Week 19 - Lisa

Being we are away from the family, we like to find odds and ends to send home.  I'm kind of upset that my mom is making me part with this hat. I always wanted one way back since the days of Smokey the Bear but noooo!  Instead I have to transport it to Cali for some smaller people.  I wonder if I'd get funny looks on the plane if I sported my brown felt beauty?

We found a big and better dog park for oneeya last weekend.  Lots of space to run!  Look at her go...

What?!  So I might like to research and plan a bit, what's the big deal?  Here's some books & maps to keep you busy while I'm on the road mom.  I expect to be able to quiz you later in the month.  321 days to go!!!!  ;>

Week 19 - Sis

It has been brought to my attention that there has been a complaint lodged about the timeliness of the blog. It's Wednesday of the 19th week right? I don't remember there being a specific day to blog so right on schedule in my mind. Hey Laura, try to find something else to do on Sundays! You will notice there are only two pictures here, neither is mind blowing, but there is reason for the skimpy offerings. My daughter and I will be making a second attempt at vacationing in Spain. The first trip was planned in 2007 but circumstances caused a cancellation. My daughter has again started planning the three week schedules and that means I will be drug in and expected to listen to all her questions, "Hey Mom, what do you want to see the second Monday at 11 a.m., when we're there?" Huh? Or, "Hey Mom that schedule I worked on for three hours and gave you 15 minutes ago to study, forget it, I've found something else to add/eliminate, etc." Sigh. "Mom can you stop reading or trying to hear the key dialogue in that movie?" Slow burn. "Hey Mom, can you not sleep right now and come look at these hotels I found online?" She's a wonderful travel agent but I wish she would get an office somewhere else!

Week 18 - Sis

Last Sunday ended with the news of Osama being dead, which turned out to be a good way to end a week. Monday seemed a bit better knowing this until the conspirator theorists started their blogs and we were deluged with all the news stations reporting, or should I say over reporting every piece of minutiae out there. Thank God for David Letterman and his take on it. Meanwhile my dog, oneeya, found the most important thing for the week was to chew and destroy a stress ball. Hmmm, maybe she knows something I don't, cause I thought I was suppose to squeeze the ball not eat it! For me the week ended today with the gift of hanging planters for our little patio, that's the entrance to our apartment and we can view from our windows. The next thing to get was one of those upside down hanging tomato planters, yay, until Lisa informed me we were suppose to buy a tomato plant to put into the container! I will be walking to the Home Depot tomorrow morning to make that purchase and start my crop. Heck might as well plant some herbs too, slight problem, how do I fit this amount of seeds into this size planters! I have the same problem everyday fitting my size body into clothes hanging in the closet. I do have another stress ball and think I will start eating it tomorrow!

Week 18 - Lisa

April showers finally bring May flowers.  Remember May Pole Day?  I remember we used to celebrate this day in school.  So many traditions no longer a part of children's holidays because of political correctness.  It's also Mother's Day today.  My mama and I celebrated my going to Home Depot to buy seeds and some flower pots to hang in our patio.  Nothing like having your own yard but guess we're staying here for awhile so we thought we'd add some flowers we both love.  My mom is going to be growing her tomatoes and herbs.  ;> Below are some shots of roses I took while at the King Center earlier in the week and our new flowers hanging in our balcony to honor May Day & Mothers Day.  

The earliest May Day celebrations appeared in pre-Christian times, with the festival of Flora, the Roman Goddess of flowers, and the Walpurgis Night celebrations of the Germanic countries. It is also associated with the Gaelic Beltane. Many pagan celebrations were abandoned or Christianized during the process of conversion in Europe. A more secular version of May Day continues to be observed in Europe and America. In this form, May Day may be best known for its tradition of dancing the Maypole and crowning of the Queen of the May. Various Neopagan groups celebrate reconstructed (to varying degrees) versions of these customs on May the 1st. The day was a traditional summer holiday in many pre-Christian European pagan cultures. While February 1 was the first day of Spring, May 1 was the first day of summer; hence, thesummer solstice on June 25 (now June 21) was Midsummer. In the Roman Catholic tradition, May is observed as Mary's month, and in these circles May Day is usually a celebration of the Blessed Virgin Mary. In this connection, in works of art, school skits, and so forth, Mary's head will often be adorned with flowers in a May crowning. Fading in popularity since the late 20th century is the giving of "May baskets," small baskets of sweets and/or flowers, usually left anonymously on neighbours' doorsteps.^[3]

Saturday we took sunii for her annual check up and oneeya for her first visit to the Vet.  I have never actually taken sunii in the Vet where I was in the room for her exam.  She's always been treated while I was on vacation and she was being kenneled there.  I knew it would be an adventure; she needed her rabies shot.  Getting her in the crate set the tone of the rest of the day, ok weekend.  She was not happy.  To add injury to insult she had to ride in the truck with happy go lucky oneeya.  This was really irritating her.  Long story short sunii had to be sedated to do her physical.  Actually sunii had to be sedated to even get her out of the crate.  She sounded like a mountain lion. LOL! So we left her there for the day while oneeya made friends and bounced all over the office, was practically perfect and came home with us.  <this is sunii rolling her eyes>  We went back for sunii and she came home just a teeny tiny bit grouchy.  oneeya eating her favorite fish toy did not make the day any better.  Poor mama!  Here's a couple pics demonstrating their moods on Saturday.  ;>

Week 17 - Lisa

Last week while my sister-cousin (we've watched Cat on a Hot Tin Roof way too much) was in town for a visit.  As my mom stated we went to The King Center and the Margaret Mitchell House which might be the worst tourist attraction I've ever been to.  Now do not get me wrong, there were some cool artifacts like the Underwood typewriter below.  And Margaret was a beautiful woman.  Too bad they were uber snotty, the tour was overpriced and our guide was insufferable. Not to sound like an old bag but she could not have been more than twenty, I wanted to say "does your Mama approve of this attitude?"  Truly this place only exists to pump dollars out of excited Atlanta tourists who love "Gone With the Wind."  Grrr!  We got to go into Margaret's apartment for about 10 minutes tops.  And the tour was over.

Week 17 - Sis

Okay it's more like week 17 1/2 since I'm three days past Sunday, that's Wednesday to you. Let's see what excuse do I have for this tardy posting? I'm old, I'm tired, I'm old, I'm tired, that seems to cover it. Other reason - we had company for five days and were on the go most of the time. Forgot how exhausting entertaining is. Back hurts, feet hurt, face hurts, smiling uses a lot of muscles. I mean being nice and smiling for that many days is wearing! Our guest is one of my nieces, the one who lived with us from the age 6 months to 7 years old. No she was not a child prodigy and leaving us for college but returned to live with her mother. During her visit we did some sightseeing, hitting some of the familiar places, with the MLK being the top choice. As many before her, she was very impressed with all the features in this national park and its exhibits. We also visited the "home" of an author who wrote a famous book back in the 30's, something about air turbulence disappearing. ;-) The home turned out to be a very small apartment, in part of a building, that housed other apartments lived in today. We decided it was a real come on for a gift shop. I'm sure I could put more words down but that requires typing and as I said, " I'm tired, I'm old." Maybe I can try again on Sunday.

Week 16 - Lisa

My sister sent us these flower bulbs that are capable of growing and blooming indoors.  They are amazing, it's like watching asparagus grow.  Every time I look over at the pots they've popped up a bit more.  We do not know what will be blossoming. Suppose to be a surprise.  Guessing tulips, freesias or daffodils.  Won't matter love them all.

I've been practicing my scone making for the Royal Wedding next Friday.  ;>  These are lemon-ginger.  My mom is calling the English cow patties.  There's a name game going round on Facebook - get your English name for the wedding.  Use Lord or Lady.  Add one of your grandmothers first names, hyphen with name of first pet and use the name of the street you grew up on as your last name.  I'm such a sucker;  Lady Emily-Ajax Mandarin.  ;>  I need a life.

I read a couple books this week.  Enjoyed the fun stories about the "Championship Season."  ;>  Yep still riding the World Series euphoria.

So yeah, were you looking to read something funny, snappy, clever?  Well look elsewhere.  Like drop down to Sis' Week 16.  I got nothing for you this week.  The well is dry people.  The demands of scoring a paycheck has sucked the life out of me.  My mom's retired she's got time to be funny.  I mean think about I got the cat, she's got the dog.  Does that not say anything?  I'll leave you with this quote:  "People used to explore the dimensions of reality by taking LSD to make the world look weird.  Now the world is weird and they take Prozac to make it normal." - Bangstrom   I'm thinking I could use a dose of both these days.  ;>

Week 16 - Sis

Received art work done by my 5 1/2 year old great-niece, Autumn, last week, which we have displayed on one of our bare walls, (ah, just to let you know, they are all bare). Autumn is her given name and I understand that lately she wants to be called "Glitter." Ahem, my thinking it's one of those pseudonyms that means now you pay more for the work.

As you see in her early 5 year period she delved in the Fantasy era. Then toward the second quarter phase of that period, her work became more personal and she either showcased her jewel of a family or the family jewels, not sure?    

 

No matter, as she has now advanced to her last half of the 5 year period, she has turned a more cynical eye toward the world and seems to be telling every politician running to keep THEIR jobs, "go fly a kite!"

(Disclaimer) - Not used here, the more adult version of this latter sentence is not appropriate for some taste, nor the opinion of the artist named ). 

A, by appointment only, private viewing of Glitter's work will be scheduled in the future!

Week 15 - Lisa

Lions and Tigers and Hawks and Dogs, oh my!  Okay, so two outta four this week.  Cannot remember which day of the week I was leaving work when I saw an eagle near the entry of our offices.  I stopped my truck and stared with my mouth open.  An eagle at my job?!  He or she was very irritated.  I looked out in front of my truck and there was the most beautiful and huge red tail hawk.  Poor baby was injured.  I realized quickly it was the eagles doing.  He was gone in a half wobble and weak attempt at flying before I could decide what to do to help him or her.  The eagle also took off.  Next day I return to work and we find the red-tail hawk on our vehicles.  I snapped the picture below.  Long story short; very carefully I was able to make friends with this wonderful bird enough to capture her and get her to a bird sanctuary that will care for her till she can be put back into the wild.  Red-tail hawks have a significant role in my tribes history and belief system so I believe we found each other on purpose.  I am normally petrified of birds so this was no small hurdle for me to overcome to be able to help my sister with feathers.

oneeya has been a pleasure to have in our family.  My role in her training and adapting is getting her to enjoy being in my truck and going places.  She is doing quite well.  I see many trips in her future.  In related news sunii, the Warrior Kitty is on a mission to capture oneeya's tail.  She is fascinated with it.  They keep their distance from each other but sunii is very nosy and keeps tabs on oneeya's every move.  They've come nose to nose a few times but otherwise it's been a peaceful coexistance.

Lastly my mom found a new recipe in the Food Network magazine that was DELICIOUS.  Flank steak with tapenade.  We had it with asparagus.  So good!

Week 15 - Sis

Had this picture of the coffee cup and thought I could use it to talk about the week's reflections.

Okay the coffee was strong the reflections slant pretty weak. I mean I could have put up a lot of shots of my new road dog but figured that would get old quick. Then I thought I could say that this business name probably would make you think of a car repair business but makes me think of some of my family's gatherings. Ummmm, no. Then I was going to say I discovered, while out walking, these beautiful little roses growing wild on a fence and thought yellow roses were suppose to be reflective of Texas not Georgia. And then I just decided to contemplate another week and skip this one.

Week 14 - Lisa

TMI alert!  This is going to be gross people.  The week started out all about snot and ended all about our new doggie!   As you can see on the Atlanta Allergy & Pollen site 1500 is considered extreme.  Look at Monday, April 4th? And all the other "red" days.  <sigh>  I had to come home and do the cucumber/tea bag treatment each night to survive the week!  On the positive side of life; my mama got a dog.  oneeya is just the sweetest little girl.  sunii is adjusting about as well as I could have ever imagined.  She is just stalking her every move and plotting to overtake oneeya's tail.  A bit of growling and spitting but overall the curiosity of this new creature overcomes any anxiety or well, in her case anger.  She was a pretty big puff ball the first 15 or so minutes as you can see below but now they are capable of standing within a foot of each other.