The Sunday Morning Muse, July 31, 2011

Sunday, again. Minutes before sunrise over the city, and I've just enforced a one cat limit on the room here so I don't have to referee my two furry friends fighting for the window.

-

The phone rang yesterday while I was visiting my uncle, and it was a Quinnipiac survey. You take it, he said. And I spent the next 12 minutes answering questions, most of them political...ranging from the debt ceiling to Marcellus Shale. I think they do a pretty good survey, but a few of the questions made me laugh, and I even had to jab at the interviewer a bit for asking them.

-

Michele Bachmann came up a lot. One question dealt with how "the media" handles the health of female candidates versus male. Does the media focus more on women's candidates' health than men's health? Did I hear about Bachmann's migraines? Of course I did. Did I feel this would interfere with her ability to be President? Well.... I wanted to say given, she HAS NO ABILITY to be President, and is a complete imbecile, it probably wouldn't make a difference. But it was a yes or no question.

-

After a series of questions involving how few women congressmen (congress-people?) there are, and how few serve in PA specifically, I was asked if I felt there would be a woman President in my lifetime. Well...hmmm. Perhaps if I live another 40 years....taking that into account, yes, I suppose at some point, we just might elect a woman President. So... yes. Yes is my answer.

(If they were insinuating in any way that perhaps, my thought process is: Michelle Bachmann is a woman, I am a woman, therefore I think we need a woman President, well... I can't go there. You don't necessarily need breasts to be a President, you need BRAINS.)

-

And then the most dubious question of all. Who would make a better President, a man or woman?

-

Really? You are asking me that? C'mon. No... No opinion, really now. This is silly.

-

To be fair, the guy went through a regular list of general questions, too...age, income, party affiliation, who I voted for in the past, opinion on Marcellus Shale...oh yes...tax them to death, make them pay fees, do whatever it takes to protect our environment, I said. That's a no brainer, there. I don't care how "fledgling" these millionaires are portrayed. We have the gas.

Go somewhere else if you don't like our fees. They won't. I am sure of that.

-

The sun is up, now. A beautiful Sunday morning. The type of day that you really don't want to turn the TV on and watch politicians argue about the debt ceiling.

-

So I won't.

Young Girl Blues

Marianne Faithfull does a haunting version of this song. Donovan wrote and recorded it long ago.

It's on the Mellow Yellow album from 1967.

Hmmm Days Go By Again

Do you ever feel like the whole world is out there having fun...you know, out there boating, frolicking on the beach, sitting in bathtubs watching the tide, parasailing, etc., and you are the only person at home, alone in a room, spackling walls?

-

A Good and Different... Impressionist

I love this man.

The Sunday Morning Muse, July 24, 2011

Humidity has made progress of any sort rather slow this week. I went to Lowe's yesterday for paint and supplies and on my way there...weaving through the back roads of the township, I couldn't help but notice no one is outside anymore. Too hot. Most people are inside sitting in the AC. And few people have bird baths. Unless it is part of a landscape arrangement...for looks more than for the birds. But I'll get back to that thought.

-

I bought another animal cage for basement. Coco Kitty had to come in when it hit 96 degrees this past week. She needs her own space for days like this. Too hot for man, woman nor old cat. My friend's cat went into respiratory distress this week. Sad case. Not really so much the heat, as a tumor in the lung t

hat finally became a problem and showed up. When I was a kid, and a cat got seriously ill, no one really knew why. Vets speculated about things, but eventually it either got too sick to keep alive, or the animal succumbed to the ailment. Now it is commonplace to have Xrays and CT scans and all kinds of tests for pets. Lots of money, though. But I wonder if cancer is more prevalent now, or is it just that we know about it because of all tests.

-

A new bird bath is on the list. I have the base, but no one sells just the top...which is smashed to pieces thanks to a freeze and thaw cycle, and someone, me, who neglected to flip it over last year. I feel bad for the birds...we feed them but they've been on their own for water for some time now. It didn't really affect me enough to spend the money and buy one until yesterday when I saw this little sparrow with one bad leg hanging onto the side of the bird feeder. The struggle to survive was great in that bird. He clung onto the little ledge of the birdfeeder with only one leg...the other draping down over the edge helplessly, as he pressed his beak to the food and balanced himself with his body pressed against the bird house.

-

He fell off once into the bushes below....and I grabbed gloves to go help him, but I didn't need to.

He can fly just fine. He just can't land too well. Off he went, but he came back later, so I know he lives nearby.

-

It proves that one can be indifferent to the hunger and strife in birdland, until one knows a bird personally who lives here. Now I look for him. And I will make sure he has water.

-

Let's Just Get This Done and Move On

Saint Ronnie....I know this is snarky of me, but I can't resist it at this point. The orange man and the imbeciles in the House would rather see the economy tank even further than make a compromise. Why not listen to Ronnie from the grave and do the right thing?
-
This whole sad saga is wearing on everyone.
-
Ooh wait, I know. Everyone on the right is scared of the Tea Party.
-
Pathetic.

Summer in the City

The Dream is Gone

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Final Countdown
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor & Satire Blog The Daily Show on Facebook

The Sunday Morning Muse, July 17, 2011

Sunday morning...reflecting on yesterday. I got to spend a few hours wandering my friend's garden with all the lilies just coming in bloom. I got some lovely photos, like above. Anyhow, it's the type of day you wish you could bottle up and then pop open in winter when everything is dead and cold and miserable.

-

It's good to spend outside in the quiet, as your own thoughts tend to come to a halt and everything seems a bit more peaceful. A good vibe. My life is one of constant interruptions and

very little downtime, so it felt good to just "be" with the flowers.

-

Sad About the Space Program

We spend more on air-conditioning for the troops than the whole NASA budget for the year.

-

That's just sad.

-

We are officially going backward now.

-

I'm gonna go drink my Tang.

A Tree (limb) Falls and No One Hears It

The two trees in the back yard are twins. They were planted at the same time about 20 years ago...I think they are locust trees. Well, they are twins no more. A huge limb came down yesterday in the rainstorm and the right tree looks so sad. I have to look for a picture of them taken in the fall with beautiful leaves. They were striking.

-

A lone Ginkgo tree stands between them. Straight and tall. It's the only tree the cat claws. There is a ring around it as high as the cat can reach. I remember when dad planted the Ginkgo many years ago. Mom actually grew if from seed. I think it will outlive both locusts.

-

There is a redwood tree on the near hill. Another locust tree split during a recent storm and sort of clipped it. I think the redwood will be all right. I've seen pictures of redwoods with big holes in them that Volkswagons could drive through. It's not mine though. My uncle planted it probably

40 years ago. He is long dead, and the property will no doubt be sold again to someone who doesn't care enough to save it. I'll plead a case, and hope the tree stays another 40 years. After that I'll be dead too, so it won't matter much.

-

For now, I can try to save the damaged locust in my backyard. It may make it. There is probably gunk I can put on the wound to help the tree heal once I figure out how to get the cracked limb down and dragged off.

-

It's worth mentioning that my neighbor actually jinxed the tree. Literally the day before we were outside drinking beer talking about other people in the neighborhood who have huge trees

that have come down recently or were in danger of coming down. He pointed to my twin locusts

and said it will be expensive when those come down.

-

I scoffed that they will be there awhile yet. Not to worry. Then the very next day we lost

a good third of the tree.

-

It was odd. Really.

The Sunday Morning Muse, July 10, 2011

No outrage this morning. Just peace and sunshine and even the cats are getting along today.
-
Mildly irritating that Hines Ward's DUI has become the focus of TV News Super Hype. Only fifteen minutes of the newscast? Why not break into programming with a live shot of the place where he was stopped? Interview people passing by? Or let's just jump ahead to the MADD Mothers and get their views on this even before we know his blood alcohol level? How about 10 minutes more of reading Twitter and Facebook responses over the air because you have no other information to report?
-
The breathlessly excited other channel has "the latest" information even though nothing else has been released. There was actually another person in the car with him. Now, THAT'S news. Another person. In the car. With him. Maybe it was a transvestite midget! Okay, that would be news. Or a one legged show girl, or a man dressed in an ostrich suit.

-

I'll stop. I'm not funny.

-
But, my only point is...can't we wait a day or two? Let the police investigate, and get the facts and report a story. Not just fill air time with BS.

C'Mon Feel the Noise

When I found this I didn't know whether to laugh for cry. Kind of like the first time
I heard something by Queen in an elevator...

A Rainy Day Contemplating BLUE

Nothing like rain and thunderstorms to motivate you on a summer's day to stay home and tackle all jobs that were put off while I laid in the sun and sipped lime melonade, a new wine cooler that's out. It's been Stay-cation week here.
-
The big INSIDE paint job will be tackled soon, and the worst part is putting all the stuff away. This had led to many rabbit holes I've gone down as I sifted through boxes and found old letters, or mulled over books to donate. (yes, can't believe after giving away most of my books in THE BIG MOVE that there are still books that could GO.) I'm taking down stuff from the walls, putting away stuff from curios and shadow boxes. Breakables. Stuff on shelves. It is endless.
-
Can't believe all the paint colors and the strange names for them. I've chosen Churchill Hotel Vanilla instead of Malted Milk for the living room. My bedroom will be blue. Not just any blue. I wanted the color of the beautiful blue sky Tuesday, but pointing to the sky outside of Lowe's won't necessarily help the cause. I found Summer Sky, but ironically Rain Dance is prettier.

-

The painter, a long ago boyfriend who agreed to help me out, talked me into a white ceiling. Old fashioned. In the old days everyone had white ceilings, no matter what the other walls were. That's just how it was. Except here. Our bathroom has white walls with a blue ceiling.

-

Back to work boxing stuff up again. I swear I need to immerse myself in that non attachment stuff again. I need to pare down more. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.

-

Back to work.

Happy July 4th!

You Never Give Me Your Money

Lots of projects, little motivation today. Watching Paloma videos for now.

The Sunday Morning Muse, July 3, 2011

It's been a trying week. Sigh. Just dealing with a lot lately, and haven't been able to sit down and actually pay attention to the rest of the planet. And last night mom dreamt that one of her friends gave ALL of us black dresses. Yikes. Healthwise mom is stable, that is not the problem.

-
The dream book says a lot of things. Black, of course is never good. Different interpretations forecast warnings of trouble ahead...the more clothes the more of a warning. Just the fact they were WOMEN'S mourning clothes signifies a big loss. I don't suppose I could just tell her it's a dream of "contrary" and actually signifies good luck. Nah. We've had dream books around the house for too long for her to fall for that.
-
I'll just go and check one more dream book.
-
(later)
-
Whew. Dodged one there. To dream of Mourning Clothes signifies an early wedding coming up. It says a relative will request help with the wedding. I immediately told her that, and left everything go.

-

At least I know it won't be a wedding for ME. Dodged another bullet there.

Almost Independence Day

And so begins another fourth of July Weekend. I put on a red shirt, put out the flag this morning, and set my sights for making the best of a long weekend.
-
Hooray for the Red, White and Blue and all that.