Message in a Bottle

I'm leaving picture posts while I'm gone to Louisiana. (returning on Monday).

My beloved-Dottie-Diva-I miss her still.

Another kind of Lily (or maybe an orchid, but not my dog).

A big old turkey. They remind me of peacocks only a lot browner...and tastier.

Off to the races

I may take my computer, I may not. It's really 8 the night before I leave and far too early to think about that.

I'm learning that trips, while enjoyable, are stressful for my parents, so I have to go into road mode the day before. They are still scampering around trying to make sure every contingency is covered for the running of the entire world while they are gone, as if leaving the driveway surrenders the last bit of control. So, in order not to go crazy, I just go into road mode the day before-what will be will be.

What was on Thursday was a tragedy of epic proportions-Mom's FREEZER went out. The loss of ALL her leftovers was looming and even I didn't make fun of it. It would be like someone making fun of me losing a snake-some things are just important to people, and if you love that person, you respect it.

So I loaded up my small freezer which was unfilled and turned off, pending the bounty of the gardens to come....and took it down on a hand truck. I was very proud of myself hauling the freezer down, for once it was good to be me-I was handy to have around. And strangely enough, I wasn't even smug, just glad I had the freezer and glad to help.

Mom and I visited Uncle John. He doesn't talk much any more and his face has settled into the Parkinson's mask. Mom gets so nervous around him. I try to think up ways to draw him out, get a little spark, without seeming to be trying to do just that.

Mom had a cup of coffee on the table. He reached for it and she held on to it, saying "John, that's hot coffee, can I get you something to drink?" He said "No, I just wondered why there was a pile of bananas on the table." Later, when we left Mom said "Do you know John thought my hand was a pile of bananas?" My heart kind of twinged, not really sure if any of us knew what really happened.

But really, anyone who thinks they KNOW is probably more delusional than those of us who know we don't.

Carolyn Slowsky

Ok, blogspot returned my bar. Here's Carolyn, a day late, sort of fits though. Well, really it's just her shell, I was trying to shoot with macro, and she was not feeling the love....yeah, it was just a tough week all around.

Animal WEDNESDAY happens on Wednesday

Geeze, I'm sitting here thinking "what to post" babbled on about dead dogs and talking to myself, and forgot to post up a picture.

This is the shell of Carolyn Slowsky, the ornate box turtle lady who showed up earlier this week or late last week.

Well, I would add it except the picture adding thing is gone. I'm going to go drink some nice ice water and try again later....in the meantime...HAW

Somedays are just like that (cause I said so)

No matter what I did to shake the blues today, I kept coming up against something or another. The worst was when I took the big dogs to the kennel a day early.

I want to work with Priss and Lily who are having issues, so I took the big uns in a day early. Called the kennel, scooped up the 3 musketeers who were glad of the adventure (my dogs are easily pleased) and off when went.

When we got there a lady had just driven up with 2 dogs, one I believed died as she was signing in. Apparently she lived in an apartment, left the dogs out on the patio in crates. She covered the crates with blankets to keep the sun off them.

I was so angry-beyond angry. And it's not like I've never done dumbass things. The dogs were well groomed and other than being dead, looked well cared for.

So, behold the workings of a depressed mind. "Cute little dogs die on patios, why bother?" Taking a random, albiet shitty, event, personalizing it and using it as a reason to give up. How clever.

And, truly, there is no answer to the question-because the mind will just come up with another horror to "why bother " about. Lately I've started treating the gloomy side of me just like a famiiar, yet annoying child. When it crops up with "why bother" I just (mentally, not out loud, unless I'm home alone) blurt back "cause I said so." Arguing or reasoning with your depressed self makes as much sense as arguing or reasoning with a child or a dog.

The scary thing is, it kind of works. The blues still linger, but I'm able to keep moving and keep trying. Why? Cause I said so.

Look at Mah Tamaters

It's official, I gots some tamaters.
Last night (Monday night) lightening blew out the electricity for several hours...yet another way to be without power. I just laughed out loud in the dark and said "well I'll be damned...."

I read on someone else's blog that blue flowers are rare. It's a pity, they are pretty. These are in one of the front flower beds.

These are some hot peppers I'm growing for Mr. Oliver the Very Spoiled Parrot.

I'm feeling very random, which is an improvement over yesterday where I felt like complete and utter shit (tummy ache). But, I'm trying to put some goodness out there, even if it's only random.

Cactus Monday

It's really now Tuesday, but as a former accountant, I backdated things all the time. In no particular order, a shot of Frankencactus and his friends (that's a bird nest I found next to the cactus bowl), the cover and page 1 of my "Cactus Monday" matchbook.