Memorial Day

While I appreciate the sentiments

of

Memorial Day

taking a moment to

thank our veterans

I can't help but think

of the other

people

who strive to keep us safe

police officers and firefighters

they have no days set aside

no acknowlegment

other than

someobody who knows somebody

who once got a ticket

in a town for going over the speed limit

or has heard rumor of a dirty cop

God

I am SO SICK

of those stories

!

Today

let's not forget

police officers and firefighters

are there to ensure our safety too

and

so today

I honor you

******

While you sleep, we're there.
When you're sitting down to Thanksgiving dinner, or celebrating Christmas, we're there.
When it’s raining and cold, and you're glad to be in your home with your family, we're out there.
When it's your children's birthday, we're out there.
When it's our children's birthday, we're still out there.
You put on a suit and dress to go to work, we strap on a ballistic vest and a gun.
There's little room for error in your job, in ours there is none.
An error by you means a demotion; an error by us means a funeral.
When you tell your families "see you tonight" as you leave for work, you mean it. When we tell our family that, we pray we will.
At your job you strive to succeed, at our job we strive to survive.
In your job, one bad person is the talk of the office, in our job; one bad officer makes the news and suddenly we’re all bad.
In these headlines it's not what good we've done, but how much better it could have been done.
When you're scared you call us, when we're scared, we must carry on.
While you're eating a home cooked meal, we're having another hamburger.
While you're asleep with your spouse, ours sleep alone.
So the next time you're out with your family or friends, and you see a patrol car go by, remember the incredible sacrifice made by these officers every day.
Inside that car is a person that sacrifices his/her life, both professionally and personally Everyday.

- Author Unknown-

Sentimental Lady

Back when my kids were very small
I had a milk man
who
delivered twice a week
the most delicious milk
in
glass bottles
and
cheeses
and
butter
It was like heaven
opening up the door
in the wee early morning light
before my babies woke up
and
seeing those cold, glistening bottles
sitting there on my
front porch

Queen Latifah. I love this.

Stilletos, age 4

Childhood is fleeting

and for some reason

we seem to want to make adults out of children too soon

I'm talking about small kids wearing adult type clothing

I was in a shop

the other day

and I saw 2'' heels on toddler's shoes

What about running.....playing...jumping?

Not to sound like I was perfect

but

My kids didn't even own a pair of hard soled shoes

until

they were 2 years old

and

while I refused to speak baby talk to them

or

call their body parts by any names

but

what they were

I still made an effort to honor their childhood

for the gift that it is

I suppose

I find value

in

mud puddles, watching clouds go by

fingerpainting huge sheets of white paper

big cardboard boxes

camping in the back yard, a homemade raft on the pond

a

wagon plummeting down a hillside

pots and pan drums

petting a kitten

catching bugs

and

running for the sheer joy of open space

besides

to me

there isn't anything more annoying than

the prideful look of a parent

as they watch

their kid

who is so precocious

and dull

as

he or she

tries

(and fails)

to be older than they

are

Wants vs. Needs

I've been pondering lately

wants versus needs

We all have needs

food, shelter, oxygen and love
I'm pretty sure most of the people

I am around

have those basics covered

but what about their wants

?

Do people really get what they truly want?

I mean

What would happen

if

a person did exactly

what they wanted

without regard for the people

around them

or

their responsibilities

and

expectations

?

Strawberry Season

If you've never tried this....you're in for a huge treat.
I've made these strawberries for a number of people

and

never failed to get a 'WOW' reaction.

Yes, I realize it sounds weird.
Just trust me.

Strawberries, sliced
Balsamic vinegar
Brown sugar

Drizzle the balsamic over strawberries, add the brown sugar. Stir until covered
OMG!

(and yes, I ate these right after taking their photograph...mmmmm)

Local Saturday Market

Sugar Shock

Sigh.
Friday was a 3 shower day
First, I took a regular shower, put on makeup and spritzed perfume
Then, forgetting I spritzed perfume....I spritzed another round
Back into the shower to scrub off aforementioned excessive scent
My short term memory is just gone, I swear.
With good intention in hand, I took off for the local food co-op
I feel like such an impostor in this place with women running around
in organic hemp clothing, dreadlocks and unshaven legs.
The men are lanky, bearded and smell of pot and incense.
While picking up my favorite bread and milk, I noticed a wall full of spigots
with the most adorable glass bottles on a shelf underneath
Looking closely, I saw the spigots dispensed honey, sorghum, molasses
and pure maple syrup
Since I was out of maple syrup, I decided to give it a go and try my hand at siphoning my own.
Feeling totally pious (look how well I'm acclimating to hippy life ! WOOT!!),
I watched the syrup slllloooowwwwllllyyy make its way into my bottle.
Something was wrong. Seemed there was a buildup of air in the line.

So, like all impatient people, I jiggled the handle.

Suddenly, there was a 3 foot high arc of pure maple syrup spraying all over me, the floor and, judging from the squeal of another person behind me...a fellow shopper.
I was covered and dripping in about a quart of sticky syrup. GAH!
Probably the worst part beyond the maniacal laughter around me was hearing the sound of the overhead PA
saying with some urgency''We have a clean up in syrups-HURRY''.

Yeah, that would be ME.
I'm the ''wet cleanup in aisle 5''.
Good God.

I stood there frozen, staring, and dripping with my half filled bottle of syrup and wondering if I should just wring out my clothes into the bottle, make a run for it, or agree to be weighed on the way out of the store and pay the difference.

Funny what goes through your brain in these kinds of moments.

Thank goodness I was shown the back room and was able to clean up a little before getting into my car for the drive home.
I figured I'd better get cleaned up in a hurry in case there were ants around, so I headed to the nearest shower once I got home.
As I was showering AGAIN (if you're counting...this is shower #3),
Wes came home.
He popped his head into the bathroom...and said ''Why is the syrup bottle all sticky and only half filled?''
He wasn't quite fast enough to duck the wet sponge I threw at him.
At least my aim is still good

Sticky Subject

What wasn't mentioned, was the fact
that she received a free education already
in
America's public school system
I wish her well
but
I agree with the gentleman in this case

A few photos

It's easy to take a good picture
when you're surrounded by
beauty

Choose.

After losing a loved one
whether it be a person
or a pet
to death or another
circumstance
there comes a time when
you decide not to love again
for awhile
to close down that emotion
to refuse to give in
to the vulnerablity
that love brings
I suppose
that is the problem with love
it opens up your heart to being crushed
Love brings
the
highest highs and the lowest of lows
and
those lows can be devastating
sometimes for a lifetime
Part of choosing to love
is realizing
that love is indeed
a
choice

Difficult Women

I had a long chat with a male friend
We were solving the world's problems
over a
frosty glass of iced tea
During this talk
he was
lamenting the reshaping of his love life
since
he and his long
time partner had split recently
While sitting there amidst
the
hub bub of the restaurant
he asked the somewhat rhetorical question
''Why does love have to be so difficult?''
I looked at him
across from me
good looking, successful, interesting
and I
decided in that minute
to be brutally honest
so
without skipping a beat
I said
in a matter of fact tone
''Because you like intelligent, complicated, complex women''
While he absorbed this statement
I saw him nodding absently
because
to keep his interest
he actually needs
someone multi faceted
and difficult
even if
she is a royal pain in the ass
a lot
of the time

Kitchen Clambake Recipe

In a dutch oven, saute:

2 leeks, sliced
1 onion, sliced
2 T olive oil

Don't let them get brown, just sweat them.
Obviously, if you're feeding a crowd, you'll need to increase leeks, onions and olive oil-I do this amount for feeding 2-4 people.

Add in this order:

Small red potatoes, whole
Polska Kielbasa, Cut into 3'' lengths
Corn on the cob, husked and snapped in 2
1 bottle white wine (or more if you have a huge pot of stuff), use enough to cover about 2-3'' of the bottom of the pot
Let come to the boil and turn to medium and simmer for about 15 mins.
Lid on.

Then add in your seafood
(Can be any variety you want)

Lobster tails
Crab
Live clams
Mussels
Oysters
White fish (make sure they are thick and hearty sized)
Scallops
Shrimp, raw and unshelled


You may have to put the seafood in the pot in shifts, as lobster tails take about 15 mins to steam and scallops 3 minutes. Just figure it out based on density and general cooking times. clams and mussels are done when they are open. Shrimp, lobster and crab when bright pinkish red. Add more wine if things are looking like they are drying out.

Pull everything out of the pot, drain. Save some of the juice for dipping bread if you want.
Layer newspapers onto a picnic table and spread the feast out in the middle.
Have bowls of melted butter available

Serve with salad and sourdough french bread.

Sometimes, you just need one.

Dewey Boy McTavish

Dewey McTavish died today

He was 11 years old

We had him a mere 2.5 years

but

if feels like

forever

that he's been underfoot

always looking for a handout

or to

chase a passing squirrel

keeping the yard safe for his family

or

so we let him think

It's interesting

when we rescued him from

a terriby neglectful situation

we thought he was so lucky

that we found him

when in fact

WE were

the lucky

ones

I'm an Aries. All the way.

In personal relationships, Aries natives are frank, high-spirited, direct and candid. They make for enthusiastic and generous friends, but need to curb their competitive impuluses and the manner in which those impulses affect those around them. Subject of this Sign also need to learn how to temper their natural aggressiveness and use reason coupled with diplomacy when dealing with others. Generally, when it comes to friendships, these individuals get along better with members of their own gender rather than members of the opposite sex. Since those governed by Aries like to get their own way and often pit the wishes of self against what is best for any partnership, this can frequently lead to conflict. The capacity for deep affection should result in faithfulness with regard to both love and friendship, but these natives need to guard against an inclination toward jealousy and/or over-possessiveness. There is a strong belief here that "what is mine, is mine," which could easily manifest itself in an overly-dominating attitude toward certain family members.
Usually possessed with a high sex drive, individuals ruled by Aries make for passionate but fastidious lovers. However, there is a negative side to associations with others. Aries natives are easily irritated by slowness or moderation in companions and, though sensitive themselves, will often ride roughshod over the sensitivities of those around them. There is some difficulty here regarding an understanding the opposite sex, which can cause much misunderstanding and unhappiness when it comes to love affairs. The intensity of the Aries sexual urge can drive the individual who falls within this Sign's jurisdiction toward promiscuity and a counting of conquests. It can also trick its natives into an early and often unwise marriage which could end in disaster. In the home, Aries individuals will always want to be "top dog" and are extremely possessive of their mates, but not always the most faithful of partners themselves. Romantic Aries individuals usually have no need of "hearts and flowers" to give them that "warm and fuzzy" glow. Far more important to them is a partner who is equally strong and self-possessed...one who will challenge them to reach greater heights both mentally and physically. It also helps if the Aries' partner can handle the occasional fiery argument and become a master at the art of reconciliation.

In spite of the fact that the Aries nature is passionate one with a gift for loving deeply, these individuals do not wear their hearts on their sleeves. Although they themselves may not be good at expressing their love in words, they do adore hearing endearments from their loved ones and can listen to declarations of undying affection and everlasting fidelity with the most ardent appreciation. The greatest Aries weakness in affairs of the heart is a tendency to cross-examine and ask too many questions. Although these individuals are not in the habit of mincing words, it is important to be tactful with sweethearts or keep silent when things get out of hand. By being more tolerant, those governed by this Sign will find greater happiness. Aries natives are possessed with a red-hot energy which often proves irresistible...and is certainly never boring. They prefer to initiate relationships and the role of seducer comes to them quite easily. However, this sizzling "dance of romance" will only work on those strong enough to stay in the game. In short, and Aries individual desire a partner who can go toe-to-toe...whether it be over lunch or in the bedroom.

Due to a strong executive ability, Aries subjects usually do better on their own rather than by entering into any business partnership. However, they do need business associates to a degree and their best choice would likely be a native of Taurus. While Aries can team well with Sagittarius, Aquarius and Pisces, any of these are apt to profit more from the alliance unless the Aries individual is strongly dominant. Any business association between Aries and Capricorn or Aries and Scorpio may prove to be highly productive of problems.

Though usually insistent on strict discipline, Aries parents are highly devoted to their children, even to the point of laying down their own lives. In short, there is no more defensive or loving parent to be found within the entire Zodiac.

Ice Castles

I really don't care if this is considered a cheesy movie nowadays

I've always liked the ending part

Enjoy

The Whack-A--Mole Champ

Isn't it funny how a few words

that nobody else would

''get''

can convey so much

and

make you feel hugged

even

from afar?

Hands of Time

Are some things just inevitable?

Predestined
?

No matter how hard you fight it

''IT''
happens anyway

I've observed there is a pattern to life

and no matter

what path I'm choosing

there it is

Front and center

I

so admire those

who live life on their own terms
"IT"
seems to skip them

It's funny

I would like to be counted

as

one of those lucky people

because

my biggest fear

is running with

the crowd
and
being seen as
typical