"Howl"iday Time

No, I'm not in the Halloween spirit.

We're supposed to leave Saturday to go to Nags Head, N.C., for our annual holiday (to borrow the British term). It's an 8-hour trek that usually takes us 10 due to the fact that we stop along the way for sanity breaks...bathroom breaks...shopping breaks...dinner breaks...or just-because breaks.

Sadly, this year we're going to be delayed until Sunday by Tropical Storm...no, just storm...no, back to Tropical Storm...no, almost-Hurricane-strength..."Ernesto." You have to give it credit, this storm is trying in "earnest" to become something. Appropriately named?? Stay tuned to the Weather Channel.

The week we go is the "peak week" in the Hurricane Season. Yes, there is an actual season. Spring, Summer, Hurricanes, Fall, and Winter. (Didn't know there are five, did you?)

So why do we go that week?

Well, about 25 years ago, my parents invested in a week at a time-share...and now it's paid for. Their week just happens to coincide with the "peak week" of hurricanes. For awhile, when he first started joining us, we thought Stuart was an "albatross around the neck" of our vacations. Three out of five years, we had to leave, or not go at all, due to hurricanes. Poor guy. We eventually broke that "curse"...until this year.

Not a problem though. Just thinking about the beach and the ocean and the sunshine... What's a few more days?

In the "life" of a hurricane that can be the difference between being a Category 1 to 5...or becoming just another storm.

I vote for the latter.

Quote of the Day

"If you live to be a hundred, I want to live to be a hundred minus one day so I never have to live without you."
~Winnie the Pooh to Christopher Robin

Ready? Oh, K.!

Hooray! Hurrah! Hooray!!

Can you imagine why I'm so excited today?

Well, it comes after an enjoyable viewing of the Emmys last night. The show actually was quite funny at times -- though it could have done with less politics.

The winners were all very gracious, keeping their speeches short and to the point. (Music played whenever they went a little too long.) The actors looked nice in all their finery. The host kept the show rolling with witty tidbits. And a fitting tribute was held for Dick Clark and those in Hollywood who had passed on....

Best of all, I got to see my favorite-most show, 24, win an Emmy, along with my favorite-most actor, Kiefer Sutherland, and his buddy, director Jon Cassar.

The real winner, however, was me....

I thought I was going to be alone in my celebration, sharing the excitement with only myself. But I got to watch the show with my hubby , someone who had vowed a pledge to never, ever, ever, ever, ever watch an awards show.

Isn't he sweet?

* * *

I think so!

Emmy Time

Kyra Sedgewick, Kiefer Sutherland at the 2005 Emmys

Okay, I admit it. I'm actually excited about the
Emmy Awards tonight.

I've never, ever, ever been a person to get excited about such stuff. (They're a tad overrated maybe?) But I do think awards ceremonies are great for those involved -- though Hollywood always manages to go "over-the-top" at such events.

Tonight is different for me somehow.

I have very few criteria in deciding if I like something: Is it good? (ie: good-looking, good story, good laughs...etc.) Yes? Then I like it.

When I was shopping for my first car my deciding factors involved a "good" checklist. It was red. Check. Good color. It had four tires. Check. Good tread. It ran well. Check. Good engine. And it had a cool-looking radio. Check. It even had a good cassette player. Sold! And the little cherry-red Hyundai named "Happy" stayed with me for over 120,000 miles and nearly 6 years...not bad for a person with limited knowledge of cars.

So back to the awards... I haven't ever really been a person to follow Hollywood. I don't care about trends. I don't care about this particular actor or actress. (I'll admit, I did like some of the "Brat Pack" in the '80s. And I did borrow copies of my friends Teen magazines....or buy the occasional copy of Seventeen, with cute teen-actor centerfolds. Okay...okay. So I'm aging myself a bit.) But I don't watch these kinds of things regularly.

This year, however, quite a few of my favorites (ie: 24, 24, and 24...oh, and maybe its lead actor) have been nominated which makes it even more interesting for me.

Having been a regular reader of TV Guy for the past half-year our so, I've become more savvy about the various movies and shows out there, along with the actors who make them possible. (Check out his blog! It's very informative and entertaining!) I've also enjoyed perusing a ton of Kiefer Sutherland movies which have introduced me to a bunch of new actors I'd never heard of, many of whom are up for Emmys tonight.

So I'm going to enjoy this evening's performance. (And that's exactly what it is, right?) And will I tune in again next year?

That will depend entirely on who's been nominated...and if they're "good."

Running Point

I'm feeling a little heady. Only a couple more days until...I see the above!

Since I'm a huge Kiefer Sutherland fan, I'm very much looking forward to The Sentinel coming out on DVD next Tuesday -- despite how it got panned in the reviews. Who heeds reviews anyway?

The following article had me laughing:

==========================

Douglas "Humiliated" by Sentinel Co-Stars

Veteran actor MICHAEL DOUGLAS found shooting the new movie THE SENTINEL "humiliating," because he couldn't keep up physically with his younger (Ed. note: key word) co-stars. KIEFER SUTHERLAND and EVA LONGORIA left the 61-year-old trailing during the shoot last year ('05), and he confesses he felt his age.

Douglas says, "I had a bad knee and a pulled hamstring. So it was tough -- physically -- and actually quite humiliating. In one scene Kiefer takes off running and I go after him. I said to him, 'You're pretty fast,' and he said, 'I had a state record in school for 400 metres.' Then later I'm running again and Eva passes me in high heels and I'm, like, 'How can she run like that in those heels?'"

==========================

No kidding! The guy is about 22 years older than Kiefer (who holds a state record for running...) and almost 30 years older than Eva. But I guess being passed by a woman in high heels could be embarrassing....

Water You Know

Another label from GLACEAU vitaminwater, nutrient enhanced water beverage:

focus
kiwi-strawberry (a+lutein)

now that everyone is glued to their cell phones, no one really pays attention to what's going on around them. with all that walking and talking, you never know what you could be missing: birds chirping, flowers blooming, shoe sales, really good-looking people, celebrities without make-up, telephone poles, or piles of poo. (and we don't mean winnie.) that's why this stuff has vitamin a and lutein to give you all the focus you need. so keep your eyes peeled or that smell could be your shoe.

vitamins + water = all you need

for best results, stick in the fridge.
the inside is natural. the outside is plastic. RECYCLE.

Gotta love the way this company thinks.

Enjoyable Past Times

Do you ever feel as if Life is whizzing by at an incredible pace?? I feel that on a regular basis. I like the expression: "Stop the world; I want to get off!" I think that could be my mantra.

* * *

I took a drive down "Memory Lane" the other day. We were on our way to visit friends, and I took a 'round about way to avoid a slow moving truck I'd been following. It's funny how you can drive past the same scenery day in and day out and not really take notice of it. It becomes a part of your mental photo album, I guess. And on this particular drive I found myself paging through it with my kids.

I was driving by my old "stomping grounds," past Daniel Boone High School (then a Jr.-Sr. High School) where I met the first teacher to really encourage me in writing and embarrassed myself in front of my "cute" geography/government teacher. I showed the kids where I used to have to "run" around the perimeter of the schoolgrounds when I was in Track & Field in 7th grade. (We usually walked it.)

We passed the Birdsboro IGA -- a small grocery store now named something else. I remembered shopping there with my mom and finding it funny (in a good way) how she seemed to know everyone there. It was like "old home week" when we shopped there. I bought a leash for my first pet bunny's there. And it's just up the road from Brown's Feed where I always bought my rabbit food and straw.

Then we passed Shed Road where as a family we did circles in the car on the ice on our way to church one snowy Sunday. That didn't impress my mom too much...or any of the rest of us, for that matter. We returned home and had "church" there. We zipped past Hopewell Furnace -- named Hopewell Village during my youth -- where we used to take all out-of-town guests because it was fun, educational, informative, and FREE.

When we drove down a stretch of Joanna Road (Rt. 82), I remembered how we tested out the turbo charge on our gold Mazda 626 hatchback. (It really did go 0 to 60 in 6 seconds (slow by today's standards, I guess).) And then we passed the swamp where a dead tree we called the Vulture Tree once stood. I can still picture those buzzards sitting there.

Funny how a few familiar sights can conjure up a world full of memories and stories to slow down Life...if only for a few minutes.

Pop!

You know the Nursery Rhyme about the monkey and the weasel... "All around the mulberry bush, the monkey chased the weasel..." Well, every time I open and shut our roller blinds I'm reminded of it. Especially when they go, "POP!" (Like the biscuit can from this entry.)

I like the idea of venetian blinds except for the fact that they gather so much dust and are hard to clean. Plus, I get kind of anal about having them exactly even, and with all those slats and strings that can be nearly impossible.

So we opted for roller blinds when we moved into our house and decided against the "fishbowl effect" that comes of having 19 uncovered windows.

For the most part, they're wonderful.

It's just the occasional "rebel" that decides to flip up on its own or shoot off its brackets and hit me in the head. That's when I think of the "monkey and the weasel"...or those dumb little cans of Pillsbury biscuits.

Like just the other night...the moment I heard a "POP!" on my head and "monkeys began chasing weasels"...and blinds began flying around the room...

Only a Mother...

You've heard the expression, "only a mother could love it," right? Well, here's a case of only a "father/owner" could love it since those are gold crowns costing over $900 each covering this here puss's jutting underbite. (Have you ever seen anything so....hmmm? Indescribable. Poor kitty!)

But "beauty is in the eye of the beholder"...and "you can't judge a book by the cover."

Though for this cat, I'm not so sure. He may need to be put back "in the bag"....

Loving Language

Emily, at 8 months, was our little English baby
I love the English language. I love the words and accents and connotation and denotation and phonemes...American or British. I just love our language.

I discovered this love while I was studying at university, during classes such as Chaucer, Shakespeare, History of the English Language, All About Words. Since I was a Journalism/English major, I wasn't required to take Linguistics. Now I really wish I had. It's like the science of a language. I think I would have enjoyed it.

But while I enjoy our language, I also know how important it is to learn other languages. (View the following: Fishbowl.) It's the key to understanding other cultures and reaching out beyond ourselves. Our kiddos will enjoy learning a foreign language this year in school. Hopefully, it'll help me refresh my past years of learning a foreign language. As my French professor at university used to say, "Use it, or you'll lose it." From my own experience, I think that's very true.

Besides, isn't it fun to stretch beyond our borders? I've always felt that way.

Happy! Happy!

If you visited my blog last week, you would remember hearing the R.E.M. song "Shiny Happy People" playing on my video player. Well, this is the first version of that song I heard, which subsequently encouraged me to look up the original. It's hard to figure out which I like better...

Enjoy!!

Furry Happy Monsters

(Un)Inspired

* * *

Emily, age 2, with a mixed-up Mr. Potato Head

A couple of things to bring a smile (and/or a chuckle?) to you today.

Click on the following to send a funny e-mail to someone:

Monk-E-Mail

AND

Some funny, satirical versions of those "inspirational posters" you see around workplaces:

APATHY
If we don't take care of the customer,
maybe they'll stop bugging us.

STUPIDITY
Quitters never win, winners never quit,
but those who never win AND never quit are idiots.

COMPROMISE
Let's agree to respect each other's views,
no matter how wrong yours may be.

MEETINGS
None of us is as dumb as all of us.

IDIOCY
Never underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups.

CLUELESSNESS
There are no stupid questions,
but there are a LOT of inquisitive idiots.

DEMOTIVATION
Sometimes the best solution to morale problems is
just to fire all of the unhappy people.

Steeled Nerves

Have you ever been in a situation where you completely blank out due to nervousness?

Every time I go into England, I feel a guilt like I'm hiding the crown jewels or something. I forget where I'm going and why I'm going there. It doesn't help when the immigration officer has such a scary face....

Watching a "roasting" show on DVD recently, I chuckled when I noticed that even famous people get nervous, judging by their warbling voices and shaking hands. I guess when it isn't something scripted out for them, even they blank out and/or feel scared.

(The following is used by permission of the story subject. Copyright 2006)

So Stuart is heading into Canada on a service trip for his company. The man at the border crossing says to him, "So where are you going." To which Stuart replies, "Canada." (Insert catchy Beach Boys tune here for the song "Wipe Out"...but change the words to "Blank Out!")

I'm not sure if the border guard was amused or not. But he said, "No kidding. Wanna be a little more specific?"

On Exercising...

Decided on a little added amusement today...click on the colored, underlined words for a more interesting read.

* * *

I hate excercise! I mean it! I abhor it! (Love that word though.)

Probably has something to do with the fact that I like to eat...especially chocolate! Or maybe it's how incredibly boring and dull and meaningless it seems.

So why bring it up? Because I need to exercise. My body needs it...my hubby needs it...my kids need it. I need to be healthy, especially for them. We're in a wellness program with my husband's insurance company. They have someone call every other month to see how we're doing. I feel so guilty when they ask how much I'm exercising. Ummmm....I'm getting better...I trot up the stairs now?

So we decided to do a little Ebay shopping for a treadmill. We had very narrow search criteria: It had to be cheap and it had to be local.

Only one item popped up from our search. An older model treadmill located in Reading for ONE PENNY Buy-It-Now. Wow!! After reading every word in the item's description and checking the seller's feedback rating, we "bought-it-now" (how could we go wrong?) and e-mailed the seller to get the location. Turns out the address was one block from our first apartment...and the seller works with my husband!

Small world! Too bad it's not small enough to jog around. It might make exercising seem a bit more interesting and fun and...amusing.

Quote of the Day

I haven't done a "Quote of the Day" here at Writer's Block so I'll post this one...especially funny to me, having worked awhile in the newspaper business.


"If you don't read the newspaper, you are uninformed. If you do read the newspaper, you are misinformed." ~Mark Twain


Check out this video -- Photo Fraud -- for more on present-day news misinformation...

Saying Thanks

I love simple things. And I love them even more when they mean something special to someone else.

Here's something fun and simple you can do to say "THANK YOU" to a soldier.

Let's Say Thanks

Click on the above link, choose a card, and Xerox will send it for you.

Simple...and special. For people who do so much for us!

What's Up, Chuck?

Okay...okay. So I've "lucked out" so far on my parenting journey. I can actually count on one hand the number of times my kids have gotten physically sick. I confess, I always feel extreme sympathy for those whose kids often...hmmm...vomit? Throw up? Upchuck? It really doesn't matter how you say it, or what term you use. It's not pleasant, right?

Okay...okay. So I've been "paid back" tonight. (One day I'll listen to her when she says her tummy hurts so much....)

Emily has a loftbed. We got it for her when we lived in a 2-bedroom apartment, in order to give her more space in the room she shared with Edward. Now, in her own room, it still gives her lots more space. I've always thought it a grand idea...that is, until tonight. How does an 8-year-old get out of a loftbed, run across her room, and make it to the trashcan in time to throw up in it?

The answer? She doesn't...

I'll spare you the details -- because my stomach is still queasy thinking about it -- but it was everywhere. In spots...well, I'm not still not sure how she managed it. We did clean up her room and wash her bedding...and her 6-foot stuffed pegasus....

Now, she's resting in the livingroom with a trashcan beside her and a bathroom within a few steps. And I'm off to find my can of Lysol....

Feeling Hungry?

One of my favorite photos. Stuart with Emily, Christmas 1997. --->

Hungry? Try some Squid on the Grill.

Lost your appetite? Well, that's okay. My hubby took the plunge and joined the world of Blogdom. That's actually the name of his blog...not an actual meal. ("Eeeew!" as the kids would say.)

I thought I'd give a little plug for his blog since he's so incredibly sweet, handsome, and funny...and my biggest fan!

As an aside: We met 18 years ago, outside a pub in Shaw Ridge, England. We were a mere 18 years old. Funny how fast time goes by, huh?

One of his favorite memories is when I told him I could never marry him. Ha! Ha! Ten years of marriage later.....

Drive-In Dreams

"The past is a foreign country. They do things differently there." ~L. P. Hartley

I love Drive-In Theaters!! You know the kind of place Gidget hung out in with her friends in that 1960s show. I've always dreamed of taking my hubby and kids to one.

I think I've been to one twice in my life. The first time was in a gold Ford Fiesta to see The Empire Strikes Back in California. I think I fell asleep. (But I was 9, okay? And it was dark!)

The second time was in college to see One Hundred and One Dalmations and...hmmm...I can't remember the second movie. I know it was a triple-feature. And we (about 5 or 6 of us) squooshed into my little red Hyundai Excel. For some reason, we didn't stay to watch the last movie which was Next of Kin. Maybe we were too cold and cramped.

I grew up hearing the story of my parents going to the drive-in the night before my mom went into labor with my oldest sister. Mom said she "pigged out" on candy and popcorn, never realizing she was in labor. I think she regretted it the next day...and so did the doctor.

I've always wondered what movie they watched....

Still, Still More from Hell-ish Kitchens

The weather shifted back to more sultry summer temperatures today so I'm inside enjoying the air conditioning and thinking about making some yummy treats...

Thus, I present, without further adieu, another installment of "Hell-ish Kitchens Tres Simple Recipes:"

<--- A new sport -- Naked Nascar? (Edward, July 2002)

Foolproof Chocolate Fudge

Estimated Times: Preparation - 6 min Cooking - 5 min Cooling Time -

2 hrs refrigerating - Yields - 36

Ingredients:
2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels (preferably a good brand)
1 can (14 oz.) Sweetened Condensed Milk
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions: LINE 8- or 9-inch square baking pan with foil. COMBINE morsels and sweetened condensed milk in medium, heavy-duty saucepan. Warm over lowest possible heat, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat; stir in nuts and vanilla extract. SPREAD evenly into prepared baking pan. Refrigerate for 2 hours or until firm. Lift from pan; remove foil. Cut into pieces.

Et voila! Eat and enjoy! A tiny piece of "Heaven." And it really is foolproof!! Ask this fool!

Summer Sounds

I grew up in the "country" for most of my life, so summer sounds -- you know, frogs, crickets, locusts, etc. -- were like an annual summer songfest. Click here for a sample.

It wasn't until we were getting in the car after VBS the other evening and Edward commented on how "noisy" it sounded outside that I realized how much I'd taken those sounds for granted. My kids miss out on that summer concert living in W. City, a suburb of the City of R. The noises are there, but they are somewhat muted by the cars, sirens, and buildings around us. I guess you have to listen harder for them. (Kinda makes me want to take them outside at night more often.)

Still, we could always go for evening drives to the "country"...or, pending that, Google such sounds on the Internet and "camp out" in our livingroom listening to them.

Thank the Lord for technology...and imagination.

Click on any of the following for some fun:

Pond Peepers (my favorite!!)

Crickets

Katydids

* * *

Here's a fun tidbit from the National Aquarium in Baltimore. You can create your own Frog Chorus. Click on each of the frogs to add it to the "singing" group. Enjoy!

Il Est Mort

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!


Well, I finally did it... I killed Jack...the PS2-game version of him, of course.

My hubby's amazed that I haven't done so before now. (There's faith in my abilities, huh?)

I haven't played the 24 game for awhile due to the awfulness of my driving. I mean, we're not just talking bad...I'm horrific! People on sidewalks a mile up the road are not safe with me and Jack at the wheel. "Hey! Watch it!" is meaningless with me and Jack at the wheel. I finally got through that stinking level (thanks to my incredibly, devastatingly, wonderfully handsome hubby with the limber fingers), and now I'm back at it.

Funny enough, in this new level I had to drive Jack into a gate to get into the building where the "baddie" was hiding. Jack got in and out of the van several times...rammed the walls several more times...hit a garage pole even more times...and then I finally got him to ram the gate. Phew.... Jack needs to have his eyes checked...and his motor skills, too, it seems.

Well, I made it through most of the building and then my fingers got muddled on the 3,562 buttons and I forgot which joystick to move around and with his back to a "baddie," Jack was mowed down in cold blood. Well, pixelated blood anyway.

Il est mort. Je suis triste....tres triste! (Click here for a translator.)

Oh, well. Good thing there are auto-save checkpoints.

Manic Monday

No real reason for this tidbit, except that I'm left thinking, "More power to you, Doc." Some "disorders" just cannot be cured. Click here to read more: Anti-Stupidity Pill.

* * *

I've come to realize that my mind is a mental scrapbook of people, ideas, and memories. (Probably everybody's is...) I've no need to craft an actual book since my mind is so chock-a-block. I find myself constantly distracted by it all, although it does help in my writing.

Watching our daughter lately and hearing all the things she wants to do, I'm reminded of the saying, "Jack of all trades; master of none." In fact, I taught her that phrase the other day. Thinking about it, though, I realize I'm exactly the same. My mind is brimming with things I'd like to do, people I'd like to have over, places I'd like to visit again....and it's hard to make any of it happen. She's my "Mini Me," I guess.

My biggest distraction, though, is my memories. Having moved around so much in my life, I've met a ton of people. I think about many of them during my days. As I'm doing my chores or shopping for groceries or surfing the web, people I once knew pop into my head. I wonder what they are doing...where they live now...if they are married...

...and if they still remember me. Kind of silly, I guess.

"It seems to me that the best relationships, the ones that last, are frequently the ones rooted in friendship. You know, one day you look at the person and you see something more than the night before, like a switch has been flicked somewhere, and the person who was just a friend is suddenly the only person you can ever imagine yourself with." ~Dana Katherine Scully, The X-Files

Joyeux Anniversaire Ma Soeur

Click here to hear the Happy Birthday Disco.

Well, my oldest sister, Sandy, (a.k.a. "Old As Dirt" to her niece and nephews) reached another milestone today.

She's a palindrome. That's right. 44 years ago on this day, after an excessively long time in the "bathroom" (not much has changed, right?) getting ready for her big appearance, Sandra Lynne Wilson adorned the world with all her cherubic cuteness! (I'll post a photo once I get my scanner working again.)

Ah, the memories....

Let's see... Our favorite phrase growing up was "You're not my mother!" (Mothering must go with being the firstborn. But, in fairness, we "gave" as good as we got, really. Certainly, there could be studies done to prove that bossiness is, in fact, genetic. Still in all, we all "survived" one another with flying colors.) How about those Saturday morning water-wake-up calls that followed the blasting of guns played at top volume from the "Victory at Sea" record? And times when we were sent by Mom to spy on her -- and the "boyfriend-of-the-week" -- to be sure they were "behaving" themselves? And they were.

She always makes me proud!

My sister has been a fantastic wife to a wonderful man named Tim since April 4th 1987. She's the special teacher and "part-time mom" to 15 (or so) special ed students each year. She has an adorable cat named Thomas who is her pride and joy.

And, most importantly, she's a breast cancer survivor.

That makes her a gift and blessing to all of us! Happy HAPPY Birthday, Sis!

Wistful Thinking

No real reason to post this, except that I love this photo of the kids. They're looking across the ocean and thinking about their Granny and Grampy in England.

The Atlantic Ocean seems so very, very large from there, doesn't it....

===========
"Roy: Have you ever seen it snow on the ocean?
Natalie: I don't think so.
Roy: It's the sound of the snow, really. It's as if each individual flake has its own... voice. A hiss as it hits the water, and then this whisper that tames the ocean's roar... peacefully. It's my favorite Christmas thing."

~Behind the Red Door

Harvest Moon

Wishful thinking? ---->

I guess the "honeymoon" is officially over...as far as home ownership goes.

I'm outside with my combine-harvester (a.k.a. my trusty Black & Decker Electric Mulcher Mower), thwacking my way through the knee-high grasses, wondering to myself why we ever thought home ownership was "to die for." (We're in the middle of a heat wave and the grass (a.k.a. weeds) is thriving! I'm certain I used the wrong kind of seeds.) I know. I know. Back in our apartment-living days, we didn't have a yard for the kids to dig up and leave things like broken shells and rocks around for unsuspecting tootsies to find play in. So?? Call me a Grinch. We had the sideyard of the school across the street and the school personnel to maintain the grass for us. Ahhh, those were the days....

Idle grass.

I put a lawn tractor on my "Wish List" for Mother's Day a few years ago. I just about had the kids convinced. But somehow their father (who will remain unnamed) didn't think it necessary for our .10 of an acre. Think about it! I'd be done mowing in a mere 10 minutes. Swipe, swipe. I'd be a Lawn Goddess out on my John Deere, revving the engine to "rabbit" speed, flicking on the headlights.

Instead I was out there tonight -- did I mention the intense HEAT wave? -- sweating in the 100 degree-F setting sun, harvesting our hayfield before our borough comes 'round to collect the Hay Tax Bill.

Of course, my hubby did offer....

Shut the Beep Up

Things that make you go "hmmmm."

I always like how something can sound different than intended. It was something I learned early on in my newspaper days. I could say a person "declined to comment" or "refused to speak." I'm saying EXACTLY the same thing, but the meaning and how another person perceives it changes with the word choice.

Idle grass....

* * *

So I'm making one of my infamous noodle salad dinners -- a staple in our diets during the summer -- adding a mystery meat (I think it's turkey) I found in the far corner of the freezer and some of our homegrown cherry tomatoes. And I'm reading the package to see how long to cook the noodles.

7 minutes = al dente (slightly firm). The timer goes off. I hit reset, but it doesn't stop it. Do I let it continue through the factory-prescribed amount of beeps...thus letting the noodles cook a few more minutes, or do I shut the annoying thing off by smacking it? It's very tempting to let it go, since technically 9 minutes = done, but I opt for al dente.

That shuts the beep up quicker.

* * *

Did I say something naughty?

Burning Question

Having a "wee bit" of Scottish blood in me -- on my father Robert Bruce Wilson's side -- I've always been very mesmorized by kilts. I inherited mini versions of said "skirts" when I was a lass, but I never realized there was a tradition to be followed when worn by the opposite gender.

I have it on good authority -- from several prominent and local sources -- that when a man wears a kilt, it is considered bad luck to wear undies with it. See above photo....some agree; others do not.

My burning question: What would you do...if you wore a kilt?

Dog Days of Summer

"Mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the mid-day sun..." So the old song goes.

Well, it's August 1st. I guess we're in the "Dog Days of Summer" -- we're certainly into another heat wave. Phew! (I "googled" that phrase to find out what it means and where it came from. Click here for a short definition and history.)

It won't be long until school starts, and we're back in the grind of another schoolyear..... (Okay, smack me now! I'm pushing that out of my brain for now!)

I smelled Summer today. Sounds odd, huh? But for someone with chronic sinus issues, that's a feat in and of itself. And cause for celebration.

I once wrote a passage in one of my stories about a little girl who sat by her window and smelled the scents of Summer. A college friend of mine from Philly read it and asked me to describe what "Summer smelled like." He really had no idea what I meant by that. No easy task. I'd been smelling it every summer all my life... How did I describe that to someone who hadn't?

Sweet honeysuckle, pungent grass, and warm humidity. Put those smells together with a little hot tarmac and you've got a sample of summer smells.

Okay, okay. It isn't the "Summer" scent you'll smell when you pick up the little souvenir bar of soap at the beach. Or the aroma of the "Summer's Breeze" air freshener.

Ah, well. Everyone's Summer smells a little differently anyway.