 to 103, so ideally, 101 is just about perfect. I have never had Dylan officially checked as to what is usual number is, but I am thinking it is probably 103. LOL. Goodness, it's just the oddest thing. Elvis weighed about 29 pounds at his heaviest, and he never threw off heat. Hendrix, who weighs about 13 pounds, is a normal kitty as far as how warm he is when he is sitting on my lap, but Dylan... he is unbelievably warm. LOL. He weighs maybe 8 pounds. He is the smallest cat I ever owned, and he is by far the warmest! And the funniest part is that he actually gets upset if the air conditioner cools the house off too much! He will walk around, mewing and meowing until I turn the air conditioner off! LOL.

And I usually do! LOL.

He's my baby. He has a warm soul. Or he's demonic. I am not always sure which! LOL.

Yes I am.

It's the first one... he has a big, happy, warm heart and soul.

But goodness he throws off heat!

:)

Here is a little fun reading about cats...

99 Interesting Facts About Cats

Mood: Happy

~Me :)

It Was Tuesday So...

"You've got this life and while you've got it, you'd better kiss like you only have one moment, try to hold someone's hand like they're the last you'll ever see, watch someone sleeping like there's no time left, jump if you feel like jumping, run if you feel like running play music in your head when there is none and eat cake like it's the only one left in the world!

~C. JoyBell C.

Yesterday was Tuesday, and that means that the Daily Special cupcake at the Teacake Bake Shop in Emeryville was the Madagascar Vanilla with Honey Tangerine Buttercream frosting. It's amazingly delicious. Life affirming delicious! I first tried this little beauty a couple months ago when Alan and I went to the movies at the AMC Everyville. Yesterday we went to see Star Trek: Into The Darkness, and after the movie we enjoyed a little sweet culinary treat and our respective warm beverages. For me of course it was all about the cupcake, but for Alan it was the Chocolate Chunk Hazelnut cookie, also from the Teacake Bake Shop. Tuesdays, who knew how fantastic Tuesday's could be?

Mood: Happy

~Me :)

Everyone Knows It's Wendy

"I fully appreciate the ability of trees to attract kites. They have special powers that way."

~Charlie Dunton

Everyone knows it's Wendy! LOL. I decided to have a little fun with my photo editing program by making a GIF of my beloved kite Wendy. I have owned her since January of 2007, and I adore her, but I haven't had many opportunities to fly her. I am hoping to take her to Ocean Beach next week, now that the weather is beginning to get really warm. Ocean Beach is a great place for kites! On any given day you can see all kinds of sizes and styles of kites! Now that Alan has that gorgeous dragon kite, I should be able to do a lot of photography while I am there! Okay, I will admit it, the summer does have it's charms!

The Association... "Windy"


"Who's tripping down the streets of the city
Smilin' at everybody she sees
Who's reachin' out to capture a moment
Everyone knows it's Windy"


Mood: Happy

~Me :)

The Gemini

"If nothing ever changed, there'd be no butterflies."

~Unknown

When Alan and I visited the Conservatory Of Flowers Butterfly Exhibit last month, not only were we treated to a gorgeous variety of beautiful butterflies and the flowers they enjoy, we also got to see them as they are when they have just emerged from their cocoons! What A TREAT! In years past, the butterflies remained behind a protective glass viewing case until they had been emerged for a while, but this time around the conservatory releases them into the room as soon as they are completely free from the chrysalis. Baby butterflies! Okay, I know that it'd not really accurate to call them babies, as they are fully grown, ready to fly, fully mature creatures, but to see them at their most vulnerable makes one think of them as infants, if only for the few hours it usually takes them to spread their wings. This lovely little creature was born May 22nd, 2013! I love butterflies, nothing in nature can compare to their beauty!

According To The Universal Psychic Guild...

Gemini
Element: Air
The Ruling Planet: Mercury
Symbol: The Twins
Stone: Aquamarine
Life Pursuit: To Explore A Little Bit Of Everything
Vibration: Intense Mental Energy
Gemini's Secret Desire: To Be Ahead Of The Crowd

"I'm a gemini, so I change my mind every day."

~Natalie Portman

Click here to read more about Geminis.

Personally, I am a Cancer. My birthday is at the end of the month, so we will delve into what it's like to be me as the month moves forward! Doesn't that sound like fun?! ;)

Mood: Happy

~Me :)