I have a new blogger friend over at Free Association. Please, please, please go over and read this post and follow the link she gives. I can't think of anyone I know who reads this blog that will not appreciate this story and love it as much as I did. And I know you all are the kind of people who want to help the cause she mentions , and that means YOU! So let me know you did! Do it now! It will only take a minute. Please. If you don't I'm going to be upset!
Oh, and spread the word too!

Thanks Saly for sharing that information. Just another example of how important animals are in our lives.
And thanks for sharing the link too so that maybe we can help a little.

If you have a little time to kill....

.....check out this site .
My best friend's sister sent her this link this morning and she shared. I had the best time remembering what these guys, (some of them old guys now) looked like in the 70's and 80's. I had crushes on quite a few of them and still do! They were hotties then and most of them are still pretty hot now.

Thoughts of Sarcasm & Roses

I'm so very disappointed. Our business meeting, the one at which I had to do a presentation , the one where I had two other managers in my group who weren't all that into our presentation, the one where I seemed to be stressing about constantly, the one that was coming up just next week.................has been canceled. Ahhh, I really hate that . Looks like it really isn't going to be rescheduled anytime soon either, darn it!

Sometimes "cancellation" can be such a beautiful word.

And now I can concentrate on the birthday party. I'm determined to surprise my mother. If the party itself doesn't do it, if the arrival of her grandson who hasn't been home in five years doesn't do it, then maybe this will. After her arrival at the party her husband will present her with a dozen beautiful red roses. And then I'll do the same. And then both of her grandsons will do the same. So there she'll be holding 4 dozen long stem roses. How's that for a surprise?

As long as I'm here....

...and not doing the things I really need to be doing, I wanted to quickly share this. The book that I read last week had a character that was an artist and what she worked with was gourds.
It interested me because when I was little my Daddy grew them and they always amazed me. So, doing a little research I found this site. Along with my love of art, my love of nature and my love of the American Indian, this was candy for my eyes and soul. So check it out if you want.
Click here: John Gibson, Gourd Maestro .

SHH!

I really shouldn't be blogging because I have sooooo much I should be doing. But I'm sneaking in just for a minute. I couldn't help it...I'm doing just a little bit of dreaming today and I had to come post it to get it out of my system you see. This is, after all, a Cedar Chest of Dreams and if I tuck the dream here I can always come back to it later.

Today I'm dreaming that I live in a nice little English cottage style house with ivy growing up the sides, in a beautiful area where there is water nearby and maybe a view of a mountain. This time of the year the leaves of all the beautiful trees that surround the house are in the shades of gold and red and the sun shines brightly with a sky of blue overhead.



Very nearby there is a farmer's market. I walk there almost every day and buy fresh veggies and fruits. They have nuts and fish and jellies and jams. On weekends I bet there is music . I take my food home and cook it in very simple ways, using only the best of olive oils and herbs (which I buy there as well.)

I don't have to work (since I'm dreaming here, I'm going for it all) but I keep busy beading, and reading and writing poetry and learning new things. I take long walks in the early morning and sometimes again in the late afternoon and at night I sit on my porch, sipping green tea and listening to the the night sounds. I have two chairs so you can join me if you want.

Just a little Book Talk

Last week I read this book and really enjoyed it. Probably because the story centered around six friends that are in my age range and because they are Southern. They've been friends since college and it's dead on how women can accept each other's faults but love each other anyway. One interesting thing too is that the book is written by Cassandra King who happens to be married to
Pat Conroy, a famous southern writer. He wrote "Cape Fear" and although I'm not a big fan of his, he has lots of fans.

I usually am a big John Grisham fan and he has a new book out. I've lost a little interest in him. This is the first one ever I've not bought right away but it's a novel about football in Italy and somehow it doesn't appeal to me. I'll probably still buy it but I'm going to read some reviews first. It's called
"Playing for Pizza."

I'm now reading "Good in Bed", and no it's not that kind of book. It's a novel written by Jennifer Weiner.

I guess the best most absorbing book I've read lately would have to be the novel by Nancy Horan called "Loving Frank". It's a novel that is based on a lot of research of the truth about Frank Lloyd Wright and his life with a woman, Mamah Borthwick Cheney. The two of them had a scandalous affair and it was during a time when women were still fighting for rights. This book was not one I could devour like I do some books. It was one I had to take the time to absorb and think about. I loved the fact that both of the main characters were brilliant humans that found themselves in a situation that was so much deeper than the people looking in could understand. I really liked it.

So now you know what I'm reading.

You Have Just Entered the......

Yesterday was a bit odd as days can be. And since the moon is no where near being full the only explanation is that maybe I passed over into the Twilight Zone.

. I had not only my normal conference call but a second one as well which if you know how much I actually dread that one call on Tuesdays, you can imagine how I felt about a second one.

. My 62 year old Aunt is dating my mother's first boyfriend from over 50 years ago, and trust me, my mother is not going to find this a good thing. In my mother's mind she has always been the love of his life for all these years.

. My oldest son got mixed up and was thinking the birthday party for my mother was today instead of November 3rd. (He's never been very good with dates).

. Last night as I was working alone, a "Little Richard" like character came in and made an appointment. He was very strange but I'm used to seeing strange people and he was quite nice to me but then he then he went out into the bigger store and slapped somebody and was carried out screaming "I'm pregnant!" by three policemen. I mean really physically carried out with them holding him by his arms and legs.

I'm off today, thank goodness and maybe, just maybe, I've moved out of this ZONE!

Planning Mode

So many things spinning in this brain of mine, I've not had time to concentrate on blogging like I'd like.

Between planning a presentation for a work meeting next week and my mother's birthday party in November, I'm on overload. And getting a little confused. I hope I don't get the two things mixed up!

Goodbye September

I cannot believe September is almost over. When I was a little girl and I'd hear my grandmother say that time passed so fast, I really didn't understand. What was she talking about? During the school year time passed at a snail's pace until summer vacation arrived. After summer, time so slowly passed until at last Christmas came. And now, well now dear grandmother, I know exactly what you mean. Time passes by so fast now that I hardly remember one month from the next. It's like a blur. Which all the more reason I need to savor each day, each moment really. Maybe I can will time to slow down enough for me to appreciate it all because I can't get these moments back.

And so as I welcome October, I'll try and live in the moment. Day by day I'll seek out wondrous things and look for the miracles in each day. That's what I'm going to do! I'm living way too fast and wishing to be where I'm not. So I've either got to find where I want to be or be happy with where I am.

Just another Saturday Night

We were promised cooler weather today. It wasn't all that hot but it was a far cry from being cool. NO nip in the air here yet. Even though the nights are cooler now, they are still a far cry from being nippy. So, I'm still waiting.

To quote my best friend today, " I'm ready for cooler weather, I'm ready to do Fall things and to wear Fall clothes!" I second that, Steph!


I'm home from work and settled in for the night. I plan to eat more pasta salad and read more of my book. VERY exciting Saturday night, but I'm not complaining. It's what I'd rather be doing more than anything else I can think of. Well almost anything.

So all is calm here, quiet. Maybe a little too quiet.

Bad Mood Improving.......

...homemade Pasta Salad, good French Bread and a very good book. Life is looking better.

Riding Out the Tide

What a blue mood I'm in today. I am off today and have so much I need to work on. I have a party to plan, a presentation for a business meeting to work on, household chores to do. And I have not the energy or the frame of mind or the desire even to work on any of this.

I know better than to fight it and try to get over it. So I must ride it out and hope it is short lived. There is never a warning that this mood will hit, it usually takes me by surprise but I am wise enough to know that it can lift as fast as it lands. But it's not fun,
this feeling of drowning.

A Tribute to Dory

My best friend Steph's beagle, Dory, got hit by a car this morning. This is something I found for her to let her know how sorry I am and that I understand how hard it is when we lose a pet.


Sunlight streams through window pane unto a spot on the floor....then I remember,it's where you used to lie,but now you are no more.

Our feet walk down a hall of carpet,and muted echoes sound....then I remember,It's where your paws would joyously abound.

A voice is heard along the road, and up beyond the hill,then I remember it can't be yours....your golden voice is still.

But I'll take that vacant spot of floor and empty muted hall and lay them with the absent voice and unused dish along the wall.

I'll wrap these treasured memorials in a blanket of my love and keep them for my best friend until we meet above.

Author Unknown

The Signs of Aging

Check this out. I've been seeing this ad lately in magazines.

Food, food, food and the Carpet Cleaning Guy!

It dawned on me all I've blogged all day long is FOOD! But Sunday is the only day I have to really have time to cook and that's my excuse.

The only other thing going on is the adventure of "Robbin and the Carpet Cleaning Man".

Our company hires someone who cleans all the stores in an area's carpets. My man has to come from Atlanta. You guys thought the "cable guy" is bad, listen to this. For a month now he's been scheduled to clean the carpet. First he coming on a Tuesday after we closed. That worked out good for me because I usually close anyway on Tuesday. He canceled for the following Friday night. Right before he was suppose to come, he canceled for the next Friday night. Ok, I'm easy to get along with. You guessed it! He canceled on that one too. (Bad weather, you see.) So, ok, he's coming today after the store closes at five. Works for me. I don't have to work, but I'll go in and stay with him for a couple of hours to get this done. Well, I've had three conversations with him today. First he was coming, and then he wasn't and then he was and now he's not! This guy is something.

As badly as I hate to, I'm going to have to let my district manager know about this. I don't want him to lose the contract but this is getting a little out of hand. He did mention he would have to do it for free, which would be good for me. Save me that much out of my store budget!

And so....that's been my adventure for the day.

Remember..........

....this strange looking vegetable???











Well, here's what it looks like all cooked up!


This thing produces enough "spaghetti" to feed a small army. I'll be eating it for days, but it is really good. For this first batch I mixed it with olive oil and mushrooms and green onions, basil and garlic, topped it off with Parmesan. It was yummy.

I'm not a real pasta lover and so the fact that the texture only is like pasta, not the taste, was not a disappointment to me. Of course with tomato sauce, it could taste more like pasta. It has a fresh light taste. I liked it. But what I really liked was the preparation.

After it cooks, you take out the pulp and seeds and then with a fork you scrape and get these wonderful strands. It was good for the soul. But remember, be patient and let it cool first. It is hot and I burned my fingers! (Patience not a virtue of mine.)

So I give Spaghetti Squash a thumbs up, plus it's a lot better for the waistline than real spaghetti.

Breakfast Pears

I love pears. I think pears are my favorite fruit. I seldom buy them anymore though because I can't usually get good ones. A lady that works with me bought me some from her tree. The last of the crop she says. I've no idea what kind they are, here in Georgia there must be a thousand different kinds of pears. She apologized that they weren't Bartlett. Doesn't matter to me, I love pears of any variety.
These are huge! Not the prettiest of fruits but my are they good. For a change from my oatmeal this morning I had a lovely breakfast of pears and cottage cheese, sprinkled with Cinnamon. Very nice and filling. Thankful for the pears this morning.

Ode to the Rainbow

Every time in my life that I've seen a rainbow it's made me happy but today along with that happiness a little sadness came my way.

A rainbow is a rare thing to me, not something you see everyday and although I know the scientific reason for it, sort of, to me it has always been magical. Now I'll be the first to admit, it doesn't take much for me to see "magic" in things, especially those things of nature. I can understand why some people might not find the same entertainment I find in watching ants in an ant bed or see the beauty in a spider web. Maybe the stream of the sunlight coming into a certain window doesn't amaze you or watching pine trees dance in unison when the wind blows doesn't get your attention. I can understand all that. But a RAINBOW! Come on!

Here's what happened to me today. I came out of work and there it was a beautiful rainbow and not just any rainbow, the kind that goes from one end of the world to the other, as if you could just walk under it! And then if that wasn't a gift enough, it turned into a double rainbow. A DOUBLE RAINBOW!

In the parking lot were lots of people going and coming. Some of them had kids, little kids. Not one person was standing there dumbfounded like me by the beauty of this thing. Not one parent stopped to point it out to their small children. NOT ONE!

I had only my cell phone camera and I took a few pics that didn't turn out and as I did this a few people acted as if they sort of saw it but kept going not even paying any attention to it.
I am so sad for these people. I am really sad for their children. Couldn't they take just a little time to stand and admire a rainbow, a double rainbow, with their kids?

Maybe it's just me. Maybe these people see rainbows all the time. Maybe the kids don't know the story of a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Maybe they don't teach in Sunday school, right here in the middle of the Bible Belt that it's a promise from God anymore. Maybe nobody knows that the Native Americans believed it was a gift from the Sun God. Somewhere Over the Rainbow? The Rainbow Connection? Or maybe nobody has time anymore to stop and appreciate the beauty, the perfection of this most rare occurrence!

What I'm hoping is that I was just in the middle of people who just didn't care. Somewhere I just know people stood ,as I did, in awe.

I remember this poem by William Wordsworth and he says it way better than I can! The poem begins with these words:

My heart leaps up when I behold

A rainbow in the sky:

So was it when my life began;

So is it now I am a man;

So be it when I shall grow old,

Or let me die!…

I concur Mr. Wordsworth, I concur!

It's Fall, Squash anyone?

Now that fall is here I have the urge to buy those little pumpkins and squash and things from the grocery store that you use for decoration. They call me and temp me but I am ignoring them.

Instead I bought a spaghetti squash that I can eat. I almost bought an acorn squash too but I am taking it one at a time here as I step outside the realm of the plain yellow squash I usually eat or the infamous Zucchini which I like as well. Anyway the Spaghetti Squash is an odd looking thing to me. It's quite a large vegetable and heavy too! The little tag on it says to micro the whole squash for a minute. And then you cut squash lengthwise and remove the seeds and membranes. Then you place it cut side down in water for 12 minutes or until tender. When tender you remove the pasta-like strands out with a fork and eat them with sauce or butter or whatever!

I suppose it means you microwave it during those 12 minutes in the water. I got a little lost there but anyway, tomorrow I'm having spaghetti squash!

Friday Morning Muse

It's raining this morning! I love rainy days. Not to mention we need the rain and it seems to be the nice slow drizzly kind that maybe will soak into the ground.

I am going back to work today after having five days off in a row. And to prove what I said below about being "greedy", I could use some more! But its not to be so off to work I go.

There's that family on the Today Show that has 17 kids! 17 kids! What the heck? She said (the mom) that she experienced a miscarriage early on and believed it was caused by birth control so she never took it again. Alrighty then. 17 kids! My goodness.

I have to close tonight and so it will be late when I get home. My trusty assistant manager tells me via email that it has been a relatively calm week and so that's always nice not to have to go back to problems. Thanks Steph, love ya!

And so with that, I hope everyone has a wonderful Friday. See ya!