Listen

Strange dream.  I invented a word: twinksies.  I have no idea what it means, nor what it meant in the dream.  It had something to do with Penni yelling at me for not showing up for our choir recital contest.  We were at some swanky hotel with many escalators.  I was carrying my white gown, like a graduation gown, but I was too terrified to go to the theatre where the competition was to be held.  We lost.  Penni said it was all my fault and I ruined it for her grandchildren.

We were never in a choir together and we were children in the dream.

Strange afternoon.  One of my favorite radio program has a repeat on Wednesday's daylight.  Quite different from the Thursday night hearing the show in a dark room with an almost silent outside.  Today it competed with auto and walking and bicycle traffic noises and the never ending generators growling.  The show was still just as good.

I also reorganized a large plastic container and found a ten year old journal.  Letters to and from some "ex-es" in many categories.  The first experiments where I first allowed myself to add collage and sketches.  Prior to this I felt like journals were only for writing.  And I was always afraid that someone would find it and laugh, criticise, or tease me about my writing.

And successfully made six copies.  I did not lose my temper and I did not break anything.  I listened to myself being patient.  Whoop De Do!

This is the third day I will try to call my friend for her wonderful present.  Seriously, a large cardboard box crammed with all the coolest stuff imaginable.  The perfect glitter rick rack I've been searching for and three skeins of exquisite yarn.  I feel like a princess.  But "the rule" is that one can't use a present until the giver has been thanked.  I've been thanking her verbally here but I'm not sure that counts.  But I don't think I can hold myself back much longer.

10-11-12 Plus One

Cool number from yesterday, yes?

I purposely avoided a specific blogity about the day itself.  Yet, there were several  successful moments for me.

But because of the crafty tricks my "hemorrhage' plays on me now, I cannot recall all the fun experiences right up to the front.  Sorry for  me, too.

Some I do remember:

 The bronze on Schemes and Themes.  And if you haven't started to listen to this program you owe it to yourself to do so  You often get to hear ME on the airwaves! Well, get to hear about me on the airwaves actually.  Since Ron and Wil will tell you they don't know how to get phone calls to play and they don't want to learn.  Which I love anyway!

Was able to regain single crochet steps.  Very beginning version, more than the none I could do for the past two months.  Have to replan the gift for Silas but I don't think he will mind.

Am finding the PBS "Call the Midwife" quite enjoyable.  Best watched with hot tea and shortbread cookies.

Received a great phone call from a dear, dear buddy who has just received 'almost' the job of her dreams.  And in this day and age and at the age we are both at 'almost' is pretty damn close!

And have contemplated just the perfect amount of my own mortality for all those so concerned for me.  Tee Hee.

Celebrate! Celebrate! You ALWAYS Can Celebrate Your Birthday! (For My Sister Mary)

Today's Birthdays according to Dead or Alive.  Bet all these folks would celebrate if they could.  And it was allowed.



9/26/1875 Edmund Gwenn Entertainment
9/26/1888 T.S. Eliot Literature
9/26/1889 Martin Heidegger Philosophy
9/26/1895 George Raft Entertainment
9/26/1897 Pope Paul VI Religion
9/26/1907 Anthony Blunt Art,Espionage
9/26/1909 Bill France, Sr. Sports
9/26/1914 Jack LaLanne Other
9/26/1919 Barbara Britton Entertainment
9/26/1925 Marty Robbins Music
9/26/1926 Julie London Entertainment,Music
9/26/1932 Manmohan Singh Politics
9/26/1933 Donna Douglas Entertainment
9/26/1934 Winnie Mandela Politics
9/26 1947 My Ex Husband
9/26/1942 Kent McCord Entertainment
9/26/1944 Anne Robinson Entertainment
9/26/1945 Bryan Ferry Music
9/26/1946 Andrea Dworkin Social Activism,Liter...
9/26/1947 Lynn Anderson Music
9/26/1948 Olivia Newton-John Music,Entertainment
9/26/1948 Mary Beth Hurt Entertainment,Theater
9/26/1956 Linda Hamilton Entertainment
9/26/1966 Craig "Ironhead" Heyward Sports
9/26/1967 Shannon Hoon Music

All the Best to these Birthday Folk!!

Plant A Let Ohs

Many moons ago I was a client at a weight lost clinic.  I went once a week, submitted to humiliation scale torture, listened to mind numbingly obvious lectures, and purchased incredibly expensive (which Mommy Dearest generously paged for), microscopic portion frozen foods. 

Yes, it worked like a charm.  I shed a punch of poundage which nobody noticed and which came back with all their extra buddies when I stopped attending the program

The skinny "counselors" encouraged me to reward myself whenever I met a goal.  Since the only reward I had ever given myself was food and I never had two dimes to spend on myself, I was a failure at treating myself.  Now, years later I discovered a present for me, me, me!

Houseplants!  Fairly inexpensive.  Big variety.  Rarely die.  No calories.  Yippee!

My oldest mother in law tongue.  Only one to survive the days at Angry Sisters house.  I don't think she killed the others on purpose, but I really miss the monstera.

Two newest.  Pink arrow and eponymous (I think).  I love the sketchy leaves.  The pots are actually dark, dark black.

Ellie Bananas tried ripping this to shreds with her chubby little hands.  Luckily she ate nothing and the plants have already recovered.

Hoya doing well despite by it's growing slowly.  I think it should have three or four more branches by now.

Christmas cactus I've had the best with so fair.  I have killed two before.  I think the trick is to ignore it most of the time.

Standard green arrow plant, pilfered from my school, and held alive by the pony.

Two tiny philodendron snatched from the Elder House lobby and (my personal favorite) jade plant.  This is another I want to touch all the time, but it also seems to thrive on neglect.  It does grow quickly enough for me.

These are my garden.  My oxygen factories.  My long delayed collection of rewards.

Sooner Or Later

Didn't I tell you that I have immaculate design taste?

Didn't I imply that I am always above the decorating curve?

And didn't I make it clear that I don't walk the walk that goes with the talk I talk because I lack budget and transportation?

SO, we got that all straight, yes?

Today I find the following on the Brick House.  Which is this totally award winning blog about refurbishing/redecorating a cinder block one story out in the desert of Hemet, California.  An actual place.  What I love the best is that it is the GIRL taking the lead on most of the hammering, welding, painting, and sandblasting projects.  This GIRL who makes a point of remaining unnamed has some huge demolition/rebuild it her way chops.

Anyway, back to my original point.  These.  On her website.

I had some.  My then husband had some.  I used them as a substitute canister set until I got a real one.

They are apothecary jars from Carson, Pirie

Scott.  A snazzy and now defunct department store here in the Midwest.  They are not mid century modern by any stretch of the imagination.  I loved them and I had them back in the 70's when there were no "shelter blog" prizes to validate my coolness.

So.

Carry on.

Social Actioning With All Kinds of Style

April 28, 2012

Building 7

College of Lake County

If you weren't there you missed a group of  extremely motivated community minded individuals setting (Dare I say it?) ridiculous world records for an excellent cause.

The Social Action Club raised  more than $1,600.00 (which amount in and of itself was yet another world record by an outside group) for the Zacharias Center in Gurnee.

The Z Center is one of Lake County's premier organizations for absolutely free treatment, counseling, and support for survivors of sexual abuse or domestic violence.

The club members and their families spent the day smacking tennis balls with hand sanitizer, filling their pockets with ice cubes, shooting baskets with stuffed animals, singing "Twinkle Twinkle" while munching jumbo marshmallows, and bouncing on a pogo stick while naming African countries after swallowing two (TWO!) jalapeno peppers to name just a few record shattering attempts.

All world records must be verified by the Recordsetter organization of course.

Kudos to all!

Especially the young Cullen brothers, Eli and Xavy, who raised almost $600.00 in pledges on their own.  And who behaved in such an exemplary manner for over five hours!  No whining or arguing and no video games.  Kids at their best!

There were also yummy baked goods, peanut butter free puppy chow, and a big assortment of the kind of candy forbidden by parents everywhere.  I highly recommend the almond bear claw.  My understanding is that another bake sale with freshly made treats, is to be held on campus this coming Thursday.  Definitely, check it out!

Oh!  The raffle will also continue, but that glitter lava lamp is going to be mine! (Seriously!  I never gamble,but I put my money down on a chance for that sparkly thang!)

So, my Persons of the Week Award goes to the members of the CLC Social Action Club, all their remarkable family members, and their fearless leader Professor Mick Cullen.

Mark your calendars for next year's event!

And consider smashing or setting some records of your own!

Just Flash For A Second

Couldn't find the exact right Google image, but.....

During her Grammy performance I kept thinking Madonna was channeling someone.

And then it hit me:

Ann Margret!

Of course, Ann is appreciably younger and has decidedly better hair; but Madonna garners extra points for shakin' it at age 50+.  BUT then she loses all the extra credit for the (and I hate to point this out...) camel toe.

Oh Ick!

Don't blame me!

Google pointed it out first.

Post Script:  I didn't USE the camelly picture.  On Google Image it's the next left of the one I posted.  Circled and pointy arrowed, too!

The Other Thing

...and then I watched a lot of Adele themed stuff online.  I don't own a television and I lost the directions on how to download music to my little ipod shuffle thing; so I have been WAY out of the music loop.  Plus old folks like me are not the target audience for anything even vaguely cutting edge.  I rely on my trendy talented children and once a week Subterranean dosage to hone my musical listening chops.

In all my online browsing I kept coming across AdeleAdeleAdele.  I had seen her "Hometown" video years ago (Years?  Seriously?) when I was still at Mommy Dearest's and really liked it.  Found out she was nominated for a boatload of Grammys and, just my luck, she WON a boatload of Grammys.  I had to learn more.

My boyfriend Anderson Cooper had a pretty good interview with Adele on 60 Minutes.  ALL of the other stuff I looked at made at least one weight related comment:  "The singer appeared in a slimming long sleeved dress." Sheesh!  I loved her big hair.  Not crazy about the fake gold fingernails.  Glammed up and gorgeous she was.  And then she opened her mouth and this terrific voice came out and I was enthralled.  And then, THIS morning I chanced upon the following

Oh!  This cracked me up.  There were a bunch of comments suggesting the video was faked somehow and that it wasn't even Adele.  I don't care.  On 60 Minutes she revealed how she planted imaginary scenarios with people who then leaked them to the tabloids and she caught their betraying asses and fired the pack of them.  I thought that was pretty clever.  Adele giggled.  This girl bears watching and listening.  She obviously has a twisted sense of humor.

Another criticism I kept seeing was that all her songs sound pretty much the same and are about broken hearts and getting dumped and having your heart broken.  Sheesh Again!  She's 23!  Unlucky in love is a huge theme at that age.  She can write about the perils of false teeth and snapping her hip joints when she's my age.  Til then let's just let the gal explore in her ever so slimming couture.

One last thing:  Today at my advanced and crotchety age my best jilted love song would go something like this:

You big shit bag!
No one is ever gonna care about you again in life!
I hope you cry every single day, you fucking turd creature!
You will never be happy again and then you will die slowly!
You will rot in hell with all the other pus dripping horrors!

Obviously writing lyrics is not my strong suit.  Let Miss Adele grow and mellow.  You don't want to deal with the likes of me.