Aloha Friday!

Lest we forget the beautiful, bountiful life we do have, here in the Greatest Nation On Earth...


The Gaither Vocal Band isn't necessarily at the top of MY Hits List, but the other choices I could find on short notice were by performers whose politics are nowhere near that portrayed in the song.

First stop almost every morning, I was LATE today...

...and I feel EVER so much better now that I've been over to Lileks' place. Fred Pennsylvania and HunkyBob in the comments sent my pissy little mood right out the window.

Of course, having the Pixie happily yelling & flinging Cheerios around helps, too!

Tea Party, Anyone?

Two people at dinner in Callahan last night mentioned that when a Tea Party is organized close enough so they can get there, they plan to attend AND take all their friends.

Like getting an iron or a vacuum for Valentine's Day

President BarryO proves yet again his total lack of class...DVD'S?!?!?!? In return for a Historical Artifact with provenance to your own personal history!?!?!? DVD'S!?!?!? Oy vey...

Our great country is often ridiculed around the world as being SO very casual and with a distinct lack of manners. When there is no "official" Royal Family, when a son of a peanut farmer can go to the Naval Acadamy or a small-town Arkansas boy get to be Governor & then become President, when another boy born in the segregated South under VERY difficult circumstances can become a Supreme Court Justice, when our country has been in existence for less than 300 years, whereas England has been around for more than a thousand years, SOME degree of immaturity might be excusable.

The blatant snub by This Administration of our friends and allies, however, is embarrassing beyond words. Writing my Senator, Congressperson, newspaper, or the White House about my displeasure will have no effect - they seem to cling to the idea that this is a GOOD thing.

Meanwhile, Secretary of State Clinton assures the murderous Palestinian Authority & officials from Gaza that they can have more of my tax dollars than my Government thinks I should get to keep. How's that extra $7-13 feel in YOUR paycheck?

H/T Ace of Spades HQ, Rachel Lucas

How about CHANGE...

From the Twisted Spinster - I think the griffon/gryphon/whatever is the perfect emblem for conservatives because in myth the griffin was the guardian of treasure and the symbol of the divine. On the other hand, the unicorn was what, a stallion with a phallus on its head who chased after virgins? And then when he gets one he falls asleep on her.

I like it.

Nice day, WeatherChannel doo-dad says +52F, but we all know it lies...no frost, just heavy dew, sunrise over Ben's house in a few minutes.

Pixie Manners

My little Jingle Pixie is beyond cute this morning, and I say that as a head-over-heels-in-love Grandma.

We just had to change a stinky diaper. In the bathroom afterwards, I wrapped it in a plastic bag to take outside to the trash (we do that so the scent doesn't linger). She likes to carry the bag. She put out her hand, I gave it to her, and - in that perfect little Toddler voice of hers - she said, "Thank you."

I know the manners will be ignored in a few years, but she's being taught right by her parents & that means she'll always KNOW, even if she doesn't USE.

I just love my life.

Since when does frost come down at +41F?

I'm watching the sun come over Ben's house - it'll be here shortly - & my BroncoII is in my line of sight. When I sat down here, the temp gage for WeatherChannel on my desktop said 41. It still says 41...but there is now frost on my truck. AND the roof of Ben's house. AND the car in the driveway across the street.

This climate change stuff is confusing.

I think I'll buy a temperature gage that'll tell me what the temperature is HERE - pretty sure the WeatherChannel thing is either at NAS or somewhere in OP & they're usually warmer than we are at this time of year. NAS is more open (it's an Air Station, after all), but it's also right on the St.John's River.

I'd like to thank those of you reading this for your patience with me & my learning curve on this blogging stuff. I've been one of Andrea's readers long enough to know SOME of the little quirks, but having never had to learn vocabulary for this thing, it's taking me some time. And it's different to hear her describe something & nod understanding - and then go DO something with it myself. I'm hoping I don't make a big pile of mess with it. Lovely Daughter seems to think I'm doing ok, but she's my KID, she's supposed to be kind to me.

Tuesday's Gone...

Fred Grandy at WMAL in D.C. says it's Square Root Day...3-3-09! Are you properly impressed?

Lost track of time, now have to hurry to get ready before my favorite short blond person gets here, but I'm wondering...

If the 'stimulus' package was supposed to save us from financial ruin, why is the Dow below 7000 for the first time in 11 years? If the 'stimulus' package was supposed to save us from financial ruin, why did Blue Cross/ Blue Shield here in Jax lay off dozens of employees yesterday?



Lynyrd Skynyrd is possibly my all-time favorite group & this is one of their best, in my opinion. I knew Billy Powell, the keyboard player who recently died - not real well, but enough to feel his loss, & it saddens me more than I realized.

Beautiful COLD morning, don't see a layoff in MY future - so far - so better get my lil butt moving. Thanks for stopping by.

My Life Is Amusing

As I started washing up the breakfast dishes, the Spooky cat was outside in the window, crying to be let in. Ever since I first brought her in, she passionately dislikes being put outdoors. She cries & claws the screen. (-sigh-) So, I went to the back door to let her in. Funniest thing I've seen today - have you ever watched a cat, standing on a 6 inch ledge, back up far enough to get in position to jump down?

I'm still smiling.

"Most Enjoyable" should be a category in ALL awards shows

Speaking of movies, which, as you already know, I don't often do! Catching up with Bert Prelutsky, on his list of favorite movies, I see quite a few that I agree with. Click the link in the sidebar, or here.

Proud to be an American

I don't watch movies. I haven't been to a movie since the 3rd Lord of the Rings. I don't care for the whole "movie experience" - crowds, noise, sticky floors, rude moviegoers, ten bucks to watch crap I wouldn't let my mother or daughter see. We have cable, so HBO & Cinemax are part of the package, but I only know that cuz I watched "Ratatouille" with the boy I was minding last summer.

Today, Handsome Hubby & Lovely Daughter went to see "Slumdog Millionaire" & both loved it. Then they talked about an HBO movie Kait had seen Tuesday & Duffy had read something about this week in the base paper - "Taking Chance" with Kevin Bacon. Coincidentally, it was on today at 2:30. After Kait went home, Duffy decided to watch it (he loves movies), but because I'd read about it, knew what it was about, but I don't do movies - I stuck with cleaning up the kitchen & doing laundry. It was loud enough for me to hear most of the beginning & after 10 or 15 minutes, I had to sit down & watch.

Part of the attraction for me was where much of the movie took place. I've been in the Billings, Montana airport more than once, I've driven the road along the Yellowstone river between Billings & Wyoming...just 2 years ago, as a matter of fact. But the whole story is simple, compelling, heart-wrenching, & satisfactory in a way that doesn't come in "entertainment" venues much these days.

If you don't know the plot, Kevin Bacon plays a Marine officer who requests permission to return the remains of a young Marine killed in Iraq to his family, from Dover, DE to a very small town in Wyoming. This is not an assignment given to senior officers, it's what Sergeants & PFC's do. And it's true. The officer really made this trip, and, according to what Duffy read, took "copious notes." There's not a sour note in the whole damn thing.

It's an amazing story. A beautiful movie. See it, if you get a chance (HBO on demand).

Keep the kleenex box close.