Let's face it, I have been depressed and full of anxiety since the damn election 2 years ago. I am so bewildered that about half of the citizens of this country thought that Hillary was such a horrible choice they would rather elect and support the worst man alive. It baffles me. Hillary was not my first choice. But she was the one the powers that be determined at the Democratic National Convention we were going to have. I am still pissed about how all of that went down. But that's not the issue here. In my head I kept thinking this must be like when Minnesota went and voted for Jesse Ventura for governor not realizing that he would REALLY THEN BE THEIR GOVERNOR. Letting the general public vote is a crap shoot, that's the truth. But think of the alternatives. This is still infinitely better than most.
When I was a girl I read Diary of Anne Frank and like most everyone I wondered how on earth could such a thing happen. How could a country like Germany install a government that created such evil and everyone stood around and watched? How could that happen? Where were the good people who opposed this? And of course, it was not that simple. Things begin one way and present themselves as one thing and then the darker side emerges when enough people seem to be on board. We all know this.
If you want to educate yourself about what is happening here and now in this country of ours, just Google comparisons of 1930s Germany to present-day USA and spend the next few weeks of your life reading how many leading scholars of the holocaust have already seen this and are frankly, worried and concerned about how we are ignoring the warnings. For example: https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/10/5/17940610/trump-hitler-history-historian
So, how do we navigate this? How do we do our part to keep shining a light and holding up the mirror and maintain any sort of hopefulness? This is something my friends and I discuss at length. We are not doing well. I am participating at a much higher level than I previously did going to marches, protests, rallies, working on political campaigns, and pointing out when the emperor is going around naked. And it takes it's toll on me. I have to take days and weeks and not read the news and try to stay away from it to try and feel normal and not so depleted.
It has been 2 years now and I have tried so hard, feeling like I am bending over backwards to understand what is going on with the other half. Why do they feel this is their best option? Why do they STILL support this horrible man and his policies? Are they all the same as him? Do I really want to believe that half of of this country's populace are racist, misogynistic assholes who only think of themselves? That can't be right. If it is, then how did this come to pass? How is it that people I know and love and have always thought of as intelligent, and reasonable are now championing the ideas and policies that are the opposite of that? Does that mean I have been naive and never really knew any of them?
The point for me is that I now have no trust in people who continue to support this presidency. I am leery of things they tell me. I don't believe they have my back, nor do they have my best interests at heart. So, what do I do with this? Do I go around unfriending people left and right on social media and only see things I agree with? If I unfriend people am I also unfriending them in real life? And is it really in my best interest to not see things from all perspectives?
I am in uncharted waters here. I don't know what to do. I do know that my feelings about all of this are overwhelming me and I need some resolution.
My voting and activism centers around 3 issues. I support women's rights (and that includes women's right to choose safe, legal abortion), LGBTQ rights, and environmental issues. I believe all humans should have the same rights no matter your gender and that we all have a responsibility to keep this planet clean and safe for future generations. I believe this to be the very basic tenets to operate from and everything else is secondary. And we all know that the current administration is chipping away at all 3 of these issues. We had made good headway over the last 10 years or so but this won't be the case by the end of this presidency. Every time I look at my grandchildren I feel shame at what questions they will have for me in 20 years about what I did or didn't do to make things better and how I could have done better.
I have no answers, only more and more questions. And more anxiety and more depression over the state of things.
Showing posts with label family. Show all posts
Showing posts with label family. Show all posts
Friday, January 18, 2019
Friday, January 26, 2018
52 Ancestors in 52 weeks - week 4
This week's prompt is "invite to dinner". Who have I found in my family tree that I would like to invite to dinner? She didn't say if it was limited to one person so I might have a loophole!
I have a few people I am so curious about and have very little information on, so I am going to go with them.
First up! We have my 3rd great grand father who was a carpenter and was found stabbed to death at the age of 42. He left his 30 year old wife behind and 4 small children, including an infant. I have called the county library where he died to find records and they have only what I already know. So I searched out the local newspapers and lo and behold, there was a fire and the records from that time period are lost. I have tried searching through his siblings to see if there are any letters, any mentions of him and his children in wills, and all to no avail. Yes, I would love to have dinner with him and see what really happened.
And remember the axe-murdering ancestors I mentioned earlier? Maybe their mother would be a good one to have to dinner.
I have a great grandmother and a great grandfather from the same era, both of whom had their mothers die when they were infants and were raised by an aunt and a grandmother, respectively. Those 2 mamas who died after birthing their babes were really only babies themselves being 15 and 16 years of age when they married, gave birth and died. Talk about someone who has no records to follow! I would love to talk with them and hear their hopes, and dreams. What a tragedy to die so very young and not really to have lived at all. The only consolation I see in this is that they both fell in love and were able to leave a legacy with their babies.
It is my firm belief that every single person has a great story. Someone just needs to ask them to tell it. And dinner with these 4 seems like some fabulous conversation.
I have a few people I am so curious about and have very little information on, so I am going to go with them.
First up! We have my 3rd great grand father who was a carpenter and was found stabbed to death at the age of 42. He left his 30 year old wife behind and 4 small children, including an infant. I have called the county library where he died to find records and they have only what I already know. So I searched out the local newspapers and lo and behold, there was a fire and the records from that time period are lost. I have tried searching through his siblings to see if there are any letters, any mentions of him and his children in wills, and all to no avail. Yes, I would love to have dinner with him and see what really happened.
And remember the axe-murdering ancestors I mentioned earlier? Maybe their mother would be a good one to have to dinner.
I have a great grandmother and a great grandfather from the same era, both of whom had their mothers die when they were infants and were raised by an aunt and a grandmother, respectively. Those 2 mamas who died after birthing their babes were really only babies themselves being 15 and 16 years of age when they married, gave birth and died. Talk about someone who has no records to follow! I would love to talk with them and hear their hopes, and dreams. What a tragedy to die so very young and not really to have lived at all. The only consolation I see in this is that they both fell in love and were able to leave a legacy with their babies.
It is my firm belief that every single person has a great story. Someone just needs to ask them to tell it. And dinner with these 4 seems like some fabulous conversation.
Thursday, January 18, 2018
52 Ancestor in 52 Weeks - week 3
This week's prompt is longevity. Like the longest-lived person on your tree or how long you have been doing genealogy, that sort of thing.
The only interesting thing I could come up with for this topic is that I have one branch I have followed and fleshed-out (disclaimer here: all my work is to be considered a work in progress) that goes back to early 1500s England. That's Henry VIII time, people. I had to let that sink in for a while.
This makes them my 14th great grand parents. Boggles the mind it does. And here's the thing about ancestry; as much as this excites me to find these things it is no where NEAR as interesting as those that are 4 generations back that I can find absolutely nothing on. That kind of mystery is really something that draws me in. When someone appears in my tree with the marriage to someone I already have and then after 2 census records drops dead with NO HINTS as to previous life and where they came from, now that is why I do this. To find the previously un-find-able.
But the longevity thing is nothing to be sneezed at. I had a British friend here visiting last week and she said her DNA showed she shares DNA with 40% British while mine is 68% combining England, Wales, Ireland and Scotland. I know I have a lot of work to do to confirm everything I have on my tree. Let's hope I live long enough to do it all! (See what I did there? I hope I have the longevity.)
The only interesting thing I could come up with for this topic is that I have one branch I have followed and fleshed-out (disclaimer here: all my work is to be considered a work in progress) that goes back to early 1500s England. That's Henry VIII time, people. I had to let that sink in for a while.
This makes them my 14th great grand parents. Boggles the mind it does. And here's the thing about ancestry; as much as this excites me to find these things it is no where NEAR as interesting as those that are 4 generations back that I can find absolutely nothing on. That kind of mystery is really something that draws me in. When someone appears in my tree with the marriage to someone I already have and then after 2 census records drops dead with NO HINTS as to previous life and where they came from, now that is why I do this. To find the previously un-find-able.
But the longevity thing is nothing to be sneezed at. I had a British friend here visiting last week and she said her DNA showed she shares DNA with 40% British while mine is 68% combining England, Wales, Ireland and Scotland. I know I have a lot of work to do to confirm everything I have on my tree. Let's hope I live long enough to do it all! (See what I did there? I hope I have the longevity.)
Monday, January 8, 2018
52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks - Week 2
This week's prompt is Favorite Photo. Now I have a load of photos of ancestors but what I chose was something different.
Have a look.
This is a drawing of the original plat of the city of New Haven, CT. My 10th great grandfather was William Tuttle, one of the founders of this city. That he had his name on the plat as one of the founders and got a cool corner lot is rather cool, I think. I like how the town was built around the square. I have more information of the Tuttles than I will probably ever get to in my lifetime. They were a prominent family in the area and not always known for good things. There seems to be a strain of insanity in their blood. The axe-murdering kind of insanity. Surely, after 10 dilutions to me most of that should be gone. Let's just say they were not a boring bunch, those Tuttles. Anyway, this area is now the commons of Yale University.
And here we have a drawing of a painting of the venerable William Tuttle.
Doesn't he look like the life of the party? What a dour face. He did have a herd of kids and a lot of responsibilities and was the first of his family to leave jolly old England. So there's that. Also, two of his kids would become axe murderers.
I would bet when you clicked to see this blog post you didn't think you were going to see this, did you? I wasn't sure which photo I would use right up until I chose.
I hope you are enjoying doing some genealogy and ancestry research on your own tree.
Have a look.
This is a drawing of the original plat of the city of New Haven, CT. My 10th great grandfather was William Tuttle, one of the founders of this city. That he had his name on the plat as one of the founders and got a cool corner lot is rather cool, I think. I like how the town was built around the square. I have more information of the Tuttles than I will probably ever get to in my lifetime. They were a prominent family in the area and not always known for good things. There seems to be a strain of insanity in their blood. The axe-murdering kind of insanity. Surely, after 10 dilutions to me most of that should be gone. Let's just say they were not a boring bunch, those Tuttles. Anyway, this area is now the commons of Yale University.
And here we have a drawing of a painting of the venerable William Tuttle.
I would bet when you clicked to see this blog post you didn't think you were going to see this, did you? I wasn't sure which photo I would use right up until I chose.
I hope you are enjoying doing some genealogy and ancestry research on your own tree.
Tuesday, January 2, 2018
52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks - Week 1
Hey there Internet!
Long time, no see. Well, you are about to see a whole lot of me! Yes, indeed. I am participating in a few adventures this year and will use this here blog as my accountability place. The place I come to see my progress.
First up is the Amy Johnson Crow "52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks" challenge. This week the prompt she gives us is Start. Something that prods you to start your genealogy adventure, or someone. I am choosing my 7th great grandfather Mr. Jeremiah Dial. Born around 1730 in or around County Cork in Ireland. He is the very first person I found on my family tree that got me to dive in and start researching. What possessed Mr. Jeremiah Dial to pack up his family and come to the Carolinas in 1768? It's all very fascinating to me. And the hardest thing for me is researching Ireland. They have for shit records. Most things destroyed by the British, so just bare bones records in churches. Also, I find out that when a lot of Irish immigrants boarded ships to come here the people who filled in the ship's manifests would often just put the ship's port of departure as the place all these people came from, whether or not that was true. Not helpful.
Anyhoo, Mr. Jeremiah Dial brought his wife and 6 kids with him, most of the kids being fairly grown people. They added to the family once they were here. This group of Irish people were my very first to start researching and investigating. They fought in the Revolutionary War and I have loads of documentation for the DAR.
If you have any helpful resources for finding Irish records I would love to hear about them. My plan is to try and post something here on Sunday or Monday about this challenge.
Long time, no see. Well, you are about to see a whole lot of me! Yes, indeed. I am participating in a few adventures this year and will use this here blog as my accountability place. The place I come to see my progress.
First up is the Amy Johnson Crow "52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks" challenge. This week the prompt she gives us is Start. Something that prods you to start your genealogy adventure, or someone. I am choosing my 7th great grandfather Mr. Jeremiah Dial. Born around 1730 in or around County Cork in Ireland. He is the very first person I found on my family tree that got me to dive in and start researching. What possessed Mr. Jeremiah Dial to pack up his family and come to the Carolinas in 1768? It's all very fascinating to me. And the hardest thing for me is researching Ireland. They have for shit records. Most things destroyed by the British, so just bare bones records in churches. Also, I find out that when a lot of Irish immigrants boarded ships to come here the people who filled in the ship's manifests would often just put the ship's port of departure as the place all these people came from, whether or not that was true. Not helpful.
Anyhoo, Mr. Jeremiah Dial brought his wife and 6 kids with him, most of the kids being fairly grown people. They added to the family once they were here. This group of Irish people were my very first to start researching and investigating. They fought in the Revolutionary War and I have loads of documentation for the DAR.
If you have any helpful resources for finding Irish records I would love to hear about them. My plan is to try and post something here on Sunday or Monday about this challenge.
Tuesday, May 31, 2016
Random thoughts
I have had so many different things swirling in my head that I thought I would get some of them down in black and white. Here goes!
1. My son has a lovely girlfriend who has 2 little boys, so they are like my almost-grandchildren. I went and picked up the 5 year old and spent the weekend with him. He had finished kindergarten on Friday and had his very first graduation. We played Legos, colored, drew pictures, read books, swam, counted fireflies, and made homemade ice cream.
1. My son has a lovely girlfriend who has 2 little boys, so they are like my almost-grandchildren. I went and picked up the 5 year old and spent the weekend with him. He had finished kindergarten on Friday and had his very first graduation. We played Legos, colored, drew pictures, read books, swam, counted fireflies, and made homemade ice cream.
It was a pretty perfect weekend, actually.
2. This whole debate in social media about the child who climbed into a gorilla enclosure at the Cincinnati Zoo and the gorilla was shot and killed is horrific. Everyone is vilifying the mother of the child. From the accounts I have read BOTH parents were there, why are we blaming just one? I don't like the blaming and judging that goes on from women on other women and their parenting. We are all guilty of it. My first thought was "why did the mom allow her child out of her sight?" I took a step back and can see all sorts of judgment and blaming in my own mind. It's a fucking tragedy with enough responsibility to be spread around. Let's hope all the parents who know of this will now educate their children on how to act appropriately in a zoo setting, and that the zoo officials will find more ways to keep the animals safe from this happening again.
3. While thinking about this zoo/gorilla/parenting debacle I have been going over and over in my mind how would I have acted. What would I have done differently so that my kids would not end up in that life threatening situation? I don't know. I do know that I was really strict and clear about what behaviors were appropriate in public venues. I see friends and family who parent differently than I do/did and I try not to compare. But we all want to justify and validate our own decisions so some comparisons are going to happen. My hard and fast rule with little ones was always if I am not touching you or holding your hand we have to be able to see each other's faces. If you can't see my face you are too far away. I think for me this came from living in a city on the border where we were told on the news damn near weekly about children being abducted from under your nose and taken across the border before you could blink. So a fair amount of paranoia and fear were at play here. I hope like hell that my kids don't feel scarred and smothered by this. They haven't ever said so and they are both pretty great and well-adjusted adult people now. That's the thing with parenting, you really just have to go with your gut and good intentions and hope that the love and care come through.
4. Are any of you watching Outlander on Starz? Season 2 has been confusing me mightily so I have started reading the books. I am now on book 2 which seems to be different than the show. Jamie is fantastic, both in the books and the show. Why Claire would think twice about that dry, boring Frank especially knowing his psychopath great grand relative Black Jack is beyond me. But Claire does bug, irk and annoy me.
5. And while on the Scotland topic I am doing more and more research on Ancestry.com. And Scotland and Ireland are both difficult countries to do deep research on. I need to get more details on names, locations and dates so that I can plan a trip to see what all I can find. I am more than a little afraid that I will get to Scotland or Ireland and never want to return. It does call to me.
6. After getting my DNA done on Ancestry I came up with a vision of a tattoo I would love to get. I keep picturing it in my head of what the components are and how to do it. Then I get on Pinterest and what do I find? A whole bunch of people have come up with similar visions! WTH??? I was so thoughtful on what I imagined as a very original idea. Good Lord. Now I am unsure about it. I don't want it to be what everyone else has since I may be chicken and it could very well be my one and only tattoo.
7. It's been a month since my good and dear friend Jon died. It seems like yesterday. The pain and grief are still so very fresh and my feelings so raw. I need to find a positive way to honor him and deal with my sadness. Any ideas?
That's it for now. This is my closing thought.
Friday, November 20, 2015
Antique Chairs Revisited and Refinished and Reupholstered!!
Do you remember a few months back I took my beautiful antique chairs from my Aunt Bea down to finally be refinished and reupholstered? If not, please go look back for the post titled "Antique Chairs" and check out the BEFORE pictures.
Then come on back here and see the after photos. They are even prettier than I pictured they would be.
Here we go with the photos!!!
Above is chair #1. There are 3 chairs and chair #1 is a regular standing there with it's 4 legs kind of chair. It has the needlepoint on the front of the back with the new edging stuff that I found out is called "gimp" and then the nutmeg color velvet on the seat and the back of the back. I am so in love with the way these turned out I can hardly stand it.
This is chair #2 which is almost identical to #1 except it sits on a base with a rocker spring and is a rocking chair. It has the matching needlepoint to #1 as well. Love this chair!!
This big beautiful chair is #3 and it is essentially a chair-and-a-half or a settee. This is the first time I have seen it with the springs tied down. They had become untied over the years and talk about bouncy! Just sitting on it was like taking a roller coaster ride! This settee is just spectacular now.
This little guy is the one and only foot stool that came to me with the set. I don't know if that is the way they were sold originally or how it is the only one to survive with the chairs. It is topped with the fourth and final needlepoint that I was given by my Nana. It fit perfectly. And can I just say how lovely my rug looks in that photo?
Another shot of #1
And some close up views of the needlepoint and the velvet on the settee.
So, please go check out the before photos and now the afters and let me know what you think. I am beyond thrilled with them.
Now my only issue will be which of my children will get to inherit them. Because I am not breaking up the set. No way, no how. They deserve to stay together.
And stay tuned for my dining chairs to be reupholstered! The fabric is ordered and due in any time now. I will post some before photos of them as well. How on earth that current fabric got so stained is beyond me.
Thanks for reading! Hope you all have a happy and restful Thanksgiving!
Then come on back here and see the after photos. They are even prettier than I pictured they would be.
Here we go with the photos!!!
Above is chair #1. There are 3 chairs and chair #1 is a regular standing there with it's 4 legs kind of chair. It has the needlepoint on the front of the back with the new edging stuff that I found out is called "gimp" and then the nutmeg color velvet on the seat and the back of the back. I am so in love with the way these turned out I can hardly stand it.
This is chair #2 which is almost identical to #1 except it sits on a base with a rocker spring and is a rocking chair. It has the matching needlepoint to #1 as well. Love this chair!!
This big beautiful chair is #3 and it is essentially a chair-and-a-half or a settee. This is the first time I have seen it with the springs tied down. They had become untied over the years and talk about bouncy! Just sitting on it was like taking a roller coaster ride! This settee is just spectacular now.
This little guy is the one and only foot stool that came to me with the set. I don't know if that is the way they were sold originally or how it is the only one to survive with the chairs. It is topped with the fourth and final needlepoint that I was given by my Nana. It fit perfectly. And can I just say how lovely my rug looks in that photo?
Another shot of #1
And some close up views of the needlepoint and the velvet on the settee.
So, please go check out the before photos and now the afters and let me know what you think. I am beyond thrilled with them.
Now my only issue will be which of my children will get to inherit them. Because I am not breaking up the set. No way, no how. They deserve to stay together.
And stay tuned for my dining chairs to be reupholstered! The fabric is ordered and due in any time now. I will post some before photos of them as well. How on earth that current fabric got so stained is beyond me.
Thanks for reading! Hope you all have a happy and restful Thanksgiving!
Monday, September 14, 2015
Random Musings
The Random Musings posts are the easiest for me because this is how my brain works, popping from one thought to the next with no regard for connectivity. Here goes!!
Last night I was in bed getting ready tofall asleep play games on my Kindle and Mr. Big Ed was already fast asleep as he goes to bed about 4 hours ahead of me. When all the sudden he started jerking, moving and making sounds (reminds of me how a dog barks and runs in their sleep) and then he kicked me! He KICKED me!! AND DID IT AGAIN! I started trying to wake him up and said "Hey, you are kicking me!" And in his dream fog he replied back "Yeah, I know. I was trying to kick the zombies".
Huh? Zombies?
That was quite the unexpected end to my day! Can't wait to talk to him about this over dinner and see if he remembers any of it.
A few days ago it was one of my sister's birthday. She was turning the Big 5-0. I did that just a few years ago my own self and wanted to come up with something fun to mark the occasion for her. So I turned to my friend Google, and speaking of Google let me say this: I do NOT like the new Google logo thing. But back to the Googling adventure. I asked Google about what products were put on the market the same year that she was born, 1965 and got a nice long list of really fun things. Then I set about trying to find some of them.
Here's what I got:
The Sound of Music - they had a 50th anniversary edition available
Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella - similar 50th anniversary edition
Mattel's See n Say, the Farmer says - This was a reproduction and it was the very first toy she was ever given as a Christmas gift so I was really happy to find one.
Operation Game - vintage with all the parts, money, even the original rubber band.
Mystery Date - reproduction of the original.
Spirograph - Be still my heart! I loved the Spirograph so much!!! This is an original one with everything still in the box minus the green pen.
Barrel O Monkeys - old, vintage, original. Cute!
Spaghetti-Os - brand new can
Honeycomb Cereal - of course, new.
I found really fun brightly colored striped and polka-dotted giftwrap papers and wrapped them and set them out in a big pile in my family room because she happened to be in town this weekend. She and her friend and friend's son all came over for dinner last night and I had her open them and try to figure out the connection between all these things. I think the "50th Anniversary edition" on the damn DVDs gave it away but it was still lots of fun and I hope she likes them.
AND we broke out the Mystery Date game and played. That was lots of fun. We had dinner and I made a birthday cake which we were all too full to really enjoy.
This is the week leading up to the premiere of the new season of Doctor Who. The 52nd season as a matter of fact. And months ago they announced that there would be a showing of the first episode for this season in the movie theaters. They did this last year and I got tickets and we all went dressed in our best Doctor Who outfits. So the minute I saw this was happening again this year I snagged 2 tickets. I have been beside myself about this ever since!
Until last week when I watched the trailer about the theater showing and see that it is actually going to be THE LAST EPISODE FROM LAST SEASON with a "special preview" of the upcoming episode. WTF??
Are they kidding me? What complete ass whistles. That was a really crappy thing to do. And guess what? The new season starts this coming Saturday. And this coming Saturday I will be at my mama's house at a family birthday party for my sister. The one who was here.
Well, sonofabitch. Now, not only do I NOT get to see the episode beforehand in the theater in 3D, but I also don't get to watch it on Saturday with the rest of the world. I will get to watch it off the DVR much later then everyone else. Goddammit.
In other news, fall is shaping up to be absolutely gorgeous around here. The sky is such a beautiful shade of blue, the birds and other critters seem quite happy. And I have started decorating for fall/Halloween/Days of the Dead. By decorating I mean I have hung Days of the Dead wreaths on my front doors and put out a package of Pumpkin Spice Kisses and some Halloween flavored Peeps. But it's a start!
Hope your fall or spring depending on your hemisphere is shaping up nicely!
Last night I was in bed getting ready to
Huh? Zombies?
That was quite the unexpected end to my day! Can't wait to talk to him about this over dinner and see if he remembers any of it.
A few days ago it was one of my sister's birthday. She was turning the Big 5-0. I did that just a few years ago my own self and wanted to come up with something fun to mark the occasion for her. So I turned to my friend Google, and speaking of Google let me say this: I do NOT like the new Google logo thing. But back to the Googling adventure. I asked Google about what products were put on the market the same year that she was born, 1965 and got a nice long list of really fun things. Then I set about trying to find some of them.
Here's what I got:
The Sound of Music - they had a 50th anniversary edition available
Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella - similar 50th anniversary edition
Mattel's See n Say, the Farmer says - This was a reproduction and it was the very first toy she was ever given as a Christmas gift so I was really happy to find one.
Operation Game - vintage with all the parts, money, even the original rubber band.
Mystery Date - reproduction of the original.
Spirograph - Be still my heart! I loved the Spirograph so much!!! This is an original one with everything still in the box minus the green pen.
Barrel O Monkeys - old, vintage, original. Cute!
Spaghetti-Os - brand new can
Honeycomb Cereal - of course, new.
I found really fun brightly colored striped and polka-dotted giftwrap papers and wrapped them and set them out in a big pile in my family room because she happened to be in town this weekend. She and her friend and friend's son all came over for dinner last night and I had her open them and try to figure out the connection between all these things. I think the "50th Anniversary edition" on the damn DVDs gave it away but it was still lots of fun and I hope she likes them.
AND we broke out the Mystery Date game and played. That was lots of fun. We had dinner and I made a birthday cake which we were all too full to really enjoy.
This is the week leading up to the premiere of the new season of Doctor Who. The 52nd season as a matter of fact. And months ago they announced that there would be a showing of the first episode for this season in the movie theaters. They did this last year and I got tickets and we all went dressed in our best Doctor Who outfits. So the minute I saw this was happening again this year I snagged 2 tickets. I have been beside myself about this ever since!
Until last week when I watched the trailer about the theater showing and see that it is actually going to be THE LAST EPISODE FROM LAST SEASON with a "special preview" of the upcoming episode. WTF??
Are they kidding me? What complete ass whistles. That was a really crappy thing to do. And guess what? The new season starts this coming Saturday. And this coming Saturday I will be at my mama's house at a family birthday party for my sister. The one who was here.
Well, sonofabitch. Now, not only do I NOT get to see the episode beforehand in the theater in 3D, but I also don't get to watch it on Saturday with the rest of the world. I will get to watch it off the DVR much later then everyone else. Goddammit.
In other news, fall is shaping up to be absolutely gorgeous around here. The sky is such a beautiful shade of blue, the birds and other critters seem quite happy. And I have started decorating for fall/Halloween/Days of the Dead. By decorating I mean I have hung Days of the Dead wreaths on my front doors and put out a package of Pumpkin Spice Kisses and some Halloween flavored Peeps. But it's a start!
Hope your fall or spring depending on your hemisphere is shaping up nicely!
Thursday, August 27, 2015
Antique Chairs
I have these gorgeous antique chairs that came from my Great-Aunt Bea. There are 3 of them. One is a regular chair with 4 legs, one is a not so regular chair with a base and a spring on it that makes it a rocker, and the third one is a large chair-and-a-half. Then there is a foot stool.
Way back in the 70s or the 80s judging by the fabric, my Aunt Bea refinished and recovered 2 of the chairs and for some reason left the chair-and-a-half alone. Let me show you photos.
I just adore the old original fabric on the larger chair but that avocado green stuff where they were updated is not so good. Sadly I checked and the original fabric is not underneath.
So I have been searching high and low for years to find something gorgeous to put on these chairs and bring them back together. And I do mean years. The upholstery needs to coordinate with the antique sofa and the rug. You can see a bit of the rug in the photos.
And one night I was in bed dozing off and what popped in to my head?!!
I have some old needlepoint canvases that my Nana gave me years and years ago and I stuffed them into my hope chest and forgot about them. I suddenly thought "what if there are enough of the needlepoints to fit the backs of the chairs?"
The very next morning I got up and got out those needlepoints and there are four of them. 2 that match that fit the chairs, one large one that will fit on the back of the larger chair and a smallish one that is perfect for that foot stool.
You can not believe how serendipitous this is!!! Now all I need to do is find a neutral fabric for the seats and the back sides of the backs that will bring this all together. So I trotted myself on down to Calico Corners and picked up some gorgeous velvet. And I am taking these all over to the refinisher/reupholsterers to have them brought to their former glory. Nay, even better than their former glory!
These chairs are going to be so beautiful that my kids will fight over who gets to inherit them. I can't wait to get them finished and show you the after photos.
Way back in the 70s or the 80s judging by the fabric, my Aunt Bea refinished and recovered 2 of the chairs and for some reason left the chair-and-a-half alone. Let me show you photos.
I just adore the old original fabric on the larger chair but that avocado green stuff where they were updated is not so good. Sadly I checked and the original fabric is not underneath.
So I have been searching high and low for years to find something gorgeous to put on these chairs and bring them back together. And I do mean years. The upholstery needs to coordinate with the antique sofa and the rug. You can see a bit of the rug in the photos.
And one night I was in bed dozing off and what popped in to my head?!!
I have some old needlepoint canvases that my Nana gave me years and years ago and I stuffed them into my hope chest and forgot about them. I suddenly thought "what if there are enough of the needlepoints to fit the backs of the chairs?"
The very next morning I got up and got out those needlepoints and there are four of them. 2 that match that fit the chairs, one large one that will fit on the back of the larger chair and a smallish one that is perfect for that foot stool.
You can not believe how serendipitous this is!!! Now all I need to do is find a neutral fabric for the seats and the back sides of the backs that will bring this all together. So I trotted myself on down to Calico Corners and picked up some gorgeous velvet. And I am taking these all over to the refinisher/reupholsterers to have them brought to their former glory. Nay, even better than their former glory!
These chairs are going to be so beautiful that my kids will fight over who gets to inherit them. I can't wait to get them finished and show you the after photos.
Saturday, August 22, 2015
Genealogy and the family tree and the nuts who fall out
Since I have been a really bad and sporadic blogger you may or may not remember that I have become quite interested in family trees and doing the research. It is tons of fun and very exciting to find things out.
I joined ancestry.com a few years ago when I was sick with the bronchitis or something that kept me glued to the house and have found a ton of ancestors. Then I was offered the special deal of $99 from ancestry to do my DNA profile and connect to others who are also registered through them. So I did that and my husband found it so interesting he did his as well.
My whole life I have always been told that I am mostly German on my mama's side and mostly all Irish on my dad's side. Not true. Those people on my mama's side may have lived in Germany but they don't test out as Germans. And all those Irish people on my dad's side? Mostly all English, a little German thrown in just for good measure. Loads of the Irish ancestry comes from my mama's side according to the family tree.
Here's what it looks like:
I joined ancestry.com a few years ago when I was sick with the bronchitis or something that kept me glued to the house and have found a ton of ancestors. Then I was offered the special deal of $99 from ancestry to do my DNA profile and connect to others who are also registered through them. So I did that and my husband found it so interesting he did his as well.
My whole life I have always been told that I am mostly German on my mama's side and mostly all Irish on my dad's side. Not true. Those people on my mama's side may have lived in Germany but they don't test out as Germans. And all those Irish people on my dad's side? Mostly all English, a little German thrown in just for good measure. Loads of the Irish ancestry comes from my mama's side according to the family tree.
Here's what it looks like:
America< 1%
-
Trace Regions
- Trace Regions< 1%
Europe99%
-
Great Britain51%
-
Ireland17%
-
Iberian Peninsula11%
-
Italy/Greece7%
-
Europe West6%
-
Trace Regions
7%
-
Scandinavia4%
-
Europe East3%
- Great Britain51%
- Ireland17%
- Iberian Peninsula11%
- Italy/Greece7%
- Europe West6%
- Trace Regions7%
- Scandinavia4%
- Europe East3%
- 3%
Thursday, August 20, 2015
Hi, My Name is LisaPie
And all you 12-steppers just said "Hi Lisa Pie" in your heads, didn't you? I am a self-professed recovering codependent person. If you had told me 10 years ago that I was codependent I would have laughed at you and shown you the door. If you had suggested to me that my way of handling things wasn't working and I need to learn a new way, I would have told you that my way was just right and it was all those OTHER jack wagons who were impeding the progress I had so carefully laid out.
Fear and a need to try and control things in your life and around you and in your loved ones' lives is a full-time job. A full-time job with no benefits and lots of heart ache and resentment. And it will suck the life right out of you and leave you with sadness and sometimes bad health due to focusing so much on fixing others and ignoring your own self. That is after you damn near kill your alcoholic/addict with kindness trying to handle everything for them.
If I were to list here all the completely crazy things I have done that made perfect sense to me at the time your own head might explode. You might start to wonder how I am able to get up every day and walk around like I have good sense. And this was all back when I thought I only had one addict in my life.
You know how they say that you are given a lesson over and over again until you get it right? Just recently I was listening to what is called a "speaker tape" even though it is now on CD rather than tape. And it was a man speaking to a gathering of AA and Al-Anon members. What he said was so perfectly in tune with my life he could have been speaking directly to me and about me. And it was as if a light had been turned on in a dark corner of my brain where I was keeping all the files that would show me how codependent I really am. Now in order for that particular analogy to make any sense you should know that I picture my brain much like an old, old library with nothing but card catalog file drawers. And all my thoughts, memories, etc are all in there. So of course, as I have gotten older and older I get more and more file drawers for all of these things. That's why it sometimes takes me a while to find the right drawer and rifle through it for the exact thought I am looking for. This is my story and I am sticking with it.
So what happened when that light was turned on was this: I was suddenly aware of all the times I had chosen the addicted person, the alcoholic, the person with the most stuff to work on to be attracted to. I can pick out a person with an addictive personality at 20 paces. Now to be fair, they tend to be funny, inviting, smart, interesting people. But there is something in me that is drawn to them like a moth to a flame, or you could say like an alcoholic to a bottle of vodka. And I mean friends, boyfriends, lovers, all people. There before me was this long list of people that I had to look at and take stock of. What is the deal that I never saw this before? The speaker on the tape/CD said this "if you are ever questioning whether you think you might be an alcoholic and want an answer here is a surefire way to find out: just come up to me and ask "do you find me attractive?" and that is exactly what I do!
How did I get to be 55 years of age before I was aware of this about myself? I can't answer that. And here's a better question: how is it that my chemical makeup is such that I am drawn to the addictive person rather than to the drugs or the alcohol? I mean, I have used alcohol and cigarettes and some drugs in my life, but I could always quit. And I have. I quit smoking cigarettes 35 years ago. I quit taking drugs/smoking pot not long after that. And I have gradually cut back on my alcohol consumption to the point where I might have 6 or 8 drinks a year. That has come about due to having arthritis and other health issues that require medication and I don't want to overload my liver with the meds and the alcohol. It's just not a big deal for me. Not like eggplant parmigiana. Now, that is a big deal to give up. I am certainly not trying to make light of people who have an addiction that they are struggling with. I am only pointing out that this is one way I can see that I am not a member of that tribe. Anyhoo, I don't know how I could NOT see this as a pattern in my life except to say that it sure is easy to walk around with blinders on and not notice the big obvious elephant in the room.
I am now a loud and proud member of the struggling to improve codependent crew. This will be a life-long endeavor for me. Reading books, doing some step work, going to meetings are a part of my life. I want to be better. I want to be a healthy example of what you can be if you are willing to take the hard looks at yourself and face up to what you have done and what you can do differently. And I will most likely be a glaring example of how to fuck things up occasionally. But I am trying and learning and growing. And I am here if you ever need to talk or need something because that is part of who I am; I am a nurturer and a care-giver. As one of my friends from the meetings said "I never thought I was controlling, I always thought I was just being helpful!"
And just to be a little bit more helpful here is a list of some books that are outstanding:
Actually, if you go to Melody Beattie's website you can read all about her and all her great books. These are just 2 of hers that have been really helpful to me. The one by Sarah Hepola is new and very good. I was surprised at how many things she wrote about that applied to me. And the Daily Meditation one by Misti B I just got and am just starting it. She is taking a humorous approach to the daily meditations that are usually quite serious. I am loving what I am reading so far.
Hope you have a great day out there!
Fear and a need to try and control things in your life and around you and in your loved ones' lives is a full-time job. A full-time job with no benefits and lots of heart ache and resentment. And it will suck the life right out of you and leave you with sadness and sometimes bad health due to focusing so much on fixing others and ignoring your own self. That is after you damn near kill your alcoholic/addict with kindness trying to handle everything for them.
If I were to list here all the completely crazy things I have done that made perfect sense to me at the time your own head might explode. You might start to wonder how I am able to get up every day and walk around like I have good sense. And this was all back when I thought I only had one addict in my life.
You know how they say that you are given a lesson over and over again until you get it right? Just recently I was listening to what is called a "speaker tape" even though it is now on CD rather than tape. And it was a man speaking to a gathering of AA and Al-Anon members. What he said was so perfectly in tune with my life he could have been speaking directly to me and about me. And it was as if a light had been turned on in a dark corner of my brain where I was keeping all the files that would show me how codependent I really am. Now in order for that particular analogy to make any sense you should know that I picture my brain much like an old, old library with nothing but card catalog file drawers. And all my thoughts, memories, etc are all in there. So of course, as I have gotten older and older I get more and more file drawers for all of these things. That's why it sometimes takes me a while to find the right drawer and rifle through it for the exact thought I am looking for. This is my story and I am sticking with it.
So what happened when that light was turned on was this: I was suddenly aware of all the times I had chosen the addicted person, the alcoholic, the person with the most stuff to work on to be attracted to. I can pick out a person with an addictive personality at 20 paces. Now to be fair, they tend to be funny, inviting, smart, interesting people. But there is something in me that is drawn to them like a moth to a flame, or you could say like an alcoholic to a bottle of vodka. And I mean friends, boyfriends, lovers, all people. There before me was this long list of people that I had to look at and take stock of. What is the deal that I never saw this before? The speaker on the tape/CD said this "if you are ever questioning whether you think you might be an alcoholic and want an answer here is a surefire way to find out: just come up to me and ask "do you find me attractive?" and that is exactly what I do!
How did I get to be 55 years of age before I was aware of this about myself? I can't answer that. And here's a better question: how is it that my chemical makeup is such that I am drawn to the addictive person rather than to the drugs or the alcohol? I mean, I have used alcohol and cigarettes and some drugs in my life, but I could always quit. And I have. I quit smoking cigarettes 35 years ago. I quit taking drugs/smoking pot not long after that. And I have gradually cut back on my alcohol consumption to the point where I might have 6 or 8 drinks a year. That has come about due to having arthritis and other health issues that require medication and I don't want to overload my liver with the meds and the alcohol. It's just not a big deal for me. Not like eggplant parmigiana. Now, that is a big deal to give up. I am certainly not trying to make light of people who have an addiction that they are struggling with. I am only pointing out that this is one way I can see that I am not a member of that tribe. Anyhoo, I don't know how I could NOT see this as a pattern in my life except to say that it sure is easy to walk around with blinders on and not notice the big obvious elephant in the room.
I am now a loud and proud member of the struggling to improve codependent crew. This will be a life-long endeavor for me. Reading books, doing some step work, going to meetings are a part of my life. I want to be better. I want to be a healthy example of what you can be if you are willing to take the hard looks at yourself and face up to what you have done and what you can do differently. And I will most likely be a glaring example of how to fuck things up occasionally. But I am trying and learning and growing. And I am here if you ever need to talk or need something because that is part of who I am; I am a nurturer and a care-giver. As one of my friends from the meetings said "I never thought I was controlling, I always thought I was just being helpful!"
And just to be a little bit more helpful here is a list of some books that are outstanding:
Actually, if you go to Melody Beattie's website you can read all about her and all her great books. These are just 2 of hers that have been really helpful to me. The one by Sarah Hepola is new and very good. I was surprised at how many things she wrote about that applied to me. And the Daily Meditation one by Misti B I just got and am just starting it. She is taking a humorous approach to the daily meditations that are usually quite serious. I am loving what I am reading so far.
Hope you have a great day out there!
Monday, September 17, 2012
Fergus Jackson MacPhee
I woke up this morning to the strangest, saddest cat cry I had ever heard. The cats that were in bed with me all went on high alert and we jumped up to find out who had made that mournful wail.
It was Fergus. I saw him taking his last breaths and ran upstairs and got the kids. Fergus was not sick, nor was there any reason to think he was going to die. He was just a month past his sixth birthday.
I was looking for his kitten photos on the computer today and for some reason I can't find them. I only found some from the last couple of years.
Fergus had the softest, most plushy fur I have ever felt on a kitty, like a sheared beaver coat. He was a joy to pet and run your fingers through his hair. He would, about once a year or so, get a little spot on his back that would mat up like a little kitty dreadlock. We have no idea why.
His eyes were like pools of jade. Not that clear emerald green that some cats have, but like a gorgeous piece of jade. You can see that a little bit in that last picture.
Fergus was the only one of our cats who liked to lay out on his belly with his back legs straight out behind him. Splayed out with his belly in full contact with the cool floor. His breathy purring and really loud, whiney sounding meow are going to be missed around here.
It was Fergus. I saw him taking his last breaths and ran upstairs and got the kids. Fergus was not sick, nor was there any reason to think he was going to die. He was just a month past his sixth birthday.
I was looking for his kitten photos on the computer today and for some reason I can't find them. I only found some from the last couple of years.
Fergus had the softest, most plushy fur I have ever felt on a kitty, like a sheared beaver coat. He was a joy to pet and run your fingers through his hair. He would, about once a year or so, get a little spot on his back that would mat up like a little kitty dreadlock. We have no idea why.
His eyes were like pools of jade. Not that clear emerald green that some cats have, but like a gorgeous piece of jade. You can see that a little bit in that last picture.
Fergus was the only one of our cats who liked to lay out on his belly with his back legs straight out behind him. Splayed out with his belly in full contact with the cool floor. His breathy purring and really loud, whiney sounding meow are going to be missed around here.
Fergus Jackson MacPhee
July 30, 2026 - Sept. 17, 2012
R.I.P.
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
Doula Stuff
I was going to come up with a catchy title and then I thought to myself, "Self, if you let them know ahead of time it is doula stuff, those who are interested will check in and read and those who don't give a fig about birthing babies will know to leave this alone and not bother and then be disappointed." So that is what I did.
Did I tell you that my Rachel Pie has moved back home? First time in 7 years that she has been back living at home. And it's about damn time if you ask me. Anyhoo, she has been interested in the doula work and has taken the training twice now and was working on her doula career back in CO. So now that she is back here, she already has the "in" so to speak on getting into the birthing community here. And she has just gone headfirst into the deep end!
So I took her on as my little apprentice/shadow doula to accompany me to all my visits and birth with my client so that she could learn the lay of the land here. I am sure birth is like everything else and has its little regional differences in how things are done.
And Sunday was my client's day to birth her baby. She woke up in the wee hours of the night/morning with her waters broken and light contractions. It was a beautiful birth. She was so calm, composed and totally willing to try anything I suggested in order to have her labor progress. She and her husband worked well together, plus she had me and Rachel Pie there to support and help. There was a lot of trust in that room.
Sixteen hours from the early morning awakening was the birth of a precious baby girl. She made her entrance to the world at almost 5 p.m. Her mama did a spectacular job of pushing and working hard and just did her best for that baby. It was an honor to be there.
It was also a pleasure to have my Rachel Pie there to witness, to help and to learn what it is to birth a baby. She did an amazing job and I was proud to have her there. I hope as she grows and moves through her doula career that I will get to continue to watch her work.
I am thankful for my work. Thankful for my clients. Thankful for my Rachel Pie. It was a rewarding day.
Did I tell you that my Rachel Pie has moved back home? First time in 7 years that she has been back living at home. And it's about damn time if you ask me. Anyhoo, she has been interested in the doula work and has taken the training twice now and was working on her doula career back in CO. So now that she is back here, she already has the "in" so to speak on getting into the birthing community here. And she has just gone headfirst into the deep end!
So I took her on as my little apprentice/shadow doula to accompany me to all my visits and birth with my client so that she could learn the lay of the land here. I am sure birth is like everything else and has its little regional differences in how things are done.
And Sunday was my client's day to birth her baby. She woke up in the wee hours of the night/morning with her waters broken and light contractions. It was a beautiful birth. She was so calm, composed and totally willing to try anything I suggested in order to have her labor progress. She and her husband worked well together, plus she had me and Rachel Pie there to support and help. There was a lot of trust in that room.
Sixteen hours from the early morning awakening was the birth of a precious baby girl. She made her entrance to the world at almost 5 p.m. Her mama did a spectacular job of pushing and working hard and just did her best for that baby. It was an honor to be there.
It was also a pleasure to have my Rachel Pie there to witness, to help and to learn what it is to birth a baby. She did an amazing job and I was proud to have her there. I hope as she grows and moves through her doula career that I will get to continue to watch her work.
I am thankful for my work. Thankful for my clients. Thankful for my Rachel Pie. It was a rewarding day.
Thursday, August 2, 2012
I'm Back!!!
I just looked and saw that I have not posted anything in 4 weeks. It has not been the greatest summer and I have to say that I have been a little on the depressed and morose side. Nothing that warrants explanation or going on about. But it seems to have played hell with my creative side.
So, here are a few random pictures from my last downloads to my iphoto.
I went to my sister's graduation from nursing school and afterwards I spotted this fabulous car in the parking lot! I took several shots of it being careful not to show their license plate. Tell me that isn't the cutest thing you ever saw! I should have put a note on the window with my number in case she wants to ever sell it. You know that car is 99% likely being owned and driven by a girl, right?
Then at the graduation party at my mama's house we took some family photos. Here is one with me, two sisters, one brother and brother's girlfriend.
One of the other quick little trips I have taken this summer was to a wedding. The bride was gorgeous, the bridesmaid dresses were also very nice. But then I spied the shoes. I wish I could convey to you how much I detest these shoes. They have been popular for a couple years now, and it is seriously time for them to go. My friend Elaine and I, when we lived in Chile used to go to the mall just to walk around and look in the windows of the all the shoe stores and choose the ugliest shoes in each window. These plastic-y, uncomfortable shoes below that are in that horrid shade of neutral-doesn't-match-anything-on-the-planet beige have just got to go.
A few years ago my small girl-child Miss Rachel Pie went on a Vision Quest and we made her a quilt to take with her. And this past year the boy-child Sparky made the same commitment to do this and so I have been busy making him a quilt as well. Here I am on the night before he leaves making the very last stitches to the binding. Nothing like getting things done at the last flipping minute.
Here I am holding up one side of the quilt. Please to ignore the obviously white bra showing through my dress.
And here is Sparky holding up the other end.
When we lived in Minneapolis I started going to the Senior Center because that's where the little old ladies would hang out and quilt. And I was determined to learn how. They used to get donations of books and books and more books of fabric samples. These sample books would get taken apart, washed and then randomly sewn into long strips and then sewn together to make the cutest quilt tops that were then donated or raffled or whatever. Anyhoo, they gave me a couple of those books and that is what I used to make both the kids' quilts. I didn't do an over-all quilting design. Instead I just quilted each fabric rectangle with a different pattern. It turned out really cute and obviously very home-made looking.
One day I will learn to piece together a gorgeous quilt top.
That's it for me today. I am glad to be back blogging and hope to get some good posts together to share with you. Enjoy this HOT August!
So, here are a few random pictures from my last downloads to my iphoto.
I went to my sister's graduation from nursing school and afterwards I spotted this fabulous car in the parking lot! I took several shots of it being careful not to show their license plate. Tell me that isn't the cutest thing you ever saw! I should have put a note on the window with my number in case she wants to ever sell it. You know that car is 99% likely being owned and driven by a girl, right?
Then at the graduation party at my mama's house we took some family photos. Here is one with me, two sisters, one brother and brother's girlfriend.
One of the other quick little trips I have taken this summer was to a wedding. The bride was gorgeous, the bridesmaid dresses were also very nice. But then I spied the shoes. I wish I could convey to you how much I detest these shoes. They have been popular for a couple years now, and it is seriously time for them to go. My friend Elaine and I, when we lived in Chile used to go to the mall just to walk around and look in the windows of the all the shoe stores and choose the ugliest shoes in each window. These plastic-y, uncomfortable shoes below that are in that horrid shade of neutral-doesn't-match-anything-on-the-planet beige have just got to go.
A few years ago my small girl-child Miss Rachel Pie went on a Vision Quest and we made her a quilt to take with her. And this past year the boy-child Sparky made the same commitment to do this and so I have been busy making him a quilt as well. Here I am on the night before he leaves making the very last stitches to the binding. Nothing like getting things done at the last flipping minute.
Here I am holding up one side of the quilt. Please to ignore the obviously white bra showing through my dress.
And here is Sparky holding up the other end.
When we lived in Minneapolis I started going to the Senior Center because that's where the little old ladies would hang out and quilt. And I was determined to learn how. They used to get donations of books and books and more books of fabric samples. These sample books would get taken apart, washed and then randomly sewn into long strips and then sewn together to make the cutest quilt tops that were then donated or raffled or whatever. Anyhoo, they gave me a couple of those books and that is what I used to make both the kids' quilts. I didn't do an over-all quilting design. Instead I just quilted each fabric rectangle with a different pattern. It turned out really cute and obviously very home-made looking.
One day I will learn to piece together a gorgeous quilt top.
That's it for me today. I am glad to be back blogging and hope to get some good posts together to share with you. Enjoy this HOT August!
Sunday, April 15, 2012
I'm back and flitting from topic to topic. Do try to keep up!
Hey, it has been a while. I was on a pretty impromptu roadtrip with my sister so that was fun. We sang along with Adele and the Backstreet Boys, because that is how we roll. Ha!
So, today is 100 years since the Titanic sank and in honor of that the History Channel is showing a fabulous memorial tonight with lots of never before seen due to new technology just now finding it kind of stuff. For those of us that are obsessed with Titanic and all the horrific sadness, this is a goldmine. Be sure to set your dvr or tivo to record this bit of history.
Also, in t.v. update news! Are y'all watching anything right now? Let me tell you what all is on my dvr.
The Borgias - Showtime channel, fabulous series about the infamous family that ran the Vatican and Rome. And you have to know anytime you can have Jeremy Irons playing someone evil it is gonna be good.
The Big C - Also on Showtime. I think this is the 3rd season of this wonderful, thoughtful series starring Laura Linney and Oliver Platt.
Nurse Jackie - Showtime, yet again. Showtime has some great series. If you don't get this channel, why the hell not?
Game of Thrones - HBO - o.m.g.!!! Watch it.
Eastbound and Down - HBO, Kenny Powers with a mullet!
Top Shot - History Channel, Colby Donaldson, cool guns, nice looking men, really cool blowing up of stuff, and Colby Donaldson, enough said.
Modern Family - ABC, Best. Flipping. Show. Ever.
Survivor - CBS. What is more fun than watching idiots trust the wrong people and disaster ensues?
Amazing Race - CBS. See above comment about Survivor.
Real Time with Bill Maher - HBO, I can not go more than a week without seeing his New Rules at the end of the show. Awesome.
Jeopardy! - CBS. Love Jeopardy! and I also love yelling "Can it, Trebek! or Suck it, Trebek! or It's HUN-DRED you morons, NOT HUNNERD!" They may be able to pass the Jeopardy online quiz but they still can't pronounce hundred. Idiots.
I can't think of what else my dvr records for me. Sparky also has his shows recording, like Aqua Teen Hungerforce, Family Guy, Metalocolypse. When they are on we don't miss It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia and The League. Those are both on FX.
Oh! Also we watch (although this will be the final season coming up) Breaking Bad on AMC.
Quick! Changing subjects.
Someone, I don't know who, recommended the Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy to me. Whoever it was, obviously doesn't know me. I barely made it through book one.
It is such trite crap I could NOT believe it got greenlighted, or green lit or was given the thumbs up. Holy Moly, is it bad!
Please don't be taken in by the hype or the fact that book one has already been optioned for a movie. I can not even imagine how they will make this be not a boring, repetitive piece of porno trash.
There are not enough descriptive words to tell you how much I hated all the characters. The female lead was so fucking annoying and stupid I couldn't even believe it. The male lead? Warped, controlling, and so strange it defied all logic that she would be soooo attracted to him that all her common sense would go right out the window.
What I'm saying is unless you are looking for s&m bondage porn laced with the worst and most repetitive dialogue, you don't want to bother with this piece of crap.
Did you try the brown rice crusted quiche recipe yet? Please do. I am sure you will like it.
What else has been going on around here that I wanted to talk about?
Oh! I know what I have been trying to remember to tell you about!
Have you seen this ad?
I was watching this and thought to myself, "Self, if they took a whole shirt and made a dickie out of the top part, this is what is left over."
IT'S A DICKIE FOR YOUR ASS!
Where do they come up with this stuff? And why, oh why, are we gullible enough to buy it?
Trendy Top, indeed.
Have a great day and I will be here to discuss some more ancestry.com findings in the next few days!
So, today is 100 years since the Titanic sank and in honor of that the History Channel is showing a fabulous memorial tonight with lots of never before seen due to new technology just now finding it kind of stuff. For those of us that are obsessed with Titanic and all the horrific sadness, this is a goldmine. Be sure to set your dvr or tivo to record this bit of history.
Also, in t.v. update news! Are y'all watching anything right now? Let me tell you what all is on my dvr.
The Borgias - Showtime channel, fabulous series about the infamous family that ran the Vatican and Rome. And you have to know anytime you can have Jeremy Irons playing someone evil it is gonna be good.
The Big C - Also on Showtime. I think this is the 3rd season of this wonderful, thoughtful series starring Laura Linney and Oliver Platt.
Nurse Jackie - Showtime, yet again. Showtime has some great series. If you don't get this channel, why the hell not?
Game of Thrones - HBO - o.m.g.!!! Watch it.
Eastbound and Down - HBO, Kenny Powers with a mullet!
Top Shot - History Channel, Colby Donaldson, cool guns, nice looking men, really cool blowing up of stuff, and Colby Donaldson, enough said.
Modern Family - ABC, Best. Flipping. Show. Ever.
Survivor - CBS. What is more fun than watching idiots trust the wrong people and disaster ensues?
Amazing Race - CBS. See above comment about Survivor.
Real Time with Bill Maher - HBO, I can not go more than a week without seeing his New Rules at the end of the show. Awesome.
Jeopardy! - CBS. Love Jeopardy! and I also love yelling "Can it, Trebek! or Suck it, Trebek! or It's HUN-DRED you morons, NOT HUNNERD!" They may be able to pass the Jeopardy online quiz but they still can't pronounce hundred. Idiots.
I can't think of what else my dvr records for me. Sparky also has his shows recording, like Aqua Teen Hungerforce, Family Guy, Metalocolypse. When they are on we don't miss It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia and The League. Those are both on FX.
Oh! Also we watch (although this will be the final season coming up) Breaking Bad on AMC.
Quick! Changing subjects.
Someone, I don't know who, recommended the Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy to me. Whoever it was, obviously doesn't know me. I barely made it through book one.
It is such trite crap I could NOT believe it got greenlighted, or green lit or was given the thumbs up. Holy Moly, is it bad!
Please don't be taken in by the hype or the fact that book one has already been optioned for a movie. I can not even imagine how they will make this be not a boring, repetitive piece of porno trash.
There are not enough descriptive words to tell you how much I hated all the characters. The female lead was so fucking annoying and stupid I couldn't even believe it. The male lead? Warped, controlling, and so strange it defied all logic that she would be soooo attracted to him that all her common sense would go right out the window.
What I'm saying is unless you are looking for s&m bondage porn laced with the worst and most repetitive dialogue, you don't want to bother with this piece of crap.
Did you try the brown rice crusted quiche recipe yet? Please do. I am sure you will like it.
What else has been going on around here that I wanted to talk about?
Oh! I know what I have been trying to remember to tell you about!
Have you seen this ad?
I was watching this and thought to myself, "Self, if they took a whole shirt and made a dickie out of the top part, this is what is left over."
IT'S A DICKIE FOR YOUR ASS!
Where do they come up with this stuff? And why, oh why, are we gullible enough to buy it?
Trendy Top, indeed.
Have a great day and I will be here to discuss some more ancestry.com findings in the next few days!
Friday, March 23, 2012
Playing Along with my S-i-l
- What song always makes you happy when you hear it? Sadly, it is Wake Me Up Before you Go, Go!
- What, if anything, would you change about your blog? More posts with better pictures. I have got to learn how to take better photos.
- If you could only keep one thing in your wardrobe, what would it be? My Tevas. Best, most versatile sandals ever!
- Warm sunny beaches or snow covered mountains? I could go either way. 60% beach if it's for a vacation, 60% for the mountains if it's for a new home.
- What's your favorite book? Tough one! So many favorites to choose from. Can I pick one from each genre? One from each author? I bet hourly I could come up with a new favorite. Right now I would have to say "Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe".
- What 3 words best describe your personality? Nurturing, loving, passionate.
- What's the first thing you'd splurge on if you won the lottery? Retirement property!
- Do you have an embarrassing song that you rock out to on your I-pod? So I guess the most embarrassing thing about this question is that I don't have an i-Pod. I may be the last person in the free world who is without mp3 music at my fingertips.
- Do you have a hidden talent? I think I am a great kisser. Everyone knows I am the best hugger, but very few know about my kissing.
- If you could take a one month trip anywhere and money was not a consideration, where would you go? Well, right off the bat I would say I want to do the trip I planned a few years ago and for one reason or another it never came to fruition, and head to Tahiti. But lately, I have been doing so much ancestry research that I feel a month trip to Scotland and Ireland would better serve my needs.
- What's your favorite sport and why? NBA Spurs Basketball!!! or World Cup Soccer watching Team Argentina.
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