She's In A Skirt!

Another week has zipped by! I keep thinking I'm getting energy back, but it leaves quickly. We went to a party at Hattigrace's last night, there were two birthdays to celebrate, Hattigrace's beautiful daughter, Eliana and our beautiful steadfast Amanda - oh I wish I were as young as they are, only knowing what I know now! By the way, this is one of the rare times anyone has seen me in a skirt!

We had a great time. Many years ago I used to cook from the "Fit for Life" cookbook. For last night, I resurrected a "Mediterranean Salad." It was so refreshing and I'm getting ready to make a second go around of it for supper tonight. "H" is sleeping soundly in his pre-bed time nap mode. It is dark (AGAIN!) and rainy. The kind of day one wants to put on "Rainy Night in Georgia" music, sip something good, and read a great book.

Oh, ick, September in Pensacola. We have a cold front coming - clear down to 76 centigrade next week - I'm not yet ready to give up summer tan. Miss Meowi sleeps quietly next to me - she's always next to me anymore, and Psycho too must be sleeping somewhere. Maybe that is not too bad of an idea.

Our next party is going to be a circus party to celebrate a friend's birthday. We are supposed to be in costume. I'm thinking maybe we'll go as zebras.....????? Any better ideas? I would like to do something from the circus era of the 40's or early 50's before side shows were banished - although I am certainly not a proponent of side shows - but it was an era.....I can still twist my arms to their opposite positions and turn one foot backwards......if my feet would tolerate 5 inch heals I would LOVE to go as The Tall Lady!

Next Sunday night we are having an art gathering....do I ever quit playing? No, I play hard, work hard, think hard, and then collapse! Live life with gusto I say!

Legendary War between CIA and FBI

Under any circumstances torture is not acceptable - and is against Geneva Conventions and UN regulations as well - but this little excerpt made me realize that Washington can turn ANYTHING into politics -

Also today, the Obama White House created a new unit that will report to FBI Director Robert Mueller and follow the Army's policies that prohibit waterboarding, effectively removing the CIA from the al Qaeda interrogation business. Mueller and his agents were the first and strongest internal objectors to the CIA's interrogation tactics.

So, one can conclude the legendary war between the CIA and FBI has been playing a part in all this stuff going on about US treatment of war prisoners....the FBI has apparently pulled off a grab that it has long desired! That's not all that needs to be addressed obviously, but . . . .

I wonder if this will only affect operations against al Qaeda? Or is it another power grab of FBI. FBI has an interesting history . . . . Hmmmmm.......

Great Saturday!

First, Saturday started with shopping at the Farmers Market, gathering up tomatoes and eggplants, then for bagels and muffins at a shop overlooking the Gulf. Huge, soft bagels - !!!!


Then a tour through the historic part of town, with a vow to walk it on another Saturday.


My friend and an art teacher as well has new studio space in the historic district and is doing some marvelous things with encaustic. Oh, I wish for a go at the lush medium!


More encaustics


Courtyard in historic area of town, next to studio.

Was a great day. Then I tried water aerobics at a party Sat. night that had various health modules, and today I have hardly been able to walk. :( Hope to pull out of this soon! Do not twist your back, even under water, if you have disc problems!

A friend at the party wanted to know if my husband minded me leaving him for a fun night and I said, no, honey, I left him with a nude charcoal drawing of himself and left him, a very happy man.....yeh, it was a good Saturday.

Still cooking...

Yum, "h" brought home some fish - grouper, mahi mahi and flounder. It was all exquisite in its own way. I used cajun seasoning, but I think that went best with the grouper. I would maybe in the future do something clean and citrusy with the mahi mahi - and teh flounder would use herbs maybe. But it was delicious anyway. This week I'm eating black beans at least once a day. And lots of salad.

Tonight fixed "H" sandwiches on toasted thick buns, with grilled vegetable - tomatoes, avocado, onions, basil drilled with olive oil....he said they were incredible.

When will this cooking binge end? Went to Farmers Market today - was disappointed. Got some good egglplant, but tomatoes too expensive and not organic. But it was nice strolling through the park.

Thoughts from the Swampland

Ninety percent humidity and temperature. So go our days now, probably until the end of September. But its not long till then. Everything feels like the swamp. Its been a weird and short summer, partially due to me being in Wyoming for a month - and it wasn't really summer there - it was sort of like a crisp fall in the mornings and the nights.

I'm sorting - our garage - well the piles have gone from "I can't see over the tops of the junk" to being able to see across to the door. I am making room to stack MORE boxes for a garage sale. Grandson has happily been sorting in anticipation of a sale. Sadly school is starting Monday. My heart is concerned for him - he goes from secure grade school to middle school, changing classes, concerns over bathrooms, new rules, many more kids, unknown teachers - he's a worrier like me. I pray for him. He spent a week with me - we were able to see a couple of movies and he played with his friends in our neighborhood before going back to his parents. We had a good time. He also sorted his toys and put some in boxes for garage sale.

So, I started on the study and will go on that one room till finished, then move on to next room. It seems like I have come to an end of sorting endless bowls, drawers, boxes of trinkets and junks and more junks except paperwork. I think it will be the most difficult as there are so many papers to shred in order to make more room. And I need to empty some shelves in grandson's bedroom to move the lego creations to his shelves. I need to empty a filing cabinent to make room for the water business stuff. It seems endless in there.

In true ADD fashion, I've been making headway in all rooms for two years now, never finishing one. A friend suggested I work on one until done! I don't understand why it is taking me forever. This project was started two years ago after my return from Wyoming. But then, considering the shape the house was in, I kind of understand. Stuff crammed everywhere! Two families in one space. And my stamina lasts about 3 - 4 hours for a day, no stamina first year back, spending the first year as a cripple. I lifted mucho boxes in garage the other day - as "H" was spinning wheels, and expected to be laid out flat - and I'm not in much pain, hooray!

I am at a loss about what to do with all of "H's" books. Our house is too small for endless book collection. Which is sad because he loves books so - I am to the point that my love of serenity and order is more important than collecting books - I would rather use the library, and keep a few that I think I might read again, and my art books only. Our bookcases are falling down rickety being double and triple stacked but really sturdy ones cost a mint, if they even make them anymore. I will google.

Neighbor said he would lay the tiles if we wish to get some ceramic tiles. Our carpet is worn out - I think I would rather have laminate, but I have seen some tiles to drool over. We'll see. In this economy its hard to overcome the fear of spending for more than necessities.

Well, this post is a late night, can't sleep (again), ramble.

I've sold all I can, planted all I can in Farm Town.

I LONG for the day I can't just be done with clutter and then paint! I have so many ideas, so many sketches ready.

I Love Food and I Love to Cook

My mother hated cooking and turned the job over to me when I turned 12. The ingredients provided to me were canned, potatoes and meat, usually steak tough and filled with "gristle" which young jaws could not chew. I knew there was MORE - I ventured into baking - one time hiding a failed sponge cake with much fright thinking of the dozen eggs I had used for the doomed project. But pursue I did. I love the colors of cooking, of fresh fruits and vegetables, the tactile creation, the aromas, the tasting for that last bit of perfection. "H" wished for stuffed peppers - he bought home buffalo burger and the peppers. The fun began....

I was taking far too much sensual pleasure in the ultra sharp new knife I have acquired, the nutty smell of the brown rice cooking.....


The finis!

One to son-in-law, one to grandson, three to "H" and the pleasure of creation and a couple of tastes for me!

Home Sweet Home

Finally made it back home. Twelve hours of flying and changing planes. Today I unpacked most of my things. My cell phone had died out there and the replacement Verizon sent was a dud, the next replacement arrived this morning so I took it over to the office and got it setup partially. I have to go back again tomorrow to finish. Then took Grandson to lunch and to a movie, then to Walmart because someone had cleaned the fridge and there was no food. Which was probably good the mysterious cleaner came by because the food probably had rotted.

Our air conditioning had been shut off by "H" so the house smelled like mold, my plants, herbs, and garden were 90% dead, and out of five houseplants, one was still living. I think my letters/bills weren't mailed as I have messages from credit card companies to answer tomorrow. I went through everything today - and its the usual pain in the butt stuff for bills - the orthopedist bill keeps growing although I quit going to him in favor of Tumeric and MSM supplements which work better and even though the insurance company has made two sizeable payments to the bill. Its always something! My gosh - Wyoming is even a communication devoid land along with everything else and leaving anything for someone else to take care of is foolish.

The cats are a nice quiet change from boisterous dogs which I miss, and much less work - except I learned yesterday to never feed a puddy tat butterscotch pudding - had big messes to clean up this morning before pulling all the dead plants and many weeds filling half a big garbage container.

My mother seemed to be doing well - she had jumped into her pickup and took her BF to his physical therapy appointment the day before I left. I then took her to her post surgical appointment. Everything looked good and she doesn't even hardly use a cane. We did a LOT of work, my sister and I, before I left. I think she'll be fine if she doesn't fall. She is in much less pain than before surgery, there will be a couple of months with luck before snow sets in. Glad its done.

I need a bit of time to recuperate - my back is hurting fiercely and I'm completely exhausted. "H" is a bit frustrated with me, but I think as soon as I get some proper rest and try not to use my back much, I will get back to good function again.

Back Home

Twelve hours of flying and switching planes (today) - watching my mother standing at her "picture" window with the three dogs as I leave the driveway - relieved to be going home, sad I'm not around there more - it was a difficult trip even though the surgery went extremely well. One thing I will say for my mother, she was always ageless. Until the past few years, especially from last year's visit to this year's. I did not like the confusion, the anger, and all the other things that are going on. Having elderly is like having kids, you have to let them make choices, in the case of the elderly, if they are at least functioning at a level that they aren't officially incapacitated. You can't "ground" them. It's worse if they seem to be fluctuating between fairly well and borderling incapacitated.

I just need to get some rest, get my routine established again. I have almost nothing left in flower/vegetable bed but weeds and a few tough flowers. Two thirds of my house plants are dead. Oh well. Too tired tonight to even feel ad about it. Grandson perched here again - his school starts way too soon.

My cell phone has been defunct for at least four days - maybe five. When i get this fixed, I hope this fuzz will be out of my head and I hope by Friday to be able to catch up with everyone! I don't know if this makes sense, I'm too tired.

Dog Days

Anyone who wants to laugh, may. If there were no possibilities of humor in my misadventures, then I would be jumping off the side of the mountain.

Two more days till my sister comes. The moods have improved some - but wow - not enough. I do still have concerns about her staying by herself considering the layout of the house and everything - esp. the dog care. A 2,000 mile spread is pretty far away if she needs help. So far efforts to set up some sort of services have met with scorn and continued griping about how "no one ever helps" and "why does this always happen to me" - not being able to see that house upkeep comes with a house, the operations come with life, that at 83, she actually has a better consitution than I do. I have been freaking not being able to wash my food like a racoon with my special water - and the hygiene at the house, taking every capsule I can think of to keep my immunity functioning.

Going on a road trip Friday noon to Sat. noon - picture taking - filming perhaps - much needed break. I'm well aware that whatever I leave behind temporarily will be snooped through thoroughly - I thinks I will put a mouse trap in one of the compartments of my suitcase.....

I have done my own snooping with permission through the drawers in the dresser in the bedroom I sleep in - its been very very hard - she wanted me to empty my son's dresser in the garage and I opened the first drawer and was overwhelmed with the desire to fold his things neatly and tenderly - and immediately closed it before I became overwhelmed with grief I can't afford to deal with right now. I found an old packet of letters I sent her from Baltimore many many years ago - probably around 1966 - I will have to publish excerpts - will do - much pathos, but many laughs in them too....at the absurdity of life situations.

Well, my grocery basket is looking at me - I should check out - just not ready to go back to the house yet....