Anecdotes, Antidotes, and Anodes

The Voice Still Trembles

As you can see, the words traveled down my arm, through my fingers, and onto the keyboard. Capitals, punctuation, grammar, etc., were not important.  Every cell in my body was involved remembering and writing this.

09-04-01
the end of a memorable week in NYC we are on a plane back to colorado
our daughter on a plane back to oklahoma
little did I know the photo still in my camera of her sitting on the hotel bed with the stately towers providing the backdrop would become a most cherished one the very last one of the two giants providing the outline for that famous skyline gone forever but forever an image in my mind

09-11-01

the beginning of a usual day sunrise wrestling with the dogs coffee
then the news
standing in the exact place in my kitchen when the news of the oklahoma city bombing flashed across the screen

a pendulum of emotions and thoughts fear hope disbelief hope confusion hope pain hope panic hope horror hope hope hope

a snapshot in time...j.f.kennedy, space shuttle, first images of desert storm, oklahoma city and now such vivid detail all my senses engage first plane maybe an accident second plane who is osama bin laden

pentagon
attacked on our own soil

flight 93 how many more planes

find the phone fingers shake uncontrollably dialing a staten island number all circuits busy fingers dial every staten island number in planner

finally a trembling voice

hello where are they

they being four of our new york city firefighter/policemen friends
we don't know we can see the smoke from here

not wanting to hang up for fear of losing contact with the voice at the other end of the connection clinging to every word please call back
this is a nightmare please wake up each minute is an eternity

waiting for the call about our friends
hours pass

then the call comes the ring of the phone fills the air with sheer panic my hand is frozen then moves in slow motion

the news comes all four friends are safe but so many of their brothers, sisters, friends are unaccounted for
now they are our friends too

days pass stories range from sheer horror to miracles

our nation rallies together

why does it take a tragedy

five years later
where are we  ?

09-11-06 5:30 a.m.

staten island called this morning

five years later the voice still trembles

***********************************************************************************

09-11-07  5:30 a.m.
I will call Staten Island today. The voice will still tremble.

************************************************************************************

Where were you when the World stood still?

Some of These Classmates...

...I've not seen in FORTY-ONE YEARS :

Surprise ! It's Your Birthday !

We aren't your usual party animals, but every so often, AnodeMan and I will drag ourselves out of the house and celebrate special birthdays with special friends. The following "marathon" of photos pretty much documents the evening. Let me warn you, the PG rating of this blog may not apply to this post.  In other words, you may find yourself gasping over one of the photos, but it was just too funny not to include. And yes, it does have a hidden meaning, but you'll understand it if you read sign language.

So, without further adieu, come along and join the fun...

 

~Our Host and Hostess with the Most and the Mostess~

 

Happy Birthday, Dear Leah.  Surprise !

 

"OK, was it you ?"

 

"No, it was you."

 

"So, it was YOU !"

Below is just a conglomeration of those who joined in the fun.  You can make up names for the line-up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Did this pizza comes with instructions on how to open the box?"

"No need for a bottle opener...I"ll just use my teeth."

 

Don't believe anything he tells you.

 

Don't believe anything he tells you.

 

Don't believe anything he tells you.

 

And for sure, don't believe anything HE tells you.

 

"It's my birthday. Kiss Me."
"But don't tell anyone how old I am."

 

OK, we won't.

   

Anyone for Geman chocolate cake? Yummy !

 

Here, have a piece with a cherry on top.

 

"Me. Want. Cake."
"You. Want. Cake ?"

 

"See what happens when you give away German chocolate cake? "  "Sweet !"

 

Kelley seems to have gotten into something that made her eyelids snap shut.
Could it be tequila?
No, tequila makes your clothes fall off...not your eyelids snap shut.

 

There. That's better.

 

How many retired school teachers does it take to count how many slices of pizza there are in the box?

  

Evidently the person flashing the loser sign is dyslexic lysdexic. 
Nice hat, Steve. Or or those horns?

 

A friendly little "wave" for D.D.

 

Happy Birthday, Leah !

 

Whoops ! Leah ! Where is your hand? You may be old, but you still have a sense of humor.

**********************************************

MESSAGES FROM THE EMERGENCY SWAMPCAST SYSTEM:

**********************************************

1)

Following up on Rockin' Grandma's Mon Funday challenge yesterday, here is a clip that was featured yesterday on CNBC's Squawk on the Street "Beating the Odds" with Grand Junction's Mayor Gregg Palmer.

CLINK THIS LINK

***********************************************

2)

We are still waiting to make a connection with the Stanislaus Animal Shelter to find out if the Boxer's family has been located.  (See post below.)

***********************************************

3)

For those who have never visited a blog, be sure to click the little word "comments" at the bottom of the post. Most of the time, those comments will give you a chuckle or two.  There's always something going on here at The Asylum, so ya'll come back now, hear?

**********************************************************

4) If you didn't watch the Westminster Dog Show Monday night, be sure to watch the rest of it tonight. The Working Group (Boxer) will be shown.  Here are two web-sites that you might enjoy:

Dogs Rule

Angels on a Leash

Dear Eliot

I'm probably the only person who had not seen this video. If you've not seen Dear Eliot, go grab some tissues before you watch it.

Ninety-Nine Balloons

Oprah visited with Eliot's Mommy and Daddy. They had good news. Mommy said, "Eliot will have a new baby brother or sister in about two weeks."

 

Nuts On-Line

For years, I have received a plethora of catalogs...especially this time of year. The amount of catalogs delivered to me has drastically been reduced because of Catalog Choice. (Clink the Link) I'm sure that at least part of one forest has been saved because of how many catalogs I've declined during the past year.

But when this one arrived, I giggled.

 

Nuts Online ? Are you kidding me?  I fully expected to open up this catalog and find all my blogger friends pictured inside !

*********************************************************

Please scroll down for Breast Cancer Awareness Posts.

Happy Birthday, Willowtree

It's been a long time since I broke the Mon Funday rules, and I find it very appropriate that I do so on a day that my blogbuds, Stephanie and Min from Mama Drama are hosting today. If you want to know what the rules really are and who is abiding by them, clink the link.

But as for me, I am continuing my celebration of Peter's birthday.

Please join me in wishing him a Happy Birthday, where ever he might me.

*************************************************************************

Posted August 24:

Hey DubYaT.  Is it your birthday? If not, I'm celebrating anyway !
Clink the link and head down under to wish him a Happy Birthday. Tell him Swampy sent you.

When he's not being an electrician, carpenter, analyst programmer, project manger for IT projects,  a network manager for large utlities, or a blogger, he's a pirate who wears big girl panties, and white knee socks.

Since you are such a whiz at cornpooters, I found this GIF for you.  I wanted it to display a Dingo, but you'll just have to be satisfied with a Tiger !  You know me, I couldn't figure out how to change it or create my own.

We all know how much you love dogs and cats, so one is wagging its tail and the other is dancing in celebration of your special day.

I was going to jump out of a cake for you, but ended up eating all the batter before I baked it.

 

...to the blogger who wants us all to believe he is tough and gruff. But we all know he's all that on the outside but just a powder puff on the inside.  Willowtree (DubYaT) was one of the first bloggers to comment when I started GLOBBING in August of 2006 and has sporadically continued to do so.  Since then, he has never failed to reply with advice when I would ask how to do something. He has helped me with many dilemmas during my blogging career.  He was the one who dubbed me with the nickname, SWAMPY ! (Robin, the Pensieve One also called me Swampy the same week !) DubYaT was the VERY first to send a personal e-mail with his condolences when we lost our Boxer, Junior, to lymphoma.  He is also the only blogger I've ever told to Shut Up...on several occasions. I love sparring with him, even though some of our readers think we are really at each other's throats when we do that.  DubYaT is one of those bloggers who remembers important details about those he "blogs with."  He can make your day with his prolific comments...sometimes with only one word. For me, it's always a treat when he stops by my place and takes the time to say something...even if it's abrupt or gnarly.

So, DubYaT, I've blown your cover. Happy Birthday from your Globber Blogger Buddy, Swampy.

Here are my birthday gifts to YOU:

Apply liberally to those thighs up there so you will end up looking like this:

Please watch for a celebration of your birthday coming from Beijing. I've asked the Chinese to put together a little something in honor of you !  Not sure when it will be televised in Australia, but just know all that is for you, Peter, compliments of Swampy.

Go visit my trashy friend, Robin, for another birthday celebration.

I Just Love Weddings !

Don't you just love weddings?

Vesica Piscis Chapel was the beautiful setting for this very special occasion.
Vesica Piscis means:  "The coming together of two individuals with common ground, shared vision, mutual understanding, a sacred union."

A radiant bride, good friend, and Mom.

 

Last minute instructions for the flower girl from her buddy.

The flower girl's Mommy.

Look at those beautiful curls on my little princess.

 

The party room...

...with a polka dot wedding cake.
(No, I hadn't had too much wine. I just like taking pictures on an angle.)

 

The M & M Family !

A view from the chapel window.

A fellow blogger with her hubby.

My, oh, my how they do grow up...

...all of these young ladies were in my fourth grade and/or sixth grade class in TheVille.  (Well, except for the little polka dot princess-wiggle-wart I'm holding.)  We shared so many fun memories...singing David Allan Coe's "You Don't Call Me by My Name"  while driving through the Rocky Mountains, messing around with walkie talkies in middle school with a classroom full of bean bags, come-as-you-are slumber parties, dictation spelling tests, home room moms, "where is the principal?"..."I don't know, it's not my day to keep up with him "..."well, he's YOUR dad !", signing up to be my classroom aide and then moving to another state, are you Mrs.' Winters or Mrs. Spencer ?, being in TOTAL control of the third floor at Central, . . .

I could go on and on about how special it was for me to get to visit with these gals. The bride was also a former student of mine, but she was just a bit occupied when we took this photo. 

Seeing all of them as successful young adults makes me feel very old proud. I would like to think that my influence on them played a part of that success, but I know they would have been successful without me.

This is one of those experiences that makes me so happy I spent over 25 years in the classroom...just one of the fringe benefits of being a teacher.

**********************************************************************************************

For answers to your Fun Monday questions, see the comment page yesterday.

A Friend Is Someone Who Reaches for Your Hand

This post is to honor our friends, Mike and Karra, who will be moving to
OH-H-H-H-kla-home-ma, where the wind comes sweeping down the plain tornadoes come twisting through your door. 
It is to also share the smiles that come with friendships like this.

Even though it is very sad to see them move, we will have the opportunity to visit when I make my treks back to Oklahoma.  I'm thinking they might teach me to play golf. Or not.

 

Entertainment was provided by Roy who is a gifted pianist, and by...

...the talented dancing duo known as Carol 'n Dave. Watch for them on the new season of "Dancing with the Stars."

Mary Kay and Barb seemed to have gotten into something that causes their eyelids to slam shut, but at least they were still able to laugh about it. Mary Kay is wearing the latest fashionable horny-hat, complete with lights. Barb has chosen a ship's wheel to adorn her hair.
(Who IS the photographer positioning these things behind her guests?)

It has become a tradition for guests to "lose" their shoes at our parties, as evidenced here with Karra, and...

...also with Cyndi. Ladies, your shoes can be found on e-Bay. Rustlin' shoes has become my new hobby and is quite profitable.  Please notice Bubba. He stayed very close to Paula all evening because she tends to have a habit of dropping her food.

 

Speaking of food... Suz and Jack provided this delicious tenderloin. This is what's left of it. I couldn't resist serving it on my chicken platter. Could that be considered an oxymoron?

In preparation for their move to Okra-homa, Mike and Karra tried out an official cowboy hottub.

Karra is seen here with Georgia and Meiling, sporting another one of those chic, haute couture horny-hats. Those seem to be all the rage these days. If you're interested in owning one of these unique chapeaus, call me at BR-549.

Vanity plates have already been added to the family truckster.
Poll:  Do you call them car tags, license plates, or what?

Time to open all the loot. Mike should really enjoy wearing that new earring Karra is holding.

Suz is thinking, "If AnodeMan and Swampy would pay their electric bill, I wouldn't have to hold this lantern."
Karra models her new bandana which can double as a doo-rag.

More fancy accoutrements. Either that or the bird of paradise has wrapped itself around her head.

MIke is thinking, "Gee, I wish I had some fancy feathers for MY head."

Always be careful what you wish for.

We brought in the cleaning crew to wash the dishes. And, if you're wondering where June Bug is, she decided to take advantage of an open gate and go visit the neighbors.

Where's Waldo?

Putting all kidding aside, I will end this post with...
"A friend is someone who reaches for your hand and touches your heart."

**********************************************************************************************

For those of you finding yourself on a blog for the first time, be sure to check the comment page. Just find that little word "comments  (#) " and click on it. Hopefully, there will be a comment or three there for you to read. It's also easy to leave a comment. Fill in name ( you can use a nickname), e-mail address (it's secure), URL (not necessary).  I know Karra and Mike will enjoy reading your comments. Come on back and visit sometime. No tellin' what you'll find here...especially tomorrow.  E-E-E-K-K-K !

 

Gifts from New Zealand

This thank you note should have been posted a long time ago. Better late than never, I guess. 

My friend, Melissa, who lives in that beautiful country of New Zealand sent me a pink scarf that she crocheted...or maybe knitted. This shows my total ignorance about needlework. Regardless if it's crocheted or knitted, it is beautiful. 

Here's the loot.

Complete with chocolate !

Oops!  Where's the chocolate, Melissa?

 

It's always so exciting to receive a package with the words "International Air."

A beautiful card:  Glendhu Bay...The shore of Lake Wanaka, in autumn.

Melissa's note wishing me a Happy Birthday
I was so impressed that a fellow blogger remembered my birthday. Especially since AnodeMan forgot it this year.

My new pink scarf hand-crafted by Melissa

Button Button Who Has the Button?
I have problems just sewing on one button. I can't imagine trying to get these tiny little pink buttons sewn on so that they design the Breast Cancer logo.

Dear Melissa,

What a special gift !  Especially because it was handmade by you. Especially because you remembered my birthday without being "prompted." Especially because of what the pink and the buttons represent. Especially because you included chocolate.
I have visited your city twice. It is beautiful along with the people we met there. You can bet that if we ever return, we will plan to meet each other in person.

Sincerely,
Kathy

 

My little friend that I bought while visiting New Zealand says, Thank You.

 

Beautiful Boy

OK, I went looking all over the Internet for baby gifts and was amazed at what's out there...I found a stroller for $3,500. My first car didn't cost that much...neither did my WW I army-barrack-of-an-apartment. So, instead of linking to gifts like a live-in-nanny, expensive nurseries with all the trimmings, I decided to be serious today.

Here are my gifts for Karmyn and her family who are waiting for the birth of their baby boy.

1)

The first gift is the song, "Beautiful Boy," by John Lennon.

2)

"I'll Be a Rose Someday"

The second gift is this photo. For some reason, it makes me realize how delicate life is...whether it's a baby growing in his mommy's tummy or some leaves that will someday be a rose.

3)

The third gift is another song: "A Mother's Prayer" sung by Celine and Josh.

Here are the lyrics for one of the versions:

I pray you'll be my eyes
And watch him where he goes
And help him to be wise
Help me to let go

Every Mother's prayer
Every child knows
Lead him to a place
Guide him with your grace
To a place where he'll be safe

I pray he finds your light
And holds it in his heart
As darkness falls each night
Remind him where you are

Every Mother's prayer
Every child knows
Needs to find a place
Guide him to a place
Give him faith so he'll be safe

Lead him to a place
Guide him with your grace
To a place where he'll be safe.

4)

The fourth gift is a wish that he learns to take the time to enjoy the sunrises...

5)

...and the fifth gift is a wish that he learns to take the time to enjoy the sunsets...

6)

...and the sixth gift is a wish that he learns to take the time to look for even the smallest of rainbows and to never give up looking for that pot 'o gold at the end of them.

7)

And those of you who have been reading here for a while know that I just can't mention the word rainbow without posting this song...

So, beautiful baby boy...here is Aunt Swampy's favorite song for you.

*************************************************************************************

Here is the guest list for KARMYN'S Shower.

PAMELAJAMELASPAMELAGRAMELA at The Dust Will Wait

JOY T Who Signed Up a Long Time Ago. OOPS !
Have I missed anyone else ?  Sorry Miss Spot 'o Tea !

Simply Jenn at Simply Not Simple
Chris B at Ms Cellania
Karisma at Karisma's Kids
Robin the Pensieve One
Sandy at Myanderings
Molly at Return of the White Robin
JulieBug at Another Chance Ranch
Alison at RDH Mom
Mike Golch at Rambling Stuff
Kila at Mom to 3 Cubs
Stephanie our Resident Nurse at Mama Drama
Kaytabug at Momma 3 Lil Men
Robinella at Not a Stepford Wife
Forgetful Min at Somewhere in Houston (that's two blog links)
Anglophile the Football Fanatic
Bethany at Ice Cream Mama
Nikkeroo at Antics of a Crazy Mom
Katie at Kitten's Home School
Wendy at Wender's Blog
Karina at the Candid Blog
Beckie at Give It a Try
Janet Who Lives on Her Own Planet
WILLOWTREE at a Dingo's Got My Barbie