A little bit of this and that .... and bags

Well, the weekend is finally upon us and the heat wave has moved on ... at least for us here in the northeast.  So beautifully crisp and comfortable that I just want to take a blanket outside and take a nap!

But instead ... I should be pruning my azaleas.  So says our local newspaper this morning.  Geez ... a girl can never get a break!

I just want to spend a little time on the patio ... reading ... or doing nothing.

Or watching for visiting birds. 

By the way, where have all the finches gone???  I had dozens of them at my feeder last month and now ... just a few stop in and visit.  What's up with that?

Okay, back to the patio to soak up some rays.

You know ...  we are suppose to get about 30 minutes of sun a day .... fills up our Vitamin D levels.  And it feels so good.  Especially with temps like today.

Although, I can't take too long relaxing.  We leave Monday for Porto and I haven't even begun packing.

Since we only to do carry on ...  I need more time to figure out what to take and what to leave behind.  You see, as a technie nerd, I end up taking more electronics than I do clothes!!  A girl can never have enough electronic toys, I say.  Why should men have all the fun?!

So as a result, my electronic bag ends up being almost as large as my clothes bag.

And speaking of bags .... I must confess, I have a bag addiction.  Not purses.  Not shoes.  Not jewelry.  Not clothes..... But bags.   All kinds of bags that can transport stuff.   I am always on the search for just the right bag with just the right number of pockets and space and texture and lightness ... oh my, how I could go on!

Bag companies should hire me to test out their products and do reviews.

I won't tell you how many bags I own.  The Professor reads this blog.  But I do own enough to start my own realty show, Bag Hoarders!

 In my defense, and I do need one, different occasions call for different bags and different sizes.  Just like purses.

Take my camera equipment for example.  There's a backpack for long-distance travel that can hold all my stuff plus more.  Then there's a mid-size bag for, let's say, spending time at the book store to do some work or time in the city.  And then, there's a small backpack for just a lens or two with the DSLR when you may be in a crowd or need to be light on your feet.

See?  All are necessary.  A girl just needs to be prepared!

Aren't you glad you stopped by today for this unpaid announcement for travel bags.

How about you?  What do you use to cart your stuff around in?

By the way, I didn't even go there with my *clothes* travel bags.  Like I said, The Professor reads this.

Later friends,

Lookin' good

SOOC Straight out of the Camera Sunday 

What is it about people in uniform that makes us all want to turn and look at them?

When The Professor and I headed down to Annapolis Friday, we didn't realize it was the U.S. Naval Academy graduation day for over a 1,000 graduates.  Fortunately, when we arrived in the afternoon, the ceremonies were over but there were still a lot of uniforms walking the streets.

They seemed to capture the spirit of the day.  Youth, confidence, promise.  Lots of good energy!

Needless to say, I couldn't resist my own stares.  Even the woman below has to sneak a peek.  Just something about uniforms.

They just look so damn good!

By the way, I'm lovin' this long weekend .... how about you?

We've come a long way, baby

Lots of weekend news, but more about that later.  It was filled with crowds.  Ugh!

But to break the monotony of faces, I began looking up.

Philly has such beautiful architecture and history. 

Like this building for example.

1904

So long ago.  

Here's a few of 1904 events.

The first underground line of NYC subway opened with over 9 miles of track.

The Great Baltimore Fire destroyed over 1500 buildings over 30 hours.

Pablo Neruda, the Chilean poet was born.  (I love Pablo!)

Anton Chekhov died.

Dr. Seuss was born.

The ice cream cone made its debut.

James Joyce met his future wife, Nora.

The stage play Peter Pan premiered in London.

The first New York Eve's celebration is held in Times Square.

A woman is arrested for smoking a cigarette in a car on 5th Ave.

We've come a long way, baby!

Hope you're easin' into your Monday.

Until later ....

: : : :

Doomsday

The rain keeps coming.  The sun make an appearance today but ever so briefly.  Since I've been missing it the last several days, I went scrolling through old some photos and came up with these.  No two are ever the same.  Sort of my *go to place* when needing a bit of a lift.

By the way, did you know the world is ending Saturday.

Me neither!

I read it right here in our local paper and then I Googled it!  And you know, Google knows everything.  Right?  We are Kaput!  

Psssstttttt.  I think I will hold off on paying that electric bill.

According to an Oakland pastor, our world, as we know it, will come to an end May 21, 2011.  Fire and brimstone?  Not hardly.  According to news reports, it doesn’t *really* end on Saturday but it *starts* to end.

That's like saying it "may rain today, then again, it may not." 

And if you need to know the exact time, it’s 6pm.  I’m not sure if that is Eastern time or Pacific time.  Seems like a small detail in the general scheme of it all, but it would be helpful to know.

Like ...  will there be time for afternoon wine?

Do I need to pick up some groceries for dinner?

Do I have to return my Netflix movie?

This news has me in a bit of a quandary, however.  According to those Maya calendar people, I thought I had at least until December 2012.  Enough time to lose those 20 pounds so I look smashing come judgement day.

But Saturday!?

Man, I just got my new Mac, still learning how to use my macro lens, don't know who will win on American Idol and will totally miss Mad Men's new season!

On the other hand, if it is Saturday, I guess I won’t have to worry about who I’m leaving all my gazillion dollars, or refilling the bird feeders, or cleaning my closet and doing the laundry.  Those weeds in the garden?  They can wait till Sunday.

And just in case they may be right,  I’ll wait to renew my subscription to The New Yorker.

Personally, I'm betting on THIS guy, Richard Dawkins, an evolutionary biologist and author.  He claims that the real earth ending won't arrive for another five billion years from now, when the sun runs out of hydrogen.

I like his way of thinking!

But if you doubt and you are still around come Sunday, you can stick with the Mayan end of the world, slated for 2012.  There's even a countdown calculator to tell you how many days you have left on Earth.

Grab it here!  http://savant7.com/mayan-countdown-clocks.php

So enjoy them while you can!

In the meantime, I think I'll go fill up my feeders.  Still trying to coax some bluebird into my yard.

I think I have some time.

Tomorrow, back to our regular scheduled programming.

: :

reena

Frisky

From my writing window there is a pasture that contains three boarded horses. 

Hey, lady, if you want all three of us in the picture, you're gonna have to give us a a little sugar.

They saw no reason to cooperate with me today since I had forgotten to bring them a treat.  Even with promises of future gifts, they remained aloof.

But back to my story.

Every morning, a car arrives and parks along the old barn where the horses are sheltered.  An older woman in a red hooded sweatshirt with knee high rubber boots enters the barn and soon carries a blue tarp out into the field and drops the contents of hay into three separate piles.  A gray tiger striped cat with white paws, trots behind her, tail held straight up, picking its way along the fence line.  Occasionally he stops to inspect something, then races along to catch up.

The woman and the gray cat return to the barn and shortly later, three chestnut horses emerge.

The woman and the cat do this every morning.  Every day.

And when dusk comes, the horses have gathered by the barn. 

Waiting to be bedded down, I imagine. 

 Grain placed in their feeding troughs.

This morning, upon release, the horses run through the field, kicking and nipping at each other in play, apparently delighted in their release.  They race the length of the field, one after the other, single file.  Back and forth, dirt flying from their hooves, sometimes slipping in the late winter mud, only to regain their balance and continue their pursuit of an imaginary race.

I suppose they feel that the winter chill has left the air today, with promises of 60 degree weather.  They soon settle down and begin the task of feeding. 

Something about the promise of 60 degree weather after a harsh, cold winter where snow is still piled five feet high in my driveway, makes me want to run and gallop and kick up my heels.

The promise of spring just around the corner.

Yippee Ki-Yay!

Have a beautiful day,
missing the mom gene

PostSecret Thought

Happy Wednesday,

missing the mom gene

Tales of a Traveling Minimalist, Part 1

Recently, I had to check my luggage.  

Oh, the misery of it! 

The only time I check my luggage is once or twice a year when The Professor and I go skiing.  I have not yet discovered a way to pack ski sweaters, pants, scarves, mittens, ski helmet and ski boots in a carry-on. 

I have thought about breaking it up into several carry-ons and asking other fellow travelers who had only one piece of luggage if they would take one of mine. 

“Excuse me sir, but would you mind carrying this bag for me.”

But I’m afraid TSA agents would be on me like flies on honey and I would end up in one of those security rooms with only a table and light bulb hanging from the ceiling.  Not good lighting for someone my age.

So, I try to do WHATEVER it takes to avoid checking my luggage. 

Even traveling overseas, it has to be carry-on.  Lesson learned long ago that oversize luggage is not conducive to trucking around Europe.  Narrow hotel stairwells, cobblestone pathways and European car trunks do not make for happy travelers!

Nor happy hubbys.

No, when I travel, I’m a minimalist. 

But the biggest reason for NOT checking your luggage is that you never have to worry about an airline representative telling you, “We are not sure where it is.”

Dreaded words for a traveler.  Words that I’ve heard a few too many times before I smartened up and became a traveling minimalist.

In 1983, as a poor college student and single mother of three, my beat up luggage never showed up on a very short return flight from Aspen to Denver.   A DIRECT flight and my two bags ... gone!    Only mine, no one else’s.  Louis Vuiitton's they were not.  What are the odds that my bags were lost or stolen when so much better luggage was available for the picking.  Hello!  It was Aspen for god’s sake?  Home of Hollywood stars.  Maybe my shabby luggage had to fly cargo plane to Denver.

My kids wouldn’t talk to me for days cause I had LOST their precious T-shirt gifts.  Not to mention my meager college wardrobe of my fave sweaters and jeans. 

In 1989, another bag was lost on a return business trip from San Diego to Des Moines never to be recovered again. 

I’m sure all of my lost luggage has ended up at the Unclaimed Baggage Center warehouse in sleepy Scottsboro, Alabama.  In case you didn’t know, these are the folks who buy luggage from the airlines after 90 days and put it up for sale.  Someone in Alabama is walking around in my kids’ Ski Aspen T-shirts.

I have had about a half dozen episodes where my luggage didn’t arrive but fortunately it was delivered to me the next day.  An inconvenience, but at least it showed up.

But the biggest inconvenience is when your luggage is a no show on your arrival in a foreign country.  This is trouble.   Like trouble in River City or ... Malaga, Spain.

International Travel?  Let’s talk about that tomorrow!

Thanks for stopping by,
missing the mom gene

Sunday Smilin'

As you may already realize, I am sort of a warm weather type of gal.  Beaches, sunshine, seagulls, sailing.  That type of gal.

So today when the ice dams on our house began to melt away and the squirrels began digging through the snow looking for their hidden treasures, I started smiling again.

Spring is coming, spring is coming, spring is coming! 

(SHHHH ... please don't tell Mother Nature that I said that.  She just may punish me with another snomeggedon.)

Happy Sunday,
missing the mom gene

Ma Bell No Friend of Mine

Grandson:  Nana, your phone is ringing.

Me:  Yes, I hear it.

Grandson:  Aren’t you going to answer it?

Me:  Nope.

Grandson:  Why not?

Me:  Cause if they have something say to me, they can leave me a message.

Grandson:  I can answer it for you.

Me:  Nope, that’s okay.

Grandson:  (Looking very troubled that no one was picking up the phone.) But what if they don’t leave a message?

Me:  Well, I guess it wasn’t important, was it?


This exchange with my grandson reminds me of the old story of the Maine storekeeper who was the last one in town to get one of those newfangled telephones. When a long-time friend and customer heard it ringing, and the storekeeper continued their conversation, the customer finally asked if the storekeeper was going to answer it. The reply: "I put it in for my convenience, not theirs."

Hmmm.  I am so not alone in the world!

It is a well known fact in my family that I won’t answer the phone.   House phone or cell phone, I let them ring their way to voice mail.  I figure, if they have something to tell me, they can leave me a message.  No need for me to interrupt what I’m doing at the moment.  I’ll call back ... eventually.

You might say I have some sort of phone aversion.

When my kids call, I let it go to voice mail.  And unfortunately, sometimes it can take me days to call back.  I forget.  Bad me.

Needless to say, that makes me very unpopular with them.

My friends primarily don’t phone.  They just email.  Or send me postcards.

I really like postcards.

But there is one person whose calls I DO take.  And that is The Professor’s. 

I kind of want to stay in his good graces.

He leaves me little love notes.

He brings me coffee in the morning.

And fixes my grapefruit.

And rubs my feet.

And takes all those calls that I won’t.

So there will be no sending him to voice mail.

Because he may just stop taking MY calls.

And then where would I be?

All alone in the world.

Singing to him like When Harry Met Sally

"Call me, don't be afraid, you can call me,

Maybe it's late but just call me -

Tell me and I'll be around."

So not me!

Especially on the phone!  Aack!


missing the mom gene (and missing the phone talking gene)

Confessions and Secrets

It's Friday and time for a little fun and humor.

1. My ex is... which one are we talking about?

2. I should learn to... quit interrupting

3. I love... Sterzing's potato chips

4. People would say that I am... impatient


5. I don't understand... whining

6. Life is... short

7. My past taught me... only depend on myself

8. I get annoyed... with clutter

9. Parties are... overrated

10. I wish... I could eat anything I wanted

11. Dogs and cats... all need love

12. My childhood pets... did not die from old age. Sad.

13. Tomorrow is... another great day

14. I have a low tolerance for... crowds

15. If I won a million dollars... I'd keep doing what I'm doing

16. I'm terrified of... zip lines

17. I've come to realize... nothing lasts forever

18. I talk... rarely on the phone

19. My best friend(s)... do not judge me

20. My first kiss... was with my cousin. Yuck!

21. I am thankful for... Ben & Jerry's

22. Marriage is... best when of equal mind

23. Some where, someone is... sailing without me

24. I'll always be... wanting the next new Mac

25. The last time I really cried was...when The Professor pretended to be dead in the pool on his 60th birthday and wasn't. Then I wanted to kill him!

26. My cell phone is... for my convenience, not others

27. Before I go to bed... I write, read RSS feeds, do email.  Bad me.

28. Right now, I am thinking... why am I doing this

29. Yesterday I... watched a sunset on the beach

30. Tomorrow I will be.. writing the next day’s blog

31. I really want to... find that little house by the sea and write and sail every day

32. My most treasured possession is... my mind

33. Someday I want to travel to... Bora Bora

34. I’m amazed... by nature

35. I need... a nap after this. My brain hurts.


Have a great weekend,
missing the mom gene

Wednesday Whimpsy: Showdown in O.K. Canal

It's Wednesday.

It's cold.

In Philly.

But I'm not in Philly.

I'm in Florida.

Having a showdown with this feathered friend who has an eye on my wine.

Hey Mr. Dude Bird, I have a Kitty bigger than you. Don't mess with us!

Stormy Winter Responds

As you know, I wrote a breakup letter to Stormy Winter the other day.  Today, I received Stormy Winter's response.  Mmmmmm...... I'm suspicious that The Professor, a close friend of Stormy Winter, had some involvement in this letter writing. 

Dear missing the mom gene,

Your recent letter desiring to end our relationship has taken me by surprise.   I can’t BELIEVE that you have cheated on me with Sunny Florida while I have remained steady and ever so faithful to you.   I know I can be sullen and dark and leave you bone chilled with my presence.  And, yes, we have had some stormy times lately, but those dark days will soon pass.

Please don’t forget the many days of magic we have shared.  The wonder of the falling snowflake,  the majesty of snow covered mountains.  Snow angels.  Sledding.  Santa Claus.  New Year’s celebrations.  And the wonderful world of skiing (although you have resisted my encouragement to explore my Black Diamond slopes.)

What would your summers be without my winters?  Your Sunny Florida cannot give you our Tender Spring and its first Robin’s call. Your Sunny Florida does not celebrate the beauty and wonder of each passing season that I share with you.  Seasons that are as much a part of you as night is to day. 
 
I defy you to show me one bit of Sunny Florida you would call majestic!  The ocean – sure, it’s pretty but not majestic.  Not like in Maine or Oregon – and there you can have me too!

Do not be fooled by Sunny Florida.  He has a dark side that you have not yet seen.   Alligators, swamps, mosquitoes, and hurricanes will show themselves once Sunny Florida believes he has won you over.

When you come to your senses, I’ll be here, waiting.  For God's sake, your were born in Iowa!  We were meant to be TOGETHER!

Love always,
Stormy Winter

Breakup

Dear Stormy Winter,

I can no longer continue our relationship.  The chill that has settled between us has grown too deep.

Please remove all evidence of your existence from my home as soon as possible.

I’m sorry.
missing the mom gene

PS. Besides, I have cheated on you twice with Sunny Florida since you moved in.  He makes me happy.

Friend or Stranger Danger

Yesterday afternoon I thought I would hang out at Panera with the other laptop geeks, have some Orange Spice tea, grab a table in a dim lit corner with an outlet, and write.

Good plan.

Until.

The table next to me became occupied.

Like, Dude, there are 20 other open tables!

I knew she was trouble the moment she sat down and looked my way, pulling out her laptop.  I didn't catch watch she said.  I just smiled.  Sort of the way you do on a plane when the person takes the seat next to you and tries to start up a conversation.  You do a lot of nodding, smiling, returning to the book you have already placed in your lap, while remembering the most important rule.  No eye contact.

Dude, do you see that I do not want to chat.  I have very important work to do here.

The no eye contact rule did not work. 

Not

at

all.

She was one very determined lady.

And thus she began ....

Lives on the Jersey shore.  Can’t stand NYC any longer after 25 years.  Works in the medical field.  A consultant, a systems-something-or-other who would like to find full-time employment in something-or-other.  Grew up in the area.  Mother lives nearby.  Sister also.  Where do I live?  Is it nearby ?  Do I work?  What do I write?  Been published?  Why do I come here and work?  Panera is better than Starbucks.  Starbucks is too noisy. Do I like my iPad. Do I think it can replace my laptop?

Arrrrrghhhhhhh!

You get the idea.

By then my brain was screaming

Escape. Escape.

But there would be none.

There would be no escape.

Anxiety crept up into my chest, tightened around my throat, threatening to turn me into Cruella de Vil.

And thus the struggle.  What I really wanted to do was ignore her and be rude.  Because what if she was some sort of psycho-stalking-kind-of-crazy?

Or maybe.

She was just a nice person that if I gave her a chance, could be quite interesting.

I remember my sophomore year in college, a fellow female classmate began striking up conversations with me after English Lit.  For a long time, I tried to avoid her, racing out of class ahead of her, making excuses that I had to get to my lab.  There was nothing wrong with her.  I was just leery as to why she sought me out.  We had nothing in common.  No similar friends or activities. 

After several months of her continued pursuit, I started having coffee with her.  We started to hang out together and our relationship slowly developed into a close friendship that lasted for 20 years.

So while the Jersey lady continued to engage my reluctant self in her volley of chatter, I thought of my college friend.

But suddenly, she started to put her laptop away and stood up.  She was late picking someone up. 

I felt relieved. 

But I also wondered, did I miss a chance of making a new friend?  Or did I just avoid a Jersey Shore Snooki.

I wonder.

missing the mom gene (and sometimes the friend gene)

Wednesday Whimsy: I Wonder

I Wonder ....

why women can’t put on mascara with their mouth closed

why is the time of day with the slowest traffic called rush hour

why people darken their car windows

where do all the missing socks go

how does a thermos know whether to keep the drinks cold or warm

why does the Easter bunny carry eggs

why do we say "heads up" when we actually mean duck

why wrong numbers are never busy

why stores with double doors only let you use one of them

why is it that when you're driving and looking for an address, you turn the radio volume down

why is it no one is listening until you make a mistake

if children who act in rated 'R' movies are allowed to see them

if you can cry under water

if in libraries, do they put the bible in the fiction or non-fiction section

why is Grape Nuts cereal called that, when it contains neither grapes, nor nuts

can blind people see their dreams

why I even wonder about these things

Happy Wednesday,
missing the mom gene

Chop Chop

I hate going to the hair salon. 

Finding a hairdresser is like ...
well, like gambling ...
spinning a roulette wheel 
betting at the race track
buying a lottery ticket

Rarely do I win, most times I loose.

Just too many bad bad memories as a child.

I have this sort of thick wavy curly hair that seems to have never been in style.

Except maybe when I was 3.

As far back as I can remember, we have constantly fought

My hair and I

Way too much trauma

and drama

when for picture day

in fourth grade

this was as good as it was going to get.

So sad.

Wish me luck today!

As Always,
Hairdresser Hater

missing the mom gene

Curing my Disorder

It SNOWED sometime in the night so this is what I woke up to this morning ...

But I would have PREFERRED this ...

I keep telling The Professor that I have SAD (seasonal affective disorder) and that I'm sure that a CURE for my malaise would be waking up to this view every morning.

In that hammock...

with my coffee (and laptop, of course).

He's ignoring me. 

Well, not totally. 

He did glance my way and roll his eyes.

yours truly,
missing the mom gene

Uninvited guests...

There’s nothing like putting your life out there on a blog to stir up long absent cousins ... Doubt and Insecurity.  Those distant relatives of mine seem to have decided to come for a visit and I’m unsure just how long they plan on staying.

ME:  Hello Doubt.  I wasn’t expecting your visit.  Do you have an idea how long you may be staying?

DOUBT: I’m not sure ... you were the one that rang ME up.

ME:  Ha!  I don’t think it was me.  We haven’t seen each other for so long I thought you had passed on.

DOUBT: Nope, you rang me.  I also had to drag Insecurity along with me and you KNOW how I hate traveling with HER.  How ‘bout it, Insecurity?  Speak up, quit hulking around behind me.

INSECURITY:  Uh, uh, uh .... I..I...I.... think you did call me, also.  I...I....I really didn’t want to...to...to...to intrude but Doubt insisted.

ME:  I really don’t know that I have room for you.  I mean, I have a very busy schedule and really won’t have time to visit.

DOUBT:  No problem!  We’ll just hang out.  It’s been a while since we’ve seen you anyway.  I think the last time we visited you were sailing ...

ME:  STOP! STOP! That’s okay. I don’t need to be reminded.  I’m over it.  I got through it.  Just don’t bring it up again.  Arrrggghhhhh!

INSECURITY:  But...but..but The Professor k..k..k..k....keeps asking you when you’ll g...g...g..go sailing again and ....

ME:  I know, I know!  And maybe we will someday and I’m sure you two will tag along.  But for now, I really, really need you to return home and let me get about my business.  I’ve got a blog to write and no time for a visit with you two.  So if you please, run along and we’ll visit some other time.  I promise!


And there you have it.  As you can see, I REALLY don’t like it when those two visit.  They sap so much of my energy that all I want to do is watch Housewives of Beverly Hills.  They make MY life look so much better!

When you started blogging, did you know exactly what you wanted to say? 

Did you ponder days or weeks or maybe months, like me, on just what it was you wanted to achieve with a blog?  What would be its purpose, its theme?  Who would want to read it or even why?

And who gives a flying leap what I have to say anyway?  Thank you Doubt and Insecurity.

As I continue to figure out what my blog will be all about, besides improving my writing, I am faced with oodles of decisions on what to write.  It’s not that I don’t HAVE enough to say.  Oy, do have I stuff to say!  

But, exactly what is it that OTHERS want to hear?  How do I create content that will amuse, entertain, inspire and connect with you, dear reader?  And at the same time, move me further along in my writing.

How do I set myself apart from all the other wonderful content residing out there in the ethernet? 

Some days I feel like a character in Cirque du Soleil, all twisted and contorted in my thoughts that if I place a sentence or paragraph in just the wrong spot, it will all come tumbling down.

By the way, I think Doubt and Insecurity have set up camp in my backyard.

yours truly
missing the mom gene

Holiday Gift Idea: Shel Silverstein

If you are looking for Christmas gifts, Shel Silverstein is always a winner.  Had I only known about Shel Silverstein, I am sure I could have been a better mom.  Back in my day, and stuck in my 70’s midwest traditional role of motherhood,  I only read Old Mother Goose rhymes.  Remember them ... “The Old Woman Who Lived in the Shoe,” “Humpty Dumpty,” “Little Jack Horner."  I also threw in some Dr. Seuss here and there.

I specifically loved reading “The Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe” and really revved it up when I came to the phrase “... and whipped them all soundly and put them to bed.”   Daughter #2 always giggled at that part ... probably because she knew I was totally powerless over her, which she proved in her teen years.  That’s a story for another day though.

If you are lucky enough to be familiar with his work, Shel Silverstein seems to have given voice to children’s plight and its perceived unfairness.  How many times have we heard our kids say, “But that’s not faaaiiiirrrrr!” and then fall to the floor in a convulsive spastic fit.   My typical response was, “Well, get use to it, life is unfair.” and march on with my business.

Perhaps had I read to them “Nobody” or “Little Abigail and the Beautiful Pony” or "Deaf Donald", I would have been slightly more sympathetic and may have scored higher points in motherhood.  Or probably not.  

If you’re tired of reading the same old stuff and looking to score some points with the kids, check out Shel Silverstein. His humorous sketches, whimsical poetry and magical word play will delight not only them, but you as well.

I'm planning on buying hubby the book and placing a special tab on "Little Abigail and the Beautiful Pony".  It reads:

There was a girl named Abigail
Who was taking a drive
Through the country
With her parents
When she spied a beautiful sad-eyed
Grey and white pony.
And next to it was a sign
That said,
FOR SALE—CHEAP.
“Oh,” said Abigail,
“May I have that pony?
May I please?”
And her parents said,
“No you may not.”
And Abigail said,
“But I MUST have that pony.”
And her parents said,
“Well, you can’t have that pony,”
But you can have a nice butter pecan
Ice Cream cone when we get home.”
And Abigail said,
“I don’t want a butter pecan
Ice cream cone,
I WANT THAT PONY–
I MUST HAVE THAT PONY.”
And her parents said,
“Be quiet and stop nagging–
You’re not getting that pony.”
And Abigail began to cry and said,
“If I don’t get that pony I’ll die.”
And her parents said, “You won’t die.
No child ever died yet from not getting a pony.”
And Abigail felt so bad
That when they got home she went to bed,
And she couldn’t eat,
And she couldn’t sleep,
And her heart was broken,
And she DID die–
All because of a pony
That her parents wouldn’t buy.

 (This is a good story
To read to your folks
When they won’t buy
You something you want.)

I think it only fair to warn him that I could DIE if he doesn't buy me an IPad.  Throwing myself to the ground in convulsive fits no longer works.

Sunshine on My Shoulders

Was it just yesterday that I was mouthing off that we were heading to Florida and leaving all the cold behind along with our scarves, mittens and parkas?

I should not have, REPEAT, not have been so smug upon departing Pennsylvania.  A cold front has followed us and since we have been here, the evening news is all about the freezing temps, the agricultural frost warnings, warm shelters for the homeless and animals, and how Holiday sales are slow since folks are staying home due to the cold.   Temps are dipping into the mid-30’s at night with daytime temps in the upper 50’s, low 60’s. 

I suppose for Floridians, seagulls included, this is darn right cold.  Why, even the Terns are canoodling on the beach.

But really?  You call this cold?  Why, it’s downright balmy!  Anytime you have vegetation that is still green and lush, consider yourself lucky to live in such paradise!

And that’s what I feel right now.  Lucky to be able to soak up some sunshine vitamin before returning to the bleak starkness of a long Pennsylvania winter. 

Sunshine on my shoulders makes me happy
Sunshine in my eyes can make me cry
Sunshine on the water looks so lovely
Sunshine almost always makes me high

Thank you John Denver.  And thank you Florida for your sunshine, your beautiful beaches and incredible wildlife.  And I’m okay if you gotta send me some brisk temps during my stay.  Just a little reminder from Mother Nature to me to not be so smug next time when escaping the Pennsylvania winters.

Yours truly,

missingthemomgene