Spooky indeed

This is a reply to a comment by k on a previous post HERE:

Those Mayans are spooky little people. heehee. Just kidding.  They are actually amazing.  So amazing!

The aggressive can try to annihilate them but the Mayans never give up.  It's a good thing, too!  We are all richer for their having survived so many waves of invaders, with their stories, intact, of what is real and what is not.  It also helps archaeologists to piece together the migrations described by the Hopi, for instance.

The Hero Twins are also in the Navajo traditions but much later.  This isn't so surprising as Native Americans moved freely around North America even after the borders were established by Americans.  I think of  The Book of Hopi also, where their migrations are described, since the Mayan cities were abandoned no one knows when.  The Hopi verbal traditions also contain Hero Twins.  See Mayan and Hopi Hero Twins

I hope that someone keeps doing DNA studies of all the tribes, too, as well as linguistic studies.  If I were young.....

Music Monday... So What if I Can"

Marc Sibilia, "So What if I Can".

I love the guitar in this but I can't figure out how he has it bridged.  It looks like there are two different ones.



I can't help loving this new songster or  stop putting these up even though they are so sad sounding.  

Friday ended up to be a marathon day, and I paid for it.  What would have normally just been a little soreness in my legs from fitness ended up being quads so stiff that I can barely walk.  I'm old enough to know better!

The last time this happened was when President Eisenhower decided that all American Youth had to be tested for agility and strength.  I was able to do everything required except that stupid exercise where you grab your one leg behind your back at the foot, kneel to the ground with your knee, and straighten back up again all with the strength in the opposite leg.  It was something truly idiotic to expect anyone who hadn't trained for that to do.  Believe me, this will never happen to me again. I'm not a kid anymore and should know better, doncha think?  hehe

 Something very nice.  I'm going to make purses.  This is something I've wanted to do for ages, since the very first ones I made for a show in the late 70's.  My SIL and I set up a table in Old Town, her dolls and my tricky little purses.  This is one of the patterns I'm making them from, not for sale this time but as gifts.  I will make a lot of pink ones.

McCall's New Old Fashion, and Cute as a button, too.

 
Are they not sweet?  With fourDD's and several nieces and grand nieces, I think this is lots easier on the old hands than a quilt for each of them, and it will be a lot more fun.  Think of the possibilities as knitting bags, too!

Have a great week, starting with Monday.  Practice Peace for yourself.  And, remember, you deserve some Peace in your life.  You deserve to take some time in a day to make Peace in your life.  It's not selfish.  Peace is like the proverbial stone cast into a pool.  As the waves radiate out, Peace in your mind goes out just like the waves from the stone dropped into a pool, the waves wider and softer as they radiate from you to those around you.  Imagine all the Love around you, from everywhere; the powerful emotion of Love never stops flowing to you.  Sufi mystics know this, all mystics know this.  It's there, universal and free flowing.

There's no good news today, I regret to say, but plenty of controversy!

Are we all just running around a Holodeck?

I spent the last half of Saturday watching "Breaking the Maya Code", a wonderful documentary based on the book of the same name, and which naturally led me to watch "Afterlife", where a couple of doctors who wanted to ride some sort of ego wave congratulated themselves in being "scientific" and "pioneers" of research into near death experiences, so called NDE.

Of course they were not, as that honor belongs to Elisabeth Kupler-Ross, and she's dead and can't defend herself.  So she garnered no a single word of praise from the duo, though they really should have at least given her a nod while plugging all their books.  And, what about Edgar Cayce, who also studied Near Death Experiences clear back in the late 30's?  But, then, Kubler-Ross was a psychiatrist and Cayce a lowly Psychic.  Additionally, if the NDE really does help you get over the lust for fame and money, the makers of the film should have shown that they actually Got it!  What I've learned in a life time of study is that such an experience truly does change you.

I now believe, more than every before, that it's best to forgive it all..  All of it.  We've been paying each other back for hundreds of thousands of years, and it doesn't look like it's going to change anytime soon.  And, as we all well know, Payback is a Bitch.

So, What's the Good News for Sunday?  Let's try that thing, "Pay it forward"!  Let's be nice to strangers because in this way some have "entertained Angels unawares". 

PS.  About Guatemala, where most of the Mayans in the above film live.  Howard Hunt - see the Rolling Stone Article HERE - was once quoted as saying, "We wanted to terrorize the country", when describing what was done.  That's when Father Bill Wood's plane was blown up in mid- air, I imagine.  I remember when that happened.

And no, I'm not showing off, I am a little p*ssed off.  I want to find that software for the Mayan Glyphs and can't find a site that isn't connected with astrology.  Who cares about that?

Let's see, Good News... Well, the testimonials in the movie are good and honest ones.  It's still worth watching.  I'm still not sure it isn't something from the Christian Right, so be warned.

Don't forgot to look up if you hear something coming your way from Space!  They are coming for us, maybe.  I mean I hope they are...

This cloud vaguely resembles a Heart shape, yes?

I should get some sleep!  Good night!

Este YouTube es en Español,y es muy Bonita! I think you'll like it. 'Tis Baltimore Oriole.

Pretty, No?

Matilda's Solo, Saturday Komeekz and chit chat

First Matilda. If this doesn't turn out to be some sort of scam, it's an amazing miracle that someone her age (94) can still dance like this. I'd click through to YouTube site for the best look at this amazing performance.  Whoot!

Saturday Komeekz from "The Other Coast". I really enjoy this cartoonist.

Almost a Wolf

 This cartoon really struck my funny bone.  And reminded me of a few things.

Wolfie doesn't actually get to eat AT the table because Jazzie never did.  Some of you may remember the series called, "The Resident Magistrate" and Lady Whozeewatzit's dog Balthazar, who sat AT table with her when ever the Magistrate and his wife dined at the Manor House.  I thought it was hilarious. 

Jazz and Wolfie are the only two house dogs I've ever had in my life, so this situation had never come up before J.  But we have reached a compromise with those big brown eyes.  Seen over the edge of your arm while you chomp down on some tasty morsel, those big brown eyes cannot be ignored.

We considered Wolfie's past of want, terror, and likely desperation while slowly starving when he was feral, and we came up with a compromise.  He gets tiny bits of his own "cookie" treats fed to him, first from DH and then from me,  while we eat our own good smelling stuff.

Wolf is absolutely the sweetest little guy, as he patiently waits for his nightly hand outs.  And I don't give a frack about what my mil thinks of it.  This is our little dog and our solution to bury forever the fears and insecurities of a being who went hungry for so long that he almost died.  He's part of our "pack" now and we treat him like the valued associate that he is.  He also sleeps on the bed, and we could never, ever do anything differently.

Today at my sister's house she nixed the rose trimming idea, and pointed out how uneven the ground around them is, as well as how steeply it slopes into a roadway.  I saw the truth in this, so the roses are on their own.  It makes me sad because they are so beautiful and someone has really hacked a few up very badly when "picking" them (tearing off a stem) for their own use.  It appears that the Life for a rose is not all beauty either?  Some people are really selfish.


Good night and Happy Weekend!

Friday Fill in... Knitting blah blah.

1. Ah, me...Friday already?
2. Healing the heart is what's on my mind the most, lately.
3. When I talk to my best friend, we concentrate on the words of Wise men from the past.
4. Nature and being out in it is what's working for me lately.
5. I recently saw a beautiful little bird called a Lawrence's Gold Finch in our garden.
6. Since I've only seen one of these birds twice in my life, it fills me with joy!
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to having fun with friends, tomorrow my plans include shopping for a special pattern and Sunday, I want to work in the Garden a little bit!

The knitting report.  The KAL starts on May 1st.  I'll also do ten minutes a day on the other WIPs, so that the patterns will stay fresh in my mind.  Two of them are a little complicated - the Pi Shawl and the Aran Sweater.  I usually do not quit in anything, but these had me stalled.  fran's ten minute rule has worked before, and I bet that it will again.  I will update here and in the forums.

Tomorrow I go see my sister and will take some more cookies for a nice tea and a chin wag.  I'm going to make her a picture record of all the roses in her complex, so that she will know them when they bloom.  The gardeners there do the best they can but I will also help her to keep them trimmed and such.  We both love roses so much that it will be a pleasure.  She can take a chair out and sit while I prune them.

Life is good, and life is for loving.  There's just no other reason to be alive.  Time has proven that is true.  Mankind fails completely when they forget that riches are not the reason.  Love, and caring for others,are the best reasons for being alive.

Wild birds need wild foods, so we provide them during migration

This photo shows one of the reasons we have so many bird species visiting the garden.  When we change this during the summer, I will put out bird feeders for the finches and for the Orioles.  I'll also make sure they have two good sources of water well above the level of ground predators.   These native grasses are also good for our tortoises, though they do love the roses inordinately!  Of course, roses are like cake to them and very good for them, too.

Have a great weekend!  If you need rain, I hope that you get it!  We've gotten another rain storm and we desperately need to get out of this drought, so we are happy here in SoCal.  This storm could be headed your way any time now!

Rose snaps, Sky Watcher, Ample Harvest Spread the word....

A way to help the hungry right in your own community!   Ample Harvest

I just heard about this, (thanks Ele) and it is very timely since many are putting in veggie gardens at the moment, or will very soon.  All local and a brilliant idea!  Heroes for the Planet Award! 

I was out and about yesterday.  All the roses, everywhere, are gloriously blooming.  This is White Delight, at my sister's place.  As I was leaving we went to the bushes to take snaps, and I picked her a rose bud from this one, and was rewarded with a smile and a whispered, "Thank you", as I drove away.  This is a big uptick from the last two partings, that were tearful. 

White Delight

And this is a tiny mini rose but absolutely perfect.  It's called Lavender Mist, and is only 2 inches at the widest.

Lavender Mist

And we are going to get a rain storm.  This is how it looked on the way to my sister's house this morning.

Beautiful Cloudy sky!  In the early evening I went outside and watched the next portion of clouds blowing in from the South.  Whipping wind and wonderful clouds moved in layers above my head.  I love watching storms blow in.  It makes me feel very alive and part of the whole atmosphere!  The only thing better would be to be out on the ocean, running in before the storm.  Exhilarating!

Yay Bisque! Yay Knitting KAL!

Almost there.  More detail will be airbrushed into it as well.  The pumpkins will not stay white, and the rest of the stuff will get clear glaze which will darken the colors.  I'm happy the way the base of the house came out, like granite.  I dry tapped white with black, using the little piece of sponge to do it..  It's been fun, and now that it's in bisque and infinitely less fragile, I'm breathing a lot better.

The colors get much more vibrant after the glaze fire.  The fog and turtles are destined for the garden.

Look at the temptation that has been thrown down, at my feet, like the proverbial Gauntlet:

Mayco Crystalite Glazes.   This is going to be very painful...

Be Warned: The post turned into a craft seller's rant:

{begin rant} I don't think I'll escape anytime soon from Ceramics.  I can't resist the colors,especially the newer ones. What will I do with all this stuff?  It can't easily be shipped or I'd be doing that.  It can't be sold for the time and materials, since China flooded the market, and killed American craft clear back to the Heartland -at least as far as Branson, Missouri.  I have my spies.  When I go into JoAnns or Michaels, I see trashy, low quality and badly decorated things that friends used to make so beautifully, sitting on the shelves for 40% off, and it's probably still making a profit. {end rant}

In order to escape the knitting funk, I've joined a Ravelry KAL, planning to knit short fingered gloves  for my DD, as well as to pick up and knit the Noro Sweater.  Of course, if I don't cast on and knit that second sock, second sock syndrome could hit and the pair could be my first sock-mate fatality.  So that's iin the KAL also.  The Hedgerow pattern is too lovely to not be in my own sock drawer.  I've knit two pairs before, at least I think it was two pair.  I'm losing track!

Life got way, WAY too busy for me.  I've needed peace and quiet for a very long time in life, and had it.  You could say I'm lucky to have had that much, considering the state of most of the world for most people.

I am happy to help my sister but with ceramics and two days to gym and two days with my sister, I feel like I'm starting to meet myself coming and going.  I can't settle for more than a few minutes and that's not good.  I think it's time for this Senior Hyperactivity to stop!  It's time to just go down to the Sea and look out over the eternal Ocean, watch the waves washing ashore and catch the ions floating up off them.  Time to listen to waves crashing.  Let the Spirit whose hand shaped everything just come and make it's home in my heart again.

Bits and pieces of my life...

I'll show you my favorite brushes first.  And no, I sure the heck am not knitting at the moment.  I'm hoping for something to light that fire, and soon!  Anyway, I introduce you to my hands down favorite brushes.

These are my go to brushes for ceramic painting and for watercolor.  I have big mops for the washes and for  clear glazing but they aren't very interesting at all.  The only other brushes that I use are Chinese Calligraphy brushes that I really love, and I use those for Sumi-E painting.  It looks spectacular on ceramics as well as on paper.

Then some favorite vegetables that no one even thinks of as vegetables.  But they taste like asparagus when properly prepared by boiling and then get even better when sautéed with green onions.

Nopalitos

Here's how to make them. 

Sorry about the white letters on black.  It's a guy, what can I say?  But he doesn't do the sissy thing about heavy gloves, etc.  If you get these young enough to eat them, they have few spines and you can see what you are up against the instant you see them.  And, he cooks and serves them the proper way, meaning the way I was taught to.  He doesn't call them Nopalitos like my Aunts, but many foods have regional names.  I think it means something like 'Little Paddles" or something.  The Opuntia cactus "leaves" are called paddles in the botanical literature. 

Anyway, boiled then fried with green onions, they are delicious!  We grew these. 

And the last thing for the day is these little darlings:

Yellow flowering mammillaria elongata

They are like the pinks, same cactus but are yellow flowering.  Make everything big when looking at these flowers so you can see how enchanting they are.

Today the big ceramic piece comes out of the kiln and home.  I am going to work on it the rest of the way, here, where I have an air brush to do some shading.

I wish you a very good week, with enough of the good things like friendship, laughter, smiles, sunrises and sunsets, and enough things to eat, and a roof over your head.  You know what I mean, all the important stuff.  Blessings!  And good night!  I have to be up early!  Well, relatively speaking.

A Single entry...NaPoWriMo

Forever

In the Heart of my eyes,
An Immortal Being no longer close to death,
And with no disguise.
You climb towards your invisible sun,
To live there, forever, alive.

For my mother, and for Jazzie

Music Monday, and another BP Cover -up exposé, all in one post! Sorry,

 Really, this Is Music Monday, and I have a lovely song by Chet Atkins with Dolly Parton.  Enjoy!





This next thing will curl your hair but it's worth it to read just how little the big money boys think of anything but themselves.

http://ecowatch.org/2012/bpcoverup/


EcoWatch finally compiled a complete report on what fancy footwork British Petroleum has been doing to get approval for drilling in other places with the same dangerous procedures.  They slipped their lies right past the Senate and all the regulators who get big money for making sure something like the Gulf Spill did not occur.  Great Job, Washington DC!

Well, it's past my bedtime, so I'll say good night.

Sunday, Happy News Day

Links to some amazing things to ease the heart.
 
Kitten Gets New Legs and Lease on Life | ABC News Blogs - Yahoo! News

OOooo, Mitt Romney speaks Hollywoodeze? Saturday Komeekz!

 From here... http://xkcd.com/1044/  On line Komeekz!  Thanks L. for the funny.

Charlie actually delivered the Medicare line almost verbatim in the 1971 movie's Fizzy Lifting Drink scene, but it was ultimately cut from the final release.

Paton's baby blanket pattern, Saturday Komeekz, and Starry Lane Bakery

To HECK with the blanket, I want that Bebé!  I like the blanket enough to crochet it.  But I really do want one of those little Bebé!   Gorgeous Baby on a blanket


And the Saturday Komeekz:

Six Chix... It never disappoints!

This is how I feel when I eat my own breakfast, almost.

Friday was a short marathon.  First Fitness, where we discussed Socrates, and whether "Might makes Right" while I lifted puny weights with my puny pecs, then we went on to my sister's,stopping first at a brand new (well, November of last year) Vegan Bakery for cookies.  Yum!  Starry Lane Bakery.    Wowzer!  Vegan Delicious! It's a ♥♥♥♥♥  Five heart Bakery! 

Cookies: Linzer torte, Iced Star Sugar, Double Chocolate chip/ Oatmeal

The linzer torte cookie lost part of it's dusting in the bag.  The Macaroon, which you didn't get to see, melts in your mouth.  I ate it before I could immortalize it.  Lovely.

Then it was Home after a big BIG chin wag at the Pharmacy.  Computerized records, what can I say?!  I hope that a long standing problem of just years and years will finally be resolved.  DH got involved, and when we sat down to wait, he said, "Did I get enough attention?!?"   They called tonight, and I think this problem is over for good.  The two people involved, the prescribing doctor and the pharmacist just HAVE to talk to one another.  There is no way a computer can do this job, no matter how sophisticated it is made to be. 

Then DH made this calming plate of salad for our dinner:

Lovely BIG  Made at home Tuna Salad with dried cranberries and black olives

And then we relaxed into the comfy chairs after we swatted monsters for their feathers in a dungeon, to make arrows.  We love our clansman!   I'm not a true gamer, but I love this one particular little funny game.  They just need to add knitting to it, and it will be perfect because you can already spin yarn and weave cloth and bake apple pies and pizza!  What's not to like?

Have a great weekend!  I'll pray for more rain for us all.  Not too much rain, but enough. 

Friday Fill-ins

Here we go again.  Wheee!

1. Vegetables are best when stir-fried or grilled.

2. I love mason jars; They can hold jam or pickles or even my grandmother's button collection.

3. How wonderful it is to have the luxury of reading with my feet up, with a cup of tea.

4. A Suitable Boy   is a book I'd love to recommend.

5. Using leftovers: I like to make cottage fries with left over baked potatoes.

6. Seeing my kids makes me incredibly happy!

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to a work out and visiting my sister again; tomorrow my plans include starting another sock and watching some Midsomer Murder mysteries, and Sunday I want to water my garden pots and take a picture of the tiny yellow Mammillaria elongata that is blooming!

Spring garden doings, and Six months of steady progress on the knee. Long post

As promised, the Six Month Knee report:

Today marks 6 months since knee replacement, and just about a week ago I told DH that it finally felt like part of my body.  No longer a foreigner, but part of the family of multi-cellular beings that co-habitate, like interdependent villages, the interior under a human's skin.  We think of ourselves as whole and as "persons" but we are really inland oceans where billions of one celled creatures make deals with each other to keep things running properly.  No one cell collective or polyp is less important than any other.  Well, maybe that funny little pointed appendix is worthless.  But that may even have a reason for being resident at the end of the road where it is.  Maybe it collects odd bits when we are very young, and tucks them safely away to be remade into proper citizens within, say, a lung.

 I'll try to get a before and after picture of the "Old Busted" and the "New Hotness" up here in the morning.

Anyway, the metal and plastic of the new knee have been well plastered over with familiar building material,, and it now has the look and feel of home.  No more are the white cells becoming incensed by the presence of polymers they've never seen before or hard shiny metal where once was a crook knee part they pampered along.  This all means that they have stopped puffing up, and making very hot, the "stranger" in the midst of their small world.  Their screaming cries of, "What the hell IS that?",  have been replaced by, "Oh Sistaaaa!"

This is the next morning.  

Old Busted knee

October last year

After Surgery-very messy lower leg

(Not exactly) New..

lots straighter, lots ugly

 There's still a lot of scaring on the lower leg, from that uncommon, but not unknown, reaction I had to whatever, but the knee is sturdy and strong and that crooked leg is now a lot straighter.  Thank God for great surgeons and all the staff at Scripps Green!

So, what's new in the zoo for all of you?

We went to Starbucks and hauled home about 15 pounds of used coffee grounds for the composters.  Also, the roses are blooming like crazy and the gorgeous yellow Bearded Iris is up and displaying her dainty ruffles. Earlier, when we were driving out that day, a baby ground squirrel was being accosted by a fledgeling crow who wanted what baby ground squirrel had for breakfast.  What it had in it's tiny mouth looked an awful lot like dead leaves held together with something very unpleasant but it was enough to set the Crow tracking the semi-defenseless little rodent with an eye to stealing it's grotty meal.  Of  course I was rooting for the ground squirrel.   It's a mammal and there are just too many crows now.

Yesterday I visited my sister.  We spent some time trying to figure out the remotes, and finally she called her hubby to help.  He gave her the detailed rundown of sequences of buttons to push, and we then were able to watch the first three episodes of Downton Abbey Season two.  So many arch villians - Bate's wife, Thomas, and O'Brien - to keep track of while wondering if Cora has a brain in her body.  All and all we had a pretty good time.  When we watch more episodes, we'll wear big hats and have cookies and tea, just for fun. Want to see how truly HOT O'Brien actually is?  Lookie!
My sister and I speculated that she was, and there's the proof.



I'm not knitting at all.  But I went for a tramp around Office depot, which was a dead place.  And around the burgeoning garden to take pictures of flowers. 

Temporary stand for the birdbath

Yellow Bearded Bi-Color

Newly positioned cold composter, sans lid.  The other one will follow it to this spot soon.

Survivor Giant Onion.  Something ate the top off the other one.  I was a little peeved.

All the rain has really made the potted geraniums happy.  Sunflare is in the background, blooming her head off.

Giant, in the ground, gently pink Geranium.  The rains have made it very happy, too.

Gas prices may be over 5$ a gallon, and if so, summer is going to be spent at home with a few excursions to see the new building at Point Loma Seafood and flowers at the Botanical Gardens.  If you come here you must see this newly rebuilt place.  They sell very fresh  fish and shell fish, and serve some of the best seafood dinners and sandwiches on the Planet.

Ceramic News and a Quirky Paraprozdokian line...

The tall beast of a Halloween item went into the kiln yesterday, having traveled safely from home and into the club room.  I put it in myself because I think no one else wanted to touch it.  I can't say I blamed them!

This quote from a large group of things called Paraprozdokians made me giggle.  I'll be sharing them out from time to time, and collecting more, too.  It's always good to share a laugh, especially in the morning.

" There's a fine line between cuddling and holding someone down so they can't get away."

Thanks to fun loving Joanne, my fellow Singer Sewing Machine enthusiast and former BB pal from SewingWorld, who sent me the list.

More Ceramics!  This is a new pic.  I did a minimal decor shift for Easter, and we didn't decorate eggs.  I found that I missed eating them.  It's sort of a buzz to reach into an egg carton in the fridge and be able to select a snack from mult-colored hard cooked eggs!  These are inedible.  On the other hand, I could drip honey on them and lick it off.  Hmmm?

I must make more of these Beautiful things.

Le Chat Noir...

hehehe      Thank you Gee!

Bad Start to a good week - painting engobes Music Monday

I've been up since 3 am.  What follows is sometimes incoherent blather... be warned.

The dog, who is usually a good kid, has been waking me up with his whining and cries in the middle of the night.  Since I don't get to sleep until after midnight and rarely before 1 am, this is a big problem!  Today I'm exhausted and will miss my workout at the gym.  I have such a good time there, pushing my arms to the limit and learning to stand and sit up straight to the point that I've regained some of my height!  My trainer, who looks like a Buddhist monk, is really good at this training thing, and has helped me so much.  I just adore him. 

Now, onto work!  I mixed up my own colors for this green out of four commercial engobes.  Hopefully, because the few companies still in hobby ceramics have standardized their clay bodies to the point that you can use their glazes and under-glazes virtually interchangeably, it's taken the guess work out of throwing three colors of half jars together with one full one, to make enough of a new color to paint a big piece.  The clay body, in this case, slip, has to match the shrinkage of the clay underglaze that is mixed into engobes.  This is so that they don't pop off of it in the kiln due to unequal shrinkage. 

I also made a custom colors for the browns, so we will see what we will see!   I still have another coat of green to add to the top leaves.  The roof and base (foundation)of the birdhouse has to be painted, and the backside of the base where the tree grows out of the rock.  Being a rock hound you would think I could decide what sort of rock, but I am stymied!  (I decided on a gray granite effect)

Three coats are now all finished,

I still have another coat of green to add to the top leaves, roof, and the base where the tree trunk comes out of the rock.  You would think that my being a rock hound would help me to decide what sort of rock, but I am stymied!  The pumpkins are bare as they will receive glaze coats after bisque fire and in the final fire. 
The pumpkins are left white so that a glaze can be put on them after the bisque fire.

UPDATE:  I plugged in the finished pictures.  This goes into the kiln tomorrow or I quit ceramics.

I decided to make the rock and foundation gray granite 

The colors will be much more vibrant once they are fired and a the final clear glaze fired over all.  I think it's time to re-acquaint myself to the air brush.  An airbrush helps to add dimension to what otherwise would be a flat looking surface, except for delicate shadows formed by the shaping.
 
 If I were a young person, I'd have made my own mold designs by now.  It's very easy to do but hard on a scatty old woman who mumbles to herself - since she has no cat - and has been mistaken for a witch at times.

Yes, this happened in the heady days of rock radio and being up all night talking to DJs.  Well, it's Monday and I'll go look for a Music Video.  That little confession does not count as Music Monday.

 
I am not knitting.  I have second sock syndrome.  What can I say?  I'm gritting my teeth when I think of knitting.  It's a very sad case of knitter's block.

More Marc Scibilia



For the loving people in the world whom others look down upon.   Love is the closest thing we have to magic.  It's a movie line, but it's a lovely line.  Danny D, I love you, you funny little man!  Jesse, my beautiful green eyed cousin, I will love you forever, too!

"Ocean of Pearls"

One World... in the interest of inner peace, and thereby world Peace.

We watched this beautiful film last night.  It's not new, having been released in 2008, or so.  I tried to find it free on line, as I'd heard it was available.  Alas, I did not find it.  But, it's available through Netflix!

The story is fiction, or so the opening credits say.  About 15 minutes into the film the real journey- a path to inner peace- begins for Amrit Singh, the main character.  He is a young Canadian surgeon who has come to Detroit to present a revolutionary new method of keeping donor organs viable for transplant many hours longer.  He's also one of the top transplant surgeons in the world.   It's quite easy to see the film is not actually fiction when an all too familiar "mugging" takes place, and the main character is robbed of his revolutionary work by a heartless crew of Hospital Administrators.  But do not be alarmed.  The message goes well beyond this act of piracy. 

The word for God in the Sikh religion means Truth in English.  And please be sure to watch, and listen, to the credits at the end.  The art and the music are gorgeous, and so is the part of the message, : "We are All One".  That is, indeed, the message on which the Sikh religion was founded.

Ocean of Pearls

Friday Fill-ins and Flickriver

Here we go again.  :)

1. Speed is for Speedways.
2. Quiet is what I've been looking forward to!
3. One of the things I like most about traveling is waking up early and seeing the Sunrise in a new place.
4. It always  makes me think of new beginnings.
5. A road trip is the most fun sort of vacation.
6. Veggie Burger and salad is what I had for dinner last night.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to painting ceramics, tomorrow my plans include mixing engobes and Sunday, I want to airbrush my ceramic Halloween piece!

Bee sent THIS LINK to Flickriver.  It's a new way to view the public photos on Flickr.  Gorgeous stuff!

She sent THIS ONE ,too, that goes to cute stuffed animals at deviant Art.  Check them out!

Sky Watcher...

We had more rain starting on Tuesday night and through part of yesterday; rain isn't unusual but fairly rare for April.  This may be a very curious year for weather.   More rain fell at 11 pm, too. 

There's something exciting about the sky after a storm.  It makes me want to fly away, and make a new home in the desert..  But then, California is mostly desert.  Sort of fitting.

Stay healthy and dry, and keep looking up at that sky.

 How about an Aeonium?  

From the garden, with a little red tipping from the cold weather

The big camera's back!  It's good as new, and Canon really got it back to me FAST!   I love this camera, small and easy to handle, and full of amazing tools.

Basically I'm recovering from shock.  I learned too much about something.  It's amazing what gets under the radar in a country with a free press, eh?  I'll see you later in the week.  I can see everything so clearly now,  I just don't like what I see, and don't know what to do about it.  Something has to be done.  These are our children, for the Love of Truth!

Thermerisal News

I don't want this to get lost in all the Backchat and noise about ELI  (Everything of Little Importance) that spews forth from the modern "News" agencies..  I won't say why I'm so attached to this topic, but I am. 

I will not respond to industry hacks so don't bother.  Other Moms, yes, Industry hacks no.

Autism spectrum disease is up 78% in a decade, and there are those busily at work to REDEFINE the disease for the worst of all possible reasons.  They want to push this rise in numbers even more under the radar than it is.

Taken from an article HERE and worth reading.  It won't allow me to quote from it without messing up the post so you can read it all, in situ, if you wish to.  I'm tired of fighting with the site in order to quote a few lines.  And HERE, something from 2005.

Why WE haven't taken this CRAP out of vaccines just like other countries, is all about MONEY!  So important a consideration in the USA.  

A video:
 
The Truth About Drug Companies  from the author of the book of the same name, by Marcia Angell.

Ceramics and Wolfie

Ceramics was calm and relatively peaceful, which is always nice.  It's not always that way!  Two new rabbits came home with me so now there are a lot of them sitting around the place, hiding in the leaves of the African Violet "canopy".

Happily they are not chewing on electrical cords or leaving little round droppings on the floors for Wolfie to find and probably eat!.   DH Kindly trundled home all the under glazes for me to spend the rest of the week painting that tall ceramic - which is busily absorbing humidity out of the air from the rains we are getting.  I'm never sure whether that makes mud structures more fragile, or less.

Wolfie report - with the weather report embedded-  Wolfie hates to get his feet wet so this will be a trying time for him.  I think he remembers the misery of not being able to stay out of the weather, and the terror of night time for a little dog out there in the big, wet, wild world.  He also doesn't like nighttime walks.  But he's like a little kid when it comes time to go someplace in the car.  he loves car rides.   He loves his Groomer, his Veterinarian, his Sisters and Aunts and Uncles.  He loves our BF Neighbor, but he hates to get his feet wet.  DH says that after daintily picking the driest spots on the pavement, the wolf will wade into wet grass up to his chest if something smells "interesting".  But he's very picky about his feet.  He's a funny little guy. 

Wolfie, back from the "Hunt"

I'm knitting Noro sleeves in my down time.  There's lots of Agatha Christie to watch, and even some left over jelly bellies to eat that a friend brought to ceramics yesterday. And, yes, I do know how lucky I am.  Having survived a childhood with an insane maniac of a paternal unit who loved to kill things, I feel fortunate and very lucky to be here with my sweet  DH and our great kids, as well as Wolfie, and the late Jazzy Doggie, who lives in my heart.  So, I am always giving  thanks to the Deity!

This will be, "Music On Mondays".

I missed Monday by two minutes last night, but next week will be different!

Music is a mover and motivator for human societies; it's something we've created in imitation of nature from the very beginning of our human adventure.  It deserves a day of consideration in the week. 


This week, "How Bad We Need Each Other"...A song by Marc Scibilia. And, there's a sort of intro by his sweet and tricky doggie.

Thanks to Suzi, for the motivation, and Marc Scibila, for his talent for creating songs that move us toward our better selves.

Since this is Tuesday, later on I'll share more adventures in Ceramics which, hopefully, do not include any breakage!

Added Nature is My Therapy Blog to Some of My Favorite Blogs under the Day Lily side bar button

Introducing KODAK LIVEPrint... Live Kittens!

Introducing KODAK LIVEPrint

It's a little late but this is too fun to not share!  Thanks to Suzi, who knows how much I love kittens.  Be sure to read the comments.

I might, just MIGHT cast on that second sock today.  My knitting Mojo fell right off the edge into a black hole.  t's time to move on some big projects.   

I think the garden and the necessity of getting cement work done has grabbed all of my working brain cells.  It has to be done THIS YEAR, so I got out the ramrods this morning.  I will not go another year without this work being done, and it looks like I'm the one to get the Steam roller ball rolling.

Other than that, everything is fine here in my small patch of California sunshine.

Movie report:  I have watched some well crafted movies lately, and one of them is "Smoke".  It would generally be considered a man's movie but the acting is amazing, the pace is at a human speed, and it's cerebral, semi action, just to the point needed.  I feel for the writer in it when he is disturbed by that damn door buzzer once too many times. It has sort of a "Sam Spade meets Woody Allen" feel to it.

Bye now.  Got to go start a Russian Putsch!  Got to fast track it because it's already April!  But first I'm printing up a Maine Coon Cat.

Dolphins and People Interact on Beach in Brazil..

Something sent the dolphins into the shallows where they wouldn't have been able to escape.  Happily there were a lot of people there that day to help them back into the deep water.  Wonderful video! Just enjoy the "peppy" Latino advert at the beginning.  No skin, and no bad words that I could tell. 



Muchos Gracias por la video, Pina, mi amiga! 

My latest ceramic piece.  This thing is only a little shorter than the ukulele!  I haven't decided yet whether to glaze it or to dry brush it, either of which are very effective methods for pieces like this.  I just hope I can get it THROUGH a bisque fire without a major catastrophe.

I am still very carefully cleaning it.

And, Some flowers when I was out and about.  I am not sure what these are, but they are blossoms on a tree like bush.  I think they are related to Hibiscus, if I'm going to take a stab at ID.

Enjoy the week!  I'll be back later on when the mood hits me.  Take care of yourselves!  Remember to take time outs to depresserize your body and mind.  It's very important because modern life will just run you right into a wall if you let it.  Don't let it.  Think about how many people are working hard to make this a better world, even though you don't see that much evidence that half of them even know what they are doing.  Anyway, good people wake up every morning determined to make the world a better place, and my money is on them getting it done!

Hugs!

Easter has finally arrived with warmer weather. Yay!

May you have a great day with your family and friends.

I will be picking up my needles and starting the noro sleeves, doing a little housework and hopefully drinking lots of nice tea while listening in to an auction where you never know what may pop up.  Maybe an Easter Bunny or two!

Good night.   Sweet Dreams.  I hope the Easter Bunny will leave you something nice to eat even if he HIDES it from you!

See you later!

Glass head, Saturday Komeekz, Tort Report

While reading the KR one day, at least I think it was the KR, I came across the link to this Big Giant Head.  I knew immediately it was the only real solution to a problem of blocking hats. Using balloons worked well for the other part of my life, but as I reach senility, I just wanted something a little more artistic.  It's made in Spain, probably on the plain, but probably not in the rain.  It's 12:30 and I should be in bed.

This glass head is going to be made useful as an hat blocking device. 

Saturday Komeekz

There is a lot to say about the good things in Life.

Tort Report:

The adult torts, Churchy, Poko Ono and their son, Lucky, are all out and about in the garden, pushing their separate, winding ways through the underbrush of weeds in the side yard, and eating their perennial favorites of Giant Dandelion and several grasses.  They all were given a very good soaking in the tin trays, fed a start up diet of Romaine, which they think is candy, and off they toddled into the new Spring with DH's blessing as long as they don't get up to any egg making and laying.  We cannot have more tortoises sequestering nests under the roses, under the Lime trees, or under the compost bins.  No more Eggs!

Baby Tortoise Progress:  This shows the relative sizes of the three babies.  The two largest look the same size but Milagro is just HUGE compared to the next size down, Dusty.  Button is the tiniest of all.  Milagro has a big dome whereas Dusty is flatter.  Dusty may be a female.  If that's the case I will change her name to Dustie and make her wear a Tortoise Cozy

 Good night.  It's time that I was in bed, snoring away!  I wish you, as always, Sweet Dreams.

Friday Fill-in

Happy Easter to all who celebrate it!

Though it's two days away, we'll start a little bit early!  Here we go!

1. Eggs represent New Life.
2. Easter  is awesome!
3. When I look in the mirror, I want to cut my hair!
4. Italian Easter Egg Bread and pino grigeo coleslaw, these are the things I like for a special dinner!
5. Currently, we have no plans at all.
6. We used to do Easter Egg Baskets and other games.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to getting some sleep, tomorrow my plans include cooking eggs, and Sunday, I want to eat them!

Some Lovely Yellow Daisies for the Celebration

Knitting Information, Tips, and How-Tos from KR

Knitting Information, Tips, and How-Tos

Clara Parkes is pushing some buttons that really need to be pushed:  

"Life is too short. Pick a nearly done WIP and give it a boost to the finish line. Then pick one you know you'll never finish and do something else with it. Maybe turn it into a pillowcase or smaller accessory? You'll free up some energy and needles for something new."

Life IS too short.  I remember the half finished sweaters that made their way to the Salvation Army from time to time, ones that I found there, bought and re-cycled the yarn from.  I don't want one of mine to have that fate.

Two sweaters are close to having the entire body knit.  Those will be first on the list for finishing.  So, socks may be terribly fun, but the sweaters are going to be finished, by rounds if need be and definitely using Fran's 10 minute rule.  I was a sweater maker before, and so I shall be again.  No one needs my socks very much other than myself.

Gretchen is a Pi Shawl.  I want to finish the beautiful Gretchen but it's not made right in that center part, so I'll be taking it out and starting again.  Good summer project.

There was a terrible event in a town nearby, and no one knows exactly what happened.  It's made me edgy so I'm sure that there are lots of people feeling the way I do.  I'll be glad to go to the gym tomorrow and walk off some of the stress.

Lest we forget to do this:

In the wall surrounding the World Music Center in San Diego

Remember that we all share the mitochondrial material from ONE mother who was born over 200,000 years ago.  In Geological Time, that is barely a blink of an eye.   You can read about it HERE




Good night, May Peace by yours
And Love; may it fill your lives....
Well, yarn and fabric and colors, too!
Ok, food, really good stuff!
Music, Art and Poetry!
Tea and Sympathy! 

And, always, Sweet Dreams
 

Flowers Linkie for Handmade Oriole feeder

Here's the link;

 Hang a Homemade Oriole Feeder

These cactus blossoms were bright in the early morning.  They also need a good weeding.  So far, the day lilies have not poked a stem up, and if they have died, I will be disappointed.  The torts cannot get through the chicken wire imprisonment but  that doesn't stop the devil grass!  It might be choking the life out of  the day lilies.  

This morning, before the sun was too high and hot

Yet another picture of the tiny pinks.  

I think it's time to plant something other than Pink flowers! The big cactus has not bloomed and it's utterly shocking that it hasn't.  I'm not very happy about it but there you go.  Nature takes care of itself, and knows best when left alone.  Meanwhile, I'm taking the tonsil extractors that I bought at Quartszite years ago, and pulling out those weeds trying to choke my cactus to death.  Ciou!  Have a Happy day. 

I had a yellow with tiny flowers but have no idea where it got to.  Maybe the big torts ate that one as well?  If you like your garden, don't get tortoises.  They can climb vertical walls up to 15 inches tall.  I kid you not!

one more edit!  Stupid me...  This is a cute picture of the LBD.  Little Black Dog.

Wolfie, in the flowers, little pink tongue out.  He's black and it's hot!  Poor little guy!

Catching up a little. trash post, sort of..

One Jane's Hedgerow sock is done.  I just pulled a loop to finish the toe.  I wanted to try that sort of a finish.  Others use it all the time, so I thought, "Why not?"

The Canon S3 IS outlasted most of it's class but finally gave up on me, so it's been sent to the hospital for repairs.  I like it too much to let it go, and the fix is really a manufacturer's defect but we knew nothing about Canon fixing those models for free, until it was out of warranty.  They shouldn't be charging for it, in my humble opinion, but they are.  I can't believe that a Sony part failed in a Canon!  It's like industrial sabotage or something, wouldn't you think?  I hope Canon stays away from Sony for awhile!  That's like having a dancing partner who keeps tripping you.  Anyway, I'm sorry about there being no pictures at the moment.

This font makes a comma (,) look like this period.  Sorry.  I like the font, and at least it doesn't make an ! mark look like a lower case l.

Adventures in Athletics:

I'm getting stronger - upper body strength - but the whole of the old, cranky frame makes me pay for those sessions.  I have to start considering the hands, and how much of their dexterity I want to give up.  I feel stiffness in the fingers the day after, so maybe it's not a good idea to be doing all that heavy lifting.  I can't give up manual dexterity!  What sort of life is that?!

Now that my arms are stronger, I've tried a few tasks, like to pull the shower rod down so the curtain doesn't let water out.  We have a step in shower and the rod got set too high, and one right in front of it that carries a lace curtain is too high to but it's only decorative.  Anyway, while doing this over the head maneuver,  it took so much force to pull that rod down that I was lifting my body on it, almost.  When it came down, my thumb got caught between the two rods.  Without screaming, I got it out again, but it was close.  I've decided that a little strength training can get a person in big trouble!  I pushed everything back into place, on the other end of the rod, and on the thumb, and all is well.  heehee  I'll be thinking twice about any other "home improvements" I want to try.

Rush Limbaugh to Speak atCconference On World Affairs

Hear Rush...

Courtesy of Ele, and ...

These are from DH. 

For the Inner traveler in you.

Virgin Volcanoes Offering Trip to Inner Earth

And Sony has something new for you, too. Your Hamster who knits will love you for it.

And for all you gardeners out there there is THIS    Don't forget the fertilizer for all the spring plants.

A new app for your Android.  Be the First to  get it!

And be sure to sign up For this fast new untouchable source for Pirate Servers Give a space on this new service to one of your favorite family Geek pirates.

Ok, that was for the Geeks in the family.  Now for something for the JOCKS who love their downloads

And THIS is for all the cats in the world.  Message from Wolfie:  " pleez doen yoooze it."

YouTube has an offer you can't refuse!  The (Flash)Mob generator strikes back?  Be sure to buy this one.

This the last edit. No more! Enjoy the day!



ok one more just because it's so awesome!

Time travel on your computer..Let's you chat with cave men and even further into the future where we may well be living in caves again. go there and chat, to see what global warming hath wrought!

Stuff all along the side.  Whoot!  FireBox   

Roo Cams!  

Crikey!


Republican Pranks   as if we didn't know.  Thanks Ele.

I'm going to stay up all night reading these things!  No more!

Total Recall on Brown Rice Snaps

These crackers have been recalled because the rice in them is dyed artificially with Brown dye #666 that is a known hallucinogen.  If you have these in your home, please properly seal them in the appropriately sized HazMat bags and send them to the nearest Whole Foods Market where the crackers will be properly disposed of by their special squad of  cracker eating specialists who have grown fins, but can still bark like sea lions.

Public notice has been given in most papers West of the Mississippi, and as far North as the Canadian border, so if your grocer has them on the shelf just steal them seal them up tightly in Hazmat approved bags, inform the local health department, and take the packages to the nearest Whole Foods for the testers.  They won't let you watch their testers actually perform their duties but do have a YouTube already posted so that you can feel you've done the proper thing.


Disclaimer:  This blog cannot be held legally responsible for any misinformation a viewer feels they have been victimized by because of the date.