Bisquitino Bliss

This morning my friend made fresh bisquits for breakfast. We slathered those warm puppies with butter, honey, jam and/or blackberries. After about eight of them (and before the coma set in) somebody brought up the rapture and this was the quote: "i could stay or go, it doesn't matter as long as i have biscuits in my mouth!!!"

Party Muscles!!!

While on vacation I am getting in better party shape!
Today it started at 3 p.m. with raspberry smashes. For you tea tottlers, smashes are made with vodka, raspberries and champagne! This was quickly followed by brownies, popcorn and a hilarious game. After that was a chocolate tasting which included 5 different varieties. By 8:45 we were all yawning our heads off!
Today's mantra: "love your liver!"

The Wildlife Report

from here in northern new mexico...
yesterday i got to see a cottontail rabbit, several great blue herons, ducks upon ducks, a number of bald eagles and a coyote that our dog companion flushed out. that there is what i call a good day!!!

Best Friends

i could be the luckiest person!!!
i am getting to spend my 50th b-day at one of the most beauty-full spots on the planet. not only that, but the spot is also an animal sanctuary...called Best Friends...in kanab, utah. my heart could barely fit inside my body today after meeting sooooooooooo many animals...

a sunny, cold, crispy day in the high desert. doesn't get any better in my book!!!

Road trip!

On the first leg of our road trip we drove down I-5 which for those of you not from CA....
Well, let's just say ya wanna be off it as soon as ya get on it. LOTS of huge agribusiness, fouled air, etc. Yer basic armpit of existence.
Anyways, we were gassin' up and my friend did something hilarious and I was bent over double laughing. A big ol fella in overalls and baseball cap walked by looking at us kinda funny... Not sure if he should be worried or not. Finally he gets it that something funny is going on and he gets tickled, too... And keeps walking into the store with a big smile on his face. My friend and I recover and the same guy walks back out of the store and starts chatting us up. Friendly as can be...bright eyes...then out of the blue he says: "you like guns?" Maybe u had to b there but for some reason I found that very funny and I had to pee really bad...generally not a good combo. I think I said under my breath: "oh no..." but my friend engaged him about the topic...you might guess he had strong opinions! Called CA commufornia and said he wanted to live in AZ where you can openly carry firearms...and my friend blurts out: "not in the courthouse!" Our new friend could agree with that rule! Anyways, the whole exchange reminded me why I LOVE road trips...
This last part might get me in trouble but oh well!
I said to my friends how much I liked that guy...cuz he was just bein' his straight up guy self and NOT trying to cultivate his feminine side, get in touch with his emotions or shed his masculine demons!!! There's a way ya can trust a fellar like that if ya ask me!

Long Term Relationship

my friend, gina, is a professional photographer and one of her current projects is to photograph animals and their people who have been together 15 years or more. This is a photo from that project. Liza and I have been together at least that long and maybe longer, i can't remember. i am crazy about her!!!
gina's work can be seen at: www. ginakelly.com

Did You Know?

That somewhere in the world there is a Tupperware party happening every 10 seconds?!!

50 NOT 21!!!

Last night my sister, a good friend and i went out for dinner in Berkeley. As a certified country bumpkin, it is always fun, entertaining and sometimes even a little shocking to hang out in an urban setting. The stimulation factor alone makes me spinny headed! There is so much to look at...i did get lots of fashion tips tho...both the do's and the don'ts!
So, as we finish dinner the waitress comes over and has two glasses on her tray...one has a lit birthday candle in it. i cringe thinking there was going to be singing, etc. But no, the waitress says that she and i are going to chug this glass full of guiness stout and it's a race between us! I think to myself: "shit, i'm turning fitty, not 21 and my liver shouts: "no, don't do it!!" Really though, what's a girl to do? The girls are cracking up, the waitress is waiting....so, i insist on knowing her name before chugging together, we say cheers and...well, i think she went easy on me, thank goodness! However, i did actually finish not too, too long after her and we shared a high five. i had a moment of....hmmm, i wonder if this is going to stay down but all was well.
our night was just getting started for we had a concert to get to. and not just any concert, no sireeeeeeee.we were headed to BLAME SALLY, my current favorite girl band! They were TOTALLY awesome. i tell you what, them girls can rock...it was some kinda fun.
Well, there was some scopin' goin' on, of course! i mean, a girl couldn't help herself, really. My friend had some advice on how to meet the girls. First, you scope out the girl you wanna meet and then have one or more of your friends (affectionately referred to as winggirls) start up a conversation with the gal and then slyly remove themselves from the conversation, leaving you and girl of interest to chat it up. i think it's good in theory but for someone like myself, i'm not sure i could hold up without my winggirls present...my nervous condition would prevent me from uttering a word...and that would just be so embarrassing i would want to die right then and there. Fortunately, i didn't have to test the waters!
It was a fabulous time and i think the recovery period is going to be minimal!

Oy Vey, What a Day!

It began by being one of the first people on the scene of a car accident, followed by an in depth tour of a  mortuary and winding up the eve with a date.
Though fascinated by the days continuim of events, I was a pooped puppy!!!

Last Rites!!!

Well today I took my old art car to it's new retirement home. As I was driving I was reminded why I loved the art on that car so dang much...it really made people smile! Ya know, I would be stopped at a light and look over to see someone beaming a big smile my way...and I would smile back. Or invariably when I was parked somewhere kids wanted to check it out and would drag their adult over to see it! It was so fun to watch them meet all the animals! When my dad first saw all the art on the car he asked me in a very serious tone why on earth I would want to do something like that. And I answered: "for fun!!!"
So, it was a fitting end today when I took Azure (that was my cars name) to the old age home that a pair of very cute, thirty something gay boys started chatting me up about the car. They LOVED it!!! It got me to reflecting on Azure and how much joy she'd brought to people. Then as I was standing outside with one of the boys and we were looking at my car he said: "wow, this car really does bring a smile to my heart." And then we joked about Azure having purpose right up until the very end.

AARP!

Over the years I have dished out PLENTY of shit to my friends who turned 50...couldn't help myself!!!
So, I guess the joke was on me today when I received something in the mail from AARP. The funny thing was that I found myself genuinely shocked that it was addressed to ME!
OMG!
After groaning a big groan, I couldn't help but laugh out loud.

Thought for the Day

In Parker Palmer's new book, Healing the Heart of Democracy he offers this up:
"Cultivate the ability to hold tension in life giving ways."

Woody's California Thanks-giving

Preach on Brother Campbell

"You must have a room, or a certain hour or so a day, where you don't know what was in the newspapers
that morning...a place where you can simply experience and bring forth what you are and what you might be."

-Joseph Campbell

Badge Envy

For years now I have been envious and yes, even jealous, of my friend DB. She has in her possession a set of law enforcement badges...sheriffs, rangers, etc. Don't get me wrong, she has been very generous about lending them to me along with the authority inherent in each one. And believe you me, that sheriffs badge came in handy when some attendees at art day overdosed themselves on chocolate and needed the long arm of the law to keep them out of harms way. There was also the unfortunate occasion when I flashed said badge at 2 Oakland ex cops...and then groveled for their pardon (for impersonating a law enforcement officer!!!)
To her credit, DB deputized me some time ago (but no badge and no dinero)  However, promises were made about promotions based on stellar performance (undercover work included) that never materialized. That is, until tonight. Apparently, I am heading up an entirely new dept. and I do think it's some kind of promotion. My new badge reads: Brothel Inspector (Kansas City division)

Sleep Issues?

If you have trouble falling asleep I recommend watching/listening to reruns of The Lawrence Welk Show with eyes closed!!!

Happy Birthday Bash!!!

Sabo Lucia turns 3

Bear turns 10

Those Yummy Curves!

I haven't been in the studio throwing pots for close to 2 years...and mostly have not felt the inclination to go back except for the occasional fleeting desire.
Tonight I was looking at a ceramic bowl made from a mold...nothing special.
But as I was looking at the curve of that bowl I had a visceral memory of how it felt to create curves in my bowls...how sensual and satisfying...and I felt a missing.

The Teacher Called Dementia

After hanging out with a friend who has dementia I was reminded in such a strong way of the power of the mind...
and reminded, too, of who we are when not identified with the mind...
as I sat with my friend we talked about the mental distress she was experiencing...how the mind plays tricks on us and wants us to believe what it says to be true. I knew even if she didn't rationally understand the conversation that still some part of her recognized truth and could actually rest in that knowing. And that is what happened...the minds agitation slowed and she appeared to experience more ease in being.
what a beauty-full gift and a potent lesson...

You've heard of ADD?

Well, today someone told me about a new condition called RDD.
Have you heard of it?
Retention Defecit Disorder!!!
I got me a serious case.

The Stealth Snuggler!

It is not uncommon for me to go to bed catless! However, what is common is to wake up with one or both cats either in or on the bed. Sometime in the night Simon (in beige) slinks under the covers without waking me and parks his whole body up against my chest so that his head shares the pillow with mine. I wake up to find him snuggled right up next to me purring, purring, purring. I mean to shout, how much better can it get!!!
And then when Liza (in black) joins the pile, she often goes to her normal spot up next to my head (next to and sometimes TOUCHING Simon, OMG!!!). Sometimes she will park it right there and I will have one hand on her warm purring belly and one on Simon's soft purring furz...
This morning though, Liza wanted under the covers in a serious way. The thing is Simon was under the covers in the exact spot she wanted. And had I let her see him she would have hissed at his sleeping self and he probably would have gotten up to leave. So, she swiped at my face several times and talked at me before giving up and going to the foot of the bed. I felt bad so I gingerly turned on my other side so Simon was at my back and then lifted the covers for my girl to come under...which she did and then turned around several times (letting in the cold air!) before laying down! Then I felt like a purr sandwich with Liza purring at my chest and Simon purring at my back. Never mind about sleep!!!

Moo Sleep Aid!

Often times when I return home from having been in town I sit in my car a bit and give myself a little adjustment period. I was doing just that the other evening, sitting with my eyes closed and just listening. Soon enough I heard the cows around my car and the familiar sound of their munching the grass. I'd never really listened to only that single sound before so I was enjoying how it sounded...
Next thing I knew I was waking up from a little nappy poo!!!

RAPTURED!!!

Guess where I'm writing from today?!!!

My Man Pooh Layin' It Down!

"When you wake up in the morning, Pooh, what's the first thing you say to yourself?"

"What's for breakfast?" said Pooh. "What do you say, Piglet?"

"I say, I wonder what's going to happen exciting today?" said Piglet.

Pooh nodded thoughtfully.

"It's the same thing," he said.

A four year olds perspective

Today I was hanging out with my four year old neighbor and friend, Don. i just wanted to share some of the things he said.

My cat, Liza came over to investigate him and their exchange generated this thought from Don:
"I touched her nose...she touched my finger...it was nice."

We were looking at an encyclopedia of dogs...mostly at the pictures. With each different breed they give a diagram of the body with lots of arrows. Don looked at one of the diagrams and said: 'that's the directions of it."

"In ten days we're going to visit Gigi.
Right now we're eating corn puffs."

really pretty simple...

Woody on the 4th of July!

Woody made a new friend that night. Her name was Lily and she had THE BEST ears ever...just like velvet.

Woody preparing for blast off!

Launched!!!

 

 

 

 

Woody had been suspiciously quiet. That is until last night. All of a sudden he flew down from his perch and started buzzing right by my head...made several near miss missions. Finally I caught on and we had ourselves a conversation. He wanted to know why he wasn't featured more often on my blog.
I didn't really have any good answer but promised him I would remedy that situation TODAY. So, true to my word, I Woodified my blog!

Young and Spry-ish!!!

I only had to take one dose of arnica after loading and unloading two truck loads of wood yesterday...
I woke up prepared to be all gimped up, but nooooooooooooooooooo. I coulda hurled me some more wood today, no problemo!

Funny at 97

My 97 year old friend, Helen, and I were visiting with my sister, Mookie who has known Helen for several years. Mookie asked Helen if she still wore her Life Alert necklace. Helen started putting her hand down her shirt in search of the necklace and said: "I think there's something in there."
Mookie replied: "I hope there are two things."
With a  straight face Helen said: "used to be!!!"

One simple thing

It sure doesn't take much to make someone's day...errrr, at least my day.
My postal clerk put dried rose petals in my pob so when I opened it up, some of the petals went fluttering to the ground...oh my goodness. I'd been having a "not the very best day in the world" kind of day...it totally made my heart smile...and lifted me right up.

Yoga Daddy!

I am almost certain there is a passage from the Torah, Bible, Koran or some other religious text that addresses elderly parents in the following manner: Thou shalt not now, nor ever heed the advice of thy adult children.
You know what I'm talkin' about!!!
So, it had to be a family member once removed...a much more reliable source of information  (never mind his drug and alcohol history!!!) that suggested my dad look into yoga. The relative gave dad an article from, where else, the New York Times written by non other than a JEWISH DOCTOR!!! The guy had spent time in India and as a result rx'd yoga as part of his patients wellness care. Armed with a tiny bit of info. from a virtual stranger, dad was good to go for his first chair yoga class. I wish you could have seen him...cute as all get out. Dressed in his daily uniform of khakis, leather belt, button down oxford shirt, swanky yellow lensed glasses and his going out sneakers he was ready for action. I could tell he was both nervous and curious about his first class. When we arrived I spoke briefly to the teacher then escorted dad inside. I stayed while he got settled in and told him I would return to pick him up when class was over. When I arrived to pick him up he was chatting away with the teacher who was giving him some fun and interesting yoga facts. His hair, normally plastered flat to his head was sticking up in little tufts, his demeanor was lighter and he had a slight bounce in his step. As we were driving home I asked him what he thought about the class and he responded with: "I probably should have started a long time ago." Overtly, I tried to appear cool and non-invested but inside I was jumping for joy. For so many reasons my dad needs this class and I was very relieved that he found it interesting enough to try it again.
The second time I took him he confidently walked in, got some blocks and parked himself in his same chair. Tears welled up in my eyes...partly from happiness/relief that he was doing something to take care of himself...and partly from how proud I felt of him. Here he was, an 88 yer old conservative, midwestern guy who was wiling to check out this foreign practice called yoga. At home later that morning I asked him about class. He did a reinactment of some of the postures making sure to tell me the correct times to be breathing in and out. He wondered aloud if the teacher could give him some hand outs so he could practice at home :) Then he said: "the teacher rang these little bells and we were supposed to quiet our minds...then we breathed in the good thoughts and breathed out the bad ones. I wished we'd done that part longer." In that moment I felt such pure love and appreciation for my dad.

The Show Me State

I know that I live in a particularly left part of the country. You can find a little bit of everything round these parts. Kansas City, however, is another story. While progressive in some arenas, the collective consciousness is pretty dang dense. So, it should have come as no surprise that when I asked the TSA folks at the airport to hand check a little bag of essences that I instantly became a high risk passenger! Jeezo peezo. I handed the guy the bag of essences and then i was told i had to go thru the body scanner. Great. As soon as I was released from that procedure the guy said to me that because of the bag, they were going to have to pat me down. And the first thought in my head is: "if you think you are going to lay one of your 'mr. creepy man hands on my body, you are in for a fight.'
Fortunately for everyone he turned me over to two women. The first was the one who was going to actually do the pat down. As she was snapping on those icky rubber gloves (blue for those of you that care) she was describing in great detail where and how she was going to be touching my body...which by now is sweating profusely! Next to her stood a woman who looked like an older butch lesbian (BL). She was the bulldog security mama and was standing no more than a foot from me. Both of them were SO in my personal space that I was kinda wishing when they'd told me i had to be pat down i had taken my chances and bolted...this was excruciating. I was trying my best to find the humor in the situation...as i took the macro view it all seemed surreal and I smirked which i'm sure made me even more suspicious cuz it was right about the time that woman number one began the exam. However, she did have a good touch and i thought to myself that she'd make a decent bodyworker! So, she completed my back side and as she stepped in front of me to begin the front I said to her: "this is kind of an unusual job, isn't it?" She answered that it was but didn't miss a beat with the exam. She then moved to touch a part of my body that I just don't like to have touched and I instinctively recoiled. The BL lurched at me as if I was about to set off a bomb and it was her job to stop me!!! It wasn't all that funny in the moment but afterwards I found it hysterical. Anyways, because of that incident I had to go to a private room and explain myself to the female supervisor. Talk about sweating. My fear was that the babe was gonna force the issue, it was gonna get ugly very quickly and I would have to call my folks from jail! But to her credit she resolved it easily and then the four of us marched out of the private room as if in a parade!

Oh Lordy!!!

I need to get out more often!
I was waiting in the security line at the Oakland airport this a.m. and engaging in some serious people watching. (and no, contrary to what some of you might assume I was NOT scopin' out the g's!!!) I was just observing and being entertained. Until I noticed this woman...one couldn't help but notice her. Yes she was attractive and I did notice that (whatever!) but there was a particular energy about her...so light filled and radiant...TOTALLY  caught my attention. She was far enuf away that I couldn't see details but once she was closer I about had a heart attack cuz I was just sure it was Diana Jones (see music section of my profile for further info) I was trying my best to remain calm! I was staring hard at her and then finally came to the conclusion that it was not Diana for she did not have a guitar with her and she looked just a wee bit older than Diana. However, this woman was a charming and irresistable cross between Diana and Jessica Lange (I'm not bragging or anything but I was co-founder of the Jessica Lange fan club in the 80"s) Anyways, even tho it wasn't Diana, I still watched her go thru security and off to her plane. Done deal.
I am headed for my already boarding flight and realize I had to use the facilities in a big way so did a U-turn to make a last minute dash...and there in front of me is Miss Dazzle Pants herself!!! As we pass each other we make eye contact and shared one of those moments...you know, where your entire being lights up and you could just about explode...time stops...and then the next moment is there and I turn into the bathroom short of breath and sweating...telling myself to just keep walking! I about knocked myself out trying to get into the stall I was so happily distressed! I made myself take a couple of deep breaths to try and calm my nerves! And then I saw her AGAIN sitting at my gate. I really wanted to have the juevos to go introduce myself but my legs would not walk in her direction, dangit! Heck, I couldn't even look at her again.
I might be a lost cause in this dep't. Let us pray!!!

Oh Happy Day

I had the sweet fortune of waking up the other day to find a newly born calf asleep behind my cabin. The little bundle stayed in basically the same position for about 3 hours...fast asleep in the sunshine...opening an eye now and again or repositioning her head. Finally, the mama came around mooing insistantly and very loudly and stopped about 20 feet away from her baby. The friend that I was talking with on the phone said the mama stops a ways away on purpose so that the calf has to actually use her new legs to get up and walk to her. Well, the little gal got up on those brand spanking new legs, wobbled a wee bit and then in a drunken weave made her way over to her mama for breakfast.
Oh happy day!

Jam Glam!

I figure once you hit 97 years old you get to do pretty much anything you want. So yesterday when my friend, Helen, decided she wanted to wear her brightly colored flannel jams into town, I was down with the program.
One of the other things about being 97 is that no matter what you do, people think it is facinating/inspiring that you are still upright! So, the fact that she was going to yoga class in her jams... well, that right there made for some seriously good role modeling!!!

Moo Vittles

Art Day

an afternoon spent in the garden eating yummy food, visiting, laughing and making "art"...was a relaxing, light-hearted and entertaining time. In the photo above meet "the blockheads" who presided over the day...they were quiet yet watch-full and set just the right tone!!

This is fish-lips...
one of many inspired creations here at art day!
(in case you can't tell from the photo, it is made out of a gourd with a variety of plant materials to adorn her fishy body!)

Alert!

RedVines are NOT a vegetable.

MOO'S in The Hood!

Planet West County

For those of you not familiar with western Sonoma County where I live, I want to try and paint you a picture of it...for it will be an amusing backdrop when at the end, I tell you what I saw here today.
First of all, if you are in the know, you call it West County. That in itself means something especially when said with a particular attitude. The characters that inhabit this area are...ummmmm...color-full? There's an interesting mix of peeps...which seems to mostly work...well, in the sense that people don't tend to kill each other at least! anyways, on any given day you might find yer spiritual seekers, new age space rangers, arteests, homahsexuals, maryjuana growers and smokers, therapy junkies, red necks, xtreme lefty zealots, aging hippies (the men still sport pony tails and Birkenstocks and the gals long flowey dresses with hairy arm pits), the young hippies wear dreads and don't shower so much, old timey farmers, rich yuppies and then yer assorted wing nuts and whack jobs. So, it did NOT phase me to see an entire family in town today ALL wearing tye dye shirts!!! No joke. However, I did laugh out loud and wonder if they were part of a cult!

Death and Laughter

During the course of my Hospice training we covered some pretty weighty material...stuff most of us don't consider in our day to day lives. And our homework - well, it wasn't like ANY other homework I have EVER had to do. For instance, we had to write our own obituary, write a letter to a close person that had already passed, plan our own funeral/memorial, etc. Fortunately, the two women facilitating the training both had a wicked good sense of humor. For me, it was a welcome balance to diving so deep. One of our assignments was to write about what we wanted done with our body once we died. Normally not a funny topic! So, I was explaining that i wanted my loved ones to care for my body at home for as long as possible after my death...you know, the details of all that. and at the end i was expressing my wonderment as to what i would want to wear to the occasion...
when that homework was returned to me the comment from the facilitator made me laugh out loud. In response to my fashion quandry she replied: "when in doubt, layer!!!"

Sneakin' Up On the Big Five Ohhhhhhhhhh...NOT!!!

Today I bought my first set of AM/PM vitamin trays.
'Nuf said...!

HAPPY BIRTH-DAY, MORGAN!

                                                            MORGAN                       

So, for those of you that knew Morgan I am sure it will be easy to imagine her relationship with this tiny mouse. And for those of you that didn't get to know her it will give you a vivid feel for her sensibilities. Morgan wrote the following after discovering her new friend!

Ode to a Mouse
Oh so small...

brought in as a gift,
dropped gently on the doormat by a cat
who preferred to kill
  maybe faster moving things
no bigger than my first thumb joint
A pink eraser you were
  fragile yet full of Life
that was Friday
  today is Tuesday
and you've left this small body behind for
      BIGGER THINGS...
you were so very beautiful
  to watch
to witness your vitality
  your small becoming
your sleeping soundly
  round belly after a satisfying meal
your strong heart beating
  you clambered up, thru, around
  my fingers
burrowing deeper, looking for
  the smallest of teats.
sucking at the syringe, learning
  to hold on
you came to me with your ears
  laid down tight against your head.
in these 4 days they became
  real little ears.
your eyes dark, knowing
  spheres under your thin
  grey skin
  darting around
were only days away from
  seeing that I was not your mother.
your little life gave mine
  so much happiness
the sweetness of caring
  for your small courage
  was the purest joy.

A Happy Ending

Today was spent with a small group of Morgan's other close peeps sorting through her photos...hundreds of them. I rather enjoyed being with her in that way. She felt very, very close in. At one point we were counting the number of peeps in the room and each time I counted there were 5 peeps (when in this reality there were only 4) It took me several tries before I got it "right"...but I swear, she was present and accounted for!

One of the things I was reminded of so vividly today was Morgan's great love of and connection with animals. Some of her animal photos...well, they just melted me with their beauty...it is one of the things I continue to miss most about our relationship...that kind of Bone Deep Passion that we shared...we had it about animals, kids, nature and art. She made me feel like I had a kindred on this planet. Tho the acute pain of her loss has dissipated, the missing remains strong...and daily.

During the course of our Relationship/friendship I can't even count the number of times we stopped to help an animal...it is from those experiences together that I began keeping a leash and a bag of dog treats in my car! So, it was purr-fectly fitting that as I was driving home from our gathering today that I would see a stray dog in the road! A little fella with leash in tow trotting down a very busy road. I had to stop. And what was a real joy about the experience is that others stopped as well. That alone just made my heart so happy. One vehicle that stopped was a father and his 8 or 9 year old son. I made it a point to let the boy know what a good thing he was doing...I watched him take the compliment inside. It was a sweet moment. Then we see a person way up the road waving his arms and we follow. It turns out the little poochlet had marched himself right back to his driveway and a neighbor who happened to be driving by recognized him and put him safely away. Hurray for that happy ending!!!

Tomorrow is Morgan's birthday...

Under the Apple Tree

Well, the following story takes on a whole new flavor after having just learned that my first Hospice client passed this evening. Blessings to her on the journey...

My 97 year old friend, Helen, and I were sitting out under an apple tree this afternoon. It was lovely. The temperature was just right, there was a slight breeze and the dappled light was beautiful. We'd been quiet a few minutes when a thought popped loudly into my head...which I then spoke aloud. I said: "this would be a nice spot to die right here...a pause and then...I think that'd be pretty good." Helen responded with: "I wouldn't mind that myself."

No chocolate...really?

Anytine the phone rings before 9 a.m. I get a little worried cuz anyone who knows me well knows my legal callin' hours are 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. So, this mornin' when the phone rang at 8 I took notice. However, I needn't have worried...it was my mom (a chocoholic) calling to tell me she had just spoken to my sister (also a chocoholic)  and had learned that I (a recently reformed chocoholic) was working with a health care practitioner who rx'd I avoid chocolate for 6 months...GASP!!!
Mom just wanted to let me know she was certain that said practitioner was a communist!!!

Git Right With Gawd

for the rapture is a comin'...AGAIN!!!
That's right, in case you weren't a first round draft pick for THE ORIGINAL RAPTURE, well, ya got yerself another shot. The CEO at Rapture Central has determined that the scripture which targeted the fateful day last May...well...he says his interpretation was more literal when it should have been more spiritual...Hmmmmm. Anyhow, ol Harold says that Judgement Day is rescheduled for October 21st and that it should be very quick! Thank G-D!!!
Oh yeah, he also says to go ahead and keep sending him money.

A friend says all she's taking is one carry-on...

Harveylee at her 94th birthday party!

94, really?

Harveylee and her friend, John whuppin' it up at her party at the Occidental Farmers Market. She got lots of happy birthday wishes (bein' a Leo, she had a sign up that said it was her birthday) and had some yummy cookies and brownies to share.
I just have to mention that Harveylee didn't start playin' the geeeetar (that's guitar with a southern accent) till she was 68 y.o...and she loves nothing more than to sing and play.

When a gentleman commented on how good she looked she shot back with: "Well, the Lord's been good to me and I helped!!!"

I just love her to pieces :)

Facebook!

On one of my flights to Kansas City I sat next to a woman who I initially thought I might not like. I had the window seat and she kept leanin' over on me to take pictures out of the window. And tho I was cold and her body was helping to keep me warm, I was a little uncomfortable with her bein' in "my space."
Not long into the flight we struck up a conversation and we had a blast. We were laughing our heads off.
We covered a lot of different topics and at one point she asked me if I was on Facebook. I said I wasn't. She replied back: "Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat? You and my dead grandmother are the only two people I know NOT on Facebook!"
I just about pee'd my pantalones!!!

Marital Bliss?

So, the other day I am sitting in front of Holy Foods thoroughly enjoying my two favorite activities: people watchin' and eatin'. I couldn't have been happier sittin' there eatin' my fudgecicle...nice breeze, sun a'shinin', quirky people in every direction. Yup, I was havin' me a moment. And then into the parking lot comes an old, GREEN Chevy truck and I heard myself purr...no joke. I have a "thing" for old Chevy's....
Anyways, I can only see the back of the drivers head and i notice a gray ponytail. I think to myself: "if that there is a female type i"m unna propose straight away and have me some marital bliss." But alas, it was an ol fellar that I was certain I did not want to marry! However, as he approached the place I was sitting I said to him: "When you die can I have your truck?" I don't think he was expecting that exact question but he did real good with it. He says: "well, I don't plan on dying any time soon but I'll consider it!" Good enough for our first conversation. We continued to chat for a few minutes and as he was walking away I said: "I sincerely hope you live a long time" I meant it AND I really wanted that boy's truck!!!

Namaste, my ass!!!

This morning i decided to go to a new yoga class in Occidental. You know, break out of my normal routine. When the second pose was a downward dog, i knew i was in trouble! In the yoga class I'm used to going to we warm up to a downward dog if we even get there at all. Anyways, we bust out a few more poses at what feels like lighteneing speed. No time to sink in or be with the pose. I am already sweating and trying to figure out how i can inconspicuously exit stage left! the thing is a big, sturdy gal with an equally big attitude was between me and the door. i just couldn't imagine it happening without me making an embarassing scene so i resigned myself to the idea of staying put for the next hour and a half. SHIT. Would i ever walk again?
Oh, and did i mention that the yoga "music" of the day was Phish?! the teacher claims that kind of music isn't normal for her class and she actually asked everyone ahead of time if it was ok. i wasn't familiar with Phish so didn't know any better! kind of like giving someone a massage to....ummm...light rock and roll that's a hair too loud! but i was in too much pain to mention that said music was shattering my nerves!!
so, it was the combo of that, the yoga "outfits" and the general aura of a faux namaste attitude that made me want to screeeeeeeeeeeam.
You can imagine how relieved i was to then go and sit with my hospice client. She's an elderly woman who has lived in the country her entire life...uncomplicated, direct, humble...can't breathe so well and can't walk so well. and yet her realness lent itself to more connectedness than a million namastes.

P.S.
i accidently whacked the big girl with my yoga mat on the way out of class!!!
Namaste, sister :)

Can you hear me NOW?!

About a year and a half ago my dad got himself a brand new set of hearing aids. After wearing them precisely ONE time he put them away in his bedside drawers (the right aid in the right drawer and the left aid in the left drawer) and they have been there ever since. Tho his drawers are hearing much better ever since, my dad, however is not. And after much cajoling, etc. from the entire family he finally succumbed and began trying to wear them this last time i was there. One night while we were having dinner he got this odd look on his face and I asked him what was going on? He replied: "hold on a minute, I'm getting a message from Captain Marvel in my left ear!!!" We all busted up.

NDE

Hey everyone!
My photographer friend, Gina Kelly is doing a project that I thought some of you might be interested in. She is photographing folks who have had a real deal Near Death Experience. So, if you or someone you know has had one and wants to be a part of this project, contact Gina at: gina@ginakelly.com
you can also check out her website and blog.

i can testify on her behalf for i have been a subject of her photos for many years. She's really fun to work with (tho in hardly any of my photos am i smiling, we actually laugh quite a bit) and even from the very beginning it was easy to trust her...i always felt her respect for the vulnerability that comes from being in front of a camera.
There you have it. Even if ya haven't had a NDE,  check out her work at www.ginakelly.com

BTW, Woody, who you met in the previous entry has signed up to be photographed due to his NDE with Tiny! The experience left him a born again bird!!

Dawg relashuns

Before leaving the midwest, Woody made a new "friend" named Tiny...
who was fond of Woody but maybe in the wrong sorta way! Woody survived with only a slight coating of Tiny goober on his yellow outfit!

2012

"End-date 2012 is not the end of circular time, but the center of time's breathing in and out."
                 John Major Jenkins
                         The Mystery of 2012


i dunno bout you but every time i read this i feel a profound sense of resonance and alignment with all that is...everything in me relaxes and that pervasive illusion of separation dissolves.

Meet Woody!

Woody, the little yellow fellow, hails most recently from the Missouri Ozarks. His person decided he was ready fer new adventures and asked could he come live with us in Occidental? Ah course, I took an instant liking to the guy and assured her that this was going to be some kinda fun for the Woodstir. Tho sad to leave his person and all his relashuns, he was excited to fly for the first time, see the big redwoods and frolic in the ocean.
Check back fer more on Woody's adventures!

friends

Bear in white, Portia in pink!!!

Spinsters!

"She's a spinster"...
Spinning wool into thread was the first step in the cloth-making process. the people who performed this task were called "spinsters." spinsters were usually the unmarried women in a family. eventually all unmarried women-whether they could spin or not-were called spinsters. most women today hate this word!

on another note...
when talking about her cat, Franque, my 3.5 year old neighbor said: "when i squish him, he purrs!!!"

fireworks

tho i have been marching around in my american flag bikinni, swiggin' some american beer, wavin' around sparklers made in china and generally whuppin' it up this weekend, i realize that this holiday can be pretty stressful on our four legged friends.
i just want to remind everyone that for those pets who get anxious, stressed, fearful with all the loud noise you can help by giving them rescue remedy (or its equivalent) during the acute phase of the noise and you can also be putting drops in their water throughout the day...or putting drops onto their furz. remember, you can't overdose. if the electrical pattern is not needed, it will be automatically sloughed off by the system.
you can also use calms forte for the same purpose. and if you are a human (both adults and children) that is distressed by the same thing, give yourself some, too.

in fact, i'm gonna go throw some back my own self!

more settler sayings!

BEES
honeybees cooperate as they work hard to make honey. Whenever families and friends in a settler community gathered together to work, the event was called a "bee." settlers held quilting bees, apple-peeling bees, corn husking bees, and logging bees to get difficult work done quickly. after the work was done the settlers celebrated with a party!

fear ye not, more are a comin'!

Waco wisdom!

my 92 year old friend, harveylee, mentioned in a previous installment has so many quirky/unusual sayings which i just love.
here is this weeks: busy as a bee in a bucket of tar
hmmmmm...makes fer a potent visual!

and she loaned me a book called: settler sayings.
a bunch of sayings that have made their way into our common vanacular which have their roots in situations from everyday life. i'll just give you one from the book.

SPUDS
the settlers planted all kinds of vegetables. about one hundred years ago, however, people thought potatoes were unhealthy. to discourage people from eating potatoes, a health-conscious group started the Society for the Prevention of Unwholesome Diets. the initials of the groups name formed the word "spud." today many people refer to potatoes as spuds.

learn sumthin' new? me too!
don't worry, i'll share some more settler sayin's before the week is out!

and finally, one more harveylee tidbit. we were talkin' about the heat...how as a child she would pick cotton in the dead heat of a texas summer and think nothing of it. we were comparing that to current time and how little heat she can tolerate these days...feels like she could get heat stroke pretty easy. and she said she didn't even know what heat stroke was when she was little but if she had, why she's sure she woulda have suffered a number of spells to get herself outta pickin' cotton!

Rapture ready?

the midwest womens festival in the missouri ozarks happened to coincide with the day that some fundamentalist christians predicted an apocalyptic end to the world. well, how on earth does a girl prepare for THAT!? i didn't really think i was gonna be hittin' the heavens that night, however, i did have hope for our friend Beauty/Barbie. i thought such a well loved and well behaved! individual was most certainly gonna get the green light and join the celestial party. so, a friend and i decided to help facilitate that ascension by raising Beauty/Barbie and her parachute to the top of the flag pole...dramatically poised for the rapture! but alas, the next morning Beauty/Barbie was still dangling from the flag pole...damp, exhausted and having mixed feelings about being left behind with us heathens!!!

She's back!

some of you are already familar with my 92 year old friend, harveylee. for those of you new to story hour, harveylee lives in northern ca about 6 months out of the year and the other 6 in waco, tx. her daughter and son in law operate the honey stand at our friday night occidental market and she tags along. so, friday evening is my date night with her. we sit and gab up a storm...and do some serious people watching! The girl is a crack up and we giggle alot. this evening we were talking to a third person and all of a sudden i feel harveylee's elbow nudge me pretty good on my arm...i look at her and she gives me the code which means i am supposed to look where she's looking. of course, i do, but what's unfortunate is that i look at the exact moment the young woman we are openly staring at gets hep to the fact we are checking her out and i have to quickly redirect my eyes northward! i don't think i was particularily successful! the occidental market is an EXCELLENT people watching venue...better than airports or bus stations...well, different anyway!  harveylee was pointing out a particularily short skirt this woman was wearing. you know, the kind that BARELY covers the butt...and it was lace!!! not that unusual for occidental but when you live in waco...well you are apt to see big hair and lots of creative make-up application but not a skirt like that. so, harveylee thought it important to bring to my attention... and then we both cracked up!!!

Live action in gophieville!

as i write, i am also watching a gopher poking it's head up above ground. what an ugly and cute little mug...you gotta believe there's a gawd when ya look at them teeth cuz they certainly were NOT made to look good! the first few times gophie popped up seemed like it was just an investigative mission...and then down goes the plant! no more than a minute later i can barely see the gophie's face as it pops back up because it is completely dirt covered...and i can make out the nose cuz it's moving ever so slightly as gophie breathes out...a living, breathing pile of dirt. back down it goes in a flash and reappears with another pile of dirt on top of it's head...and i am smiling a big smile .

Be still my beating heart!

...just happened to look up from the lavender i was weeding and noticed a critter out in the pasture...far enough away that i couldn't see details but i was pretty sure it wasn't a critter of the domesticated variety. my heart was racing as it always does when i get to see a "wild" one...there's a almost a breathlessness from the excitement...that combined with the sprint inside to get my binocs... and i most certainly was gulping fer air...my heart was thumping hard...all that made me a little woozy and as i looked thru the binocs the critter appeared kinda fuzzy! after my body settled down i was able to see that i was looking at a bobcat...she was leisurely cruizing the pasture (in broad daylight which is sorta unusual fer a bobcat...they like to be more in cognito) but never the less, there she was. she slowly walked to the shade and, in an instant, became invisible. tried fer several minutes to find her but no luck.
whenever i see a wild one i am so grateful...and can feel how their presence lights up what is wild in me...and i remember again. all ways a blessing.

and then there were the baby bluebird chicks! OMG, they were so dang cute. their nesting box has been a flurry of activity...two very busy parents trying to keep their brood fed and a cat or two looking for an hor's derve. never a dull moment as they say...so the last one fledged this weekend. i was sitting outside and heard the little gal just chirping her head off. i watched her fer awhile...she would position herself so that her head and neck were peeking out the hole...and then she and her mama would have this delight-full call and response...it sure seemed like the mama was encouraging her to try and fly...and the chick wanted to but was a little too scared to jump...and so the conversation went. then the baby would withdrawl back into the box, invisible to my eye but still talking! i was getting tickled cuz i could easily imagine what they were saying to each other...plus the fact that she had that comical mouth typical to baby birds...looks like they are smiling the biggest smile! finally i had to go so i didn't actually see her make the leap tho i would have loved to...i would have clapped and clapped and clapped! but, the next day it was completely quiet in the box so i'm thinkin' she gathered enough courage to test drive her new wings.

Leftovers?

As i approached my car this morning the first thing i noticed was that a piece of the plastic shade shield on the top of the passenger window was on the ground. so, i stood there for a second visually taking in the whole car. and it looked like the offending coonies came back for more but were thwarted because the window was closed. and instead of the measured, almost linear path of yesterdays paw prints, the ones this morning were much more chaotic...and in place of just prints there were smears of mud going down the passenger window and door...as if they'd been scrambling around trying with all their might to get in but couldn't and slid to the ground grabbing at the plastic shade dealio on the way down. it's kind of a mud painting on the side of my car. i wish i could have watched the whole thing unfold cuz i am sure it was hilarious.

The sleepy bandidtos!

There are certain "laws" about country living. One of them is never leave yer car windows down at night...fer that is an invitation to the nocturnal ones to party down inside your vehicle.
The muddy paw prints began on the hood, up the windshield, over the roof to...dang it, i left my window down just enough so a small raccoon could squeeze in. I open the car door and am surprised to NOT find a huge mess. However, i did find the wrapper remains of several bags of dog treats that i keep in my car for those unexpected encounters with the canine family...a few crumbs on the seat...and...
i laughed out loud when i saw it/they had also eaten some calming tablets...the visual got me right away...drowsy coonies passed out in some random spot unable to stagger one more step. i'm surprised they didn't just sleep it off in my car!

Friendly neighbor?

Franque, an avid birder, introduces himself to the bluebird chicks!

Trilly's journal

With her permission, Trillium, the three legged (and now blind) cat allowed me to post her journal. This was written during a period of time when her peeps were away and i was taking care of her.

Day 1
here's what i got the long one to do for me the very first day!
lay down on the bed right next to me, brush my long and luxurious furz, rub my belly till i thought i might pass out AND promise me turkey meaty balls.
between you and i, she's a pushover.

Day 2
we met outside and i have to admit. i was glad to see her...let her hold me for a little while...not too, too long lest she get the wrong idea...a certain degree of aloofness and such.
a second promise for turkey meaty balls. we'll see...

Day 3
in my top secret hiding spot till the long one was about to leave. she gave me turkey meaty balls even tho i made myself scarce today :) DEEEEEEEEELICIOUS!

Day 4
now we're talkin'...had a gaggle oh gals over today admiring me. i especially liked the long one's sister called the little one. she brushed me up one side and down the other till i accidently drew blood with a little ol swipe. oops! sat outside to watch it get dark with the long one.
oh, and i'm not braggin' or anything but i did kill a gopher today and left it for the long one to admire.

Day 5
today was mutual grooming day. the long one got out the brush and fluffed my furz till i looked like i'd just walked out of a beauty parlor. well, not exactly cuz when it got to my matted parts i got a little grouchy and finally had to jump off the bed. in turn, i gave her a pretty comprehensive facial. she made some odd facial contortions and complained/whined that my tongue was too rough...but prior to that some seriously needed exfoliation took place.
(translator's note: "ouch")

Day 6
Whole lotta chillaxin' goin' on here today...it was some kinda HOT...and i do mean HOT. had to just take to the shade and think cool thoughts.

Day 7
the long one claims that my furz are especially schmutz filled today and asked me where i'd been. jeez louise, i'm a country cat, not a prissy show cat. and besides, maybe i like that look...aw-nat-u-rail and organic like...perhaps i could even go so far as to say it's a fashion statement of sorts. it's not like SHE just walked off the pages of cosmopolitan or anything.

Day 8
she can't find me...tho she knows i was here cuz my meaty ball plate is clean as a whistle. felt only a little bad cuz i foiled the long one's plans to hang with me this eve.

Day 9
i knew the long one was a bit worried cuz i wasn't around yesterday, so i made it a point to be inside when she came over this evening...meowin' and everything! i could tell she was relieved. she told me it will be either 2 or 3 more sundowns till my peeps get home. i'm not exactly sure how much time that is but i get the sense it's not too, too much longer. PHEW. don't get me wrong, i LOVE the long one in a big way...it's just that i'll be real, real happy to have our pack back intact.

Day 10
i'll tell you what...it was a R U D E awakening. i was deep in the midst of my early evening nap, nestled at the base of the glad-eee-oh-lahs, when out of the blue came a torrential rain. it sure hadn't looked like rain when my eyelids slammed shut a little earlier. when i felt the water i opened my eyes...lo and behold, guess who was was not even 10 feet from me? yep, the long one merrily watering the garden! all was forgiven when, after she saw me, she kept singing my name, bein' all excited to see me. a girl can't hold a grudge under those conditions!

Day 11
i remembered it was the long one's last day so when i heard her i popped out of my cosmic rest area under the cosmos to say hello. a love fest was followed by us sittin' on the porch's warm cement and me havin' a little nappy poo whilst resting my head against her shoe. it's a good life!