Morning Coffee

I listen to music when I'm working. My husband's computer is only about 10 feet to my right and he doesn't always appreciate my musically choices so I use headphones. I took them off when I went to refill my coffee and when I got back Jinx was in the process of getting tangled up into them. When I untangled him he gave me this "woman, what are you doing?" look. I had a London radio station playing, guess at least he appreciates my taste in music!

Merry Christmas!

I can't believe it's here. This year has been a wild ride and I really hope the road winds even more in 2014. I can't wait to see what's behind the next turn!

May the coming year be full of joy in the small things, peace in your spirit and love to surround you. May your highs be many and your lows be few! My love to you all! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Today's Observation

Today's observation: Really smart people rarely have any common sense. (and then take it out on other people when things don't work out.)

My Life The Last Two Days!

You would think we live high in the mountains where snow means being stuck for weeks. Instead, we live in an area where, even at it's worst, the snow plows do a pretty good job. The last time I got snowed in and couldn't get the car out for a week was in 1982. But people totally freak out. Our forecast calls for (maybe) a few inches of snow over the next few days. The bigger threat is ice, and I think if that was going to happen it would have happened this morning. It didn't. I was stuck standing at the register all day today. I don't do well standing in one spot--I'm a bit fidgety and need to move around. Hopefully tomorrow everyone will have calmed down. Fingers crossed! Stay safe and warm, where ever you are!

The Peanut Butter Solution

I've lost weight. More than I ever thought I would or could. I quit eating bread. I quit eating sugar. Quite frankly, I quit eating just about everything for a little while there. I was quite happy with yogurt, bananas, powerade and popcorn. Okay, I wasn't quite that bad, but close. I made it through the crisis and got the weight loss stopped. I never thought I would have a hard time stopping.  I'm happy where I am now and hopefully will be able to maintain it. (The Holiday's worry me a bit--customers bring  us plates of sweets and they get left back in our break area. During the nice weather I've sat outside during my breaks to distance myself from temptation; that's become difficult with the cold weather!) Anyway, back to the point of this little narrative. When I quit eating bread, I quit eating butter. Which was my biggest fat source. Somehow I missed the memo that said if you suddenly cut fat, your follicles go dormant and your hair falls out! Everything I read said maybe it'll come back, maybe it won't. I didn't have alot to start with. No, I didn't go totally bald, but I was starting to worry. I added peanut butter to my diet-- good fat! I do seem to be getting some back, so fingers crossed. For some reason, people have just noticed and I can't tell you how many times in the last few weeks I've been asked if I was sick. I think I'm going to start giving people puppy dog eyes and a little smile and not say anything! Small town like this- the stories could get good. Hell, they might have a benefit for me!

Good News!

I just read that The Freedom To Marry bill is headed to Governor Quinn's desk and he promised to sign it. Yeah, my State is actually doing something right!

How Is It Already November?

I bought this lawn chair at an auction two months ago for $2.00. I used to have one that we got as a Wedding gift 25 years ago and I hunted and hunted for it in the garage until my husband told me it fell apart a couple of years ago. (I don't remember it falling apart--I bet it's up in the rafters and he just didn't want to get up and find it!) Anyway, I bought this chair. Almost every evening after work, I've sat in it, catching the sun shine that hits perfectly there at 4 p.m., popped a Corona, put in my earplugs and read for about a half-hour before going in and starting dinner. Well, I think we're done for the season and I see withdrawal in my immediate future. I usually look forward to early Winter, shorter days, cozying up with a blanket on the couch with a cup of hot tea watching TV or reading. This year I'm dreading it. I'm not ready for cold weather. I just want sunshine! I keep thinking I need to put the chair away before we get bad weather, but there has been the occasional nice evening. We got a new schedule at work, tho, so I'm going to be working until 6 p.m. most nights. (That's another story for another time.) I guess I'll fold it up and find a place for it this weekend. And probably cry a little bit.

Happy Birthday, John

I started getting into the Beatles a little less than a year before John Lennon was shot. Who knows how much of a fan I would have become, but I have a tendency to become obsessive about my interests and that event clenched it for me. The fact that there was a plethora of media at my disposal meant that I always had something new to explore at hand. Books and magazines, TV specials, new "unreleased" music. I was young and thought John was God's gift to human-kind and I cried countless tears over the waste of it. I was a total nut-case at times (like when I was in NYC and we drove by the Dakota). It's probably a good thing there wasn't the internet and Tumblr! I think I drove my friends crazy with my obsession. Think how much worse it could have been! (I still have my binder where I stored all the articles and pictures and assorted whatevers I managed to collect!)

Oh, Beer, How I've Missed You!

My drinking habits have become a bit of a joke (literally) over the Summer. I grew up drinking. Some people will understand what I mean and some won't--I suppose it depends on how you grew up. My parents were very social people with a large social circle. It seemed every weekend there was some party going on. I'm not talking about wild drunken debacles (although some of them were!) but parties with lots of food, card games, baseball in the field next to our house, throwing horseshoes in the alley, tons of kids to play with. It just depended on the weather and season. As a kid, it was fantastic! The booze ran freely. As far back as I can remember, I always drank out of my Dad's beer can or sipped whatever Mom was drinking. I grew up on it, I like the taste of it. And during my late teens and early twenties, I was a very heavy drinker-- I could keep up with the boys. I quit drinking when I had kids. Didn't really miss it, most of the time. But my kids are grown and for some reason I've picked up some of my old habits. One night, the Malibu was gone, and, just being stupid, I posted the above line on Facebook. And then another night it was Gin. Then Vodka. Then even Coffee. I got lots of comments and "likes". Each time long elaborate stories got started, highly exaggerated, of course! Not sure why I'm even writing this, just saw that banner on Tumblr and it made me laugh. Now, if you will excuse me, I think I hear a Corona calling my name!

Morning Coffee

Good thing my hand was on the mouse when Jinx decided my wrist made a good pillow-- at least I could still scroll while he napped. I think this proves our cats are a bit spoiled. Of course, I eventually needed more coffee. For that, he had to move!

Found on Tumblr-- Had to Share!

thetimetravelersguidetothegalaxy:

gaaraofsuburbia:

tctisi:

It all makes sense now. Gay marriage and marijuana are being legalized at the same time. 
Leviticus 20:13 says if a man lays with another man, he should be stoned.
We were just misinterpreting it.

WAIT

20:13

2013

My Next Project

 Well, my next project only took a week. We wanted the clock, a prop from The Mighty Boosh shown in the first picture, but couldn't find one like it. The closest we could find shipped from Hong Kong so we decided to see if we could do one ourselves. The husband bought a $4.00 clock he found in the clearance aisle in Menards, took it apart and spray painted the frame (it was originally dark green) and the inside over the numbers.

 I painted the monkey (yes, that is supposed to be an abstract monkey, I believe) and the hands. I realized, too late, I had gotten it a bit small, but I'm still happy with the result. I may try and do another one, just to get the proportions right.

Or, I may not!

TGIF!

Somebody Leaked It!

Wikileaks, maybe?

Coffee! Coffee!

Me, this morning! Why is it, when I have a day off and could sleep in, I can't! I even sat up late last night, writing. And I'm no good at napping. It's going to be a long day!

Rainbow Bird!

 My last home project took 6 months to complete, so I'm proud to say this one only took 3 months! I have collected bird pictures for years, even before we lived in this house. I had them grouped on the dining room wall, like such. Dust catchers, really. I was tired of them. 

 I became a big Peter Max fan in High School--still am. So I decided, as part of my "getting back into Art" mindset, that I would paint something inspired by his peace dove.

 Only, I then saw Noel Fielding's Tiger Spider wall painting and got inspired by the use of color and free form.

This is the blending of the two. The dining room has been a mess all summer, but I'm starting to get everything back where it belongs. I love the free hand look of Noel's work, and tried to get that same feel. Which is good, since my artist skills are never going to be what they were when I was in school! I'm happy with the result, that's all that really matters!

But now I'm catching myself scoping out other walls! Before I'm done, the house is going to look like an art gallery!

   

Morning Coffee!

Roscoe is our problem child these days. I don't know if he is "marking" his territory or just likes to leave messes, but he can't be trusted in the house by himself. So it's a good thing that most of the time he seems perfectly content to be outside. The small Maple in the back yard seems to be his preferred spot at the moment!

Sunflower Days

Even though I got the garden out late, I am finally getting some produce out of it. The green beans have been plentiful, we've had quite a few zucchinis and cucumbers and the popcorn is doing extremely well. On the other hand, the tomatoes haven't done much. Oh, well, that happens. The amazing thing is the sunflowers. This one, in particular. I've never had one get this tall! I wish it showed up a bit better, but green on green is about the only angle I could get! First bad storm with high wind will probably take it down, but the cardinals will like it this winter. If it comes down, I'll just lean it against the fence!

In a Nutshell

My life, for the last two days! We had a power outage Thursday night and the internet was down or just wacky for the last two days. Hopefully today will be better. It's going to take all day just to get caught up! (I'm not sure when I became so dependent on this box, but here I am.)

Pumpkin Power!

I have a small flower bed by the side door that doesn't get much rain, so I usually plant vincas there. This year, since I just didn't seem to have much interest (cold and wet Spring) I stuck some pumpkin seeds there. I didn't expect much. Wrong! Two came up and they are taking over! I don't know if there is any pumpkins in that mess, but I think we might have fried pumpkin blossoms this weekend!

Photo Shoot

 Mom asked me to take the day off and drive her up to her sister's house. This particular sister is also my favorite Aunt. I used to go stay with her during the summers for a few weeks. We've always been very close. I wish everyone had a Favorite Aunt. My uncle, on the other hand, isn't a favorite. Since he was watching Fox News, I thought maybe I would take a walk in the back yard.

A sense of nostalgia washed over me as I walked around, and the realization that there may not be many more years that I will visit here. I had brought my camera with me, so I started snapping pictures, not so much with the idea of finding things of interest to photograph but more as a memory aid to refer to in years to come.

 This is a sample of what I shot. As I walked around I had flash-backs of the times I spent there-- the year my cousin had pet rabbits and we had to fetch them out of the hostas, the year he got a motorcycle and gave me rides at the back of the yard, the times my Aunt and I sat by the apple tree and she told me stories of her childhood.

The memories just flooded through me. This really was my happy place for many years! I'm so glad I took the day off to go.

Morning Coffee

Because my husband and I seem to prefer British comedy, we watch "tv" (or should I say "telly"?) on his computer in the evenings. And we quite often have company. Usually, Jinx paces back and forth between the windows in the room, walking across the desk in front of the monitor. Last night he was pretty good, he laid himself down and stayed for the entire episode. Good cat!

Customer Service: It Gets Worse-- A Little Morning Humor (or is it?)

My husband and I both believe every person should have to work customer service for a couple of years! I about fell out of my chair when the girl mentions hoping the cafe catches fire-- I have that fantasy quite often! Funny and true, all at the same time!

An Excuse to Stay Home From Work?

Wow, I need to clean my desk. Problem is, when I do, it looks like this again within two days. I think that means I spend to much time here!

I'm Going Out To Play

I figure I'm embarrassing my kids, but they're adults now, they can just deal with it!

I'm More of a Fan Every Day!

Feet Are Dragging

The weekend just about killed me--this is just how I feel today. I think it's going to be an early night!

And Then There Were Three (again)

Our old man, Fat Cat, died this morning. He joined our family in February of 1999 and the vet said he was at least 3 years old; so he was at least 17 years old-- I suspect he was older than that. He was great pals with our terrier, Maggie. If she needed to go out, he would come get us. When he thought it was time for her to come back in, the same. He was a "talker"-- we could look him in the eye, talk to him, and he made sounds, not meows, actual sounds, back--he was a regular conversationalist! He's not been well for some time and I suspected that he wouldn't make it thru the Summer.  He has kind of been the daughter's cat, even with her off at college. I told her when she got home that she needed to spend some time with him, just to prepare her. She spends part of her break in Indiana and subsequently spent the last 3 weeks there, plus some traveling. When she got home and saw how bad he was, she blamed me for not taking him to the vet. She is young enough to not realize sometimes there is no cure. They weren't going to make him better. If fact, they probably would have suggested that we go ahead and put him to sleep. I didn't want to do that unless I suspected he was in pain, which he didn't seem to be. (I've had to do that with enough past pets--I just didn't have it in me to do it again unless there wasn't an alternative.) So things have been tense. She's still asleep and I dread having to tell her. My guess is she will head back to Indiana again, which maybe is for the best. Someday she'll realize I wasn't ignoring him, but for now I'll just go with it. It doesn't really upset me--I do remember being young.

Morning Coffee

We could barely get this one to come in and eat for 6 months--now all of a sudden he just wants to be inside all of the time--and in this particular spot. I keep picking him up and tossing his little kitty ass on the floor, but he turns around, gives me the finger, and jumps right back up. I walked in last night to see him sleeping there. I guess if you can't (literally!) beat them ....

"If My Son Were Gay"

I found this on Tumblr this morning and really liked it, so I thought I would share.

“If my son were gay,
I’d slap him
With a nice high five.
Because coming out to your dad,
Takes balls that most men don’t have.
If my son were gay,
I’d beat the hell out of him.
Because he said he was better than me
At Super Smash.
(He basically was asking
For me to kick his ass.)
If my son were gay,
I’d kick him out of the house.
Because why waste June on video games,
When there are sports to be played?
And just because he likes making out with boys,
Doesn’t mean he can’t tackle the shit out of them, too.
If my son were gay,
I’d call him a douche.
But only because this morning,
He ate the last peanut butter cup in the house.
(The jerk knows they’re my favorite.)
If my son were gay,
I’d still give him the talk.
I just wouldn’t have to worry about a baby in nine months.
If my son were gay,
I’d make fun of what he wears.
Because damn, son,
Those heels don’t go with that dress.
If my son were gay,
I’d tell him to be proud.
Because you’re human no matter the gender
On the other side of your mouth.
If my son were gay,
Nothing would be different at all.
Except that twenty years down the line,
I’ll be expecting a handsome son-in-law.”

—	"If My Son Were Gay" - Nishat Ahmed (via sickwithsyllables)

All In A Day's Work

Customer swipes debit card.
Me: I'm sorry, but it comes up insufficient funds.
Customer: That's strange. There should be enough in the account. Should I swipe it again?
Me: Only if you think something has changed in the last 30 seconds.

Morning Coffee

The cats have all been spending the majority of their time outside, but it's been raining all morning and they have all decided it's just too damp for any respectable cat to tolerate. So they are tucked into corners through out the house!

Name Games

I don't know if I'm going through the fabled "mid-life" crisis, or I'm just going a bit mental, but I've not been happy with my life the way it has been the last few years and I waver between totally separating myself from the situation or just making small changes. It seems the small changes are winning, and I find that the "small changes" reflect my much younger self to an extent. The weight loss for one (I've lost 25 pounds! It's amazing how much better I feel!), I'm drawing again, I'm listening to (new to me) music, I'm getting out with my friends occasionally, doing some funky things with my clothes, hair, nail enamel and makeup. And seriously considering changing my name. Not drastically. Just the spelling, really. I mentioned in a past post that people call me Sara, which isn't my name. My first name is actually Sara'Ann, but people can't seem to comprehend that Ann isn't my middle name. My Mom really didn't know what she was doing to me when she named me this. The problems I have had my whole life. She definitely couldn't have foreseen this computerized world we live in. Computers don't like my name. Sometimes I type it and hit enter and it comes up Sara#@&Ann, which is cartoon-speak for SaraDamnFuckingBitchAnn! What I would like to change it to is simply Saran. In fact, to a small amount, I've started using it.  I advise pregnant women, if the subject comes up, to not give their child a strange name or use a strange spelling. It will follow them for the rest of their life. The funny thing, going back to my younger self--there was a time when I had a bit of a split personality, for a period between my late teens and mid twenties. There was the sweet, nice, respectable girl named Sara'Ann and then there was the party girl who was into sex, drugs and rock-n-roll. She was Sara. And I could switch off between the two in an instant. I had two circles of people in my life and the people who knew one personality wouldn't have recognized the other. When I was in one personality I didn't like being called by the other name. I suppose it's a bit like someone calling you by your sibling's name. When I started this blog I was in a rather dark place and my goal was to only put in things I found positive in my life, just to remind myself that there was positive things, I just wasn't seeing them. I don't know what's going to happen in the next year, but I'm setting myself some new goals, giving myself a new name, and considering it a new start!

(The picture, altho not the one I wanted 'cos I can't find it, is Sara. You can tell because of all the liquor on the table!)

Garden Blahs

Somehow, after all of the cold weather and rain we've had this Spring, warm weather finally popped. And so has the flowers, and the grass, and the trees. My allergies haven't hit as hard this year, at least not yet. My worst time is usually when the cottonwoods start dropping their little cotton wads. That should be soon. I'm having a hard time getting interested in gardening this year. Maybe because it's just so late. I usually have my flower beds cleaned up by now, and new plants in the ground. We did manage to get the garden tilled and I got most of it planted over the weekend, but again, I'm not really interested in it. I was about 6 weeks ago, when I normally would have started. Some how, during the delay, I mentally just moved on! Maybe, when the seedlings start coming up, I'll get interested again. I had every intention of cleaning out one of the flower beds and making it into an herb garden, but it's so overgrown now (it's full of perennials)  that I think it'll wait until next year. On the up side, my daughter got home over the weekend and she doesn't know how long she is staying, so I guess I just want to spend my time with her!

Yikes!

Hard to do when you are surrounded by them! (Especially when they live in the same house.) But I try my best to stay "unaffected"!

HA!

Except it lasted more than 2 minutes. Thank goodness I'm over it!

Teetering on the Edge

I've always been on the plump-side. But during College, I did the typical College-girl thing--I quit eating. It wasn't a sudden thing where I decided to quit one morning and just did. Somehow, I gradually cut bits and pieces out of my meals until I was drinking a Coke for lunch and for supper I went to the restaurant where I worked and drank iced tea and ate lemon slices. Of course, I was aided by diet pills--legal speed. I lost weight, and I got a bit sick. It plays havoc with the immune system. Was I anorexic?  By the definition I was. It's a strange thing to go through. And I find myself on that teeter totter again. I spent the months after Christmas baking. A lot. My guys are both slim and need the extra calories just to maintain their weight. It's cheaper to bake than buy. I tried tons of new recipes. They were happy. I gained weight. Something clicked in my head a few weeks ago. This is coming off-- and then some. I mean, really clicked. I'm having a hard time making myself eat. The hollow feeling in the pit of my stomach feels natural-- again. No diet aids, this time, tho. My goal is to eat healthy--I've cut most of my carbs and I'm eating more fruit. It's a challenge, telling myself to eat something instead of telling myself not to eat something.

My Inspiration

This is Noel Fielding and he's the artist that has inspired me to pick up a pencil again. Back in my Art School days I was into artists like Peter Max--very color driven, abstract types of art. I like people who see the brightness of the world, not the dark stuff. I'm not even that interested in fine art. When we go to art museums I find I'm attracted to pieces with lots of color over great detail. I greatly admire artists who can draw so finely that their pictures look like photos, but I have no interest in doing that. Somehow, finding time seems to be my biggest obstacle but I think I can make time, one way or another! (I do imagine it is going to mean less computer time, but that's probably a good thing!)

Not Sure Where The Mystery Lies

I went to a funeral today. I didn't cry. Somehow, through the whole service I felt a bit disconnected. The deceased was a second cousin who was like an Uncle to me. I loved him dearly. I left the Church several years back. I was never a good Christian--always questioning things. It just never made sense to me. I come from a strongly religious family, but somehow, the fervor missed me. I sat there, looking around at the wood and the colored windows and thought how lovely the room was--I'm sure it would be a wonderful place to visit when seeking solitude. The preacher mentioned the "mystery of death" and I thought "shouldn't that be the mystery of life?"  Another, younger, cousin played the guitar and sang "The Old Rugged Cross", a song that always brought tears to my eyes at funerals, and still nothing. Actually, he did a lovely job and for a moment I wanted to clap. The preacher made some golf jokes and we sang "What A Friend We Have In Jesus". I surprising remember most of the words. And it was over. And still this disconnect. For some reason, I miss Communion. I grew up Presbyterian and was a Deaconess. Communion was special to me. But I don't miss the rest of it. I find it odd.

Just do It

I majored in Art for one year until my Dad's hounding about what kind of job I was going to get with an Art degree finally convinced me to switch to Psychology. Fat lotta good it did me, since I've worked in a grocery store for the past 15 years! I'm not the type to look back and regret decisions because regrets get us nowhere. However  I do regret that I quit drawing. Somehow, between raising kids, working multiple jobs, doing housework and just all of the minutia that goes with life, I let my talent slip away. My daughter, who is majoring in 2D animation  told me to just pick up a pencil and start drawing again.  And I admit, she's right. So, I did. And it felt good. The fine detail is gone, but maybe there is still a little talent left to develop  So, starting today, I'm starting my day with muscle building exercises  (which I've already done this morning) and reserving drawing time in the evening. I think I've got a bit of that "mid-life" thing going on, but maybe that's not a bad thing!

Be Happy!

It's true. It's really true. I've made a concerted effort this week to avoid the news (they don't seem to know what they're talking about, anyway). It just seems to go from bad to worse (I just read about the shooting in Denver). And, with the few things I have read on-line, I have totally ignored the comments (someone always has to be nasty and rude). I'm much happier this way (besides, there's nothing I can do about any of it). Be safe and happy, my friends!

Hello, How Are You?

I work in a grocery store. I have to greet people hundreds of times a day. There is the classic, "Hello, how are you?", which of course is supposed to be answered with "fine", because we really don't want to know if it isn't.(Although some customers are more than happy to launch into a long narrative of how bad they are, with details. ick)  Or there is the "How's Sara?", which I really want to answer "I don't know, I haven't seen her". It would confuse the hell out of them, but I hate when people use that greeting--it feels like someone talking to a child to me--, and besides, my name isn't Sara. But that's a whole other post. I watch alot of British TV and I've noticed this greeting,"All right?", in quite a few of them. I know if I tried it, I would confuse the hell out of people. But it could be amusing!

Spring Fever!

The first of the week the weather was so nice- high in the 70s. Every Spring I get this feeling, like I want to jump out of my skin. I feel like I'm 20, not amost 50. Actually it's kind of painful. Tuesday was really bad. I was in a manic good mood. If I could have found someone to go "road-tripping" with me, I  might have called work during my lunch hour and told them I got suddenly sick and wasn't coming back. (as if they would have believed me!) Even though it got cold and wet at the end of the week, I've stayed in this good mood. I wish I felt like this all of the time.

Morning Coffee

This is how my day started, only it was 2:37 a.m. It's going to be a long day!

Romance For Geeks

I've been a huge sci-fi, fantasy geek since grade school. My husband wasn't.  I need to point out he also has never been one to buy gifts or be "romantic". But for our 25th Anniversary he gifted me with this two ring set-- one says "I love you", the other says "I know". A Star Wars reference for those who aren't familiar. I've turned him into one of us!

Mad Cows!

There are quite a few Dairies in my area, lots of cows to see on a drive through the country, so this tickled my funny bone!

Busy, Busy

I've been super distracted lately. I guess I need to schedule an internet work day!

Morning Coffee

Jessie was helping me do the kids' FAFSAs.  One nice thing about being Cat Central, there is always help with whatever I'm doing! (Whether I want it or not.)

Persimmon Prognosticator

In the Fall I split some persimmons and they showed spoons, which, according to local lore, means lots of snow. Well, there has been a good amount of snow across the country over the Winter, and we, ourselves, have had quite a few days with snow, but we've had very little accumulation. Until now. When we're all ready for Spring. The seeds didn't say where or when so I guess I'm going to say the seeds predicted right. From now on, I will trust the seeds over the groundhogs!