a scarf.

 You might remember me mentioning this scarf.

I love it.

But i can't afford it at over $300.

If i could, i would own a LOT of Kerri Rosenthal stuff.  

https://www.kerrirosenthal.com/

Clothes, art, home goods . . .

But.

I can't.

So.

I'm getting ready to see what my brain and my fingers come up with in an amateur effort of "My Version of a Kerri Rosenthal Scarf."

I certainly don't expect a Kerri Rosenthal duplicate, but it'll be a fun project and interesting to see what the result might be after being inspired by Ms. Rosenthal and her awesome talent..

I'll keep you posted.

I have laughed by Donna Ashworth

One of my all-time favorite books, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, is full of passages that have stuck with me over the years.

"Perhaps there is some secret sort of homing instinct in books that brings them to their perfect readers. How delightful if that were true."



I have found this to be true. Not only for books, but for music, and for poetry.

If our minds and our hearts are open, magic will find its way to us.  As will truth.  And, if we're lucky, maybe even a little wisdom.

I have a birthday coming up this month. I'll be 74 years old.

Not as many summers ahead of me as behind me.

I'm experiencing hearing about death and illness visiting long time friends my age. An age I didn't give much thought to as a young woman, younger girl, little girl. Why would I?

We live our lives in phases and passages.

We enter each in slow evolution, not really noticing time passing as it pertains to our age. Until, all of a sudden "I'm 74" strikes a more strident note than just words.

It's no longer just another birthday.

It's a passage.

Perhaps the final passage. 

 That's the circle of life.

Depending on which report you read, life expectancy for a woman in the United States is around 76-78 years. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/pressroom/nchs_press_releases/2022/20220831.htm

Do I spend a lot of time focusing on that number?

Of course not.

We all know women who are well past their 70s who are still fierce and vibrant.

But.

Life is not static. It can change in seconds. (This is the excuse I use when the travel bug bites and I start planning another trip to Paris 😊. 'tis a valid excuse to my mind 😉 ).



All that simply to say this poem by Donna Ashworth found its way to me at a most opportune time - - -

I have laughed.

Oh how I have laughed.

I have laughed so hard with so many wonderful people that I now wear the marks.

Mother Nature has engraved me as one, ‘who laughed whenever she could’.

I wear the tattoo of the joyful, and that makes me swell with pride.

How can I hate upon these lines when I remember the nights, the music, the dancing, the fun, the tears of laughter and the blindingly joyful light.

Give me a mark for every night I felt alive and I will show them to the world with pride.

I have laughed.

Oh how I have laughed.

I hope you have laughed too my friend.

And if you have not, start now.

It’s never too late.


 -  - - Donna Ashworth

From ‘LIFE’ : https://amzn.eu/d/9Y6E6kz

Day of the Dead - Dia de Muertos

Honoring the dead.  

We should be doing that.  

Here's an excellent article about the history of  Dia de Muertos (Day of the Dead). - https://www.thenationalnews.com/lifestyle/family/2022/11/02/day-of-the-dead-2022-what-is-it-and-why-do-we-celebrate-it/

 

I think Madame Marie Laveau would appreciate being honored.

Here's a picture I took of Madame Laveau's crypt in St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 when I visited New Orleans.

Click on the link to read a story I wrote about her which was included in the Anthony award winning 2016 Bouchercon Anthology edited by Greg Herren, Blood on the Bayou.

Voodoo at the Jitterbug

And - 

You can click on the book cover to buy a copy of the anthology 

 It's excellent!

Especially if you love New Orleans

Blood on the Bayou was published in conjunction with Bouchercon, the World Mystery Convention, which was held in New Orleans in 2016. As with the convention itself, the anthology spreads a broad canopy across a wide variety of crime writers from across the country and around the world—including both veteran writers and the brightest up-and-coming talents in the field. These stories range from the light-hearted and fun to the darker side of crime; just as New Orleans and the bayou country can show both to the unsuspecting.

You'll find stories by best selling authors David Morrell, Alison Gaylin and many others.

I DO NOT CARE how you feel about Nancy Pelosi. 

The attack on her husband needs to be a wake up call to Republicans who have sanctioned the increasing level of violence unleashed in this country.

An ugly, ignorant, hate filled man feeling emboldened by the tolerance shown these types of acts of aggression by the Republican Party and their leaders is disgusting.

Republican leaders are not only tolerating violence,  but encouraging it.

The GOP is now led by people who are are so afraid of losing power that they're purposely spreading lies to stir up a base of hateful racists to extreme measures.  

And yet - there are people supporting this party of hate.

If you're one of them, you disgust me too.

Attacking an 82 year old man with a hammer.  What a fucking coward.

The Poet’s Occasional Alternative by Grace Paley

 

I was going to write a poem

I made a pie instead it took

about the same amount of time

of course the pie was a final

draft a poem would have had some

distance to go days and weeks and

much crumpled paper

the pie already had a talking

tumbling audience among small

trucks and a fire engine on

the kitchen floor

everybody will like this pie

it will have apples and cranberries

dried apricots in it many friends

will say why in the world did you

make only one

this does not happen with poems

because of unreportable

sadnesses I decided to

settle this morning for a re-

sponsive eatership I do not

want to wait a week a year a

generation for the right

consumer to come along

Advent Calendars

 

I have loved the mystery, suspense, whimsy and magic of Advent calendars since I was a little girl.

One of my favorite bloggers, the Everyday Parisian Rebecca Plotnick, has put together her choices for this year's 20 Best Advent Calendars.

These are limited Christmas related items that sell out quickly, so if you're a fan, it's time to place your order.

Take a peek.  

She's also an amazing photographer.  

Be sure you stop by her print shop!

Rebecca is a great source for all things Parisian.  Hotels, restaurants, places to shop, even tips on packing.  Do introduce yourself to Rebecca and her wonderful blog.

What the girl's been up to . . .

 If you read my last post you'll know Annabelle and I are home alone.

I, in jest, muttered about "what's a girl to do while DH is out of town."

Those who know me know I've never had any difficulty entertaining myself.

Perhaps that comes from growing up as an only child.  Or being a bit of an introvert.  Or simply being content with my own company.  

I know some people need a good bit of socializing to keep them happy.  I know some people who think staying home alone is boring beyond words.  And some people just need to be out and about and doing stuff.

My lifestyle of happily being at home, sometimes, for several days at a time, seems weird to some.  Oh, well.  To each his own.

When the urge or need hits, believe me, i will get up, go out, and do stuff.

In the meantime, Annabelle and I are fine fine fine.  She has, by the way, started speaking to me again.  We're pals.  She is sticking pretty close.  ❤

We chat with Donald a couple times a day and things are going well with the move.

I did order a bag of scrap fabric from amazon, and pulled out all the other items needed to make my own version of the scarf I mentioned in my last post.

While waiting for the fabric to arrive I've done a little bit of cooking (thank you, Greg Herren for that Sloppy Joe recipe!  The BEST!). 

I've read a couple of VERY good books, and watched a couple of movies.

Books have let me down this year.  Some that sounded good didn't hold my interest.   Some I was looking forward to disappointed.

But.

Thanks to NetGalley.com I did read two that I loved.  Started and could not put down (I love being retired).

Want to hear what they were?

Neither have been released yet but you can pre-order them.

Check 'em out!!!

Next up is . . .

Movies I've (re)watched are Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris, Practical Magic, and Midnight in Paris.

And, that, my friends, is what's happening in Meat Camp, North Carolina.

Life is good.

What's a girl to do . . .

 

So.

Donald left this morning heading towards Birmingham.

His folks are moving from their home to a smaller place, so he's going to be helping with whatever needs doing before, during, and after.

He's a good son,

 and he's a good husband.

He's the best partner in the whole world.

And i hate it when he's not here.

He's also a good dog dad.

Annabelle is already pouting.  She making sure I notice that she won't look at me and prefers the company of some of her toys.

So - what am i doing to entertain myself?

Shopping is always fun.

But since I can't bring myself to put on make-up and get dressed suitably to go out, shopping on-line will work just fine.

Bare feet, yoga pants, and a soft comfy tee are perfect on-line shopping apparel.

One of my first on-line clothing stops is always anthropologie.com

And today I spied this -

Cute, Cute, Cute!

But.

The price tag for this funky adorable muffler ($398) is way out of my wallet's comfort zone.

But.

It just so happens, I have a long white muffler.  Actually, i have a couple long white mufflers.  What is it about me and scarves?  I still have a few I wore in college.  And several I wore with suits when i worked at a bank in the 80s.

And, being a crafter, I have tons (and tons) of yarn from past needlepoint, knitting and weaving projects.

And wouldn't you know it - bags and boxes of scrap fabric are available at amazon.com

(Cheap!).

So.

Seems as though my on-line shopping experience has turned into a do-it-yourself crafting adventure.

Hmmm, there's a stash of buttons out in my little artsy/crafty studio.  

A few buttons scattered here and there on this cute heart scarf might be just the thing.

I'll keep you posted!

So.

That's one of the ways a gal keeps herself amused while her best buddy is away.

Who knows what other wild and crazy capers might be around the corner . . .

Early Voting!

 

Early voting started today.

So, of course, We Voted.

And I wore a sweater that I gave to my dad for Christmas sometime in the early 80s, or late 70s.

My mom kept it all those years after he died in 1984.    She would wear it occasionally, but took very good care of it.  When we lost her, I brought it home with me and just recently had it cleaned. It shrunk a bit.  But, now i expect I'll be wearing it quite a lot.

 It's been a good day.

Optimist? Pessimist? Or Just Plain Mean?

Reposting.  Just 'cause.

This is who I am.  Take me or leave me.

I posted this right here in 2011.  I haven't changed.

 

Every once in awhile I just feel the need to have a good rant.   And, actually, I was going to title this blog "It's My Blog and I'll Rant If I Want To."  But.  I already did that. In a blog I published here quite a while back -  with that very title.  And guess what.  It's a rant about the very same thing.

Negativity.  And a lot of you commented.  Remember?

Here's the link if you'd like to see and see what you had to say - http://www.meanderingsandmuses.com/2009/11/its-my-blog-and-ill-rant-if-i-want-to.html

And then, by golly, I found another post where I did it again - http://www.meanderingsandmuses.com/2009/08/what-makes-you-crazy.html

So, I guess, it's times like this that having your own blog is a lovely thing.

Not only can I rant whenever I want to.  I can even repeat myself.  HA!

and more than once!

HA!


So.

Negativity.

If there's one single thing that pushes all my buttons and makes me nuts it's being around someone who is constantly and consistently negative.  Ugh.

Does it make you nuts, or am I just totally off the wall about it?  Do you think I might need professional help with this 'cause I react so strongly to it?  Seriously.  Do you?

'Cause I admit - it makes me pretty crazy.

It makes me crazy to the point of wanting to just reach out and grab some people and give 'em a good shake.

I think if we have our choice about who should get sucked up off the earth, it should be all the negative people who suck the life out of the rest of us.

Now, I know we're all gonna have a bad day.  But you know what I mean, right?  That's different than those people who can't stand seeing someone else have a smidge of joy.  You know people like that.  Don't you want to weed them out of your life?  Truthfully?!  Don't you??  But maybe you can't 'cause they're family, or they've been a friend for so long that your history makes you feel like it's just not possible.

Grrrrr.

They're the type of people who find it easier to be your friend when you're down and out than when you're on top of the world.  IMPOSSIBLE for them to work up some enthusiasm and wish you well.  That is just sad.  I'd like to feel sorry for them, and I guess I kinda do, but mostly I just want them out of my world.

We all know I'm not a total Pollyanna (pfft - imagine that), but I hope to God if I EVER become a complete and total 100% all-the-time-bitch-on-wheels (or a witch on a broomstick, since I couldn't really find a bitch on wheels image I liked), I hope someone will give me a reality check.  Someone out there promise me this, please?  I am quite happy being one of those people though, who prefers to think of the glass as being half full as opposed to being half empty.  

So.

Where am I going with this?  I'm not sure.  Just ranting, perhaps.


But.

I do have a theory about all this.

Aside from those moods we all have, I think people tend to have a negative spirit or a positive spirit, and whether they know it or not - it shows.  Loud and clear.  They may be able to hide that mean ol' self a lot of the time - even most of the time - but the true self reveals itself.  What do you think?  Am I being too harsh?  And what do YOU do about these poor ol' sad negative souls who inhabit your world??  You can't kill 'em, so do you just put up with them?  Do you try to talk to them about how very boring they are, or how pitiful they are?  Recommend LexaPro??  Or have you walked away from them?  Or are you all just much more understanding and patient than I am?  I really want to hear, so if you don't want to post your comments publicly, post anonymously.

Meat Camp, NC

 Today is a gorgeous day in Meat Camp

Donald has gone off on his bike for a ride.

Annabelle is perched on her rock out back.

I'm sitting on the back deck enjoying coffee, Mother Nature's artwork, and . . . dare I say it - my lot in life.

And dinner cooks.

Saturday evening plans include pot roast, a glass or two of wine, and a cut throat game of Scrabble.

Life is good.

Women to Women - Get Out the Vote

 

What I'm doing today before allowing myself time with my new book.  

Doing what I can to Get Out the Vote by engaging in some letter writing.  Women to Women letter writing.  Reaching out to women in my area in an attempt to remind people, women especially, why it's important to vote.  Especially important now.

Thanks to Pamela Williamson and The Watauga County Dems for pulling this program together, putting together valuable information to share, and samples of letters to personalize.

#GetOutTheVote

This is a personalized version I'm using:

"Our country is so divided right now, and it’s so important we elect candidates of good character who want to bring us together. We can't go on like this. Our country will be destroyed, and we will lose all hope for our future.  For our democracy.

I hope you'll vote and vote with your heart. Vote Blue."

Please vote!

A tough few weeks

 Donald and I have experienced some sadness these past few weeks.

We're both, knock on wood, fine.

But some very serious medical problems have been diagnosed for family and very close friends.

When this happens it's only human nature, i think, for us each to step back and do a little soul searching.  

A little assessment of where we are right now.

And i can't help but remember a conversation i had with Joe Maron who urged us quite earnestly to travel.  To travel often.  To travel while we were able, because the day would come when it would no longer be possible.

We had this conversation while sitting at the kitchen table looking through one of the photo albums from a trip he and Margaret had taken.

With photos came a narrative of memories.  Remembering  a restaurant with an amazing meal, an hysterically funny incident, or a moving moment remembered with a look passed between long-time partners.

I wish I could assure Joe and Margaret that we're trying our best to get out there and make more memories.  To honor that not at all subtle prod.

It has been driven home, quite powerfully, that we need to do it now.

Who knows what tomorrow might bring.

Like everyone else, our travel itch had to be put on hold for a couple years.

Then we planned a trip that we ended up having to cancel.

Now, we have something planned for next year with our fingers crossed that it actually happens.

Who knows what tomorrow might bring.

Why I Re-read

 

I re-read to savor the beauty of the words; the phrasing, the pacing, the choice of those words.

This is an excerpt from 

Pamela Terry's THE SWEET TASTE OF MUSCADINES -

"Every house is haunted. Some are haunted in the traditional way: by spirits generally more mischievous than malevolent, who take delight in closing the open door, rocking the empty chair, or snuffing out the flaming candle, unfortunate souls who failed to squeeze enough enjoyment out of their paltry allotment of days to sufficiently satisfy their eternity. Most, however, are haunted by our own memories: bits of ourselves, individual and unique, left behind and lying dormant for decades but with the power to quicken and breathe the moment we step back inside. These personal spirits can live in the house of our childhood or the church where we married. They wait for us with the patience of angels, alert to the sound of our step, the certain sweetness of our perfume, the touch of our hand on the door. Like rainbows through beveled glass, they coalesce in the stillness, ethereal as a dream yet visible to our eyes only. We alone may catch glimpses of ourselves at long-forgotten ages, running down the hallways or sitting with a book at the window. We alone can see our parents as they once were, young and hale. Fleeting, hardly real, the sounds of our youth can return on a breeze—the music, the laughter, the tears. These spirits gather in the corners of once-familiar rooms to whisper and sing, a murmuration of memory meant for just one."