tag

Now usually I cannot stand tags.
I cut them out of all of my clothing immediately.
Oh, but this is a different tag, huh.
Okay, I will play then...

I was tagged via Elfgirl, *smile* .
This is so strange but kinda neat.
I am just not a very busy blogger.
I try to visit others' reads but do not get too far.
So, I will attempt to play this game and perhaps correctly per the rules, which are:

' The rules: Each player answers the questions about themselves. At the end of the post, the player then tags 5-6 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know they’ve been tagged and asking them to read your blog. Let the person who tagged you know when you’ve posted your answer' .

Here goes then...


#1. What was I doing 10 years ago?

First and foremost , I was looking forward and anticipating 8 years into the future when I would meet my awesome husband of today (actually we think we met when we were both 18. We both took our class of 89 trips to Fl. during same month, same beach, and most likely same hotel).

Let's see, at 27 I was in the beginning stages of finding myself and learing about life. I was venturing out and trying new hobbies, learning my likes and dislikes.
I was living in my first apartment.
I had my first kitty cat that was all mine!
My mom and I were becoming good friends.
My little brother was 8 and we shared alot of sweet time together.
I bought my first car that had payments on it.

I enjoy who I am at 37 (now) so much more than at 27. Age does bring wisdom.
I have grown into who I am now.


#2. What are five things on my to-do list today?

a)perhaps move brush in backyard
b)start(thinking about)painting fence
c)laundry
d)continue socializing the kittens
e)finish answering these questions

**My favorite thing however is hugging and kissn on my hubby! Every day.**


#3. Snacks I enjoy?

a)my personal custom trail mix: walnuts,almonds, bannana chips and cheese-its
b)my blender'shake': strawberries and bannanas w/ soy milk and water
c)chips and salsa
d)periodic chocolate (duh)


#4. Things I would do if I were a billionaire?

a)build a real big garage for my husband and get him a new big truck
b)buy my little brother a house
b)pay off our mortgage/debt
c)help out my two cousins
d)donate to wildlife welfare


#5. Places I have lived?

a)indiana (various cities)
b)west virginia
c)jakarta, indonesia
d)california (various cities)
e)euclid, ohio
f)arlington, texas
g)oahu, hawaii
h)portland, oregon
i)bolder, colorado
j)flemingsburg, kentucky
k)washington d.c.
l)rockford, illinois

The above are places I can remember and had a residence (but there may be a couple I am forgetting to include).
Thruout my life other places have been visited which include london, hong kong, singapore, the islands of bali and pula puetre, most of the southern states, canada.
The majority of these places were seen by me before I was a teenager and no I was not a military child.
My current residence is Kentucky. I have been around the world and back and it is this small country town of 3300 that is my favorite. I am so happy to be settled!
We want to see Montana together , which my husband and I are planning.


#6. Jobs I have had?

a)subway
b)fireworks
c)college work study
d)mortgage loan processor
e)(independent) loan processor
f)preschool teacher
g)(pca) pension compliance analyst
h)church missions organizer
i)data entry
j)legal sec.
k)admin. assist/customer serv.
l)office manager


#7. Peeps I want to know more about?

Honestly from the short list of blogs I have visited I do not know who has or has not recently been tagged, so I apologized it I am retagging.
I will give it a shot:
a)shari
b)zen (blog?)
c)longstmredrose
d)dreambaby
e)gigglebaby

...will need to check cause I do not know if b has blog.

her biggest fan club

Second post today. Wanted to keep this one seperate from previous without combining cause this one is so sweet and needed its own title.

Of my top 5 sweetest things in the world, or as I like to refer to them, 'the parts I like best', this is one of them.

I watch as Mama Kitty walks by thru the living room.
She rounds the corner just feet from the cushioned box that holds her babies.

Kowing they are all sleeping she begins to call and 'check in' .

She pauses, listens, then calls again.

Silence, all kitties are still sound asleep.

She waits, steps closer and calls, this time more profoundly...

A harmonious chorus answers... her built-in fan club.
Six mini-me's cheering her on, closer to them.

'thud', Mama kitty has entered the box and begins nursing.

The cheers dwindle down into soft purrs. This is a chorus of love that I look forward to hearing each day...and each day the harmonious chorus grows more exact and more familiar to those who listen.

quick note

Gosh, I have not posted much new for a bit...writers fog.

We have been busy here working on preparations for our back patio as we are adding a retaining wall to encompass pouring (some additional) cement (to add on to our patio).
To sum that up, we are working out back!

Our humming bird is in full buzz this morning, taking nectar from the newly bloomed vine. I always enjoy watching this bird as it vibrates its wings 1,000 times a second and its' extended pointy nectar sucker pokes at each petal.
It never stops amazing me.

good things, come in small packages...

This past weekend was my little brothers high school graduation. Our family reunited for this event. This time spent together was wonderful, and I write:

We may be small in quanity
but we are big in quality

we may be land apart
but we feel close in thought

we may be learning to gather
but are familiar old souls

we may be of a variety
but we are a variety of one

we may question ideas
but answers stay real

we may have felt loss
but appreciation we have gained

we may have seen accomplishments
but we remember to be thankful

we may not reunite enough
but we are united within

we may know love differently
but we love the same

we may be only a handful big
but, good things come in small packages , we...

...we are our family...unique, caring, big hearted and absolutely terrific!

Eight Belles

When I first read what had happened at this years KY Derby, I was numb. The reaction from my heart up out of my mouth was, ' see!... see what people do to animals just for personal 'prestige' and just to make money, it is not right... what is wrong with these people!! ..."

I think this article below from the Peta files says it best.

accredited soley to 'Peta Files', Kentucky Derby Horse Killed in Front of Thousands:

" With the shock of Barbaro's death after the 2006 Preakness still fresh in their minds, the Kentucky Derby crowd saw for themselves the sordid truth about what racing means for the horses involved last night, as the filly Eight Belles was killed after collapsing on the track.

This young filly's death may have been humane, but the race sure wasn't. PETA is calling for the immediate suspension of jockey Gabriel Saez—who whipped Eight Belles mercilessly as she came down the final stretch, no doubt in agony from two front legs that were about to snap.
While the trainers, jockeys, and owners may weep their crocodile tears today over Eight Belles' euthanasia, they will be back on the track tomorrow, putting other horses at risk. Thoroughbreds are raced on hard dirt surfaces—like the one at Churchill Downs. Their bones simply can't take it, as Eight Belles' two broken front legs showed last night. Despite the wealth associated with thoroughbred racing, for the horses—most of whom end up broken, cast off, or sent to Europe to be killed for the dinner table—it's a dirty business and no better than dogfighting " .


sidenote- personaly, I would have gladly stood in and taken her whipping so she would not have had to feel that pain as well. Thanks for reading.

ROMEO's LAW

I wanted to make sure I posted this to remind everyone of this matter.

"Romeo survived a horrible beating last year.
The bill named for him will make punishment stiffer for crimes against animals" .
-exerpt taken directly from the Commonwealth Journal:

Romeo's Law is passed

accredited to SUSAN WHEELDON, commonwealth journal

Somerset — “I think it is a step in the right direction for the State of Kentucky.”

Those were the words of Courtney Girdler, who is a board member of the Pulaski County Humane Society, about the passage of the amended Romeo’s Law.

Romeo, a Yellow Labrador, was caught on tape being attacked, and, following the Pulaski County criminal case which caught state-wide attention, legislators brought a bill named after Romeo to this year’s legislative session to make crimes against animals have harsher punishments.

The bill initially would have changed all crimes of animal cruelty to a Class D felony, from a class A misdemeanor. However, the bill which passed in the last few minutes of this year’s legislative session was revised so the penalty would be a class A misdemeanor if a dog or cat suffers physical injury as a result of the offense and a class D felony if a dog or cat suffers serious physical injury or death as a result of the offense. The bill also requires forfeiture of ownership of the animals and restricts future ownership of animals in cruelty and torture cases.

The bill — SB-58 — passed 92-0 in the house and 31-2 in the senate Tuesday evening.

“Although it wasn’t exactly the original (bill), I do feel that it is a start,” said Girdler. “It definitely should make people think before they abuse an animal. ... I don’t think (the bill) is so watered down that (it) won’t matter.”

Representative Jimmy Higdon said though he missed the vote, he had received a lot of calls from people in favor of the bill.

However, Higdon noted, the compromise was made after a lot of opposition from hunting groups who had concerns with the bill. Higdon said he had some concerns about the original bill after several people spoke to him about it, but he believes with the revisions the bill ended up being a pretty good one.

“I think everybody really wanted to see something done to prevent what happened with Romeo,” said Higdon. “I think it was a good compromise.”

Representative Ken Upchurch, who voted in favor of the amended version of Romeo’s Law, said the language that was used in the bill is comparable to that used if a human is assaulted.

“I think the compromise that was reached was a reasonable compromise for (the crime of) cruelty to animals,” said Upchurch.

Girdler said she was very touched to see so many people throughout the state supporting the bill of legislation.

“It was just overwhelming the number of people that came out for the rally and showed their support and the number of e-mails and phone calls that took place because of this bill and trying to get it passed,” said Girdler.

And though so many legislators had said they would pass the bill if it got called to the floor, Girdler said, their fear was that it wouldn’t be called.

“It’s good to know that there have been so many people speak on behalf of a Pulaski County pup that can’t speak for himself,” said Girdler.

“While what happened to him was horrible, he is doing great now and something really good has come out of it,” she added.

Girdler said she and the Pulaski County Humane Society would like to thank all those who supported the bill and called their legislatures in support of Romeo’s law.

7 plus 30?

After reading my 'the good stuff' list (bottom right column) a lifelong friend of mine , some 30 yrs, emailed me reminiscing of things we found to be the good stuff at say, age 7. Later suggesting I add to blog.

Hold up, did I say 30 years... Good grief.

So, one of the things we recalled was the slogan 'flic my bic' which we used to repeat continuously as we walked up and down the neighborhood street.

Then there was the caterpillars , the big fuzzy ones, you know the kind. She recalls we would look for them in the curb of the street. I remember it was like finding treasure.

To this day I still rescue them when I find them curled up on a high ledge or inconvient location carefully placing them back onto safe out of the way ground.

Then of course, the helicopters. You know the ones falling from the trees right now.

Funny how some of the good stuff at 7 still holds true.

...do you hear a humming?

Yesterday as I was tending to the flower bed I turned to water the small willow tree (variance of) we have planted as well. It is the coolest kindof tree my husband got for us last year. This trees branches wind around and grow back into the ground.

So there I was watering it and I noticed on the top branch...a nest. The smallest most itty bitty cutest little nest.

Today I showed it to my husband. He leaned in to look at it and discovered it is a Humingbirds nest and there is one little egg! The egg is about the size of a tiny jelly bean. The inside of the nest is little fine hairs. We made sure NOT to touch it.

This has got to be one of the neatest things ever.

What an unexpected and rare find. I feel blessed to have such a sweet little home nestled outside within our tree.

We now need to get a Humingbird feeder and place it outside our kitchen window.


(sidenote and final update per ' birdies' post, see older post of the other nest) I went to check and remove the nest of the birdies (see older post) that did not make it and found they had been covered up with nesting as a blanket. I believe that mama bird knew they had passed on and came back to bury them. It broke my heart. She came back because she knew what had happened and needed to say her goodbyes (for now) as she covered them up, tucking them in for the night.
This quietly shows what I already intuitively know and that is wildlife, animals, all of Gods creatures do understand on a deeper level and they too have feelings and emotions.
She did not require an audience for there was no showing, funeral or reception, just a mother bird letting her young ones go in the still of the moment.
How very humbling and courageous. On that level, it does not get much more real than that.
She has my respect, not that she needed it.

'this too shall pass'

Flipping thru the pages of a magazine I came across an article that caught my attention.

It read something like this, " you know you have reached a higher level of maturity when you can grasp the concept ' this too shall pass ' which your mother tried to teach you since you can remember " , also inferring pick what is important and what is not for 'in the scheme of things' is this really going to matter down the road...

I knew this concept all too well as my own mom preached this motto. Seeing it on the pages of a magazine brought a knowing smile to my face.

I always knew my mom was a wise woman and her motto would one day be heard by many.

...your insight lives on.

a real bark ?

(our pug doesn't 'bark' persay, it is more of a squeeky thing, or so I thought)

My better half and myself were out on our back porch this evening, it was late and dark outside.
Our pug is wandering around further down in the yard.
We are enjoying the quiet of this country night, looking at the stars.

A dog starts barking.
It is a deep, loud bark so I am wondering what other dog has found its way onto our yard.

I ask my husband , 'what dog is barking down there ' ?

He replies, 'thats our dog ' .

Confused I say, ' our dog has a real bark ' ?

To which he replies, 'I picked it up at the store today ' .

'Can we mute her' I wonder ?

' jora's lournal '

...yeh, you read it correctly, it says, 'jora's lournal '. It is an inside joke with myself. Sporadic dyslexic humor. If you cannot poke fun at yourself , well you know the saying.
This may have been runner up for my blog title however I felt others may see it and leave thinking they had stumbled upon a foriegn blog.
Unless of course you are a fellow frequent letter switching, backwards reader, not unlike myself per above self proclamation, then you would have initially read it correctly and my blog would soon find itself host to nothing but a group of fellow dyslexics.

That could get interesting.

I see said the 'deaf' girl

I feel bad about titling anything with a handicap reference but once you read you will understand my sarcasm.
Once (okay, perhaps twice) a week I will treat myself to a small soda.
I have been going to Arby's (free plug). We just got one put in !
Anyways, this is the same script each and every time I pull up:

' can I help you '
' yes, I just need one small pepsi please, and that is it '
' one small pepsi, will that be all ? '
(short pause on my behalf)
' yes, that is it '
'thank you, please drive up '

A few days later, same drive up:
' can I help you '
' yes, I just need one small pepsi please, and that IS all '
' one small pepsi, will that be all ? '
(much longer pause on my behalf)
' yes, that IS it '
'thank you, please drive up '

Later that week:
' can I help you '
' yes, just one small pepsi'
' one small pepsi, will that be all ? '

(OH GOOD GRIEF LADY)

Now, at this point I am staring straight ahead, shaking my head in utter confusion for her. Was there an echo contest going on I did not know about? Do people just not care to listen to the simplest of things anymore.

I purposely pause for a good 10 seconds thinking perhaps this will teach her to think before mindlessly repeating the obvious.
' yep ', I reply.

I think my next visit to that drive up I will change my order to,
' one Frosty please ' .

Mr. Sombrero

Okay, on average bugs do not scare, frighten or alarm me. They too share this earth with us and are entitled to their rights to survive.
That reminds me, when I was a child of about 6 I recall running inside after having been outside roller skating in the back yard. I exclaimed, ' can we be arrested for accidentally skating over ants ' ? To which, of course, the answer was, ' ah, nooo ', and I was relieved.
Anyhow, there is just one exception to my no fear policy and that would be any spider that is big enough to grow a mustache and wear a sombrero.
Last week my attention was diverted to Stripes (our male cat). He was pawing at something within the shower.
I had to peek around the shower door to see what was going on. He is always first in line for bug swatting so I knew it was probably a fly or something of that nature.
All I can say is that what I saw peering back up at me could have passed for something you would see puffing on a cigar and adjusting its top hat, it had that much oomph !
Okay, so it wasn't a tranchula but it was a close cousin. Okay, okay, a distant cousin but he could have served a whole flock of whatever the heck eats them.
Now, I do not encourage overpowering any other life form, but come on, it was me or Mr. 'In My Shower and Far Too High on the Food Chain', so, well you get the drift. I usually grab a napkin , scoop up the critter and free it outside.
I could not even phathom holding onto this one long enough to take even one step without freaking out fearing it was crawlin up my arms with combat boots on or sprouting wings and nesting on my forehead. Really like I said, it was meaty!
The part that really made me, the human, look desperate was when I reached under the counter for bug spray and found, well, Wd-40.
Just wanted to plug that, to my surprise, it works just fine for household emergencies.
So, it was goodbye to the sombrero man, whose last vision was a cats paw while he was probably thinking
' wtf is this lady spraying at me ' ?
I am sorry spider but any of you guys who are bigger than a half dollar sends me into psychosis.
Should any members of your cult show up I will be armed this time with...windex.

Needless to say his sombrero, bow tie, tap dancing days are in the past. I am sorry Mr. Spy, but I got spooked. Stupid human, I know.

The Kitchen Table

I wrote this short practice piece a few months back from a situational idea offered for an online writing contest. I tried it and wrote the following. I was weary to mail it in however, afterall it was an online gig.
So, I am including it here.

Self accredited.
*disclaimer: unpublished,do not copy.

Situation- A character walks into the kitchen and notices something that should not be on or at the kitchen table. What is it?

Her name is Gerdi, and she is a 76 year old widower, mother of two and grandmother of four.
Why do I tell you her history, because it is her past that she cannot recall.
She was diagnosed with Alziemers and has trouble understanding why every time she sits down to eat dinner at the kitchen table there is something there that shouldn’t be, and it is a family.
For it is at this very moment, every day at precisely 6:30 p.m. she finds herself surrounded by the same four people who at no other point in the day did she recognize.
Once the clock ticked past the half hour mark and she was seated at the table, it was like she was treated to a reunion with them, these familiar strangers her mind had misplaced during the day and again mysteriously after leaving the table.
These four people delighted her. At first, when she noticed them , she felt startled but now she found amusement in their ways.
The woman she would bond with during these dinners (and came to recall) was her only daughter. Gerdi thought she was the oddest of the four. She was always on her feet serving everyone and peering over her mothers shoulder, asking ‘ mom, do you need anything, more milk or second helpings perhaps’.
Gerdi would just giggle and say, ‘ sit down dear, you are making my head spin for God’s sake’.
Then there was the large, dark eyed gentlemen who sat across from Gerdi, gazing at the newspaper. He was so very quiet and reminder her of a panda bear because of his very wide and circular eyes. Eyes that gazed at her with love and made her feel safe.
Her daughter loved this man deeply, which became obvious to her each night around this time. The two shorter and much louder people who always showed up this time of the day, she came to recall as her twin grandsons. She got the biggest kick out of them because it was these two boys who reminded her of her past. 'Ah, grams, don’t you remember the day you yelled at us for running on your carpet after you had tidied it with your rake', or the one she found most interesting was, 'Grams, I am the one who called papa at work and told him to get home because you fell and broke your hip'.
It was comments like this that made Gerdi feel human again and happy that she could still give her family memories to chuckle about and laughter to giggle through as they bonded once again.
After she took her final bite for the evening, laid her fork on her plate, and excused herself from the table (as she retired to bed) she looked back over her shoulder and said the only thing that made sense to her now, ‘same time, same place tomorrow’, as she raised her hand in acknowledgment.
As she left the room, her daughter, son-in-law and grandsons exchanged the same knowing looks as was done each time grandma excused herself for the night.
You see come morning, Gerdi will have forgotten. And, this part of the day was hard for everyone. But, these people who sat by her side every night for dinner, knew that come 6:30 p.m., for some unknown reason Grandma would return not only to the kitchen table , but to her family for one whole hour.
You see, it was the same kitchen table that her very own husband had hand carved out of barn wood 50 years ago. It was this kitchen table that she and the love of her life ate their first meal together from, and this very table where they celebrated many anniversaries.
So, even though Gerdi has a bad memory, her senses are in tack and her spirit remembers the feel of her family.
Knowing this, it makes perfect sense why, then, when Gerdi enters the kitchen for dinner each night, her soul remembers the one thing her memory does not and that is the years of love she had surrounding that table.
The family that sits at it each night, in her mind, does not belong there, but it is love that brings her home.

newborn birdies found nested within our grill *update*

*update*
Some, if not all, did not survive.
We went to look at them today and there lay three of them.
Something (another bird) must have squezzed in thru the hole and got to them because the way we found them in was not good.
I think there were five born so perhaps mama took two to safety.
I am really upset about this. I just do not understand life sometimes. Why don't they get a chance to live? Why! They were all nestled in their comfy nest and then everything changed in a horrifying way, I can only imagine. It just is not fair. Innocent lives just starting out, gone. There are murderers and rapists walking the streets, yet these little lives were literally eaten away within a week. I understand the survival of the fittest and the food chain, but my heart aches for the ones who had to suffer that way. I just don't understand.
It take me back to when we lost some of the kittens from the last litter. It is called fading kitten syndrome, but I call it complete heartbreak.

Thank you honey.

He really is the best husband.
I wuv you too!
Like he mentioned, we were able to make the mound of old house mixed in with dirt dissapear. Yay!
For those who have forgotten or do not know, we have been remodeling our house for one year now. With every piece of floor we lay, every pile of debris we move, and every room we clear out and make ours we are one step closer to finishing our home. By summers end we should be there.