Anecdotes, Antidotes, and Anodes

Alexandria, Egypt

This was posted under Travels even though it should probably be posted under Current Events.  These photos were taken on our trip to Eqypt last year, and I hadn't really looked at them until today after watching the news coming from Alexandria and Cairo.

Egypt is the most populous country in the Arab world and has often been its leader. But earlier this month, the spark of the revolution in Tunisia seemed to set fire to decades worth of smoldering grievances against the heavyhanded rule of Egypt's president, Hosni Mubarak. Tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets in Alexandria and Cairo calling for Mr. Mubarak to step down, defying bans and curfews. It was by far the most serious challenge to the regime in memory.

For me, when the word Eqypt is mentioned, my first thought is . . . The Nile River.

Not the best photo in the world, but considering it was taken with a 'point and shoot' camera, into the sun, and from several thousand feet away, at least you can tell it's a river.

But, since it's such a very large river, you can see it fairly well here.

This was parked at the Alexandria Airport. 
We flew on it from Alexandria to Valley of the Kings (Luxor).

This shot was taken from that plane looking back across the airport toward Alexandria.

This is what Alexandria looks like from the air, at night as we returned from Luxor.

The following photos were taken from a bus the following day and are a bit 'jiggly' and out-of-focus.

One of the streets where the protests are currently taking place.

 

 

These are as plentiful here as Starbucks are in Seattle.

Any idea what those white things in the background are ?

Here's is  a closer-up view of one.

This photo was taken just on the outskirts of Alexandria.

 

Alexandria at night

The following is an excerpt from "The Washington Post."

Watching a new day in Egypt

By Peter Bouckaert

Saturday, January 29, 2011

ALEXANDRIA, EGYPT

Egyptians in Alexandria did the unimaginable on Friday, fending off a police attack for the first time in their lives. They are walking around in shock, unable to digest the significance of what they have done. A few hours ago, everyone was saying: Now, the army will come. But it is no longer clear on whose side the army will intervene. Tomorrow is the first day of a new Egypt.

The writer directs the global emergencies program at Human Rights Watch.

The entire article can read read at THIS LINK.

 A little about Alexandria . . .

Founded by Alexander the Great in 332 BC, Alexandria was once the capital of Graeco-Roman Egypt and the Hellenic center of learning.  It was here where the Pharos Lighthouse, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, once stood, where philosophers and scientists once searched for knowledge in the Library of Alexandria.  Though few ancient landmarks remain, the legends live on, immortalized by figures like Cleopatra, Mark Antony, Napoleon, and Euclid.  Alexandria, an old soul with an instinct for survival, has risen from the ashes many times making it one of the most fascinating cities in the World.

It is Egypt's leading port and maintains a distinctly Mediterranean feel and is known as "The Pearl of the Mediterranean." 

Considering the turmoil that exists in Alexandria as this is being written, my thoughts are of Susie.
Pronounced Soo-See.

Susie was our guide for the day. . . our three-hour trip to Cairo, the tour of Cairo and the museum, and then back to the ship.  She was well-educated and spoke beautiful English.  As you can see here, she is a gorgeous young lady.

She lived in Alexandria and loved her city. 

So, as I see the images that are coming from that city, I just hope that she and her family are safe. 

Annabel's Homemade Soaps and Bath Products

The following is a paid political family announcement . . .

During my school-teaching years, one of my favorite projects was The Entrepreneur Fair.  It was a nine-week long study of how to begin your own business. (Some of the kids jokingly called it The Entremanure Fair.

Each student decided what product to sell, and we studied everything from target markets to calculating to the penny how much one browine cost. 

The students sold everything from handmade pens to food items to art work to Christmas decorations to kitchen gadgets to dog supplies to blankets and pillows to doll clothes to handmade soap . . .

Well, you get the idea.  They sold everything imaginable. 

There was one student who decided to sell rose petals.  I ask him how would his customers use the rose petals.  He told me they could be planted to grow new roses . . .

We decided to use the rose petals to make potpourri !

Once the fair was over, everyone counted their money to see if there was a profit or a loss.  There were mostly success stories, but every year there was a student or two who showed a loss. 

Those who made a profit, split their earnings with our classroom.  They kept half of the money and the classroom received half. 

What does this story have to do with anything ?

My niece has created a website to sell her homemade soaps which are named for Grandma.  And even though she wasn't in one of my classes when we had The Entrepreneur Fair, she was one of my fourth-grade students at Wayside Elementary.

And, I'm proud of her !

Take a look at what she is selling.  Better yet . . . order a couple of bars of her handmade soap.  They would make wonderful gifts for Valentine's Day and are quite affordable.  Plus, they smell good.  Once you "Clink the Link" below, the smell of apples and cinnamon will fill the air !

ANNABEL'S HOMEMADE SOAPS

And just for fun, here's a photo of Lissa with my youngest, Brookie, when they were students at Wayside.

Don't Push My Buttons !

The HansMan has a way of pushing buttons . . . literally and figuratively !

After having been married to him for five years . . . ten years . . . fifteen years . . . over fifteen years, I have spent an exorbitant amount of time trying to hide my buttons.  He has that special knack of knowing exactly where they are and which ones to push . . . and when.

Even now, when he does succeed in finding one and pushing it, I try very hard not to let him know he has set me off.

But that's the figurative part of this story. 

He literally will push E.V.E.R.Y. button in the car, on the computer, on the telephone, on the TV, on anything that doesn't seem to be working properly.  He pushes them randomly and with force.  Over and over and over again. All of them.

Join me in a conversation that happened several years ago when he stayed home while I flew somewhere for a few days or ten.  This was just after we had joined the 21st Century and had a satellite dish and DVR's installed.

When the plane landed, I turned on my phone, noticing he had called.  About six times.  While getting ready to listen to all the voice mails he had left, the phone rang.  Foolishly, I answered.

Me:  Hello.

Him: What did you do to the TV's ?

Me: What ?

Him: None of the TV's work. What did  you do to them ?

Me: What do you mean they don't work ?

Him:  They're all blue.

Me:  Blue ?

Him:  That's what I said.   Blue.

Me: I don't know what you're talking about.

Him:  You sabotaged the TV's didn't you ?

Me:  Sabotaged ?  The TV's ?  Are you drinking ?

Him:  No. But I'm going to start if you don't tell me how to fix the TV's.

Me:  Lower your voice. I'm not deaf.

Him:  I'm not shouting.

Me: Yes, you are.

Him:  No, I'm not.  Now, tell me what to do with the TV's.

Me:  You really want me to tell you what to do with them  ?  Well . . .

***he interrupts***

Him:  Don't start with that attitude and stop laughing.

Me:  OK.  Tell me what you've done. 
(I already knew what he had done.  He had pushed every button on every remote in the house.)

Him: Well, I pushed the "ON" button on the remote and the TV in the den was 'snowy.' 

Me:  Which remote did you use ?

Him:  What do you mean WHICH remote did I use ?

Me:  Well, one of the remotes controls the receiver and the satellite.  One of the remotes controls the TV. 

Him:  You mean there are TWO remotes. 

***he appears to be an intelligent man***

Me:  Yes.  There are two.  How many buttons have you pushed. 
(As I mentioned earlier, I already knew how many he had pushed.)

Him:  All of them.

Me:  And you're accusing me of sabotaging the TV's ?  Are all of the TV's snowny ?

Him:  No. They all turned blue after I kept pushing buttons.

Me:  You pushed ALL the buttons on ALL the remotes in the house ?

Him:  Yes.

Me:  I can't help you.  Call STS and ask them to walk you through what to "un-push."

Him:  Who ?

Me:  The satellite people.  You know. The GUY !  And whatever you do, don't go up on the roof and mess with the satellite dish.  You remember what happened to Alan in that episode of Two and a Half Men when he didn't call The GUY, don't you ?

Him:  Yes.

Me: Promise you won't get a ladder and climb on the roof ?

Him:  I promise.

Me:  Goodnight. 

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

As it turned out, THE GUY could not walk HansMan through the steps of trouble shooting the problem over the phone, so he had to come to the house to fix the blue TV's. 

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

Fast forward to our road trip last month. 

While babysitting grandkids on New Year's Eve and their parents went out to celebrate, this is what happened . . .

 There are several morals to this story:

1)

2)

3)

Please share yours in the comments.

Music to My Ears

Ari over at A Prawn of Fate is hosting Mon Funday once again.  And, while we're on the subject of hosting, someone needs to step up to the plate and host for February.  Who's next ?

This is what she asked today :
What is the most beautiful sound in the whole world ?
Once you've told us that, give us the flip side, too: What is the sound you dislike the most?

lub-dub-lub-dub-lub-dub . . . the first time hearing the sound of my unborn babies' heartbeats that echoed throughout the examining room . . . filling my ears with love . . . that gasp of air . . .  and then the cry when they were born . . . their o-o-o-ing and c-o-o-o-ing . . . Ma-Ma . . . Da-Da . . . their laughter . . . and still today . . . their sweet voices when I hear them say the word, "Mom."

hearing the words, "Gammy, I Love You."

laugher of children . . . breathing of a sleeping child . . . yawn of a baby . . . rain on a sheet iron roof . . . crackling fire . . . bacon frying . . . my dogs barking with excitement at my return . . . racket hitting a tennis ball in the sweet spot . . . purring of a kitty cat . . . Hans snoring . . . sigh from a hug . . . howl of a coyote in the distance . . . a-capella voices singing . . . rolling surf . . . crickets chirping . . . Aussie Aussie Aussie Oye Oye Oye . . . scraping of a plastic spoon against a styrofoam cup . . .Bobwhite quail and Gamble quail calling to their mates . . . thunderstorm rolling in . . . whoo-whoo-hoot of an owl . . . flute music of R. Carlos Nakai . . . voices in my head . . . bugle of an elk . . . windchimes . . . chorus of frogs . . . croak of a bullfrog  . . ."you've done a good job"  . . .  firecrackers . . . rustle of leaves . . . pages turning of a good book . . . cock-a-cockle-doo of a rooster early in the morning . . . school bell ringing it's time to go home . . . fighter jet above my house . . . choo-choo of a train . . . crunch of snow underfoot . . . tree falling in the forest . . . fingernails on a chalkboard . . . scream of an eagle . . . waterfall . . . squeak of new tennis shoes . . . friend's voice on the phone . . . a lullaby . . . a fart in an elevator . . .tinkling of ice in a glass . . . jingle of bells on Santa's sleigh . . .  "thank you and please" . . . church bells . . . Andrea Bocelli singing A Child is Born . . . memories of my parents' voices . . . the words, "Your cancer is in remission"...

the . . . sounds . . . of . . . silence . . .

 

The Sky is Falling or What Happened to My Zodiac Sign ?

Chicken (Licken) Little's prediction may come to fruition.

The sky might be falling, at least for those folks who organize their lives around what their morning newspaper's daily horoscope looks like these days.

Before I ramble on, take a look at this.

The New Zodiac Chart reads like this and I found it HERE :

Capricorn:     Jan. 20 – Feb. 16
Aquarius:      Feb. 16 – March 11
Pisces:          March 11 – April 18
Aries:           April 18 – May 13
Taurus:         May 13 – June 21
Gemini:        June 21 – July 20
Cancer:        July 20 – Aug. 10
Leo:             Aug. 10 – Sept. 16
Virgo:           Sept. 16 – Oct. 30
Libra:           Oct. 30 – Nov. 23
Scorpio:        Nov. 23 – 29
Ophiuchus:    Nov. 29 – Dec. 17
Sagittarius:   Dec. 17 – Jan. 20

Wait a minute.  Do you see what I see ?  How can the dates overlap like that ?

Another New Zodiac Chart looks like this and came from HERE:

Capricorn:                 January 20- February 16
Aquarius:                   February 17 - March 11
Pisces:                       March 12 - April 18
Aries: April 19 -          May 13
Taurus: May 14 -        June 21
Gemini: June 22 -       July 20
Cancer: July 21 -         August 10
Leo: August 11 -         September 16
Virgo: September 17 - October 30
Libra: October 31 -     November 23
Scorpio:                     November 24 - 29
Ophiuchus:                 November 30 - December 17
Sagittarius:                December 18 - January 20

At least only January 20 overlaps on this one.

And, did you notice Ophiuchus ?

OPHIUCHUS ?  What ?  Who ?

All you people born between November 29 and December 17 . . . Listen up.  You need to know how to pronounce this because you have a new sign.

Oh-Fi-Ooh-Chus

My first thought was that tatoo parlor owners are now staying up a night designing a new piece of art for Ophiuchus.

And by the way, several others dates don't coincide with their particular sign anymore.

My second thought (I think a lot) was that this is a conspiracy by all those tatoo parlor owners of the world and perhaps, just perhaps, they are in cahoots with all the plastic surgeons of the world. 

I mean really, how many people have decorated their bodies with what they thought to be their sign, only to find out that the stars, and planets, and moon, and sun, and, whoever, and whatever else is up there have realigned and those of us who were once Cancers are now Geminis.

 

This new Zodiac Chart and the fable may have something in common.  If you'll remember, Chicken Little  is an old cumulative tale about a chicken (or a hare in an early version) who believes the world is coming to an end. The phrase "The sky is falling" has passed into the English language as a common idiom indicating a hysterical or mistaken belief that disaster is imminent.

From what I've seen on the news (and Facebook), there are those out there who are on the verge of becoming hysterical, thinking that the end is near because of all this hoop-la.

Just in case you were sleeping during your Kiddie Lit Class, there are several western versions of the story, Chicken Little, but the best-known concerns a chick that believes the sky is falling when an acorn falls on her head. She decides to tell the King and on her journey meets other animals who join her in the quest. After this point, there are many endings. In the most familiar, a fox invites them to his lair and there eats them all. Alternatively, the last one, usually Cocky Lockey, survives long enough to warn the chick and she escapes.

(Just for the record, one of Walt Disney's Chicken Little movies was made at the request of the U.S. government during World War II for the purpose of discrediting totalitarianism in general and Nazism in particular. Its dark comedy is used as an allegory for the idea that fear-mongering weakens the war effort and costs lives. The Chicken jumps to a conclusion and whips the populace into mass hysteria, which the unscrupulous fox manipulates for his own benefit) 

I didn't know this.  Did you ?

But back to the original train of thought here .  What was the train of thought ?  Oh, yes, the new zodiac chart !

Under the OLD zodiac chart, I was a Cancer.  Here is what I used to be:

Those born under the sign of Cancer, ruled by the mysterious Moon, are one of the zodiac's enigmas. It is fair to say that most Cancers are a bundle of contradictions. Compassionate and caring with friends, family and lovers, yet they can cut to the bone with their jealous remarks and ever-changing moods. Endearingly eccentric on one hand, and on the other, insecure about how others see them. Like their astrological symbol - the Crab - Cancers can appear hard and insensitive on the outside. However, for those of us who know and love a "Moon Child", we understand that deep below lies a softness and sensitivity that makes them so very special...

This is what I am NOW . . . a Gemini :

In ancient Greek mythology, Gemini's ruler - Mercury, was the light-footed messenger of the gods who darted back and forth across the heavens delivering news - which might explain why those born under the sign of the 'Twins' are always on the move; thirsty for knowledge and new experiences. Terminally curious and sometimes even mischievous, Geminis are multi-faceted souls who enjoy knowing a little bit of everything but generally not too much about one particular subject. It's just that variety is the spice of their lives! In Astrology, Geminis have also gained the reputation of being the incessant talkers of the zodiac.

I am so confused.

I went ahead and read ALL the descriptions for ALL the signs, and you know what ?

They ALL describe me to some degree.  So maybe when theHansMan accuses me of having multiple/split personalities, he may be right-on.

Then, I decided to read my Cancer horoscope for today:

Here it is:

Do not underestimate yourself or your talents. Today, when someone asks if you would like to be in the talent show--give it some serious thought. This could involve a community, school or church charity function. Take a chance on your natural abilities; you will be pleasantly pleased. You will enjoy testing and stretching yourself to do something beyond the usual; perhaps to try out for a talent show or in writing a play. This afternoon, your friends may have you helping them. Perhaps someone is moving or expecting the arrival of some new equipment. This will all go rather well; later, everyone may want to pitch in for a pizza order. Tonight is good to catch up with your e-mail and perhaps chat on the Internet; perhaps you will order a horoscope chart.

Talent show ?  Are you kidding me ?

So, I decided to check out my Gemini horoscope.

Here it is:

As you spend much of your time in advising or helping others today, you may experience an inner healing for yourself as well. Charitable activities will also bring you monetary rewards and romantic opportunities. You will soon hear good news about the health of a loved one. Do not waste time trying to figure out who has responsibility for a particular job; just do what needs to be done. This is how you make progress these days. Relationships can be very passionate. Children and young people give you great pleasure today. This time can be enjoyed with a young person with their needs: hobby, school project or just in sharing time together to get to know each other. This evening a movie or new book will keep you totally occupied.

Bottom line is this . . .  instead of following the advice from my Cancer horsoscope to catch up on my e-mail and chat on the Internet OR to follow the advice from my Gemini horoscope and to go to a movie or read a new book, I think I'll just go get a tatoo.

But instead of asking for a set of twins to be etched into my forearm, I think my choice of artwork will be from the following:

Chicken (Licken) Little, Henny Penny, Drakey Lakey, Cocky Locky, Ducky Lucky, Goosey Loosey, Turkey Lurky, or Foxy Loxy.

Moral of this story:

Don't worry if your zodiac sign has changed and that your tatoo doesn't match who you are anymore and that you can't pronounce the new sign and that Scorpio only has five days and that the sky might fall on your head. 

According to the Mayans, none of this will matter after December 12, 2012.

On a serious note, here's a blog for you.

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Planning ahead ?  Join in the chaos of Mon Funday with Ari who has posted the challenge for January 24.  Check out the assignment on her right side bar and also consider hosting for February.

A Prawn of Fate

Best Dance Songs

 
Guess what ?  It's Mon Funday time !  How long has it been since Mon Funday was played here ?  A l-o-o-o-o-o-n-n-n-n-n-g time.  That because blogging has found it's way to the bottom of my to do list.  In fact, most days, it's not even on my to do list.  I didn't even know who was hosting Mon Funday until  I came across Ari's glob last night while counting sheep and glob-hopping

Her challenge is  Link to a music video or song that specifically makes you want to get up and dance.

That sounded fairly easy, so I decided to join in, then decided it wasn't as easy as I thought.

If you're want to know who else is playing, dance your way over to A Prawn of Fate.

My mind starting reeling back in time and I visualized myself dancing.  Well, maybe that's not exactly what I was doing.  It was more like my body going into some kind of seizure as I girated to music and not necessarily to the beat.

Why did I ever think I could dance ?  How embarrasing.

Remember that old saying, "White me can't dance?"  

Well, this white girl can't either.

Anyway, here are some songs that at one time in my life would have caused me to at least tap my toes and possibly end up making a fool of myself.

Another One Bites the Dust - Queen

Beer Barrel Polka - Frankie Yankevic

Boot Scootin' Boogie - Brooks and Dunn

Bunny Hop - Balboa High School San Francisco 1952, Ray Anthony

Celebration - Kool and the Gang

Cotton Eyed Joe - Joe Rednex

Dancing Queen - ABBA

Electric Slide -  choreographer Ric Silver

Footloose - Kenny Loggins

Get Down Tonight - KC and the Sunshine Band

Heard it Through the Grapevine - Creedance Clearwater Revival plus others

Hokey Pokey - Anyone know where this originated ?

Hot Hot Hot - Buster Poindexter

Limbo Rock - Chubby Checker

Locomotion - LIttle Eva, Grand Funk Railroad, among others

Macarena - Los Del Rio

Mony Mony - Tommy James and the Shondells

Oh, Pretty Woman - Roy Orbison

Old Time Rock and Roll - Bob Segar

Play That Funky Music - Wild Cherry

Rock Around the Clock - Bill Haley

Twist - Chubby Checker

Shout - Temptations

Stayin' Alive - Bee Gees

Hustle - Van McCoy

YMCA - Village People

As you can see, my list of favorite dance songs spans several decades and genres of music.  Writing this post brought back vivid memories of watching a particular show every Saturday night with my parents.  So, when I came across this video of my favorite dance song, you will understand why I was thrilled. 

 

That is probably the most unsettling performance of the Chicken Dance you will ever see.  You will never get back those three minutes and fourteen seconds of your life.  But you watched it.  You know you did. And now, that song is going to be stuck in your head for the next twenty-four hours.

You're welcome.

While you're here, flapping your wings, feel free to add your own dance favorites.

Doggone . . .

When we embarked on our 21-day cross-country-road-trip, my stomach was in its usual state of turmoil. Not just because of all the planning, packing, and apprehension about road conditions and weather, but also because of past experiences with theHansMan and his inability to understand that "dogs will run away."

Several days before our departure, I gently placed my thumb and pointer fore trigger-finger on his face in the general vicinity of where dimples might be located.  Appying just a little pressure, I positioned his head so that he could look directly into my eyes as I implored to him, "Please. Please. Please understand that I do not want to lose our dogs on this trip.  When we take them on potty breaks, they will have on their harnesses and will be on their leashes. When you are with them at your parents' home, they cannot just be let outside.  You must supervise them and know their whereabouts at all times. This is not their home.  It is no different than just letting them out of a motel room and expecting them to come back thirty minutes later when you call for them. " 

As I tightened the 'grip' on his face, I then asked, "DO YOU UNDERSTAND?"

He replied in his usual, non-chalant manner when I'm trying to make a point about any subject, "I know. I know."

Hoping to stress my point just a little further, I then asked, "Can you imagine losing them somewhere on the road between here and Georgia and having to just leave that place not knowing what happened to them?"

This seemed to have made an impact on him as he did give that question some thought.

As I released the grip on his face, the dimples indentations on his face slowly disappeared.

Our visit in Oklahoma went without incident.  Except for the day we were to leave and head to Georgia.

My worst fears came true.

Lola and Ginger went missing.

I had spent the night with the grandkids, and theHansMan stayed at his parents' home with the three dogs.

He let June Bug, Lola, and Ginger outside and then proceeded to shower, get ready,  and pack for the trip.  Quite some time later when he called the dogs, only one, June Bug, showed up.  This was about 8:00 a.m., or possibly earlier.

When I arrived to pick him up and continue on to Georgia, it was about 10:00 a.m.  And cold !

My search for them began by walking the streets of the neighborhood, then driving the streets farther into the neighborhood, and also, checking the two busy streets that bordered that neighborhood.  One of those 'streets' was a major highway and the other one of the busiest five-lane streets in town.

A message had been left on our home answering machine from a gentleman who had spotted them crossing that highway and ended up in a church parking lot.  He had tried to hang on to Ginger, but because she only had on a collar, she pulled away from him.  Thank goodness she didn't pull out of her  collar that had all the contact information on it. If only she had had on that harness, he could have hung onto her. He was able to get the phone number off her collar before she bolted out of his grasp.

At that point, he said, she and Lola crossed back across that highway chasing a crow. 

My emotions ran the gamut and swung back and forth like a pendulum. 

Of course, fear was the first.  What if we never found Lola and Ginger ?  How could we leave this town without knowing where they were or what had happened to them ?

At the same time, anger swelled up into every cell of my being toward theHansMan causing the tears to flow.  I kept hearing that speech I had given him before we left on this trip. "Do you understand?" resonated in my head.

While walking the streets, calling for my dogs, my fingertips became numb from the cold, sadness overtook me, then my whole body became numb.

Where were my dogs ?  Were they still together ?  Were they alive ? 

Seems as if every scenario possible attacked my brain at the same time.  Maybe they got into someone's car and that person would just keep them.  What if they were hit by a car on that busy highway where they were last seen ?  What if I never saw them again and never knew what happened ?

Everytime I tried to be optimistic by anticipating how happy they would be once we found them, and how overjoyed I would be, reality set in.

It had been over FOUR hours.

Our desperate hunt for them crossed that highway into other neighborhoods as we continually checked those two busy streets in case they were lying there dead.The speed limit on that highway where they had been spotted was FIFTY miles per hour.  How could anyone stop if one of them darted in front of a car ?

The cell phone rang !

The roaring in my ears almost exploded my head !

HansMan answered, and I held my breath.

It was the same gentleman who had left the message just asking if we had found them yet.

My chest hurt as if someone had kicked the breath out of me.

Within a few seconds, the cell phone rang again.

This is what I heard:

Hello.

Where ?

Two ?

Two Boxers ?

You have them ?

Where are you ?

We're on our way !

It never entered my mind that one or both of them could be injured.  Or dead.  I could only visualize those stubby little tails wiggling as they made that 'Boxer-C', and curling around my legs. Licking my face and covering it with doggy-kisses.

No, it didn't.  That never entered my mind.

Lola and Ginger had traveled almost two miles from my in-laws' house.  This is not taking into consideration all their back-tracks and other places they had visited.  No telling how many actual miles their adventure took them on.

The gentleman who contacted us had called the phone number on their collars.  This was our home number.  The message on our answering machine gave our cell numbers.   He then called one of them,  and that call led us to his driveway.

The van hadn't stopped when I opened the door and ran to him.  He noticed June Bug  in the van window who was barking at him, and he said, "I have two more in my back yard that look just like her."

With leashes in hand, we went through the gate. 

I had no idea what to expect.

Lola was there, wiggling all over.  Jumping with all four feet coming off the ground at the same time.  She didn't look injured.

But where was Ginger ?

About that time, I heard a bark, and she came bounding around the corner, hitting me full force in the face with hers, licking my salty tears as they rolled down.

He told us he heard cars honking so he went to his front door.  Lola and Ginger were in the middle of the turn lane, and they had four lanes of traffic stopped in both directions. 

He called for them, and they came running.

When I offered him a sizable cash reward, he pushed my hand away and said, "We are dog lovers, too.  You would have done the same."

 

New Year's Resolution(s)

Not sure what your calendar says today but mine says January 1.  No, that not a typo. I didn't mean January 10.  I meant January FIRST !

That's because today is the first day I've been home since December 20.

To be a little more specific, TheHansMan and our three Boxers loaded up in a van and headed out on a 3,885 mile trip.  Give or take, mostly give, a few miles.  Go ahead and calculate in 115 miles of running errands and looking for dogs.  That adds up to 4,000 miles.

Any semblance of a healthy life style that I usually try to apply was left somewhere between our driveway and the first stop along the way.  Convenience stores do not stock much in the way of foods that are good for the body.  That's not to say I didn't have good intentions.  I ate most of those good intentions while sitting for FOUR hours at the base of Monarch Pass while an avalanche crew blasted snow off the mountain.  This happpened just three hours into our trip.

Don't get me wrong. I would much rather be sitting and waiting for the snow to be cleared instead of sitting buried IN the snow lost somewhere on the side of a mountain.

The rest of the trip may be documented here at a later date.  For sure I will share the story of TheHansMan losing two of our three Boxers in Oklahoma.  Yes. They were found many hours later. The bruises on HansMan's body have almost disappeared.

As the title indicates, the subject of this post is supposed to be about New Year's Resolutions. 

I don't believe in them.

People are always whining about breaking their New Year's Resolutions.  If they don't want to break them, they shouldn't make them.

That's not to say I don't have objectives for the New Year.  I do.  They are the same objectives I had last year and the year before.

Those objectives, listed in no particular order, always range from:

keeping my weight within a seven pound range
keeping my mouth shut
taking Spanish lessons, photography lessons, computer lessons
practicing the piano
working out and practicing hot yoga at least four times a week

*cleaning out several closets full of clothes I've had for many, many years
finishing the memoir for my daughters
organizing 1.000's of photographs, scanning and sharing them
volunteering to read at school
volunteering at the pet shelter
blog less often

Oh, I could go on but I need to shut down this cornpooter and do something from the list above. But not before we talk about *The closet thing.

Well, this IS an issue I hope to address.  I just know that someday I'll wear all those clothes.  The word 'hoarder' might be resonating in your head.  It certainly has crossed my mind. That's not to say I haven't loaded up the car and headed to the consignment store on many occasions.  But when I go back to collect $20.00 or less for a complete wardrobe, I'm now rethinking this plan. 

I'm thinking I'll photograph several items at a time, post them on my blog, and mail them to anyone who wants them.  Or at least take suggestions as what to do with them. I just know there's someone out there who would like to have ten crinkled, broomstick skirts in every color of the rainbow. 

Or perhaps there's someone who might like to have about twenty tennis outfits.

Or perhaps about fifteen pairs of Rockies, Wranglers, Levis, and Lucky jeans.

How about twenty-two Western styled shirts ?

OK.

So I'm breaking one of my rules:  I Don't Make New Year's Resolutions.

I'm making just one:

My New Year's Resolution for 2011 is to clean out my closet. 

Ok. Ok. 

My New Year's Resolution for 2011 is to clean out my three closets.

Any suggestions as what to do with 'gently used' clothing, sizes 6 and 8, as described above ?

 

New Year's Traditional Meal

This post was published several years ago, and then re-published last year, but what's seen below is what I'll be eating today:  January 1, 2011.

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As mentioned many times before, I'm not much on traditions, and I'll not bore you again with why. But, I must admit, this is one tradition I can remember keeping for as long as I could swallow a black-eyed pea. It's a good thing I like them, because if you were in my parents' house on New Year's Day, you were going to eat black-eyed peas, and you were going to like them. The rest of the menu consisted of ham, greens, and cornbread. The dessert varied, depending on how much money was left in the budget for that kind of extravagance. If I had my way, it would contain c.h.o.c.o.l.a.t.e.

Why did mom force feed everyone black-eyed peas on New Year's Day ?  Because she said it would bring good luck for the next 364 days. Now, I don't much believe in luck, but I wasn't going to be the one to tell my mother that. Truth be known, she probably didn't either. But if eating that little speckled brown and black vegetable, (it is a vegetable, isn't it ?) might help with any aspect of having a good year, bring 'em on.

If you've ever tasted a black-eyed pea that's not been seasoned with ample amounts of salt, ham hock and the grease contained therein, it tastes a little bit like dirt. So, there's no doubt the way I prepare black-eyed peas is probably not the healthiest food item you can put in your body; therefore, all resolutions to start the year eating a healthy diet has just flown the coop. And because black-eyed peas tend to expand while cooking, there's plenty of them left-over for the rest of the week. That's why none of my resolutions ever have anything to do with eating anything that resembles being good for me for at least until February.

There was usually enough ham in the black-eyed peas to suffice, but many times a baked ham sat oozing it's fatty juices onto the platter sitting in the middle of the table. AnodeMan is fond of ham that's been crock-potted, so that's how we do it in this house. Instead of the fatty juices dripping out, our ham sits and swims in all that grease.

Now the greens-part of the menu did cause much stress in my young life, as I H.A.T.E.D most anything that even had a twinge of green in it. That was proven at  Sunday dinner (we called lunch "dinner" and dinner "supper" at my house) when I projectile vomited some turnips greens across the table when my dad forced me to eat them. It was a long time before I ever ate greens again. It was a long time before ANYONE at that table ever ate greens again. But in my old age, I have developed a liking for green vegetables, including turnips greens which can be somewhat bitter, mustard greens, collard greens, poke salad, and spinach.

Cornbread was a staple in my house. Our usual meal on Sunday night (called supper, in case you weren't paying attention) was cornbread and milk. Dessert was cornbread with butter and grape jelly. Mom always added just a pinch of sugar to her recipe and to this day, I have to add that sugar to mine.

Now that I have completely bored you out of your skull, here was our New Year's Day meal:

               

That's Enstom's Almond Toffee sitting there looking at you. If you've never tasted this delightful concoction of fresh cream, butter, sugar, chocolate, almonds, and who knows what other decadent ingredients are in it, run don't walk to THIS WEBSITE and order some.

That's about all the cookin' I"ll be doin' for a while. So, don't be expecting a new blog entitled, "Swampy Cooks" anytime soon.