a garden party.....

So what to do when you can't type the day away on your computer? Why throw a party of course! Makes perfect sense, doesn't it? And that's exactly what I did for the last few days. My distinguished guests included: Mr. Pine Sol, Ms. Windex, Lord Furniture Polish, Lady Bathroom Scrubber, Master Toilet Bowl Cleaner, and Mr. & Ms. Vacuum. We had a hell of a time!

We partied the days away in absolute bliss hitting every room in our path. It was a non-stop fest that had no boundaries, except when I ran out of food. Leaving my guests behind for a few hours, a trip to the local grocery store (my favorite kind of shopping) yielded new goodies to store in the cupboards. There was even time to bake a few banana chocolate chip breads in the few moments of down time. Lucky for me, the guests were pooped and needed a few snooze moments for themselves, otherwise the breads would have sat as batter in my refrigerator.
Nothing was too sacred or off limits in our attempt to boogie down.... except for the discovery of the Dustbunnies that tried to crash the party. They were promptly sucked out by the vacuums. Those trouble-making-partying Dustbunnies.... will they never learn??

I generally throw this party in early Spring... around April or so, but was late with the invitations. No matter, it worked out best for everyone to come in late June anyway. Ms. Windex brought a guest with her, a Prince Paper Towel.... and what a handsome man he was! So debonair in his all-white suit, only to have the Dustbunnies ruin it on their way out. It was such a shame.... we literally had to throw it away.

In all, the party lasted 3 days.... we just couldn't seem to part after Tuesday, and all guests decided to stay one more day. What the heck..... I only see them all together like that once a month. I see them all the time individually, as we set little play-dates with one another.... but all together is a rarity these days. Needless to say, I was glad to have a little more time with them. They were all great and wonderful guests, and they even left the house cleaner then when they first arrived.... the best guest of all!

So now all caught up, computer restored, and printer running, it's time to stick to the appointment I made with Mr. Catering Office.... and perhaps get in a nice nap in later since the phones aren't ringing anyway.... ZZZZZZZZZZZ

absence........

Sneaking onto my sons computer is a covert act that must be done when he is off to work.... like tonight. Why am I sneaking around his room? Well, with good reason. My computer suffered another crash. Seems like every couple of months or so, I go through this. This time it was a matter of my PC not recognizing my printer.... or even another printer that I had installed. The "spooler" application was disabled. What the heck is a spooler? I don't know... I only know that I need it in order for the printer to work. Having an opportunity to talk it all over with a tech who is a good friend, she advised me that I would need to bring it in to get fixed, as we tried to send the computer back in time, but to no avail.
So, no spooler application, no printer, no way to type up invoices... and worse of all, no PC .

I (hopefully) will get back to normal by Wednesday.... in the meantime, my house got a good cleaning today... as there was not much else to do, and it's raining again, so the plants and grass are happy. Life could be worse! I'll be around to read and leave comments as I can.... but remember, this is a covert action on my part. If my son ever knew I was on his computer, he'd freak. shhhh.......

and on the 30th day, the skies relented.......

To all those that performed the traditional and not so traditional raindance in my plight for something to drop from the sky..... I would like to thank you. It finally rained last night for about an hour.... just enough to salvage my browning areas of lawn from total destruction. I might even have the chance to mow down the crab-grass that thrived during this time, it being the only type of grass not affected by our drought.

I had managed to water (on the lam again) the flowers and bushes by watering can and plant food Thursday night, and everything seemed to perk up a bit.... but it could be only a matter of one day that could bring it all back down again. Then last night thunderstorms moved into the area, the skies rocked, and trees swayed in anticipation of any precipitation they might receive. They were all rewarded highly for their patience. We didn't have a belly-gusher, but a nice shower that was able to sink into the hard clay ground, and not run off into the streets. It even managed to drop the temperatures outside to a nice comfortable 78 degrees from the high 90's. Yup, the rain Gods were mighty kind for leaving such a nice calling card. There are even rumors that we might see another performance tonight. To that I say: Bring It On.... just wait till after the 6 PM outdoor wedding ceremony I have to coordinate.

My hydrangea and azalea bushes, flowers, and lawn thank you for your prayers of rain..... and they all wanted me to let you know this. Your efforts paid off, and the flora is smiling once more!

Have a wonderful weekend!

it's how you look at it.....

That's the funny thing about perspectives, everyone has their own, and they're as common as opinions. Gaze at any life canvas long enough, and you are bound to find a image that not everybody else can see. What we forget, most of the time, is that there is a bigger picture involved as well. We are too intent, more times than not, on being gratified with the little amount we do understand, and dismiss that which takes a more open mind for. In a lot of cases we get tangled in the "entitlement" phase and the perception perceived by others is not always flattering. With good reason..... nobody likes a truly rude person.

I had the opportunity to read a few posts from blogsphere that touched on the subject of perspectives. One concerned a story of a waiter and hostess talking at a host stand. In walks a woman with her husband, demanding a table by the window. When told that all tables were reserved except for an aisle seat, the woman huffed, called the situation "hideous" and stomped out of the restaurant. Concerned that the hostess would be upset over the situation (as this was her first day), the waiter expressed condolences. This girl was ready though. She proceeded to tell the waiter about her 22-year old sister that just returned from Iraq. She said her sister wouldn't care what table she ate at, she was just happy to be home, as was all of her family. And BAM.... it put the whole situation into perspective.

Another story was about a man who moved into an affluent area. His neighbors, seeing a middle-aged man who rides a Harley, keep a guarded attitude in their manner toward him. What they didn't know was that this new neighbor was to keep guard on the neighborhood, while his neighbors go to work everyday. Sort of a self-applied and appointed position, he is a hero for doing this. Did his neighbors bother to find that out about him? No. They saw long hair, a motorcycle, and a motorcycle party, and passed their own judgment first. And BAM again! There was that perception fairy again.

It seemed to me that this was a good lesson in humility. It was a good time to take a peek into my past and see if I passed judgment on something without giving it the benefit of the doubt. Nope.... pretty ok here. I have to admit, I like being on the better side of karma than not. To me, it just doesn't make any sense to be outwardly rude to people, as the woman in the restaurant was. That attitude usually ends up in a very sour and miserable life.... and surely there's more to life than that. Standing up for your rights is a noble thing, but so are rules to keep you in line. If you follow the moral ones a little more closely, they are filled with social manners; the most important one is "getting along". It's what society does if they want to co-exist. That seems a pretty simple rule in itself, yet so difficult to obtain. And to be perfectly honest with you, there are some days I don't undertand why. What's so hard about "do good things".

We are lucky to be able to catch random acts of kindness glimpses here and there.... the world is not hopeless yet, but we don't see as many as we'd like. These images are projected forward as time passes through. What will recorded history say of us without truly getting to know us? Will they judge us on our wars and bad deeds? Or will they open their eyes to see the people who exist now? I suppose it depends on how you look at it. Well..... lets hope we are judged kindly by history by starting to remember what "do good things" implies.

rainy days and mondays....

There is a saying in Atlanta that if you don't like the weather, wait five minutes because it will change. The exception to that is the summer.... and Atlanta summers usually start in June. We can easily go for many weeks with temperatures in the high 80's and 90's, with no rain to wash off the heat, or grace the flowers with a nice shower of water. As I gaze out the window this Monday night, I've been hoping for a nice belly-gusher to salvage the remnants of my once green grass. It seems that this, once again, was only a rumor.... rain seems to be in the forecast, but the overcast sky is not relinquishing any clemency.

Once again, I will have to play the "rotating the sprinkler" game with the lawn after 8PM, in hopes that the grass will respond to the little I can do for it in these hot times, without running my water bill up to exceed the national debt. City water is not cheap, my bill can run anywhere over $100.00 to $140.00 a month. Even the critters are sputtering and coughing in the yard in hopes of finding a free drop somewhere. No matter how much I fill up the bird baths (everyday), they are empty by the next night. It wouldn't be so bad if we could just water our lawns, but the state is under a water restriction siege. My county has taken the restriction further than the rest of the state by declaring that we can water freely between the hours of 8PM and 5AM, rotating every other day.... and no watering AT ALL on Fridays. If caught, you proceed into a series of fine schedules. The first offense is a warning. The second, a monetary fine you must pay to the city; and the third, your water is turned off at the street so that nothing gets into your home.

For a gardener, this is a nightmare... but I am fortunate that the neighbors are understanding. So far, no one has turned me in to the water company when I sneak around behind the bushes to water the beds that are filled with sagging and gasping flowers. Even the bushes are beginning to wane from their former glory, and the hydrangea bush I usually hide behind, managed to grab my arm the other day to beg for anything I could spare. Oh the pain I felt when I saw her long leaf arms sprouting big blue flowers laying flat to the ground in the dust. The once former grass that surrounded the bush was now nothing but Georgia red clay and pock marks, where squirrels and chipmunks had dug for any acorns that might have fallen off the giant oak tree in my backyard. What's truly sad is that the neighbors hydrangea bushes have net-worked with my own, and tugged further at my weak heart. There is no way I can bypass this beautiful purple flowered queen without leaving her a nice long drink of water.

So if you are experiencing an over-abundance of rain... feel free to wish it over to my little corner of the Earth for a day or two.... we could really use it here!

in my fathers arms.....

Long ago and far away there lived a special man in my life, my Dad. He had all the enthusiam of a child when it came to exploring, and shared this adventure freely....it was a seed deeply planted in all of his children, and it was never lost on me. He had all the degrees of charm and wit, was a great story-teller, and loved making life fun. And one thing more.... he was very handsome, as he resembled the dancer, Gene Kelley.

I always thought the story of how my parents had met was one of kismet, and probably the most romantic love story I've ever heard. My Mother, returning from a visit on Cape Cod, was on the train headed toward Boston. Suffering a small heartache from a spurned crush, she was determined to wallow in silence, if only she could find a place to sit on the heavily crowded train. A seat by a young sailor was unoccupied, but his long legs were stretched out on it. When she politely asked him if she could have the seat for herself, the young man teased her, but would not budge. She promptly decided that any seat was better than no seat, and sat down on his legs. Pretty daring stuff for the 1950's... a lady just did not do that, but her will was stronger than the teasing she was receiving, and the young mans charm softened her heart. It was all in fun, and she was quickly over her unrequited crush as they struck up conversation.
As they parted in Boston, he asked to see her again. She gave her address, and invited him to dinner. Because she still lived at home, and her father was from the "old country", with very old fashioned ideas, she had her reservations; but the deed was done, and there was no backing out. She would wait till dinner was almost served before she was able to tell her parents of her invited guest, and hope for the best. The rest, as they say, is history.... and in 1952, my parents were married.

They would have four children, and we became the center of their lives. Being the only girl in the bunch allowed for some, but not many, special priviledges. While the boys had to learn yardwork, I had to learn housework.... all at a very young and age appropriate time. However, it wasn't all work, much of that learning included fun things to do as well. I remember one time in 1963 when my parents had planned a trip to Chicago. My two older brothers were going to be accompanying them, while my younger brother and I, (the "babies", even though I was 6) were in the care of relatives. They were excited because during their stay, they might have a chance to see President John Kennedy, as he was planning to be in Chicago on the same dates. Instead, President Kennedy cancelled his trip and flew to Dallas, Texas that November.

Dad loved airplanes, and even took up flying for a time. He took lessons, and often took me and/ or my brothers up with him. I was banned to go after a few times because I was too distracting, but do remember how much fun it was to look out the window. To this day, I'm still not afraid of heights.... but I have grown a fear of airplanes. The little ones don't bother me, it's the big ones that really do. But Dad loved them all. He once took my brothers out on a helicopter ride in Boston while we were visiting my Grandparents.... I had been shuffled off to do the" girly tea-party thing" with my Mom and Grandmother that day, but there was a TV at this house.... so it worked out good for me too.

Dad was always big on history.... it was the bane of existence. We were to explore everybody's home on the historical register of the state of Connecticut, and leave our names in their guest books..... and there were plenty. One membership to Mystic Village in Mystic, Connecticut allowed us in for free anytime we wanted, and it became a regular place to bring guests on our excursions. Needless to say, we went there a lot. But it never stopped there. Vacations included far away adventures from our norm of New England. In 1969 we took a trip to Montreal, Canada, to see "Man and His World", a leftover Worlds Fair from 1968. From there we traveled the Canadian province to Quebec, and then back down into the states via New Foundland. The next year, we went south to Gettysburg, Washington DC, and even as far as Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. All historical homes, battlefields and monuments bore our names in their guest registries. He even made some fun out of it at Gettysburg by buying relic bullets and hiding them around our campsite. After telling us to go on a scouting mission to find "civil war stuff", we came back with the last laugh, as we had found what we thought to be a cannonhole cover in the woods where he did not "plant" anything. I never did find out what it was we found, but I do remember that Dad was somewhat proud of our eagerness.

The marriage to my Mother lasted till she passed in 1978... and it was the first time I ever saw my father cry. He loved her more than anything, and with her passing, he was lost.
As a triple whammy, that very same time period carried the news that his sister and a fellow colleague had passed as well.... all this within a month. Feeling lonely (I'm sure), he started to see another woman who lived in the same town. Within a year, he had married her. It was the first of my step-mothers.... and she was a spiteful woman. Needless to say, we did not get along at all, but then she was not one that was easy to get along with, as my father divorced her in 1983. At this time, I broke away from New England and moved to Atlanta. Keeping in touch with Dad was now a very long distance endeavor, but we did. He would marry the second of my step-mothers in 1984, and this one would stick. She truly cared for my Dad.... all the way to the end, even enduring his dementia period. He passed in 1998.

What I remember most about my Dad, and my personal memory that didn't include any other family members, was that we would sit in his chair at night together when I was little. He would cuddle me up on his lap, and I would feel safe and secure that life was indeed good.....my daddy loved me, and I was his sweetie-pie; nothing could beat that. But that's just a little girls memory forever; it really never matters how old I grow, his arms around me remains my favorite reminiscence trip back. No longer able to do this for real, I realize how much I miss him, and how much it stings a little everytime Fathers Day rolls around. So very silently, I wish him a happy day, and in my mind I conjure up the image of the two of us sitting in his chair....protected in his arms.

To all fathers out there, a very Happy Fathers Day.

oh look, it's pundit Barbie.......

One of the most fundamental rights we have as citizens in the United States is freedom of speech. If you say something good, bad or otherwise, you are protected by the first amendment to have the "right" to say it. It's probably the only part of the first amendment that most people can remember... a collective brain-sigh is what most people can recall about the rest of the amendment. What people forget about this right, is that it should be tempered with responsibility. Spouting slanderous hateful content is the first rule of kindergarten most of us learned not to do; we were taught to play nice! Not to mention the teachings of our parents: If you don't have anything nice to say, keep your mouth shut, for a foot could land in there.

Enter our pundit Barbie.... otherwise known as Ann Coulter. She professes her agenda as "conservative Christianity", but spews the most spiteful remarks against anyone within ear shot that does not believe as she does. Yup, she has the first amendment down alright, just not the temperament that softens the blows. On her personal list of hate, Democrats and Liberals take the most pot-shots, but then there are numerous other topics that receive her tongue-lashing as well. Add to the list: African-Americans, Muslims, the US government, swing-voters, The New York Times, John Kerry, women voters.... and the list goes on. It IS ok for her to press her right of free speech, although she lacks the ability to stick to the facts, and uses slander to garnish her views.

One of her more controversial and recent distasteful remarks:

"These broads are millionaires, lionized on TV and in articles about them, reveling in their status as celebrities and stalked by griefparrizies. I have never seen people enjoying their husband's deaths so much." "And by the way,how do we know their husbands weren't planning to divorce these harpies? Now that their shelf life is dwindling, they'd better hurry up and appear in Playboy." ~~~said about four 9/11 widows who campaigned for John Kerry.

To lash out at the 9/11 widows, who witnessed their loved ones die, one cannot help but feel that this was said out of pure spite. Coulter's explanation: the 9/11 widows were part of the "lefts doctrine infallibility" and that they were using their grief "in order to make a political point while preventing anyone from responding." Whats' the matter, Ann.... are your book sales not doing so well that you need to resort to a vicious attack in order to stir up profits? This was a cheap shot, and nothing less. Or was that a belated backlash of what Paula Jones did?.... (whom Coulter was an unpaid legal advisor for.)

Some more slanderous quotes by the political pundit:

"We need somebody to put rat poisoning in Justice Stevens' creme brulee. That's just a joke, for you in the media."

I say, not funny... and certainly not a good joke at that. Once again, free speech, yes.... but rat poisoning??? Even the implication of such a deed would be considered terrorism these days! But lets not forget the little disclaimer to the media that she tacked on to the end of her statement....I guess that makes it ok to say, huh?

"We've finally given liberals a war against fundamentalism, and they don't want to fight it. They would, except it would put them on the same side as the United States."

"Whether they are defending the Soviet Union or bleating for Saddam Hussein, liberals are always against America. They are either traitors or idiots."

"We should invade their countries, kill their leaders, and convert them to Christianity."

These particular quotes remind me so much of the philosophy that the Bush administration has conned us into war over: Either you are for us or against us. What ever happened to the "right" to believe how we wanted to. Are we to be considered a traitor if we do not buy into this, or is it a theory that that gets lost in the mire of political positioning?

"My only regret with Timothy McVeigh is he did not go to the New York Times Building."

When asked if she regretted making this statement, Coulter replied, "Of course I regret it. I should have added. 'after everyone had left the building except the editors and reporters.'"
Why do I see a trend of "terrorist" ideals here? Yet the terrorists she refers to are all "camel-jockeys", "jihad monkeys", "tent merchants", and "ragheads". I guess terrorists don't come in the form of leggy blonde Barbies.

"The swing voters-- I like to refer to them as the idiot voters because they don't have set philosophical principles. You're either a liberal or a conservative if you have an IQ above a toaster."

"It would be a much better country if women did not vote. That is simply a fact. In fact, in every presidential election since 1950--- except Goldwater in '64--- the Republican would have won, if only the men had voted."

As far as the country being better off by repealing the 19th amendment allowing women to vote, this becomes a deeper argument in Coulters personal battlefield. In June 2005, Coulter filed an inaccurate voter registration form in the state of Florida. Instead of using her own home address, documents indicate that she provided her real estates agents address. This is considered "voter fraud", and is a felony in the state of Florida. On March 29, 2006, the Palm Beach Post reported that election officials have given Coulter 30 days to explain the inaccuracy.
Hmmmmm.... maybe we should just take the vote away from likes of fraudulent voters as you.

Her presentations and publications have come under much controversy due to their bias, offensive and inflammatory nature. She is also accused by critics of hypocrisy, and willing to misrepresent facts in order for her to state her case. I'm still waiting to hear how she will explain away the two year difference in her DC drivers license from her Connecticut license. Perhaps she has taken a "poetic" license as to her birthdate?

So let's see...... A spiteful author, with an agenda for her personal beliefs; those who oppose her are "god-less" or "un-American". A controversial pundit who uses slander as her attack platform, but when questioned about her remarks, she refers her inquirers to her publications, side-stepping her snide remarks in order to promote her book sales. And it doesn't stop there.

"The ethic of conservation is the explicit abnegation of man's domination over the Earth. The lower species are here for our use. God said so: "Go forth, be fruitful, multiply, and rape the planet-- it's yours. That's our job: drilling, mining and stripping. Sweaters are the anti-Biblical view. Big gas-guzzling cars with phones and CD players and wet bars--- that's the Biblical view."

"I think we ought to nuke North Korea right now just to give the rest of the world a warning...They're a major threat, I just think it would be fun to nuke them and have it be a warning to the rest of the world."

"Canadians better hope the United States doesn't roll over one night and crush them. They are lucky we allow them to exist on the same continent."

The streak of hate and violence in these quotes shows no boundaries whether it is the Earth or it's inhabitants. That in itself makes me wonder the "Christian values" she so heartily professes. I was always under the impression that Christianity was a forgiving religion, and that the United States should practice tolerance. Did I get that all wrong... or once again, were those statements made in order to promote book sales?

"The myth of "McCarthyism is the greatest Orwellian fraud of our times. Liberals are fanatical liars, then as now. The portrayal of Senator Joe McCarthy as a wild-eyed demagogue destroying innocent lives is sheer liberal hobgoblinism. Liberals weren't hiding under the bed during the McCarthy era. They were systematically undermining the nations ability to defend itself, while waging a bellicose campaign of lies to blacken McCarthy's name."

It didn't surprise me during the course of my research to find that Coulter was a staunch defender of Joseph McCarthy. During the 1950's McCarthy used every tactic in order to blackball and blacklist any Americans who at one time might have been a member of the Communist Party. At the time America was fearful of Communists, and they were the target of hate. The Hollywood community was the biggest target of McCarthys wrath, and over 300 actors, writers and bit players lives were destroyed during this witch-hunt. It all came to a stop through the actions of Edward R. Murrow's telecast that showed McCarthy's tactics had no credible evidence to back up his lies, as well as a statement from the Army Attorney General Joseph Welch's declaration: "Have you no sense of decency?"
To this day, Coulter has failed to address McCarthy's fundamental inability to actually identify even a single communist operating within the United States.

So.... MS. Coulter, have YOU no sense of decency? Attacks, lies, mud-racking and name calling all remind of of the witch-hunts of the 1600's we still laugh about today. The fact that we live in the United States grants us the opportunity to accept tolerance... it says so in the first amendment, if you read between the lines a little better. But then your quote: "Liberals are always accusing us of repressing their speech. I say let's do it. Let's repress them. Frankly, I'm not a fan of the first amendment" tells me much more of who you are. Your "free speech" ideals are only worthy of your remarks, and anyone who opposes them should be repressed. Hmmmmm..... last time I looked, I lived in the United States where I had a Constitution that gave me the right to believe and speak freely. Oh yeah, wait, I can still do that, but will have to suffer a backlash of your "Christian values" on the very amendment you are not a fan of yourself. ????? Am I missing something here? Maybe so, after all, I'm a liberal.... you know, the American citizen who has just a few more brain cells than a toaster.

addicted to blogger......

So you go a few days without connecting to blogger, and you feel cut off from the world... or at least the little world you built up here on the computer screen. You go in to read and comment, and poof!.... a big warning appears where the comment box should be. You've been dealt an expired page that issues instructions on how to refresh, or check your toolbar. This, all after a nice comment that may have taken some time to compose, now belongs to cyberspace.

So what is it that makes us come back all through the day to check on the status of blogsphere? Is it the fact that an inherent need for man to communicate with another is a strong desire, or a genuine care for a community that we have built up for ourselves? Perhaps it also includes a need for people to keep caught up on the daily news through a non-professional medium. But if you ask me, I find that a lot of people who use this format, are more worthy of a journalism degree than most of the news I can get through regular TV. What makes it more interesting is that we can meet people from all around the world we otherwise might never have met. That in itself has been the gravy on my mashed potatoes.

The vast varieties of blogs make it the most interesting to keep in touch because you can travel through and read anything from politics to pure rants, poetry to fiction, and personal daily material. Somehow we can get caught up in all of it, and take it more personally ourselves just for having to have gotten to know the authors. They have become friends, and in many cases, part family. How interesting and unusual this should come about, for if you really look at the bottom line, we have raised the status of "pen pal" to a new global height.

This was nothing that I was the least bit interested in last summer. Heck, I didn't even know blogs existed. I started reading my nephews blog on a daily basis for the humor and wit he can display so well. When he took a small hiatus, a reader of his started his own blog, and I jumped over there to read and comment. Signing in anonymously, the reader recognized me, and explained how I could become more involved by starting my own blog. Taking me completely under his wing, he set up my account and kept in touch with me through the whole process. What intrigued me the most, was that one of his commenters was a "neighbor" of mine from New England. I wanted so much to speak to her because I enjoyed her posts, and felt we had so much in common. It has turned out to be another great friend I would make in this world, because my gut feeling was right.

One thing led to another, and I was meeting new people scattered from Canada to New Zealand. This wouldn't have been possible on my own.... as I don't have the time to physically visit all these locations, but through the sharing of their stories and pictures I can take myself out of my office for a short visit to another part of the world without ever making a plane reservation. In short, I have become a voyager on a mind-expanding journey. I am addicted to the daily happenings of the people I meet here. I may not always be able to think of things to say and respond to after reading, and sometimes have to put it to the side to carry on with real life, but it is something I carry in my mind through the day. It is an addicting process, because the need for human touch is so precarious and precious; it's what keeps me coming back.

So lately, my posts and comments have been few and far between.... and it's not because I can't find anything interesting to read. I've experienced some problems with blogger.... but then haven't we all? And I decided I needed to take a short hiatus and get a few things done myself, as I started to fall horribly behind in my life. I still log on everyday to read... I can't bear to take that part of my day away from myself, but sometimes I just can't find the right words to express as a response. Nor can I find the right format for my daily rants. I've landed on "Writers Block" island with many ideas, just not enough cohesiveness to put it all together. But like any addiction, I can't tear myself away to completely abandon the project. Nor do I want to. Some addictions are good for you, and this is one of them.

Many thanks to all of you who come to read here, and life will return to normal on my little part of the screen soon. After all, you are the best addiction I've had yet!

five things...........

A hearty thanks to Lee Ann for making my post today. Trying to put thoughts together to come up with a meaningful post was an impossible feat, and she made my life easier by tagging me with "five things". So here goes:

5 things in my fridge:

1) Skim milk (I bought 3 gallons on Sunday, and am down to one now... and it's only Tuesday)
2) Fresh fruit (strawberries, pineapple, raspberries, blackberries, bananas)
3) Iced Tea (and no southern home is respectable without at least a gallon)
4) Salad fixings (mixed lettuce, red onions, cukes, shredded mozzarella cheese, homemade dressing to die for!)
5) Leftovers (and lots of them...Geez, it's time to clear that stuff out!)
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5 things in my "unusual" closet:

1) A bureau filled with clothes (jeans, shorts, sweaters)
2) A bookcase (filled with rare and favorite books)
3) A few hanging clothes (and I mean a few! All my little size 1 clothes are packed in bins, as they'll never see the light of day again... boo hoo!)
4) Pictures on the walls (mostly of my son when he was little... and oh so cute!)
5) One pair of shoes (I only have a total of four, and I leave them by the doors mostly)
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5 things in my car:

1) My cruise card (to get me through the toll faster than everybody else)
2) A plastic container (it's my mini-desk that holds deposit slips, rubber stamp, and calculator for when I go from the post office to the bank without stopping at home first. I try to minimize my outings as much as possible)
3) A cart for transporting catering bins
4) My sunglasses (and I have more pairs of those than I do shoes)
5) My CD'S (which can no longer be played until my CD player gets fixed)
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5 things in my purse:

Ok, this one is officially hard, as my purse holds my life, and everything about it. I have a minimum of 500 things in there....

The short version:
1) My wallet (which cannot be shut due to all the coupons, credit cards, store bonus cards, license, very little money, and receipts it holds)
2) A small medical repair kit (it contains tums, gum, and aspirin)
3) Address book (mini, but oh so handy!)
4) Checkbook
5) Eyeglass case (even though most of the time they are on the top of my head.... I only need them for reading, not driving)
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So many thanks to Lee Ann for tagging me. These are always a lot of fun, although I have a hard time limiting my numbers. I am, by nature, a pack-rat.... albeit an organized one. My house is tiny, but well filled, although you'd never really know it because I can pack well. And when it gets to be too much, I make the necessary run to Goodwill to drop it all off. Of course, I do make a trip in to repurchase "new" items, which kind of negates the process. But go ahead and ask my brother Karl.... he'll tell you how neat I am!

a busy bee...........

Here I sit at the cusp of Sunday night and reflect the weekend that sped by. It is a time to cross off the chores from the honey-do list, as well as contemplate the accomplishments. The list was very long this time, but somehow still manageable enough to draw a black line through everything, and close the file on the first weekend of June as "mission accomplished"!

For a year I've promised my neighbor that I would stain her deck, but had to keep putting it off due to the demands of my business, that always has to come first. Feeling very guilty that I had let a few weekends slip by that I could have finished this job, I finally marked the calendar as "Meg- day", and pulled all my tools together so that there was no backing out.... mostly due to laziness and a want of curling up in front of a good movie on TV. I ventured over to her house on Saturday, went to work scrubbing her deck from the icky green that had grown in the shady spots, and allowed it to dry enough so that the new stain had a chance of setting properly. It didn't take as long as I thought it would, and I was able to get a nice sunburn on my shoulders and face. Thank goodness hubby isn't afraid of heights, as he had ladder patrol ( her deck is pretty high up), and it cut the time in half for me. Talking about it later, we both agreed that we did feel better for doing something for somebody else, because it made her so happy. That in turn made us feel great. We also went back today and power-washed the front of her house and garage doors, making her house look brand new. She was thrilled and wanted to pay us, but I turned her down flat. She has always been a great neighbor, and always available in any emergencies... how could I possibly take money from her? I am happy knowing that she is pleased with everything.

Doing good deeds in turn brings great tidings, the Karma Gods take great notice of that and reward well. Not wanting to make dinner, we decided to make a run to the local Firehouse Subs, with a little stop at Lowes on the way. I was able to find some abandoned impatiens in the back of the nursery for 50 cents a 6-pack, and rescued them for my gardens. With plenty of water (as they are thirsty buggers for sure) I can bring them right back to life, and the gardens will be full of color in just a few short weeks. I should know better than to walk into any nursery as I want to rescue everything.... but my yard is only so big, and I tend to forget that when lost amongst the rows of flowers and bushes. I'm like Ulysses to the sirens songs when there....so very difficult to resist the lyrical pull......

Still having enough time in the weekend, I was able to plant everything, go grocery shopping, clean my house from top to bottom, laundry, and catch up catering write-ups I've put to the side. Now all I have left to do is catch up in blog-world..... but I'll need more hours for that. In the meantime, I need a good hot shower, some necessary zzzzz's, time to think of responses to the blogs I've read, and a cup of hot tea. I think I'll save that all for Monday. Right now, I need to be the little bee in the picture above........

I hope everyone had as wonderful weekend as I did!

talking to myself......

For all the tasks I should be doing today, I contemplate the fact that I am not quite in the mood to accomplish these feats. The month of May took a lot of time away from me.... and by the looks of my messy house covered with dust, I shudder to think that I can find the energy it takes to give it a good clean sweep. But I will. It's a mind over matter obstacle, no doubt.... and it's all I will contemplate until I actually get it done. Finding the door I need to open, for I already have the key safely tucked into my hand, I will muster the motivation needed for such a request. This includes many long talks to myself, which I don't find crazy in the least. I do it all the time.

So what holds me back? Perhaps it is a yearning to have a few real days off (in a row) so that I could go away and forget about the list of chores that keeps nagging in the back of my mind. It's not like my house is falling apart by the seams, or that the world (or my business) will fall apart if I'm not around. I am the one holding me back, and I darn well know it. In my spare (and not so spare) time, I daydream about vacationing at the beach. Listening to the waves slap against the shore, laughing at the seagulls as they fight over a morsel of food left on the grains of sand, and soaking in the rays of the bright sun. This is my flight away from the usual dredges of everyday life so that I can come back and look at my "now" life with refreshed abundance.

If ever I was in need of time away, it would be now.... but then I say that every year in May. Working for a living has it's share of good ethics, but a vacation allows your mind and spirit to put life aside long enough to kick off your shoes and let down your hair. Carefree moments of waking up at any time you deem, to eat or not to eat, and to play amongst the day like a person of independent wealth, are the moments I work for all year long. But then, doesn't everybody? Most of mine are imaginary ones played through my mind in the few stolen moments of quiet..... or the ones I make up when I plead "docters appointment" and really go see "Dr. Shopping".


How unfair it seems to be able to only do this real vacation dance one week a year (that's all I get.... honestly!) I am a firm believer that we should have four weeks off a year.... one for each season. In that way, we are able to imbue the fruits of life while savoring our sanity. After all, we are no fun as people when we are cranky, overworked and overtired. A gentle time out works as well for an adult as it does for a child. It's a re-grouping time worthy of indulgence.

But here I will sit with a few moments of unmonitored daydreaming luxury, plotting my escape, still knowing full well the list in my mind will demand more attention... and probably get it. This weekend will mark the first two days off I will have in a row since Easter that I will not have to cater food to some uncharted part of town. I will not bother to write this honey-do list from my head to paper, because that will imply an actuality of impending intent. Instead, I will keep the list in the mental filing room..... and get to it IF I want or can get to it. The dust is not going anywhere, that's for sure, and the gardens are all planted.... except for a few pulled flowers that the squirrels decided to risk the cayenne pepper for. Instead, I have decided to give up my time for a promise I made to my neighbor last year to stain her deck. I won't hear the slapping waves of the ocean, nor hear the seagulls caw in mid air... but I will get to enjoy the sunshine, and perhaps put some color back into my pale skin. A small price to pay to a neighbor who has been wonderful to me.... and a promise I will keep to her husband I made 10 years ago when he died. I will be neighborly to her needs, and put my own aside for a little while longer.

The beach will always be there, vacation is somewhat close on the horizon anyway, and I'm going to feel better doing something nice for someone else. That's enough vacation for me this weekend. Maybe my house can wait a little longer.... it's survived this May with minimal attention so what's another week, right? And now that I've convinced myself of the right thing to do first, I'd better pick up that dust rag and make a swing around the house. Like I said earlier, it's not going anywhere.... but it really needs to.

See talking to yourself really works ..... I'm feeling energized already! What a difference a vacation makes!