Don't forget the BAFAB contest that starts tomorrow! ---BAFAB's FIRST ANNIVERSARY CONTEST: Over at
Buy a Friend a Book they're throwing a week-long puzzle contest. The three winners will walk away with more than
$500 worth of literary stuff between them--stacks of books and memberships in
LibraryThing and even a
text editor. The contest runs from July 1st to July 7th, and it's going to be hosted at
BAFAB and co-hosted at six other literary sites across the web.
Go to
Grumpy Old Bookman for the first puzzle
July 1st -
CANADA DAY!
YouTube - The Laugh Song
I'm warning you, this is pretty bad:
YouTube - The Laugh Song It's a group of little Asian girls, telling corny jokes (with subtitles) and each bad joke is followed by 'hahahahaha' in music.
Manolo's Shoe Blog: Shoes, Fashion, Celebrity, and Manolo!
There's a funny little post at
Manolo's Shoe Blog: Shoes, Fashion, Celebrity, and Manolo! The Manolo, he discuss what he wish to wear for the burial of himself.
Political Compass
You need to have a little time, but
Political Compass is rather interesting. They have a lengthy questionnaire which they suggest is capable of defining you and where you stand politically. It may be a little better than the average because you'll find that your outcome isn't a 'pat' one. They have a graph which is divided into quadrants and Mr. Normal would presumably be at dead centre. Hitler's in the upper right somewhere, Ghandi's at the lower left. I came out close to Mr. Normal and far enough away from Hitler to be quite content. I registered just a little closer to Milton Friedman that Mahatma Ghandi and was quite happy to share the lower quadrants with them. My actual numbers were 0.75 to the right of centre on Economics and negative 2.21 (-2.21) on the Social Libertarian/Authoritarian scale, which is to say just a tiny bit Conservative on economics and moderately Liberal socially. That's o.k. No extremist, I won't lower your property values if I move in and yet I'm still likely to buy the Girl Scout cookies!
Yoo-Hoo!
Sian and
Skint, your blogs don't seem to be accepting comments! If it turns out that there's just a slow-down in the system, expect a few comments to come in from me! I don't dare try any more for fear of looking like an utter
fool !
The Song Tapper - Find music by tapping the rhythm of the song's melody.
This is the most amazing thing!
The Song Tapper - Find music by tapping the rhythm of the song's melody. You tap out a song of your choice on your keyboard spacebar and this site can identify it! I pounded out "O Canada" and the anthem came up on the top of the list! I'm in awe of whoever figured this out. Sian at
Ichabod is Itchy pointed the way to this little wonder.
I went back and tried "Dixie" - they're batting 1000 so far!
Corner Gas
I think it's just another case of 'synchronicity'. It's only yesterday that Douglas had us thinking about which character in a situation comedy we would choose to be, and today I read in the newspaper that
Corner Gas has been sold to an American network and will run in the United States starting in the fall. I'd like to recommend this show to you all.
I think now I need to make some excuses for this strange program. It's so very
CANADIAN that in some ways it's pretty bad. The people are all ordinary looking, far too pale (not all that much sun up here) and
DULL, but after a while you start to appreciate them. There's a sweetness and a gentleness to prairie folk and I think they represent everything that is good about this country. They're not fools at all. In fact, there is some pretty intelligent dialogue in the show. It's just 'humdrum'. (How's that for a sales pitch?! I'll bet you're all really excited about seeing it now!) Honestly, though, this is a good program; you just need to give it a chance (i.e.,
do watch it more than once because it may take a while to grab you). The show is very popular here and there are often cameo appearances by Canada's celebrities - one show opened with a little vignette between the main character and our then-Prime Minister, Paul Martin. Here's another plus - Corner Gas is genuine 'family' entertainment; I don't think I've ever heard them swear. I hope you'll watch the listings for it!
Douglas over at
Crossword Bebop has kindly invited me into a game. I'm not quite sure of the rules of the game - I don't even know what it's called - but the word 'meme' popped up.
Apparently I am required to name the character in a situation comedy who I would most like to be. This has been a very difficult assignment for me because I don't watch much in the way of situation comedies any more. I could probably respond quite quickly if you asked me to choose a character in a crime or forensics show! I've also got a problem because I can't think of a female to choose. So, with assurances to all that I am
not suffering from any gender dysphoria, I'm choosing a male. I choose Bertie Wooster from the British sitcom "Wooster and Jeeves". Bertie was played by Hugh Laurie in his younger days and was a loveable fool, totally inept (you'll understand why I identify with him) and yet somehow always able to muddle through with help.
Now I need to 'tag' three other people, so I choose
DEBRA , of course, and
Skint, and
Tom. You folks are supposed to do what I did. You write a post referring to me this time, choose your own character from a situation comedy and then tag another three people.
And Douglas,
THANK YOU for the lesson on adding links!
This Cup
Minx has a lovely new post called
"This Cup" . You should go read it! My picture shows the Minx I imagine.
I've added a picture now, because Skint wondered how I saw myself. I'm the cracked one! Minx is the beautiful one on the bottom.
This is a test.
Douglas has sent me instructions for inserting a link into a post that will show a name and not all of the data (i.e., the url itself) that is required to actually get to a particular page. I hope this works! I think it DOES
. Thank you Douglas! You da' man,
Douglas,
Douglas ,
Douglas !
Woulda Coulda Shoulda
This is Mir's blog
Woulda Coulda Shoulda I couldn't figure out how to insert it into the notice about her walk for the Susan G. Komen Foundation. You can't help but like this girl!
2006 Boston Breast Cancer 3-Day - General Donation
2006 Boston Breast Cancer 3-Day - General DonationMir is doing a three-day, 60 mile walk for the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation and is soliciting donations. What a lovely young woman!
THANK YOU AGAIN, DEBRA!Most of you probably know that I'm terrified of the computer...so much so that nothing zoomy is ever added to this page unless Debra Hamel
steps up and actually does the job. Now, thanks once again to Debra, I have a site meter added to the blog and a thing down at the bottom that shows links in from other blogs.
I haven't been at this for long, but so far my experience has been nothing but positive. I know it's not all going to be 'roses'; Minx recently had an unpleasant experience that illustrates what can happen when we leave our doors ajar for friends to walk in. Occasionally very unpleasant people might show up. I've been fortunate so far and the people coming through my virtual door are people I'd like to see at my actual door. Debra and I live on opposite sides of North America. Maxine, Minx, and Skint live even farther away. It's a pleasure to know you
pixel-ated people!
No Telemarket
This page
No Telemarket has three tones which you can record at the beginning of your answering machine or voice mail announcement. The tones tell telemarketers' software that your line is disconnected and no longer in service. They will then disconnect and do not log your phone number as a working number. No more pesky callbacks!
Personal Finance Advice? Blog Archive? Creative Job - Commute Helper
A very worthy entrepreneur! Here's an article about a fellow who makes a passable living by renting himself out as a passenger to people who want to speed their commute times using Carpool lanes.
Personal Finance Advice� Blog Archive� Creative Job - Commute Helper
Mount Douglas Park and Durrance Lake, Victoria
The top picture is the roadway through Mount Douglas Park. I love the muted light through here - perfect for my too-pale blue eyes. You can click on the pictures to see them larger. Peter and I drove to Durrance Lake today where he did a little fly-fishing. It was a lovely day.
MAKE: Blog: Collapsible bike trailer has comfortable bunk for camper
Here's an article about a trailer to pull along behind your touring bike.
MAKE: Blog: Collapsible bike trailer has comfortable bunk for camper The object was to provide a lovely little sleeping compartment, but with today's traffic I think it would serve equally well for transporting your remains back home.
Digital pictures
I've got so many pictures on my computer, I was thinking of transferring them all to cd's.
Burning for the long haul - Cameras & Videos - Gadgets - Technology makes me a little leery now. What should I do?
Guardian Unlimited | Comment is free | George Monbiot: Mass medication with Omega 3 would wipe out global fish stocks
There's a meaty (or should I say 'fishy') article here
Guardian Unlimited Comment is free George Monbiot: Mass medication with Omega 3 would wipe out global fish stocks The article starts with a very credible discussion of the value of Omega 3 fatty acids and their apparent benefits. Further on the article addresses the impossibility of sustaining a supply and how mismanagement of fish stock is leading to serious problems. There's an interesting development via a Swiss firm which apparently is farming a variety of algae which produces the Omega 3 acids and is actually the original source for the acids which we are now getting from fish. It's an article worth reading.
One Month in the Blogosphere!
I just realized that it was a month ago today that Alice in Wonderland-like I tripped on a rabbit hole and fell into the amazing world of blogging.
Alice: Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?
The Cat: That depends a good deal on where you want to get to
Alice: I don't much care where.
The Cat: Then it doesn't much matter which way you go.
Alice: …so long as I get somewhere.
The Cat: Oh, you're sure to do that, if only you walk long enough.
I'm still not quite sure where I'm going with this....
Pure Joy
A small, true story ~
I think I mentioned before that some years ago I had a Moslem co-worker. He was a decent, hard-working fellow but his occasionally-abrupt mannerisms put some people off. I don't know how it is that we were friends. It wasn't romance or anything like that. It was just mutual respect I think. One day he asked me, seemingly casually, "How many children do you think is an ideal number for a family?"
I responded flippantly, "Ten!", then smiled.
"No, seriously" and he went on to explain that his wife had just discovered that she was pregnant and she wanted to keep the baby but he wasn't so sure -- they already had two children and they were just starting to get 'comfortable' and besides, they were planning to go to Disneyland that summer.
Such a serious question just coming out of the blue! I knew that I only had a moment to perhaps make a difference. My 'born again' friends might agree that the words that came to me were heaven-sent. I said "I don't think we should refuse our blessings."
Just those words were all it took! I knew it, because I saw their effect spread across his face, as clearly as if a light had just been turned on. Those few words had saved a life!
The little boy who was later born would be about twenty-four years old today and I feel pure joy knowing that he's in the world.
There's been a giant fly, about the size of a small bird, buzzing around our house for the last few days. I've chased him everywhere with a large paper cup labelled 'spider', hoping to eject him without bloodshed. Last night I came upon him asleep on the wall, within easy reach. I didn't have the heart to disturb him.
Birds
Peter and I spent some time sitting outside today, watching swallows dip and soar around us. We have a 'swallow condominium' that Peter built above a bedroom window on our upper deck a few years ago. There's room for seven little families in his condo, and I think we have quite a few residents this year. They're beautiful little turquoise-y things, shaped like tiny jet planes. It's not much of a picture I'm posting, but I was lucky to get what I did because they dart about so quickly.
We also have a family of crows nesting just a few feet from the back door. The fact that the crows
aren't 
concerned about us with their babies not yet fledged is a testimony to what all the critters around here think of Peter. The crows are regular visitors to our door with frequent demands for food. When we go down to the beach there's usually a crow following us, hopping from log to log, hoping we've got our pockets full of food, I suppose.
My husband also speaks 'crow'. He picks out the particular tones in the crow calls and will announce, "There's an eagle out there" or "Oh, a cat!".
When I first came to this house I met Hokey, the seagull who was a regular visitor for forty years.
FORTY years. I have a wonderful picture of Peter sitting on the deck reading, with Hokey sitting on one side of him and a mallard on the other, both birds within arm's reach and roosting quite happily.
this is not a blog.
The lady at
this is not a blog. has a post about a product, actually for sale, that looks fairly interesting -- packaged business cards that say simply "STOP TALKING". While one might be tempted to own the cards, I can't imagine ever having the heart to actually use one. Probably just spitting on an offender's shoe would suffice.
ThinkGeek :: Stonehenge Watch
I'd like one of these!
ThinkGeek :: Stonehenge Watch Of course, the darned thing is out of stock right now, but I'm going to keep checking back. I guess my boys would all be too serious to use one, but I wouldn't be! I'm a little simple...
Always have Correct Change in your wallet
It's CRAFT TIME kiddies!
Always have Correct Change in your wallet This probably doesn't measure up to Debra's PocketMod, but I may just play around with it.
THE OXFORD PROJECT - Violet Reihman
THE OXFORD PROJECT - Violet Reihman is an intriguing look into middle America. It's hard to know how to react to this. Begun in 1984 as a project to take portraits of each and every citizen of Oxford, Iowa, the photographer returned to the town twenty years later to update his pictures and the biographies of some of his original subjects.
LiveScience.com - Norway to House Seeds in Doomsday Vault
And my family thinks I've overdone it with the pantry! At
LiveScience.com - Norway to House Seeds in Doomsday Vault they're telling us about a project to protect massive quantities of seed samples in the event of global catastrophe. The conditions in the storage facility are such that sub-zero temperatures are guaranteed at all times and they are confident that seeds preserved there will last hundreds of years.
Philadelphia Inquirer | 06/18/2006 | Vitamin C: Cancer cure?
No, I'm not feeling sick and no, I'm not cancer-phobic. I just happened upon another very interesting article:
Philadelphia Inquirer 06/18/2006 Vitamin C: Cancer cure? I must say, I've always suspected that Pauling was on to something.
Independent Online Edition > Health Medical
Avoid breast cancer. Sleep in the dark. That's what they're saying at
Independent Online Edition > Health Medical Unfortunately, it's not just sleep-time they're talking about. The report says evidence suggests that exposure to electric light during the hours of darkness may be partly responsible for the disparity between levels of breast cancer in rich and poor countries. It's a scary article, believe me!
Neardeath experiences go under the French microscope
There's a fascinating article about a French conference on near-death experiences at
Neardeath experiences go under the French microscope There are reports from apparently reliable people which lend some credence to the whole thing. I remain seriously skeptical myself, and the mind-reading doctor didn't do a lot to convince me, but check out the article. It's interesting.
Urban Legends Reference Pages: Language (Nine Letters)
Are you interested in knowing what English Language nine-letter word remains a valid word as each of its letters is successively removed?
Urban Legends Reference Pages: Language (Nine Letters) has the answer.
this is not a blog.
Thinkingwoman at
this is not a blog. has a Stephen Colbert clip of an interview with Congressman Lynn Westmoreland of Georgia. Congressman Westmoreland advocates displaying the Ten Commandments in federal buildings but can't quite remember them all!
Well, if it's good enough for Frank ...I uploaded this picture yesterday because I was so pleased to have four lovely hibiscus blooms at once. I got cold feet about posting it, though, wondering if anyone would be the least bit interested. I went to Frank Wilson's blog
http://booksinq.blogspot.com/ this morning and saw his lovely flower pictures. We've even got one of the same hibiscus plants. I'll bet I have more though! I just can't kill these things. I started out with small potted plants and they've turned into monsters. Whenever I prune them I can't bear to throw away the cuttings so I'll stick them into water and, wouldn't you know, most of the cuttings root and I've got yet
more plants. We've got an ideal environment - southern, bright exposure and a cool house. Also, I'm just forgetful enough to spare the plants from overwatering.
Carl's Tiny Brain: It's Poetry Thursday!
He didn't even offer apologies to Frost!
Carl's Tiny Brain: It's Poetry Thursday! has a take-off on"Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening", called "Stopping My Pole-Dance on a Frosty Evening".
I may be stupid, but I've got a
FAIRY BLOGMOTHER ! Once again dear Debra came to my rescue, picked me up, and dusted me off. I'm still totally clueless of course, but there's probably not much she can do about that.
Totally Clueless
"TOTALLY CLUELESS! " I think I should retitle my blog. I'm giving up for now and I'm either going to have a cup of tea or a quart of Baileys.
Now I've done it!
I blame Maxine. (Old joke, I always have to blame someone other than myself...) Maxine said it's really easy to change templates.
SURE! For Maxine. Fool that I am, I rushed in thinking how sick I was of that brown background and how nice a clean white sheet would look. I'm trying desperately to figure out how to replace my links now and the comments thingies in the sidebar.
WAAAA ! Why on earth did I mess with something that was sort-of working?!
The Inner Minx
You've just got to read
The Inner Minx 's "I quite like pink though!" She's such a clever writer.
Blogging Problems
I've been quite frustrated with Blogger tonight. I must have tried twenty times to upload the photos below and when they finally did load they were placed oddly and I couldn't line up the text properly. I grant that I'm a novice blogger, but this was
hateful ! I know it should look better than it does.
Retirement
Peter and I were celebrating the eleventh anniversary of his retirement today, so we drove 'up-island' as far as Nanaimo and spent the day doing what we love to do best - nothing! The picture above was taken from the top of the Malahat Highway. The view is south-east and the land directly across the water is part of the Greater Victoria area. Washington state is visible in the distance. That's Peter below, taken at Cowichan Bay, a former fishing village which now seems to be focussing on tourism. There are some interesting little shops along the one street through the village.
Peter managed to retire at fifty and the dear man loves it! I'd say that he's lazy --
he'd even say that he's lazy -- but I think that sounds a little harsh. Peter just doesn't enjoy doing much other than relaxing. He's such a nice man, though, and I'm lucky to have him. If he's a little slow about getting things done, that's o.k. It's been good having him home. We had been warned at a pre-retirement seminar that some women find their newly-retired husbands get underfoot. There is a tendency to offer unsolicited advice on shopping and housekeeping and any number of things that the wife had previously managed to do quite adequately
without advice. Apparently the Japanese have a phrase for it -- they compare a retired husband to a "wet leaf on the floor", meaning "next to impossible to remove".
Peter has only occasionally irked me. He's such a likeable person (I'm sure you can see that from his picture!) and I always tell him "Not only do I love you, I can HACK you too!" I wonder how many seemingly perfect matches fall apart when the partners suddenly realize that they can't actually stand each other.
Crossword Bebop
Douglas has got a clip of Will Shortz reading his hate mail at
Crossword Bebop ! It's interesting to finally see what Shortz looks like. (This is the fellow responsible for the New York Times crossword puzzle.)
Quiz Farm
Minx
http://innerminx.blogspot.com/ found something fun! Which Superhero are you? ( You'll need to look at Minx' page to see who she is!)
If you'd like to play too, go to
Quiz Farm - free quizzes and quiz creation I am "Batman, the Dark Knight. As the Dark Knight of Gotham, Batman is a vigilante who deals out his own brand of justice to the criminals and corrupt of the city. He follows his own code and is often misunderstood. He has few friends or allies, but finds comfort in his cause."
Skint posted a painting in his blog, so, never being one to be outdone...
Watch Out for Those Murderous Englishmen!
We need to warn Skint about this! Debra
http://the-deblog.blogspot.com/ has an item this morning about a post on
Keeper of the Snails: The Anchorite Cell . In the little community of Handbridge apparently it is still the law that it is perfectly acceptable to shoot by arrow any Welsh person caught within the walls after the gates are shut. Skint, stay away from Handbridge!!
Sunshine and Music
Just a pretty picture to post here. Our neighbours bought a lovely little sailboat "Katy Rose, Shoal Bay". It's a Whitehall boat, just a little jewel with beautiful teak and brass trim. The weather hasn't been up to much here lately though. I think the rest of you have been getting the weather that is usually Victoria's.
Peter and I were out bombing around in his little convertible yesterday. It's got a very nice sound system but we're virtually incompatible when it comes to music, so we had three cd's we could agree on: Abba, Cyndi Lauper, and Roy Orbison. A pretty sad commentary, isn't it? The garbage Peter listens to is unbelievable! Of course he'd say the same thing about my music. I like John McCormack, The Goombay Dance Band, Andrea Bocelli, piano music, some opera. I quite like Dean Martin. I can handle Rod Stewart singing the American songbook - don't like his voice much, but the music is pleasant. The music from "Chicago" is good. The one cd I'd choose if I could have only one is "Andrea Bocelli Sings Sacred Music". I'd be interested in hearing about your favourites.
CTV.ca | Muslim leaders want 'radical elements' removed
Canadian Muslims promise to report any suspicious behaviour to authorities and to abide by a zero-tolerance policy against preaching hatred.
CTV.ca Muslim leaders want 'radical elements' removed
YouTube - Crazy Tuesday grades are due soon...
I think Minx should consider a project like this one:
YouTube - Crazy Tuesday grades are due soon... These are
teachers performing a (fairly long) rap number with students as extras. You've got to give these guys credit - I'll bet they're considered the 'coolest' teachers in the school.
Brevity is the Soul of
STEALTH BLOGGING! I'm sure there are some of you out there who have the luxury of taking the time to craft elegant phrases with wise comments on the world at large. I know, of course, that you've all got lives that happen away from the computer but I'm betting that most of you also have ten, fifteen, or maybe even twenty-minute stretches when you're able to concentrate exclusively on
one thing. I hope you appreciate how really lucky you are.
I've carefully kept my blogging to myself. My daughter is the only family member who knows about it (she's sworn to secrecy) and the only reason
she knows is because she's at a safe distance. I know that if the boys in this house found out my life would turn to the purest hell. "
Don't say anything about me!" or
"That was sure stupid!". No, I'm not about to risk that.
I hadn't intended to start blogging - I blame Debra actually - but now that I'm here I'm quite enjoying the party and I'm reluctant to leave. So here's what I'm doing: I start a game of Spider Solitaire on the computer, make enough moves to look like I've been at it for a while and then I leave the game on the screen while I go over to blogger. I usually have two to three minutes between interruptions and when someone comes up behind me (oh the hot breath on my neck!) I whip the cursor down to the bottom of the screen and click on "Spider". I've done that at least six times in the last twenty minutes. The writing generated as a result of this technique sometimes seems a little 'staccato' to me but it's the best I can do in the circumstances. If anyone's got any advice, I'd be happy to listen to it.
the-deblog.com
Announcing BAFAB'S First Anniversary Puzzle Contest. Read all about it at
the-deblog.com. There are some nice prizes offered.
Ichabod is itchy
Sian,
Ichabod is itchy did a cryptic puzzle just for me!
Aces Full of Links
James over at
Aces Full of Links has a good post today, a series of letters to Al Gore from the American people.
Prayer For a 'Bad' Guy
I for one said a little prayer for Abu Mousab al-Zarqawi, the Moslem terrorist confirmed killed today. These people aren't all bad. I certainly think that their religious fervour has brought them to commit terrible acts, but they believe that they're right. I've looked deep into the eyes of Osama bin Laden, staring back from a Time magazine cover -he does not look like a 'bad' man. Misguided, yes. The author of horrible crimes against nature, yes. But I don't see evil in his face. I see a devout man who has 'got it wrong'. I think George Bush has also 'got it wrong'.
Now put down your weapons! I see where you're all coming from. The Moslems were incensed at having foreign troops defiling the land - Saudi Arabia - that they hold sacred. I think their response was wrong. Another set of 'true believers' has also had some inappropriate responses.
Here's what's wrong with the world today: We need to keep our personal relationships with God
personal. Who are we to say that the Moslem is wrong, the Jew is wrong, the Christian is wrong? What
is wrong is to presume to know anything other than what our hearts tell us about God. What is
unforgivable is to have so much faith in ourselves and our personal understanding of God as to presume to pass judgment on other people. I am an agnostic. In my heart, I believe in God, I really do. But I do not presume to speak for Him.
I had to smile last night, thinking how many of us got
so excited over
a folded piece of paper! Here we are seated at our zoomy computers, some of you crafting amazing wonders and we stopped what we were doing to wax poetic on the wonders of the PocketMod -
a simple piece of paper. The more things change, the more they become the same.
A Lesson in Humility
For a few minutes there I was feeling quite proud of myself -
skint writer pronounced me a
SAGE. And not
just a sage, but a
GREAT SAGE! (Hey, it worked for me.) But then I got to thinking, He Whose Name Has Not Been Spoken is obviously better than me, so he was really just testing me, testing my humility... He knows I'm just an old sack with too much time on my hands.
the-deblog.com
Debra at
the-deblog.com has an entry titled "Personal organizers: pen and paper just got better" that's very interesting. She points to a site that allows you to blend the convenience of a pda with the simplicity of a single sheet of paper. To be truthful, it looks somewhat intimidating to a technically-challenged person like myself, but I'm definitely going to give it a try.
Update: I screwed my courage to the sticking place and tried making a "PocketMod". I didn't even know if I had the right system requirements because I seriously
do not have a clue! First time out I printed nicely outlined blank sheets because I didn't have the sense to realize that what you choose on the far left appears in the middle and you need to drag it over to the template on the right using your cursor. The nicely outlined blank pages left me in stunned silence for a moment, but I finally figured it out! This is such a neat thing! I've put the site into my 'favourites'. I noticed that they're asking for donations if you really like it - I think these folks may just see some of my money. I haven't tried the folding part yet, but I can handle origami, so I think I'll be able to handle this! Love it!!
This one's for you, Boo
This clever little video is cited on a number of the blogs I visit regularly, so it won't be new to most of you. However, I want to be sure that Martha gets a peek at it.
YouTube - Black Books - Bernard's Letter I got it from Minx, she got it from Petrona, and apparently Petrona got it from
http://fictionbitch.blogspot.com/. Thanks everyone for sharing it!
Gee thanks, I guess
I was snivelling to Peter about my weight today. He reassured me with "You're not
obese, you're
old! That made me feel so much better.
Happy Birthday, Jon
One of my favourite memories of my son Jon's childhood is of him at no more than twelve months of age, standing in diapers in the kitchen, screaming. He picked up a garbage can that was bigger than he was, held it parallel to the floor and heaved it across the room. This was the child I could imagine myself abusing!
Jon was the last. Never mind birth order, Jon could
only have been the final child. Luckily the other two (angels) managed to arrive before him because I would never have chanced another after Jon!
I could tell he was a
nice little fellow right from the start. I saw his true nature flash across his face when he was two days old. I knew instantly that I liked him as much as I loved him. The problem was learning how to cope with such a high-strung, explosive little person. I started telling people that Jon was a curse my mother had put on me years before: "I hope one day you have one
exactly like you!" Jon made me wonder what I could have done to my mother to have earned such punishment.
He was a screamer. I'm telling you, that boy could crack glass. Eventually I decided that he must have had a sleep disorder of some kind. He'd wake screaming, so I'd pick him up. Then he'd struggle to be put down. As soon as I put him down the pitch of his screams would rise and he'd put out his arms to be picked up again. All the while his eyes looked like a frightened animal's.
After a couple of years he gradually calmed down. He was 'difficult' for a few more years, but he's always been the sweetest little guy you could imagine. As I watched him grow I started to realize that perhaps my mother's curse was really a blessing.
My wee boy is twenty years old today. He's grown to six foot three or four and has the magnificent physique of a football player. He's not only stopped screaming, he has become a soft-spoken, thoroughly civilized young man. He's gentle, kind, sweet, thoughtful, intelligent AND good looking. He was worth all the trouble. Happy birthday to my baby!
BBC NEWS | Americas | Terror suspects seized in Toronto
BBC NEWS Americas Terror suspects seized in Toronto There were ten suspects apprehended. They needed
FOUR HUNDRED police to do the job? That's forty policemen for each terrorist! Well, I suppose you can never be too careful.
pay bill on time - do not kill me please - Google Video
Here's a fun link:
pay bill on time - do not kill me please - Google Video
A Dream
I was a baby who always had a worried look. My mother told me that she would often say "Don't worry! Everything is going to be alright!" I guess it's just my nature...
I want to tell you about my dream. The only dream that ever mattered. I don't think I've told anyone about it before....maybe my husband at one of those moments when uncomfortable, private truths are revealed. I'm not sure. What I do know is that my dream has haunted me for close to fifty years.
I was five or six when I had it. I remember waking up, instantly wide-eyed and frightened. I didn't understand what it meant, but it felt important, essential that I remember it. The dream keeps coming back to me and I think I may understand it now, but I'm going to let you come to your own conclusions.
I'm uncomfortable telling this and perhaps someone reading who comes to an interpretation similar to mine will be offended. Please, understand, this is the honest recollection of the dream of an innocent five or six year old.
It was brief. I went into a building - maybe a barn. It was cool and the light was dim. There may have been tiles on a wall. I know there was light coming from above, perhaps windows set up at the roofline. I was suddenly aware of poisonous air and my only thought was to cover the mouth of a small child, to try to save the child. That's it. Nothing else.
I might have let go of the dream twenty or thirty years ago, but when I became an adult it suddenly struck me how odd it was for a five year old to dream of being an adult and, not only that, but to have a dream in which ones own safety wasn't as important as another person's.
I'm glad I've finally told someone. I want to forget it now.
Don't forget the BAFAB contest that starts tomorrow! ---BAFAB's FIRST ANNIVERSARY CONTEST: Over at Buy a Friend a Book they're throwing a week-long puzzle contest. The three winners will walk away with more than $500 worth of literary stuff between them--stacks of books and memberships in LibraryThing and even a text editor. The contest runs from July 1st to July 7th, and it's going to be hosted at BAFAB and co-hosted at six other literary sites across the web.
