WITCH

From the New York Times writer, Jessica Bennett, who writes for "In Her Words" at the New Your times

"Fifty-one years ago, a group of protesters calling themselves WITCH staged a Halloween “hex” on Wall Street. Dressed in black, with long peaked hats, the women sneaked through the narrow streets of downtown Manhattan late into the night, making their way to the entrance to the New York Stock Exchange, where they oozed glue into the latches of its doors. The next morning, the male bankers couldn’t get in — and the Dow reportedly fell 13 points.

'We didn’t consider ourselves real witches, but we used the moniker because of what it represented: a powerful woman,” said the author Robin Morgan, one of the protest organizers, noting that the acronym — which stood for “Women’s International Terrorist Conspiracy From Hell” — probably wouldn’t go over so well today.'

But today there might be no need to sneak around. Real witches are roaming among us, and they’re seemingly everywhere.

Haven’t you noticed?

Witches are your millennial co-workers doing tarot card readings on their lunch breaks, and professional colleagues encouraging you to join them for a New Moon ceremony aimed at “career success.” "

Women’s International Terrorist Conspiracy From Hell

I think I'm going to join them!  lol

Wanna Come?

Julian Beever's Giant snail.. for CountryDew....

Here's the page that shows how it was drawn.  This guy is fantastic!

Look at all of his stuff.  It will blow you away!

THIS IS NOT a Saturday9... Mac and Cheese in a mug? Who knew...

sorry peeps, I am knitting my blues away...and reading a very good book.  But I did poke around Pinterest.  A big exciting place to chase away the blues.....And it's easier to use- since you can use it fully on a computer with a BIG PICTURE WINDOW, unlike Instagram.

Well, what else is Pinterest for but to steal ideas and make them available to the world.  So, I'm making my contribution today...

Allison, over at Society 19 /The college life  stole 10 ideas -great ideas from various places, one of which was from HERE

She then posted them on Pinterest....  and I grabbed them all... especially the mac and cheese  because it will work well with any pasta - I can stir in some herbs, Olives and Olive oil, and have a quick little Italian meal..

This is From Here at SheKnows Blog.
 I like this recipe a lot, too.

I know what I'll be doing when I need a quick little meal.  And there is even dessert.  I knew about the Mug of Chocolate Molten Cake but the variety of one serving mug meals is now astounding!  These little things are ALL OVER THE INTERNET!

And, who knew indeed!

Tuesday Tails....ONION Entomological Silliness: Fun Stuff for a bad news day....Oy Vey!

Pictures and article from the Onion files, for today:

ANNAPOLIS, MD—Apologizing profusely for failing to properly confirm their findings before going public, researchers from the Entomological Society of America retracted Tuesday their claims about the discovery of a new species of spider last week, admitting that the supposed arachnid was actually just a clump of dust and hair. 

“We definitely got a little ahead of ourselves on this one,” said ESA president Michael P. Parrella, noting that the specimen in question, Latrodectus graucus, “absolutely looked like a real spider” and even appeared to scurry away when approached by humans, though this behavior was later attributed to a slight draft from a partially open window. 

“Shoot, guys. When you’re wrong, you’re wrong. We noted in our paper that the cephalothorax resembled a coffee bean, and, well, sure enough, it was. The whole team was shocked when I tried to pick it up and it kind of just fell apart. Live and learn, I guess.” 

At press time, the researchers had decided to release the wad of detritus back into the wild “just in case.”

And now:
Back to our regularly scheduled program:
"Keeping up with the Toddler in a Toupeé"

For Tomorrow, The Friday Whatever: The Irish Questions...

First off.  And a Happy Saint Patrick's Day to all my cousins out there! (In two days)

I'm probably only 1/8th Irish - or for the ease of adding up things like fractions, let's go to 32nds...  so I am 4/32nds.  I have an Irish great grandmother from Cumberland Gap.  The real McCoy, so to speak.  And we all know how inbred those guys were.  Sorry cousins,  I just have to confess.  It surely didn't look good for awhile.

Mr.Z is a quarter (8/32nds) Irish, and so the daughters got half of mine and of his... which is  6/32ths! In percentage that is 5.33333333333333333333333%

Gah, that's crazy making! Anyway, they are more Irish than I am, and less  than their daddy.  I do have red headed cousins, lots of them. So....

Pinterest, of course
So, Kiss me, I'm Irish!

And.....If you want to see a fun article about what it means to be Irish, try THIS one... "24 things you only know if you come from an Irish family"

The cousins thing got me and just made me laugh and laugh.  So true!

God I'm tired of the Bread and Circus's in Washington.  I also know who to blame.  It's that Doctor. Strangelove Crew,  hands down..... I think it's time for a little bit of this... *points down*
  ↓ 
 

 

    
FROM HERE

Plain old unadulterated Fun Stuff. No Political blah blah

A very generous blogger by the name of Rena Klingenberg shared her tutorial for making these..  This is fun and quick!  All the photos are by Rena...

Back Story:  There should always be a back story....
This June we blew bubbles at a first year remembrance (on Elle's birthdate)  in Santa Cruz's Trescony Gardens.  It worked out well with a lot of biggest bubbles quasi contests...

I had decided to take bubble stuff along on the trip a quick-as-a-wink brain storm while shopping.  I decided to dash into Michael's.  I like to think an angel guided me...

I didn't have time to make these lovely things for my girls but I will make them now...

THE LINK

and the craft...

There are other designs there as well.  I liked this one because the bottles I bought at Michael's were deep.

OK... I'll share another of Rena's photos just to coax you over to the page.  These really are lovely... Rena has many tutorials for making many neat jewelry type items.

Try it; I know you'll like it.  Let's have some fun and create some beauty for others.  It's time.  Keep up the other stuff, as it's important, but we don't need any burnout here!

Another thing that you might like to know.  Any wire earring pattern, with lots of colored, dangly bits would make a beautiful window sparkler to cheer up a winter bound friend, or for that matter, yourself.  Just use big transparent glass or plastic beads and big wire.  They hang from a suction cup on the window and catch the light in all the colors you put on them.

Big soft baling wire, pieces collected from a box crushing machine, is what Bee and I once used to make a plant hanger with some big beads on it.

Thursday 13:Talk like a Viking? We already do a LOT of that....

This was a suggestion tossed to me by CountryDew.  So, I decided to catch it and run with it.

Remember:  All Photos enlarge with a *click*.  If not I'll find out why not and hang the miscreant by the thumbs!  That is, after I've put and arrow through his liver.  (OMG, my inner Viking is manifesting!)

I just tested it and found it wanting so I enlarged them all.  Stingy Google.....

So.... here we go!

1. Here is a site that explains the origin of the Runic Alphabet.  Don't be scared off by the introductory part of the of the web page.  If you can read it, you can "get" it.

Also, a little 1.5 here....
Five words that have come down from the Vikings, to your English tongue.

dirt – drit (excrement)
dregs – dregg (sediment)
mire – myrr (bog)
muck – myki (cow dung)
rotten – rotinn.

Feel like going and washing out your mouth now?  This is from HERE

2. On that page (in #1) are other links to the ways and sometimes the "means" of the Viking surge.  Actually, first there were waves of raiding hordes up out of Germany.  Somehow they had gotten a little too much of the Roman gene for wandering and marauding.  At least that's what I think.  Anyway, they raided Northward into Denmark, and probably the rest of Scandinavia, leaving behind the runic alphabet.

At THIS Nova site, you can write your name in Runic characters.

3. Once Denmark got over the smarting blows of the Romany hordes, it went on a rampage of it's own.  "Them Danes got around", as one of my teacherly rockhound friends was told when the sickle cell tester was in her 3rd grade classroom.  She is totally Scandinavian, and she happily did the test.

4.  Yggdrasil, the tree that launched a thousand ships...

See that ^ little outhouse up there.  heehee

5.  I intend to read this Book in the Kindle Edition.  It will be the MOST I've ever paid for a kindle book.  It is mentioned in several places as the definitive book about the Mythology and Religious beliefs of the Vikings.

6. You will recognize much of what you read about on the Viking pages as being borrowed to create the Hobbit books and later the films. Let me say, the author of that page linked in #1 is AWESOME!
The page includes a lot of origin mythology..  It's not a Viking page, per se, but it illustrates a shared mythology of all of Northern Europe.

7.  All right.  Now I'll tell you a few things I think are impressive about this people.  They built massive boats that could take off across the North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans, some of the Harshest of all Oceans.  And, sometimes the whole family went along for the ride.  They were expert sailors, like the Polynesians and the Phoenicians.  They could, and did, take  ROW boats from Greenland across to Northern Canada, and BACK again.  They were so incredible.

8.  I like their Gods.  Especially I like Loki, who is just a nut!  He's very appealing to me as a God.  He's a cripple and a trickster.  HERE is a list of the Norse Gods.

9.  I love Buri, shown here as depicted on a Wiki Fandom Card,  and he is the progenitor of the other Norse/Germanic Gods.  In some accounts Buri is androgynous, which to me is very appealing for a progenitor Figure.

I'm guessing the Raven is HIS bird.

10.  Let's get some women in here.  Darn it!  First is Freyja.

Johannes Gehrts

 She gets even with Loki for being a naughty teller of tales.  Or is he??  ;o)  Naughty Freyja....

11.  Idun, a gardener Goddess.  She has bewitched me completely.  Read about her HERE.

Of all of them, she's my Grrrl...

12.  The Goddess Hel, from whence came the wide spread epithet flung at all creatures and things who disappoint us or otherwise give us fits.  Here she is with one of her dogs.  She was a Dog person, like me.

Johannes Gerhrts 1889

13.  "The Real Vikings" is a show I haven't watched yet.  If it's not just LOOSELY based on history, maybe it's time to braid my hair, and get out my bow and arrows for a total immersion therapy session.

She's definitely taking aim at some red headed tyrant out there
on the shore.  Vikings don't take a lot off Red headed Tyrants.
They send them to Greenland into exile.  Now there's a thought!

This was fun.  I think it's time to post and skip on home to Denmark.

Friday is way too long.... Please send Monday

*Winks*

Well, I'm sleeping now.  See you on Saturday 9. 

Thursday 13. Paper cutters, some chat. some chaff, but no rants.

But first, the little promo:  Go HERE if you would like to see more participants in Thursday Thirteen, or if you would like join in and post one of your very own.

It's fun and easy as pie.  Until it gets harder that is. 😉 They never tell you this! lol

I'm busily cleaning out my crafting over burden.  However it's not all getting the heave ho.
One of the things I want to do, is start making cards again.  I have about 250 rubber stamps and all the various other accouterments of the craft.  It's time to clear space to do it!  These cutters do come in handy for making gift tags and such, though they do not work well on cloth.

But, without further ADO, 😏🙂Here are my thirteen tools to edge papers for card making.

I made the image LARGE (but you can click and make it even bigger) so that it's easier to see them all and what they do.  The squiggles on the black part of the blades shows what each tool does.  The "oddball" at the top was bought before I realized that a pair of strictly zig-zag cutters was not needed.  I could have just used the pinking shears!
Do not gasp all you seamstresses out there.  Shears can be sharpened.  Just don't let the Hubster get his hands on them for his "Handy Man" projects, like cutting sheet metal.

One thing the Odd Ball cutter did do was make the whole collection come out at 13.  It's interesting how this worked out, though they were all bought well before I even had a blog!
It might be that I've always considered 13 to be a lucky number, since Hexagram 13, in the Book of Changes, is a lucky Augury.  Fellowship with others in the open, meaning, one big swap meet. or perhaps a long and lovely Camp out!  I could go for this!

Hope you all have a Happy Thursday Thirteen!

Thank you Bev! Bill Maher 'Splains why Republicans still win.....

Heee heee heee!

If you don't laugh, then you just gotta cry.....

Fools and such

" A municipal councilor . . . remarked that certainly half of his colleagues were fools. An apology was demanded. He promised to make reparation and caused bills with the following correction to be posted on boardings in the town: 'I said that half of the town councilors are fools. I now declare that half of the town councilors are not fools.' ”

This is from the book, Hemingway Didnt Say That.  

Monday funny: The Onion

go to the onion HERE

America's Finest News Source.  Buhahahaha.  🎭

Friday Funny

And now, for something completely different......

Monday = Funday.... Dudeist Priests....

I found this whilst poking around the Blogosphere.  This site is a real kick in the head.  And yes, it's because I was raised in California, which has been described as a whole other Country of it's own!

Check it out, Dude!

The Saga of the Missing Wife

Oh that Pina! This Cracked me UP!!  We all need a good laugh at this time.

The Saga of The Missing Wife

Husband : "My wife is missing.She went shopping yesterday and has not come home !"

Texas Sheriff: "Height ?"

Husband: "I'm not sure.A little over five-feet tall."

Texas Sheriff: "Weight ?"

Husband: "Don't know.Not slim,not really fat."

Texas Sheriff: "Color of eyes ?"

Husband: "Sort of brown I think.Never really noticed."

Texas Sheriff: "Color of hair ?"

Husband: "Changes a couple times a year.Maybe dark brown now.I can’t remember."

Texas Sheriff: "What was she wearing ?"

Husband: "Could have been pants,or maybe a skirt or shorts.I don't know exactly."

Texas Sheriff: "What kind of car did she go in ?"

Husband: "She went in my truck."

Texas Sheriff: "What kind of truck was it ?"

Husband : "A 2016 pearl white Ram Limited 4X4 with 6.4l Hemi V8 engine ordered with the Ram Box bar and fridge option, led lighting, back up and front camera, Moose hide leather heated and cooled seats, climate controlled air conditioning.

It has a custom matching white cover for the bed, Weather Tech floor mats. Trailering package with gold hitch, sunroof, DVD with full GPS navigation, satellite radio, Cobra 75 WX ST 40-channel CB radio, six cup holders, 3 USB port, and 4 power outlets.

I added special alloy wheels and off-road Toyo tires. It has custom retracting running boards and under-glow wheel well lighting." At this point the husband started choking up.

Texas Sheriff:  "Take it easy sir,we'll find your truck."

Monday Whatever.. Politics makes me crazy, and a trip to the Smithsonian

Firstly,

I rearranged my blog and now will link all the meme's within the text for each entry for that meme. I tried to organize the rest of the side bar into cohesive groups, and hope it was logical and successful. Thank you all for reading for these past 12 years.
I will do this as long as I'm able but I'm slowing down.

I don't like to do political stuff anymore.  So, what I've done so far will be the extent of it.  The reason it's mentioned at all is that it is an egregious and long standing wrong that has been being done to the Guaranteed Human Rights of the American people, and to keep silent, for me, is to be virtually complicit to the theft of those rights.

I abhor the abridgement of Human Rights anywhere in the world so right here in my Homeland, I'll hunt it down, the nasty little Bagginsis, neuter it, and shave off all the fur on it's big little feet!

And now, let us return to the regularly scheduled broadcast of "Puppies and Kittens".

I've got an enduro, or two to get through over the Hols and I'm wishing my ears were on swivels so that I could put them back and flat to my head like a Cougar ready to strike.  Why do the other animals get the only truly nifty responses that tell the Pride or Pack to back off?  It's so not fair!

Let's take a little trip to the Smithsonian and check out what they have to say, or emote, about it all....

Smithsonian Language and Symbols Site

“I am old, Gandalf. I don't look it, but I am beginning to feel it in my heart of hearts. Well-preserved indeed! Why, I feel all thin, sort of stretched, if you know what I mean: like butter that has been scraped over too much bread. That can't be right. I need a change, or something.” 

~J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings~

Now my brain officially HURTS!

Monday Whatnot: Start 'em young....

Jimmie devours her first book.

Yesterday afternoon, I'd been playing around in Goodreads, and while searching for a suitable photo as an avatar, I found this  of one of the twins.  We were at Mission Beach, one of the few places with grass.

Back to Goodreads.  The reason I started an account there, apparently in 2013, was so that I could order books from Logos, the bookstore we love which happens to be in Santa Cruz, nearly 500 miles away.  I could order their used books or at least research them, through Goodreads.  But then the Amazilla Monster sort of sucked up everything.

Disclaimer:  In case Amazon is listening.-- I'm not totally sure that's what really happened but it is awfully late.  And, it's definitely way too late for this old and creaking little gray panther to go pouncing on Googrilla, in order to dumpster dive into trash barrels of proof positive, nor can she go haring off up the evidentiary trails that run back up into the bushlands towards the infamous Amazon's hub at the base of it's legendary octopusal arms.

Then, wow.... just WOW!  I've evidently read 28 books this year so far.  I'll have to add some more that were off the radar but not all read this year.   Most, but not all, of the ones by Farley Mowat were read in years prior to 2016.

My challenge was 12?  Hmmm...  Well, My reading stopped dead for about five months, beginning in March, when I knew there was a hurricane bearing down on the frayed bonnets of my dearly beloved little family.  I'm creeping back into reading again, but with not quite the gusto of former times.

Shattering stuff, and it's not the first one to happen in my intimate circle.  So, I do know the "drill" but getting from THAT to HERE has been harrowing.  There's still a lot of mud and small clumps of regret, and heart pounding angst clinging to my boots from the trek.

HOLD YOUR HATS!  Another 180 degree turn coming up!............screeee!

Last fall....  This beautiful Liquid Amber lost it's battle with the California Drought.

A few weeks ago, it had to be removed by the ground's keeper.  It started it's life in the late 60's as a little seedling, sometime before it was planted a few years later in the grounds when the complex was built.  I took this shot from my sister's back slider,  through the fences and overhangs of another condo.  A sad end for a magnificent tree.

Goodbye Sweet Tree

Early Tuesday Tails: Update on tiny lizard

I'm going to be AFK quite awhile.  We are going to paint the 

Habitat, inside and out, and must get it ready.

But I promise to update from time to time, and post, on the fly, for simple things.

But here is that update.....

We have both of the common lizard species, Fence and Alligator, in our garden.

The tiny fence lizard is from Mr.Z's photo two days,or so, ago

A last little Tuesday Tails for awhile.  

Remember this little fella?

He still likes to hang out on the nice warm wall some place.  Mr.Z found him there one morning and took his portrait.  We moved him to the rocks in the garden.
There are plenty of tiny ones out there, and lots of adults, too.  One of their favorite hiding places is now gone, however they have plenty of others.

These little fence lizards are, generally, black or quite dark when they are cold, because that shade helps their small bodies gather more heat.  As the morning goes on they become brownish grey and speckled.

Two days ago, I observed our baby lizard run atop the big rock (right in front of the tall rose, which is right next to the white bird bath stand.  It was watching Poko Ono - aka Mamma Tort- chowing down on dried grasses just below, and saw the little rascal run right up the side and peer over at her.

Poko Ono, and her son Lucky, also eat snails, shells and all.  I don't think there is a single snail left out there, between the observant birds and all the torts.

Before, and the after is below.

Right now, I feed the towhees and the chippies here
in this nice rough patch of Mother Earth.  They have to work for it, but do get a
very nice organic cereal mix with all their favorite things in it.

The sickly, drought stricken, and ancient white geranium will be replaced with paving or something that can have potted plants, and perhaps seating of some sort.  Woe to the little creatures, mammalian, or reptilian, who have been depending on it for shade and/or cover.  Alas, the humans do not regard old, half dead plants, as habitat because, of course, we plant our gardens with an eye for beauty, or food.

 I'll be happy to have something else pretty to look at, like this snap from the Olden Days when Jazzie's run was still there, to the left, and before the Elms had to be cut down....
We loved those Chinese Elms, so shady and cool on that side and it was the perfect place for a big hammock, which I did enjoy using.

See you in a few weeks, or so.
We'll do whatever it takes to get this big job finally behind us.

Now some fun stuff.....I'll post that whenever it floats by in the flotsam and jetsam, too.

Funstuff; by way of Suzi
Thankyou, Suzi for the Laugh :o)

Librarian Rhapsody.... You tube...

Kara shared this.  It's Hilarious!



Wolfie went to the groomer and missed it all!