Thursday, September 30, 2010

On Tag - Your It:

I’ve been tagged to do a meme by Mack-Attack of Teen Invasion.

I am torn. As some of my long time readers know, I don’t play well with others and don’t generally do meme’s as I am passionately opposed to chain letters/emails of any kind.

Rules are: Answer 8 questions posed by the tagger and ask 8 different questions of your 8 tagged persons.

1. What is the most random thing you've ever said? ‘When In doubt, go for shock value.’

2. Has anything embarrassing happened to you at school, and what? As school was a long, long time ago… I decline on lost memory cells.

3. What is the most random song lyric you can think of? Go to sleep, you little fool.

4. Do you like nachos? No

5. Who is your favorite celebrity? I’m not fond of celebrity, in general, it makes most people shallow.

6. Do you LOVE SpongeBob?? I don’t know him personally, so I will reserve comment.

7. Did you know that most of these questions are pointless, and are just wasting your time? Quite!

8. Did you know that this is the last question? Duh!


Here are my Questions for anyone who chooses to tag themselves. Let me know in a comment and I’ll put in a link to your blog in a future post so you can get the extra viewers who want to know what you have to say. And for those that Don’t have a blog, you can get your two cents in on the comments.

1. What is your Favorite Animal/Bird/Reptile, real or fictional?

2. Goth or Not?

3. Excluding Black, what is your favorite color?

4. Do you prefer: Reading a book or Watching the movie?

5. Are you a crafter?

6. Do you like giving presents or getting presents more?

7. What is your addiction? Mind is food.

8. If you could live anywhere, where would you make your home?

I hope you are enjoying yourself!

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

On Crawl The Way Home:

This Little Piggy started her day with house work. I was getting a lot done and I even did some laundry while the sun was shining. (Its suppose to rain again tomorrow.)

If you remember, yesterday at my house it was very windy. And a lot of leaves and other things came down out of the trees. Markedly the acorns from the oak trees. We had a unusually large acorn year. Many, many more then usual.

My clothes lines are located between some of the trees at the edge of the oak grove to the west of the house.

Picture this: Me walking to the clothes line with a basket full of laundry. Very, very many acorns hiding under the leaves on the ground. You guessed it. I was heading for a walk on a field of marbles.

Like a slow motion comedy my feet started to move faster then my body and in all directions. I went one way then the other as I tried to stay upright. Clean laundry spilled out of the basket. Wiggle, twist, wiggle, spin and down! Once, twice, thrice.

I laughed and cried. On my hands and knees I picked up the now mucky clothes. I tried to get up one more time, and down I went again, this time twisting my ankle.

I had to crawl my way back to the house, towing the laundry basket behind me. I have a swollen ankle, a bumped up hip, a black and blue elbow, some scratches and cuts, and a wounded pride.

This Little Piggy had to do the laundry again, but this time I hung it inside.

I have prescribed ice packs, knitting, and watching ‘Rocky and Bullwinkle Show’ cartoons on Hulu (Free Web TV) for the rest of the day. I'm just thankful I never hit my head.

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

On Upside Down Day:

Yesterday was a slow quite steady rain. Today is a wicked wind from the East.

Dark gray skies like a blanket. Leaves flying sideways. The trees become more naked as I watch. The light seems to be brightest at ground level instead of the sky itself.

It feels close and open at the same time out there. The wind pushing on you feels close and oppressing. The openness of the lessening leaf cover give an open unprotectedness to the day. In a word ‘frightful.’

Deliciously Frightful!

I couldn’t wait to get out my black velvet cloak and billow in such a wind. I wished for a flying Broom?… Carpet?… Wings? I wanted to fly and play in this dangerous buffeting wind. To roll and dive in, with, by the power of wind.

I shiver, but not from cold, it is rather warm out there at the moment. I shiver from the power and a bit of fear from the wind and its might. It pushes through the cloth of my clothing and I feel it on my skin all over, sensual. If I don’t take care it could knock me down, or more likely knock something into or down on me. I defy it by standing my ground.

The air is damp and heavy. I tire from the fight. I make the choice to go inside and watch from the window with a cup of tea. But I plan to go back outside and play again in a little while. It is too much fun for me to pass up the opportunity to play in a warm wicked wind that makes you feel upside down while standing in its path.

Monday, September 27, 2010

On Rainy Day Hush:

Today was rainy day slow. I cleaned up around here, made soup on the wood stove, and knitted, but I didn’t get much done. I kept on finding myself looking out the window at the rain falling and remembering.

Some of my earliest memories are of Autumn afternoons watching the kids come home from school. Of leaves swirling in the breeze around their ankles. Giggles on the cool clear wind.

I wanted to be out there and one of them. My mother would catch me not napping and put me back to bed. But I could still hear them outside on the side walk. Even on the rainy days the children would walk in the afternoons past the house in Autumn and find the fallen leaves fun.

My children liked to walk in the autumn and collect leave each year. We would tape them on the refrigerator and around the door frames. And we would press them in old telephone books for crafts and picture fun. Turkeys, and fans, and birds on wing.

Colored paper, paste, crayons, and togetherness.

I missed those times, and I sniffed at a box of crayons, and remembered.

I remembered the rainy day afternoon hush.

Sunday, September 26, 2010

On Headache Delay:

I woke with a headache this morning and spent most of the day trying to get rid of it.

I managed a little knitting this afternoon.

I watched ‘2001: A space Odyssey.’ Its been a long time. I thought I remembered it better then I did, and I didn’t enjoy it as much as I thought I would.

I found it a sad reflection on what some people thought the future would be like by now. Too much reliance on computers as infallible, not enough movement in global togetherness to work for every ones good.

The weather has changed cooler, so I’m liking that. I did have to keep the stove going, but the house didn’t over heat.

My headache is almost gone, so I have hope for getting a lot accomplished tomorrow.

Saturday, September 25, 2010

On Life Reflections in the Colors:

I was walking, and I have to say, it was almost a perfect Autumn day. I little warm, but it was just the right kind of dry that the fallen leaves crunch satisfyingly under foot. And if you shuffle your feet you get that wonderful sush sush noise.

It smells like Autumn. The sun light is Autumn. The breeze is Autumn. It is Autumn.

I am more of an introvert in Autumn. I think, and remember, and distill my life in Autumn.

I put the pieces of my life and experiences together, work on the patchwork quilt of myself. The self I show others, and the self I don’t.

I feel that everyone should have a piece of oneself that they keep to themselves. Not necessarily a secret, just something special to remind yourself of who you are that is different from others, so you don’t get lost easily.

I have lost myself at times. And don’t want to ever do it again.

New relationships come to mind. Busy times like that make loosing yourself easier. New turns in life like motherhood.

I would much rather live a hard life in the presents of each moment then a wooden life of planning to someday live with plenty all around me.

Friday, September 24, 2010

On Marvelous Maxfield Blue:

I just love the sky in the evenings in Autumn. They are all Maxfield Parrish Blue. So very many shades of blue blended all in one vista.

Don’t get me wrong I still like the gray skies of winter best, but those blue Autumn evening skies are marvelous.

This is not the deep assure blue of the day time, it is the gradation of blues from light aqua on horizon to a deeper sky blue over head.

The assure blue sky is lovely especially with the oranges, yellows and reds on the trees in the Autumn sunlight. But I can’t get enough of looking at the blues in the evening.

Have you looked at it? I mean ‘really’ looked at it? You can see the colors changes as you look up and down the blue expanse.

I am sorry to you who live in places of the world that just don’t have this view of the sky. And frankly I wouldn’t want to live anywhere I couldn’t see it. It mesmerizes me. Just light refracting off the atmosphere. But what a light refraction.

Here is link to Maxfield Parrish’s most famous painting with his signature Autumn blue sky. http://www.maxfieldparrishonline.com/1926a.htm

On Writing Stories Again:

I have a new story on Thrill or Shiver called ‘Autumn Afternoons.’

It is in two parts and I posted the second one first and the first one last so they read straight through when you go there.

Feel free to let me know what you think of it. I’m always up for learning from my feedback.

Thursday, September 23, 2010

On Knitting Winter Readiness:

On Knitting Winter Readiness:

Now that the canning and freezing is done for now, (The apples, grapes and other later season fruits and veggies are not ready yet.) I have hit the knitting needles again.

A very kind person gave me three large boxes of yarn for use in making hats, scarves and mittens for the needy. Mostly I will be making these things for the women’s and children’s shelter.

I got off to a good start with a hat, one of those short scarves and I started a pair of mittens. Of course they are being done in my sons name and this years totals will be kept at the Kevin’s Mittens blog.

I hope to make as many as I can before the new grandchild arrives near the end of October. I’m not knitting much for the baby yet until I find out if it is a boy or a girl. I did knit a few toys and some general items, but I’m waiting until I know sex and sizes. With luck and time I’ll have those boxes of yarn transformed into hats, scarves and mittens by then.

I did take some time to walk and look at the leaves change color today. I’m am not an orange person. That is to say, I’m not a fan of the color orange at any other time of the year. But orange is Autumn to me, and Autumn is my favorite time of the year. The vivid orange colors are beautiful.
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Oh, and for those who have asked, I still do not have the new gas range and we are using the old wood cook stove for now. That is why I was extra busy with the canning this year. Hot hard work to say the least. The new black gas range is on back order. I’ll let you know how it is going on that front as I get info.

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

On Thankful for Followers:

I’m back from canning and freezing food. And I’d like to say just how thankful I am for my followers.

I love you guys. And thank you for sticking with me while I was busy and not blogging daily.

The first few months when I blogged, when I didn’t have any followers and not a comment was made, were painful. I felt like I was screaming alone in the dark. Not uncommon for me, but not what I was going for here in blogland.

After about six months or so of daily blogging some comments came. Then a follower. I still remember that day when I looked in and a follower was there in my following column. I wasn’t alone anymore. Someone wanted to see what I had to say enough that they wanted a heads up when I posted.

I was sooo flattered, sooo happy, but at the same time I felt sooo responsible. No longer did my words just bounce off the black nothingness of space. I needed to up my game, entertain, hold onto my truths with both hands, so I didn’t become a phony.

You have gotten me through some dark days of things too personal to blog about. You have made me smile, correct myself, and keep to the true quest. You have told me when I full if dirty socks and dead worms, and I thank you for that too.

I still thrill when a new follower swells the blog total and I hurt a little when one leaves.

I am a better person because of you, my follower friends, and I thank you daily from the bottom of my little old dark goth heart.

Monday, September 13, 2010

On Anticipation:

I grew up with anticipation. We waited for things.

Instant gratification was few and far between. In fact the work and waiting was part of the things to come.

We would make decorations for birthdays and holidays for weeks before hand, we would weave stories about how it will be to each other, we would make plans for who will be involved in our good fortune.

I have been waiting for my new gas range to be delivered. Dates were arranged, plans were put into place. People were told so that they could come and see it. Sharing in the gleaming newness of the thing, and partake in the first meal made on it.

The range was delivered to the store, confirmations were made. Time and delivery was set. People were getting ready for a day of food and fun.

The day arrived, party clothing put on. Food ingredients readied. And we waited watching the clock for the delivery time. Anticipation mounted…

And nothing happened….

A phone call was made…

The range was damaged falling off the forklift during the loading of it on to the truck to be delivered to my house.

I am not cooking on it, the party disbanded.

I am waiting for a new delivery to the store for another one, as mine was too damaged to be delivered.

But this time I am not enjoying the anticipation.

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

On A Windy Day:

I just enjoy a blustery day. Autumn blusters are best, but I’ll take any I can get.

I got a lot of laundry done today. Not just because it dried fast, but because I had an excuse to be out in the wind.

I can’t help myself. I just have to throw out my arms and experience the wind against me. I play with it.

I like the tease and tingle on my skin, the leaning fight against it, the smells it brings to me. I like the way it wraps my clothing tight around me.

I feel alive and invigorated. Like anything could happen. Just fly in on the wind.

Friday, September 3, 2010

On Time Slippage:

I’ve been bored and boring here as I am every year during canning season. Each year the garden gets a bit bigger and there is more produce to put up in many rows of canning jars or in the freezer. And it still doesn't feed us for a full year.

I hate to neglect the blog, but there are only so many hours in the day. Even my Goth lovelies hang in the closet while I stand all messy in my stained apron and sweats.

Some days run late and others start early. They are long and repetitive.

As the hundreds of jars and containers of garden glory gets processed, I once again start to hate gardening, canning, and our ‘sort of’ self sufficiency lifestyle. This is only a temporary condition.

People have lives while we slave away. But I wouldn’t have it any other way.

I may miss the better parts of August and September, but I do get the time to relax the rest of the year.

When the time stops slipping away under these repetitive tasks I’ll be back to my odd, silly, self in no time.