Talk Thursday: Six Months

A diagnosis, prognosis, fate, past, future the only thing six months isn’t is the present… we’ll unless you’re six months preggers, and if you think that’s possible for me, fie on you. Once upon a time I wanted so badly to have a second child, Psam wanted so badly to have an older brother. So, no I’m not six months.

Six months ago I was re-learning I love to fish. I’d forgotten the joy of casting, the solitude of reeling in my line and casting out once again, and once again, and once again until my shoulder (and lower back if truth be known) said enough. Six months ago the summer sun was contemplating the autumnal bend and I was morphing into my annual gardening burning out. But the days were warm, the wind had died down and all was good.

Six months ago my much beloved Ducks were stretching their muscles, running their routes in daily doubles waiting for the season to begin.

Six months ago Psam and I went and got tattoos.

Six months ago I wasn’t contemplating a diet. Silly me.


It snowed today. Don’t laugh, it wasn’t much (especially not what the weather
service had forecasted) but it was snow and it kept my husband in the valley for nights on end. It will keep Burp from coming for the weekend. But it wasn’t enough to make snow angels in.

In six months I will begin watching the Siuslaw for jumping Coho and Silvers. I will be itching to cast my line, reel it in, and cast again. In six months I will be planting my tulips… maybe… depending on the condition of my petunias. In six months I will put it off until the rain starts then curse myself.


In six months I will sit watching with drooling anticipation ESPN’s game day, counting down the moments until my beloved Ducks kick off against the LSU Tigers (September 3rd to be exact) and the hunt will be on.

I now weigh several pounds less than I did six months ago. Sadly, I can remember what I weighed when I flew to England in 2002, but not what I weighed six months ago. It must have been bad. I am happy to say I am eating far less carbs, a lot more bell peppers, salads and Marrion Berry balsamic vinegar, as well as the appropriate size food portions. Where will I be in six months? Maybe a size 14 – that would be nice.

In six months maybe I will get a stargazer lily on my left foot. It could happen.

Sith,
Cele

PS I know my snow pictures are pathetic, but humor me I live in Florence we don't get a lot of snow... more than Sid, but less that Lyn and Jenniphur.... geez even less than Psam.

Talk Thursday: Period

My friend’s husband died this morning at 6:3o. He passed in the quiet hours of the morning, when many spirits choose to pass… unseen, alone, unhindered and as chosen. He passed after a long battle against diabetes, heart disease, and most recently against kidney failure and a gastro-intestinal infection. He is gone; she is heart broken – period.

The next chapter begins.

It is not that she didn’t see this coming, but do we ever really want to be prepared for this? I sure can’t imagine the day that Ducky and I will part… forever… well at least until we meet in some future life. But my friend doesn’t believe in reincarnation, she is waiting only for her resurrection day. I have no problem with this, to each their own. I mean our beliefs are the beds we have to sleep in. While many will poo poo her and mine’s belief in God, any resurrection, and future lives, it is these beliefs that comfort us. As far as I’m concerned if you are comfortable in the belief you die – period, more power to you. Keep your distain for my beliefs to yourself and I promise I will not ridicule yours to your face or on your blog either.

Back to my friend. My heart breaks for her, for hers is not an easy road. She cared not only for her aging invalid husband, but a severely disabled daughter as well. Often her days were spent shuttling herself from one hospital room or doctor’s appointment to the next. Many would said this will ease her load, but I know putting myself in her shoes (which is nigh an impossible task) guilt at the relief of his passing (no matter how merciful), the weight of lonely moments that would have been spent by the two of them, and the burden of her heart-ache will be an even heavy burden to bear.

I send her my prayers, my thoughts, and my wishes for better tomorrows even though I know that I cannot smooth her path, ease her burdens, or share her load. I can only offer her my love, support, shoulders, ears, and prayers in her time of sorrow and pain and while she is on the journey to the road where she learns to be one again.

Thomas, please go with God; Rose my heart wants to lift your sorrow, you pain, your burdens and I’m wholly unqualified for the task, but I shall try. As hard as it is please rejoice that his pain and suffering have ended – and when the day comes, my friend, please remind me of the same.

Sith,
Cele

100 Things About Me… 2011

1) Or 100 random thoughts strung together by a series of mal used punctuation marks
2) I woke up this morning in an amazing mood, despite the cold, the rain, the wind, and a headache.
3) Oh wait, I love the rain and the wind in winter. The headache went away.
4) Sadly the weather will most likely keep Ducky stuck in the valley for the next few days – serious bummer
5) Dude, have you noticed many of the slang words of your past are the slang words of your today?
6) Maxwell’s Silverhammer is a gruesomely delightful way to start the day…or to say it with a British twist… a bloody good romp
7) Oh, wow, I didn’t think about snakes until number seven… I’ll have to check last year’s list to see if that is progress
8) I love reality tv
9) Hense the fall off of my blogging, bad me
10) So before I watched Castle last night, Nathan Fillion is even more delish than when he was on Firefly or 2 Dudes and a Pizza Parlour
11) I watched You’re Cut Off, thanks Psam, I’m almost caught up, only missing the first episode
12) It’s not as good as Real Housewives, who often aren’t, but it’s addictive.
13) My jewelry is still going
14) I’m contemplating consignment of my work at this point
15) But I use spendy beat Dichroic beads and I’m not sure people will pay the prices
16) I want to learn silver wire wrapping
17) I have lost 13 pounds on my diet in probably six weeks time
18) My goal is 70 pounds, but I’d be happy with whatever the diet gods give me
19) I still have Christmas Chocolate left
20) That is how serious I am, it makes for a good comfort snack at night if I’ve kept under 1300 calories (I didn’t say I was good, I just said serious)
21) My best friends are dieting with me – Ducky is at 10 pounds or so and Leigh is somewhere between 6 and 12 – I will have to ask
22) Leigh and I have started yoga…
23) I paid for the classes, missed the first three
24) But this Saturday I will be there.
25) This morning I found wonderful wishes for my day – my favorites…

a – "Good morning, gorgeous - HAPPY BIRTHDAY!"
b- "♪♫•*¨*•.¸¸♥ Happy Birthday Day, Calista~ ♪♫•*¨*•.¸¸♥"
c – "Hey Calista. Happy Birthday. I hope you have an amazing day and wish you many happy returns. I'll call you for a birthday drink when I'm over there next time."
d – "H A P P Y B I R T H D A Y ! ! ! ! ! Calista!!! Have a wonderful day! :-)"

26) After I read the Noon newscast I do the jumble, suduko, and now the cryptoquote
27) I haven’t done a crossword puzzle in ages
28) I don’t read the funnies, but Get Fuzzy and Pickles are just above the cryptoquote in the Register Guard
29) It’s weird how I can totally relate to Pickles at my age
30) My other friend Audrey had the most awesome tidbit for the day this morning after she finished the stockmarket report – “There is never a right time to do wrong thing.”
31) Natalie once asked me if I had a life outside of the internet (it wasn’t a bad comment about me, it was prompted by someone else)
32) So let me tell you about my friends

a – Ducky is my best friend – my lover – my husband – my best friend
b – Leigh is my best friend – a former work mate – we’ve been friends for probably 18 years - we have dinner every Tuesday night – we do yoga – we diet together – we both have the same favorite color, Green – she is bohemian – she is amazing – she sells billboards – hmmm I just realized I’ve never given her a nickname
c - Audrey – a best friend – she gives the stockmarket report twice a day here for KCST – she moved to Florence to watch over her mother – she loves to fish – has her eyes on the hermit guy in the house kitty corner from her house – and describes herself as a tomboy – don’t watch sports with her, she will purposely root for the other team, quite loudly – we have dinner together every other Thursday night – she’s a hoot.
d – Despite Psam living so far from me, she will always be my best friend, my support system, the voice of sanity and reason. I adore my daughter, beyond words
e – Rose, my one best friend I’ve never met. Never, someday though. I can tell her my inner most thoughts, listen to hers. We once fought and didn’t talk to each other for almost a year. It was both our faults and it made me realize how much I missed her.
f – Pinecone – my sister – is one of my closest friends – but I don’t get to see her near enough
g – And Beady DeeDee is my newest friend
h – And then there is Sid – he answers my galactic heart

33) I am always amazed by people who aren’t music oriented
34) Music marks the occasions and people in my life
35) I realize this more and more each day
36) Psam is music oriented – Ducky not so much
37) Speaking of music I don’t get the Lady Gaga thing, nor Justin Bieber (no, I don’t believe)
38) My favorite song is still 100 Years by Five For Fighting; my favorite group will ever be Crosby, Stills, Nash, and sometimes Young, but I also love Jason Mraz, Cat Stevens (Yusef), Five for Fighting; Led Zepplin, Dave Matthews, Kelly Clarkson, Goo Goo Dolls, and Matchbox Twenty.
39) Big Bang Theory is my favorite TV Show
40) But I also like the aforementioned Castle, NCIS, Eureka, Deadliest Catches, Ice Road Truckers (both editions), Housewives of NY (OC, 90210, NJ – and I’ll try Miami), Ghost Hunters (and GHI), American Pickers, Pawn Stars, Top Shot, So You Think You Can Dance and CASH CAB (my nightly must.)
41) I apparently watch a lot of cable
42) I don’t know about the new incarnation of American Idol
43) Yes, I bought Crystal Bowersox’s Farmer’s Daughter – it rocks
44) I still haven’t listened to the new Duffy CD – Endlessly – that I got for Christmas.
45) My first Wii fitness score was 73.
46) That was only Sunday afternoon
47) I spent the next two hours working up a sweat playing tennis and bowling.
48) This must become a nightly occurrence.
49) And then there is my on going non relationship with my crosstrainer.
50) While I’ve cleared six levels in Links Crossbow
51) I can’t clear the first level of Mario – friggin’ little castle.
52) 35 years later I miss my bikini (and the body it fit)
53) My bosom have gained a life of their own
54) Now I wish they’d shrink
55) My favorite clothes are my jammies
56) My Planter’s Facisitus (sp) forced me to buy a pair of Klogs
57) My feet are in seventh heaven
58) Don’t wear Klogs on the cross trainer
59) Or while playing Wii sports because you will fall down, twist your ankle, and Wii your pants from a mixture of laughter and pain
60) Since starting my diet I haven’t had indigestion – or acid reflux – (what’s the proper way to spell augedux? Italian for nasty ass acid reflux?)
61) Then Friday morning during the Radio Auction is was seduced by a Buttermilk Bar
62) So I began a love affair with Tums
63) Sunday morning I thought I would try a sugar free low fat mocha – what the hey?
64) Ah for the love of Tums
65) Sometimes breaking your diet (outside of Fast Food Fridays) breaking your diet is a good teaching lesson
66) Of course it usually takes me five or six times before I learn said lessons
67) I thoroughly believe Fast Food Fridays is the secret to staying on my diet
68) Did I mention I lost thirteen pounds
69) My pants are getting baggy
70) LOVE IT!
71) Ah, that felt sooo good – now here’s to another 60 pounds
72) My favorite herbal tea this year – I don’t have one
73) I’ve been drinking Celestial Seasonings Country Peach Passion or whatever it’s been called and the vanilla pomegranate praying they would bring back Apricot Honeybush.
74) I have learned to embrace routine
75) Bang my head against the wall of progress
76) Crap I should run for congress – that makes me qualified right?
77) Ducky and I started fishing last autumn
78) I love it
79) Besides gardening I’m looking forward to fishing season
80) I don’t like salmon, but to watch them jump in the Siuslaw is amazing
82) Now if I can catch some I will make smoked salmon
82) And feed my roses
83) I check my face and chest every morning for skin cancer
84) And then I use alpha hydroxy skin cream
85) I have a mole on my face that fascinates little kids
86) Their fascination horrifies their parents
87) It use to bother me, but not so much now
88) I haven’t written a poem in months
89) Oh, wait I haven’t blogged in 3 weeks, now that is sad, I haven’t had a lot to say
90) Even though I have an idea for a blog ruminating in my brain for weeks now
91) And I’m three weeks behind on Talk Thursday
92) Oh wait, except for Jenn we all are, I will try to catch up this week.
93) I believe in God and hope who or what you believe in works for you.
94) This is the part where many will roll their eyes, I believe I was a healer in a past life – get over it.
95) Friends answer a place in your heart
96) True loves answer a place in your soul
97) While I don’t agree with all Obama has done, I would vote for him again.
98) I believe in committing random acts of kindness everyday – turn yourself into a habitual offender… that is my goal this year
99) I still believe life is all about the journey
100) and my matra is, “Where we’ve been, is who we are.”
101) I only mentioned snakes once, definite improvement

BTW – Talk Thursday people, start thinking, an abbreviated version is this week’s topic.

Sith,
Cele

Talk Thursday: I Mind / I Don’t Mind – Yes, I really do mind.

I almost got into a pissing match with two friends of mine over health care reform tonight. After they showed their ignorance I shut up and let it go. You can't lead the blind when they want to be blind. And, yes, I mind their blind ignorance a lot.

It began because my friend’s husband, a diabetic with about a quarter use of his heart, is now in a nursing home after almost dying. He is in the nursing home only until he can get his feet underneath him and then he can come home. At the same time she has a daughter who is severely disabled and frequently hospitalized. On top of her daughter’s on going needs, they will now be billed for her husband’s stay in the rehab center.

The other “friend” ekes a living off Social Security and Medicare.

Neither thinks that “Obamacare” is a good thing. Oh no, he’s bleeding us dry, giving us government intrusions into our lives. Both mocked the Obama’s for how much money they make and that maybe they could come organize their lives. I minded this much. Very FUCKING MUCH.

She is being sucked dry by no job, too many medical bills, and their energy bills and consumption make me quiver in fear. Yet, health care reform that is meant to help people just like her gets her distain.

He could have had a retirement plan, he worked for Bechtold, I mean really he had a good plan until he cashed it in for a piano for his wife. Seriously. Dude, what were you thinking? He was thinking he’d live on Social Security, because by gosh he’s going to get back every penny he paid in (I think he passed that mark years ago) and while he doesn’t want government messing with health care, he has no problem being on Medicare. I’m thinking this greatly pisses me off - he wants wants wants on my tax dollars, but doesn’t care about anyone else.

John Boehner and company wants us to believe that the budget busting, job killing bill would add $701 billion to the national deficit over the next ten years. Nancy Pelosi and cronies want us to believe this will save us $1.3 Trillion over the next ten years. Smoke and Mirrors. They are both blowing smoke up our proverbial skirts (gosh I miss wearing dresses.)

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office states that repealing the health care law would worsen the federal deficit over the next 10 years — by $230 billion. (1)

If I know this, they could know this too. I don’t mind an opposing thought if it’s based on educated knowledge, but on willful ignorance – no way. Instead of intelligent decision making, they will just let the agenda laden talking heads tell them what to know and think, instead of learning for themselves. And yes Virginia, I mind this very much.

Sith,
Cele

1. Fact Check - A Budget Busting Bill.

Talk Thursday: Patience

Patience is probably the only virtue I possess, and that may be questionable at times. Yes, my feathers do get ruffled. Yes, my feelings do get hurt. And yes, I remember every mean, hurtful, or bad thing a person says to me or at me in a vague time frame. I don’t deal well with people who throw tantrums, nor those who look down on others. I do not deal well with people who live their lives to be rude. In respect to how I would like others to envision me, as a sea of calm (something I hardly am).

Truth be it, I would love to be calm when calamity is falling about my shoulders. The person who can walk away, gosh I wish I tried to be someone other than the voice of (self-perceived) wisdom, the grown up in the group, the one in possession of her wits. But no, I think I can reason with megalomaniacs – idiot (and I’m referring to me as the idiot) you should never beat your head against a brick wall – it’s like beating a dead horse. Calm demeanor and wise words will not make a door appear nor the horse rise up and drink water. I need to learn to just walk away – someone please tell me how to do that.

I am a believer in people, a believer that grown adults will see reason, that small children will learn from good example and lessons, and that we can live as one. I know, I know, I’m a dreamer. Yes, there will always be people who don’t play well with others, there will be stupid reasons for throwing temper tantrums, and there will always be individuals or groups who believe they're superior and God given (whether they believe in (a) God or not.) And therefore there will always be a need for voices of reason, the calm in the midst of a battle/storm/or tantrum, there will always be a need for wisdom. In a way of speaking isn’t that a sad comment on the human condition?

During the holiday season I tend to thrive in the midst of holiday shopping, not that I shop much, but I see it as my duty to spread cheer and peace. It is my duty to smile at every person I meet and to be especially demonstrative in my appreciation of another’s service to the community. I especially relish being the person in line behind someone rather rude and obnoxious. Not that I mean to embarrass the people with me, nor the person being abused, it is my intent to shame the person who is rude and abusive. It doesn’t always work, but it almost always gets me a smile from the abused. My smiles always bring comment and almost always a smile in return.

Is it patience or just the life of a dreamer? I’m not really sure.

Sith,
Cele

Oregon Football is not a matter of life or death

It’s much more important that that. Not an original thought (I stole it from this blog), but I loved it enough to ah ehm hmmm, borrow it for my BCS blog. I’m fairly frickin’ tired of people downing my Ducks, thank you very much Robert Smith, you over paid stuffed shirt. A Rivalry is made up of two sides, but football analysis need at least two collective brain cells to rub together – Robert Smith lost his in the pro
battles of his yester-year. A football rivalry needs two teams to show up on the gridiron on the same day. Now last year my Ducks fell in the Rose Bowl against my cousin’s Buckeyes. Last New Years Day my Ducks played a better team….
On that day. Because yes, I believe any team can be beaten on any given day.

My Ducks may not win against Auburn, but they will give it their best, and if they lose it will be because Auburn was better on Monday, January 10th and I will live to root for my Ducks another day. In the words of Supwichugirl, “I love my Ducks.”
And believe me the Quake will return.



Everyone one with a sports network or cable show has dissed my Ducks, this ticks me off to no end, I hope it is ticking off my Ducks as well. I am sure that the discussion will be all Auburn through out the game, I will still watch. But in my underdog, football heart of hearts I truly look forward to Robert Smith eating is words. And for that matter Herb Kirkstreet, too.



Win or lose I want to be on the streets of Eugene come January 22nd to cheer my Ducks in a Celebration of Champions.

Go Green - GODUCKS!
Cele

PS - And on the record I have a hard time believing Cam Newton didn't know his dad was shopping him in hopes of play for pay. Surely someone would have clued him in. I don't buy it.

Note: all pictures taken from the internet and are not property of.... moi, but used under fair use laws and are in no way meant to be detrimental, but fully in awe of people who love my Ducks and were able to take their pictures. Thank you, I am forever humble and in awe.

Talk Thursday: Simplicity

Adore the concept; abhor the difficulty of implementing simplicity. Less is more, less is better, people each want different things and that is hard to simplify. I keep wanting a simple life, but I keep messing that part up.

I had one kid, well I was supposed to have two, but that’s another story. So simple, I had one child, but then I kept marrying other people. So her name and social security number have caused her multiple problems. I had one child, so she never got the bigger brother she wanted, for which I apologize. I had one child, whom I adore. She had one child and never got married. Smart chick.

Marriage (and therefore life there after) was suppose to be simple, you fell in love, got married, and lived happily ever after. Someone shot the guy on the white horse and substituted my first husband. Hmmm, and I think my second husband too. No one taught me marriage is hard work; I was taught anything worth having was worth working for and marriage certainly is, it took me years to realize not everyone was taught that little truism. That complicates things a bit. Hence, three husbands later….

In 1981 the second guy I married and I bought a house (before we got married as a partnership.) Now that was simple enough. Even more so is the fact that while he owned a house he didn’t’ believe in nesting or making that house better or even a home. Third husband definitely nested, believes in making a house a home, and making the house that houses the home better…. Which complicates the lazy side of me. Where I had no real furniture, there is now real furniture, real carpet, and a need to paint…again. Where there was sand blowing over rock bark and weeds, there is now a lawn, okay, two lawns, two gardens, a courtyard, an enclosed deck and peace, and beauty, and a need to weed… a lot. That’s not a bitch I love to weed for the most part. But now it’s complicated, you try fighting to keep out of your weeks a man who doesn’t know a seedling from a weed.

When I first started in radio, it was four hours a week on Sundays. We had a huge multiple reel-to-reel automation system that was a relic from decades long past. The CD player seemed such a novelty. That was twenty-one years ago. Now I’m the programming director/operations manager, the CD players are back ups for when the computerized system fails, when I need to defrag, or reboot. Instead of one AM transmitter that got turned on at sunrise and off at sunset I have an automated AM Array Transmitter that has not one but two FM translators, AND an FM station – each are governed by similar, but extremely complicated rules. Ha, I fondly remember back to when I was simply an employee.

My mother raised me to be the best I could be, to be independent, to be strong, to be true to myself, kind to all people, and to question all I did not understand. Again, simple in concept, not the easiest to execute, why do people have to be so tough? It complicates things. Once in grade school, about the fourth or fifth grade, I had a friend - Andrea. She was getting flack from other schoolmates over her weigh; defending her I got in trouble and had to miss recess for the remainder of the day, because I had been insensitive to Andrea’s weight. I’m not sure how that happened; I remember being highly offended they were picking on her about something she had no control over. Years later, when Pinecone and Butch were sophomores, Butch got his license. We lived four miles out of town and he would drive himself and Pinecone to school. I saw red when I found out he would make her duck under the dashboard if his friends were in view. WTF? (Simply put, he’s a butthead to this day.) What was so hard about the situation was the pain and embarrassment I caused Pinecone when I brought up and tried to rectify the problem . She was mortified and the problem never resolved.

Over the years, I’ve learned being a simple person is complicated merely by the fact that I am human as are most of the people around me. I don’t require a lot – love, nurturing, rain, and a good hot cup of herbal tea (this month country peach), a kiss from my husband, conversation with my daughter, a hug from grandson is all I need to be happy and at peace, if for even just a moment. But life is rarely that simply, so I cherish the moments when they happen even more, waiting for the complications to descend.

Sith,
Cele

Welcome Twenty Eleven, Nice To Meet You

Now get off my toe. Yesterday Harley made a comment on air about December 31st being the Feast of Sylvester (I kid you not) and if an east wind is blowing it bodes calamity for the New Year. Yesterday’s weather forecast for the central Oregon Coast: Partly Sunny (it was cloudy) East winds … through Tuesday – highs 40 to 45 degrees…. Clear skies, east winds, lows 30 35 degrees. We had clouds all day and 47. Rain last night 33 degrees. And Friggin’ east winds. What the Frell is that about?

I actually made midnight and a few before I went to bed this morning. This morning began at six after six with dead air on my FM dial. I called the Smurfette got a run down and went back to bed until she called me at 9:30. I spent the next forty five minutes at work rebooting computers. And then treated Ducky and myself to mochas and chocolate chocolate chip muffins. It’s not crispy hash browns, but it works.

So to close out Two ought ten I had one part timer out for a week because he was having trigeminal surgery. He’s now out for four week’s because in English, he had brain surgery, I’m not bitching, he talked his doctor down from six weeks out. My main hand man, the ying to my business yang, had a nasty ass ear infection to close out two thousand ten, he’s now kicked off twenty eleven with nasty ass ear infections in both ears. My third part timer, who has a full time job at the local Kroger, is helping with part of the basketball games, but we cover three teams… ouch.

So I tried to hook up Ducky’s Wii. I’m the techie of the house. I apparently don’t speak Wii. I hate when I have to call my bro inlaw for techie support, it’s what everyone else to who he is related does. I feel like I’ve failed – really it can’t be that difficult. I hooked all the appropriate cord to the appropriate Wii orifice. Took the appropriate audio/video RCA plugs and put them into the appropriate DVR audio/video Inputs – Nada. Yes, I sync’d the remotes. Despite being preloaded with Wii Sports I have no menu. I put in a game disc ( Link’s Crossbow Training) hit the home button. Nada. I punched every button on my remote. Nada. I stood on my head and spun three time to the east. Nada. I walked away and cooked dinner. Still nada, but I’m feted.

Ducky got me these kewl Christmas socks in my stocking.
Pandas. They totally rock. I’d gotten Burp monkey socks for his stocking, and Ducky got Psam frog socks. I really wanted a picture of all three pairs of Christmas feet. Drats that didn’t happen.
I pulled my Christmas Panda socks out of the dryer, to find out they’d begun coming unsewn. I whipped out my needle and repaired my socks. But oops, I got one of the feet wrong. But the socks fit even better than they did before being washed.

My Christmas tree is still up, my Christmas decorations are still up, and my roots are two weeks past due. But I’m good. I burnt my has browns, but TCU won and I’m good. Go Uconn.
The wind of twenty eleven is calm right now.

Sith,
Cele

Talk Thursday: The Topic Fairy Died

Farewell, Good-bye, Auf Wiedersehen, Adieu 2010

Happily I will bid a hasty TaTa to 2010, what a hell it has been, okay that’s strong, very strong. It wasn’t that bad, but it took me three quarters of the year to determine what felt better, twenty ten, two thousand ten, or two ought ten (while different it doesn’t leap to mind or tongue when you’re in the bowels of indecision over numerical determination.) It’s final, I’m starting out the new year knowing I am calling it twenty eleven, that determination should last at least until just after midnight.

Really twenty ten wasn’t THAT bad, it was just annoying as hell. January, cold, cold cold. I got my Christmas tree down on New Years Day two ought ten, only six more weeks until it’s time to put it up again… okay twelve weeks (but who’s counting?) My time flies… just wait you’re getting older too. My Ducks failed to show up on the bowl game gridiron (I’m not sure who they sent, but they didn’t play like my Ducks). And speaking of Ducks, my Ducky was stuck in the valley a few times by snow. The Winter Folk Festival and craft sale rocked with good dried apricot jam and The Brothers Four and Barry McGuire.

In February I received an awesome yoga DVD set for my birthday. Upward facing dog kicked my 54 year old ass and my Chiropractor, St Gregory (the ST stands for steel thumbs) said, “No, no.” to the yoga. Well spank my fat ass. At the radio auction I bought a kick ass secretariat for my new room. The question of twenty ten, “What do we call the new edition that is now six years old?” Note, I’ve tried Sunroom, garden room, sun room, new room seems to work… sort of.

March offered up a promise of spring and a feasible countdown to baseball season. The first of my daffodils and iris popped their poinky green tips out of the soggy, semi frozen garden sand….And then proceeded to go back to sleep. The annual home and garden show was a success.

April, there is no easy way to say it, Psam lost her job… thank you Mr. Unionman… for nothing. She loved her job, she’s damn good at her job… but she was low man on the totem pole. She also was turned down for unemployment…again I am disappointed in my government. The new Green Show seemed more like a repeat of the Home and Garden Show. Baseball season came and I was wishing for Duck Football, I seemingly can’t be pleased.

May, Rhody Fest came, gone, and will reappear before you even know it. A good time was had by all. Darn it just tires me all to hell out. On the other hand I started my Christmas shopping. I know, I know – you’re saying it’s May, really, Christmas shopping? Yeah, duh! When you find great stocking stuffers you buy them and start the list.

June seemed like an extension of early spring, cold and wet. Now all my friends will say, “But. Cele you like the rain and cold of Winter.”

I will reply, “Yes, I do, but not in June, July, and August.”

July… flew by. I boycotted the Fireworks Spectacular. Missed the crafts fair.

August… gone. But, oh, oh, oh I did go to my first bead trunk show and a new addiction was in embryotic form.

September – DUCK FOOTBALLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I’ve become predictable and boring… until the game starts and then the loud unholy football fan takes over and I morph in to Mega football Mama! Go Ducks! Thank fully and I do mean fully that my husband, my daughter, my grandson, my sister, sister in law and their families are all MEGA DUCK fans too. Second passion of the season, fishing. Ducky got me on the banks of the Siuslaw with a Salmon pole in hand. I didn’t catch a single nibble, let alone the whole fish but gosh I loved it all. We spent sunny afternoons on the bank of the river, taking it all in, casting over and over again, not a care in the world. Heaven.

October, wow, more Duck Football; a little more fishing, but now I’m starting to worry about Christmas, it’s only three weeks away. I can’t find last year’s Christmas list. Bottles are $23 a case, I need two, but it’s $48 dollars to ship them. Crap what am I going to do? How about another bead trunk show…. Woo hoo I’m hooked. Oh and I had great jack-o-lanterns.

November, visit St. Gregory and a week later my neck is out. Freck. I spent Thanksgiving puking, laying on my daughter’s bed, and did I mention puking? Where is that friggin’ Christmas list? Bracelets were made, more beads bought, addiction, addiction, addiction.

December started with the final Duck victory of the regular season and the Pac Ten Championship – up next Auburn. Well, I finally found the Christmas list from last year… you know - the one I forgot to fill it all out, what did we get the Brit? Empty Bowls were bought and filled, wrapped and awaited gifting. New bottles were bought at the Home Fermentation store, Kahlua made, labels celebrated, and presents wrapped. More bracelets made. BTW, the Wii Ducky got is still in its box. Maybe this weekend, right after I take down the Christmas tree, I’ll get it hooked up.

It’s December 31st at 9:10pm. The day after the current topic fairy failed at his task. He’s probably in the midst of very non-private exhibition. Germany, England, Scotland, and West Virginia have already counted down. Their feet now are firmly resting in twenty eleven, and it is on the verge of snowing here. Happy New Year.

Sith,
Cele

Talk Thursday: If This Is The Holidays, Why Do I Feel…

The holidays were great. We had a family Christmas gathering the weekend before Christmas, bringing together my daughter, our grandson, and Ducky’s daughters and their significant others. Normally I’d not break it down that, I consider Ducky’s daughters mine, he looks at Psam as his daughter and while there have been problems, it works. This year I went the easy route, dips, guacamole, nibbles, Psam made her famous Pico De Gallo (I’m in seventh heaven) and then pizza from the local Abby’s. Sunday morning we ransack our stockings, then pile into the cars and breakfasted at our favorite omelet place. Afterwards we went home and open presents. Then two third of them can’t get out of the house fast enough. It works.

We had a smaller Christmas celebration this year for several reasons, but first and foremost… I had a breakdown last year at Christmas time. Ducky threatened to cancel our Christmas gathering this year, but Psam chipped in and was a huge help. I scaled back my cooking and all was good. To me Christmas is all about family, it wouldn’t have been Christmas without Psam and Burp, my mom and grandmother. Ducky’s family is always welcomed, as are all holiday orphans, but they all have their own families and traditions, and the girls are required (at the ages of 30 and 36) to be at their mother’s for Christmas. Let me stop now and thank my parents for urging all their children to create their own traditions – they rarely requested a family Christmas.

My father was born to a very poor family in the back hills of West Virginia, my mother to a family of standing and modest wealth in Pasadena, CA, despite the vast difference in their personal experiences they made the holidays work and taught us it’s not the present but the thought that counts. My sister, mother, Psam, and myself often make our gifts. This year Psam and I spent Christmas Eve beading the last of our bracelets for gifting. Believe it or not I was a wee bit worried about giving such a small gift, second- guessing myself and not giving the recipients enough credit. I may be new at making beaded bracelets but I enjoy it, they are pretty and wearable, I crafted each to reflect the person recieving.

Psam gave me several unique wire wrapped heart beads she’d picked up that day in Eugene. The new beads gave me the opportunity to try multi-piece bracelets. The turned out pretty kewl, my grandmother really seemed to like hers.

The one bad thing that happened was Arlo’s gluttony for anything edible- preferably something to which he is allergic, struck. Sunday morning when the house was quite, Ducky and I were doing various chores in opposite sides of the house Arlo got into my closet and ate 8 ounces of chocolate covered espresso beans. Hmm,mmm lip smacking good if his smacking lips and lapping tongue were any indication. Hey, it was all good though, he hadn’t ravished my Peeps! Not for lack of trying, one corner of the wrapper was definitely dog mauled. Butthead, stay away from my Peeps! I mean, sheesh, he got a bag of dried apple slices, a bag of banana chips, and a knotted rawhide in his stocking – what more does a dog need?

In recent years I think I let the stress and demand of the holidays get to me. This year I took back the joy and simplicity of the season. It was a great holiday season, replete family, friends, Christmas socks (pictures to come), a brand new Kahlua Cali label
that was a last minute spate of inspiration (I think I’ll make this one permanent I like it that much), and dog mauled Chocolate Mousse Peeps – It was Christmas and I feel fabulous!

Sith,
Cele

Talk Thursday: But For The Grace… of God

Often I count my blessings, for I am truly blessed. I am of normal mental health, I have a husband who loves me, a daughter I adore, a grandson who is the light of my life, and my mother likes me. I have a job, a soft bed, fresh wholesome food, and clothing of good repair in a size I might not like, but they fit. I have more than I need, want for nothing, and I am happy.

And then I look around me. I realize that there is a sad part of me that has become cynical about individual human conditions, even about many of the organizations that aide those that are in need. On Saturday the local Soroptimist club teamed up with several other organizations and distributed almost 600 Christmas baskets to families in the community in need. Food for a holiday meal, maybe presents for the children, new socks, a jacket, or some other much need basic necessity – those daily items many of us take for granted. But the reality is I know that many people take those baskets do not want of much if anything. How do I know this? I’ve been handed a box by my grandmother who had it given to her by someone who’d gotten emergency food from the Food Share. I try to give at least a hundred dollars a year to the Christmas Basket Project, it’s not much but it will cover the cost of two baskets. I give several times a year to the Food Share, the rest that I give is to the local Habitat for Humanity. It is never enough and there are never enough donations, whether it be in Florence or in your own town. And yet, despite it never being enough for those truly in need there are those who aren’t yet take. This rents my soul. My arguments and anger over this injustice fall on deaf ears. But yet, I give because I can and if not for the blessings of my birth, the generosity of my family, and my job it could have been me who lined up at 5:30 in the morning to make sure I had a dinner for my family. I believe charity begins at home, Florence is my home, I give here, my money stays here, and helps people here. I am blessed.

The husband of one of my best friends is dying. It might not happen tomorrow (but it could) it might not happen next week (but it is a definite possibility), it might not happen next month (but that would shock me) it will happen; it is happening slowly and she has little or no power over this mandate of abused health and old age. He is a diabetic, former smoker, has less than 25 percent use of his heart and he is in renal failure – and yet he could linger. She is a strong soul but her plate so very full. She already has a severely disable daughter for whom she cares, grandchildren who come into her home to live and then leave when it’s convenient to do so, and children far from home – she needs their help and yet she is alone. I ache for her all the while knowing I am blessed because my family is healthy, hard working, self sufficient, and supportive. I am not alone and even more than that I am loved. That isn’t to say that my friend isn’t, it is just… I am not her, I do not live her life and except for my support 2500 miles away I can not help her.

My friends both in my work-a-day world, my online life, and off times, are real, diverse, and rich in the rewards of laughter, communion, and support. But for the grace of God, a circumstance of birth, a disrupted chromosome or mutated gene go I. I do not let my blessing go un-noted,, I do not let them go uncounted, I do not let them pass silently in the dark taken for granted. I am blessed

And the reality my friend is that you most likely were too.

Sith,
Cele

Talk Thursday: Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can stab much deeper

People use the words they mean, whether they realize it or not. As people we individually place levels of meaning to words that mean the same thing – read as “Cele can say four words that mean the same thing, through word usage is the seriousness of the matter is truly implied.” It’s a me thing to a point, I guess. People strike out with words.

My mother sincerely believed (until the other night at dinner) that I had once screamed the words at her, “I hate you, I hate you, I hate you!” Not. I screamed those words at my father, whom in front of visiting extended family (rather loudly in bold font) announced he believed I would be pregnant by the Mexican boy next door with in six months. This happened because I asked if we could go on a neighborhood picnic. He said that, I screamed that, but not at my mother. My grandmother upon hearing this explanation of the facts looked at my mother and asked why he would do that? He did it because he believed I liked the boy next door (not, Benny and I were no more than neighborhood friends) and he judged me based on his actions as a teenager.

I adored my father; he was one of my heroes, my mentors, my friends. I miss him dearly to this day and know that there are things he said in my life that were said out of frustration and based on his experience but overlaid on what he thought was happening in mine. We were father and daughter, we were friends, and even though he is now passed close to three years he visits me, wants the best for me, and loves me. His words may have cut at the moment, but they helped me evolve into me.

My first husband has a drinking problem, but long ago it was a drug and drinking problem. We spent many a party with him passed out in someone’s back room, under the keg at a function (this was lovely when he was in the service), or just AWOL because a beer was more important than family. He’s not my favorite person, but we get along. He never used words that cut, he used his fist. I left

My second husband used words. Words that cut me more than anything my first husband ever did. He told me in succession
1) you have no sense of humor
2) you are the most negative person I know
3) you don’t have your own personality
4) and probably the worst, “I have never loved you, I just wanted the family you offered.”
Number four destroyed me, how do you live with someone for eleven years, tell them you love them and then turn around and say you never did. I’m sorry, let me reiterate that, NEVER LOVED YOU, because regardless of how somberly spoken, how quietly uttered they scream while renting through my heart and soul.

I gave the best eighteen years of my life to these two men and they trod with cork boots on them. I survived the fist, the choking, the beating my head in to a cement floor… and rather admirably I might say, but the words hurt me to this day. I am an imitation of others – hey wait a friggin’ minute we are all an amalgamation of others we meet through out our lives, the lessons we learn, the slang we hear, the books we read, the movies we watch, and the songs we sing. It may be personal preference that leads us to steal “dude” as a favorite slang word, Folk Rock as a favorite type of music, or Jane Austin as a favorite author, but it is the people we met through life that we take the little nuances from.

I choose my words carefully as to not unintentionally hurt someone. I do not fling words out in anger. You can’t take back words said in a heated moment no matter how hard you try – so I refuse to utter them. I am not a saint; I’m a normal everyday person who has through a life of personal osmosis become who I am.

Through effort I removed most of the negativity in my personality and strive to be a positive. While I have my loud moments and voice I tend to have a quiet personality. Sense of humor I’m not so sure about. But what I do have is a large vocabulary and usually know how to use it. I don’t use it to hurt.

Sith,
Cele

I love my Ducks and today is Civil War Saturday - Go Ducks!



Most of my family are Duck faithfuls... well except Miseray and the Brit, who is at today's game and didn't take Ducky. He's a bit miffed, there maybe coal in the Brit's Christmas present this yeat.



If any team is up for beating the Ducks it's the Beavers. So GO DUCKS!

Talk Thursday: So What’s It Gonna Be, Eh?

Most likely a rant, and that kind of bothers me. Why do I rant so much? Do I think myself superior that the crappy shallow comments that people make are beyond my own baseness? Superior no, base, hell yes, mind boggled normally. Recent observations.

ABC Radio (because I rarely watch real news on TV – Give me Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert, and Bill Mahre any day of the week, I digress) reported early this week that the man of interest in the shooting death of Hollywood publicist Ronni Chasen committed suicide (a good money saving measure for the cash strapped state of California). The short story (common it’s radio – we have to say the important stuff in usually ninety words or less) repeatedly commented that Chasen was murdered while driving her Mercedes through Beverly Hills.

So if she was driving a Volvo would she have been murdered? What difference does the model of vehicle have on her death? NADA, thank you very much! But apparently some dimwitted reporter felt it was very important to note several times (with in his ninety or so words) that she was driving a Mercedes. Gas guzzling vehicle envy on the part of the report I dare say.

And by the way... the guy who committed suicide may not even be linked to the Chasen murder... but she was driving a Mercedes in Beverly Hills.

This week the Senate failed (or is it refused) to extend unemployment. This hits me on several levels
1) the perpetual mind-boggle that is the hallmark of my daily existence
2) the anger that we can take care of the truly rich and ignore people who are truly in need because there are no jobs

Last night my mother made a comment about how Demark had slowly cut back remuneration and duration of unemployment because it paid so well the unemployed liked staying there. Mom, in the US that is called Welfare, not unemployment – you have to be making big bucks to make big bucks on unemployment. And btw Mom, there aren’t jobs out there. That isn’t to say that there aren’t people who work the system, but I’m looking at my own daughter, who works as many hours as are available to her (they are never enough to be called employed) and yet can’t get unemployment because she’s trying to be a responsible mom raising a child by herself. I bet the worthless sperm donor, who can’t be bothered paying support, gets unemployment in between dropping jobs because he gets dinged for support.

We are in the toughest economic era to hit the US (and the world since the great depression) and we can’t extend unemployment benefits? Nope, can’t, but let’s talk about tax cuts for Billionaires. I think death taxes are wrong, especially 55 percent death taxes for any tax bracket, but really folks, how much money is enough? It does grieve me that we favor the rich with tax-breaks and loop-holes and it also grieves me that hardworking people who save for their retirement are penalized in their retirement.

In this day and economy (actually for a decade or three now) a million dollars is not a lot of money, it’s certainly not a lot when you are looking at the end of your life and counting the pennies to keep you in your home – in health care – in a nursing home. But starting January 1st estates of a million dollars or more could be taxed up to 55 percent estate (death) taxes. I’m sorry that bothers me. My mom’s estate will be about a million. Maybe, just about, depending on property values. Fifty five percent to the government because you died? Outrageous.

Sounds self- serving doesn’t it? If you pay your taxes why should you have to pay fifty five percent more on the action of your death (or is that the inaction of your death?) I believe in paying my taxes but hmmmm, let me see: My boss pays taxes on the money the station makes (including payroll taxes), I pay taxes on the money that I get paid out of what is left after my boss pays the taxes. Then I pay taxes of my property and at the end of the year I pay taxes on what the government feels they over looked when they taxed me the first time around. Hmmmm, I buy things in the community, and the proprietors of my favorite shops pay taxes on what they made when I bought the things to live on. Now the money that I set aside from my paycheck for my retirement (out of the taxed money that my boss paid taxes on) are not taxed…. Until I retire and have to use that money to pay the taxes on my house and live. I might possibly inherit some money from my mom when she dies after the government takes up to fifty five percent of her estate. So then what might possibly be left over when I die (that the government hadn’t figure out how to tax) will be taxed just because I failed to be.

I wasn’t born rich so, oh, crap I should be on welfare to break even.

Darnmit I’m tired,
Sith,
Cele

Snow Day

I am sure people who reside east of the Cascades will shake their heads in disbelief at my reveling in a snow day. The fact that we would refer to a day of three inches of snow as even a snow day will crack up many, but yes folks today was a snow day in western Oregon.

Classes were canceled, buses ran late, and kids throwing snowballs in the street at 7am actually woke me up this morning. Last night was Viking Hour, but they were on their own, and voice less, because I spent the entire time up on the hill trying to get our back up generator online. After having gotten my key stuck in the door (a feat that took me almost an hour to rectify, I got us back up and running, just in time to send the Viking Hour students home.

The mercury dropped to the low 30s, the wind whistled through the trees, and I bundled up next to my wood stove with a steaming hot cup of tea before going to bed.


It snowed continuously this morning and through out the day. Then by four (for the most part) the snow flurries and showers were over.
But not before I had to go out and crack my hose in half to spray off the satellite dish so we could continue airing The Music of Your life, and ABC top of the hour news.

A process that ...
1) I was not dressed for
2) proceeded to spray myself in the face
3) drench the side of my head
4) and the worst part - freeze my fingers off in the ice cold water - but I got the music back online.



I returned back inside as the snow began to come down harder, I warmed up my fingers with some warm water - ouch. Then when outside with my camera and shot this of Bubba and his snow dog, Jonah (who is usually the Radio Dog - but hey, it was a snow day.)


Sith,
Cele

Talk Thursday: Wide Open Spaces

That is about how my sinuses feel right now - wide open dried out/congested can't breathe spaces. I refuse to get sick, so at the first hint of someone around me having a cold I start hitting my system with vitamin-C and an Airborne chaser – more Airborne than C in truth. And you say, “But Cele if this works so well why are you fighting Ducky’s cold?” It’s simple folks, I probably had it before he kissed me and then complained of feeling the onslaught of a cold. I truly believe in the force that is Airborne, if you don’t have it you won’t feel it if you get it. If you do have a cold it will minimize the effects of the cold. So right now I feel my sinuses, yesterday I felt tired, and Friday it was a headache. Ducky on the other hand (who gets drenched while working in the rain) was much sicker than I, but not as sick as he could have been. And yes, I can posit ad nauseam the benefits of good sleep, good diet, meditation, spiritual health, and Airborne. I have to say my eyes do hurt.

It is raining in Oregon, oh come on, don’t feign surprise, I love the rain it means I get to be a bit more lazy. And it gives me more time for my newest hobby – Beading. Lynblossom beads, I will have to pick her brain, maybe check out her designs. I’m starting off fairly easy, three strand bracelets. My friend, Beady Dee Dee, got me into this just by inviting me to a trunk sale at her home. The first time I suckered myself into buying a dozen dragonfly buttons. Why, I have no clue except that I’m a compulsive shopper – it has to be. I think I can make pins out of the buttons, they’re kind of cool, but I’m not sure how to make them a bit more exotic without making them gaudy. Maybe I should just go with plain and call it good.

Anyway, Beady Dee Dee makes her own, very expensive, highly cool glass beads. I am especially drawn to her sugar coated beads – she heats her glass, forms her beads, cools then slightly and then coats them in glass bits. They are AMAZING. I want want want, and until I have less money concerns I will continue to want want want. Beading, the possibilities are as wide open as my sinuses. So at her second trunk show I found these fabulous cobalt glass beads with brass-gilded edges. My mother loves cobalt. At the bead store I matched cobalt oblongs and drops, brass seed beads, and other bits and bobs with the intent to make my mom a three strand bracelet for Christmas. Time will tell.

I’ve already bought Tiger’s eye seed beads (thanks to the second trunk show), onyx and snowflake onyx seed beads, again thank you Beady Dee Dee. So now I have a minimum three bracelets that are on my horizon – Christmas time is coming. I can see bracelets in my head for Psam, my mom, Pinecone, Miseray, Rose, and Renaissance Woman. Crap even for my grandmother. But I’m enjoying it, my worry, that again I will burn out on this craft before my supplies are all used up. Other than that (nod to topic) the possibilities are wide open.

I am also focusing back on my meditation and sight. It’s a long story, very long, very confusing and even blurrier. But I am trying to refocus me, to figure out my gift and to tap into it – this sounds like mumbo jumbo to you all, Psam, possibly Sid, and somehow I know Lynblossom will understand what I mean. Maybe one will have an idea where I should go. The possibilities again are (nod nod) wide open. As am I to suggestions. Until, peace my friends and happy beading.

Sith,
Cele

Talk Thursday: Story of my Life

Totally stymied by this topic, what is so special about me except that I am, but then so are you. I am blessed, but then so are you. Really, you just need to stop and count your blessings.

November is dark and gray, even a bit wet. I like November, less for me to do. So I guess I must say the story of my life includes the comment I am a closet lazy ass. By late winter I will be itching to get back into my garden. Right now I’m just hoping for a few days that are dry and open to me so I can get my 160 tulips into the ground before hard rain, ice, snow, wind and whatever pins me happily indoors with hot cups of steaming tea, a fire burning in my woodstove, and bowl week.

When I was a child we didn’t do a lot as a family, then my brother died. My family suddenly realized that life is too short, precious and meant to cherish and be lived – preferable with each other. We suddenly started taking vacations and often if we weren’t hiking we were fishing. Then I moved to Florence, grew up and didn’t fish for a very long time. Psam use to love to fish as a kid until I pretty much ruined that for her by making her clean her own fish. I felt it only right that if you are to fish, you should be able to clean said fish so you could eat said fish. I wasn’t fishing at the time, now she doesn’t fish at all (even though she use to love it) but Burp fishes, Ducky fishes, and now I fish again. Oh, my gosh I forgot how much I enjoyed the peace of fishing. A nice lazy pursuit. Apparently a river runs through the story of my life.

I know an ocean does. I have lived within 16 miles of the Pacific ocean for all but three years of my life – 9 months in Portland (then it was within sixty miles) and two years in Germany (let’s see – three thousand miles, five thousand miles, how far inland is Bolander, Germany?) I guess I was a ways from the ocean. When I was ten I wanted to learn how to surf. Ack, my mother turned white in fear. I’ve been swimming since I was about two, my mother a former lifeguard made sure all of her children learned to swim at very early ages. We then took lessons every summer and then we took advanced swimming and life saving classes. So yes I can swim. My mom said no. My grandfather, thinking himself to be quite wise (and yes he was he just under estimated my resolve) said I could swim to the boats in the bay and back to prove I was strong enough to pass his next test. No sweat. Then he told me if I could swim across the bay to Balboa Island and back (this was in the days before the eternal red tide) with no problems I could learn to surf. That task was history by the time I was ten, eleven max. I use to love to surf.
Yes, the Pacific Ocean roars through my life’s story. Psam, the water dog, on the other hand was lucky to survive my attempts to teach her to swim. Thank you Mr. McKibbon.

Words, a lot of words, few friends, and a lot of chocolate and diet pills are in the story of my life. I’ve always loved words in the books that I cherish, the songs that I sing, the poems I write. I may walk away from one of those but I always walk back. I still have the first poem I remember writing somewhere… it was about taking acid and the specter of death. I go back to my favorite books by Jane Austen when my poetic voice goes quiet. The songs of Crosby Stills, Nash and Young still stir the embers of urgency in my heart. Embers that are fanned into flames by the songs of Dave Matthews’ Funny the Way It Is, Nickelback’s If Everyone Cared, Everlast’s What It’s Like, and TLC’s Waterfalls – yes I can go on. Music is the soundtrack of my life. If you have been in my life for long, you are a song.

Diet pills, I’ve always though I was fat. I look back at my high school, even junior high, pictures and I know I was pretty darn skinny – but I had a bubble butt. Do you know how impossible it is to tuck in a bubble butt? Impossible. And cute bubble butts turn into wide -fat – old lady butts. So I’ve tried most diets known to mankind. Well accept the Atkins diet. My I gained a lot of weight (sixty three pounds) when I was pregnant – I was so big my stomach was four feet two inches around – ack, beached whale. When I moved to Germany my ex-husband use to make me take (yeah, as if I fought it at all - I was fat and desparately wanted to be thin) Antiadiposidium X-112 – pure caffeine – can only imagine how that wound me up. I didn’t lose that much weight. It must have been all that chocolate (Germany has great chocolate and pastries.)

When I was in beauty college (yes, I’ve done that, too) I was diagnosed with PMS. I literally went crazy about once a year, usually around the beginning of my second husband’s hunting season… which began in April with the Spring Bear hunting and continued through the beginning of December and the end of the autumn Bear Hunt. The made me take about a dozen things out of my diet
1) Chocolate
2) red meat
3) salt
4) dairy products
5) refined flour
6) refined sugar
7) nicotine
8) alcohol
9) coffee
10) fried foods
11) artificial sweetners
12) and almost anything prepared - you know canned foods, frozen foods - eat fresh.
– oh, oh avoid stress (yeah, like that is doable). I regained my sanity, lost about thirty pounds, and in the long run kept a daughter and lost a husband. My last bout with PMS came a month before I met Ducky – that was 18 years ago. Yoyo weight gain and loss runs through the story of my life. Now, I’m trying to learn to be happy with myself, grossly over weight.

So there, I am normal like you, I work at being unique, and I am pretty darn quiet in my old lady life. I kind of like it that way. And I apolize for not being more inspired for this post.

Sith,
Cele

ADHA America

First off I’d like to say this is my America too, WTF do you mean take “Our America Back?”

Second I’d like to say, “Idiots, it’s a WORLD WIDE RECESSION.” I apologize to you who realize this I didn’t want to shout but I’m frustrated, Americans seem so deaf. I knew that a lot was going to change to the opposite direction, but really it’s my country too and you never gave anyone time to fix anything that had been broken by those who went before and now the Headless Chicken Republic has given it back to those who helped break it in the first place. That being said, "Yeah, to all those who voted, whether you did as I or opposed."

What is it about Americans that it needed to be fixed yesterday? What? We’ve been in a worldwide recession now for over two years, but Americans only know they voted for change and damn-it they wanted it yesterday. Personally I know change and healing take much longer than a handful of months, it takes time, determination, and working together. I’ve seen little of that. Wait, I’ve seen nobody working together.

Katie Couric made this asinine comment about it being a good thing that when things turn around the new governors will get the credit. Idiot, governors have been working for months to get things turned around, if this happens it took more than new governors.

The catch phrases flying around tonight are driving me crazy, “Give the people what they want” (ha you idiots the people asked for health care reform, the spin from the talking heads and Republican leadership made my nose bleed.) “

A CBS poll asked, “Who do you blame for our current woes?”
1) Wall Street 55%
2) Pres. Bush 39%
3) Pres. Obama 6%
Obama? Really, people read. Bush? I’m not a Bush person, but in truth he wasn’t smart enough to get us in this situation, nor did he have near enough time- that doesn’t mean he didn’t aid the situation, but he did not create it. No, our current situation took years and years to develop, everyone that went before in the last twenty plus years has a hand in this dilemma, but most of all let us thank Wall Street and their enablers… They know who they are and “They” don’t read my blog. Thank God.

Hmmmm,
Cele

Happy Halloween

I adore Halloween and every year Burp and I have a ritual, we go to Fred Meyers on the Saturday before where he does the cake walk and then decorates cupcakes or a cake. This year... the pumpkin patch cake.

I love to carve pumpkins, this year I got only one, but still fun.

Next year I'm getting a fog machine and a cauldern.


Our first Trick or Treaters (or as I say, "Tricker Treaters")


Ducky has to count each and every ghostie, ghoulie and little ladybug and Pooh bee.


The Final Tally for 2010 despite a light rain....83.

Talk Thursday: Things That Make Me Go, “Hmmmmmm?!.”

☼ The cure to a Gummy Bear addiction is not a twelve- step program. No, no it’s a five-dollar bag of Halloween Tootsie candies.

☼ I am addicted to trashy TV. I disgust, even, myself with this reality. For so long I lived in peaceful ignorance that Real Housewives trod the backs of their Real Housewives counterparts (who may or may not actually be, have been, or will ever be married if bitch factor has anything to do with it) with five-inch stilettos and really primpy princess tacky satins. Forever I am to wonder if they truly believe all their collagen puffer fish lips look sexy. It’s the uni-brow of lip looks, it makes me realize that the person who invented the lip liner was a psychic.

♥ Oh mi god, Swamp People are interesting. One they get to hunt gators all day long, get paid to do it several times over and can even wax poetic about gators. The down side they live in snake infested swamps. Wait, that’s all I have to say.

♥ Ice Road Truckers drive the Himalayas - that is when the Dalton isn’t frozen. Things I have learned 1) There are no driving laws in India 2) You never initiate passing another vehicle in India unless you are on a blind curve 3) If there are traffic laws enforcement is afraid of mob rule 4) ergo, the redundant - there are no driving laws in India 5) I will never go to India – snakes and bad driving.

♥ Dual Survival is on hiatus…. No I want my Dave and Cody back. Haven’t seen it? Dude you don’t know what you’re missing. I have learned sooooo much from this show, beginning with, “Respect Diversity.” Oh wait I knew that, it just makes me honor it more. And two if I am ever lost in the woods I might be able to make myself a passable structure for the night and on a good dry night with the planets in proper alignment, I think I can make fire with a Bic lighter.

♥ Survivor, only idiots and hateful people go on Survivor. Most can not make a passable shelter by themselves (or in a group and if they do they stop at one because why be sensible) nor can they make fire – except on two occasions – without their Bic lighter, flint and a metal sharp object. Oh, and they have lots of snakes (both in the game and out.) Hateful people have made me quit watching Survivor on several seasons, Big Brother and Amazing Race all together. Hate hate hate.

♥ Other reality shows that I watch…. Dancing With The Stars, American Idol, Matchmaker Millionaire aka you can put mega money in their pockets but dude you’re still a loser jerk, and my absolute fav, So You Think You Can Dance. I’m sure the moment I print this I will think of more shows I should have added…

♥ Ack!!!! Like Deadliest Catches, Ghost Hunters, Dirty Jobs, American Pickers, Pawnstars, Undercover Boss, and Mythbusters. See, it’s an endless list of characters and learning opportunities.

☼ What makes me really go huhhhh? Not hmmmm, but a big WTF Huh? Situation comedies. Two and a Half Men? What is it with people who love tv shows that put each other down? Degrading. With that said, I ♥♥♥♥ Big Bang Theory ♥♥♥♥ (my favorite can not miss show) from the opening show of season one when no one watched. I ADORE THIS SHOW. ♥♥♥ Castle ♥♥♥ what more can you say? ♥♥ NCIS ♥♥. And finally, ♥ Eureka ♥ That’s it. Everything else is on cable and reality.

☼ If I clean the bathroom sink several things are inevitable and all will make me do the physical version of hmmmm, which is shaking my head and intoning, “WTF?!.” 1) Despite the whole open sink area in front of the faucet my husband will brush, rinse and then spit over top the faucet. 2) Despite the fact a wash cloth and hand towel (with no apparent purpose in reality) sit on the counter, he will fail to see or clean up the water dripped all over after washing his hands. (And yes I count my blessings that two out of three husbands are known hand washers) 3) in the face of all evidence to the contrary (please realize the blessing you have receive with no accompanying photos) that he does not rinse out his toothbrush well enough, he will loudly complain that his medicine cabinet is disgusting where he puts his toothbrush. “Why doesn’t it happen on your side?”

☼ If I clean the bathroom floor Burp will come pee all over the toilet. Is that an Aspie trait? I absolutely adore my grandson, but honestly the things that I discover are his traits in all truth make me scratch my head… forget the hmmm. Make him clean it up - no problem it just doesn’t deter him. Mass sympathy and sorrow for his mom’s frustration and her bathroom, please.

Okay that is it for now. I think. I’m sure as soon as I hit the publish button all sorts of hmmms will hit my forethoughts. Hmmm, don’t cha think?

Oh Oh and I miss my favorite bloggers, they all seem to be on hiatus. It must be October ennui. Seriously a major ailment of autumn darkened north Americans.

☼ Oh mega crap, things that make me go, HMMMMMM! Americans in general and the Democratic Party in specific. I know, I’m an Independent registered Republican. But really folks, have guts, have patience. Go Shopping, help the economy, but do not think just because you voted for change it will happen yesterday. We, and the world, suffered a major recession you don’t snap back with a wish and a word. Healing takes time, give it five years before you start bitching things aren’t (I love my auto correct wants me to write isn’t instead of aren’t) fixed yet.

And a special note to my friends and family, I won’t have msn.com much longer I now have Charter so please change my email ending to charter.net and voila’ you’ll find me.

Sith,
Cele