Wednesday, July 31, 2013

blessed are the leakers

Of course they went right down the middle and didn't convict on the aiding the enemy deal but convicted him of doing things that will put him away before he's even started his life good. At 25 after serving his country and having the conscience to share things that weren't supposed to be seen, he will spend a lifetime behind bars knowing only what happened in his childhood and later on in the service of our country. Was he guilty of treason? Of course not. Does he have a very strong sense of right and wrong? Yes indeed. That, I believe, is what led him to share with Wiki so that the American people could know what was really going on. Coming from the south I can tell you straight up that there is very little compassion for those who are different from us by ethnic standards. And there's nothing worse than a redneck bubba out kicking ass with real weapons and doing so in the name of the USA, by god. Manning appears to me to be meek and mild...the kind who makes a wonderful computer nerd but wouldn't hurt a flea. Nobody got hurt because of what he did. Lots of people got hurt because of the things he leaked about. That's all I've got to say because it is what it is. This man attempted to give us some transparency into what our government is doing and so did Snowden. They're not trying to be movie stars or anything, just putting stuff out there that everybody should know anyway.

Things that I used to suspect were overkill by hyper conservationists are now reality and I'm sad that it took me so long to get on the train. I see things in a global way now, and that can be quite frightening. There is comfort in hiding like with candy crush or some other addiction activity that is mindless and consuming. That's what blogging does for me, in a sense. If I was told I had to turn out a book in X number of days or months, it would never happen. All I can manage is a day at a time in my life.

There is a proposal on the table in the big fish eating little fish industry known as healthcare and it could result in a major reallocation of resources and talent in preparation for the Affordable Care Act, that is if the GOP ever stops trying to kill it. Something must be done to get ready for the big crowd of baby boomers that is rapidly aging, meaning ME. I'll be damned if I've worked all my life paying taxes to a government that doesn't help me when I'm old. Big Ernie doesn't like that stuff, ya'll.

It's been raining off and on all day interspersed with periods of bright sunshine breaking through so I've had an eye out all day for a rainbow. At this point, I need the affirmation. Called the law on the crazy neighbors last night as they were standing in the lane screaming bloody murder at each other right past my mailbox. I would never have known it except Oscar started barking like there was a robber so I stepped outside to see what was up and it was The usual. Bless their little hearts, and those kids too.

I know ya'll need some of these rare pieces of history to come on out to my house of bargains and original crap this Saturday to help pay the loan shark.

Love ya..peace out ^j^






Tuesday, July 30, 2013

once more, with feeling

Last time I threw a sale I kind of half assed it with a lot of boxes sitting around and the big stuff often hidden from those who won't pick. This time around the path is clear and easier to keep clean and more stuff is "displayed" if you will. We southern girls even like to do nice yard sales, ya know. After my brief and painful post yesterday my alter ego over in NC aka Towanda II suggested that we needed booze and blues. And I totally got it! Many women have been spared the trials and tribulations of single gals and I just wasn't one of them. Had I arrived on the scene 20 years earlier I could have stopped the squandering of my grandfather's fortune. He died at 45 from heart disease following a long and successful career in real estate. It was through him that my daddy snagged the gig as farm manager out here when I was a year old. Been here ever since except for a brief foray into town and a few years in college.

Not that it's a bad thing, by any means. Living here is a daily lesson in the glory of mother nature and how quickly she can get pissed when your living depends on her. Thus, the irrigation system. At first I thought it was really like, not cool but the more I watched the more I understood the value of that added h2o to a year's crop. The poison spraying concept I still don't get but I'm not the boss, just a tenant. I have suggested organic practice to him and was greeted with a cool response so whatever. If he wants to re-create the lives of the people who have lived here, so be it. He's got the jack, is all. In the end? That's all I ever wanted!

BG has been bed bound with shingles and the paper has rolled out without her inserting talents present. She's got a pretty cool boss to understand that early on, but he did..plus he thought they were catching. In fact, they are to people who have never had chicken pox. That's why it blows my mind how we have eradicated so many childhood diseases only to have them come back with a vengeance because of mutation and whatnot. Trust a lab tech on this one...you do NOT want to get in the way of a virus replicating. It's like PacMan on crack.

More rain as it seems to be most everywhere. One of the soggiest ever for many areas. It's like summer never really CAME except for two hot weeks. Which, actually I will take and run with because of the I hate to sweat thing. Ya'll come on back around this weekend and see what you missed last time. Oh. And call your mother.

^j^







Monday, July 29, 2013

let us pray

Today's good news is that not only does BG have shingles and the eppizoodie but her car is almost dead which is never good, I don't care who you are. And most especially not with us. The trusty old Camry can only do so much, ya know? I keep thinking that maybe I'll be able to afford a Prius before I die but that seems fairly much a pipe dream. Add another 400 bucks to my load and there you go,broke as hell. The pain from this inflamed carotid artery deal is about to make me want something heavy just for a moment's peace from thinking about how much it hurts. I'm a big girl and all that but DAYUM. At least I don't have herpes zoster lesions. Yet.

It takes a lot of energy to be a smartass and activist and I'm so tired I could sleep 'til next year. The shift key on mama's bright yellow keyboard is stuck which probably means it's time to go towards plan B. I'm not quite sure what that is at the moment, but I'll holla when I figure it out. We have movies which means lights out and get lost in the imaginary.

^j^





Sunday, July 28, 2013

seeing fall

My mama and I have always had this thing where we "see fall" coming by the slant of the sun in the early morning and late evening hours. Subtle at first with cicadas sounding off the end of a mid summer day the change becomes evident when the greens peak and you remember that winter always come. But then again, so does spring. That exact truth which I have experienced first hand by living on this farm gives me a great deal of faith that there is a time and a place for everything and Big Ernie is the one in charge, not me. I used to be a big time worrier about every little damn thing and I finally realized that by carrying that worry around, I was not being led. To be led is to surrender to a higher power and believe that there is goodness and purpose for our world. I know, I know. I'm such a sap when it comes to Utopia.

Not much activity in the flea market biz but that's okay because we've been sick and stuff. I hope I never get shingles because it looks like it hurts..like BAD! I know two others who have had them and you have to wonder about the stress level of our way of life when that kind of stuff flares up daily. There are days that I feel that I'm allergic to the world because the air is filled with so many toxins. I own the fact that as a smoker I'm contributing to that. I got the yard mowed and managed to move three tires without ever getting off the thing. Towanda!

We went to the place where you can't hear but the food is good and had what we've each had every single time, it's that good. I'm about ready to explore other menu items. Daddy was reading the old signs on the wall and mama said "I wish I could see it all!" I said "Mama. So do I and I meant in the way that I had always taken for granted how dark her world is becoming. She wants to get the grandkids a birthday present there too. I've got a glass ordered for my window and an estimate on the install so that's MY birthday present!

My high school best friend's siblings had an estate sale for their family home and I could tell that she was feeling the pain of that last walk through the homeplace. We grew up in that house and in mine, turning from wild ass on the edge teenagers who got smart enough to focus our brains on something that matters in this world, and not just fitting in. She chose drama and science was the hook for me. Each of us, in our own way, has evolved from small town girls who got caught up in the sappy rituals that were fifties and sixties in the south. We were more of Woodstock kinda gals and just pretended to buy into it. She left immediately, never to return except for visits with her family and almost always me. We made Mama Staff's cutout christmas cookies with her now adult son in my kitchen covered with flour.

I've often wondered what would have happened to each of us if something hadn't clicked between our souls where we saw that not being responsible isn't an option. Most of the people we were running with at that time were older. I remember riding around with a now deceased friend and being freaked out over my first experience with something. There was the guy who got me drunk on Old Charter and tried to have his way and almost did BUT. Big Ernie stepped in to save me! I do so love a happy ending.

There were two fatal car accidents here over the weekend one involving a fine lady that I had the pleasure of working with. In the blink of an eye, ya'll. It can be easy and quick or long and tortuous but it's not your call. Chew on that one John Boehner.

Faith ^j^



Saturday, July 27, 2013

celebration of life

We are sick here on Pecan Lane AGAIN this time with some kind of viral kick one's ass thing that turned into a bad case of shingles for BG. Eww and eww! I knew immediately what it was and that wonderful drug on the 4 buck list at Kroger has already begun to do its' job. It's a horribly painful ailment that begins to hurt deep down before the rash every breaks out. She said it was like having knives stuck in her side. My lymph nodes are the size of golf balls and my right ear hurts like the devil. I just got back from a funeral at which I spoke a few words about my late friend Sandy on behalf of all of the lab folks who worked with her through the years. We filled up a row in an almost full chapel of people who came to say goodbye. She was put in hospice a year ago and was told she'd have about three months. That turned into six and after her last hospitalization she moved in with Roe Roe who took excellent care of her little weezel self. Last time we visited she was pretty out of it but managed to know who I was and tell me she loved her little fishlips. Everybody had a nickname with Sandy.

She loved music..all kind and every kind. Her talent on the banjo and guitar brought me lots of great listening opportunities and she was in a bluegrass period then so it was pretty much foot stomping time! An old hippie like me, she loved the classic rock of the 70s and even like classical. When she became a church goer she loved singing in the choir and it was from the heart I'm told. Her church friends were there and the hospice chaplain gave the message which was one of hope for us who had come to pay tribute to the gutsy smiling little gal who walked with a perpetual limp. She survived a horrific wreck in a tiny MG in her 20s and later on in life had multiple bypasses yet she kept on going like the energizer rabbit. We were friends both at work and out but that changed when she hooked up with her hub. After that, she was all about home life and his business. She loved animals and had one particular dog named Petey who could play ball from here to next year. We had cookouts at each other's houses and brought the kids. We were all really young and had a blast.

Her liver disease really kicked into gear about six years ago and it has been downhill for her since then. She wasn't a transplant candidate because of her heart so she lingered a long time, not fully alive in some ways but still fighting in others. Her faith in God led her to become a minister during middle age and she volunteered at a local christian TV station. She was on fire for Big Ernie and you can always tell when he's up in somebody's world like that! The hospice chaplain delivered the message that she had for US as survivors on this earth without her, we should simply love one another like she loved us. And oddly enough, that was a very comforting message.

There is currently a large bug looking piece of equipment spraying the beans outside my house which means no yard mowing. I wasn't in the mood anyway. Looking forward to brunch with the grands because we've branched out and I'll never have to eat another bacon and cheese omelette again just because it's all there is. It's different if that's what I'm in the mood for!

Love ya. Mean it. Big hugs^j^

Wednesday, July 24, 2013

old what's his name

Well, I was all set to stop bitching about war and politics and I'll be damned if I didn't see today that we're shipping a kazillion dollars worth of arms to Syrian rebels. Hmm. Now correct me if I'm wrong. Russia is feeding them to the government army and now we're gonna jump in there with aid for the rebels because what's his name is a tyrant. NOT OUR BUSINESS. There are people starving and shooting each other in our own country and we're sticking our necks out for another lost cause???? Don't get me started, ya'll.

I have slept like the dead for two nights and feel almost human again, enough so at least to start slinging bargains again. At this point it's pretty much anything goes except the dogs and they could be had, if you know what I mean. In true pack rat fashion my mother and I have managed to bits of history from way back when. Her friend Charlie is researching her family tree for us which should be interesting. I'm a whole lot more Agee than anything else! We range from car sales to attorney to medical technologist and a few other things, but every one of us is a smartass who likes to have fun.

The house is a bit cleaner now (you can walk through it now) and the floors are semi clean but I'm not gonna go overboard because there's mud everywhere outside. All this old stuff being pulled out is like one giant trip down memory lane which is always a good thing. I remember where I was or who I was with when that particular thing came into my life and it's a real blessing. There are some things that I will never part with....the Pecan Lane mugs that Anita made for me. The peace sign from blog fairy. I would say the saw that Hoss bought me but some asshat stole it. I also realize how much money my ex spent on baseball cards. Good gawd, they're everywhere.

There is a very nice backgammon set that my mom gave us when we played which was forever ago. I should probably take it back up to keep my brain sharp! Nah, I'll just sit here and type while listening to Don Henley.

Peace out ^j^

Tuesday, July 23, 2013

like flip flops on a wet floor

Surely it's not just me that has almost busted ass inside some convenience store on the wet tile. I've never gone down in public, but the other day I managed to get to work with something that caused people to ask "Who did you get in a bitch fight with?" As folks move stuff out I'm steady on a mission to get the floors clean and well, it just happened. Really rang my bell too! The bruises are almost gone and the floors are wet again so this time I'm wearing winter socks. There's more than one way to skin a cat.

Work has been busy in spite of the "volumes" being down because hey..we're a 24/7 kind of deal. As I scurry around on the concrete floors that have been my home for 36 years I can feel my bones creaking and muscles saying "slow down bitch your body is officially old. Thank goodness I use my brain and carpal tunnel infested right arm more than my feet. The right foot crunches when I walk barefoot which is probably not a good thing but who can afford to buy new tennis shoes? Not me brother. I took BG some lunch earlier at the sweatshop/print room where she works and was amazed watching all those papers fly out of the machines. She was more than glad to get her sweet tea and chicken sammich.

We've had more storms and a whole bunch of lightning and thunder but just enough rain to get the beans going and allow the irrigation system to rest from the corn. Big Ernie does indeed work in mysterious ways. Now if he'll just allow the politicians to see beyond their noses and understand that the 99% are their job, not lobbyists and airport sex and filibusters. Ya'll know who you are. Oh, and by the way a very happy 40th birthday to Monica Lewinsky who had her moment of fame and has probably already spent the money. It's all downhill from 40 hon.

Meanwhile the royal baby went home from the hospital to much fanfare. I really don't understand the devotion they have to the queen considering their economic standing in the EU, but then again I'm a rebel like that. SHOW me the money, especially if I'm poor or disabled. And God save the queen. Over and out from the lane. I've gotta get some more priceless antiques stuff ready to sell.

^j^


Monday, July 22, 2013

the royal birthing

I suppose it's a good news day when the headline is an heir to the British throne being born while the whole world watches. It beats the hell out of reading about the catastrophe du jour, usually involving guns. That poor lady that flew out of the roller coaster to her death lived one of my biggest fears. That is precisely why you will NEVER catch me on a ride like that. Not only does it make me sick as a dog, I've seen how those things are put up and why go looking for trouble? I have enough of my own making! Daddy and I went shopping for a can opener, dilly bars and slaw and I even managed to score a Dairy Queen t-shrt. Life is good

In other news, the affordable care act won't even go into effect for an extra year and yet hospitals all over the nation are suffering financially because of the "fear factor" of how it will all play out. Plus the economy and job market are such that unless you're dying, nobody has the money to stay healthy. Because of the complexity and changeability of Medicare rules (sometimes daily) most physicians can't afford to keep up their own practices so they opt to work for the healthcare corporations who take care of that for them. Reimbursement is ridiculously low and all private insurers base their rates on Medicare payments. Therefore, healthcare providers must charge way over what is reasonable just to cut their losses. It's all funny money with the tax write offs and whatnot.

Here's the thing. Preventive care that includes regular affordable screening for most diseases is a basic human right and a very good decision fiscally. I was chatting with my Indian friend Mike on my pit stop for beer and he said that a 100K gall bladder is unheard of in his country. Even with the poverty in that nation, there are options for those who really WANT to stay healthy. Here's the other thing: Somewhere along the way people decided that healthcare providers never make mistakes so when "shit happens" which it inevitably will at one time or another, they lawyer up. The price of malpractice insurance has put many a doc out of business and I predict a massive shortage in the near future of anyone who really wants to be a compassionate healthcare provider because we're all so burned out from working in a broken system. It's not just here....it's everywhere! Let's call the mill lawyer up and sue them because Grandma died at 92. True story: My mother's 2nd wreck happened when she pulled out in front of a guy with terminal cancer who died three months later.Neither of them was seriously hurt, yet his daughter lined up an attorney who sued her and her insurance company for a million dollars because that wreck "contributed to his early death." That's the kind of lawyer I'd love to take out back and whip like a red headed step child.

There are indeed true cases of negligence as in any profession, and those are much less common than you would think. I will tell you this from personal experience, everyone should designate a healthcare advocate for him or herself and make sure they're accessible. That's what I've been for the past six years of my parents' life and it's pretty exhausting. I take the DPA for healthcare very seriously and am fortunately in a position to see that they do indeed have somebody fighting for their best interest.

Our friend's pregnant dog got killed in a hit and run last night and Shannah said she could still feel the puppies moving in her dead body. That really made me sad. The had a funeral for her and Uncle dug the grave so the two sobbing girls wouldn't have to do it alone. We had a big ass storm at daybreak and lost power but got it back quickly. Thank you very much Dyersburg Electric. That makes it worthwhile to spend 1/3 of my income on heating and cooling. It is, of course, quite steamy around here now since it all got hot and hydrated. Did I mention that I hate to sweat? Oh yeah, I thought so.

I am weary and have a chance to catch up if I can just settle down long enough. Let's all pray about that one. And keep the faith ^j^

Sunday, July 21, 2013

over the rainbow

Today was a pleasant repeat of yesterday and after one more shift i'll be off for two unless somebody dies or has emergency surgery. Or both! I have spoken before at length about how I blame Wall street for both of the crashes both during the 80s and much later in 2008. My salary is paid by a corporation because, after all, they're people too or so Mittens said. My friendboss is about to have her 58th birthday much like myself except she's a month OLDER than me. Hope you heal well, dear salsa sister.

Right now I don't know who or what to believe in but I still try because that's my nature. Even if you've got a superstar bad guy standing over there saying "die mothafucka" it's still violence and BE doesn't like that unless he's smoting somebody for idolatry. Here's my theory. Oswald was the fall guy for JKF and Sirhan for his brother Bobby. Ted was drunk at the wrong place and time to drive home. All this went down before MLK got shot on the balcony in Memphis after he led the sanitation strike. His message was never about violence, only love and peace and hope for a better future. James Earl Ray will live with his sins forever yet i doubt he knew better.

I kid you not...a co-worker shared a video with me of her CAT eating corn on the cob. She said the other one will go straight in a row for kernels of the good stuff. Personally, mine prefer meat. It's thundering again what with all this soupy air as the meteorologist folks call it. Typical late July on Pecan Lane. Today is the ten year anniversary of Hurricane Elvis which was a 100mph+ straight line wind that destroyed large parts of Memphis and toppled a lot of dead trees.

I get to sleep in tomorrow and that's a good thing.

^j^

Saturday, July 20, 2013

too hot to handle and music to blog by

There's one invention since the interwebs (TY Al!) that keeps me coming back over and over to the online experience and that's options for music. I like to skip around and listen to different things for different moods and Spotify is very cool for that, even the free version. There's just something very satisfying about being able to find a song in a few seconds and listen to it again. Not sure who invented THAT, but you have my thanks. Hard working single gals who can't even afford cable sure can't pay for chair dancing.

It's July so I will refrain from bitching about the everlovin' heat just because I've done it so many times before. About ten years worth of blogging has created a running comment on what the weather is about on Pecan Lane. That the next generation of owners gets educated about what will be theirs someday is something that I admire of their fathers. I betcha they go non GMO...ya think? They just strike me as the conservationist kind. That gives me hope that the story which began so many years ago on this farm will continue to be heard. The history is being stored a little bit at a time will help to lead them forward. I feel sure when I look down from heaven at that beautiful farm, it will be blessed like it has blessed me.

So yeah, I'm in a mood and listening to Norah Jones letting the ugly cry work its' way on out of my system so I can rebirth and all that jazz. The political scene is pretty quiet right now with all the PC folks trying to play nice over the POTUS having feelings for Trayvon's family. He's right you know...it could have been him! This is not about race in my opinion. I agree that Zimmerman went overboard but this guy was evidently supported by the renters in that gated community or he wouldn't have had a gun. NOBODY knows but them and Big Ernie and all the lawsuit slinging in the world won't bring him back or "justice." True justice would be to fund opportunities for growth with teenagers of all races. I'm telling ya'll, they don't have a freakin' CLUE how bad things are. But then again, I'm beginning to not care and just smile for the exercise.

^j^

Friday, July 19, 2013

up river

I noticed the other day where a barnwood framed poster is hanging that I have the freakin' river hanging UPSIDE down. Nobody has ever said a word, just like those days I've gotten dressed in the dark and worn two different earrings looking like either a dork or a trend setter. I bought the print from an old friend who did the art and used it to promote the river. We met one year when he had made an appearance at the local community college with his partner Mike. I did some shuttles for his custom canoe trip business and learned more in that two years than I could have thought possible about the mighty Mississippi. John Ruskey doesn't just paddle. He and the young men in his after school mentoring program actually MAKE them. It's an art, for sure. He would be in the top ten of people who have passion for the earth in my book. Oh, and also my friend Lorna the GMO hater. The runoff from farm and industrial chemicals has poisoned the river so that parts of it aren't even safe except for travel above water. One of my trips was to the "port" of Hickman KY. I was shocked at the poverty that was evident along that river front.

I have yet to find the Nancy Drew books because I hid 'em somewhere safe and now that could be any damn where. Not much stuff has moved this week but people are still looking and pondering. That's how it goes sometimes. If you truly LOVE a piece, you'll snatch it up. But later, after you've considered what else was cool you will be drawn back to Pecan Lane if for no other reason than to see the overlapping trees and dairy barn. And the dogs, of course.

Not much to report on the home front so I'll make it brief and get on with the picking. Basement is pretty much done and attic is almost there as well. If it doesn't all sell soon, I see a big old yard sale coming on!

Peace and love ^j^

Wednesday, July 17, 2013

right place at the wrong time

Uhhhh. Hey ya'll. It's hump day and I'm ready to coast toward a weekend of (more) work but like my boss I'm just tickled to have a job nowadays. BG loved the early morning run of the presses for our local readers. Since it's part time the possibilities are still under consideration. It's good, honestly, just to HAVE options, ya know? Like everybody else we're scrambling to survive while the Koch brothers and others of their kind frolic from gala to gala with a trophy wife on arm. Just for the record? And not that it matters at all?? "You people" make me physically sick. Tell that to your overpriced shrink.

The war on terror is obviously winding down now that we've run out of money and there's none left to feed the poor people who are about half of us now thanks to the big bankers and their hedge funds. I know several who made a living at home day trading, all on our dime. There's no way in hell I thought that this is what we were headed for. I was already divorced when things really went south and BG was in college so she worked and I worked and she studied and I partied. It was a lot of fun, and I still keep in touch with the old timers.

I have a dear friend whose daughter has steadfastly refused to stay sober enough to hold down a job and raise her children. She blames her mother for anything and everything and is one miserable overgrown spoiled brat. Her sister, on the other hand, is extremely intelligent and has a quiet knowledge that comes from learning to work toward a goal and achieve it. She had a fairy tale wedding in a Scottish castle and makes big bucks as a geologist. The grandchildren are all precious and I've known the entire family all my life.

Mama called for medical advice last night and we talked a little bit too long to suit the man of the house so he started ranting at her and I could just picture him sitting in that recliner turning all red and throwing the remote. She picked the moment that we were on the phone to talk back to his ornery ass and then he proceeded to scream at her not to talk to Janie (because she always cries). Oh.MY.Lord. How about a little prayer on that one too. I can tell things are about to blow and or break.

The whatnot business has slowed since the big viewing last weekend and I have only one day off this week to show. Most of the obvious finds are sold but there's still a lot of quality stuff up in this house on the hill that I could just have my own indoor on going yard sale. Because I hate to sweat and all.

I have a prayer today and that while they usually go unspoken except for me and BE I'm asking ya'll to join me in praying that we will give Trayvon Martin some peace and quit talking about it as if anybody's opinion is right. Life is one big grey area and arguing about politics or religion is absolutely insane. So are automatic firearms when in the hands of insane people.

Google that one!

Tuesday, July 16, 2013

that was then, and this is now

Of course the controversy is still swirling about the Zimmerman trial with a JOD investigation in the works over, what exactly I don't understand unless it's that we need to cut Florida off at the knees and let the conservatives drift down to Cuba where they REALLY hate 'em. And take your mandatory drug screening for "entitlement recipients" elected official which put money straight into his deep pocket with ya'lls sorry asses. Maybe you'll get lucky and run across some NOK missles out there. Shut the hell up and shut up and SHUT UP! Sweet babyjeebus, you people who can't get along just wear me out. Don't you remember when your white haired great granny was old and frail and told you to have fun along the way because life is short? Yeah..turns out she was right. I have no time for stupid drivel and force feeds by the MSM. Call me brainwashed but I read a lot of different opinions and incorporate many of them into my own. Usually they involve peace, equality and being kind to mother earth and little kids and the elderly. And,of course, furbabies.

Mama seemed kind of at loose ends last night when we talked and my brother said the same thing. He called me and we both decided that she wants us to "fix it" and we can't. I'm a big dreamer and all but I'm also a realist. The past five years of our lives have been consumed with making plans for their last years. Options have been explored and discarded as they dug in and not only refused to leave for a safer environment but refused additional household help much to our dismay. Mom has to have a spell every few weeks just to relieve the pressure of the monotony of her days. Once again, her choice. As long as she has books on tape she's happy as a pig in mud.

My daddy will be 82 tomorrow and in earlier years we always celebrated it with Mama Staff's fried chicken, homemade biscuits and corn on the cob from his garden. Oh, and fried okra and squash. We called it the "redface" supper because it's hotter than hades on July 17th in Tennessee and in that little house with all that food frying it was kinda' like kitchen aerobics. And there was ALWAYS a ketchup bottle on the table in the picture no matter the occasion. Speaking of which BG is following in her grandmother's footsteps beginning employment with our local newspaper tomorrow. And she has to get up before me!!!





Monday, July 15, 2013

the book of me and you

I pulled up to the mailbox today and found nothing from sugardaddy but a hand addressed honest to goodness book in the mail from my friend in Seattle. We wrote it one night when we were totally bored teenagers and taking every opportunity to run around and sow our oats, such as they were at the time. There were a couple of drive through hangouts and a no-alcohol teen dance club started by none other than our future sheriff. The Hut was still serving Mary Lou's BBQ and such. Across the street was the national guard building. Her family's house burned, and not to the ground and they were fortunate enough to be related to a family that owned our first motor motel so they holed up there while everything got cleaned and de-smoked. One of those heirs went on to become a Wendy's tycoon and the Courtland Sq thing is the only post back-to-back flood thing standing. It's sad ya'll.

L's older sister was a mess and got hooked up with this strung out dude named Cluster. That's when she got shipped off to a COC college in Florida. Lisa is, hands down,one of the smartest people I've ever known. We both stayed in TN attending different colleges on opposite ends of the state. She roomed with another D'burg native who went to pharmacy school and married a doctor. Sisa married (of course) a musician who was quite talented but very non-existent as a partner in parenting for their young son. NYC was their next destination. Somehow or another we manage to hook up every time she's here because it costs a shitload of money to fly from Seattle to the closest airport 2 hours away and check on Mom and Pop. She is an actress of tremendous talent and has even done movie work but her true love is the live stage. As Jon Lovitz would say: "It's ACTing!"

Much later she married her current hub and they had a daughter who is just now a tweenager and for the life of me I can't imagine doing that at this point in my life. Lordy ya'll! It's enough just to try to keep my own boat floating. BG had juicy job leads today so let's all hold hands and sing KumBahYAH on that little item. Pray^j^ I'm still hauling things out and rubbing them down with oil soap for future viewing at Poopie's emporium. It's just one of those things that gets in your blood and you realize that if you don't record history and embrace change, it's all for nothing. Think about that Al Sharpton. And shut the hell up puleeez. If the JOD goes after Zim like they did the legally sanctioned pot dealers with Holder at the helm, it should be really interesting.

Carry on! Love ya...mean it.





Sunday, July 14, 2013

dead to the world

I have chosen this to be one in which my duties have been done overtime during the past week so I shall cease to be available except for emergency. Two days of entertaining pickers is fun but exhausting work and I've learned a lot from them. Everybody wants something with a story to it, which is why the glass blocks that I was given from the grocery store went quickly and I had to tuck a couple back for the Hinson family. One guy, unbeknownst to me, runs a second hand shop in town with a partner and he's the one that tried to get my peace sign off the kitchen wall. They're all good about paying up front and getting the stuff later which is okay by me. It ain't going anywhere unless somebody backs up a moving truck and that would be sort of stupid since the local PD meets over at the golf course for head checks. From my back porch you can see the um..maybe 3rd hole? And buddy they line up!

I've picked off several small ticks this weekend before they got settled in and it will be a minor miracle if I don't end of with Lyme disease. Truth be know, I've probably already got it! One of the symptoms is joint pain and inflammation but I've got that anyway with osteoarthritis. Ahhh..the joys of getting old.

We managed to avoid eggs and doughnuts AGAIN today which made me very happy because Cracker Barrel is good and you have leftovers. It's sort of a pain navigating around with the walker but people are mostly nice and hold the doors, sometimes forever. It is the south, you know. Allergy shot given, dr appointment ride lined up and all is well with Charles Osgood on Sunday afternoon thanks to the wonders of DVR.

I have an opinion on the Zimmerman acquittal which would probably surprise most people particularly the one who tried to start a debate over it today. The fact that this is being made "racial" by Martin's fan club when had Zimmerman been convicted would have been "racial" to the Hispanics in our country bothers me a lot. Can't anybody just make it about right and wrong? Seriously?????????????? Old Z better lay low for the rest of his life because there's a whole lot of folks looking to pay him back. His best bet would be to eat some humble pie and not get caught up in the whole gun thing. I can see the conservatives lining up right now to make him a poster boy.

Meanwhile, BG has no job (still,Congress) but we are blessed with all that we need including all the furbabies. And the horse, of course. He was out most of the day while the people were coming and going and we stood to chat under the back shade tree. He's an ornery old ass, that's for sure.

Looks like rain. I'm hoping it will settle the allergens *sniff*

^j^

Saturday, July 13, 2013

pickin'and grinnin'

For some reason I woke up before daylight this morning with a bad headache but got up because well, there's stuff to be sold. Business has been brisk this morning with every single person going "wow" at the drive up our hill. It's a dead end so not many sightseers come around anymore. Back in the day Mrs. Thompson and Catherine would drive out now and then to remember when. They ran over one of my dogs when he was a puppy and he rolled and lived to be killed by raccoons later in life. But that's a whole 'nother story.

It's hard work but I'm pleased with the way my house is clearing out so that I can mop the freakin' floors. It's been this way for two years since we started having puppies that weren't "planned"! One lady even wants to take Ryder home with her. Hope hubs will agree to give her a good home. It's a tossup as to which hurts worse, my back or feet but I'm focused and having fun so it's all good. I think a few of these folks would buy the whole dang HOUSE if they could. When I tell them I've been a renter here for 25 years they look at me like I'm in heaven. And believe it or not? I believe I am.
One guy try to talk me out of the peace sign that BF sent me and I told him hell to the naw because that would be bad karma. That was sent to me as a universal symbol of all that's good in this world.

Peace out ^j^

Friday, July 12, 2013

let it rip

That's one of my favs by the Dixie Chicks, one that I could have done kickass karaoke to back in the day when I knew all the words by heart. Now I do good to remember my name on any given day! Today is TGIF on the lane because it's been a very LONG week. A friend and co-worker died earlier in the week and was laid to rest today by a group of grieving friends and family who still can't believe he's not behind every corner waiting to scare the bejesus out of us. His wife and daughter are co-workers as well so it was pretty dang bittersweet. Happy Trails Rick! Hope you found Billy Baucom up there in heaven and ya'll are having a grand time watching over us mortals.

I have a picker appointment later on with a guy who is on a mission with a flashlight to search the attic and basement, either of which is likely to have mr. snake hanging around, or at least his skin draped over one of the tiny windows. The attic is really cool with one sheetrocked room and a "secret" closet. The rafters are all visible and the itchy fiberglass insulation is hanging down kinda' like mr. snake's skin. But oh.my.lord. the view is fantabulous, particularly in fall and winter.

We could finally afford a movie rental so we watched um..I forget but it was hilarious and that's all that matters because lord knows laughter is the best medicine. Like some people everybody I'm interested in seeing what happens in the Zimmerman trial because the Martin family "wants justice". I wouldn't want to be on that jury, just saying. The MSM will play both victim and accused like a fiddle to get maximum usage out of the event, then toss them aside like yesterday's bathwater. Ask any lawyer, and if he or she is an honest one, they'll tell you the same.

Gotta go start digging through the past again. It's fun to do, but pretty emotional. My goal here is not to move or anything, but to condense mounds of unused stuff to what I really want as a part of my life. A new beginning, if you will.

^j^

Thursday, July 11, 2013

second chances

It's been a heavy couple of days emotionally and I'll not dwell on that except to say that I asked BE to intervene on my behalf and he promptly did so in several different ways. Things have been tense around here because of the $$ situation so BG and I had a tearful discussion about it with me telling her that I just couldn't do anymore. In essence, I let it go. I thought about having my health, family, good friends and a great job and considered myself blessed in spite of financial hardship. And I continued to cry as I watched the video tribute to my late cousin Mark. His wife sent it along with a cross and the programs from his funeral a couple of weeks ago. BG and I watched the very emotional testimony of one of her lifelong friends on the day she was baptized, also on video, and we cried some more. She had nowhere to turn and landed in jail without her kids because of a 13 year meth habit. Thanks to the generosity of a local women's shelter she has been able to find not only herself but a loving church home where everybody hugs her and the babies and really? That's all they ever needed.

Anyway, I looked like I had been on a ten day drunk when a picker called and wanted to come out and play. She brought a buddy and I left them alone in the two rooms to sift through and figure out what they liked. They bought every stick of barnwood plus a number of items from inside the house. It wasn't until after they left that I realized how my prayer had been answered by that random act. I had to do my part, mind you, but just when I didn't know how it was all gonna work, I was blessed to not have that worry for a few days. BG is job hunting like a mofo in this shitty ass small town economy which is an exercise in faith most every day that she manages to chase a lead even if it doesn't pan out. And we're not talking anything that will utilize that 25K degree either. I think that lessons in life are often disguised as challenges to faith and that's when the devil comes lurking as in an appearance of mr. snake. Saw his self on the road the other day, and BG said she saw his sister up here in the flower bed. Talk about some karma man!

Anyway, the world still twirls whether the bills get paid or not so it is what it is. It's not like we're not really trying, which can't be said for a lot of people. Please see: Wall Street USA. People who make money by manipulating the economy should be put in Gitmo and hung upside down from the ceiling. I read about some people crossing the desert to Israel who got waylaid by Bedouins who tortured them in an attempt to extract money for ransom. That, my friends, is pure evil.

Not much new on the home front. The grands are stable for the moment and I have a weekend off to relax pimp some more stuff so maybe things are looking up!

faith^j^

Tuesday, July 9, 2013

jihad in a cowboy hat

Like all of you, I was incredibly surprised to find that the government of Pakistan didn't spot OBL scurrying around the compound with a ten gallon hat on to hide from the people who wanted him dead. Obviously they were harboring the evil one and allowing him to have sex with multiple wives and order innocents abroad to be slaughtered. And what did we do? Oh yeah..we poured the entire US treasury into catching him since the Iraqi one couldn't be blamed any more for our fear as a nation after Wall Street walked away free as a bird after robbing the retirement dreams of millions of Americans. And by the way? It happened twice. If I had a dollar for every share of corporate stock sold in the past twenty years I wouldn't need a sugardaddy. Instead I'm selling old furniture in an attempt to keep from being overdrawn.

In a way I understand what the mission of both presidents in this "conflict." O needed to one up Dubya on the capture of bad guys thing and the seals did it for him. Never mind that there are generations of radical Islamists who hate us for our western ways. Some how or another they have managed to picture us as a country rolling in wealth and easy times. Since all they watch is Al Jazeera they don't realize that our economy is in the shitter and most jobs are outsourced to countries with cheap labor. The end product is cheap goods which end up on the dollar store shelf. Meanwhile, the CEOS and whatnot make out like bandits with bonuses for working the shit out of their employees and making them pay for the privilege of having a job.

After work I went grocery shopping and to a meeting and came home to find an old friend and a baby boy at my house, not necessarily in that order. It hit 100 today I do believe all ya'll know how that affects my mood. Think the worst PMS ever and me on a broom. Had to deliver daddy's allergy extract and give him an injection because we're off schedule and that just won't do. He actually greeted me at the door with a smile! BG has a possible job lead if she can learn to cook a steak and if not, we're screwed because the money looks pretty dang bad. I'll let ya know how that looks after the big sale.

Keeping the faith ^j^

Monday, July 8, 2013

the trouble with deep thought

Anybody who knows me realizes that I will analyze something to pieces rather than just accepting what is as is. Therefore, I am constantly reading well written pieces about politics and the economy particularly my personal hero Paul Krugman. He is a realist and can tell you how, why and when we got in the shape we're in and normally offers suggestions that, if taken, would jump start things and get the jobs (somewhat) back where they should be. His piece today took a turn toward the pessimistic yet quite realistic side with his statement about the last time our economy looked this way, WWII followed. Had the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan been based on the principles that America supported during WWII there would have been a quicker resolution to the whole deal and we wouldn't have broken the bank buying heavy military equipment to be LEFT BEHIND. What is that like a consolation for leaving after ten years??? I don't know the official number right now because it grows daily, but the loss in human life alone is atrocious not to mention the $$ spent and the struggle for American workers to survive in this JOBLESS (aka outsourced) economy. I just heard of another local industry shutting their doors and moving to Mexico. I hope they don't get caught up in one of those gunfights they have down there where everybody gets their heads whacked off afterward. Geez,man. Meanwhile the ones who don't get hired there get caught crossing the border because we all know it's secure and everybody wants to live in the land of plenty, the good old USA.

Only it's not that way anymore. It was once, a country where there was tolerance or at least some sort of equity for those who worked hard and believed in the American dream. That dream went by the wayside when everybody got some money in their hands during 60s and 70s and lost a chunk of it in the 80s. We were making, as a couple, close to 100K/yr but were ass deep in debt with two vehicles and a house payment. When BG hit the scene, it was a blessing but a big expense. We did not save, but spent money like it was going out of style steadily buying into easy credit. The entire house of cards ended up in BK court following a divorce and reconciliation and then there was another divorce. If I had one piece of advice for anybody in this world, it's don't marry your ex. Not that he/she may not be a totally wonderful person. If it didn't work the first time, it won't work again.

*sarcasm break*


It was a Monday all day long and not bad by Monday standards but I was grumpy to begin with and so the little black cloud followed me around all day.The plastic on the window has blown off again despite multiple layers of duct tape. That is because I insist on opening the one on my side of the car for some air. I know, I'm pitiful, but you love me anyway. BG is blue also not because it's Monday but just because life is hard and then you die. I didn't realize that until I was about 40 so she's way ahead of me on the learning curve.
No calls to put out fires at Casa Grands but it's early yet. Almost time for the 4PM bad news from Memphis!

Over and out from the lane ^j^

Sunday, July 7, 2013

testing

My computer is so old and the shift key sticks on occasion so it's a real chore to edit and spell check my words because, well. You know all about autocorrect. We southerners like to throw abbreviations and contractions around like kids chasing each other into the dusk after fireflies.I'm currently chair dancing and doing a total stream of conscience thing to rival any of the masters. Because you know why? I don't give a shit who you are, you WILL NOT steal my joy. I have a few family members who remind me of that vow ever now and then. We had a great morning meal at (get ready for this) NOT the eggs and doughnut place. It was loud and the food was good and mama was happy. Then we cruised through the Dairy Queen for two weeks worth of Dilly bars.

The market in antiques around here is slim because everybody's busy out buying Halloween decorations I reckon. There is wheat and dust and soot covering every inch of everything in my yard and I'm ready for some rain to rinse it off. The Camry window had a blowout yesterday so it's on shaky ground and due for a new coat of plastic. I swear...you can't make this shit up. More later on the life of that engine. It's about to hit 100K. My friend Ro called from the nursing home yesterday where my friend Sandy stays and I got to hear her voice on the phone reminding her of what a wonderful grandweezel she is. She came from a tarpaper shack in Crockett county to D'burg and became my life long friend. Her daddy's name was Ski, I believe. There is a brother that I've never met and a bunch of kids who came claiming her when the money was flowing. Her spirit is one of lightness and joy...always ready to giggle over something stupid. When I first started at the sawmill I had been dumped by a long time b'friend and she took me in as her running buddy. This was AFTER she survived a terrible accident in an MG which made one leg shorter for life. She is also the one who sat on the edge of the Mississippi river bridge to Missouri and didn't let me jump. That's a real friend.

Meanwhile, I'm sifting through the shit stuff and plan to clean the floors before the invited pickers come in. I mean really? And it's been this way for months. Maybe I need to go on one of those hoarder shows???? Nah. I'll just keep the faith until the food stamps come^j^ I am determined that family members get something that was our history even if it's just a little dresser cloth. Or a dining room table. Help!





Saturday, July 6, 2013

after burn

Lord have mercy ya'll I thought it was Armageddon or some such last night when the wheat got set afire! Wheat straw burns quickly crossing the field in a pattern that is constantly watched over by the farmers to keep it from spreading outside the perimeter. The ground is tilled on the periphery after harvest to create fire breaks. This morning the smell of smoke still lingers not only in the air but in my car which had a window cracked open. My bad! Farmer Joey said he hated to have to do it because he quit that practice eons ago opting for the no-till method. No choice this year for him or any of the others. Today they're turning the black ground over to plant soybeans.

There is a perpetual flea market going on at the end of the road leading to the highway and it was packed with folks selling everything from backpacks to Halloween decorations. I will join them at some point with whatever I can't sell through listings on the page that I frequent. It's a perpetual day to day existence around here. I did receive a love offering in the mail today and just about keeled over with joy and gratitude. And it wasn't even BF! Haven't heard from her lately so I'm assuming she's doing magic elsewhere.

Right past the flea market I saw a very dead mr snake on the side of the road and without pause moved over to avoid him. There is a pond there so I'm sure he crawled out from the swampy water to buy something only to get run over by a tractor or the heathern kid that drives 80 mph down the road. Mom and daddy have two functions to attend today and I took some cards to her finding her totally in tears over what? I don't know. Daddy said he didn't do it, she just woke up mad. Hmm. Exit, stage left. BG is the chauffeur today while I dig through the piles.

Not to let the GOP feel like they're being ignored I must bitch about Boehner blaming the jobs report on Obama. I mean really dude..you're supposed to be a team player, not focusing on 2016. We will all occupy you if you don't get off ya'lls asses and compromise.

^j^

Friday, July 5, 2013

on the fifth day of july my true love gave to me...

Another day at the sawmill but facing a weekend off. Scientists would call that "not a bad deal." When I went out this morning I noticed that the wheat fields down the hill had been burned off. There were embers here and there rising up as if to try to keep the flames going.Come dark they will burn the ones immediately adjacent to my house on all four sides. I have no renter's insurance so let's have a great big positive thought for good karma on the outcome. We're right next to the city golf course so I KNOW they won't let that burn! Airport traffic requires that the burnoffs be done at dusk. We have a very hard time keeping a viable place for air services. Mostly private planes and the occasional corporate jet in and out. Lots of helicopter traffic, usually at night. Every time I hear the huge choppers going over I wonder who's being brought home from the war and say thanks to Big Ernie.

Here's an unusual take on international politics but hear me out. I read a piece today by a guy who very intelligently outlined why Islamist extremists cannot govern a democracy. The biggest thing is that they are all ready to die for Allah so there's no continuity in leadership as one martyr after another takes innocents out with him just to get where all the virgins await. That in itself is incredibly offensive to me as a woman. The rudest men that I have ever met were of middle eastern lineage and as I've mentioned before they will drop a door on your face in a heartbeat. I also know some really cool Christians from that area. My late friend Sonja was from Egypt and her funeral was an electic mix of smoke and ritual with a Methodist background. The corner playground was constructed in her memory and the crape myrtles are huge, it's been that long.

One of KY cuz's boys is about to have the first baby girl on that side who will be absolutely totally spoiled rotten in a family full of typical boy stuff. I so wish that she could be here to see it. Gigi headed for an adventure following her sis's service and I'm glad she got away. It's the first vacay she and her son have had together and he even helped pay! Go Jimmy Go!!!

Being the procrastinating fool that I am furiture remains in the attic and basement and it must be slung matched with the appropriate buyer in all my spare time. The yard is about ankle high and mr. snake got dropped on the porch by Sophie the other day. Ewww and Ewww. My adopted daughter and her hub swung by last night to visit and take BG to watch fireworks. Joe just graduated from nursing school and is headed for CRNA. You go boy!

Ya'll follow the smoke and come see us ^j^

Thursday, July 4, 2013

let freedom ring

Some sort of mystic sleuth of a worm has made everything bigger on the writing side of my online time which is not a bad thing but takes some getting used to. That's where the yellow keyboard is helpful also. Today has been full from the get go. Early on me and the neighbor picked some corn walking through the wet grass like champs. I did warn him that if mr snake showed up I was smooth outta' there. All went well with that and the shucking. I learned the hard way one summer not to sit in the grass to do that. I was infested with chiggers for a looooong time. Jordan came over while his mommy works so we sat on the porch and rocked forever. Then my friends from Florida came by for some chill time. BG picked up the meat while I watched the baby and we all gathered at the grands for lunch with mom having her heart SET on corn on the cob. Which I brought but it wasn't cooked. Yep...that kind of day!

Stargazer lilies are my favorite flower not only because they're beautiful but the smell is magnificent. My old buddy BLewis used to say they smell like a french whore house. I have two plants but only one is in bloom but she's a beauty. I always wanted to host a stargazer lily festival. It just sounds nice and southern, ya know? Anyway with my luck it would get rained out. Little black cloud, remember??? I made a desperate call to a very old friend the other day and he graciously reminded me that we are brother and sister. His wifey is about the only one I've ever met who could live with his ornery ass! He has a grandbaby named Oz (not after the doc, i'm assuming) about whom he is crazy nuts. Along with his faithful dog. I'm beginning to sound like a country song. Switch gears!

I've been out of the loop on news because it's mostly bad and not anything I can fix so I just post demolibtard stuff on FB and amuse myself. I do think that NC and KY are kinda getting out of hand and better be ready to progress or else. I say we ought to sic the mean church on them and see who comes out alive. My neighbors are not celebrating the 4th in the usual way this year because one of aunt Molly's grandsons died in the war at age 25. Remember that one that's still going on in Afghanistan? Yeah..that one. Bring these people home please. It's not worth the cost in human life.

Otherwise, there's a nice breeze to blow all that wheat straw around and keep me inside. And I will be early to bed because tomorrow is another early day. My thanks go out to all the members of our military service for their sacrifice so that we can keep freedom all up in the country. Unless the GOP filibusters it out, that is.

See ya'll on the flip side ^j^



Tuesday, July 2, 2013

survivor pecan lane

And the tiller client cometh back with more money for more stuff and we rejoiced and were thankful to Big Ernie. Every piece that I part with has a story, and most folks want to know the history of what they're buying. Ya'll all know I love to tell stories. Anyway, two major obstacles to yard mowing have been bought and hauled so I don't have to get the old carpal tunnel syndrome fired up over turning so much. I'm beginning to think I've found a new career picking. Dude also explained to me the technique of"rolled brass" which is what the bed is. My parents bought it in the 60's with two coats of paint on it and a neighbor stripped, sanded and oiled it.

I'm not sure what's up in the real world because I kinda' pulled a Snowden and hid out last night, sleeping in today for a full 12 hours. I can and probably will do it again. Needless to say the dogs love it. My sisters and their families will be laying their older sis to rest tomorrow and it will be a great relief for everyone I'm sure. She died happily with painted nails and that's all a girl can ask for. Dressed for work even!

All is quiet at Casa Grands for the moment but you never know when somebody might have an emergent need for a trip to the dollar store at Four Points. There are some guys at the dairy barn putting finishing touches on the new doors and it's beautiful even without paint. The washer and AC are running on high because that's what I do on a day off...laundry and floors.

That's what's up in my world..and yours?


Monday, July 1, 2013

furbabies and a living wage

It's kind of fun meeting and re-connecting with people while I pick and post through what I've accumulated over 25 years in a very old house. It still has the original paint job in the office and my bedroom which I would like to remedy but refuse to pay for since I don't own it. Looks like the owner would be all over an offer for free labor! The ceiling consists of 56 squares divided by strips of wood and is actually quite cool even though the paint is old. I wouldn't change a thing about it except the color so as to brighten things up. My bedroom has 12 blocks on the ceiling bordered with wood strips also. I can truly say that when KY cuz and I sprayed them all those years ago I knew what Michelangelo kinda sorta felt like. Kelley bought some windows from me and introduced me to true critter love via pet adoption and fostering. Fostering is all I've really ever done and I've loved every minute of it. They seem to like it too.

It's a very pleasant 75 or so degrees with a nice breeze for porch sitting. What a blessing to have this during the first week of July instead of sweat and humidity. The dogs don't even beat the door down to come inside and just loll around on the ground instead of my bed. As Martha would say "it's a GOOD thing!". I might even manage to clean up the junk pile in my driveway while I'm off. No promises, though.

We had more rain yesterday which is really good news for the farmers around here. Daddy got to see the irrigation system in action yesterday...what a landmark in his career! Farming practices today make the odds of success a whole lot better than depending on mother earth to care whether the corn gets rain or not. We are normally no till but the wheat was extremely tough around the edges so I've seen a few fires and the occasional till. There are GMOs there which I'm not crazy about because it means my little paradise is a cocoon of insecticides probably giving me some weird cancer or something. Hey..I read John Grisham, ya know.

I didn't have much time for news today so when I read about the entire unit of firefighters dying in AZ my heart sank much in the way it did when reading about the shooting of Gabby Giffords or 9/11. We think there will always be a tomorrow on an earth that we have totally trashed during the industrial to techno-wizard age. Keystone Pipeline will guarantee that. I am really outdone with Rick Perry (so,um,what's new?)and his arrogant attitude toward those other than conservative white men who go to churches that can't draw the line on separation with state. That includes my own. I remember when the thing came up at General conference about gay pastors and somebody jumped off the damn balcony to try and make a point. I have seen a very nice person shunned by our congregation precisely because he was gay. By the way, Jesus didn't like that.

Who am I to judge others? The bible says a whole lot about that and Jesus preached about not casting the first stone. I guarantee you that when he wept it wasn't over that hoorah in Austin last week. Keep on buddy and they're gonna ship you to see Guerillmo Gomez. The Dems have just found a new poster child and I'd be worried it I were ya'll. The more you threaten, the more people will turn on you. The female vote has never really been a force to be reckoned with but that's turning around slowly. I think poor Hillary is way too tired after the grilling she's had since Benghazi.

Well, the next rainstorm is moving over so the light is quite excellent and I have beer plus a few days off. Life is good, when you keep the faith.