Preliminary Kitchen Sketches.

Before I go on to be really boring about the changes to my kitchen, I just want to thank everyone for your kind words on the death of my brother. It meant and means a lot to me. Despite the fact that 19 years of non-communication had made him almost non-existent in my life in some ways, he still hovered around the edges and in my dreams. Everything about him makes me sad and angry... and confused. Some of it sounds petty when I try to explain it, but it isn't and wasn't. But anyway, thank you for your kind thoughts. Special thanks to Dianne for her post sending others to me. And to everyone for your kind thoughts, for the poems and wise thoughts and cyber hugs. They are much appreciated.

**********

Now... I have to warn you that I'm going to be an awful bore on the subject of the amazing changes that will be happening to my house over the course of the summer. My excitement about my new and improved disabled friendly kitchen is building. It's going to be more beautiful than I could have possibly imagined. It is going to be so much more than it even occurred to me to hope for. I am stunned and grateful beyond measure.

The man who will do the work came last Wednesday and looked and measured and talked to me. He has sent me some preliminary sketches which I have paired with photos I took with my old camera quite some time back. (The kitchen is too messy at the moment to take new ones that would better align with the drawings, so these will have to do.) They still give an pretty good idea of how different and wonderful the revised kitchen will be from its current condition. The sketches are just to give an idea. The new flooring will be linoleum, not wood which is probably good and easier for me to maintain and more budget friendly. I don't think they are changing the lights or ceiling either. But I didn't expect them to do the floor, so who knows. Anyway, here are the pictures...


Yippeee!!!

This is my very favorite part of the change. I just love the way
it looks. In real life (as opposed to the look of the mock-up) the
counters will be low, not even with the height of the stove. Of
course there won't be wood floors and my ceiling fan will be
back and it won't be nearly this clean, but still... isn't it just
awesome? Those deeply curious can click on these images
to see them larger.

Part of how this whole process got started was because I was
hoping (originally) that they could (maybe) move the dish
washer against the wall and give me a small area of lower counter
that I could use sitting down and maybe a lower sink. The big
cardboard box currently in the gap next to the dishwasher is to
keep Angel from eating the fiberglass because there's no cover
on the side of the machine. The other part of my motivation
for asking them about help in the kitchen was because I wanted
to get rid of that stupid box. Amazing how miracles can grow from
tiny ambitions. Just look at all the incredible new low storage...
as well as cabinets I'll be able to reach. Yeee haa!

The area below will have my dishwasher (under the counter),
washing machine and (someday) dryer. I'll be able to put my
microwave on the counter above the dishwasher so I can just pop
things out of the freezer and turn around and pop them in the
microwave. How cool is that? I am so excited about seeing this
flooring go. To say I hate it is kind of an understatement. They
won't put wood in, I don't think. It never occurred to me that they
would give me new flooring with the new sink and cabinets. I feel
like I am living an enchanted life. Right now the short blank wall in
this photo has some shelves that are falling down. It will be left
empty and across from it they are building in the pantry (see the
first drawing) and more low and pull-out easy access cabinets.

Here are some other views and a few samples of linoleum tiles I
like. I especially like the first one. The other two aren't very fairly
represented because the pictures I had were TINY. These may be
too expensive and too dark, but I can dream... I'm hoping the kitchen
guy will give me some suggestions. The dryer that goes with the
washing machine is imaginary at the moment but they are making
a space for one. At the moment it will be filled with the low tech
folding rack and the washing machine is in a part of the house I
can't get to physically or agoraphobically.

That's it for now. Thanks for listening.

The Saturday Wordzzle Challenge: Week 65

This is week 65 of the Saturday Wordzzle challenge. Anyone new to the process can refer back here to find out how it works. I hope Mr. Linky has given up his wayward behavior and will cooperate this week. Thanks to all of you for your patience and resourcefulness dealing with that frustration last week.

The words for this week's ten word challenge were: parasite, meals on wheels, crows, it's my fault, everything but the kitchen sink, on sale, patriotism, the love of my life, library card, common sense And for the mini: blackmail, California, stethoscope, postage, crank

Here's my 10-word offering:

Martha's life was a constant battle between and her "common sense and her "it's my fault" syndrome. She felt guilty that she didn't use her library card but instead looked for books on sale. She was compulsive about books. She had to own them to read them. Her personal library was - to say the least - eclectic. She had everything from biographies, to novels, to nature books. Right now she was reading a wonderful book called Crows, Eagles, Turkeys, Parasites and Patriotism. Despite the odd title, it was a brilliantly written everything but the kitchen sink discussion of politics, cultural values (as expressed through things like meals on wheels and socialized medicine), and ethics. She was avidly passionate about politics. Everyone teased her about it and her husband never let her forget the time he had overheard her say, "Right after George and books, politics is the love of my life." "At least you put me first on the list," he would quip, "but I have an uneasy feeling it was a very close call." "Perhaps," she would whisper back, snuggling against him with a kiss on the cheek, "but you do come in first always."

My mini-challenge:

Dr. Jack Johnson fingered the stethoscope hanging around his neck and wished he knew who the crank was who was sending him blackmail threats in the mail. The the postage marks indicated a small town in California. None of it made any sense since he had never been to California or done what this nutcase was accusing him of. The police were on the trail. Across town at another hospital another Jack Johnson remained blissfully unaware that his life was about to take a turn for the worse. In an ironic twist of fate, he and his blackmailer would spend the next five years sharing a cell. How's that for irony?

The mega challenge:

"You are a parasite!" one man in the small gathering bellowed at the little old woman entering the Social Services office. He and his companions were waving Democrats are Socialists banners, along with one which read "Californians for American Morality," and another that said "I want to choose my own doctor" and one that said "Down with Food Stamps. I feed my own family." Several of them were wearing medical greens, but no stethoscopes so she could only pray that they weren't really doctors, just wearing the greens as a costume of sorts. Gloria Grassroots was puzzled as to why they were protesting outside of social services. Seemed an odd location, but they seemed like an odd group, so maybe it was a perfect match. She was tired, but she decided to confront the one who had yelled at her. "Maybe he doesn't have a brain the size of a postage stamp," she whispered to herself. "Maybe it's possible to have a dialogue." And gritting her teeth, she asked him quietly, "Why am I a parasite? Because someone need food stamps or wheels on meals in order to survive you would call them a parasite? I suppose you think it's my fault I'm old or may be sick and poor. Should I just go into the wilderness and die to save you a nickle? You certainly have no reason to yell at me. You know nothing about me. I will tell you that my politics are quite different than yours. The cranked up rhetoric of fear and divisiveness really puts me off. Where's your common sense? From what I can see the real parasites are bankers who destroy the economy and get millions for doing so, or insurance companies that charge mega bucks for coverage which they then deny to those who are sick. Or what about hospitals and doctors that do unnecessary treatments and charge patients $15 for a box of kleenex? Or drug companies that market high priced - I think of them as "everything but the kitchen sink" - drugs that people don't need? I lost the love of my life two years ago to an illness he didn't have to die from because politicians have put their ethics on sale and allow these powerful industries to blackmail them into maintaining the status quo. I don't see it as patriotism to get elected at any cost. I don't think it serves my country to watch my fellow citizens starve or die, while racist morons like Rush Limbaugh crow ugly hate-filled nonsense on serious topics. Have you thought about getting a library card and making sure that what your signs are saying is the truth? Do you even know what socialism is?" She paused here, a bit embarrassed at how carried away she had gotten. For their part, the Californians for American Morality stared at her slack-jawed for a minute or two before one of them took advantage of her silence to shout. "No new taxes." and another began yelling "parasite" once again. "Have a nice day," she smiled, shaking her head, and headed in to start her day's work as a community volunteer.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Next Week's Ten Word Challenge will be: swashbuckler, heads-up, dry martini, recovery, jungle gym, whiskers, bathing suit, spade, circular reasoning, abrasive

The Mini Challenge: butter wouldn’t melt in her mouth, stagnation, chart, star crossed lovers, apricot brandy

Thanks for playing. For those who are new, here are some guidelines to make the process more fun.

Enjoy! See you next week.

DON'T FORGET TO ADD YOUR NAME TO MR. LINKY!!!!!

In Memory of My Brother Phil

Philip A. Rabenau, Jr.
February 14, 1940 - May 27, 2009

After I posted the woodpecker photos below, I was going to go get Quilly's words and do her Thursday challenge, but on the way to do that, I received news that my older brother died last night and even though I don't entirely know what I feel about that, I felt I need to acknowledge his passing.

My brother, Phil, and I have been estranged for the past 21 years. I haven't spoken with or seen him in 19 years. He was a genius. His IQ was 162. He was handsome, charming. When I was young... and well into adulthood, I adored him. I was raised in the family school of denial of how mean and troubled he was, trained to make excuses for his temper tantrums and his malevolence. Although he was 7 and a half years older than me, I had in many ways been the older sibling for our whole lives. He lived across the street from me when I lived in NYC. When his wife fled screaming from their marriage, I fed him every night for the first weeks, tapering off slowly as he adjusted to being alone. When he broke his wrist, I shopped for him, cooked meals for him, entertained him. He was introduced to all my friends, included in all my social gatherings. When he was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 1978, I was the go to person, the care taker. I called him daily - sometimes twice or thrice daily - to check on him. I also became increasingly aware of how destructive he was to me. It took me 12 years of therapy to recognize that he did not have my best interests at heart and to disconnect myself from the pain of knowing him because I had been trained to negate my own pain. My sister's murder cracked that armor open.


My brother did not use his genius for good. Like me, he was, I think, empathic. But - consciously or unconsciously - he used people's vulnerabilities, their emotions against them. Wow, some memorial piece this is, eh? Perhaps some day I will write more about this. Today is not really the day for it.

There are happy memories from younger days. As I said, my brother was handsome and charming. He could be very funny. Much to my mother's dismay, we used to run down the halls of the house banging into each other playing "Roller Derby." I think I was always Tuffy Bersune... That's a name I remember anyway. "Round and round and round at the roller derby," we would run singing. Sometimes he would pretend he was a robot and walk stiff-legged down the hallway arms stretched out in front of him, intoning in a monotone voice... "Kill, Tobar... Kill." This was the 1950s. I'm sure Tobar had arisen from some movie or tv show. We did our own version of the Sky King show (another 50s program - a modern "cowboy" - for those of you too young to remember these things). Our characters were Earth Queen and Nickle as I recall. When I was 8 and started wearing glasses, when I would take them off, he'd do a take-off on the typical tvs and movies of the day and declare, "Why Miss Jones, you're beautiful!" (So amazing how dumb the men in these programs were. Miss Jones had a body to die for and was drop dead gorgeous but because she wore glasses they totally missed those other things....)

In the end, everyone and everything in our life - the good and the bad - molds us into who we are, who we become. My brother has been a powerful force in my life. Not always a happy force, not always a force for good. But he helped form me, for better or worse, into the person I am today. Although I haven't spoken with him, I have kept track of him. He has been very ill these past years, living in a nursing home. He almost died a few years back and has not had much quality of life. I'm glad that he had some very kind and faithful friends who stood by him and spent time and energy watching over him in the final years of his life and who helped him put his affairs in order before he died.

He is in God's arms now and hopefully at peace. Maybe he's getting a chance to hug his kitty Shawn again. That kitty loved Phil. Although Shawn was very ill, my brother was having a hard time accepting that he was going to die. The night that Phil made the decision to put Shawn to sleep, he curled up next to my brother and let go of his life on his own terms as they slept. I guess if a cat can love you that much, you can't be all bad.

Rest well, big brother.

Wonders Never Cease

Well, my morning began with a loud crash courtesy of Angel Joy, who got her nickname "the Tiny Terminator" for a reason. She is very fond of pushing things off of counters, tables and my desk. She is the world's cutest (I know some would contest this) and the world's naughtiest (I know others would contest this) cat. There was a reward at the end of the aggravation, though. First, nothing major seems to have been destroyed. Second, my back door rewarded me with a baby bunny. I know these pictures are not very good. Rain, dirty windows and distance are an awful combination. But still it was a cute little bunny.



I was hoping the bunny would come closer but suddenly what I originally thought was a big crow flew in and it turned tail for the bushes. What landed on my stump, though, was not a crow it was this guy. I had never seen one before. Alas, added to the dirty windows and rain and gray skies was me getting all hysterical and just clicking away in a panic. So these aren't very good photos but, boy isn't that an amazing bird!? It's about the size of a crow and when it flies it has big white bars under the wings. I'd never seen one before. Had no idea they were that BIG! So that's this morning's reminder that the world is rich in wonder and beauty... as well as naughty kitties....

Progress....

The folks from Delaware Opportunities came today with the man who will do my kitchen. I swear I must have a direct line to the wish fairy at the moment. My kitchen floor is truly hideous. Old fashioned, worn, DIRTY (not the floor's fault) and just not my cup of tea. I have longed to have it replaced. Well, because they'll be moving everything around and so on and so forth, they're redoing the floor too! YEEE HAAA!

Anyway, I'll have honey oak cabinets (no picture samples as yet), all sorts of wonderful changes... my washing machine will be accessible and they're going to put storage and low counter space so I can fold things. It's just awesome.

They brought a drawing (see below) of how the front entrance to the house will be. Looks great! I asked him if he could make area in front of (opposite) the door hinged, so if people didn't want to go around on the ramp they could just step up. He said they could. Mostly I was worried about the garbage guy because he already makes the extra effort to come up to the house. (I toss my garbage as far as I can out the front door.) It's not a long walk, but it's extra steps so if I can spare him any extra, extra steps, I'd like to do that. I can't believe this is all happening. I am awed by my good fortune.

How it is now: You probably can't tell from the photo, but as it is now, the step up is probably a good 12-18 inches. That's how it feels to me, anyway. It may not be quite that much, but it's quite at least 10 or 12 inches. REALLY hard for short wobbly person like myself. Not that easy for others either.

Here's what the new entrance will be... a landing, a ramp and a bench in case I get myself to move past the front door. And he said he'd hinge the gate where the bench is so it could be opened if people don't want to go around. Way cool.

So in conclusion....

YIPPEEEE!!!!!!

A Conservative Changes His Mind:Olbermann & Mancow on Waterboarding

This is worth listening to... A right wing radio guy named Mancow - one of those guys who poo-poos the idea that waterboarding is torture - decided to be waterboarded as part of a publicity stunt. He changed his mind after 6 seconds or less. The first video is some preliminary discussion between Olbermann and Lawrence O'Donnell. The second video is an conversation between Olbermann and Mancow himself. Remember Mr. Mancow's experience was voluntary, among friends who prepared him each step of the way... and he had control over when it ended. He did this to prove waterboarding isn't torture. He changed his mind.

Ruby Tuesday

Well, it's Ruby Tuesday (hosted by Mary/the Teach at Work of the Poet) and not just any Ruby Tuesday, the 1st Anniversary of Ruby Tuesday. Congratulations, Mary. I'm late posting, partly, I guess because I'm not too thrilled with any of my photos today. I really have to do something about the dirty windows. Everything is seen through glass AND a film of dirt. And there are a bunch of photos I missed. The hummingbird keeps coming close and I keep missing it. The rest is mostly reddish leaves, reddish grass, reddish... Sigh.

See the hummingbird?
(center of photo - white belly wings outspread)

Happy Tuesday
and
Happy Ruby Tuesday 1st Anniversary!

An Amazing Surprise!

Isn't he (she?) just too cute peaking over the stump like that?

Had a lovely day yesterday. The weather was beautiful and I had a nice chat with an old friend from New York (it was her birthday) and then my friend Sue asked if I'd like some company so we visited for a while and then Nate and Dan called and said they were going to bring me a new (well new to me) sofa and chair! Yep! The sofa I've had is one I found on the porch when I moved to Callicoon. I made it less uncomfortable by getting some foam and putting it inside of a couple of think sleeping bag things. It wasn't awful to sit on, but it wasn't exactly inviting either.

I've always wanted recliners... so now I have a sofa with twin recliners and a recliner/rocker chair. I just tried the chair out and it's SOOOO comfortable. The only hitch is that I had a really hard time getting up out of it, so I'll have to work something out so I'm not afraid to sit in it. Angel loves it, though. Oh - and they also brought a beautiful coffee table! So anyway, my house is much classier than it was yesterday morning. My big chair from the living room is in my bedroom now, which is really nice. The sofa I had before is in the guest bedroom now and the yucky mattresses are in the storage room until I can get them taken away. How amazing is that? I suppose I should have tidied up before I took the picture, but...





On Wednesday, the man from Delaware Opportunities is coming again to look at the kitchen with a "designer." How cool is that?

Tara Grace love the new sofa. If you look closely at the photo above, she has blended herself right into it. Angel prefers the new chair.

That's my story.

Adding some more critter photos.




One other thing.... I'm worried about my beautiful hasta which seems to be feeling poorly. I tried to look up diseases for hastas and nothing I read seemed to fit what's going on... and then there's the big tree in the back - see the funny scoring marks on it? Do any of you wise folks out there have any idea what's happening to my beloved growing things?

Happy Memorial Day!
May all our soldiers come home soon and safe and may we never again have the need to send young people to fight and die.

Single Payer Health Care

I wanted to share this wonderful discussion on single-payer health care that was on Bill Moyers Journal last night, but couldn't find it on Youtube. While I was hunting for it, though, I found this very well done video. Well worth the ten minutes it takes to watch.

Saturday Worddzle Challenge: Week 64

This is week 64 of the Saturday Wordzzle challenge. Anyone new to the process can refer back here to find out how it works. Thanks again to Dawn Treader for providing the words for this week. They were challenging indeed.


The words for this week's ten word challenge were: albino, trench, marble, assistant, Indian, What's that supposed to mean?, sound first principles, the key thing, moat, curtain Mini challenge: under the surface, doomed, grand design, temple, aspirin


This week's 10 word challenge:

"What's that supposed to mean?" Fred shouted angrily. "I thought the key thing was to establish sound first principles so we don't dig ourselves into a trench we can't climb out of. I don't want to just jump into the deep end of the moat and hope I don't drown." His assistant - who was an Albino Indian of all things, like something out of a mystery novel - walked across the room and closed the curtains, saying quietly, "Well the soundest principle of all in politics is that we have all the marbles which means that we can do pretty much whatever we want. Trust me. I've been doing this for a long time. You have already won. It's just a matter of counting the votes." "But... " "No buts about it, Senator. That's why I'm backing you," Robert Two Hawks replied.... "that and because you're a good man. Trust me, sir. I know what I'm doing. It's going to be fine." And so saying, he smiled, bowed, and quietly left the room.



For the mini challenge:

Much to her delight, as archeologist Anita Aspirin's team methocially excavated the site, the grand design of the doomed temple slowly began to emerge several feet under the surface of the jungle in all it's awesome glory.



The maxi challenge:


The Grand Design Temple of the Albino Indian was a massive marble structure surrounded by a sort of quasi moat or trench depending on who described it. Several great banks of windows were framed by elegant curtains of thick silk and on the wall on each side of the great gilded doors were two massive bronze plaques inscribed with the temple's credos: The First Sound Principles on the left and on the right, The Key Thing. Alas, Swami Jah, the eccentric guru who had designed his new temple to reflect aspects of both the Taj Mahal and a medieval castle, had not counted on his new assistant being clever enough to see under the surface of his scam so quickly. From the very first "what's that supposed to mean?," the doomed con artist knew he was in trouble. "Patience, young one," he had cooed, smiling serenely, "wisdom does not come in a day.... find me an aspirin won't you, my child." "Certainly sir," she had said demurely. When she returned a few minutes later she was not alone. "Here's your aspirin, Swami Jah aka Jake Haspers," she said cheerfully. "You are probably going to need it. I'm afraid "key thing" for you today is that you are under arrest for fraud, embezzlement, tax evasion... " "Bitch," the formerly serene one muttered as they cuffed him. "I knew you were trouble when you started asking so many questions." This time it was Officer Sims turn to smile serenely.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



Next week's ten word challenge will be: parasite, meals on wheels, crows, it's my fault, everything but the kitchen sink, on sale, patriotism, the love of my life, library card, common sense

And for the mini: blackmail, California, stethoscope, postage, crank

Thanks for playing. For those who are new, here are some guidelines to make the process more fun.

Enjoy! See you next week.

DON'T FORGET TO ADD YOUR NAME TO MR. LINKY!!!!!

Cranky in Hancock

Well, I'm having another pity party. I should go back and see how cyclical these are. They seem to me to be way to frequent. I'm trying very hard to get myself back into a good sleep cycle with the emphasis on trying, I guess, since I'm not succeeding. Today the sun is out, though and it's warm again. I spent yesterday bundled up like it was winter although it wasn't really that cold. I just don't like myself very much when I get like this. Part of the problem is that I'm not feeling too well physically and that combined with a lack of sleep is just a bad mix. But anyway.... I figure I might as well use my bad temper to grumble about some political things.... in random order

Between CNN (which I listen to way too much) and Huffington Post, I am constantly baffled by how incredibly stupid politicians are, how incredibly stupid they think WE are, how totally self-serving our Congresspeople are as a group, though I think there are a few honest, dedicated folks int he mix.

One of the things that's been leaving me dumbfounded is the whole thing about how "the American people" don't want Gitmo prisoners on our soil. These people have been locked up and brutalized (without any proof in most cases that they are even guilty of anything) for years. They aren't supermen. They aren't invincible. They are people who have been accused of a crime. They can't be jailed on our soil? What will happen if they are? Will we implode? Are they so clever that they will escape en masse? Are our jails so feeble that they can't hold accused terrorists? Absurd. Every time some polititian intones how "the American people" feel this or that or don't want this or that, it makes me cringe. It's like code for I'm about to say something that's total nonsense, but if I claim that "the American people" want it, nobody can argue with me or accuse me of political game playing because it's not me, it's the American people.... How stupid are we? How stupid is our media that they just repeat this crap ad nauseum without actually checking out whether it's true. Jon Stewart said it with humor:

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	M - Th 11p / 10c
Guantanamo Baywatch - The Final Season
thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Economic Crisis Political Humor

Speaking of checking out whether things are true or not. Polls. I don't believe them. I think we pay way too much attention to them. A cleverly worded/interpreted poll can be made to say what you want it too. I got polled last year on my opinion of the natural gas companies invading my state. The questions asked were geared to make it seem like I'm thrilled with the gas companies digging up my state. (I'm not.) "Do you have any negative opinion about XYZ company?" Well, no, I've never heard of XYZ company.... I could go on. Polls can be manipulated. Questions can be intentionally or carelessly written to give false results.

Nancy Pelosi vs. Newt Gingrich and the CIA. I don't know if Nancy Pelosi knew about waterboarding. She's not the only one on the committee saying they weren't told. She is one of the people pushing for a truth finding commission. I think this is the kind of thing where people can talk past each other.... and of course there is conveniently nothing in writing but people's "notes" and "recollections." I think it's possible that both sides in this conversation are telling the truth as they see it. Nancy Pelosi didn't get to be the first woman speaker of the house by being reckless. I don't think she made here statement casually. She could also be lying to protect her ass. I concede that. This is one of the areas in which I disagree with President Obama. I understand why he wants to avoid investigating the questionable actions of the Bush administration. He has so much on his plate and such grand ambitions for healing what's wrong with this country that he doesn't want to get mired in the political quagmire and divisive psychic pain that will come with confronting the Bush administration's behavior. I don't think we can heal as a nation unless we do, though. A nation that spies on it's citizens and tortures other human beings isn't the one I think of as my country.

I am still stunned that so many people are comfortable justifying torture. Fascinatingly - truly - is that in a recent poll, the people most comfortable with using torture are born-again Christians. Have they read the Bible? I continue to be baffled that people think we can protect our way of life by defiling it. Or that such actions make us safer. There is little evidence that it does. It is, to me, antithetical to what being American is. If it is who we are and who we want to be, then I think we need to face it head on. There's a thing about playing the victim card that really troubles me. I think Israel does it and I think America has been doing it. It's also how many of the terrorists we so loathe justify their actions. Something bad happened to us and therefore we are allowed to justify anything we want to do in retaliation. Thing is, that's not how laws and ethics work. Lots of bad stuff has happened to me in my life. That doesn't give me carte blanche to go out and pillage and murder anyone who I disagree with or suspect of not being a nice person.

Republicans, given that they have nothing much new to offer of their own, are trying to rename the Democratic party as Democratic Socialists. Give me a break. Colbert did a brilliant "WORD" segment last night on the penchant for rebranding.

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
The Word - I Know You Are But What Am I?
colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor Gay Marriage

Health care is another thing where Republicans are allegedly speaking for "the American people." I know a few people who are frightened by Universal Health Care, but not many. I know I have been in favor of it forever...

Credit cards... Well there's something I'm happy about (!!!). Finally some action to reign in the legalized usuary of credit card companies.


I could grumble on and on, but this is probably way more than enough. Here are some Spring photos to atone for my political ranting.







By the way - is anybody else having a weird glitchy thing with blogger where the comments count changes back and forth? I fear I may have some kind of virus or something.

Shadow Shot Sunday

Hey Harriet's Shadow Shot Sunday is celebrating it's 1st birthday so I'm glad that I have managed to get my act sort of together. As usual, I'm posting too many photos. As you can see, my lawn has needed mowing. It had gotten so tall that I couldn't see the birds while they were hopping around snacking on worms and other bird treats. Made for some cool shadows, though.

Happy Sunday!

And Congrats to Hey Harriet on One Year of Shadow Shots