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Thursday, March 31, 2011

The Spelling Police


I'm pretty sure we've established
I'm far from perfect
but
there are fewer things that drive me crazy
as a reader
than the following errors
their, they're, there
your, you're
it's, its
affect, effect
I've seen it in
magazines
newspapers
menus
books
blogs
etc

These are things
we all learned in elementary school
but
when these common mistakes are made
they make the writer appear far more
dumber than they really are
and
causes the reader
(namely ME)
to wonder if she should point out the mistake
let it go
or
never to read anything by that writer again
 the
English language
is a conundrum
but
one I feel we must guard
carefully




A moment in time.. for 27 years

Have Kleenex handy....you're listening to a real love story.



Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Fast Forward

In another life......


 This was small


 This was normal


 This was dull


 This was tedious


This was blase'




Once upon a time
living a fast lifestyle
was forgettable 
and boring 
and 
expected
Although it was fun at the time
my old life
feels like a lifetime
ago
Once in awhile
I'm obligated to go back
return to the chaos
and
it's then that 
I understand again why I left it
 I can say with gratitude
I'm so happy to be home again
in my real home
living more simply
feeling better
being kinder
listening
and
breathing in and out
slowly

Monday, March 21, 2011

Empty

Some days
the glass is half full
some days half empty
and occasionally
that glass is
completely dry
It seems
I have an empty well
which means
I don't feel motivated to share 
myself
my inner feelings
my acerbic wit
my heart
I don't want to fix things 
nor mend relationships broken
I don't want to lend an ear
nor advise
I don't even want to hear good news
and so
gentle reader
I am taking some time away from this blog
a week or so should put me to rights
I doubt it will be longer 
but if it is
I'm sure you'll be just fine

~* Thank-you*~




Sunday, March 20, 2011

World War III

Am I the only one 
freaking out about the possibility 
of 
World War lll
?
Let's recap our position
10 years ago
America invaded the Middle East
(as terrorists, since the United Nations were in opposition)
We have troops still in Bosnia
We just bombed Libya yesterday
North Korea is making noises like it wants America
wiped from the face of the map
(and has the nuclear power to do it)
and
God-knows-what-else-is-out-there-they-aren't-telling-us
Now 
would be the perfect time for a huge war
America 
is on her knees economically
our allies are few
our troops are thin
our people divided politically
our world position isn't one of respect

Think about it
Am I being ridiculously paranoid?
perhaps
or
perhaps not





Saturday, March 19, 2011

The Learning Curve

This past week I had 
to give up on my beloved 
Blackberry phone
in purely technical terms
the rolly ball thingy decided to stop working
(wh-what? that isn't techno talk? oh.)

After 
nearly 2 years I suppose it's time
she was allowed to rest
Good bye my friend...goodbye

Since
everyone I know 
loves their Android phone
I caved in and chose the global unit
Supposedly it
will work just fine for international travel
does just about everything 
except wash my dishes
(and I'm sure there's an application for that)
the problem is me
ME
I was so attuned to my beloved Blackberry
I knew her quirks
her sleek pink case fit perfectly in my hand
she cradled my ear like a sweet friend
her glow was unmistakable

This
new Droid is almost harsh
in its capabilities
so sure of itself
a hefty masculine weight
hard edged
slide out keyboard
not a gentle pixel to be found
sporting a black and white utilitarian edge
and
I swear it eats
  it's own battery for breakfast
 I
suppose it all takes some getting used to
the
new technology
new feel
new applications
I can only hope I can find it within myself
not
to throw my new toy against the wall
while I'm
learning





Friday, March 18, 2011

Laughter: Music of the Spirit


Did you know that
laughter
releases endorphins
a chemical 10 times more powerful 
than the pain-relieving drug morphine
into the body 
with the same exhilarating effect 
as 
doing strenuous exercise
?
So
the next time you feel like you need
to take a pill
have an alcoholic beverage
reach for another cookie
lash out at someone you love
try laughing really hard
first



Thursday, March 17, 2011

Luck of the Irish

Happy St Patrick's Day!

I used to comb over patches of grass
looking for the elusive 
4 leaf clover
and 
then one day I realized
if 
I invested the time I wasted
looking for luck
and 
spent that time working on my dreams
and myself
I won't be just lucky when an opportunity
arises
I'll be ....prepared
when it does



Wednesday, March 16, 2011

A Beige Life

have a friend who stages homes for sale
She takes out everything personal to a home
paints the walls neutral colors
puts in decorator accessories
Her 
home is a beautiful fashion plate
her own personal fashion sense is impeccable
(think pointy toed shoes, cashmere twin sets)
But
I have to ask people of her profession
Do buyers really WANT a beige room? 
Isn't that the same as having a beige life?
Or 
do people default into beige
because it's easy and expected
and safe
?
I think having something
like a purple house 
(no, that isn't my style--trust me)
isn't easy in the least
because bucking the system
 swimming against the current
showing who you really are
in many ways
takes a ton of courage
 and
how I wish people could be who they really are
free themselves
of self and society
imposed shackles
in every aspect of their life
without fear of
retribution

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

The Prank

Some things are just funny

Monday, March 14, 2011

Survivor...The Real Game

(click on the picture to enlarge)


The nuclear reactor meltdown 
in Japan
has me fairly concerned
I live very near the Oregon coast
The
news media here
are saying the radiation could possibly
carry in the wind
and
head straight toward my area
bringing 750 rads into the air
(1000 rads will cause certain death)
I understand
the pharmacies and hospitals
are
laying in a supply of potassium iodide
which will help neutralize the radiation
 this is a great alternative to that whole painful
death thing
however
wouldn't you know
the only allergy to medications I have
would be to iodine
so 
once again
I'm left hanging in the wind
sitting here
wearing an aluminum foil hat
eating enough carbs to numb the fear
and
wondering why Twinkies
don't actually have an expiration date
I guess
I am a girl without a plan
and really
doesn't 
that just figure
?


Sunday, March 13, 2011

The Rescue Club

I feel just awful about what Japan
is going through right now
the ramifications of this disaster
will be felt for many generations
I'm sure
....
At
the risk of sounding heartless and cruel
( I am neither of those things)
I would like to to give voice
to what many in America are wondering
Someone
please tell me why
 the United States
feels the need to run to the rescue
of 
every country hit by a disaster
I wonder where the rescue
money is coming from
and
the man power
I mean
our own country is at 20% unemployment
(some places more, some less)
soup lines are getting longer
our people are homeless
hungry
&
unable to afford medical care
guess I also wonder
where these countries were
when Katrina hit and devastated millions
and
the BP oil spill spoiled our waters
(a British company, by the way)
Where
were these countries
when
America was in 
trouble
?

Saturday, March 12, 2011

Cheap Thrills

It doesn't matter what
political party
religious affiliations
continent
or
generation
you are 
we are all people who live on this planet
and
we are
harming her
on a daily basis
I believe 
(and hope)
she can repair herself in time
if the damage isn't too great
but
we all need to realize
there are serious consequences to 
cheap gas
inexpensive power
pesticides
strawberries in December
war
because sometimes cheap
is pretty damned
expensive



Friday, March 11, 2011

Pied Piper

Pure Imagination....of course.


Thursday, March 10, 2011

Unboxed

I don't get it
I have been told time and again
that I think outside the box
I suppose I do
in many instances
but
I suppose my next question to people
would be
Why 
would anyone ever
WANT
to have their thoughts locked up in a box
in the first place
?



Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Honey Bear?

I know I devote quite a few posts 
to food quality
and
I realize I probably sound like 
some crazed food fanatic
I'm really not
but 
when I see this kind of packaging
hiding
 corn syrup and coloring
imitating real food
like 
natural honey
it really makes my blood boil
 We
all need to read labels
&
take responsibility
for allowing our food
to become contaminated
with junk


Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Monday, March 7, 2011

Self Discipline

This week
I am hunkering down
getting a bunch of stuff done
things I've been procrastinating
things that take time
effort and especially
imagination
which for some strange reason
I have had precious little of lately
I suppose I will find it again
once I get started
but
how I wish self discipline
tasted like 
cotton candy






Sunday, March 6, 2011

Signs of Spring

Since Spring wasn't coming to me fast enough
(I'm impatient like that)
I decided to go to Spring
These pictures are from me and my camera
being out and about in Oregon
Looking for signs
of
sunshine



Proud Mama-Oregon State University Sheep Barns

Chicken Nuggets-The original
Hanging with the peeps at the Feed Store
Greener Pastures
There are some naked sheep hiding somewhere...shivering.
Oregon is typically green, but this is just beautiful
Flowers peeking under a tree
All wobbly legs and curiosity

Saturday, March 5, 2011

Baby Bargain


While 
shopping in the Dollar Store
(for the aforementioned umbrellas)
I turned down one of the aisles
and
spotted a home pregnancy test
for $1
On the box
there appeared to be
English
and
what looked like Swahili writing
I admit
I completely laughed out loud
I think
of 
all the things I wouldn't trust
coming from a dollar store
an
ancient dusty foreign
pregnancy test
is
right up there on
top





Friday, March 4, 2011

The Umbrella Project


While
out doing errands and such
I noticed
in my hurry to ''get things done''
I realized I wasn't interacting much
with my fellow human beings
so
I decided to do my own personal
umbrella project
I bought 10 umbrellas
in various colors
at the dollar store
a simple and easy $10 investment
I kept the umbrellas in my car
and 
handed them out to people 
who had been caught the deluge of rain 
which we commonly have in Oregon
 Other
than being a great way to
keep someone dry
build community
bring a smile to someone's day
(including mine)
my little umbrella project has
been a great way for me
to look outside my bubble
&
notice things
Just this past week
I've 
given umbrellas out to 
college students walking home from school
elderly people with scooters
a homeless guy recycling cans
a gentleman waiting for a tow truck
a Japanese business man
(who bowed so often and low, things got embarrassing)
2 women shopping
a family out walking their dog 
people I would normally never have talked to
and 
you know....
it's pretty cool to see those umbrellas being used
Just
yesterday I saw the homeless guy
out and about
with his jaunty purple umbrella
(now covered in stickers)
dumpster diving
in relative dry comfort
Maybe
what I did wasn't rocket science
or fancy-schmancy
I was only giving away $1 after all
but
perhaps ordinary people like myself
and you
just need to look around
open their eyes
get inspired
and
see what they can do for others
and ultimately
themselves

Thursday, March 3, 2011

Special


During a recent question and answer session
I was asked 
''What makes you special?''
oh dear
I was actually stumped for an answer
kind of started to sweat a little 
stumbled over my words
mind and heart racing
because
the things that I think make me special
may not be of value to someone else
After 
some quick thinking
I realized what made me special 
in my own mind
and I said the best and only answer I could
''I think I'm conventionally unconventional...and fairly fearless''
whew
I guess being fearless is due to my constant quest 
to grow and change and evolve
I skydived when I was in high school
(long before it was trendy and tandem jumps were the norm)
I learned how to build houses from a friend
and 
was the general contractor for the house
I built on 55 acres
I've started businesses that are still in existence today
I've had to make private choices that would surprise you
I write things which shows others my vulnerable side
(not always easy for me to do, by the way)
I ride a really big motorcycle
I love too hard
I scuba dive
but 
beyond all that
what makes me the most special
is  that
I
live

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Give us this day...

(the above picture is of my Pullman sandwich bread)

Yep
every week
I bake my own bread
I mean
who wouldn't love
  straight from the oven
deliciousness
?
I know what you're thinking
but
It's not like some hippy-dippy tree hugging ideology
I simply prefer to know
I'm using (and eating)
quality ingredients
like 
olive oil
sea salt
freshly ground whole wheat
honey
no preservatives
handled with care and love
I can't say that about any grocery store brand
besides
there is something completely
soul satisfying 
about making a sandwich
out of bread 
you crafted with your own 
two hands


 

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Matters of the Heart

Have you ever helped a friend
spent hours and hours
days weeks and months
listening
cajoling
supporting
helping
while they go through their personal heartache
and after a time when
things have calmed down
the minute you think
their situation has gotten better
some sort of normalcy has returned
they must be doing just fine
crises averted
then
completely out of the blue
in a back handed kind of way
you find out
they have jumped back on the merry go round
thinking this time will be different
yet
doing exactly the same things
that put them over the edge in the first place
I guess
all I can do in this particular situation
is stand by with a safety net
attempt to keep my mouth firmly shut
and be a
friend