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Hadley earns academic honors

OGDEN -- Weber State senior safety Beau Hadley has been named to the ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-District Eight Team, along with three BYU and one University of Utah football players. Hadley earned first team honors and will now move on to the national ballot. "As I'm getting to my senior year and getting closer to graduating, the academic awards mean a lot more," Hadley said on Thursday.

Trinidad nursing home faces uncertain future

TRINIDAD -- The future of the Trinidad State Nursing Home remains uncertain after a measure that would have increased taxes to allow the local health district to pay for the home's initial operations went down in a crushing defeat. The one-year-old Las Animas County Health District has been trying to purchase the aging facility for the past several months. Referendum 5A, which health district leaders said would have significantly helped with the acquisition of the nursing home, failed 2,840 votes to 1,474 votes in Tuesday's election.

County will refund part of grocery bill

MORGANTON -- Burke County's government collects property taxes; it doesn't normally refund them. Nonetheless, owners of the former Winn-Dixie grocery store on Independence Boulevard soon will be getting a $40,000 check in the mail. The story told this week at the county commissioners' meeting has an unusual -- even unique -- past history, but it also may foreshadow what happens in 2011 when Burke County's commercial-property owners see results of a countywide revaluation.

UMaine clinic vaccinates at-risk students

ORONO, Maine -- A two-day H1N1 flu vaccine clinic at the University of Maine got off to a smooth start Thursday, with about 300 high-risk students getting an injected dose of the scarce vaccine. The clinic, held at the Cutler Health Center, will be open again today, but all available doses already have been assigned. According to Wayne Maines, director of safety and environmental management at the Orono campus, a total of 800 doses of H1N1 vaccine were available this week for any university students who fit into high-risk categories established by the U.

Mainer recalls time as hostage in Iran 30 years ago

MOUNT DESERT, Maine -- Moorhead Kennedy still remembers in vivid detail the day three decades ago when he and more than 60 other Americans were taken hostage at the U. S. Embassy in Iran. Working as an economist for the U.

Bloggers In Boston

Thursday night, I finally got the chance to meet Carol Gillot, the blogger behind Paris Breakfasts, one of my favorite blogs.

She had the opening reception to kick-off an exhibit of her paintings called Paris Façades at the French Library in Boston.

Paris Breakfasts was one of the first blogs that I discovered. I remember looking at her paintings wishing for one. Then a couple of years ago she did a swap. I traded a tea cup for an original watercolor. I love it so much!

And last night it was such a joy to finally meet Carol in person. She was so nice to take time out to sit and talk with me, when so many people wanted to see her. It was a beautiful exhibit and I recommend taking a look if you're in the area. If you love Paris, then you really should see Paris Façades , which runs through November 28th.

The day before, I met another blogger for lunch. Mary Kate, writes the delicious blog Kitchenbelle. Even though she lives in the Boston area, I didn't meet her until attending BlogHer Food '09 in San Francisco. She was one of the first people that I met. Such a small world!

We had a quick lunch at L'Aroma Cafe on Newbury Street. The seafood quiche and my chai latte were really good. They didn't announce our food as it became ready and was put out on the counter, so that was odd, but other than that, I really liked the place. Everyone was very nice.

Mary Kate and I had a great conversation about blogging, writing, work, and how the economy has changed. She even saw another food blogger that she knew of, but didn't end up talking with her. L'Aroma Cafe was just teaming with food bloggers!

I also found out that Mary Kate interned at Flour Bakery and did recipe testing for Joanne Chang's upcoming cookbook. I love Flour Bakery and previously did an email interview with Joanne for my old blog, And Razzleberry Dressing. She was so nice and gave me a wonderful bread pudding recipe. When I spoke to Mary Kate about it, she knew the recipe! Again, such a small world.

Well after our lunch, we parted ways and I met up with a non-blogging friend. On my way to meet her, I walked through Boston Common.

There were so many squirrels scurrying about in the fallen leaves. I had to take a few pictures.

Well that's it for now. I was going to add more to this post, but I'm beat. Have a great weekend everyone!

Anali's First Amendment © 2006-2009. All rights reserved.

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Pause…Play

Image via Wikipedia Once a practice is established, taking a break (or to put it into the vocabulary of the tech space, hitting pause) has an interesting effect. It’s like damming a river. One’s energy gets collected in the manner that water is gathered in a reservoir. Hitting play after such a pause (like the [...]

The Prophet Elisha, Chariots of Fire, and Angels all Around Us

I mean, is it possible that while I am typing these very words an angel is sitting in the recliner across from my desk? Don't think me too crazy, but I just peeked around my 27' monitor to see. No one there. As least as far as I can see.

Five Great Fears 1

I have written before about Buddhism’s Five Great Fears; they are fear of death, fear of illness, fear of losing your mind, fear of loss of livelihood, and fear of public speaking. I think that reason Buddhism calls these “great” fears is because each of them mobilizes the full force of our nervous systems’ threat [...]

Over-the-Road Trucks Need Boattail to Be Sleeker and Greener

We live near an interstate and often jump on exit 26 near our house and run down to exit 24 to avoid low-speed traffic. We also like to go to Nashvegas fairly often on the interstate. And you have wondered the same thing when you are sharing the road with the behemoths of the roadways… Why aren’t [...]

Man Shoots Up Orlando, Fla., Office, 1 Dead

CNN is streaming it and WFTV Channel 9, Orlando, Fla, has the latest local updates on another shooting. Today's shooting occurred at Reynolds, Smith & Hills, an engineering firm, and the alleged shooter, Jason Rodriguez, 40, was at one point at large, being called "armed and dangerous." Authorities just announced he's been apprehended. News sources further report that Rodgriguez may be a former

Are Your Kids Hooked on TV?

The latest Nielsen figures indicate that children are watching more television than ever - those aged 2 to 5 are watching more than 32 hours a week while for those 6 to 11, it drops slightly, probably due to school hours, to more than 28 hours a week. That's still, on the average, more than 4 hours a day. These numbers include VCR and game console usage but not time on the computer or playing hand-held video games.

Are you concerned about these numbers? Children's healthcare advocates certainly are. They have warned that this increased television watching may be linked to two childhood issues: obesity and delayed language skills.

For the past decade, parents had thought that Baby Einstein videos would help their infants develop language skills but actually studies have found that infants who watch these kind of videos actually learn fewer vocabulary words than those who don't. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends only an hour or two of TV for children older than 2 years, none for those below that age.

What can you do, as a parent, to wean your children from excess hours spent on television, videos and video games? It's not a simple process, but you can start by talking with your kids about why you believe it is important to reduce their electronic screen time. Help them see that it is not a punishment, but rather an important part of their growth. Here are some suggestions to get you started as you craft a plan that works for your family.

If you are a Sandwiched Boomer, single parent, or working mother, you are likely already stressed by your responsibilities and tempted to use television as a baby sitter. Instead, encourage your children to help you while you are doing things around the house - bring them into the kitchen to help make dinner, let them fold their own laundry, make it a game to see who can straighten up faster. Talk with your kids while you are getting your own chores done and make them a part of the process.

Set aside time for them to play outside with their friends. Learn more about after school activities in which your kids can participate - at school, in your local community center, at the park.

Encourage your children to read instead of watching television. Think about how you can make reading more interactive and interesting for them. Have a good book of your own handy so that you can sit down with them and read together.

Be a good role model. Don't leave the TV on as a background. Watch only the shows you specifically choose.

Include your children in planning which shows they will watch and when. Remind them that they need to limit their screen time to only what they have chosen. Set the amount of time they can play video games, hand-held or on the TV. You may decide on specific days or times for this activity. Make up a chart so they can plan for the week and let them fill in the times they have watched.

Set family rules about what is and is not acceptable in terms of TV and video games usage. Let your kids know that you are consistent in enforcing them. You can even purchase and use a TV/video game time management tool. These allow you to implement the time limits you have set with your children.

You may find that, as in any dramatic change, it takes many baby steps to alter your kids' television viewing habits. When you feel overwhelmed at the thought of prying your children's eyes off the TV, you can find some tips to get started at our website, www.HerMentorCenter.com. Click on the post title above to read an article giving you some suggestions about how to begin: Sandwiched Boomers: 7 Tips on Fighting Inertia.

Three Cheese Manicotti with Meatballs

We are having so much fun here at the Sushi Bar with Jolly and Little Guy! There will be more pictures very, very soon, but I can’t let a week go by without at least one recipe. This is a good one, and since I made it for dinner last night, it’s still pretty fresh [...]

Stop the Abortion Mandate - Today is THE Critical Day!

Today is the day! Without a loud, and sustained scream from the electorate, we are going to get government funded abortions. You MUST call your congressperson now! Clink this link to act: http://tinyurl.com/yg6jot5

Couples Therapy - Will He Go??

Were I still happily married to Mr. Three (and that number should give you pause regarding any couples advice I might espouse), I could speak to the success of couples counseling. Would that this approach had helped.

Trying to get your male partner into therapy is like persuading him to ask for directions...the perfect metaphor. When...not if...he gets lost, he’s bound and determined to fix that problem all by himself. No matter that you graduated with a Masters degree in Directional Road Intelligence or that you’re southern, which allows you to sweet-talk ANYone into helping you no matter what the problem might be. And, watch out because he’s going to get mad at YOU as if it was YOUR fault that he made that left turn while you put your foot on the imaginary brake, leaning your body to the right in anticipation of the turn shown clearly on the map in your lap.

If you’ve been with your male partner for more than eight years, you’ll slyly smile to yourself and just let him get so lost that untangling his circuitous route will slowly unfold much to your self satisfaction. You might be a skosh late for your destination, but you’ll get to stop at Susan B. Anthony’s historical homestead because you have the upper hand.

Don’t schedule a couples therapy session around any sporting event...trust me on this. After Mr. Three’s one and only therapy session with me and a very attractive blond psychiatrist, I asked him what he thought. He had so completely disassociated himself from the uncomfortable nature of our experience that his response to my question was (and this is the truth), “Well, if the Red Sox can force another game, they just might win the World Series.”

Need I say more, really?

KK
*********************************
Okay, I’m going to fess up and admit to being the stupidest girlfriend in the whole world. I lived with a man I adored in Brentwood, CA for a year. I wonder how many of you will be able to relate to this. First of all, let’s call him Paul. The bottom line? I loved him more than God and would have done anything for him. He made liberal use of a credit card I gave him for emergencies, and I left the relationship fifty-thousand dollars in debt. I can take the fact that I got conned, but what really sticks in my craw is that it was obvious from the start that…he was as gay as a Mardi Gras drag queen.

Has this happened to any of you? My wonderful therapist and I had to agree that this man should have been in therapy. There were signs all over the place. Come on, let’s face it, most men have checked out porn on the internet. It’s in their genes. But when you come home from work and find ‘XXXTeenSex’ with a nekked picture of some 16 year-old surfer dude on the desktop of your computer….you have to wonder, is that an accident? According to Paul, things like that just appear out of nowhere, and there is nothing you can do about it. I actually bought that. My love was as blind as Ray Charles.

Paul really liked talking to the young man behind the Starbucks counter and had a picture of a nekked male model in constant view by his desk. I really liked that picture. It was sexy as all get out. I imagine Paul had many a nice afternoon jacking off to that and a picture of George Clooney before going for his next round of 16 double-shot espressos at the Starbucks.

My therapy over this interlude in my life is over. My therapist and I have agreed that in spite of my continued payments to credit card companies, my peace of mind is in tact and my memories of that year now focus on how nice it was to get out of that relationship with nothing more than a fading bitterness, a great nekked picture of a male model and an inability to trust any man ever again in my whole fucking life. Ce la vie, says my therapist. Sometimes when you give up….the love of your life appears.

All I can say is he had better have a hammer and a chisel if he is going to break down this wall. He should also come armed with a manly demeanor and tickets to the next Longhorns game. I’m not saying he should arrive on a Harley but it would help.

SalGal

The Bright Side of C.C.R.C.'s

One couple's rationale for moving to a C.C.R.C.

Friday Links Variety Show (November 6, 2009)

Hattie uses a Kindle now to read, and gives us quick reviews of some of the works she’s read lately. This is horrifying but we can’t turn away from this issue. A 50-something mom writes about the rape of a 15-year-old girl in Richmond, California How healthy is green tea? The Science Blog knows. Americans are not ready [...]

Things Average Jane Learned from TV & Music

Sesame Street's 40th anniversary is this week, which got me thinking about the other PBS show that influenced me as a child: The Electric Company. I recall that it was geared for a slightly older audience than Sesame Street, but...

Squirrel and Leeks

Last night I planned to make squirrel gravy, but instead opted to try something a little different.

Larry had been squirrel hunting recently and brought a couple home. Now I know many people cannot envision eating squirrel, but for those who have tasted it, you know it's an amazing meat, tender and tasty and better for you than many other meats.

We have plenty of leeks in the cellar. Leeks are a member of the onion (allium) family and they grow tall, like an extreme version of a green onion. Their growing season is long too, so they are in the garden a long time. After looking into various storage/preserving options, we decided to simply pull our leeks and put them in the cellar. So far they are keeping well. I'd like to try drying some too and may give it a try this weekend.

I started this recipe on Sunday, actually, by cooking the squirrels. I put them in a pan, cover them with water and add bay leaves and an onion. I let them simmer until the meat would come off the bones, about 2 hours, I think. By then I was too tired to make the rest of the dinner! So we put the cooked squirrels in the fridge and Larry de-boned them for me.

I started cooking last night by putting a couple tablespoons of canola oil in an iron skillet and adding the sliced leek (I only needed one leek for this recipe--remember I said they're big) and some canned mushrooms (the only ones I had on hand--fresh would be better).

After the leeks were soft, I added the squirrel meat and cooked until the meat was heated through. By this time the kitchen was smelling pretty nice.

We had a pot of red-skinned potatoes cooking too, to make mashed potatoes, and some green beans as a side.

When the meat was hot, I added the liquid from the mushrooms, some Worchestershire sauce, red pepper and water. I let the mixture simmer for about 10 minutes, then added 2 tablespoons of corn starch mixed with water into a paste so it would not lump up. I continued to simmer until the sauce was thickened.

Then, over the mashed potatoes on my plate!

Simple and good. And no, I could not eat all that was on my plate--my husband has eyes bigger than my stomach and he did the dishing up.

Getting My Life Back?

** On Monday evening at 10pm EST/7pm Pacific time I'm being interviewed by Karl Erikson on Secondhand Radio (on Talkshoe). There will be a Live Chatroom and/or you can call in with questions or comments. If you are unable to...

Kate's Dates - Part Six: Kate's Dates - Part Six

Well now, I
never expected to like a man in a suit. Rock lsquo;n' Roll boys with scruffy hair
and torn jeans, yes. Men in suits that work in the finance district: no.
Finance Man single handedly managed to change all that and I'll tell you how.

Oh My Go-ssip Girl: Oh My Go-ssip Girl

Gossip Girl is a popular TV show here in the States (based on a book
series of the same name). Its primary audience is, as you might imagine from
the name, teenage girls. I have to be honest in that I have never seen the show
so I looked it up on TV.com where it is described as a peek into the world of
privileged teenagers at an elite private school in New York City.

An Interview with Mandy Garner: An Interview with Mandy Garner

As editor of flexible working website WorkingMums.co.uk, Mandy
Garner is usually on the asking rather than the receiving end of interview
questions. Here we get to turn the tables as Mandy talks about her early influences, and her busy life as an editor and a press officer.

As if doing two jobs and raising 3 children wasn't enough, Mandy is also an honest and entertaining blogger.

Read More

Scary Faces of Halloween

A Little Halloween Fun. X I was in Oklahoma so I only have pictures of the Oklahoma grands. Aren’t they cute? Scary? Freaky? Of course none of these compare to this. Oh my! x This is the Booty Shaker and I at her little brother’s funeral this week, but we still managed to find something to smile about. [...]

Photo of Alleged Fort Hood Shooter

See updates here. The alleged shooter is not dead, according the U.S. Army. Furthermore, officials now believe only one shooter may have been involved.As previously reported at this blog and at BlogHer.com, the killer in the Fort Hood mass shooting was killed. News sources have identified as a soldier and psychiatrist, Major Malik Nadal Hasan. He has been killed and two other soldiers have been

Maybe I Just Have a Hole in My Lip

Have you ever had the feeling that any minute now, love will find a way? That the answer is just blowing in the wind? That bananas will remain yellow for more than 28 hours in the fruit bowl on the kitchen counter after you've brought them home from the grocery store? Yeah, me neither.

You would think that after forty-some-odd years, I would acknowledge my drinking problem and stop wearing white clothes out to dinner. Upon my second sip of some Pinot Noir at Roxy the other night, I gave up trying to taste the wine, and decided it was far more important to wear it.

I need an intervention, obviously.

Perhaps some of you recall my last post regarding how I can't seem to keep from dribbling all over myself. That post, with the rather long title of Stop What You're Doin' Cuz I'm About to Ruin The Image and the Style that You're Used To, waxes poetic about the trials and tribulations of my threads and unintended liquids. Blogging experts would tell you to keep your titles short, but as you can see, I'm a rebel.

For reasons that confound me still today, my husband, Mr MudPuppy, does all the laundry. He must figure that if I can ruin clothing so easily while consuming food and/or wine, I cannot be trusted around heavy wardrobe-related machinery.

Mr. MudPuppy is a Stain Master, like 8th degree or something. And when we got home, he couldn't get my shirt off fast enough for some serious tackling. Yes, we're still talking about the stain.

Anyway, after Shouting and bleaching and whatever other ancient Chinese secrets (remember THAT commercial?) he had up his sleeve, it was time for the reveal.

Unbelievable, right?

Mr. MudPuppy kicks laundry ass.

And he's all mine.

So you can't have any.

As you may or may not recall (or care), I was one of the dubious judges in the IMMHB Scary Food Contest. You can find out who won by going to I Hate My Message Board's Contest Winners Announcement, but I'll give you a hint: It has to do with things in cans that don't belong there.

I would also like to announce my overweaning pride over being the #1 Google search result for the phrase "buddha sex with skulls". I can't begin to tell you what joy that brings to me.

Fort Hood Shootings, CNN and KCEN Texas Confirm

CNN confirms slain shooter at Fort Hood was both a soldier and a licensed psychiatrist. This story is cross-posted with updates at BlogHer.com. The latest news ups death toll to 12, wounded to 31. One of the three apprehended suspects has been identified as Major Malik Nadal Hasan, per ABC newsVia Twitter @KCENNews and now on CNN, multiple shooters opened fire at a Fort Hood theater/sports dome

Veterans Deserve the Best Mental Health Care

It is difficult to imagine the sacrifice and horrors our heroes, past and present, have faced, but we must never forget. They have protected and taken care of us. It’s inconceivable that we would not do the same for them.

After our vets come home, the physical and mental scars do not go away. In fact, they affect the family they come home to also.

BONJOUR!

"All happiness depends on a leisurely breakfast." - Gunther

The above quote is one which I painted on the only piece of pottery I ever made - a coffee mug. It is a sentiment I have always believed to be true. Apparently the French would agree.

In the first chapter of his book Joie de Vivre, Robert Arbor discusses how the French begin their day. His attitude is, since you are going to eat breakfast every day, you might as well make it nice - a time to savor. Any kind of pressure at breakfast starts the day off on the wrong foot, but a simple and pleasant breakfast "lifts you right into the day's activities with a gentle boost that's like a pat on the back as you go out the door."

A typical French breakfast is nothing more than yesterday's leftover baguette, split and toasted (called a tartine), and some good coffee - something everyone has time for, right? (On Sundays, one family member might get up early and walk to the bakery for fresh brioches or croissants.) However, it's the little things you do, and how you do them, that make breakfast key to beginning the day with a bit of joie de vivre - such as eating on the stone porch in summer, or using butter from the local dairyman, jam made from last month's strawberries, or honey purchased at the farmers' market from a local bee-keeper. It's not only about what you put in your mouth, but also about the fragrance of toasting bread and brewing coffee, as it wafts through the house and gently rouses a family from their slumber. It's about using cloth napkins, rather than paper, "soft from years of use and bleached from being hung outside after laundering." Mostly, it is about families beginning their day together - without TV or cell phones or any of those other distractions we Americans are so very fond of.

Following is a list of Arbor's top ten tartine ideas:

Butter and jam
Butter and honey
Butter and cocoa powder sprinkled with sugar and toasted
Nutella and sliced banana
Olive oil, mozzarella, and prosciutto
Ham and Swiss cheese
Olive tapenade and goat cheese
Mayonnaise and leftover roast chicken
Truffle butter and foie gras
Sour cream and caviar (lemon juice optional)

I don't know what you're thinking, but I'm thinking that maybe Lex and I should work our way through this list. Research, dontcha know.

Don't forget to leave a comment between now and Sunday night, if you'd like a chance to win this lovely book.

P.S. Many thanks to juliaklimova.com for the first image, recipezaar.com for the second, and beauwild.com for the last.

COBRA extension gains ground with Senate bill

Legislation extending the federal subsidy of COBRA health insurance benefits was introduced in the U.S. Senate. The bill largely mirrors the provision of legislation already introduced in the House of Representatives by Rep. Joe Sestak (D-Pennsylvania). The Senate bill was introduced by Senators Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) and Robert Casey (D-Pennsylvania). Click here to read details on [...] Related posts:

Aging Drivers Need Tech; Caregivers Need to Provide It

Here’s the truth about cars: As a society, we're not getting any younger. And our driving is going to imperil us, sooner or later, as this Times article painfully illustrates. On the positive side, older drivers are not responsible for the bulk of traffic accidents—adults age 20-34 have that distinction—and they experience fewer fatal crashes per licensed driver. That's the good news.

Call Me Crazy. I Love Deadlines.

I’ve been a journalist for many, many years, so I’ve always had deadlines. I kind of like them. They motivate me. Sometimes I even like to leave something until the last minute just to see if I can get it done in time. Well the axe is falling today, my friends. I have a big [...]

One reason to love your daughter's boyfriend (and miss Boston Legal)...

He may be tattooed/unemployed/a video game addict/dropout.

But here is what your daughter's boyfriend is not: Levi Johnston.

Who, apparently, is now a tweeting Keats.

At least to hear William Shatner tell it.

(Update: Now Johnston's lawyer is saying the tweets are fake! Quelle surprise!)

In the Scam World, Woodchucks Are Rodents of a Different Kind

We’ve written about watching out for contractor scams before, but we recently learned a new term that describes a particular kind: woodchucks.

Stepping WAY outside of your box!

I wish the Oprah Show was always as inspirational as it was yesterday! She brought on a few women who had been feeling midlife awful, with issues like divorce, single motherhood and job loss. They were feeling helpless and hopeless, like victims in their own lives. One women described herself as “paralyzed by fear.” Oprah gave Ali Wentworth [...]

Childhood Lies

It's been said that young children tend to lie at least once every two hours - sometimes to get something they want or to gain attention but usually to avoid getting in trouble and being punished. Often the lines between make-believe and reality become blurred. But when do youngsters' little 'white lies' become teenagers' big destructive whoppers? And how do those teens behave as young adults?

The Josephson Institute of Ethics releases studies of American high school students every two years and finds that the levels of lying, cheating and stealing have steadily increased. Results from their most recent study indicate that 12 to 17 year olds are five times more likely than those over 50 to believe it is necessary to lie and cheat in order to succeed. As they move out into the world at large, these same young adults are two to three times more likely to misrepresent themselves in a job interview, lie to a significant other, keep money mistakenly given to them.

Photo (c) 2008 Jupiter Images. All rights reserved.

Why do our children resort to these kinds of misdeeds? Is it the poor role models found in the entertainment, political and sports worlds? Is it the pressure to succeed coming from parents and schools? Is it the normalization of certain illegal activities on the Internet - plagiarism of papers and reports, downloading pirated music and videos?

So what's a parent to do? As in other aspects of parenting, keeping lines of communication open is a good start. When your children are little, encourage and praise their honesty, let them know clearly what is unacceptable, talk with them about the real consequences of their behaviors.

As they mature, continue to help your teens focus on learning for it's own sake without obsessing about tests and grades. Let them know that they don't have to be perfect to be competitive. Monitor their Internet use. And talk with them about the inappropriate messages their "heroes" are sending.

Adult role models can be helpful in setting examples of the kind of behavior you want to encourage in your children. To read more about a family man who lived according to his own high standards, click on the title above. It will take you to our website article, What Sandwiched Boomers Can Learn from Tim Russert.

GUILT

John was super quiet when he got back from California, which can mean one of two things - either he's not feeling up to par, or he's stewing about something. When I'd try to pry it out of him, he'd say "I'm fine, just a little tired from the long drive."

Finally, after he got back to Houston, he sent me an email in which he fessed up. It seems that the combination of the kids both being financially shaky right now, his volunteering to go on half-pay temporarily in order to avoid laying anyone off at his company, and our investments taking another nosedive, just when we were hopeful that the economy was finally pulling out of its slump, has left him with no real sense of security for the future, and feeling very hesitant about the idea of retiring. I suspect a lot of people are feeling the same way.

As you can imagine, as soon as I read this, I was overwhelmed with all those old feelings of guilt - for not contributing my share to our financial security. It got me to thinkin' that I must be the world's worst wife, and that John will never be able to retire if I don't give up all this silly writing and volunteering and running up to Dallas constantly, and get a real job with real hours that pays real money!

No sooner had I come to this conclusion, than he blew me away by writing this: "I guess I'm feeling a little guilty about our relationship. Two years apart wasn't what we had planned, but I am so happy with the way you have settled in up there and blossomed. I wouldn't trade that for anything in the world. You've grown a lot during our marriage but nothing like the past 2 years. I'm really proud of you." Damn, here go the waterworks again. Every time I read that, I go through another box of Kleenex.

So, he's feeling guilty about cheating me? Criminy, what a bozo! I immediately responded, saying, "Jeez Louise! All I care about is you having time to do the things you want to do in life, and still be healthy enough to enjoy them! If you are happier working half-time, always having a little money coming in to fund your projects and for updating all those "obsolete" electronics, you can keep doing it for as long as you want. If you hate every single day that you have to go into the office, then quit. I am the world's most frugal woman, and can make do on whatever amount of money we have to get by on. I just want you to enjoy life. You deserve that, for all the years you've put us first, and been the best provider in the world."

Now, pardon me while I go see if I can scrounge up some toilet paper or a scrap of paper towel - anything to blow my nose on!

Then Shall all the Saguaro of the Desert Sing for Joy

Psalm 96:12b - ...then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy. As we began hiking around the desert, I found myself continually under the sneaking suspicion that the Saguaro were trapped in their prickly confinement, and were...

Earn Extra Money From Home in Your Spare Time Freelance Writing Online

Do you need to make online cash? A lot of people feel the need to make money online and if you are someone who wants to earn extra money from home in your spare time or on a full-time basis to help pay the bills, freelance writing should be at the top of your list [...]

Average Jane Falls Back On A Meme

Yeah, I know. It's only Thursday and I've already run out of post ideas. I actually had to go in search of a meme I could glom onto and I chose this one, partly because who could resist the beautiful...

Good-bye, Blue

Photo is from Brother Blue's website, www.brotherblue.com

I remember the first time I saw him,
an ageless man in
flowing blue robes and butterflies.
Butterflies everywhere.

He came up to me and took my hand.
“You are beautiful,” he said.
I smiled and stammered something silly
because compliments so direct are as hot
as a coal in my hand. Others passing
smiled at my embarrassment. They knew Blue, you see.
He insisted, “You really are beautiful.
You are a gift. A gift.”

Later I learned his name was Blue.
Brother Blue.
Everyone knew him in storytelling world.
Blue the street rappin’ Shakespearean.
Blue the lover of peace, the speaker in tongues.
Kids, people would laugh at him
at first. But not for long. He drew you
into his world of fantasy, poetry and stories.
He knew what he was doing.

The doctor in front of his name should have been
for the healing he gave to others with his joy,
his love and compassion for all people,
every one he met. That was Blue.
From him I saw
for the first time
that I was a gift.
A gift to myself and my world.
A gift I could share through stories,
listening and understanding.

Through Blue
I learned this, as many
before and after me also heard
the same surprising news about themselves.
That was Blue’s gift, the joy he spread
as he laughed, sang and storied through life
believing always in the goodness of people.
A man adorned with butterflies, light
and love.

Good-bye, Blue. You were beautiful.
Your gift to us was you.

Baby in Da Sushi Bar

So, Jolly and Little Guy landed at Cleveland airport safe and sound at 2:30 p.m., EST, Tuesday. Little Guy slept the entire 50 minute drive home. He woke up briefly when we got home, ate and went back to sleep. Woke up 3 hours later, ate, and went back to sleep. Lather, rinse, repeat. He woke up, [...]

The Red Cup

Do you remember last week when I wrote a post titled The Unspoken Coffee Cup War? It was a topic which obviously resonated with a lot of you. Many of you took the time to leave a comment or send...

Much Ado About Nothing: Much Ado About Nothing

I think it's a good idea, but I am going to have to quarantine you.'

My friend nodded seriously, lsquo;That's fine, I'd expected that. What do you
think, 10 days in a tent in the garden'

I pondered, lsquo;Yes, that should do it, I'll be able to leave food for you
in a box outside the back door.'

We smiled at each other, relieved that we'd got it sorted.

Time to Explore: Time to Explore

She has fame beyond
everyone's dreams (if fame is what you dream about) so why does Nicole Kidman
feel the need to tell us about how kinky her love life has been, and her lsquo;strange
sexual fetish' encounters Does she have a movie coming out She's now 42 - perhaps she's feeling the pressure of being a lsquo;woman in Hollywood' and has to
pull the kinky rabbit out of the hat.
Read More

Together Again: Janet Jackson's Song Fits Losing MJ

I'm sure somebody else online somewhere has already said it. Perhaps that someone was even me and I've forgotten, but while I was writing tonight, I started playing "Together Again" by Janet Jackson. Even though I previously associated this song with losing a romantic companion to death who you now believe is up in heaven, I reapply this song now to Michael. This song is quietly joyful song with

Six mistakes older job hunters make

Baby boomers intend to work well past retirement age. Most were saying so even before the economy crashed last year, deflating retirement savings and real estate values. Now, working longer has become an imperative for many. The question is, where? The jobless rate for adults age 55 to 64 has more than doubled since November 2007, [...] Related posts:

Olive Oil: Help Your Heart the Mediterranean Way

Today’s Mediterranean diet is thought to lower the risk of heart disease. One study completed in the United States in 2007 concluded that both women and men who followed this diet had reduced their risk of death from cancer as well as heart disease.

Guts or Balls?

Since we are all interested in using the right words, thought this would interest you.

Guts or Balls?

There is a medical distinction. We've all heard about people having guts or balls, but do you really know the difference between them? In an effort to keep you informed, the definitions are listed below:

GUTS - Is arriving home late after a night out with the guys, being met by your wife with a broom, and having the guts to ask: "Are you still cleaning, or are you flying somewhere?"

BALLS - Is coming home late after a night out with the guys, smelling of perfume and beer, lipstick on your collar, slapping your wife on the butt and having the balls to say: "You're next, Chubby."

I hope this clears up any confusion on the definitions.

Medically speaking there is no difference in the outcome.

Both result in death.

(Midlife Mama note: No, I didn't write this. But it is hysterically funny and I just had to repost it.)

Elder Abuse: An Overview

Last year, I was privileged to attend a training course on elder abuse with some of Colorado Springs’ finest. Under a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women, 50 or so police officers, detectives, and I spent two days of intense immersion into the social crisis of elder abuse. The statistics were grim; the videos horrific. We left with an increased awareness and recognition of the tactics that abusers use to victimize those over 60 years of age. My next several blogs will convey some of what I learned.

OMG! She's Doing NanoWriMo

While I've been petrified to admit it, I confess now that I am indeed participating in NanoWriMo. That's National Novel Writing Month for you uninitiated. Yes, I am trying to put a stop to my constant refrain, "One day, I'm going to write a novel," in the most positive way possible, by just doing it. I am joined to the throng trying to produce a 50,000-word book in 30 days.File this under my

Remember Michael Jackson in 1969?

With Michael Jackson's untimely death and the debut of the hit film, This Is It--about preparations for the concert tour he died too soon to make--many people only think of Michael Jackson as an odd but talented adult.

We remember Michael Jackson before he became the King of Pop and a controversial figure.

It was 40 years ago when Michael Jackson made his public debut as the cute 10-year-old prodigy and lead singer of The Jackson 5 (in August 1969), and when he and his brothers released their first single (in October 1969) and their first album (in December 1969).

It doesn't seem like 40 years ago, does it? What other music milestones from 1969 do you remember?

Remember Michael Jackson in 1969? originally appeared on About.com Senior Living on Wednesday, November 4th, 2009 at 20:12:03.

Permalink | Comment | Email this

Goat Thing of the Day: Thunderboxes

You know, for the life of me, I can't figure out why an outhouse would be called a Thunderbox, but here you go.

(via Sparky of My Thoughts Exactly)

Somebody said seeing this one might give me a clue.

Nope. Still don't get it.

FYI: These outhouses were part of a traveling art project earlier this year called Thunderbox Road.

My guide to retirement in hard times is on the way

The baby boom generation is approaching retirement just as the economy has pivoted in a direction most of us didn’t anticipate. The Great Recession crash has unraveled the assumption that good economic times would carry boomers into a comfortable retirement, and while the economy will recover eventually, we’re not likely to see the type of [...] Related posts:

Surrender

I am raised in a family of achievers.Before the age of five and entering kindergarten, I knew well it was my German ancestor, a century earlier, who had “invented” the concept that children, like flowers, should be raised in a garden of opportunities to discover, whose hand carved pony in our living room I could rock so fast. Long before a picture surfaced on the internet as proof, I believed

Getting yourself out there

Just did a quick interview about websites and self-publishing with Francesca Rhiannon, whose terrific Writer's Voice radio show is produced at UMass Amherst, and syndicated around the country.

If you're in business or on the job anywhere, it pays to think about how to get yourself out there in the media--and that means not just online, but in the so-called "old media," radio and newspapers and magazines. (In fact, we've received our best traffic on days when we've been in the local newspaper. So go figure.)

Macoun v. Braeburn: The Results

Before I get to the taste test, let's look at some more pictures of fall here in Massachusetts. So pretty!

And now to the apples. I'm not a huge apple fan. I like them. I know they're good for me, but berries are really my fruit of choice.

But it's apple season. So I'm going with the flow. Both Macoun and Braeburn taste pretty good.

Ultimately, my vote has to go to Braeburn. Side by side, I noticed a clear difference in taste.

Braeburn apples are very sweet. And for someone with a sweet tooth like me, they hit the sweet spot perfectly. Next time I get some apples, I'm going for the Braeburns.

Anali's First Amendment © 2006-2009. All rights reserved.

This Post’s Link

Like what you see? Subscribe to this blog by clicking here.

Medicare Health Supplements 2010 Changes

What’s New For Medicare Health Plans in 2010 Change isn’t always well anticipated by Medicare beneficiaries, but you can be sure that CMS (Center for Medicare and Medicaid) is working for seniors and other Medicare recipients. Most US Seniors do rely on Medicare for their health insurance, though many purchase a private supplement to help manage [...]

Feeling Stressed? So are the Kids

Raising children has never been easy for Sandwiched Boomers, but do you think it's even harder today? Parents have always had to deal with providing for their offspring - food, clothing and shelter as well as a supportive and loving environment where the kids could grow into their full potential. Today, in addition, mom and dad are faced with handling the stresses of an unstable economy and volatile social situations. And the worries we feel are felt by our youngsters as well.

A recent study conducted by Harris Interactive and reported by the American Psychological Association found that 75% of American adults are experiencing moderate to high levels of stress. And, for the first time including youth between the ages of 8 and 17 in the survey, APA found that these preteens and teenagers are worrying too - and in greater numbers than their parents estimate. The survey found that children are experiencing their greatest worries about school and about their family's finances.

So what can you do to help the situation for your kids? Don't try to hide your concerns from them. You can't. They pick up signals from you even when you think you are shielding them from your stresses. Instead, keep the lines of communication open. Talk with them about their worries and let them know how you are handling you own ones. The more you are able to discuss the strains affecting all of you, the better you can all begin to cope with them. As you shift the focus to what you can do to address the pressures, your children may be comforted by recognizing that they have an ally - you are working together as a family to decrease the tensions you face. You may not be able to eliminate the anxiety everyone is experiencing, but you can make a first pass at reducing it.

For some tips about coping with the stresses you may be feeling in our uncertain economy, click on the title above. You can read about weathering economic challenges together at oue www.HerMentorCenter.com article, Five Ways Sandwiched Boomers Can Think Positive in Tough Times.

The Midlife Crisis Queen turns two today!

I cannot believe my blog turns two today! To celebrate this fantastic event (plus passing 90,000 hits!) I decided to present you with a whole new and improved website! I’m in the process of re-directing my blog to a self-hosted site. It’s a lot more spacious and open compared to the old one. Of course, the [...]

LONG TIME, NO SEE & DOIN' MY PART

I'd all but forgotten the beauty of a misty morning here in the Hill Country - the way the sun creeps up and catches the low-lying mist that is tucked into all the crevices, and which follows the path of the creek as it snakes in and out of the hills. Of course, you gotta have some water in the creek, and temps well below 107, if you want to glimpse one of these mornings, so it's been a while!

The cantina garden is beginning to come together. They added stucco to the arch yesterday, and the cedar posts have been delivered and dropped into their pockets. Now they just need to be leveled up and mortared in. As with any project, expenses can get out of hand if you're not careful, and we had to do some corner-cutting - make the area a bit smaller than I originally planned - to keep ours under control. Unfortunately, the corners that got cut (literally!) were the areas that got the most sun and would have been best for serious vegetable gardening. However, there are still plenty of sunny pockets scattered about, where I can tuck in all of my favorite herbs, some asparagus or arugula, and a tomato cage and bean trellis or two. Once we get the trees properly pruned, there will probably be even more spots.

The good news is, this will leave me with plenty of space for shade loving ornamentals, and for any funky yard art the Muses and I might produce! If we later get serious about wanting to grow more food than this, we can always add some deer netting around one of the sunny corners, and set up those lovely raised beds John ordered for me a while back. In the meantime, I'm perfectly willing to do my share to support the local economy, by shopping from The Bountiful Sprout, and enjoying the various farmers' markets here abouts. After all, according to Robert Arbor, that's a critical step towards discovering joie de vivre! Don't forget to leave a comment, if you wish to be included in our Monday morning drawing for his wonderful book.

Dan the Early Retired Man Embarks on a Search for Decent Customer Service

My cousin Dan from Minnesota, who retired early from the U.S. Postal Service this year at age 53, has more gripes about bad customer service. Customer service continues to elude me. The label clearly stated, “To refill this prescription, call (phone number).” A computer answered, of course. I punched in my prescription number, birthday and zip [...]

Average Jane Shares A Retro Recipe

In the early 1990s, my grandmother published a cookbook of recipes spanning five generations of our family. They range from rabbit stew with dandelion root from my pioneer great-great-grandmother, to a handwritten recipe for pancakes from my then-six-year-old third cousin...

Freelance Writing Guide to Freelance Writing – Get Paid to Write Online

Do you want to become a freelance writer and get paid to write online or offline as a well paid writer? Do you know what freelance writing is and how much money you can make as a freelancer? Do you want to quit your job and work from home writing freelance articles, perhaps as a [...]

26 Years and Counting

Grandchildren are a parent’s reward for not killing their children. I’m an old parent, and I’ll be the first to admit it - I’ve been doing this job for 26 1/2 years. It recently dawned on me, as I spoke with Jolly on the phone when she had a question about Little Guy, that I will [...]

I'm Talking Rabbit Sex and Not The Good Kind

I recently got an estimate for installing artificial grass in our backyard. Artificial grass is pretty damn pricey and Briefcase and I are in the process of arguing over discussing the matter. Before you moan and groan and ask, "How...

Wordless Wednesday: Misty Morning, Grafton, West Virginia

A happy Halloween

In the UK they don’t really understand the US version of Halloween, and for a long time politicians, the police and the church all regularly denounced it as a tradition that encouraged a combination of juvenile delinquency and devil worship. At best it was described as an “unwelcome American import”. Nevertheless, it is catching on, bit [...]

WE NOW RETURN YOU TO OUR REGULARLY SCHEDULED PROGRAMMING

Let's see. Where were we? Ah yes! We were discussing joie de vivre, and having a give-away! Shall we continue?

Robert Arbor was born and raised in France, but decided he needed to see the world. While in Hong Kong, he met and married a young American who was in the fashion business. He followed her back to New York, and since he needed something to do, he enrolled in the French Culinary Institute. Upon graduation, he worked in various French restaurants, then took a peach of a job at Chase Manhattan Bank's private corporate dining room, so that he could actually spend some time with his wife. Since he got off work at 2:00 PM, he had plenty of time to wander the streets of NY. Sadly, he could never find anywhere to sit and enjoy a coffee or soda, so he decided to create a place where one could read, reflect, or just casually meet with friends. It had to have the pace of a cafe' like those in little French villages or on a corner of a Paris street, be open all day, be inexpensive, and totally French. Thus, Le Gamin was born.

He wrote his book, Joie de Vivre: Simple French Style For Everyday Living, because in his business, he saw a constant flow of Americans looking for that thing that the French call joie de vivre. Americans are fascinated with how the French manage to live so well, and so contentedly, in their ordinary, day-to-day life. According to Robert, "It's not just about cooking, decorating, or entertaining - it's about enjoying all the small details of domestic life. It's about making time for family, growing some vegetables in your garden, chatting with the butcher, and cooking for your family and friends."

And so, we will travel with him, as he explains the rituals and traditions that comprise a typical French day; gives us a glimpse of family meals, market trips, and Le Potager; talks about eating locally and in season, and shares some of his wonderfully simple recipes. I hope you'll enjoy the journey. And of course, if you'd like to throw your name in the hat, for a chance to win this wonderful book, just leave a comment between now and Sunday night. Good luck!

P.S. Many thanks to thisnext.com for the above image.

Why We Vote

I didn't realize it was election day until I drove past a neighborhood church and saw "Vote Here Today" signs on the lawn.

To tell you the truth, I didn't see the point in voting. I mean, I spent all of my energy last year on the most important election of my lifetime and now that it's over, what's the point? Well, obviously there were many others who felt the same way as me. In a precinct that has more than 2000 registered voters, I ended up being voter #115. Pretty sad.

THE POINT IS EVERY ELECTION SHOULD BE DEEMED AS IMPORTANT.

The country was so focused on getting the Republicans out of office on a national and state level but what many of us fail to realize is, it starts on the LOCAL level. That means your county commissioners, city council, school boards, etc are just as important because their decisions will have an immediate impact on you.

Voting is a privilege and a right. If you don't exercise it, you have absolutely nothing to complain about so I don't expect to see your gripes on Twitter, Facebook or wherever!

Your First Job

Viewers of WFAA-TV in Dallas got a real treat today when they got to see the Queen of Daytime TV on their TV screen. Instead of doing her daily show, Oprah co-anchored the 5pm news. This was all a part of her "Celebrities Go Back to their First Jobs" segment.

Actually, being a TV anchor wasn't Oprah's first job. According to her website,her first job was really in Nashville where she worked at the corner grocery store next to her father's barber shop. I guess the grocery store isn't there anymore.

It got me to thinking about my very first job. It was for a marketing company who sent out advertising mailers to residents. I was hired to "stuff" envelopes. I think I made about $3.00 an hour--which was a pretty big deal for a high school students in 1974.

My first job out of college was at WCIR Radio in Beckley, West VA. It was also my first experience with racism. To make a long story short, the sheriff at the time refused to give me information on a story I was covering and told me, quote, "I don't have to tell you nothin' little Missy. I think you might be in the wrong job. Your kind don't belong here."

I complained to my boss about the sheriff's behavior and the next thing I knew I was fired. I did have the last word in the matter. I sued the station for discrimination through the EEOC (which was actually effective back then) and WON! I got a decent little settlement and moved on.

So what was your first job?

http://babyboomerbev.podOmatic.com/rss2xm1 http://www.talk2bevpodcast.com/audios/goingtochicago.mp3

'Mom Always Liked You Best'

Why the favored child, not the most qualified, becomes the caregiver.

Oprah is Fat, Can Anyone See That?

Guest Post by: Leslie Ungar ***The views expressed in this article are soley those of the writer’s and does not reflect the opinion of Boomer Diva Nation*** Oprah is fat, period. That’s OK. Most of us struggle with weight and end up on the losing end at some time. There are two things that are not OK. One [...]

7 Work At Home Guidelines for the New Economy

With unemployment in the US reaching almost 10 percent, many people are transitioning from employee to entrepreneur. According to business etiquette expert Barbara Pachter, author of When The Little Things Count…And They Always Count, “Out of necessity people are establishing their own businesses. Many of these new entrepreneurs are working from home and having to be [...]

How Neighbors Can Really Help Each Other

As you know, your faithful correspondent always has her finger on the pulse of the new and the cutting edge. So let me tell you about my latest project. I have joined a group in my neighborhood of Jamaica Plain called a Common Security Club. The club is part of a budding nationwide movement whose [...]

Senior Health Info form the National Institute of Health

More stuff from the conference to pass on. The National Institute of Health has a website designed specifically for seniors.

This is reliable health care information from the government. In addition, there is a speedy way to change the text size. There is an option to change the contrast on the page; in this case you can have a high contrast black or white web page. You also can have have the page read itself to you or your relative.

You don't have to be a senior to appreciate some of the features.

Telepathy and Dreams

Image by Chris Gin via Flickr “I have found by experience that telepathy does in fact influence dreams, as has been asserted since ancient times.” Carl Jung, General Aspects of Dream Psychology, CW VIII, par 503. The unconscious acts in ways beyond our ability to explain or control, including the ability to deliver messages that are telepathic. [...]

Why Should I the Burden Bear?

John Newton, in this simple prayer, reminds us that we must not bear the burden of tomorrow, but as children, learn now to rely on the grace, and care of Abba. "Let me thus with Thee abide as my Father, Guard, and Guide." Our fat, post-modern culture knows little of the wisdom that lies in this little prayer.

Happy TurkleWeenThanksmas

You’ve probably bought your turkey for Thanksgiving by now, yes? Good, because these holidays happen FAST! Before you’ve even dismantled the blow-up pumpkin with Casper inside, it’s time to buy the rust-colored fake dry leaves to adorn the Thanksgiving table where the turkey will make its appearance...for about 3.5 minutes before it too will be ‘dismantled’ into our stomachs until there are only bones left. I realize that was kind of a long sentence, but it’s like these holidays...they just go on and on, bleeding into each other until Jan 1...after the black-eyed peas have been presented and devoured for good luck. Then, and only then can we really relax.

I advise everyone to just wear black during these holidays. That way, you can adorn yourself with accessorized color depending on which holiday. Black and orange for Halloween...given. Save the orange and mix it with rust, dull green and chocolate brown and you’re good to go with your black outfit for T’Day. And, the black will be the perfect backdrop for the ridiculous Christmas tree brooches, tree light necklaces and candy cane leggings. We’ve all just gone too far, wouldn’t you agree???

It’s really difficult to explain holidays to cats. They are stupefied by a pumpkin and insulted by the requisite scary black cat with its back arched around All Hallow’s Eve. They wind up on the kitchen counter eating every scrap available as we’re at the Thanksgiving table doing the same thing, but with forks. And, the only thing they like about Christmas are the empty gift boxes and the tissue strewn all over the room. They just don’t understand why we don’t leave all that stuff out every day. You can’t explain interior decoration to them either...goes right over their tiny heads.

So, if you haven’t started feeling overwhelmed by the dizzying holiday seasons, you’re behind! Get stressed, pissed off, bah-humbugged before it’s too late!

KK
****************************
Oh, I love the holidays too. That’s partly because I love empty boxes (especially decorated ones), sneaking bites of the turkey left on the kitchen counter, and playing with new toys. The cats and I are exactly alike. If I could hide in a box or take a long nap in a shaft of sunlight, I would do that too.

I put a scary witch and some spiders on the screen door for Halloween. KK told me I was really lame, but she doesn’t’ understand how much fun it is to scare little kids. I wish we could scare little kids at Thanksgiving too, but I’ll just have to settle for a pumpkin by the front door and a six-foot-tall-blow-up turkey in the front yard. Decorations are a must for all holidays, as Austin needs to uphold its reputation for weirdness, and all of its denizens must contribute to this tradition. Any kind of yard-art or door-wreath plasticity is highly encouraged by the population of this city. Televisions perched in trees are a mainstay for Christmas decorations and if yours actually turns on, you are considered a genius.

I look forward to Christmas and all of its good cheer and fake snow in the windows downtown. Of course, people in Austin go all out to celebrate the birth of Jesus, and Santa Claus seems to embody this festivity more than nativity scenes on the lawns or even lit-up ‘Our Lady of Guadalupes’ in the windows. I hate Santa Claus…mainly because I sat in the lap of one when I was about three years old and his stale, smokey, bourbon breath almost knocked me into the fake bag of presents by the elf. Even worse than that though was the fact that he had black stubble under his white beard, and then he handed me a scary doll that made me think of my best friend’s mother. That was not good. My best friend’s mother looked like Ed Sullivan.

But I digress. I need to go into the decoration box in the garage and pull out the three-foot-tall papier mache monk holding the cornucopia overflowing with gourds and berries, and put the Christmas lights around him and put him in the window so people can see how involved we are in the holiday spirit. Then I ‘m going to go hide in a box and lick my cat’s head.

SalGal

THINK I'LL KEEP HER

Well, my darling daughter is finally back in Texas. Woohoo! In fact, she's back in the house here with me for the time being, until she manages to land a job. So the question is, can we both adjust to being roomies again, after each having spent several years ruling our own roost, doing whatever we want, whenever we want? Time will tell!

One thing is for certain though - it sure is nice to have someone around who knows more about computers than I do. She saved me from putting my boot through that sorry son of a gun just yesterday. I can deal with the fact that things don't always work right when I'm not sure what I'm doing. No problem. But, when I have finally mastered a technique, and have been using it successfully for some time, then out of the blue, the computer decides to change the rules on me and do something totally different? Well, that really, really, really. Pisses. Me. Off.

Like when facebook suddenly decided, a few days ago, that it would no longer allow me to link from my status update to my blog stories, even though I'd been doing so just fine for weeks now. Lex happened to walk through the room just as I was trying to decide whether to torch the source of my agony, or toss it over the balcony to watch it go splat. When I told her why I was looking a bit apoplectic, she calmly replied "Oh, the same thing happened to me. I played around with it and figured out that it will work OK as long as you do it from your profile page instead of the feed page." OK. I never would have figured that out in a million years. I think I'll keep her.

P.S. Many thanks to treehugger.com for the above image.

Choose a Topic and Read Some Blog Posts

There won't be a blog post today as we're both traveling - Rosemary is flying from Philadelphia to Chicago and I'm off to to Morocco. But tune in tomorrow as we'll be back on schedule.

In the meantime, why don't you look around the blog. Scroll to the upper left-hand corner of the blue banner at the top of this page and type in the subject that interests you in the white space - empty nest, sandwich generation, mother-in-law, aging parents, woman's conference? Clicking on the magnifying glass will take you to some posts you may enjoy reading.

Storytelling Road Trip: Alabama and Home Again

during my trip to Alabama last week, I told stories at two elementary schools. Both were fairly large schools by West Virginia standards, but the second school, Creekside Elementary, was huge--over 1000 students in grades K-5. There were 10 classes of first grade students and those were the ones I told stories to. The kids were into stories! They especially liked Jack and Old Fire Dragaman and Sody Sallyratus, both Appalachian tales with a lot of action and humor.

On the table, left to right, clockwise: my CDs, Larry father's miner's certificate, miner's safety lamp, miner's lunch bucket and cup, miners hardhat with carbide lamp, scrip (in the frame) from the Black Band Coal Company of Olcott, WV, where Larry grew up raccoon puppet, a different miner's cap (cloth, probably from the '30's and small so probably a young boy's hat) with a different, older carbide lamp, a can for carrying carbide, and a miner's belt with his pin and tags attached.

I brought some coal mining artifacts with me to show the children and to lead into a story about my husband's childhood in a coal camp. Of course, Raccoon was with me too--see him sleeping in a curled up ball on the front right of the table? Raccoon is always a big hit. He's a glove puppet that works so well that even though the children know he's a puppet they still interact with him as if he's real, coming up to pet him and talk to him after the show. I have many puppets, but Raccoon is far and away the one I use most and that gets the best reaction from audiences of all ages.

The quilt is a double wedding ring, found at an antique mall several years ago for only $24. I use it only for storytelling displays because it is fairly fragile, probably dating to the 1930's or 40's. I like the symbolism of this quilt pattern--the way stories link together and link us together into one whole. It fits what I do. I often think about the person who might have made this quilt, her hands and the hours of work put into it, only for it to end up at a sale somewhere. Now it's home and cherished again.

Fields of soybeans were being harvested, but this one, not yet harvested, presented a fall collage of colors.

A field of cotton also waited to be harvested. I remember some years ago I grew cotton and made Christmas ornaments with it. I've tried several times since but our growing seasons here are generally too short for it to mature.

Two wrecks along the road home slowed down our trip a little. This one was very odd: it looks as though the trailer collapsed somehow. Thankfully no one seemed to be injured, but what a strange sight.

Another strange sighting: the Goodyear blimp hovering over Nashville, Tennessee. I could not get a very good photo of it as it was heading away from us but it was neat to see it anyway. I last saw it about 15-20 years ago when it passed over our ridge--completely science-fiction looking in that rural location.

Crossing Kentucky, we took a different route to avoid the congested, terribly-planned traffic in Lexington. The alternate route was lovely, passing through dairy farms and rolling hills. I kept taking photos, although most were blurred and not worth keeping. I like this one of the bridge in the mirror, glowing in the sunlight behind us.

The sun set as we were about halfway home, glorious red against the blue sky that just about stopped my breath. I persuaded Larry to stop long enough for me to take this picture.

After that it was too dark for more photos so we traveled on under the full Kentucky moon until we crossed into West Virginia about 10:30 pm. It was an easy, lovely trip, about 8 1/2 hours in all but the time flew by as we talked about the festival, the stories and storytellers, the people we'd met and the beauty flying by our windows.

Average Jane's Latest Band Update

I haven't talked much about the band with which I'm currently singing, but things are going quite well. It's a four-piece (guitar, bass, drums and vocals), and we all seem to be equally professional, mellow and serious about learning our...

Holy Macro!

So, yesterday evening after we left the office, I got my (current) heart’s desire. A macro lens for my camera. I think I’ve just forfeited any Christmas and birthday presents for the next two years, but that’s okay because I really, really, REALLY wanted one. And I wanted one before Jolly and Little Guy got here (this [...]

Birthday Wrap Up

I will be back to regular posting (whatever that is!) tomorrow. Today is a hodgepodge post in the wake of my 24th birthday celebration yesterday. First things first ... Thank you to everyone who participated in yesterday's birthday celebration. There...

Tasty Treats & A Spa Giveaway

Recently I had the chance to try something new from Pepperidge Farm. Read my BlogHer review of these new treats and find out more about my giveaway by clicking here.

Anali's First Amendment © 2006-2009. All rights reserved.

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Like what you see? Subscribe to this blog by clicking here.

The Power of Shoes

There are men’s shoes sitting at the foot of the bed. That was enough to send me into a really weird place last night.

I was shooting a web series/short film in my apartment all day yesterday. It’s based on “Mastermind”, the one act play I directed over the summer that I absolutely fell in love with. The original actors are returning, the writer has given his blessing and I have a fantastic crew involved.

The shoot went great. Had some issues, which every shoot has, but nothing huge or panic-inducing. Just ordinary production crap.

At the end of the shoot, my lead actor, Brad, was packing up his stuff. He asked if he could leave his wardrobe here since we’ll be shooting again on Sunday and he thought it would be easier to leave it at my place than haul it back and forth. Made sense to me.

Everyone packed up and left. I crashed for a bit and took care of a few things before finally hauling my butt to bed.

As I was getting ready for bed, I tidied up the production stuff left in my bedroom, because we had been shooting in there the latter part of the day. Once everything was cleaned up, I was left with two pairs of men’s shoes at the foot of my bed.

That stopped me.

Men’s shoes. At the foot of my bed.

I miss that.

Men’s shoes.

I opened my closet to put something away and Brad’s wardrobe was hanging in there - a button down shirt, pair of pants, a thermal t-shirt. Men’s clothes. In my closet.

I miss that.

Doesn’t help that I adore Brad, as does everyone who knows him. He’s a wonderful guy and has the best, most amazing energy. But he has a girlfriend so I just am glad he’s a part of my life and that he’s become such a good friend.

But his shoes were at the end of my bed.

I sat on my bed for a long time, staring at those shoes.

Yeah, sure, in another world, I’d love to think that this incredible man would be the one to leave his shoes nightly at the foot of my bed but that’s not gonna happen. But it made me miss having someone leave their shoes at the foot of my bed on a regular basis.

I miss that masculine presence in my life. I have amazing men in my life like Brad and Kerr and Ranger Smith and many, many others. But I miss that specific presence, that specific man, who will leave his shoes at the foot of my bed.

And it made me wonder if there will be someone in my life to leave their shoes at the foot of my bed. Someone whose shirt will hang in my closet. Not someone just to date but someone to bring that masculine energy back into my life.

I think sometimes I manifest that energy and am maybe a little more aggressive than I need to be because I don’t have that outside source of masculinity in my life. I love my guy friends but there’s something about having that specific, intimate energy that I miss.

I finally put Brad’s shoes in the back of the closet where they will rest safely until they come out to film next week. I had initially just meant to leave them on the floor but I don’t think I could look at them every day between now and Sunday. So they and their energy can hibernate until they need to come out.

I look forward to the day when the shoes of someone I love can live on the floor beside my Chuck Taylors and my Santana boots. Hopefully, they will belong to someone as amazing as the men I have found special in my life over the last four and a half years of my life. They’d have to be to stand up to my shoes.

39 Things

Well, Dr. Jekyll left yesterday at about 3pm. I am having the best time... OMG. I hate to say it but I am just enjoying the peace and quiet. Being with Dr. Jekyll is like having a parent again. Are all marriages like this, or am I overreacting?? *sigh* I dunno. Thank you, everyone, for your wonderful comments yesterday. I felt so much better after I read them. Some of you gave me food for thought, and I am ruminating on them and will post some more later.

I got a gift certificate to my favorite spa from my staff for Boss's Day last month. Sometimes it's GOOD to be King! er....Queen in my case. Heh.

Anyway, I have a massage scheduled for 5:15 this evening right after work. I can start my week relaxed and happy. :)

Well, I'll post more later. I stole this from Kathy over at My Space...My Blog...My Life and I had to repost it. These are SO true and so freakin' funny!! #24 happens to me a LOT! Shhhh don't tell my boss. hehe

39 things

1 Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you realize you're wrong.

2 Have you ever been walking down the street and realized that you're going in the complete opposite direction of where you are supposed to be going? But instead of just turning a 180 and walking back in the direction from which you came, you have to first do something like check your watch or phone or make a grand arm gesture and mutter to yourself to ensure that no one in the surrounding area thinks you're crazy by randomly switching directions on the sidewalk.

3 I totally take back all those times I didn't want to nap when I was younger.

4 There is a great need for a sarcasm font.

5 I think everyone has a movie that they love so much; it actually becomes stressful to watch it with other people. I'll end up wasting 90 minutes sh iftily glancing around to confirm that everyone's laughing at the right parts, then making sure I laugh just a little bit harder (and a millisecond earlier) to prove that I'm still the only one who really, really gets it.

6 How the hell are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet?

7 I would rather try to carry 10 plastic grocery bags in each hand than take 2 trips to bring my groceries in.

8 I think part of a best friend's job should be to immediately clear your computer history if you die.

9 The only time I look forward to a red light is when I’m trying to finish a text.

10 Was learning cursive really necessary?

11 LOL has gone from meaning, "laugh out loud" to "I have nothing else to say".

12 Whenever someone say’s "I'm not book smart, but I'm street smart", all I hear is "I'm not real smart, but I'm imaginary smart".

13 How many times is it appropriate to say "What?" before you just nod and smile because you still didn't hear what they said?

14 I love the sense of camaraderie when an entire line of cars teams up to prevent a jerk from cutting in at the front. Stay strong, brothers and sisters!

15 While driving yesterday I saw a banana peel in the road and instinctively swerved to avoid it...thanks Mario Kart.

16 MapQuest really needs to start their directions on #5. Pretty sure I know how to get out of my neighborhood.

17 Obituaries would be a lot more interesting if they told you how the person died.

18 I find it hard to believe there are actually people who get in the shower first and THEN turn on the water.

19 Shirts get dirty. Underwear gets dirty. Pants? Pants never get dirty, and you can wear them forever.

20 I can't remember the last time I wasn't at least kind of tired.

21 Bad decisions make good stories.

22 Whenever I'm Facebook stalking someone and I find out that their profile is public I feel like a kid on Christmas morning who just got the Red Ryder BB gun that I always wanted. 546 pictures? Don't mind if I do!

23 Why is it that during an icebreaker, when the whole room has to go around and say their name and where they are from, I get so incredibly nervous? Like I know my name, I know where I'm from; this shouldn't be a problem....

24 You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work when you've made up your mind that you just aren’t doing anything productive for the rest of the day.

25 Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after DVDs? I don't want to have to restart my collection. I finally just got rid of all the old Videotapes.

26 There's no worse feeling than that millisecond you're sure you are going to die after leaning your chair back a little too far.

27 I'm always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me if I want to save any changes to my ten page research paper that I swear I did not make any changes to.

28 While watching the Olympics, I find myself cheering equally for China and USA . No, I am not of Chinese descent, but I am fairly certain that when Chinese athletes don’t win, they are executed.

29 I hate when I just miss a call by the last ring (Hello? Hello? Darnit!), but when I immediately call back, it rings nine times and goes to voicemail. What'd you do after I didn't answer? Drop the phone and run away?

30 I hate leaving my house confident and looking good and then not seeing anyone of importance the entire day. What a waste.

31 I like all of the music in my iTunes, except when it's on shuffle, then I like about one in every fifteen songs in my iTunes.

32 Sometimes I'll look down at my watch 3 consecutive times and still not know what time it is.

33 It should probably be called Unplanned Parenthood.

34 I keep some people's phone numbers in my phone just so I know not to answer when they call.

35 Even if I knew your social security number, I wouldn't know what do to with it.

36 Even under ideal conditions people have trouble locating their car keys in a pocket, finding their cell phone, and Pinning the Tail on the Donkey - but I’d bet my ass everyone can find and push the Snooze button from 3 feet away, in about 1.7 seconds, eyes closed, first time every time...

37 My 4-year old son asked me in the car the other day "What would happen if you ran over a ninja?" How the hell do I respond to that?

38 I wonder if cops ever get pissed off at the fact that everyone they drive behind obeys the speed limit.

39 I think the freezer deserves a light as well.

Happy Monday, everyone!

It's Not Easy Being Green

I can't stand it when I order a single pea pod by mail and Peas Pods R Us insist on sending it a box the size of a small rhino. It's so wasteful.

Earlier this year in Hawaii, I arrived at the car rental place just wanting to get to the condo after a long flight. I grabbed the keys from the car rental lady, not paying much attention when she said, "This is all we had". I was just hoping it wasn't a motorcycle, since there were three of us. Counting parking space numbers, I was disheartened to see this in our designated space.

photo credit

Yep. That's a Hummer H3, all right. Navigating a monster in and out of parking spaces, and climbing in and out of that thing without the aid of a forklift, AND traveling with a disabled relative isn't the easiest thing in the world, I can tell you that.

This summer in Chicago, I called this car service to pick me up from the hotel to go back to the airport. This was set up as a group thing to transport many people attending a conference. For whatever reason, I ended up going back to the airport by myself, and the transportation coordinator tells me, well there's this car that can pick you up in 2 minutes, but it's the only thing we have available right now.

So I had to yell across the car to the chatty Cathy limo driver all the way back to the airport.

What a waste!

What if you called Rent-A-Hubby, and told the drone taking your order that, "Oh, I guess the tubby, farty one will do."

And then a few hours later, the doorbell rings, and when you answer the door, some guy waltzes into your living room and makes himself at home while the delivery man says, "I'm sorry, but this is all we had."

Do you know what I would do?

That's right, I would look that delivery man right in the eye and say, "Well you'll just have to take him back, because I'm sick and tired of all the extravagance and conspicuous consumption that has been forced upon me by you people. Out, OUT I say!"

Also? I would like to thank Crista over at the Domestic Goddess for this Over The Top Award. Thank you, Crista!

Random Headlines Are Random

Retail gas prices highest in a year (AP) from Yahoo! Buzz US: Top Stories AP – Retail gasoline prices chugged higher Friday to a new peak for the year, forcing consumers to dig deeper into already-thin wallets to pay for fuel. OSHA fines BP a record $87M for Texas refinery fix (AP) from Yahoo! [...]

It’s Dark Early Again

I was up early this morning thanks to changing the clocks on Sunday. I took the Canine Prince to the dog park and got there before 6:30 a.m. But this is the first weeknight where it gets dark early. Oh, dear. Coming home from work in the dark is so dreary, isn’t it?

Blogging Boomers #137

Go see our cool new blog carnival over at Fabulous After 40!

Rasta turns one!

My brilliant puppy (you know, the mud eater!), Mr. Rasta, just turned one this week. Of course he hasn’t a clue what that means, but we love him all the same. HAPPY BIRTHDAY RASTA!

Paying It Forward - Census Job Information

I participated in the prior census and it was a hoot. It might be a tad more challenging this time around but I hear that there are a few folks looking for work so what the heck.

I attended the California Library Association Conference. Well, I could only afford the Exhibit Hall. I made my visitations and notice that the Census Bureau had a table. I like to pick up the CD copy of the Statistical Abstract of the United States. Yeah, I'm wired that way. I'll read anything. It is actually kind of cool and you can get ideas for stories and such stuff.

Anyway, I glance down and there is stuff about census jobs for 2010. The web page isn't updated as of this post but swing over to the regional office link and you will see a map. Click the map in your area and you can get the phone number of the regional office to find out if there are hiring or when it will start up.

I was told that you'd be able to put in your zip code and then you could see the positions open in your area. This probably will happen after the first of the year but get the phone number of the regional office and get the straight skivvy.

What is the One Thing That we are to Learn from Elijah?

I find myself with two frustrations, and a question: * frustration #1 - reading the Bible in a year puts you on a track whereby you are running so fast that you pass by events very quickly. * frustration #2 - I am not as amazed, as I should be, at Elijah's final scene. Somewhere, in my mind, this narrative gets lost in folklore, a child's story, and fact. I believe it to be fact, but then where is the wonder? * Question: what is the one overarching thing that we should know of Elijah and his life?

Raising Children

My daughter sent me this piece by columnist and author, Anna Quindlen. Reading it made me reflect and brought up tons of memories. Want some nostalgia?

"All my babies are gone now. I say this not in sorrow but in disbelief. I take great satisfaction in what I have today: three almost-adults, two taller than I am, one closing in fast. Three people who read the same books I do and have learned not to be afraid of disagreeing with me in their opinion of them, who sometimes tell vulgar jokes that make me laugh until I choke and cry, who need razor blades and shower gel and privacy, who want to keep their doors closed more than I like.

Who, miraculously, go to the bathroom, zip up their jackets and move food from plate to mouth all by themselves. Like the trick soap I bought for the bathroom with a rubber ducky at its center, the baby is buried deep within each, barely discernible except through the unreliable haze of the past.Everything in all the parenting books is finished for me now. Penelope Leach, T. Berry Brazelton, Dr. Spock. The ones on sibling rivalry and sleeping through the night and early-childhood education have all grown obsolete. Along with Goodnight Moon, and Where the Wild Things Are, they are battered, spotted, well used. But I suspect that if you flipped the pages, dust would rise like memories. What those books taught me, and finally what the women on the playground, and the well-meaning relations - well what they taught me was that they couldn't really teach me very much at all.

Raising children is presented at first as a true-false test, then becomes multiple choice, until finally, far along, you realize that it is an endless essay. No one knows anything.

One child responds well to positive reinforcement, another can be managed only with a stern voice and a timeout. One child is toilet trained at 3, his sibling at 2.

When my first child was born, parents were told to put baby to bed on his belly so that he would not choke on his own spit-up. By the time my last arrived, babies were put down on their backs because of research on sudden infant death syndrome.

To a new parent this ever-shifting certainty is terrifying, and then soothing. Eventually you must learn to trust yourself. Eventually the research will follow.

I remember 15 years ago pouring over one of Dr. Brazelton's wonderful books on child development, in which he describes three different sorts of infants: average, quiet, and active. I was looking for a sub-quiet codicil for an 18-month old who did not walk. Was there something wrong with his fat little legs? Was there something wrong with his tiny little mind? Was he developmentally delayed, physically challenged? Was I insane? Last year he went to China. Next year he goes to college. He can talk just fine. He can walk, too.

Every part of raising children is humbling, too. Believe me, mistakes were made. They have all been enshrined in the "Remember-When-Mom-Did" Hall of Fame. The outbursts, the temper tantrums, the bad language - mine, not theirs. The times the baby fell off the bed. The times I arrived late for preschool pickup. The nightmare sleepover. The horrible summer camp. The day when the youngest came barreling out of the classroom with a 98 on her geography test, and I responded, "What did you get wrong?" (She insisted I include that.) The time I ordered food at the McDonald's drive-through speaker and then drove away without picking it up from the window. (They all insisted I include that.) I did not allow them to watch the Simpsons for the first two seasons. What was I thinking?

But the biggest mistake I made is the one that most of us make while doing this. I did not live in the moment enough. This is particularly clear now that the moment is gone, captured only in photographs. There is one picture of the three of them, sitting in the grass on a quilt in the shadow of the swing set on a summer day, ages 6, 4 and 1.

And I wish I could remember what we ate, and what we talked about, and how they sounded, and how they looked when they slept that night.

I wish I had not been in such a hurry to get on to the next thing: dinner, bath, book, bed. I wish I had treasured the doing a little more and the getting it done a little less.

Even today I'm not sure what worked and what didn't, what was me and what was simply life. When they were very small, I suppose I thought someday they would become who they were because of what I'd done. Now I suspect they simply grew into their true selves because they demanded in a thousand ways that I back off and let them be. The books said to be relaxed and I was often tense, matter-of-fact and I was sometimes over the top.

And look how it all turned out. I wound up with the three people I like best in the world who have done more than anyone to excavate my essential humanity.

That's what the books never told me. I was bound and determined to learn from the experts. It just took me awhile to figure out who the experts were."

Be Honest, How Many Sizes Do You Keep In Your Closet?

This is NOT just a question posed for women. Men over 30, I am talking to you too. You know you keep those old jeans around out of nostalgia, in the hopes that the beer belly you gradually have acquired gets tapered down from all those sporting activities you still partake in. (Okay, that last comment was directed specifically at my husband!)

As for women, I am among the legions who hold on to favorite items of clothing even though those cute clothes are a size (or two) down.

After my divorce many years ago, I didn't have any appetite and lost quite a bit of weight. I was beginning to look like Tori Spelling or Lindsey Lohan until I took a good look in the mirror and started forcing food down my gullet. Since this was also the era of dating for me, I bought some really cute small dating type outfits.

And then I met my husband and in my contented state, I gained a bit of weight - back to my normal, before divorce size, and then some.

Lately, as I have dealt with the wonderful side effects of low estrogen amounts due to menopause, I have been fighting weight gain in a targeted area that I never experienced before, necessitating a different pants size. I didn't want to go there, but comfort is more important than a number, right?

So if you take a stroll through my ridiculously sized master closet that I don't even have to share with my husband because he has his own walk-in closet, you will see the various remnants of my assorted sizes. Up, down, and all around.

SIDE NOTE ABOUT MY CLOSET: I bought a home that was custom built by a man who owned a chain of clothing stores, who was obviously obsessed with closet space. So I have more closet space and built-ins than any three normal houses put together. Factoid: my own master closet- square-footage size, is larger than my entire bedroom of the rowhome that I grew up in. (Oh, how far I have come from my humble beginnings, just based on the closet/room size.)

Getting back to sizes and numbers, I have fluctuated between slim and average since I passed the age of 30. (However, if I compare myself to French women, it is more than average.)

So there are several sizes currently languishing in my closet, waiting for that magical time when I will return to my skinnier self and be able to wear them again. Will they still be in style then? Doubtful. So why exactly am I holding on to them?

I probably wouldn't mind wearing all of the higher number, since most of what I bought in it is black. (Sooo slimming, don't you think?)
I almost think I am ready for elastic at the waistband. I mean, is it just for retirees in Florida or can I go for that at my age?

But there's my mother who thinks if you are more than a size zero, you are too fat.

Picture me at my most emaciated looking due to "divorce-diet"and my mother's comment: "You look great!" Everyone else's comment: "You look emaciated! Eat a sandwich!"

Then picture me as a big-boned girl at 5' 7" height looking quite slim. My mother's comment: "Don't gain any more weight!" (that's an order!)

Finally, picture me most recently. My mother's comment: "You've gotten puffy."

It's not just my mother's comments, (In the past had I been vulnerable for an eating disorder those comments certainly would have put me over the top)

Everyone seems to comment on weight, as I described in my past blog, "Weight! Keep that Compliment to Yourself!"

I recently connected and visited with a childhood friend who lives far away and who just went through a divorce with the resulting weight loss.

Me, as I am stuffing my face with a delicious brie and asparagus omlette: "I am resigning myself to the menopausal weight gain."

My friend as she delicately takes bird-like bites of egg whites: "At our age we have to watch every single morsel that goes into our mouths."

Me (not expressing, but just thinking I just don't want to live that way.) "Sigh."

I blame the media in large part for making women feel like they have to be stick thin. I long for the days of voluptuous women like Marilyn Monroe who were the beauty standard. Look at what Britney Spears and Jessica Simpson go through in a very public way. Neither are anywhere near fat, but each couple of pounds they may gain is scrutinized and they are then called fat.

In the meantime, with my own fluctuations, I guess it is wise to keep a few of the sizes in my closet. Comfort is key.

So I am curious and I pose this question to both men and women: How many sizes do you have in your closet? Do you fluctuate and really use all those sizes, or do you keep the lower numbers for nostalgia?

More on diet and depression

Here’s a new study from England which links eating a lot of processed foods with an increased risk for depression. Interesting findings! It seems the Mediterranean diet is the way to go!

The Athens Storytelling Festival

What a good time! Storytelling by some of the best tellers in the country, music by one of my favorite folk musicians, attentive audiences and a welcoming, supportive community. What's not to like?

The festival is set up in the middle of the downtown district. One of the streets around the courthouse square was closed, and a huge circus-type tent erected on the street.

The Storytelling Store and Headquarters for the festival was located in the Boys and girls Club on the same block, allowing attendees to easily get their tickets and shop for books and CDs. The whole festival is a compact, well-organized event. Merchants support it with advertising and promotions; the mayor, state representatives, police and other agencies offered financial and logistics support.

Even Sponge Bob was there to support storytelling (actually, I think he was a Halloween decoration, but who's to say?)

Best of all, the community came out in large numbers to attend the sessions. Even this one, early Saturday morning when it was pretty cold and damp, had a good crowd. On the stage is Bil Lepp, West Virginia's best liar. Bil draws large crowds wherever he goes, and Athens was no exception.

Not all of the audience was local, though--some came from as far away as California. That speaks to the growing reputation of this festival. Its easy access, friendly town, and informal atmosphere all go a long way to making people feel comfortable and welcome.

I have no photos of me on stage, or even with the headline tellers! Larry was busy listening and so was I. But I did get one photo of me with the person who made my time in Athens smooth and problem-free. Nanci is a school media specialist and her care and attention to my needs was something special. All of those involved with the festival were the same, going out of their way to make things as easy as possible for the storytellers.

And....

they sent us home with a gift bag of mementos of Athens, including a signed, numbered and framed print of an original artwork depicting the downtown area. Not to mention an inscribed Case pocket knife, honey, soap, goat cheese, and more.

I don't have any photos of the ghost stories evening, either! It rained by the buckets, the wind whipped, and the camera and umbrella were in the car. So, no photos. But the audience stayed on to listen to the tales until 11:30 pm, and perhaps the weather only added to the atmosphere for ghostly tales. My West Virginia ghost stories seemed to be the kind they were looking for--some were a little gory, all were based on a reportedly true occurrence, and all were spooky enough to send people out with a little shiver that wasn't due to the cold rain. I added a couple ballads to spice it up and many people commented on how much they enjoyed them.

We came home Saturday afternoon, driving across Tennessee and Kentucky as the day turned to night and a full moon shone through drifting clouds, a perfect Halloween night. If the spirits were afoot, I did not see them. Perhaps I was just too tired, or perhaps it was because we were talking all the way home about the festival, the stories we'd heard and the people we'd met.

Average Jane on Weird Song Covers

At breakfast yesterday with my husband (okay, I'll admit it: we had "breakfast" at 12:30 p.m. and it was pizza), we were listening to the classic rock music pumped over the restaurant's sound system and talking about songs that would...