This,That and Something Else!

We are leaving for Little Rock Monday and will be gone for three days. Luckie will be staying at her usual doggy motel, a la veterinarian clinic. She is not fond of boarding even though the attendants seem to love her, with comments like 'she is SUCH a sweet little dog!' (You can tell how distasteful this arrangement is from her picture.)

Hmm, they should visit Luckie on Sunday [Luckie - Home Alone: Graze or Hunt? ].

Saturday my husband chose his Toyota Tacoma and we unloaded a bunch of cash at the dealership. It wasn't his exact dream truck which is harder to find since 2010s are due in September-November.

Also, Saturday we had a lovely young lady, Hannah, 14 years old, come to our house and help me dust, for a donation to her missionary trip. We surprised her with a sizable donation, which we would have given, anyway.

Hannah made it known in our church bulletin she wanted to work for travel money, so we allowed her to dust for two hours. I worked along with her. We feel if teenagers express a desire to work, we should, within reason, accommodate them. Otherwise, they may expect everything to be given them throughout life.

Hannah's work was very helpful, as I am very allergic to dust (mites). My exposure to dust induces asthma attacks, wheezing, etc. This allergy among many others poses a question I have never solved: Do you dust and induce planned asthma, etc., or do you let it lie, and have random asthma attacks, when you move something?

Saturday evening there was an impromptu air show over Bull Shoals Lake and our house. Some hobby airplane club was having a fly-in rally at Gaston's Resort. The demonstration show of Russian and Chinese planes was interesting.

The "operation aborted" seems better, but not cured. Since I use Internet Explorer to browse, too, I encountered several "OAs" on other sites as I played tag in PhotoHunt. At least one person said he got an OA as he left tntchick's PhotoHunt to my blog Saturday.

If it keeps up I'll change to FireFox. I used and loved Netscape Navigator for years and finally followed the world to Internet Explorer.

I'll have my laptop in Little Rock. The motel in which we are staying has free Wireless Internet, so I'll be a happy camper.

Blogger problems

TO MY FOLLOWERS:

Many of you have mentioned difficulty getting into my site. It seems many but not all users of blogspot.com are have the same problem, getting the message, "operation aborted." See

http://mamakatslosinit.blogspot.com/2009/05/operation-aborted-update.html

The last two days I have not been able to use my own blog with any consistency, getting the same message.

According to above link and Blogger help, it seems to be their own widget FOLLOWERS. Much to my regret I have deleted the widget for the time being and hope it helps. If Blogger gets it fixed I'll put it back up.

I will be traveling for the next few days so won't be posting. I may have to switch to Wordpress if it does not clear up.

Here is a quote from Blogger "known problems":

Some users are seeing an 'Operation Aborted' error message when trying to load their blogs from Internet Explorer. We're looking into this and will update this message when we have a fix.We apologize for the inconvenience.

Update (May 26): We are still working on resolving this bug. This only affects viewers using IE to view the blog; for right now, blog owners can either move the Followers gadget lower in their sidebar, or remove it altogether. Either action will eliminate the pop-up dialog box in IE.We will update this post when a fix has been made. — latest update on Thursday, May 21, 2009

Saturday PhotoHunt - Books

BOOKS
Let me see how many kinds of books I can get in a photo:

The BOOK OF BOOKS

Secretarial Handbook

How-To Creative Photography Book

Songbook

Non-Fiction Book

DVD Audio Book

PDA with Microsoft Reader for Books

Notebook

and I missed:

Cookbook

Scrapbook

Netbook

Audio cassette books

Checkbook

Pocketbook

Bookbinder

Bookcase

Bookend

Booking

Bookkeeper

Booklet

Bookmaker - Bookie

Bookmark

Bookplate

Bookstore

Bookworm

Book of Common Prayer

Whew! I'm sure I've missed a few!!!

The Bible Hour Fish Ponds Fiasco

In previous posts Mother's comprehensivet knowledge of Scripture was mentioned. Her teaching techniques were to read us two stories before our afternoon nap (which I often faked). She chose a Bible story and a story from children's literature. My favorite fiction was the wicked little Peter Rabbit. I fantasized about his escapades.

Her favorite Bible story source was Hurlbut's Story of the Bible. [I have the book she used 60-plus years ago!] The Bible story book is written like any storybook, except some of the names were hard to pronounce.

Mother often added "color" to the stories so they came alive. I and my siblings asked penetrating questions about the stories. Mother always had an answer.

After our naps and my faked nap, we would playact some aspect of these stories. Most of our antics were amusing to Mother. We baptized our dolls in the dog's water bowl, served the Last Supper morning, noon and night, and dozens of other child imaginary Biblical scenes.

One of my favorite stories was Gideon and his 300-man army . I did not key in on the "victory of the Lord" with a small army. I was intrigued how Gideon chose his army by the way they drank water from a water source. The chosen men lapped water like a dog from one cupped hand, while the other hand held weapons.

One part of our back yard was off limits to me and my siblings - a fish pond, today's koi pond predecessor. It was about one foot deep with lily pads and goldfish. A net covered the pond so if we accidently fell, the net would prevent us from drowning

I wanted to see if I'd be a good soldier in the Lord's army, so with my dog Snooky by my side I knelt down to try lapping water. I watched the dog, then I tried to mimic his lapping. My little hand would only hold two teaspoonfuls, so I didn't get many laps through the sieve-like hand. Practice did not last long...

Mother caught me in the act, and interceded with a paddling. I was mystified why trying to be a good soldier was wrong. It was the off-limit fish pond, but I thought the Lord's work superceded and negated the fish pond off-limits order. Snooky innocently watched the paddling, but he escaped spanking.

Another fish pond got me trouble. Our city park, two blocks from home, had two fish ponds with a wishing well drinking fountain, all off-limits to me and reinforced every time I went to the park. The park attendant lived on the grounds. His granddaughter and I became friends in the second grade.

I was allowed to walk to the park and play with my friend. I usually carried a toy, or played with hers. One day we baptized our the dolls in the fish pond. I was sure the Lord was proud we knew how to do it and say just the right words.

Alas, when I returned home and proudly told Mother we were doing the Lord's work, [I was no good at lying anyway], it was another paddling, plus I was no longer allowed to go play with my friend in the park. Later her parents bought a home one block from us; I just trotted down the alley to play with her. They had no fish ponds, just cats.

Bible stuff was a puzzlement, when I was very young. Somehow it appeared my parents authority was higher than God's and not vice versa. So much for being called by the Lord.

I wonder if my fish pond excursions caused me to have a great fear of water, as I never learned to swim and have an unhealthy fear of water to this day!

Monday Musings - My First Friend

ETHNICITY

DEFINITION OF ETHNICITY: eth⋅nic⋅i⋅ty [eth-nis-i-tee] –noun, plural -ties.
1. ethnic traits, background, allegiance, or association.
2. an ethnic group: Representatives of several ethnicities were present.
Origin: 1765–75, for earlier sense;ethnic + -ity
Dictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.

This is a true story about wrongly perceived ETHNICITY, as I remember it.

A recent post by Arkansas Patti on her entrance into the public education system, i.e., the first grade to most of us, triggered a number of life lessons I learned, including one in the first grade. By the way, cruise over to the The New Sixty blog of Arkansas Patti, to read her 2-part post about her first grade experience. [FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL, PART TWO--FIRST DAY]

The post triggered my memory of a playground lesson I learned early in my first grade experience, about ethnicity and careless adult conversation influencing children's language and behavior.

To set the stage, I was adopted by a lower middle class conservative Christian family in a small Central Texas town, amid multiple ethnicities, although the majority of citizens were white. The town was segregated, but it escaped the turmoil of other southern and a few southwestern states, probably because there was more than one segregated group. The best adjectives were "equal and separate," but that's not an accurate description, either.

This is a story about ethnicity, not race, as the two main characters are white.

It was 1943 and we were in the middle of the World War II, the war to end all wars....seems history also labeled WW I, the same way--guess WW II was to finish WW I. I remember sitting in front of a beautiful wood console radio/phonograph (78s only), listening to FDR's famous speech after Pearl Harbor.

With this background setting of the times in 1940, I set out to my first year of public school. I had private kindergarten plus some informal home schooling, so I was ahead of many students in my classroom.

However, social interaction was another matter. I was shy and introverted. I was not skilled in playground etiquette. I was the last chosen for Red Rover Come Over, jacks competition, and anything athletic. Give me a sand pile, my dog Snooky, and mud pies. I often played alone, even though I had siblings.

I finally made friends with a little girl whose last name was Rohr, Judith, who also seemed isolated, shy and introverted. The day we bonded in friendship, I skipped home to tell the news to Mother, who was concerned I seemed slow in social interaction. For several weeks, she listened to me regale my conversations with my new friend.
I had a hard time spelling her last name; origins of names was not high on my first grade learning curve. She was to my innocent eyes and mind, like me. We chatted as little girls do, we ate lunch together and hung out on the playground together. I was enchanted to know someone outside my extended family.

My elation and joy ended in tears one day when a playground spat turned ugly. I don't remember the initial reason it turned ugly, but a few participants turned on my friend, calling her a Nazi and Jew hater/killer, reducing her to tears.

My heart broke with hers and I did not understand what the names meant nor remember those words being used at home. I might have heard them on the Philco radio, but not from the lips of my parents.

Crying, I left the playground, not finishing the school day. I ran home, thinking Mother could cure whatever, was wrong. Little did I realize then, she could not solve the world's great social, political and religious problems with a wave of her hand.

She patiently explained to me as best she could to a first grader, the ramifications of war and its effect on the participants and their families. I heard there were other unkind characterizations, like Japs. She also included a few Biblical verses from her vast knowledge of Scripture. She tried to explain there were good and bad people in all kinds of situations.

A whole lot of the conversation I did not understand. She explained I had not made a bad selection of a friend, which was certainly music in my ears. In my distraught, heartbroken mind I thought there was something wrong with my friend and I would have to sever our new-found friendship--at that point my only perceived friend.

She also said the children, using ugly epithets, did not know what they were saying,[ more Scripture], but probably heard adult discussions and repeated what they heard. I was a bit miffed she seemingly took up for them, as I quickly formed the opinion they were "the enemy" for dinigerating my friend.

But one thing she did, stays with me to this day. She immediately called my friend's Mother the same afternoon, saying I still wanted to be friends, and we did not hold such prejudices. She invited the girl into our home. I was thrilled.

Our friendship blossomed as long as my friend attended my school. Later, her home was moved into another district, so she transferred to a different school. Her family moved out of town shortly after the redistricting.

Moving into second grade, I had my friend's unmarried aunt for a teacher. I seemed to have had a special place in the aunt's heart. I believe she knew of the first grade incident.

Thereafter, it seemed relationships, no matter the circumstance, were defined by differences, not similarities.

However, my life as an university student was eye opening and exciting. I attended the University of Texas, a mecca of ethnicities. I had supper prepared for me by a Lebanese man and his girl friend. It was so natural to mix with Europeans, Asians, Africans, etc. I received a degree in Pharmacy and invaluable life degree in intersocial, multi-national relationships.

And I have to confess, I quickly learned I wasn't the smartest cookie on the block. I was routinely outshined by many of the previously mentioned ethnicities!!!

Saturday PhotoHunt - PLASTIC

PLASTIC(S)

Plastic (Recycling)

This photo is not a very original or artistic idea, but recycling PLASTIC is one way to contribute to multiple disciplines and efforts to save our planet and reduce the "greenhouse" effect.

Each type of PLASTIC is marked by a number inside the triangular recycling symbol. The number indicates the type of resin used in the manufacture of PLASTIC.

Recycling PLASTIC in US requires separating recyclables by number and by color. This process is somewhat labor intensive.

After sorting the PLASTIC(s) are transported to a recycling center, or some communities provide curbside pickup.

Unfortunately, the pictured recyclables are headed for the landfill, because the owner would have to transport them over 30 miles, burning more gasoline which also contributes to the greenhouse effect.

Sometimes decisions to recycle are burdened by opposing decisions. Which is the wisest choice?

For more information on recycling PLASTIC see this link on EARTH 911: PLASTIC

For more information on PhotoHunter, Click on icon below:

Little Things Sometimes Bring Joy

Wednesday, husband (H) and best-nearly a sister-friend (BF) went shopping in Springfield, MO. We all had different objectives.

H was big-time looking at a new pick-up, Toyota Tacoma. Although he did not buy, we will be returning in early June, if both of us clear our 6-month health exams.

BF wanted pots for her water lily plants. Despite several stops at nurseries, she came up empty. She will pursue the search on the Internet.

I had two objectives, a 6-quart stockpot ( Dutch oven) and baby bok choy (BBC). I found the pot at Target and the BBC at an Asian food market. [Not acquainted with BBC? Check out Farm Fresh: Grilled Baby Bok Choy]

The baby bok choy was highlight of my day - above Target (stockpot, two hats), above Red Lobster, above Kohl's, above Sam's Club, above all else!

When one decides to diet [my definition: long term food deprivation, controlled starvation], especially Weight Watchers (WW), a truce with vegetables is mandated. The current WW diet is based on a point principle. The dieter is assigned a daily point allowance based on weight at any given time. As weight declines, so do points on which to dine. Most vegetables are ZERO points; e.g. eat all you want all day long! That is enticing to a member of Foodaholics Anonymous!

I intensely dislike most vegetables, especially strong smelling, tasting ones - turnips, parsnips, rutabagas, cabbages, cauliflower, broccoli, brussel sprouts -YUCK! YUCK !YUCKO! I have passing acquaintances with green beans, shelled beans, peas, corn, onions, potatoes, tomatoes, iceberg and Romaine lettuce, sweet peppers. I can tolerate some items on the Yucko list, if slathered with melted cheeses, or concealed with southern-style gravies or rich sauces.

To counter boredom, the bane of dieting, variety in food selection within the boundaries of most diets is required. A few years ago Wal-Mart was selling an interesting Chinese cabbage called BBC, 3/package, which appeared identical to its larger namesake. A simple little recipe on the packaging lured me to try the somewhat pricey babies.

I knew my husband would snub it. If it isn't corn or potatoes, he's not interested. I LOVED it - no strong odors, relatively easy to chop, can be eaten raw, stir fries in a few minutes, stores for long periods of time in refrigerator.

For the rest of that year, I regularly purchased my new-found love, but, come next spring, it was no where to be found in my rural area of Arkansas. Now that I am again participated in controlled starvation, I searched, without success, for BBC at available food supplies within a 50-mi. radius.

I began to think BBC was a Chinese import, banned, when melamine food and drug contamination reared its ugly head. By the way, melamine is in fertilizers used in US agriculture-consider the ramification of that fact.

Eureka! Wednesday was my lucky day! I bought six BBCs and have the hope of future purchases, since H and I will be traipsing to Springfield in pursuit of his dream truck. I am searching for ways to freeze it...maybe blanching, freezing and my food sealer process.

Amazing how little things, like baby bok choy, can elicit joy.

Ten Fries Short of a Happy Meal

Nitwit, dimwit, halfwit, twit....guess you know where I am going with this!

Believe it or not...there are web sites devoted to differentiation between the nuances of these nouns all of which infer a degree of deficiency in intellect and/or common sense. One such site, What Are The Differences Between A "Nitwit", "Halfwit", And A "Dimwit", is one such post on Yahoo Answers and the source of the title of this post - ten fries short of a Happy Meal. When I was younger, we had a similar saying - 'his elevator is stuck in the basement.'

There are at least 29 words which are synonyms or nouns with essentially the same meaning: nimcompoop, ignoramus,dolt, idiot, moron, etc.

A number of my bloggers, siblings and friends have asked why I have chosen a self-depracating screen name of NitWit1. My siblings called me the "egghead" of the family. It is an old family joke, of sorts.

Although raised in a somewhat austere atmosphere where behavior was adjudicated by Mother, she did allow us, at times, to behave like kids goofy, goony, silly. When the silliness's became more than Mother could tolerate, which usually included being too loud for her migraines, she often said, "Stop acting like a bunch of nitwits!"

Nimcompoop and ignoramus were other members of her chiding, but loving vocabulary. "Nitwit" stuck with me all of my 70+ years, and now in my older age, sometimes I think it may be applicable - like when I absentmindedly put the vanilla extract in the freezer, or place my clean lingerie in a different dresser drawer.

In my computer environment, especially Internet and e-mail, it seems a screen name is needed for every activity: 'Please provide a name for this COMPUTER, NETWORK, DISPLAY NAME,' etc. I tired of remembering a myriad of names for three to six computers in the house, including a handheld. Each unit, except my husband's, is NitWit1, NitWit2, etc. An earlier Windows version required your Networks be named; hence Nitwits.

I blame those egghead twits at Microsoft who created this convoluted scheme to mind boggle -dare I say - the dimwits struggling with various versions of the capricious Windows operating system.

I know....too many nitwits, ten fries short of a Happy Meal!

Luckie's Unscheduled SunDAY

Luckie expects an apology from us for disrupting her unorthodox, adventurous Sunday routine.

I do PHOTOHUNT on Saturday; Luckie does a different kind of hunt on Sunday. It's called SUNDAY "TERRORIZE THE HOUSE HUNT." See Catch-up Weekend and Luckie's Latest Sins , Luckie - Home Alone: Graze or Hunt.

Sunday my husband (H) suffered from minor intestinal distress and stayed home, while I attended church services. Usually we regularly attend together.

Because Luckie was not ALONE, she did not receive her usual, huge, sinful stash of dogie treat bribery - our anemic attempt to persuade her to forgo her Sunday adventure of graze and hunt indoors. As I am the designated bribe provider, she displayed pouting behavior to me all day Sunday, until her evening feeding. I guess all is forgiven when the food dish is filled!

She seemed bamboozled the whole day, as if her internal biological calendar and clock had malfunctioned. I hope we don't need a canine psychologist to straighten her out. Maybe she can adjust to adding another day to her weekly calendar, called UnSunDay.

Does she know when SUNDAY comes around? You can bet on it! She sees us both dressing at the same time. She begins impatiently pacing between me and the cabinets holding her treats. I call this canine blackmail. Finally, I dump an humongous serving on the floor as I walk out the door after my husband.

Yesterday, NADA, NOTHING! Starvation mode in full swing. Hope her ego is not scarred for life!

After all, we have a few prerequisites and rules with which Luckie must comply. HA! Fat chance that bucket holds water when our guilt complexes are activated by her deceitfully sweet demeanor.

An Unexpected Award

The Noblesse Oblige Award

Details of Noblesse Oblige Award

The recipient of this award is recognized for the following:

• The Blogger manifests exemplary attitude, respecting the nuances that pervade amongst different cultures and beliefs
• Their Blog contents inspire; strives to encourage, and offers solutions
• There is a clear purpose at the Blog; one that fosters a better understanding on Social, Political, Economic, the Arts, Cultures, Sciences and Beliefs
• The Blog is refreshing and creativeThe Blogger promotes friendship and positive thinking.

The Blogger who receives this award will need to perform the following:

• Create a post with a mention and link to the person who presented the Noblesse Oblige Award
• The Award Conditions must be displayed at the PostWrite a short article about what the Blog has thus far achieved – preferably citing one or more older posts as support
• The Blogger must present the Noblesse Oblige Award in concurrence with the Award conditions- Blogger must display the Award at any location at their Blog.

********

What have I achieved?

As outlined in my "mission statement", otherwise entitled "About Me", I have a restless mind and restless soul, with unlimited interests and curiosity. I perceive blogging as means to explore and study the world from my lift chair.

The goals I have are multi-faceted and on-going. The nice thing about blogging is the ability to change the nature of a blog or create a new blog.

Being a somewhat introverted person, [rare for a small town politician] blogging provides an outlet for expression without reprisal. I expect to retire from the public arena soon for health reasons and tired of politics. Blogging seems a logical avocation.

Using our latest canine acquisition, I introduced her and myself to the blogisphere. I began blogging with Luckie in March, 2009. Luckie's nickname: Meatloaf , How Luckie acquired her name , and in April, Foodaholics Anonymous - Membership of Two .

Sharing personal mistakes in judgment elicited a series of posts on a most unfortunate, exasperating computer purchase entitled Computer from Hell. Saga of The Computer from Hell (CFH), Purchase, Pr...

Blogging is an inspirational outlet for my spiritual vision unencumbered by dogma. Have You Ever Noticed Nature's Lessons?

Sharing my weight loss dilemma with similarly struggling bloggers is another purpose and the encouragement elicited, is welcomed.

But above all else I have "met" the most interesting array of persons and personalities from 'sea to shining sea' and across the seas. Being a cancer survivor, I am amazed many bloggers share that experiences with me. I have met some very accomplished and published writers, who willingly endure my beginning attempts to regale a tale. In PHOTOHUNT I found a new incentive for my photography passion, including 100s of participants.

I received this award from AmberStar at Serenity Days . She and I share a piece of Texas. Many of her posts remind me of my former home and family. Others are downright funny and some are deserving of several "smiley" awards. Visit her site, please.

Sharing an award makes it doubly rewarding because many bloggers have made me smile or empathize in my brief blogging career so I'll pass the award along.

Janine - A free-lance writer who posts very compelling material, which may evoke "sniffles" or "smiles." Her bio and her lack of culinary and housekeeping skills parallels my own. Our husbands should commiserate!

Arkansas Patti - a fellow Arkansan who regales tales of her past with empathy for others, as if the events happened only yesterday, and writes with wit and humor.

Pat - another Arkansan with a love of writing, blogging and photography, and, I might add cats (Luckie likes cats that don't run from her); she has a witty writing style.

Liz - a Wales blogger and her dog whose antics sometimes remind me of Luckie. She is also a writer; check her Wednesday posts.

Lorna - a humourous observation of herself and life around her, both her good and bad days, inexplicably tickles my funny bone

Saturday PhotoHunt - PAINTED

SATURDAY PHOTOHUNT - PAINTED

PAINTED (but peeling)

needs to be PAINTED

painted twice, but needs to be re-PAINTED

needs to be re-PAINTED


needs to be re-PAINTED

spackle PAINTED

sspackle PAINTED

For more information

about PhotoHunt

click here:

Nature and the Human Spirit - Just Surviving, Not Thriving

Today I strolled around our small piece of Ozark Living created by the Master of all Creation. Since I'm allergic to nearly everything, this is an infrequent stroll. I used to do yard work until Mother Nature and I arrived at an impasse.

My husband and I were placing shrubbery for the nursery workers to plant. I pruned a few old shrubs, including a japonica plant (C. Japonica) or flowering quince, which regularly bears small quinces. The fruit turns from green to yellow by autumn. Squirrels and deer love the mature fruit.

I also clipped two short pieces of a wild climbing rose.

The japonica and wild rose plants were on the property when we bought it 29 years ago.

I marvel at the plants' endurance: they continued to bloom and produce fruit, despite neglect - no fertilizer, no insecticides, no pruning, only watered by rainfall. The fruit and flowers might be larger or prettier, if the plants received attention and care. The plants are just surviving, not thriving.

So it is the human spirit and soul.

Have you ever seen persons just getting by, just existing, just enduring 24 hours a day-- just making ends meet---for what. There is no hope, no joy, no love, no karma, no serendipity, no passion or compassion, no expectations, nothing - just surviving, not thriving.

Why?

Sometimes we marvel at people who "keep on keeping on," without considering what they may be missing, for which they may be longing, hoping and desiring. It is possible we slip into this monotonous, endless cycle of life and yell "Stop the world, I want to get off."

Where is the feeding of the human spirit and soul? Where is fuel for future growth and strength? Where is hope? It seems we neglect the spiritual feeding and soul enrichment [fertilizer], some time a little discipline [pruning and insecticides], water [care], for ourselves and also sharing with others. We think, there will be time for that later..but LATER never arrives.

Integrated in this process is a Loving Creator, who will love, care, provide, cultivate, feed and discipline those who humble themselves before Him; He prepares us to live in the New Eden.

We should be thriving, not just surviving!

Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he will lift you up. James 4:10

Luckie and I Are Conducting Our Own Opinion Poll!!

Luckie probably is an unwilling participant as she hates it when I stick the camera in her face.

But I'm entitled. Everywhere I go somebody is conducting a poll: who will win the SUPERBOWL-wasn't the Dallas Cowboys, hmmm. Win the Kentucky Derby? Win NBA title? Opinions on Obama's campaign promises vs. reality? Do you have a LCD TV? Even the local print newspaper's on-line site has daily opinion polls on local, area, state and national issues.

I am contemplating a new camera and lens and may sell present Nikon D50 [6.1 megapixel] with a Tamron zoom lens, or I may just buy another lens.

Being a techie and having owned advanced amateur cameras most of my life, I do like the Nikon brand (2), but have owned at least one Canon. I love full digital cameras with both automatic and manual, or semi-manual controls. Lots of gizmos!

A number of you fellow bloggers do a lot of close-up work which I would love to do better, but the closeup of the Tamron zoom is about 12-17" from subject which is somewhat limiting if it is an ant or bee or other small creature.

So give me some ideas of what you use, not necessarily brands.

As a footnote, cat scan went smoothly today, thanks to my "advanced" planning.

WEIGH-IN WEDNESDAY

Just a brief post since I have am off to nearby Mountain Home for some medical tests today. See you later after my crisis management days are over, or maybe sooner.

I gained 1/2 lb. but not surprised, after eating out Friday. Then my husband surprisingly cooked T-Bones for 5 persons yesterday. Beef "weighs" heavy if eaten the day before weigh-in. The reasons for this would be too much information for this blog!!!

The clouds are gathering for more rain, so best get moving.

LATER: I made it to Mountain Home and back without storms, but have to return again today to register as outpatient at hospital for the cat-scan and blood work.

The oncologist's nurse has asked me to stop in this afternoon to see if we
can resolve my vein dilemma, since my orders include two vein procedures and I have only one reliable, easily accessible vein.

I hate these so-called minimumly invasive procedures; there is no such thing. I am a person of minuscule veins, anything called a needle seems like medieval torture. One puncture wound is never enough for these vein-busting grinches.

I wish I were a porcupine; I'd fire several spine needles back at these Mafia bloodsucking, blood thirsty leeches who are tortuous agents of bruises and pain.

Moody Monday

Mondays for my retiree status is like any other day--none of the usual work-day stress associated with Mondays, except occasionally.

Besides TeleCare today, I have three days of medical tests: Wednesday - mammogram and bone density scan; Thursday - blood work and cat scan of lungs for a small nodule my oncologist is following; and Friday - the proverbial INR/PT finger prick with brief physician appointment. Then a week from today (next Monday) I see the oncologist for results of blood work and cat scan and another physician appointment for allergy shot.

Thank goodness I have a shopping trip to the "big city" of Springfield, MO next week. I love to leave the mountains, only for awhile, go to where I can find items that are unavailable nearby smaller communities.

Anyone who has had cancer knows these follow-ups are approached with apprehension, even a 13 year kidney cancer survivor. I am feeling so great since dropping 21 lbs. and participating in a modest exercise program, but I've had some irregular blood work.

I'm lecturing myself into a positive attitude.... and filling my empty time with busy work and exercise.

Several on my blog log are battling similar problems, some worst than others. Maybe this blogging is some kind of therapy!

I seek some comfort in verses from my religious background.

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. [Matthew 6:34]

Saturday PhotoHunt - In Memory

IN MEMORY

The now deceased friend who gave me this bentwood rocker,

a Wal-Mart special, because I regretted not purchasing

an original designed bentwood rocker in Morocco.

My Mother who rocked three children in a green,

covered wire weaved rocker, often two at a time,

and read them Bible stories in the process.

Two unmarried, great aunts (and sisters) who moved to Texas

with my, then infant , Mother, in the early 1900s,

had rocking chairs on the front and back porches,

and inside of their modest home.

My husband's Mother who mothered four children,

under adverse conditions

(and buried one child prematurely).

The Empty Chair-

in familiar rooms,

at family holiday gatherings,

at quilting circles,

of estranged friends or family members,

at coffee klatches,

at bedside of a sick or dying friends,

at wedding receptions,

at group support meetings,

in churches and classrooms,

at fellowship gatherings,

or Life Group meetings.

Is it your chair?

The Painting the wall -

A French watercolor by an unknown Parisian street artist

given me by a French woman who worked with me in

the Navy Exchange Accounting office, Kenitra, Morocco.

GET ME TO THE GYM IN A HURRY!

Those of us who belong to Foodaholics Anonymous suffer from an array of compulsive disorders to befuddle the best of psychoanalysts. I can identify a few of mine and maybe one of Luckie's.

**Luckie probably was garbage hound, as her alleged history is abuse and neglect. Sometimes, a stray, she had to provide for herself and her litters. The animal motherly instinct of survival is strong.

1. I was never starved. My childhood family of five always had food on the table. Admittedly, we had to share, like portions of one round steak. Sometimes, it seemed my dad and brother got the best and larger portions, but I was a somewhat selfish, oldest-child-brat.

2. I hate making difficult or distasteful decisions, so I eat something, while I ponder away the time period I could have accomplished the tasks. Sometimes, these are common everyday decisions like dust, file, cook or vacuum. I dislike all these tasks. Add to that anything outdoors. Allergies complicate my dislikes.

3. Night-time binges, which begin after 10 p.m. and continue well past midnight, are compulsive. I have no explanation for them, and often don't remember unless there is evidence the next morning, like empty boxes, dirty bowls, etc. [I almost never binge during daylight hours--go figure.]

Maybe, I sympathized with a blogger who had a bad day, seemingly fueled by the sugar booger, or, maybe my consumption of fruit and two Fiber One Oat and Caramel bars yesterday, fueled the impending binge. NAH, probably my stupid excuse and ultimately, coincidence?!
I had a healthy late snack of strawberries, yogurt and wheat germ with Splenda and a Splenda sweetened strawberry glaze. all within my diet guidelines. I also had fruit earlier, blackberries and blueberries for lunch, sweetened with Splenda and some wheat germ for crunch. Too much fruit (natural sugar)? Too much Splenda? The two Fiber One bars were very sweet; they may be the fueling sugar boogers.

Then the binge began. Out came the peanut butter and Wheat Thins Fiber Select. This morning the box is almost empty, but peanut butter jar is not--one tiny gleam of hope!

Some nutritionists and other diet "experts" claim artificial sweeteners in excess fuel the metabolism to crave sugar. Maybe true, but I think the craving is a mental aberration.

All I can do is to get back up, dust myself off, and get to the gym in a hurry!

WEDNESDAY'S WAIT AND WEIGHT WARS

"GOOD THINGS COME TO THOSE WHO WEIGHT, OOPS,WAIT! "

The scale and I are adversaries - maybe that's not the best metaphor. Maybe the scale is a necessary evil in this journey. Unfortunately, it is a necessary tool.

Wednesday's weigh-in produced a one lbs. loss - maybe the ignominious plateau is crumbling. It certainly is trying my patience as I perceive myself on controlled starvation.

Truthfully, at my age,calories are burned less efficiently and the activities which expedite the use of calories, i.e., increased physical activities, are slowed by old age aches, pains, and chronic illnesses.

But the moral of the adage, is PATIENCE, a virtue in which I am extremely deficient.

Meanwhile Luckie is enjoying her svelte figure and I am still WAITING... impatiently.

Our Babies

We just adopted five babies Tuesday -- actually 3 babies and 2 toddlers. There will be 8-9 more additions soon.

No, at 72+ years, we are not following in the footsteps of Father Abraham and wife, Sarah.

But we have baby trees and shrubs to nurture, instead of aged red oaks. I counted the rings of one red oak we lost and quit after 90. I may retry with a magnifying glass.

Here are the our new adoptions:

1. The Japanese Red Maple is nearly a new born. Its deep burgundy leaves remain the same color during the growing season.

2. Our "terrific two" twins are Crepe Myrtles. Their color is not known as their tags were missing, but it is thought to be one purple and one white; it will be a surprise when they bloom!

3. Then we have two toddlers: an Eastern Redbud, and a Red Dogwood.

4. These plant photos are non-descript, plain, even downright ugly and boring. But when they are old enough to flower, the wait and anticipation is worth it. Below are some samples of Crepe Myrtle, Red Dogwood, and Eastern Redbud .