be our guest

back in june, the congregation i serve had a big celebration to commemorate all that we had gone through and accomplished with the lead project. as a side note, the silent prince's lead levels are now: blood level 39 (too low to treat, but close) and body burden: 70 (that's down from over 500.) i asked my mom if she would ask some people, from her congregation, who were musically inclined, if they might be willing to come and bring their talents to the service.


my mom has the ability to get people to do things and this time was no exception. she brought along a flutist and a soloist named kristen huffman.

apparently kristen was pretty moved by the whole service, especially hubby's sermon and later on mom told me she wanted to do a benefit for the silent prince. i have to say that i was a bit confused... did she want to do a benefit for the silent prince, the congregation or the lead clinic at yale (where the donations from the service were sent)?

then, a little over a month ago, mom and dad informed us we had to keep last saturday's date open because kristen and their organist bill, had organized a children's cabaret to raise money for the prince.

the cabaret would cater to children; the waiters and waitresses carried around trays of food, including chicken nuggets and juic boxes, and entertained tables by singing songs from disney movies. the performers, mostly children and teens, played the piano, sang songs, and performed musical numbers from children's shows. the room was decorated with white lights and balloons and each table was strewn with lollipops and fruit snacks.

kristen and her cohost for the evening, a 12 year old girl, dressed up like belle from beauty and the beast and asked all the young performers what they wanted to be when they grew up. the opening number was the song from the movie: "be our guest."

what none of them knew before hand was that it is one of the prince's favorite movies and when they sang the song to him there was such recognition on his face...

i could easily have called this post "the kindness of strangers." about half of the people there were members of my parents' church, but the rest were family of the performers and didn't know us.

about half-way through the caberet kristen asked us to say a little bit about the prince and our situation. not to be left out of the spotlight the princess kitty stood next to me and helped explain what life was like with a child who was autistic. (btw, she wants to be a ballet teacher.)

the princess and i explained how we'd like to have a fence built in our backyard so that the prince can play outside (which he LOVES to do) without fear that he will run out into the street if we turn our head for a moment (he's done it before, the quick little bugger).

the other day, mom called and said: build the fence. the caberet had raised $2,800.

$2,800! i was floored and it's been until now that i could get up off the floor and write about it.

so we are building a fence and who knows what with what's left over. i feel filled with possibilities.

on the way home from the cabaret that night, hubby and i agreed that we really didn't care about the money. it was the fact that so many people, many of them strangers, had offered us such support... such amazing support.

and i am so grateful.

God's peace y'all

i'm mad as hell and i'm not going to take it anymore

i posted this on a message board i frequent in response to a post about the pope's unfortunate comments about muslims. it's mostly a bunch of clergy who post, but sometimes non-clergy types add their two cents.

i think i'm a bit upset. you be the judge...

what did jesus mean when he said we were to love our enemies? what about loving our neighbors?

i feel a little like rodney king: can't we all just get along?

and moderate muslims are doing exactly what many moderate christians do... say nothing when people die of starvation or are oppressed. i don't think it mattered what the pope intended or the fact that extremists were going to take it wrong... what matters is how we treat people who would do us harm. and it's not about being careful that we don't offend them in case they use it as an excuse to hurt us... it's about loving our enemies... speaking a word of love.

and what really gets me... we are supposed to be the ones speaking the word of love... no matter what. there are enough people out there preaching hate and hurt that the word of love is losing its potency and its power and too many christians are too silent about it because we are afraid or angry or intolerant.

and i'm tired of the silence and the fear and the anger and the intolerance. i'm tired of arguments like this one. the pope said the wrong thing, not because it pissed off some muslim people, but because it wasn't a word of love and his job, his calling, just like ours is to make sure that word is never silenced or left unheard.

God's peace y'all

living with disappointment or EVS

last year hubby and i became fans of rock star INXS. i was a child of the 80's and a big INXS fan, so i enjoyed the show and bought the cd for hubby as a gift. (the pobble even bought me the rock star cd for christmas- my request.)

so of course we settled in to watch the show again this summer: rock star supernova. now the princess kitty and i watched american idol together so we have been letting her watch rock star this season even when it goes past her bedtime. we've decided that being good parents is bringing our daughter up with an appreciation for rock n roll.

the favorite all season has been dilana... the rest have always been second best or at the bottom. i've been a big fan of storm and magni and others, but i rooted for dilana because it excites me to think that a woman could front a band for the likes of tommy lee, gilby clark, and jason newsted. i also rooted for her because i believed she was the one who could front them.

the last few weeks have been exciting on the show. the talent this year is fantastic, but each week i've expected one particular person to be the next to go and each week i've been wrong. not that this particular person wasn't any good, just that i didn't think he was right. that person, lukas, has become the front man for the band.

yes, he's talented... but as hubby puts it: "i can never understand a thing he sings." he's got a beautiful voice, but as i put it to the pobble last night... i will never buy their cd. i would have listened if toby or magni had won... but i am terribly disappointed.

why is it a big deal to me? isn't it just rock n roll?

like i said i was excited by the thought that a woman could front a band with those guys behind her. in the end, i wonder if her being a woman was a deciding factor. women don't get opportunities that very often and it makes me sad that it didn't happen again.

last year, inxs sent home an african american singer, ty. he was an amazing singer, but he wasn't right for the band. in his good-bye to the band he alluded to the fact that he thought the color of his skin had something to do with the band's choice. i hope that wasn't the case either... i don't think it was, but you never know.

so i live with disappointment. will i watch again next year? probably, though i don't know who the band will be who's looking for a lead singer.

this season, toby... who really came from behind and should have won the award for most improved on the show (he was in 3rd place) exposed the world (at least those of us who watched the show) to the term: "EVS." it's an australian slang for "whatever."

so i say: EVS. whatever... maybe next year... we'll see... and think i'll go download some of dilana's music.

God's peace y'all

snakes on a boat

well yesterday was a wonderful day for hubby and me.

mom came and picked up the kids after the bus dropped them off from school and we got dressed and went to lunch at my favorite cafe. i've been there several times with the pobble, but i've never been able to take hubby so i was happy we could go.

lunch was yummy and we decided to head home and see if there were any movies playing at about 5:00. nope... not a one. so we hung out at the house for a while then went out to an early dinner. we picked the resturant because someone had given hubby a gift card there after he had performed their wedding and refused to take a payment for it. (hubby is just that way.) my parents had given us some spending money too so when we opened the menu and discovered lobster tails... we knew exactly what to order.

the lobster was preceeded by cocktails. mine was a cosmopolitan, the only thing i drank during my wedding weekend after my maid of honor ordered one for me.

dinner was great and the waitress was wonderful. she gave us just the right amount of attention, put a candle in our dessert (and had a lttle heart and the number 10 written in chocolate on the cake plate) and didn't let the rest of the staff sing to us... even though they wanted to.

afterwards we headed for the mall. we were off to see snakes on a plane. now, you might not think that's too romantic for a 10th wedding anniversary, but let me tell you when hubby and i never get to go out to dinner and a movie... well... it was exactly what we wanted to do.

the movie was awesome! (unless you have trouble with snakes and the crazy ways they can kill you if they are "on crack"... so saith samuel l jackson.)

we left the theater and decided to go out for some drinks before heading home and hubby says...

warning... the next paragraph contains a slight spoiler...

so all those snakes wound up in the ocean somewhere? yep, i say, which opens it up for a sequel: snakes on a boat.

after drinks it was time to go home... and that part i will keep to myself.

but it was a wonderful day and i am so very blessed.

God's peace y'all

10 years

happy anniversary to the man i love with all my heart.

i love a man on a harley

my brother-in-law loves harleys. when hubby and i got married (10 years this friday) we had a picture taken of the two of us on jefro's bike. actually, i wanted my new brother to drive me, in my wedding gown, to the wedding reception on it... but for some reason no one else thought that was a good idea.

every year jefro (not his real name... really!) participates in a ride(s) for a cure for something. this year he's riding for a cure for autism.

this was his email:

Friends and Family .... attached is the link to view my personal web page for the Cure Autism ride event scheduled for September 17, 2006. Every year I get involved in Muscular Dystrophy and American Diabetes events however this Cure Autism Ride is extremely important to many of us ... may I please ask you for a $10 donation for a wonderful reason.

i'd feel funny posting his real name here, but i have NO problems giving you this link and asking you to make a general donation.

right before we received the final diagnosis that the silent prince was autistic i heard hubby telling someone that his brother was wearing one of those plastic bracelets (the new hipper form of a colored ribbon) for autism. and i cried... not that sad kind of cry, but the kind where you get emotional because someone did something that really touched you.

there really is something about a man on a harley.

God's peace y'all

big butts, books, and blog polls

senior year in highschool i was voted best butt. it was one of those unofficial polls, but i won hands down. malcolm nominated me and everyone else agreed. (i had an enormous crush on malcolm, which i supposed matched my j-lo-sized backside so i accepted this honor with great humility and much joy.)

three years later a rapper know as sir mix-a-lot recorded a little diddy (no, not "p" diddy, a "little" diddy) called baby's got back. in 1993 he was awarded the grammy for best rap performance and babies with big butts were given the accolades due to them.

today, as i was perusing my favorite blogs, i noticed that abb had a great post on books. it's one of those blog-polls and i posted that i was gonna steal it. so here goes...

One book that changed your life. Are you there God? It's me, Margaret, by Judy Blume. what adolescent girl wasn't changed by judy blume?

One book you have read more than once. The Mists of Avalon, by Marion Zimmer Bradley this bok inspired my very first tatoo.

One book on a desert island. Ok, ok... my Bible... the NRS version. if i'm alone on a deserted island it would certainly be comforting... and it would need the apocrypha to keep me interested.
One book that made you laugh. The Last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse, by Louise Erdrich. i mean i laughed OUT LOUD

One book that made you cry. The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini. oh, this was a beautiful and tragic book.

One book you wish you had written. i am working on it now.

One book you wish had never been written. i offer the same answer as abb... not a one.

One book you are currently reading. The Lady in the Tower , by Jean Plaidy. i love historical fiction and i am fascinated by ann bolyn.

One book you have been meaning to read. the not-yet released romance by the pobble herself. i have an autographed copy printed from her very own computer.

and what do big butts, books, and blog-polls have to do with one another?

this

God's peace y'all

a plug

i've been so negligent in reading other people's blogs that i have missed the fact that the book i contributed to is now out in print!!!

here is the link to purchase your very own copy. proceeds go to charity.

and if you like words (i love them!) don't forget to check out the pobble's "test words you should know."

God's peace y'all

jesus loves you, but i'm his favorite

or so says the coaster that my friend bought me... "because i needed it."

still trying to figure out where to display that one since my sense of humor is a bit off and not eveyone appreciates it.

i've also found mary phillips. (one of her napkins is above). pobble, i got you a magnet 'cause i couldn't afford the other stuff... heck, it was when i was on vacation, i could barely afford the magnet.

the new (and first) bumper sticker going on my truck is an obx, with a jolly roger and the new adage: well behaved women rarely make history. (if this is true, by now i should be a legend).

i wanted to write a blog on vacation entitled: drunken blogging, but i couldn't find the computer room at the time.

hubby had the idea to fly naked years ago...














he is a prophet.

and that's all for now.

God's peace y'all
(don't you just love it when i ramble about nothing?)

ahhh

we returned from a wonderful vacation late last night at the outerbanks, nc. specifically we were in corolla at a house called cabello (there were pictures of horses everywhere.)

this was the 5th summer we made the trip. the first summer was right after the silent prince was born and my dad had decided to take a sabbatical that ended with a family vacation. occasionally other people come along, but the core group that goes is: hubby, our two kids, me, my parents, my uncle (dad's brother) and with the exception of one summer my brother and his wife.

every summer has been wonderful, this one was no exception... in fact it was one of the best.

we began by stopping at hubby's sister and brother-in-law's home in delaware. it's about half-way and a great place to stop (she makes great drinks). after a very long drive we finally made it to delaware and stopped for gas and called aunt kimmy (hubby's sister) to let her know where we were. poor thing... her central air unit had died during the day and crabby bill (her hubby) was valiantly trying to put a new one in. meanwhile she was desperately trying to make the house silent prince-proof.

the moment we arrived she insisted we head to the pool in their complex. of course i hadn't packed the swim stuff in the overnight bag, but i was able to dig out bathing suits and towels for us to go swimming for about an hour. by the time we got back they had turned the air on (the house didn't actually cool off until about 4am, but at least it they were able to get the new one running.)

she served up some gin and tonics and spaghetti with meatballs for dinner and we had a lovely, although hot evening together then hit the road the next day.

the highlight of the drive for me was the wawa.

except for the years i was in college and a short time that i lived in the south with the pobble, i have never lived more than 5 minutes away from a wawa. there are no wawas here only dunkin donuts, subways, cumberland farms, and 7-11s, none of which measures up to the wawa.

wawas are 24 hour convenience stores that have delis and make hoagies (everywhere else they are called subs or grinders) and have amazing coffee. you can get just about anything at a wawa.

like... an english toffee cappachino and a tuna salad hoagie and a bag of lays potato chips. (which doesn't sound good all together, but really is).

yumm

the ride to the obx from de was fine until we hit the traffic going onto the obx. there is one road in and only two lanes, one for each direction. what should have been an hour ride turned into 2 1/2. my family is always the last to arrive at the vacation house, but at least that means that things were settled by the time we got there.

the new addition to the group this week was linda, who has known me since i was a fetus and she would sit and drink tea with my pregnant mom. it was great to have her there. we've been inviting her every year since the second year, but she was caring for her elderly parents and worried to travel so far away from them for a whole week. this was the first time she was able to come and her comment was, "i'm glad i didn't know what i was missing all those years or i would have been really upset that i couldn't make it before now."

here are some of the highlights from the week:

watching the sunset from the dining room table

going out to dinner with hubby, my brother and his wife. we wound up at our 3rd choice and it was unbelievable. i had a raspberry martini that was to-die-for.

skinny dipping in the freezing cold pool with my mom and linda one night

the silent prince and the princess kitty acting like fish in the pool

the silent prince seeing the ocean as if it was the most amazing thing in the world (as hubby put it... "why have you kept this from me all these years, mommy and daddy!")

sunday morning devotions on the deck instead of trying to find a church to attend, i started crying as we prayed, the good kind of crying, the kind i've needed to do for weeks now.

playing pool with my uncle and making 3 amazing shots in a row (we chalked it up to the mike's hard lemonade)

shopping with my sis-in-law, linda, and the princess kitty and finding the earrings i wanted.

laughing at hubby, who is undoubtedly the funniest person i know

taking the kids out for dinner and ice cream

sitting on the deck off of my bedroom and watching the egrets and other wildlife in the lake between our house and the sound. (the last night someone set of fireworks in the distance.)

i never want to leave that last night. i find it almost painful to pack and prepare for the early morning departure. we've taken to stopping on the mainland for breakfast. we wound up at mel's diner (kiss my grits and all). speaking of grits... i had cheese grits with my french toast and sausage... yumm.

the trip home was as awful as the week was wonderful. what could have been a 10 hour trip turned into a 16+ hour trip. we did stop along the way for more wawa hoagies and to say a quick hello to aunt kimmy and crabby bill (really, that's the name of his boat) and we stopped off at the christiana mall for dinner with friends we haven't seen in awhile. but getting home at 2am was for the birds... and they would have to be owls i suppose.

it was terribly difficult to wake up and go to church this morning, thank God someone else was preaching (as i told them in the pews... who knows what would have come out of my mouth if it had been me.) but now i have had a nap and it's time to wake hubby from his.

there is quite a bit of unpacking to do and settling back in, but i start tomorrow with a visit to the chiropractor (yes!) and take it fairly easy as i plan the rest of the week.

until later...

God's peace y'all

in case you wondered

this is where i am until saturday.

(and just in case you have to scroll down it's caballo...

and it is heaven here!)



promise to blog all about it when i get home.

God's peace y'all!

where the $#(@ are they?

i lost my keys today. i looked everywhere. i even prayed to st anthony:

"St. Anthony, St. Anthony
Please come down
Something is lost
And can't be found."

remember, i'm not catholic... i don't pray to saints.

and then finally, i borrowed hubby's keys to take the princess kitty to a sleep-over at a friend's house and there they were... on the back bumper of my truck.

i did not put them there.
hubby did not put them there.
the princess kitty claims she did not put them there.
the silent prince is not allowed to even look at my keys.
the dog can't eat my keys and therefore has nothing to do with them.
the cats don't go outside.

i must have gremlins.

God's peace y'all

my week

this has been a week...

sunday, right after church, i felt a bit sick to my stomach so i went home immediately and lay down in the ac and slept. when i woke up i felt a bit better and the family went to my parent's house for dinner. my appetite was back and i ate as though i hadn't felt sick at all.

monday, we visited the developmental psychologist and got the news about the silent prince. it was stuff i already knew in my heart and was just waiting for someone to validate. then i went to lunch with the staff at church... mexican... comfort food... excpet that they were out of fried ice cream (we actaully watched them take the last one to another table.)

tuesday was the council meeting. it was supposed to be a pot-luck at my house, but it was so hot i couldn't even bring myself to clean or set up tables outside and so we ate at the church on the tablecloths from my house. i even cut fresh flowers from the yard.

wednesday... all i remember of wednesday was the bathroom and my bedroom and the horrible feeling in the pit of my stomach.

thursday i spent in bed. though i felt better, it seemed prudent after what had happened wednesday. that evening i was supposed to go out with a friend for drinks and to shop for vacation bible school. we went shopping, but there was no drinking involved.

friday i woke up with the only thing that would make the week complete. (if you are a woman, you probably know what i'm talking about... if you are a man then be grateful you don't.) i did a few things at church, but went home shortly after my secretary told me that my face was white as a sheet. i accomplished a few things, but not nearly as many as i wanted to get done and then we went back to my parent's for dinner.

saturday (that would be today) i worked on the computer, getting some things ready for next week's vacation bible school and then we went to a church picnic for hubby's church. it was held at the home of one of the members and had a pool. it was all the princess kitty could talk about. shortly after getting there i stepped on a bee. thankfully i am not allergic and the bee kept its stinger, but man.. did it hurt. the party was nice... even though there was a downpour about halfway through and we had to rush inside with all the food. my purse got soaked, as did hubby's dry clothes. but the silent prince did have a great time playing in the mud.

and yet... i think i'm glad that tomorrow starts a whole new week.

God's peace y'all

a diagnosis and a dedication

the princess kitty had her dance recital on friday and the pobble came to see. she also brought along two copies of her test words book. one for my folks and one for hubby and me. her first book... and she dedicated it to me.

it might be the coolest thing that has ever happened to me. writers are like rock stars in my book (pun intended) and so the fact that she would put my name in her first as her dedication... i know she loves me... i knew it before the book... but wow!

SO BUY THE BOOK!!! BUY LOTS OF COPIES!!! BUY THEM NOW!!!

the silent prince has been diagnosed with autism. we found out today. and while i have a million thoughts going through my head i'm finding it hard to make them cohesive so bear with me.

things the psychologist said:

he falls in the severe category of autism
hubby and i have good instincts about him and his care
recommendations will be made to increase his school day and the services he gets
he is beautiful and sweet
he isn't ready for potty training
he functions best in high structure situations
with proper intervention he has a good chance of improving
there are wonderful support groups in our area
none of this suprizes you

and a lot of other stuff that is stuck in my brain, trying to sort itself out.

none of this suprizes hubby or me and we are grateful for an answer even if the answer is what it is. and so i've decided that i will have to grieve the losses that come with autism and look toward a different future for my prince who is beautiful and sweet and happy.

God's peace y'all

why hasn't cats been blogging?

i dunno...

could be that i have been suffering from blogger's block (though not writer's block since i'm working hard on 2 seperate books and loving it.)

could be that the 'puter is making me crazy because a little piece of plastic has gotten caught in the fan and now it sounds like the 'puter has asthma. the little piece of plastic is from the wireless card being pushed too far into the notebook and thus turning my laptop into a desktop.

could be that it is often way too hot in the room where the 'puter is located and when it is cool enough i want to be out on my porch where the laptop no longer goes.

could be that i've been busy trying to be busy and i have less time to sit at the 'puter.

could be that now that it's summer the silent prince is at home more and the office is too far from where he's allowed to be.

could be that i'm simply going through some strange phase of computer overload (i was so attached to this piece of equipment while at the apartment and now that i'm home there is other stuff to attract my attention.)

could be...

who knows.

God's peace y'all

rabbi cats

i just returned from PA where i performed the wedding of my college roommate jacklyn hyde.

it was an interesting weekend. since it would have been a 14 hour trip by train i flew. the last time i flew was 1998 so i expected that it was going to be quite different this time. i had no idea.

hubby dropped my off a few minutes past 10am to catch an 11:11 flight that should only take an hour. i checked in and found my gate quite easily despite the long backup through the baggage checkpoint. i even had to take off my sandels to go through the metal detector. once at the gate i discovered that my plane was delayed and i gave jh a call to tell her to check with the airport before coming to pick me up. apparently, the flight i was supposed to be on was delayed so that the crew could get the required 8 hours rest before taking off again. and then there was another delay which wasn't explained to us.

i called jh again and left another message telling her that the flight which should have arrived at 12:30 wasn't going to get in on her end until 15 minutes before we were all supposed to go out for tea at 2:30... we'd have to figure something else out for getting me from the airport.

meanwhile, sitting at the gate i discovered that i was surrounded by people who were either deaf or signing... few of them were actually sitting together. it was striking me as somewhat odd. my cell phone rang and it was jh. "oh good, you're still there!"

"no, not really... i should be on the plane by now." we both laugh.

"the best man and his wife are going to pick you up. there names are e and a." i got cell phone numbers and said i'd call them once i got to pittsburgh airport.

"oooh, the plane is here." and we both said yippee (jh and i have a history of always saying the same things at the same time.)

it was a small plane... only 18 rows, 3 seats across each row. i was in row 17. we all get on, get settled, and start to move and then we stop.

"this is the captian speaking. i don't know if you all can see out the windows on the right side of the plane..." we all look out the right side of the plane. "but another plane (about the same size as ours) had to come in for a landing without its landing gear... everyone's fine... but they had to shut down the airport."

the plane errupts in nervous laughter.

"if there is anything we can do to make your wait more comfor..."

the plane errupts again "it's too hot!!!"

the wait was suprisingly short and we arrived in pitt around 2:30. i pull out my cell phone and call e. "i'm in pittsburgh!"

"we're still coming from ohio! find the bar, get a drink, get something to eat, and we'll call you as soon as we're close."

i find the bar. i need a beer.

eventually e and a show up. a is the best man, e his doctor wife. they are fantastic and i actaully enjoy the 2 hour ride to the wedding rehearsal that we are only 15 minutes late getting to.

the rehearsal was short and sweet. i usally give a big speech at rehearsals about everyone being on time and not drinking before the wedding, but considering that the source of that speech was late and had been drinking i decided to skip it.

jh's mom took me back to the b&b to get changed for the dinner at the hotel where most people were staying. it was also the hotel where most of the harley riders, who were convening were also staying. after the dinner the women decended on the hotel bar to drink and cuss with the bikers, two of whom offered us rides home when the brother of the bride couldn't be reached to pick us up.

the next day jh's mom treated the maid of honor and me to getting out hair done and lunch. i love the mother of the bride!

now jh and her family are jewish. pros, her now-husband is not. he is a geologist. so the wedding was an interesting mix of jewish customs with what i usually do for a christian wedding. i gave pros a rock from my backyard during my sermon and told those gathered that since i couldn't speak scientifically about rocks i would speak metaphorically about them.

rocks and marriage have a lot in common. the geologists nodded and encouraged me along. everyone seemed to love it.

later people told me that i could be a commedian if the pastor thing didn't work out. it's nice to have something so solid to fall back on.

not knowing what to wear for the ceremony i borrowed my father-in-law's prayer shawl. with my fancy dress and up do i decided that i was the best looking gentile rabbi i had ever seen.

when we sat down for dinner i asked jh if her grandfather, who is the most adorable man, was going to do the blessing over the bread. she had no idea so i got up to ask. her dad (love him too) cut me off at the pass and informed me that the order would be best man, moh, granddad, and then me. "haven't you hear enough from me already?"

he told me to figure it out... so i did.

"good and gracious God, we give you thanks for this day... etc etc... bless this marriage, make it..."

and then someone at the table whispered "like a rock."

yes, "like a rock... solid... solid like a rock. amen."

and now i must go shower and prepare to go camping in the rain with the confirmation class.

b'shalom y'all

hot enough for ya?

first, you should all check this guy out. last friday grandpop took the princess kitty to the peabody museum of natural history where jason hackenwerth had begun to blow balloons and twist them into the sculptures we went to see comleted yesterday in the middle of the dinosaur exhibit. the pictures in te link aren't what we saw, but WOW. this is not the clown you hired to make those balloon animals at your kid's last birthday party.

as we went to get into the truck to pick up grandmom and grandpop to check out the exhibit and musuem my car thermometer said it was 98 degrees out. gotta love new england weather... or do i?

after the musuem we returned to the 'rents house for dinner and some golden margaritas. yummy! hubby happened to be checking out the newspaper on the kitchen table with pictures of designs for the great wall of america to keep out those icky mexicans we so despise. (please read the scarcasm in that sentence.)

"we are becoming the empire." said he
"huh?"
"don't these pictures look like something out of star wars?"

indeed they do and i can't find my light saber.

may the force be with y'all

only in the pobble's world

and i do this only because my last post was soooo depressing.

so here i am, typing at the pobble's computer. we'd been out on her porch talking about severed heads. don't ask.... please!!!! and decided to come inside... her phone rang so it was necessary.

back in her office she wanted me to listen to a song playing on her 'puter, named bob. she took her seat and i stood. she's just finished crunch time on a deadline, so... well, so there isn't really a place for me to sit. the dogs have taken over the loveseat and i am loathe to move them. so there i stand.

"please sit." sayeth the pobble.

"where?" replies the lovely cats.

the pobble giggles and goes to move stuff from the chair next to the computer.

and what was on the chair you ask?

thigh high black leather boots and a copy of emily post's book, "etiquette".

anyone for severed heads?

God's peace y'all

semper fi

now that i am back to blogging, i am also back to reading other blogs. i usually go in aphabetical order so ABB is usually my first read. today she will be my only read...

impressions of a marine's funeral

back,back, BACK!!!

after suffering through 3 weeks of dsl hell and another one of having too much work to blog, i am back!

but only briefly this first time back... so some quick updates and at least one picture.

the silent prince was at the lead clinic yesterday. his lead level is 42, which means he will go back on his treatment (which is stinky, but a good thing) and his body burden level has dropped 43 points!!! this is not at all stinky and a wonderful thing!

i'm finally feeling settled in and like i can finally be back at work. most of the residual depression of the last 6 months has dispersed and i am so glad of that.

i spend all my time here (well, all the time that i can afford to)



the princess kitty is hap, hap, happy and hubby just bought a new vacuum thing for the kitchen floor so he's pleased as punch.

and that's all i have time for today.

God's peace y'all and a promise to get to your sites asap so that i can catch up!