Pontoon
by Garrison Keillor
Copyright 2007
Read by the author
I enjoy hearing Garrison Keillor read. He has interesting inflection in his voice. His stories are genuine, full of detail, and fun.
Pontoon is another Lake Wobegone tale. Evelyn, who is 82 years old, has died. She wants to be cremated and buried in a bowling ball. This is not acceptable behavior for a conservative, Lutheran town.
Not only that, but Evelyn's daughter, Barbara, is a lush. And someone named Debe wants to get married out on the very lake that Evelyn wants to be plummeted into (while she's in the bowling ball, of course). Add in a bunch of Norwegian pastors and well, you've got a Keillor tale.
Fun listen.
Monday, September 19, 2011
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Art for Art's Sake
Yesterday, my husband and I visited the Taubman Museum in Roanoke.
It was the first time I had been in the building, which was built in 2008. So it took me a long time to get down there.
I love to look at art, but I am not a fan of downtown Roanoke. I always have trouble parking and I don't like the atmosphere of the entire city - I find it smelly and fraught and full of crazy people who seem to always want to accost me for a cigarette or money.
I used to work downtown and I am pretty sure it ruined my idea of the area. I once had a man chase me down three blocks, trying to take my purse and my life, until I ran into a shop and begged the owner to hide me while she called the police. The man wasn't a criminal, he was insane and he thought I was his mother or sister or something. But he scared me and I have never felt safe in downtown Roanoke since that happened. Yes, that was a long time ago, like 1990. No, I haven't gotten over it. It scarred me for life.
So anyway, I try not to go to downtown Roanoke unless I have someone with me.
The Taubman, on the exterior, looks to me like a spaceship that crashed into downtown. The inside looks better, but what a lot of wasted space. I didn't even find it that visually interesting. Oh well. I didn't go to see the building.
We looked at all of the exhibits. We went because I was keenly interested in one called In the Moment: Light, Vision and Memory Celebrating Photography in the 125th year of The Roanoke Times. Being an old newspaper woman, this interested me, as you might imagine.
They had some wonderful photographs on display. Several depicted scenes where Roanoke was on the national list - visits from presidents such as FDR, JFK, and Nixon, for example. There were just a few from the Flood of 1985. There was one of a house burning down earlier this year, and another of a fireman resuscitating a child back in the 1970s. They were all high quality shots. My biggest complaint was not quality, but quantity. I wanted to see much more. There simply weren't enough of the pictures.
Because of regulations against photography at most of the displays, I did not take many pictures. You could take pictures of things that are on permanent display, and I took a few shots there. Follow the links if you want a better idea of the displays.
My husband enjoyed the Civil War Drawings from the Becker Collection. These were made by special artists on assignment who kept track of the Union soldiers during the war by drawing pictures.
I don't think either of us knew what to make of the Nick Cave: Meet Me at the Center of the Earth exhibit. This is a display of wearable suits that look completely out of this world.
Here a few shots of some of the permanent exhibits.
A few sculptures. The picture in the right rear, the one with the yellow, was called "Strumming" (or something like that) and I thought it was an artistic depiction of the sound of music. I think it was my favorite piece in the museum.
If you're local or just visiting, you can explore the Taubman Tuesday through Saturdays, 10 a.m - 5 p.m. and from 12 - 5 p.m. on Sunday. General admission is $7.
It was the first time I had been in the building, which was built in 2008. So it took me a long time to get down there.
I love to look at art, but I am not a fan of downtown Roanoke. I always have trouble parking and I don't like the atmosphere of the entire city - I find it smelly and fraught and full of crazy people who seem to always want to accost me for a cigarette or money.
I used to work downtown and I am pretty sure it ruined my idea of the area. I once had a man chase me down three blocks, trying to take my purse and my life, until I ran into a shop and begged the owner to hide me while she called the police. The man wasn't a criminal, he was insane and he thought I was his mother or sister or something. But he scared me and I have never felt safe in downtown Roanoke since that happened. Yes, that was a long time ago, like 1990. No, I haven't gotten over it. It scarred me for life.
So anyway, I try not to go to downtown Roanoke unless I have someone with me.
The Taubman, on the exterior, looks to me like a spaceship that crashed into downtown. The inside looks better, but what a lot of wasted space. I didn't even find it that visually interesting. Oh well. I didn't go to see the building.
We looked at all of the exhibits. We went because I was keenly interested in one called In the Moment: Light, Vision and Memory Celebrating Photography in the 125th year of The Roanoke Times. Being an old newspaper woman, this interested me, as you might imagine.
They had some wonderful photographs on display. Several depicted scenes where Roanoke was on the national list - visits from presidents such as FDR, JFK, and Nixon, for example. There were just a few from the Flood of 1985. There was one of a house burning down earlier this year, and another of a fireman resuscitating a child back in the 1970s. They were all high quality shots. My biggest complaint was not quality, but quantity. I wanted to see much more. There simply weren't enough of the pictures.
Because of regulations against photography at most of the displays, I did not take many pictures. You could take pictures of things that are on permanent display, and I took a few shots there. Follow the links if you want a better idea of the displays.
My husband enjoyed the Civil War Drawings from the Becker Collection. These were made by special artists on assignment who kept track of the Union soldiers during the war by drawing pictures.
I don't think either of us knew what to make of the Nick Cave: Meet Me at the Center of the Earth exhibit. This is a display of wearable suits that look completely out of this world.
Here a few shots of some of the permanent exhibits.
A very large portrait of a lady. She took up a very big space.
Some of those pictures that make you scratch your head.
My husband looking at sketches on one of the walls. The picture in the rear, right, is called "Mardi Gras."
If you're local or just visiting, you can explore the Taubman Tuesday through Saturdays, 10 a.m - 5 p.m. and from 12 - 5 p.m. on Sunday. General admission is $7.
Saturday, September 17, 2011
Moon Set
I snapped this shot earlier in the week as the orange full moon began to fall beneath the horizon. In the shot, the fog has settled in the valley and the trees harbor a tinge of yellow as Autumn sneaks her way in.
Friday, September 16, 2011
Through the Window
Some days, the deer come right up to the house. They are so close they are looking in through the windows. I start to wonder if I'm the animal in the zoo cage and they're the ones visiting.
The other day, a mother doe and two of her fawns appeared.
Mother and Junior grazing in my yard. The photos were taken through the window with my Nikon D40. The glass created a bit of a glare.
Here's a shot to show you the window, so you can see how close they come to the house. That's about 10 feet away.
The other day, a mother doe and two of her fawns appeared.
Mother and Junior grazing in my yard. The photos were taken through the window with my Nikon D40. The glass created a bit of a glare.
Apparently this little one was in need of attention. Mother Deer stayed with it for quite a while.
Mostly she cleaned the little fawn's ears.
Apparently they were very dirty!
Here's a shot to show you the window, so you can see how close they come to the house. That's about 10 feet away.
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Thursday Thirteen
I have been thinking about careers. My career path has been rather erratic. For 10 years I worked in the legal field as a legal secretary. I don't think there are legal secretaries any more. During that time I also freelanced and wrote articles. Then in 1993 I began freelancing full time, and that's all I did up until I started back to college last year.
Oh, there were a few little things here and there - one year I worked as a substitute teacher in the lower grades, which I absolutely hated. Occasionally I worked as a temp worker and that was always interesting. But writing was my passion and while I haven't followed it exactly as I planned (there is no book to show for all of that work, after all), I did manage to make a living at it for almost 20 years. And that's more than many folks.
But now I am wondering what I might have done had writing not been the thing driving me. So here are 13 career options that might have worked out for me:
1. College professor. Obviously, I would have to have gone to college right out of high school and then went after a Ph.D. to have managed this one. I think, though, of all the things I might have done, this would have suited me best. I have my bachelors and my masters is within my grasp. The Ph.D.? not so close.
2. Lawyer. This, too, would have required a great deal more schooling, but I enjoyed the legal profession when I was working in it. I wasn't too keen on the personality of the some of the lawyers, because many of them were jerks, but I like the idea of the law. I particularly enjoyed estate work and I could see myself doing that.
3. Forest ranger. I tested high for this job when I was in high school. I was offered a summer internship as a park ranger but my parents would not let me go. But I think I would have liked it.
4. Psychologist. Another job that requires a great deal more education. I have a lot of empathy, though, and I have been told that I give good advice and I am a good listener.
5. Artist. This requires talent, which I do not have, in that I cannot draw very well at all. I have taken a few art classes in my time and I have never been successful at it. I am not very crafty, either.
6. Photographer. Actually, I have done this, so perhaps it doesn't belong here, but I never really considered myself a professional photographer even though I have published and been paid for many, many photographs. I'm more of an auto-setting sort of girl when it comes to the camera, though I do play around with the F-stops and such occasionally. But mostly I fly by the seat of my pants and any really good photos I've managed to take have been the result of luck, not talent.
7. Sociologist. After my sociology class last spring, I thought this would have been an interesting field of study. I am particularly interested in the field of women's studies, and probably would have gravitated in that direction.
8. Musician. Here again, talent is key. I played guitar well enough, and I have a good musical ear, but I never felt I had the true talent necessary to be a professional. I lacked the drive, I think. But it would have been an interesting life.
9. Private investigator. Now this would be exciting, wouldn't it? Even though I think in real life, PIs mostly investigate things like insurance fraud. The cloak-and-dagger stuff really doesn't happen, but I like to solve problems and use my intuition to figure out the next move, so this might have been a really interesting line of work for me.
10. Historian. I consider myself an amateur historian, of sorts, and have written many articles about the local history. However, I don't dig around in the archives and I'm not much on musty old buildings because of my asthma and allergies. So maybe not, but not something to toss aside because I do have an interest in the subject.
11. Video game creator. I don't even know if this is a job, but I think it would be cool to work in the video game industry and create video game story lines.
12. Town Manager. I think I would like some kind of job with a small government like a town. It would be detailed and interesting, changing every day.
13. Librarian. This would require more schooling, too, as most librarians today must have a masters degree in library science. But I think it would be fun.
Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here. I've been playing for a while and this is my 208th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday
Oh, there were a few little things here and there - one year I worked as a substitute teacher in the lower grades, which I absolutely hated. Occasionally I worked as a temp worker and that was always interesting. But writing was my passion and while I haven't followed it exactly as I planned (there is no book to show for all of that work, after all), I did manage to make a living at it for almost 20 years. And that's more than many folks.
But now I am wondering what I might have done had writing not been the thing driving me. So here are 13 career options that might have worked out for me:
1. College professor. Obviously, I would have to have gone to college right out of high school and then went after a Ph.D. to have managed this one. I think, though, of all the things I might have done, this would have suited me best. I have my bachelors and my masters is within my grasp. The Ph.D.? not so close.
2. Lawyer. This, too, would have required a great deal more schooling, but I enjoyed the legal profession when I was working in it. I wasn't too keen on the personality of the some of the lawyers, because many of them were jerks, but I like the idea of the law. I particularly enjoyed estate work and I could see myself doing that.
3. Forest ranger. I tested high for this job when I was in high school. I was offered a summer internship as a park ranger but my parents would not let me go. But I think I would have liked it.
4. Psychologist. Another job that requires a great deal more education. I have a lot of empathy, though, and I have been told that I give good advice and I am a good listener.
5. Artist. This requires talent, which I do not have, in that I cannot draw very well at all. I have taken a few art classes in my time and I have never been successful at it. I am not very crafty, either.
6. Photographer. Actually, I have done this, so perhaps it doesn't belong here, but I never really considered myself a professional photographer even though I have published and been paid for many, many photographs. I'm more of an auto-setting sort of girl when it comes to the camera, though I do play around with the F-stops and such occasionally. But mostly I fly by the seat of my pants and any really good photos I've managed to take have been the result of luck, not talent.
7. Sociologist. After my sociology class last spring, I thought this would have been an interesting field of study. I am particularly interested in the field of women's studies, and probably would have gravitated in that direction.
8. Musician. Here again, talent is key. I played guitar well enough, and I have a good musical ear, but I never felt I had the true talent necessary to be a professional. I lacked the drive, I think. But it would have been an interesting life.
9. Private investigator. Now this would be exciting, wouldn't it? Even though I think in real life, PIs mostly investigate things like insurance fraud. The cloak-and-dagger stuff really doesn't happen, but I like to solve problems and use my intuition to figure out the next move, so this might have been a really interesting line of work for me.
10. Historian. I consider myself an amateur historian, of sorts, and have written many articles about the local history. However, I don't dig around in the archives and I'm not much on musty old buildings because of my asthma and allergies. So maybe not, but not something to toss aside because I do have an interest in the subject.
11. Video game creator. I don't even know if this is a job, but I think it would be cool to work in the video game industry and create video game story lines.
12. Town Manager. I think I would like some kind of job with a small government like a town. It would be detailed and interesting, changing every day.
13. Librarian. This would require more schooling, too, as most librarians today must have a masters degree in library science. But I think it would be fun.
Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here. I've been playing for a while and this is my 208th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Music: In Your Dreams
In Your Dreams
Stevie Nicks
2011
13 songs
Music is not something I blog about much, but I love it and I listen to it daily. What I don't do is buy it. I tend to listen to what I already own, turn on the radio, listen to the music on the DirecTV satellite, or listen to Pandora on the PC.
However, Saturday I purchased Stevie Nicks newest CD after reading a review of it in the newspaper. I have always liked Stevie Nicks. I have several Fleetwood Mac albums and a couple of her solo efforts.
This newest album is very smooth. If I wanted to mix it with the music I already own, I would not hesitate to toss it in with my Fleetwood Mac, Melissa Etheridge, and Sheryl Crow albums, for it flows much like their songs do.
My favorite song on this newest album is Annabel Lee, which is taken from the poem by Edgar Allen Poe. How cool is that? Very cool!
Lots of nice guitar sounds, and Nicks hasn't lost a thing with age. Her timeless, haunting vocals are still full and strong.
If you click on the Amazon link, you can hear a preview of the songs. I highly recommend a listen if you're curious. The preview is free, though you might have to poke around a bit to figure out how to make it work.
Stevie Nicks
2011
13 songs
Music is not something I blog about much, but I love it and I listen to it daily. What I don't do is buy it. I tend to listen to what I already own, turn on the radio, listen to the music on the DirecTV satellite, or listen to Pandora on the PC.
However, Saturday I purchased Stevie Nicks newest CD after reading a review of it in the newspaper. I have always liked Stevie Nicks. I have several Fleetwood Mac albums and a couple of her solo efforts.
This newest album is very smooth. If I wanted to mix it with the music I already own, I would not hesitate to toss it in with my Fleetwood Mac, Melissa Etheridge, and Sheryl Crow albums, for it flows much like their songs do.
My favorite song on this newest album is Annabel Lee, which is taken from the poem by Edgar Allen Poe. How cool is that? Very cool!
Lots of nice guitar sounds, and Nicks hasn't lost a thing with age. Her timeless, haunting vocals are still full and strong.
If you click on the Amazon link, you can hear a preview of the songs. I highly recommend a listen if you're curious. The preview is free, though you might have to poke around a bit to figure out how to make it work.
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Friday, September 09, 2011
Art Everywhere
Tuesday when I pulled into the parking lot at Hollins University to go to my first class of the semester, I found this row of decorated trash bins.
The college had held bin decorating contest earlier in the day, I think.
I thought this was a wonderful sight.
Last night when I was back on campus, I saw that the trash and recycling bins had been placed all over the campus.
Way to go Hollins Women!
Thursday, September 08, 2011
Thursday Thirteen
Today's Thursday Thirteen offers up some numbers. I think you'll see the connection by the time I'm done. The numbers pertain to the United States and the first sets of numbers were tabulated in 2009
1. 3,010 - the number of deaths by fire
2. 1,348,500 - the number of fires
3. 17,050 - the number of civilian injuries caused by fire
4. $12,531,000,000 ($12.5 billion) - property loss by fire
5. 26,534,000 - the total number of calls to 911 for assistance
6. 50 - the average weight of a firefighter's gear (helmet, coat, boots, gloves)
7. 25 - the average weight of a firefighters SCBA gear (oxygen, breathing mask)
8. 75 - the average weight in pounds that a firefighter carries when rushing into a burning building
9. 24 - 30 - the average length in feet of a fire truck
10. 107 - the number of floors in New York City's World Trade Center's largest building
11. 8:50 a.m. on 09/11/2001 - the time an incident command was established by firefighters after a plane flew into the World Trade Center building. The first plane hit at 8:45 a.m.; firefighters were on the scene and entering the building within five minutes of the attack.
12. 9:59 a.m. on 09/11/2001 - the time the first building collapsed at the World Trade Center
13. 343 - the number of firefighters who lost their lives when both towers collapsed on 09/11/2001.
I am the wife of a firefighter. These people go out every day and risk their lives to save people. When you are running away in fear of your life, these people are running in to help you. Whether it's flood, tornado, fire, hurricane, downed powerlines, or a sore toe, when you call 911, these people come.
On the upcoming 10th anniversary of the attack on New York City, please remember the sacrifices of these brave men and women.
Thank you.
Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here. I've been playing for a while and this is my 207th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday
2. 1,348,500 - the number of fires
3. 17,050 - the number of civilian injuries caused by fire
4. $12,531,000,000 ($12.5 billion) - property loss by fire
5. 26,534,000 - the total number of calls to 911 for assistance
7. 25 - the average weight of a firefighters SCBA gear (oxygen, breathing mask)
8. 75 - the average weight in pounds that a firefighter carries when rushing into a burning building
10. 107 - the number of floors in New York City's World Trade Center's largest building
11. 8:50 a.m. on 09/11/2001 - the time an incident command was established by firefighters after a plane flew into the World Trade Center building. The first plane hit at 8:45 a.m.; firefighters were on the scene and entering the building within five minutes of the attack.
12. 9:59 a.m. on 09/11/2001 - the time the first building collapsed at the World Trade Center
13. 343 - the number of firefighters who lost their lives when both towers collapsed on 09/11/2001.
On the upcoming 10th anniversary of the attack on New York City, please remember the sacrifices of these brave men and women.
Thank you.
Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here. I've been playing for a while and this is my 207th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday
Monday, September 05, 2011
Watching the Storm
When I was a small girl, one of my favorite things was to sit out on the back stoop at my grandmother's house in Salem when a storm was approaching.
My grandfather would often sit with me. He'd light up a cigarette and together we'd watch the lightning as it danced across the sky.
He was not a demonstrative man, but if the thunder cracked loudly and I jumped, he would sometimes put an arm around me, and chuckle.
I still love to watch storms, but we seldom see lightning streaks anymore. We're not situated in a good spot.
However, Friday evening a storm came up and settled over Stone Coal Gap. Stone Coal Gap is a cut in the mountains, and I have a good view of it out my front door.
Capturing lightning on film has eluded me, and I have given up doing so with a camera. But I did want to try it with the video camera.
I placed the camera out on the porch and I went back in the house to watch from the safety of the glass door.
Here's 20 minutes of video distilled down to about a minute. You can hear the thunder and see a few lightning bolts. It's not a tornado or hurricane or anything spectacular like that; it's just a storm. But it brought me great memories of my grandpa.
My grandfather would often sit with me. He'd light up a cigarette and together we'd watch the lightning as it danced across the sky.
He was not a demonstrative man, but if the thunder cracked loudly and I jumped, he would sometimes put an arm around me, and chuckle.
I still love to watch storms, but we seldom see lightning streaks anymore. We're not situated in a good spot.
However, Friday evening a storm came up and settled over Stone Coal Gap. Stone Coal Gap is a cut in the mountains, and I have a good view of it out my front door.
Capturing lightning on film has eluded me, and I have given up doing so with a camera. But I did want to try it with the video camera.
I placed the camera out on the porch and I went back in the house to watch from the safety of the glass door.
Here's 20 minutes of video distilled down to about a minute. You can hear the thunder and see a few lightning bolts. It's not a tornado or hurricane or anything spectacular like that; it's just a storm. But it brought me great memories of my grandpa.
Sunday, September 04, 2011
Upcoming Author's Signing
This coming Saturday, September 10, from 1 - 3 p.m., Amanda Cockrell, Director of Hollins University’s Children’s Lit Grad Program, will be signing her book at Ram’s Head Book Shop in Roanoke.
Her book, What We Keep Is Not Always What Will Stay, is her first young adult novel. It's billed as "a quirky, surreal, and peculiar story of 15-year-old Angie, her relationship with two war-damaged men and her connection with God."
A review by the Center of Children's Books called it, “An utterly engaging narrative with a witty and thoughtful protagonist.”
I've had numerous classes with Amanda and I've read several of her books, including all of her Deer Dancer series. She is a solid writer, great with descriptions, and her characters are always believable and well-done. I have not read this book (that's why I'm going to her book signing, to obtain a copy), but knowing Amanda, I can't imagine that it is anything less than wonderful.
Amanda has published critical essays, poems, articles, and books for children and adults. She is the founding director of Hollins University's graduate program in children's literature and managing editor of the university's literary journal, The Hollins Critic. She has received fiction fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Virginia Commission for the Arts.
Visit the link above to her website and read her essay on why she writes and what she has learned in her many writing jobs. It's an interesting read and a little look at what makes us writers do what we do.
Maybe some of my fellow bloggers will join me at this event? I do hope so!
Her book, What We Keep Is Not Always What Will Stay, is her first young adult novel. It's billed as "a quirky, surreal, and peculiar story of 15-year-old Angie, her relationship with two war-damaged men and her connection with God."
A review by the Center of Children's Books called it, “An utterly engaging narrative with a witty and thoughtful protagonist.”
I've had numerous classes with Amanda and I've read several of her books, including all of her Deer Dancer series. She is a solid writer, great with descriptions, and her characters are always believable and well-done. I have not read this book (that's why I'm going to her book signing, to obtain a copy), but knowing Amanda, I can't imagine that it is anything less than wonderful.
Amanda has published critical essays, poems, articles, and books for children and adults. She is the founding director of Hollins University's graduate program in children's literature and managing editor of the university's literary journal, The Hollins Critic. She has received fiction fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Virginia Commission for the Arts.
Visit the link above to her website and read her essay on why she writes and what she has learned in her many writing jobs. It's an interesting read and a little look at what makes us writers do what we do.
Maybe some of my fellow bloggers will join me at this event? I do hope so!
Saturday, September 03, 2011
Deer Pictures From Game Camera
The thing I like best about shots from the game or trail camera is the angle and the closeness.
So far all we've photographed are deer. I'm hoping for something different, like a bear or coyote, but not so far.
So far all we've photographed are deer. I'm hoping for something different, like a bear or coyote, but not so far.
Thursday, September 01, 2011
Thursday Thirteen
Happy September 1! It's a brand new month! That means it's time for my Thankful Thursday Thirteen, where I list 13 things that happened in the previous month that I feel were blessings.
1. My class reunion. Wow, this was a big one. Our 30th reunion was a smash. I enjoyed every minute of it.
2. I discovered that I want to learn to dance. At my reunion I did dance but I can't dance, so I would like to rectify that. Maybe by the time we have our next reunion, I will be able to foxtrot or something.
3. I reconnected with several old friends. This has been an interesting time for me. Some old high school chums I have seen out and about regularly for these 30 years, but others I literally had not seen since the day we graduated. I am back in touch with a few of these folks on a more regular basis and we're in the process of becoming friends again. It's nice.
4. I received my grade for the graduate class I took this summer. It was an A-, which I was not so happy about, but that was better than a B+ so I can't really complain.
5. I continued to make squash casserole and refined the recipe. Since I do not consider myself a cook, this was an accomplishment.
6. My husband and I took a day trip to West Virginia. We visited the New River Valley Gorge Bridge, and other places, and had a wonderful day together.
7. As of last Sunday, I have lost 13 pounds since June. Weight Watchers is good for me!
8. I visited my asthma doctor and received a thumbs up on my breathing tests. The asthma inhalers are working and I am breathing much better.
9. I read these these books: The Way, by Kristen Wolf (highly recommended!), Ladies of the Lake, by Haywood Smith, and Rescue, by Anita Shreve. It is such a blessing to be able to read!
10. I had lunch with my friends BS. and LS. and we had nice visits.
11. I wrote about 13 pages on my thesis.
12. I saw a golden sunset and was thankful for the beauty of nature that is all around me.
13. My computer crashed but I was able to fix it and get everything working again. I was so relieved!
Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here. I've been playing for a while and this is my 206th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday
1. My class reunion. Wow, this was a big one. Our 30th reunion was a smash. I enjoyed every minute of it.
2. I discovered that I want to learn to dance. At my reunion I did dance but I can't dance, so I would like to rectify that. Maybe by the time we have our next reunion, I will be able to foxtrot or something.
3. I reconnected with several old friends. This has been an interesting time for me. Some old high school chums I have seen out and about regularly for these 30 years, but others I literally had not seen since the day we graduated. I am back in touch with a few of these folks on a more regular basis and we're in the process of becoming friends again. It's nice.
4. I received my grade for the graduate class I took this summer. It was an A-, which I was not so happy about, but that was better than a B+ so I can't really complain.
5. I continued to make squash casserole and refined the recipe. Since I do not consider myself a cook, this was an accomplishment.
6. My husband and I took a day trip to West Virginia. We visited the New River Valley Gorge Bridge, and other places, and had a wonderful day together.
7. As of last Sunday, I have lost 13 pounds since June. Weight Watchers is good for me!
8. I visited my asthma doctor and received a thumbs up on my breathing tests. The asthma inhalers are working and I am breathing much better.
9. I read these these books: The Way, by Kristen Wolf (highly recommended!), Ladies of the Lake, by Haywood Smith, and Rescue, by Anita Shreve. It is such a blessing to be able to read!
10. I had lunch with my friends BS. and LS. and we had nice visits.
11. I wrote about 13 pages on my thesis.
12. I saw a golden sunset and was thankful for the beauty of nature that is all around me.
13. My computer crashed but I was able to fix it and get everything working again. I was so relieved!
Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here. I've been playing for a while and this is my 206th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Why My Flowers Won't Grow
Alas, the flower pots on the end of the deck are looking sad these days.
I wondered why.
The other morning I glanced out the door and I knew.
I wondered why.
The other morning I glanced out the door and I knew.
Three deer eating on my flowers!
Here are two of the culprits, laughing at me!
Darned deer.
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
The Art of Letting Go
I keep a tight rein on my thoughts and feelings about 99 percent of the time. It reflects in my writing, even on my blog. I seldom just "let it go" and write, but when I do the results are often surprising.
Deb over at Greener Pastures let loose a whopping blog entry that was ostensibly about another blogger, Ginger over at landuvmilknhoney but was more about how alienated she feels as a northerner in the south, and as a progressive living in the south amidst a bunch of right-wing bible thumpers.
Oh how I envy that entry, and Deb's ability to say what she wants to say without worrying about who she might offend. Because she believes her opinion is as valid as their criticism. And I find that remarkable, for I sit here in my timidity with my butt planted on a very solid line between absolutely nothing. I am fence sitter extraordinaire even though I know which side I think is the more appropriate one.
Not that I don't have opinions, because I do. I just don't share them often. Regular readers know that I am not a member of the conservative party, or the tea party, or the libertarian party. Nor do I always countenance what the progressive party sanctions, mostly because these days it is rather hard to tell the difference between parties. They're all out for profit, for big business, for control and military, and they have very little to say about regular people, the little person who sits behind a computer and plugs away trying to make a living. They care nothing for the living cogs behind the machinery, just the machines.
I feel alienated from any political party because none of them represent me. Maybe we need a Creatives Party, one that represents people who believe in the creative process, who believe in the greater good of society. A party that believes people everywhere have basic needs that government can and should meet, one that doesn't allow people to become homeless because their spouse had a heart attack and can't pay the medical bills. A more benevolent society that sees people as human beings and not as paychecks.
Ginger was a homeschooling, homesteading mom who lived about eight miles from me. She and her family were making a go on 20 acres of land - just 20 acres! and were doing well until her husband unexpectedly passed away. She stayed for a year - a year longer than I thought she would, to be sure - and then she moved to Texas to join her parents. She left the farm unsold and packed up and went. Deb admired that, and I admire that, too. I admire Ginger's ability to take care of herself and her family, to do what is necessary without fear of what others might think, without worrying about the financial end of it because she is sure God will take care of it all, in the end.
Deb wants to go back home to New Jersey, but she is staying until her place sells. She laments her inability to simply move back home like Ginger did. She is bound here financially and she feels those bonds keenly, and aches to be free of them.
We all have our bonds, I think. We are tied up in our lives, wrapped so tightly that we can never be free. I am bound here. My family goes back generations, two hundred years of blood, sweat and tears building and creating and moving and making things more, or sometimes less, than what was here when they came. I have a farmer husband with those same ties, a fellow who would no more think of moving away than he would of tearing out his right eye.
So many days I feel simply alien in my own skin, but who wants to read that? Besides, this is a blog, not a diary, and that kind thing doesn't belong here. Not day after day, anyway. Maybe just this once, or once in a while.
But the letting go? The being free and easy with the words, the laying down of ideas and the tossing around concepts and communicating with an effortless, uncontrolled touch of a finger to the keyboard, that does belong here. Saying what I really think, without wondering if someone will sue me, accuse me, or abuse me, that does belong here, and I'd like to see it here, somehow.
I'd like to be so out of control that I know my opinion counts, and is worth something, and that its value lies in putting it out there, and so what if somebody disagrees. I sit on the pot same as they do, and so what if their pot is guilded while mine is porcelain? They do the same job.
Letting go. Being free and easy, tossing off the ropes that bind. Why O Why is it so damned hard?
**This entry has been edited.**
Deb over at Greener Pastures let loose a whopping blog entry that was ostensibly about another blogger, Ginger over at landuvmilknhoney but was more about how alienated she feels as a northerner in the south, and as a progressive living in the south amidst a bunch of right-wing bible thumpers.
Oh how I envy that entry, and Deb's ability to say what she wants to say without worrying about who she might offend. Because she believes her opinion is as valid as their criticism. And I find that remarkable, for I sit here in my timidity with my butt planted on a very solid line between absolutely nothing. I am fence sitter extraordinaire even though I know which side I think is the more appropriate one.
Not that I don't have opinions, because I do. I just don't share them often. Regular readers know that I am not a member of the conservative party, or the tea party, or the libertarian party. Nor do I always countenance what the progressive party sanctions, mostly because these days it is rather hard to tell the difference between parties. They're all out for profit, for big business, for control and military, and they have very little to say about regular people, the little person who sits behind a computer and plugs away trying to make a living. They care nothing for the living cogs behind the machinery, just the machines.
I feel alienated from any political party because none of them represent me. Maybe we need a Creatives Party, one that represents people who believe in the creative process, who believe in the greater good of society. A party that believes people everywhere have basic needs that government can and should meet, one that doesn't allow people to become homeless because their spouse had a heart attack and can't pay the medical bills. A more benevolent society that sees people as human beings and not as paychecks.
Ginger was a homeschooling, homesteading mom who lived about eight miles from me. She and her family were making a go on 20 acres of land - just 20 acres! and were doing well until her husband unexpectedly passed away. She stayed for a year - a year longer than I thought she would, to be sure - and then she moved to Texas to join her parents. She left the farm unsold and packed up and went. Deb admired that, and I admire that, too. I admire Ginger's ability to take care of herself and her family, to do what is necessary without fear of what others might think, without worrying about the financial end of it because she is sure God will take care of it all, in the end.
Deb wants to go back home to New Jersey, but she is staying until her place sells. She laments her inability to simply move back home like Ginger did. She is bound here financially and she feels those bonds keenly, and aches to be free of them.
We all have our bonds, I think. We are tied up in our lives, wrapped so tightly that we can never be free. I am bound here. My family goes back generations, two hundred years of blood, sweat and tears building and creating and moving and making things more, or sometimes less, than what was here when they came. I have a farmer husband with those same ties, a fellow who would no more think of moving away than he would of tearing out his right eye.
So many days I feel simply alien in my own skin, but who wants to read that? Besides, this is a blog, not a diary, and that kind thing doesn't belong here. Not day after day, anyway. Maybe just this once, or once in a while.
But the letting go? The being free and easy with the words, the laying down of ideas and the tossing around concepts and communicating with an effortless, uncontrolled touch of a finger to the keyboard, that does belong here. Saying what I really think, without wondering if someone will sue me, accuse me, or abuse me, that does belong here, and I'd like to see it here, somehow.
I'd like to be so out of control that I know my opinion counts, and is worth something, and that its value lies in putting it out there, and so what if somebody disagrees. I sit on the pot same as they do, and so what if their pot is guilded while mine is porcelain? They do the same job.
Letting go. Being free and easy, tossing off the ropes that bind. Why O Why is it so damned hard?
**This entry has been edited.**
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Books: Rescue
Rescue
By Anita Shreve
Read by Dennis Holland
Unabridged
Copyright
Peter Webster is a young paramedic when he saves Sheila Arsenault after she flips her car. He is smitten, and soon the two are a couple.
When young Rowan is born, Peter's life is complete. Unfortunately, Sheila has problems with alcohol. She is a troubled young woman and Peter cannot save her.
Fast forward 15 years. Rowan is now a troubled young 17-year-old, and Peter is uncertain how to deal with his daughter. Things happen quickly.
Fortunately, it's a happy ending.
This is a sweet little book. Most of it is spent on the relationship between Peter and Sheila, and they are interesting characters.
Recommended summer beach reading.
By Anita Shreve
Read by Dennis Holland
Unabridged
Copyright
Peter Webster is a young paramedic when he saves Sheila Arsenault after she flips her car. He is smitten, and soon the two are a couple.
When young Rowan is born, Peter's life is complete. Unfortunately, Sheila has problems with alcohol. She is a troubled young woman and Peter cannot save her.
Fast forward 15 years. Rowan is now a troubled young 17-year-old, and Peter is uncertain how to deal with his daughter. Things happen quickly.
Fortunately, it's a happy ending.
This is a sweet little book. Most of it is spent on the relationship between Peter and Sheila, and they are interesting characters.
Recommended summer beach reading.
Friday, August 26, 2011
Deer Photos
I've been taking deer photos again!
This was taken with a game camera.
So was this.
The other morning I walked into the kitchen to see this scene out the window. It had an autumn look to it. I grabbed the Nikon and snapped.
Same scene, just a little different cropping and settings. For some reason this looks more like a painting than a photo picture to me.
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Thursday Thirteen #205
I'm running late with my Thursday Thirteen today!
Here are thirteen small things that I consider blessings.
1. New socks. I absolutely love the feel of new socks on my feet. Soft and cushiony!
2. A massage. Getting a massage is just about the best pampering a body can have.
3. A touch. You know that touch from a friend, spouse, or child can be loaded with meaning. Just a touch on the shoulder can say volumes. We should all touch more often.
4. A cup of tea, and the time to sit and drink it.
5. The view out my window. I look out on a pasture field, trees, and the Blue Ridge Mountain. What could be more lovely?
6. Chocolate. Okay, I am a chocolate addict. It is one of my biggest weaknesses. I am learning to savor one piece instead of eating the whole bag, though.
7. A glass of water. Now can I get more mundane than this? But it is so cooling. It quenches my thirst. It fills me up so that I stop eating. It gives me something to do with my hands. Getting a glass of water gives me a reason to get off my duffus and away from the computer. It's wonderful!
8. A coolish day with low humidity. On a clear day I can nearly see forever, looking miles and miles across the terrain to the tops of the mountains. On such a day, you can be outside without sweating or breathing too hard.
9. Phone calls and emails from friends and family. I enjoy knowing that someone has thought about me.
10. A good book. Nothing like spending time reading, lost in a story.
11. Writing. Yes, this should have been way up on the list. It is a great joy to be able to write, to know how to write, and to actually do it.
12. The smell of roses. They make me sneeze but I love to smell my roses in the mornings when I walk outside for a deep breath of fresh air. They have such a delicate fragrance about them.
13. My cameras. I love being able to photograph the world around me and share it with others. Photos are a wonderful legacy to leave behind.
Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here. I've been playing for a while and this is my 205th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday
Here are thirteen small things that I consider blessings.
1. New socks. I absolutely love the feel of new socks on my feet. Soft and cushiony!
2. A massage. Getting a massage is just about the best pampering a body can have.
3. A touch. You know that touch from a friend, spouse, or child can be loaded with meaning. Just a touch on the shoulder can say volumes. We should all touch more often.
4. A cup of tea, and the time to sit and drink it.
5. The view out my window. I look out on a pasture field, trees, and the Blue Ridge Mountain. What could be more lovely?
6. Chocolate. Okay, I am a chocolate addict. It is one of my biggest weaknesses. I am learning to savor one piece instead of eating the whole bag, though.
7. A glass of water. Now can I get more mundane than this? But it is so cooling. It quenches my thirst. It fills me up so that I stop eating. It gives me something to do with my hands. Getting a glass of water gives me a reason to get off my duffus and away from the computer. It's wonderful!
8. A coolish day with low humidity. On a clear day I can nearly see forever, looking miles and miles across the terrain to the tops of the mountains. On such a day, you can be outside without sweating or breathing too hard.
9. Phone calls and emails from friends and family. I enjoy knowing that someone has thought about me.
10. A good book. Nothing like spending time reading, lost in a story.
11. Writing. Yes, this should have been way up on the list. It is a great joy to be able to write, to know how to write, and to actually do it.
12. The smell of roses. They make me sneeze but I love to smell my roses in the mornings when I walk outside for a deep breath of fresh air. They have such a delicate fragrance about them.
13. My cameras. I love being able to photograph the world around me and share it with others. Photos are a wonderful legacy to leave behind.
Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here. I've been playing for a while and this is my 205th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
11 Years
Eleven years ago today, August 24, my mother died. She was 56 years old. I am 48 years old. She was not old at all.
Regular readers know she passed away from pancreatic cancer. It is a terrible disease, and I'm sorry to say, one that took my husband's aunt in January of this year.
This is my mother. The picture was taken on my wedding day, and this is pretty much how I remember her. Dark hair, lovely, all made-up and ready to take on the world. My grandfather always said she looked like Elizabeth Taylor.
My mother gave me irises when I built my house. She told me when she dying she would send me something orange so I would believe in the afterlife, and she did.
She could curse like a sailor, my mom, and she could yell loud enough to make bees freeze in midair. She would go on the warpath and we'd all know we'd best get to doing something.
Mom taught me to act like a lady when it counted, and to always wear good underwear. And to never go out in public without my makeup.
My mother could sing. She could paint, sew, and dance. She could cook anything out of nothing and make it taste good, too.
Some days I miss her.
You can read more about my mother at this entry, if you like.
Thanks for reading.
Regular readers know she passed away from pancreatic cancer. It is a terrible disease, and I'm sorry to say, one that took my husband's aunt in January of this year.
This is my mother. The picture was taken on my wedding day, and this is pretty much how I remember her. Dark hair, lovely, all made-up and ready to take on the world. My grandfather always said she looked like Elizabeth Taylor.
My mother gave me irises when I built my house. She told me when she dying she would send me something orange so I would believe in the afterlife, and she did.
She could curse like a sailor, my mom, and she could yell loud enough to make bees freeze in midair. She would go on the warpath and we'd all know we'd best get to doing something.
Mom taught me to act like a lady when it counted, and to always wear good underwear. And to never go out in public without my makeup.
My mother could sing. She could paint, sew, and dance. She could cook anything out of nothing and make it taste good, too.
Some days I miss her.
You can read more about my mother at this entry, if you like.
Thanks for reading.
Monday, August 22, 2011
Books: Ladies of the Lake
Ladies of the Lake
By Haywood Smith
Read by Cynthia Darlow
Abridged
Copyright 2009
Four aged sisters must spend 90 days together in order to inherit their grandmother's fortune.
Of course, they do not get along. But now they're in their 50s and 60s, so its time to act like grown ups.
Some hilarity, a budding romance, a few life lessons, a little family drama. If you have a fondness for the sister relationship (whether you have sisters or not), this is a nice read.
By Haywood Smith
Read by Cynthia Darlow
Abridged
Copyright 2009
Four aged sisters must spend 90 days together in order to inherit their grandmother's fortune.
Of course, they do not get along. But now they're in their 50s and 60s, so its time to act like grown ups.
Some hilarity, a budding romance, a few life lessons, a little family drama. If you have a fondness for the sister relationship (whether you have sisters or not), this is a nice read.
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