Entry for August 31, 2007/ Friday Five, uuummmm

Just lost my first attempt at this doing spell check so lets try again. The uuummm and the picture is me thinking, oh help.

1. Are you an optimist or a pessimist? An introvert or an extrovert? Optimist, I believe in positive thinking gets you positive results and most certainly on extrovert. Not an in your face extrovert, but it is hard for me to sit in a corner.

2. Are you a morning person/forced morning person/caffeine only morning person/nothing-good-about-mornings person (aka night owl) or can you work/sleep anytime? Yes I am a morning person with my coffee in my hand morning person, use to love to sleep in because my life was a night life, but no longer, I get up with the sun what ever time that might be and I love it..these days I only function in the daytime

3. Do you have a rigid routine for your day or are you more of a go-with-the-flow kind of person? In the morning I go by what the dogs want to do because I must walk them, so it's coffee, get the paper, check the computer and walk the doggies. I try and treat all else in my life, including my clients and their appointments spontaneously, that is the way life should be.

4. What kind of political stand do you take? (Conservative, liberal, other or none) The right stand,,,liberal...no only kidding .....but I am a liberal and that is my life not just my political leaning

5. What really sets your blood boiling? Grab your soapbox and elaborate .....Intolerance is what sets my blood boiling, people who must have everything their way or it's not the right way, I even tolerate attitudes like that but I do try and help them learn there is a better way. Tee Hee

If you would like to participate copy the questions and your answers in your blog, leave a comment onThe Friday Five with the link to your blog and I'll put the link to your answers on the blog. Fun, easy, and no time limit.

Hope you all have a wonderful Labor Day weekend, and remember no laboring on Monday, it is the workers holiday, boy how did that happen

Susan

Entry for August 28, 2007Poetry Wednesday Emily Dickinson

A little Emily for our friend Trine who has been away and who we miss.

She so does love her Emily.

Interesting Poem

I heard a Fly buzz (465) byEmily Dickinson I heard a Fly buzz – when I died – The Stillness in the Room Was like the Stillness in the Air – Between the Heaves of Storm – The Eyes around – had wrung them dry – And Breaths were gathering firm For that last Onset – when the King Be witnessed – in the Room – I willed my Keepsakes – Signed away What portions of me be Assignable – and then it was There interposed a Fly – With Blue – uncertain stumbling Buzz – Between the light – and me – And then the Windows failed – and then I could not see to see – Poetry used by permission of the publishers and the Trustees of Amherst College fromThe Poems of Emily Dickinson, Ralph W. Franklin ed., Cambridge, Mass.: The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, Copyright © 1998 by the President and Fellows of Harvard College. Copyright © 1951, 1955, 1979, by the President and Fellows of Harvard College.

Have a great day, Enjoy

Susan

Entry for August 28, 2007 And of course

I went to bed at 10 PM last night and sleep through the whole eclipse. Getting old sucks. I do love my sleep. I hope some of you more perky people where able to get a look at it.

Haven't even checked out the news yet today, sure hope the world is still in one piece. All I know for sure around here is that my Jake Dog is barking his head off to get on to the walk of the morning. I have been watching what has been going on in Greece with the maybe not so wild fires, seems that many of them have been arson related, very bad and the death toll keeps going up. They are trying to save the ancient Olympic site which the fires are threatening . The EU is sending in help since the Greek fire brigades are stretched to the max.

I have sent good wishes to our friend Yannis, who I believe is in Greece at this time. I hope all is well with him and any one else we might know who is there, Mistos , I think Phraedra is in Rome or visa versa and all those poor people over there who are batteling for their lives and homes.

Have a better day than they are.

Susan

P.S. sorry the spell check isn't working so sorry about my terrible spelling. Also picture has nothing to do with anything except it's pretty.

Entry for August 27, 2007Full Moon Monday/Eclipse Tuesday

Really nice full moon going on out there last night, well at least real close to full and in this part of the world, check it out Jacquie there is an eclipse of the moon Tuesday morning at 1:58am through 3 something, hopefully I will make it awake to see it. I love moon eclipses because you can actually look at them with out having too much fuss and worrying about whether you will go blind or not.

Along with the full moon around here we get the coyotes, especially this time of the year. They were out in full force last night, with the babies, you can always hear them yipping. Had one walk right down the driveway while I was watching TV, Jake Dog went ballistic. Then in the middle of the night the howling started and I could tell they were close by, Jake was off the bed and out into the living roam barking and howling like the mad dog, I always hope my next door neighbors cats are hiding somewhere when the coyotes are prowling.

When I took the dogs out for a quick walk this morning behind our place on the "land" which is the wild stuff on the other side of the fence I saw where the coyotes had been doing their coyote dance as I call it. Dirt kicked up every where, they play and scuffle and look for the neighbors cats and maybe eating things, didn't see any scrapes around so that made me happy. Suppose to be good and hot again today so they will probably be out prowling again tonight, but maybe they will go home early because of the eclipse, they like it when the moon is bright.

Have a great week. See you around. Hope who ever can will catch the eclipse.

Susan

Entry for August 24, 2007Friday Five

More interesting questions this week, we are on a roll here

An Emotional Friday Five:

1. What was the last thing that made you laugh so hard you cried?

To tell the truth I have no idea, I laugh all the time, who remembers these things.

2. When was the last time you cried and what caused it?

This I remember, when my Mr. Khay died.

3. What has been you happiest moment so far? Obviously who ever wrote these questions can't be all that old if they actually remember these things, being an older person I have had so many happiest moments that it is impossible to remember them or chronicle them. Recently I can say that happiest is that both my kitties that were sick are better now. I don't think you can really judge between things if they are the "est" or not.

4. Who is the first person you call with happy or sad news? Why?

Well now this is easy, My sister Robin and why because she is my sister and I love her the most "est".

5. What are your hopes and dreams for the future? It is nice to think that there is always a future no matter how old you get. My main hope and dream is to not have to work so hard. I will never really be able to retire since I have no savings, I have always believed in one day at a time, but I will be getting social security and I hope this will afford me a little rest. Knowing my luck I will drop dead giving someone a massage, but there is that little bookstore I want to work in so maybe I'll just drop dead there, yech. Aside from that to keep waking up every day is fine by me for the future.

Everyone have a great weekend, Rachel thanks for the great questions.

Susan

Entry for August 21, 2007 HALLELUJAH I'M BACK

An Ode To Joy. I am posting this ( of course this is one of my favorite pieces of music) for the reason that....THEY FINALLY FIXED MY INTENET BROADBAND CONNECTION....HALLELUJAH/ so I am ODE TO JOYING my head off. It took a new modem and new configurations but it finally happened, so frustrating when you get so use to these things, I pay all my bills on line, check checking, charge cards, you know, everything, and I couldn't even barely visit my 360 friends, oh my god.....

I am also giving a bigHurray for the shuttle landing safely. I was a wee bit worried about that, but I gave NASA the benefit of the doubt and they pulled through.

So lets have lots of JOY today for whatever reasons you can think of and I am glad I am back. I missed you guys

Enjoy the music,

Susan

Entry for August 17, 2007Friday Five/School Daze

Thanks for the great questions Vanessa.

School was not my favorite place, high school that is , which is as far as I got. When I was in school you could actually get a good education and didn't really have to go to college to get on in the world. Doesn't seem to be that way these days. I was recently told by a teacher acquaintance of mine that most of the first year of college is taken up by teaching kids what to do there. They just aren't prepared. What a shame. Well onward.

1. What was your favorite subject in school? Any thing that had to do with history or literature. Why? Well obviously they are subjects of interest for me. Ancient history was my fav and I love to read.

2. What was your least favorite? Math of any type, though I did like geometry , Why? My brain doesn't work that way, but I liked geometry because it is spacial, shapes and all. Love that compass.

3. Who was your favorite teacher and why? Well I had a few that I remember. Mr Melnick, I had a crush on him, he taught me government. He was a great teacher. Had a way of making government fun, if that is possible. Then there was Ms. Jewel who taught me drama in my sophomore year. She loved the theater and I wanted to act. She was an inspiration. Then there was my senior English lit teacher I think Mrs. Lintenberg, even made some of the crap we had to read interesting and at the time I was in a theater group and rehearsed at night and I always fell asleep in class and because she was a frustrated actress and knew what was up, let me get away with it. She was great.

4. Who was your least favorite teacher and why? I don't think I had any, that I remember. Some were boring, not good teachers, but they tried.

5. Besides graduation, what was your most memorable moment in school - good or bad. Graduation, getting the hell out of there was the best thing that ever happened to me. Funny thing, I hated high school but when I went to massage school, which was a tough year, I just loved it. I was 45. I studied had got really good grades and passed my state exam with a 94 which is hard to do. What a difference between trying to focus when you are a teenager and really focusing when you are an adult.

Have a great weekend all.

Susan

Entry for August 16, 2007/ Animal Alert, Veterinarian Charged With Cruelty to Animals

I know these stories usually don't get much of a rise out of you all out there but for thoses of you who do care and who take there kids to Vets you might just want to give a minute and help get this horrible woman put away for a long time.

Your friend Susan

. Veterinarian Charged With Cruelty to Animals
Urge State's Attorney to Prosecute Woman to the Fullest Extent
for Starving Dogs

When veterinarians enter the profession of veterinary medicine,
they take an oath to use their knowledge to protect animal
health and relieve animal suffering. It is shocking then that
earlier this month, a Maryville, Ill. veterinarian was charged
with 10 counts of aggravated cruelty to animals. According to
news reports, police were called to the property of Georgia
Wilson, DVM after a neighbor returned a horse who had escaped
and found three dogs dead in their kennels. When police arrived
at the property, they found what was "deplorable conditions,"
according to Capt. Brad Wells of the Madison County Sheriff's
Office.

The three Chesapeake Bay retrievers had died of malnutrition and
dehydration, court documents say. Four of Wilson?s other dogs
were found alive, also suffering from malnutrition and
dehydration. Court documents indicate Wilson is being charged
with three counts of cruelty for depriving horses of fresh
water. The only available source of drinking water was stagnant
and infested with insect larvae.

Wilson claims she went on vacation leaving her 17-year-old
daughter to care for her animals during the 10 days she was
away. The girl later told her parents she was distracted by
social activities and although she bought food for the dogs, she
never gave it to them. Temperatures during the 10 days Wilson
was on vacation climbed to the mid- to upper 90s. Still, Wilson
"habitually" denied the dogs sufficient water, food, and shelter
according to reports. The sheriff?s department also claimed that
the kennels were overgrown with weeds and so full of feces that
it was clear the dogs had not been properly cared for in a great
deal of time.

The horses are currently being cared for by Department of
Agriculture and the surviving dogs are at the Animal Control
department. Wilson's animal-cruelty charges carry sentences
ranging from six months in the county jail to a maximum of three
years in prison.

What You Can Do:

click on this web site, delete my info and fill in your own, it doesn't take much time, but it will let these people know what we all think about this.

Please "Take Action"http://ga0.org/campaign/ill_dog/wxbk6w6r438jwdd?
and write to William
A. Mudge, Madison County, Illinois State's Attorney, and urge
prosecution to the fullest extent of the law. Remind Mudge that
as a veterinarian, Wilson's willful neglect is even more
egregious than that of an average citizen.

Write to:
William A. Mudge
Madison County State's Attorney's Office
Madison County Administration Building
157 North Main Street, Suite 402
Edwardsville, IL 62025
(618) 692-6280
Fax: (618) 296-7001
SAinfo@co.madison.il.us
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Entry for August 15, 2007Poetry Wednesday

It's Poetry Wednesday and it looks like poor Trine is still suffering from those old computer blues. I don't feel so bad now and things do seem to be looking up internet wise.

Well today I am posting a poem I actually wrote. I don't know if you would call it a poem but it is the close thing I have come to in at least 30 years. Just a few lines regarding my Jake dog who is in a great deal of pain these days because of bad arthritis in his hip. He takes meds but he still can't walk to well, so this is a bit of a conversation we had one morning.

Jake

I don’t feel the good mommie.

I just feel the bad

He said to me as I stroked his ears,

His eyes bright into mine

Susan

Entry for August 14, 2007/Good Morning

Well this is fun, right in the middle of the last blog I was trying to post about how the phone company was working on my internet connection I was rudely interupted by Earthlink running diagnostic tests. So I lost the blog. At least I know something is being done. Seems my PPPoE connection wasn't running , now it seems to be, we will see how long this lasts.

I am trying to catch up on visiting The Art Sunday Tour ( some great stuff there) and visits friends. Hope to see you all soon.

I will post some more beautiful work from Mom Nature for the enjoyment of all who care to visit.

Have a great Tuesday

Susan and the kids, ( that being Jake dog, Goldie dog, Rose cat, Thomas cat, Magic cat,Wannabe cat and Fat Cat ( that Cat is actually part of his name, which I am not responsible for, what a thing to name a cat)

Entry for August 12, 2007/Art Sunday

Since I have been having a great deal of problems with my internet connection lately and it only seems to want to work in the morning, I didn't have much time to research art sunday, I thought I would post a little Mother Nature and a really good photographer art.

I got this from my friend Shirley this morning on my e-mail. There were at least 6 of them but I am afraid that if I try and post them all my connection will die. So I thought this one would be a good choice. What beautiful colors and I just love the swans.

Have a great Sunday all.

Lots of love

Susan

Entry for August 10, 2007/Help

I am on the verge of losing my mind. If you don't see me around for a while don't take it personally as I am having real bad internet connection problems again and hopefully will get them figured out in the next two days.,

Wish me luck

Susan

Entry for August 10, 2007/ Friday Five

Well this is different. Friday Five today is about inventions.

Lets see what comes up.

Inventions:

1. What do you consider to be the greatest invention of all time? There are so many, I definitley go for the wheel, steam engine, harnessing electricity for a start.

2. What invention could you not get through the day without? Sad to say the automobile because I must use it in my work. But for my pleasure it is the printing press because I love to read.

3. Have you ever invented something (or thought about inventing something)? If so what? Not on a bet. Have no brain for things like that

4. What invention do you think society would've been better off without? Why? The cell phone, waste of time and really useless. We got along with out them just fine before. I know everyone is going to jump down my neck about that but ...........

5. What type of inventions do you think the future generations will contribute? Hope fully some easy way to get out into space and kids these days seem to be into saving the earth so most likely somethings to do with that, of course if they don't get caught up into the money grubbing scum scenario like their parents.

If you would like to participate copy the questions and your answers in your blog, leave a comment onThe Friday Five with the link to your blog and I'll put the link to your answers on the blog. Fun, easy, and no time limit.

Let's Play !!

Entry for August 07, 2007/Poetry Wednesday

Our friend Trine is off line again this week, so I guess we are on our own.

I believe that all of you of my generation, early baby boomers, will just love this poem and really relate to it. The rest of you who read it I am sure will love it too. More of Eleanor Lerman's work. I am obsessed with her these days. susan That Sure is My Little Dog
byEleanor Lerman
Yes, indeed, that is my house that I am carrying around on my back like a bullet-proof shell and yes, that sure is my little dog walking a hard road in hard boots. And just wait until you see my girl, chomping on the chains of fate with her mouth full of jagged steel. She’s damn ready and so am I. What else did you expect from the brainiacs of my generation? The survivors, the nonbelievers, the oddball-outs with the Cuban Missile Crisis still sizzling in our blood? Don’t tell me that you bought our act, just because our worried parents (and believe me, we’re nothing like them) taught us how to dress for work and to speak as if we cared about our education. And I guess the music fooled you: you thought we’d keep the party going even to the edge of the abyss. Well, too bad. It’s all yours now. Good luck on the ramparts. What you want to watch for is when the sky shakes itself free of kites and flies away. Have a nice day.

Entry for August 07, 2007

Well the sun is finally peaking out from behind the clouds today.

even thought I love the rain it is nice to have a bit of sun now and then.

should be a beautiful warm day.

Just went outside as my cat Magic was pounding around on the roof and noticed that the clouds are still sitting on the mountain tops, that is always such a beautiful picture.

Have a great Tuesday and lets all post poetry tonight for a busy Poetry Wednesday.

Tomorrow is Wednesday, right?

where does the mind go.

susan

I just realized I posted a sunset not sunrise, well it's a sun, you get the idea....duh

Entry for August 04, 2007 Art Sunday...Vincent Van Gogh

Well it looks like I am not the only one posting Vincent today, but why not, he was one of the best artists ever so the more people that see him the better.

I am posting some of his self portraits because I find the way he saw himself very interesting. I also thought I would throw in one of my favorite sunflower still lifes.

Hope you all enjoy the wonderful works of his oh so talented man.

Notice in the background of the portrait with bandaged ear one of his oriental works. He was very fascinated with Japanese art. See interesting.

Susan

Entry for August 04, 2007 Off we go to Mars again.

Thought they would have a great picture today of the rocket blasting off that is taking the new rover to Mars. It is a robotic rock and ice digger. NASA hopes that it will land by next spring. It will then have the summer sun to power its batteries until winter and then it freeze. It will be landing on the "Artic" of Mars to really look for water in the frozen areas of the planet. Maybe NASA will be able to find out if Mars would be habitable.

I think this is very exciting. We have no such thing as science fiction any more. It all now seems to be science fact. Maybe some day we will populate the galaxy.

So I give you something else but just as beautiful. Who knows maybe someday some form of human animal will be living under these four suns.

2007 July 30

The Four Suns of HD 98800
Illustration Credit:NASA/JPL-Caltech/T. Pyle (SSC)

Explanation:How would it look to have four suns in the sky? Planets of theHD 98800 system, if they exist, would experience such a view. HD 98800 is amultiple star system about 150 light years from Earth -- right in our section of theMilky Way Galaxy. For years it has been known thatHD 98800 consists of two pairs ofdouble stars, with one pair surrounded by a disk of dust. The star pairs are located about 50AU from each other -- in comparison just outside the orbit ofPluto. Recent data from the Earth-trailingSpitzer Space Telescope ininfrared light, however, indicate that the dust disk has gaps that appear consistent with being cleared by planets orbiting in the disk. If so, one planet appears to be orbiting at a distance similar to Mars ofour own Solar System. Picturedabove is an artist's drawing of how theHD 98800 system might appear to a nearby observer.

don't forget to read this with the cursur so you can find the interesting links that I was to lazy to hi-lite.

Susan

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Entry for August 03, 2007/ Summer Friday Five

Today's Summery Friday Five questions are courtesy ofMyk. GREAT summer questions !! For those of you who are having the frigid temperatures, think warm thoughts :D

Fun in the Summer:

1) Beach, lake, pool or other? Well I wish it was a beach which is my favorite since I was brought up mainly by the Atlantic Ocean but since I am in the middle of Arizona now it has to be a pool, which really isn't too bad, don't have to keep an eye out for sharks, ha ha.
2) Floaty, wave runner, paddle boat, canoe/kayak or other? If I could it would be sail boat small big who cares, in the pool I am the floaty. I like nothing better than floating flat on the water, close my eyes and all I can hear is the water. Great stuff.
3) Gas grill or charcoal? Do you have a favorite grilled/charcoaled dish? Most certainly charcoal, I am afraid of gass on a grill. Always afraid something is going to leak and blow up ( so who says I'm narotic?) Well it use to be salmon but since I don't do that any more I am big on veggie bergers and portabello mushrooms with olive oil, yummy.
4) Nude beach or clothed? (have you ever been to a nude/partially nude beach? Feel free to share.) Oh I am a clothed person. any one else can do what they want. I have never really been on a nude beach but when I was in the Netherlands on a beach at the North Sea there were many people running into the water sans clothing. Looked like they were having a good time.
5) Cold beer, mojitos, margaritas or other? Cold Beer. Nothing better on a hot day, and I don't care what it is. I am a Bud woman myself but a nice import never hurt.

Great questions MYK, thanks.

If you would like to participate copy the questions and your answers in your blog, leave a comment on here onThe Friday Five with the link to your blog -just for the next two weeks I'll be running The Friday Five on 'autopilot. I'm sorry for the inconvenience but my son is visiting from Kansas I encourage everyone who can to visit some of the participants pages - we have a great group here ! I'm always amazed at the answers I read.

Remember - NO TIME LIMIT and HAVE FUN !!!

Entry for August 01, 2007Unofficial Poetry Wednesday

Starfish
byEleanor Lerman
This is what life does. It lets you walk up to the store to buy breakfast and the paper, on a stiff knee. It lets you choose the way you have your eggs, your coffee. Then it sits a fisherman down beside you at the counter who say,Last night, the channel was full of starfish. And you wonder, is this a message, finally, or just another day? Life lets you take the dog for a walk down to the pond, where whole generations of biological processes are boiling beneath the mud. Reeds speak to you of the natural world: they whisper, they sing. And herons pass by. Are you old enough to appreciate the moment? Too old? There is movement beneath the water, but it may be nothing. There may be nothing going on. And then life suggests that you remember the years you ran around, the years you developed a shocking lifestyle, advocated careless abandon, owned a chilly heart. Upon reflection, you are genuinely surprised to find how quiet you have become. And then life lets you go home to think about all this. Which you do, for quite a long time. Later, you wake up beside your old love, the one who never had any conditions, the one who waited you out. This is life’s way of letting you know that you are lucky. (It won’t give yousmart orbrave, so you’ll have to settle for lucky.) Because you were born at a good time. Because you were able to listen when people spoke to you. Because you stopped when you should have and started again. So life lets you have a sandwich, and pie for your late night dessert. (Pie for the dog, as well.) And then life sends you back to bed, to dreamland, while outside, the starfish drift through the channel, with smiles on their starry faces as they head out to deep water, to the far and boundless sea.
FromOur Post Soviet History Unfolds by Eleanor Lerman I heard this poem last week on National Public Radio and was overwhelmed. Since then I have been on the case about this woman. Please click on her name and go to the site where you can read some of her other poems and she has her own web site if you Google her. What a brilliant poet she is. Susan