Now I'm scared. The program to write my blog automatically selected the font I always use. Perhaps it's reading my mind. Perhaps it's recording my habits. Perhaps it has taken over & I am no longer blogging. Do I exist? Would you know if I had ceased, as long as someone--a prescient program, a stranger with too much time on his/her hands, a government agency--continues to write this semi-random collection of thoughts.
Inspired by the venue:
"I thought French Vanilla meant it had eggs."
"AIDS? Oh, eggs. I thought you said the French Vanilla has AIDS."
One of the baristas here just started reading a Laurell K. Hamilton novel & was interested to hear that I've met Ms. Hamilton. I related the story of when we met at a Nebula Awards weekend. We were sitting in one of the rooms visiting & a highly-intoxicated & terribly-disappointed-not-to-have-won-a-Nebula-that-year writer came over to talk to us. He took my hand & raised it to his mouth. I thought he was going to kiss it, but no.
He licked my hand.
A few years later, at a different Nebula banquet, the guy sitting next to me leaned over & nipped me on the shoulder. Too nice to strangers? Irresistible shoulders? Drawn inexorably into a nexus of weirdness? (I confess; I felt compelled to use inexorably & nexus in the same sentence. Twice.)
Inspired by Cathy:
My friend Cathy talks to pigeons. She says hello, tells them how beautiful they are, etcetera. The other day she was going to a store & heard someone else talking to pigeons, a highly-intoxicated someone. She noted that she was pleased to realize other people have to be drunk to lower their societal inhibitions enough to talk to pigeons, but not her!
I can relate. In the last couple days I've talked to stray cats (I know, not much of a stretch), a black snake, & assorted flowers. At least pigeons talk back to you, even if you can't understand their language. (Pigeon English? Grin.)
Blog alternative:
67. Talk to something most people don't talk to. Tell it (flower, black snake, pigeon, etc.) how happy you are that it exists. Bonus points if you give specific details.
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Monday, July 16, 2007
Breakfast cereal & tattoos: one cop's opinion
It is confirmed. The Arboretum parking lot tadpoles are no more. The Arboretum is still beautiful & green, but it will have to get its frogs & toads from another location.
Cops are buying coffee at the wi-fi place; planning buffet suppers at the Grove Park Inn, should a Friday evening schedule permit; giving opinions on the best of the available breakfast cereal flavors; admiring barista tattoos. (One of the baristas has a scissors tattooed across her wrist, where she has a scar. The cop thought it was a little creepy. He does like Cinnamon Toast Crunch though.)
I am feeling increasingly resettled, which is much better than feeling increasingly unsettled. Now I just have to decide if I am going to maintain the scheduled plan of heading back to Montana at the end of the month or if I am going to stay home. Current leaning is toward home....
Here is a new meditation I came up with:
Blessed, beloved other (this can be friend, lover, child, etc.)
I thank thee.
Blessed, beloved self
I thank thee.
Blessed, beloved universe
who gave birth to us
who we continually give birth to
I thank thee.
Blog alternative:
66. Make peanut butter & jelly sandwiches for yourself & a friend. (Or, if you're not into carbs right now, spread peanut butter on chunks of cheese--that's tasty, too.)
Cops are buying coffee at the wi-fi place; planning buffet suppers at the Grove Park Inn, should a Friday evening schedule permit; giving opinions on the best of the available breakfast cereal flavors; admiring barista tattoos. (One of the baristas has a scissors tattooed across her wrist, where she has a scar. The cop thought it was a little creepy. He does like Cinnamon Toast Crunch though.)
I am feeling increasingly resettled, which is much better than feeling increasingly unsettled. Now I just have to decide if I am going to maintain the scheduled plan of heading back to Montana at the end of the month or if I am going to stay home. Current leaning is toward home....
Here is a new meditation I came up with:
Blessed, beloved other (this can be friend, lover, child, etc.)
I thank thee.
Blessed, beloved self
I thank thee.
Blessed, beloved universe
who gave birth to us
who we continually give birth to
I thank thee.
Blog alternative:
66. Make peanut butter & jelly sandwiches for yourself & a friend. (Or, if you're not into carbs right now, spread peanut butter on chunks of cheese--that's tasty, too.)
Saturday, July 14, 2007
Friday the 13th. Day one stranded on the raft...
Back from Virginia Tech. Nick's REU was working on an audio array to see if people can distinguish sound landscapes the way we can visually. I got to try out the testing & I must say I'm not that great at spatial listening, but it was interesting. All the students made posters of the projects they'd worked on & explained them to those in attendance. (It was fun during the poster presentation where they introduced the few parents who were there. I waved when they said "Nick's mom is here," & the guy doing the introducing said "Oh! I thought you were a new graduate student!")
What was REALLY fun, though, & possibly Nick's true mission at V-Tech, was the raft. Yes, just as you imagined: he gathered hundreds of plastic bottles (coke, gatorade, water, ice tea, etc., that his new friends drank. He drank from the drinking fountain in the hall) & bought $20 worth of duct tape. Chloe & Jose (I guess you have to imagine the accent that makes that a 2-syllable Hispanic name) & I helped him tape them all together. On Friday the 13th we had a grand launching--probably going to be on you tube--where various persons, including me, in my dress, & the director of the engineering program or somesuch, paddled around. It was awesome fun, & just the sort of thing Nick does on a regular basis.
He made lots of good new friends there, especially Miss Chloe, guru of origami. She made me the tiniest little rose out of a strip of paper that used to be around her silverware at Bogen's where the REU crew went for dinner. I was invited to tag along.
Great drive back, although there was a portion where some pretty obnoxious trucks were hard to lose. They sped up so much on the downhills & slowed down so much on the uphills that neither going slow nor going fast would get rid of them. I solved the dilemma of a particular truck that kept tailgating by pulling off to get gas. Set it to automatic & washed the windows & when I came back it had clicked off at exactly $30.00.
Blacksburg isn't exactly Asheville, but they do have a way cool art supply store downtown called Mish Mish (I think that's the name...) where I bought a new cute little watercolor set. Even littler & cuter than the one I gave Nick. And these cool brushes that hold water in the handles. I did a couple paintings at a coffee shop today. One is the outline of a human figure with the words you are here & an arrow pointing to the heart. Remember that. You are here. Right in my heart.
Blog alternative:
65. Compliment a perfect stranger. Smile, jacket, shoes, tie, glasses...
What was REALLY fun, though, & possibly Nick's true mission at V-Tech, was the raft. Yes, just as you imagined: he gathered hundreds of plastic bottles (coke, gatorade, water, ice tea, etc., that his new friends drank. He drank from the drinking fountain in the hall) & bought $20 worth of duct tape. Chloe & Jose (I guess you have to imagine the accent that makes that a 2-syllable Hispanic name) & I helped him tape them all together. On Friday the 13th we had a grand launching--probably going to be on you tube--where various persons, including me, in my dress, & the director of the engineering program or somesuch, paddled around. It was awesome fun, & just the sort of thing Nick does on a regular basis.
He made lots of good new friends there, especially Miss Chloe, guru of origami. She made me the tiniest little rose out of a strip of paper that used to be around her silverware at Bogen's where the REU crew went for dinner. I was invited to tag along.
Great drive back, although there was a portion where some pretty obnoxious trucks were hard to lose. They sped up so much on the downhills & slowed down so much on the uphills that neither going slow nor going fast would get rid of them. I solved the dilemma of a particular truck that kept tailgating by pulling off to get gas. Set it to automatic & washed the windows & when I came back it had clicked off at exactly $30.00.
Blacksburg isn't exactly Asheville, but they do have a way cool art supply store downtown called Mish Mish (I think that's the name...) where I bought a new cute little watercolor set. Even littler & cuter than the one I gave Nick. And these cool brushes that hold water in the handles. I did a couple paintings at a coffee shop today. One is the outline of a human figure with the words you are here & an arrow pointing to the heart. Remember that. You are here. Right in my heart.
Blog alternative:
65. Compliment a perfect stranger. Smile, jacket, shoes, tie, glasses...
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
self-portrait as moon goddess
(Possibly) better late than never. (You tell me. Grin.)
I'm home! Yay. Arrived Monday, a little later than expected due to traffic before disfunction junction (where 40 splits off to go the Knoxville or Hickory). Pleasant conversation in the car anyway, so no big deal.
It's been a whole week since last I wrote. So much has happened. I did take the bus & enjoyed it thoroughly. Only 16 hours or so. I had talked to a woman in the seat ahead of me & was actually doing some energy healing before the bus was out of Miles City. It turned out she has twins who were born on my birthday--although some years later, of course. We had a lovely talk & then I went back to my seat to snooze. Later, when we'd both slept & the bus was getting more crowded, she invited me to come up & sit with her, on the assumption that it's better to pick your roommate than get stuck.
My son Zach picked me up in Minneapolis after he got done with work. Since he was a going to be a little while, I met a friend at Brit's Pub first. What a treat to get a ride from Zach--a couple hours of conversation uninterrupted by car parts! We talked work ethics & aesthetics & relationships & finance & many other wonderful things. I told him how fabulous he was & he said, "You're my mom; you have to say that." I said, "Nu-uh. I know lots of moms who gripe about their kids. And besides, other people tell me you're fabulous." So he said, "You're my mom; they have to tell you that."
In Minnesota, I did several Reconnective Healings, including distance healing for a woman in Wisconsin. It was very cool & seemed helpful for her, so she scheduled 2 more sessions. I love my work.
For being in Minnesota for such a short time--Tuesday night through early Monday morning--and without wheels at that, I sure spent a lot of time in cars. 3 trips to the cities. (Poker with Coralee; lost $40 & had lots of fun. Jim Carey's surprise going away party--you'll find him in London. Back up with Zach to my cousin's house on Sunday night so I could get a ride to the airport by 6 a.m.)
Since I got home, I've done 3 paintings. (self-portrait as moon goddess is one of the titles. Still haven't figured out picture posting, so you can merely imagine it. Who knows--your imagined picture may be cooler than the one I actually painted. Perhaps I should do a blog consisting solely of the titles of imaginary paintings.)
So far my walking has been to the post office & back, & to the wi-fi place & back, so I cannot give you the tadpole report. I do not have high hopes for their survival. R.J. is doing well. I saw 2 bunnies, a black squirrel & a fat, fluffy, black & white cat while walking around the block to occasionally get away from the bar noise at the surprise party. Only the cat allowed--nay, demanded--petting.
I need to get back home & do another healing session. When next you hear from me, I'll probably be in Virginia, seeing Nick & his research program & his new friends.
Blog alternative:
64. Walk. At least around the block. Bonus points if it's a block you've never been around before.
I'm home! Yay. Arrived Monday, a little later than expected due to traffic before disfunction junction (where 40 splits off to go the Knoxville or Hickory). Pleasant conversation in the car anyway, so no big deal.
It's been a whole week since last I wrote. So much has happened. I did take the bus & enjoyed it thoroughly. Only 16 hours or so. I had talked to a woman in the seat ahead of me & was actually doing some energy healing before the bus was out of Miles City. It turned out she has twins who were born on my birthday--although some years later, of course. We had a lovely talk & then I went back to my seat to snooze. Later, when we'd both slept & the bus was getting more crowded, she invited me to come up & sit with her, on the assumption that it's better to pick your roommate than get stuck.
My son Zach picked me up in Minneapolis after he got done with work. Since he was a going to be a little while, I met a friend at Brit's Pub first. What a treat to get a ride from Zach--a couple hours of conversation uninterrupted by car parts! We talked work ethics & aesthetics & relationships & finance & many other wonderful things. I told him how fabulous he was & he said, "You're my mom; you have to say that." I said, "Nu-uh. I know lots of moms who gripe about their kids. And besides, other people tell me you're fabulous." So he said, "You're my mom; they have to tell you that."
In Minnesota, I did several Reconnective Healings, including distance healing for a woman in Wisconsin. It was very cool & seemed helpful for her, so she scheduled 2 more sessions. I love my work.
For being in Minnesota for such a short time--Tuesday night through early Monday morning--and without wheels at that, I sure spent a lot of time in cars. 3 trips to the cities. (Poker with Coralee; lost $40 & had lots of fun. Jim Carey's surprise going away party--you'll find him in London. Back up with Zach to my cousin's house on Sunday night so I could get a ride to the airport by 6 a.m.)
Since I got home, I've done 3 paintings. (self-portrait as moon goddess is one of the titles. Still haven't figured out picture posting, so you can merely imagine it. Who knows--your imagined picture may be cooler than the one I actually painted. Perhaps I should do a blog consisting solely of the titles of imaginary paintings.)
So far my walking has been to the post office & back, & to the wi-fi place & back, so I cannot give you the tadpole report. I do not have high hopes for their survival. R.J. is doing well. I saw 2 bunnies, a black squirrel & a fat, fluffy, black & white cat while walking around the block to occasionally get away from the bar noise at the surprise party. Only the cat allowed--nay, demanded--petting.
I need to get back home & do another healing session. When next you hear from me, I'll probably be in Virginia, seeing Nick & his research program & his new friends.
Blog alternative:
64. Walk. At least around the block. Bonus points if it's a block you've never been around before.
Monday, July 2, 2007
What NOT to do on your summer vacation
Miles City, Montana.
Remember when I was talking about my trip & there was that magic happens here, probably involving a car portion, about getting from Montana to Minnesota. Well, close...
Turns out you can't do one-way car rentals from Miles City, Montana. So, after hanging out with my ex-in-laws for a little while longer, which is lovely, as I was only going to barely get to see them, I am getting on a bus. At 3:10 a.m. My son will pick me up on the other end, about 16 hours later. Instead of driving, I get to meditate & sleep & stare out the window & maybe write or draw--we'll have to see how that sits with the old semi-circular canals. Reading in the car gives me motion sickness, so writing & drawing may be out as well. But, hey, I can easily sleep & meditate & stare out the window for 16 hours.
Time for another bulleted list, arranged in categories:
Animal health:
63. Take a bus trip to another town. Or another state. Or out of one state & completely through another & most of the way through yet another...
Remember when I was talking about my trip & there was that magic happens here, probably involving a car portion, about getting from Montana to Minnesota. Well, close...
Turns out you can't do one-way car rentals from Miles City, Montana. So, after hanging out with my ex-in-laws for a little while longer, which is lovely, as I was only going to barely get to see them, I am getting on a bus. At 3:10 a.m. My son will pick me up on the other end, about 16 hours later. Instead of driving, I get to meditate & sleep & stare out the window & maybe write or draw--we'll have to see how that sits with the old semi-circular canals. Reading in the car gives me motion sickness, so writing & drawing may be out as well. But, hey, I can easily sleep & meditate & stare out the window for 16 hours.
Time for another bulleted list, arranged in categories:
Animal health:
- R.J. the dog, still on the mend last I heard. (I assume someone would have told me if this was not the case.)
- Tadpoles not looking good. Apparently the rains around Asheville have been missing the parking lot at the Arboretum.
- One buck deer near mile marker 32, I94, probably dead.
- Attend your dad's all-school reunion & reconnect with aunts & uncles & cousins, oh my!
- Hang out with your ex-in-laws for a while.
- Hit a deer in your parents' Cadillac. Especially a buck. Sigh.
63. Take a bus trip to another town. Or another state. Or out of one state & completely through another & most of the way through yet another...
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Pond Scum vs. The Dallas Cowboys' Cheerleaders
So I sit down at a coffee shop in downtown Billings, Montana, & the guy at the next table looks familiar, but I think that would be too much of a coincidence & get to work on my email. Then I look up & he winks at me & I start laughing, because it's my cousin's husband from Arizona, also here for the Melstone All-school reunion. Definitely a small world.
I know, it's been days again. R.J. the dog is continuing to do okay, so the vet is cautiously optimistic. My other sister's cat, Chocolate Kisses, did not fare so well. She was having kittens & then not having the rest of them and--no more Chocolate Kisses. The 4 kittens who were born did not survive the loss of their mother, since the aptly-named Chaos had a hissy fit when my sister tried to persuade her to nurse her grandkittens. Chocolate Kisses was a fabulous cat, so she is missed.
What have I been doing while I wasn't blogging? Here's a sample:
I'm going to get my free refill now & relax for a second.
Blog alternative:
62. Play Battleship, or checkers, or Uno, or Aggravation, or some other childhood game. (Or, play Apples to Apples (you need at least 3, & more is better) which is a game about nouns & adjectives (it's WAY more fun than I making it sound--where else might you get The Dallas Cowboys' Cheerleaders compared to Pond Scum)
I know, it's been days again. R.J. the dog is continuing to do okay, so the vet is cautiously optimistic. My other sister's cat, Chocolate Kisses, did not fare so well. She was having kittens & then not having the rest of them and--no more Chocolate Kisses. The 4 kittens who were born did not survive the loss of their mother, since the aptly-named Chaos had a hissy fit when my sister tried to persuade her to nurse her grandkittens. Chocolate Kisses was a fabulous cat, so she is missed.
What have I been doing while I wasn't blogging? Here's a sample:
- helped clean out some junk from part of the barn so my sister & her husband could store some antiques in there & actually get to their tools.
- bottle-fed a calf who was scared of me because I was wearing a skirt & she'd never seen one before.
- helped cook various meals for all the people who were working a lot harder than I was was (swathing & baling & such)
- did some scrubbing & painting of walls in Forsyth, where my sister's new pastor will be moving in soon.
- got exposed to my year's dose of television. (not that people watched all that much, but I don't watch TV at all, so even a little seems like a lot. I think next time I'll excuse myself, because it's insidious--I'm embarrassed to admit I want to know who the 30-yr-old bachelor will pick for his true love, a woman in her 40s or one in her 20s. sheesh.
- more rubbing & energy work on family members & one of the women who was painting in Forsyth, who broke her neck as a child, so painting ceilings is hellish for her, even if they are in a parsonage.
- washed all the sheets from the beds upstairs where my nieces & nephews & I had been sleeping so they'd be ready for the next crew, whoever & whenever.
- napped & meditated. (hey, I freely admit everyone else worked harder than I did...)
I'm going to get my free refill now & relax for a second.
Blog alternative:
62. Play Battleship, or checkers, or Uno, or Aggravation, or some other childhood game. (Or, play Apples to Apples (you need at least 3, & more is better) which is a game about nouns & adjectives (it's WAY more fun than I making it sound--where else might you get The Dallas Cowboys' Cheerleaders compared to Pond Scum)
Saturday, June 23, 2007
Self portrait as a lazy frog
Sunday morning. I just committed Rice Krispie Treats. My parents are making a feast for their after-church visiting. A lot of people bring cookies when its their turn. My folks are bringing a crockpot with little smokies in apricot barbecue sauce (the sauce was left over from my cousin's wedding) & a veggie tray & a cheese & deer sausage tray & Lorene's nut bars (Lorene is a friend of my sister & this is a way cool recipe) & (ta da) Rice Krispie Treats.
We had steak for supper last night--specially prepared on the grill by my dad. Friday night I came home from Red Lodge (see next paragraph for why) & had kipper snacks & popcorn & beer for supper. My parents were at a wedding & I took this rare vacation opportunity to not eat a lot. Grin. Then I sat in a recliner with a great view of the hillside where deer often come & meditated. Sent out a lot of love & healing energy.
The reason I headed back Friday is that poor R.J. the dog is on really shaky ground. The vet operated again Friday afternoon/evening & found that the sutures had dissolved & some of his intestinal contents had spilled into the abdomen. She used different sutures & we're all crossing our fingers & praying & sending energy & such. It's up to R.J. now, because the vet won't operate again. He's a sweet, strong dog. Anyway, when I found out he was in surgery again, I figured my sister & her husband would be better off without company, even such delightful company as me.
(As I was writing this, my sister called. R.J. seems in good spirits & they're going to try to take him home when they see the vet at 11 or so. Home with his mama & his brother & his people he'll be more comfortable & happy, for whatever his path. My sister said they're trying not to be too optimistic & I said heck, go ahead. If he gets better, they won't have wasted that time worrying & if he doesn't, they won't have wasted the rest of their time with him worrying.)
My folks & I have been playing Pitch. Usually we play Pinochle, but when they visited me in Asheville last fall we got on a Pitch kick & it was really fun. 3-handed Pinochle isn't nearly as fun as 4-handed, but 3-handed Pitch rocks.
Enough of my blabbering. Send good stuff to R.J. Remember to say All is Well. (How's that going for you?) Breathe.
Blog Alternative:
61. Get your hands on a camera--digital is great, but even a little disposable from the grocery store will do if that's all that's available--& take pictures of whatever you want. If you want ideas, here are a few:
self portraits of yourself as a shadow or a reflection (one of my favorite things to take pictures of)
flowers (do some of them with your hand touching the flowers--another way to do a self portait. it also gives scale & personalizes)
ground level shots of a lazy frog (or something else if you don't have a cooperative lazy frog available)
We had steak for supper last night--specially prepared on the grill by my dad. Friday night I came home from Red Lodge (see next paragraph for why) & had kipper snacks & popcorn & beer for supper. My parents were at a wedding & I took this rare vacation opportunity to not eat a lot. Grin. Then I sat in a recliner with a great view of the hillside where deer often come & meditated. Sent out a lot of love & healing energy.
The reason I headed back Friday is that poor R.J. the dog is on really shaky ground. The vet operated again Friday afternoon/evening & found that the sutures had dissolved & some of his intestinal contents had spilled into the abdomen. She used different sutures & we're all crossing our fingers & praying & sending energy & such. It's up to R.J. now, because the vet won't operate again. He's a sweet, strong dog. Anyway, when I found out he was in surgery again, I figured my sister & her husband would be better off without company, even such delightful company as me.
(As I was writing this, my sister called. R.J. seems in good spirits & they're going to try to take him home when they see the vet at 11 or so. Home with his mama & his brother & his people he'll be more comfortable & happy, for whatever his path. My sister said they're trying not to be too optimistic & I said heck, go ahead. If he gets better, they won't have wasted that time worrying & if he doesn't, they won't have wasted the rest of their time with him worrying.)
My folks & I have been playing Pitch. Usually we play Pinochle, but when they visited me in Asheville last fall we got on a Pitch kick & it was really fun. 3-handed Pinochle isn't nearly as fun as 4-handed, but 3-handed Pitch rocks.
Enough of my blabbering. Send good stuff to R.J. Remember to say All is Well. (How's that going for you?) Breathe.
Blog Alternative:
61. Get your hands on a camera--digital is great, but even a little disposable from the grocery store will do if that's all that's available--& take pictures of whatever you want. If you want ideas, here are a few:
self portraits of yourself as a shadow or a reflection (one of my favorite things to take pictures of)
flowers (do some of them with your hand touching the flowers--another way to do a self portait. it also gives scale & personalizes)
ground level shots of a lazy frog (or something else if you don't have a cooperative lazy frog available)
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