as told in pictures:

Day 1 - 2/28: Beautiful macaw! Just one of the birds we saw at a bird rescue organization we visited on our bike tour of Key West.

Day 2, 3/1: We did a bike/snorkle tour on Cozumel, which was interesting. And... we were lucky enough to see a stingray, a BIG one, while snorkeling! Our guide was the most adorable dude :-)

Day 3, 3/2: Leaving the ship, heading to Belize City for our Jungle Buggy Tour.

Day 4, 3/3: At sea, shot from the balcony off our room.

Day 5, 3/4: Last night on the ship

Day 6, 3/5: On the way home :-(

Ok, since you've asked for a description, here 'tis!

I flew to Ft. Lauderdale on Sunday, met up with ME, Mo & Kim. We had dinner (outside on the deck altho it was "cold" in FL, 60 degrees or something LOL) and then headed to the hotel. Got up bright and early the next day, breakfasted, did a bit of shopping (found a Popeye's YUM) and then headed to the pier to board the ship, Royal Caribbean's Enchantment of the Seas. Boarded with no problem, didn't leave my purse in the cab this time, and made it to our cabin, which was the first disappointment to me. The balcony was GREAT, but the beds, ugh...not soft & fluffy like Carnival's, more like a cheap hotel. Ok, no big deal, I had my pillow (I take it everywhere with me), it's all good.

We went down to dinner where we were pleasantly surprised by our gracious, efficient and very friendly waitress (Nikki from Romania) and assistant waitress (Carla from Portugal). Dinner was cruise-typical...good, but not fantastic.

We stayed up late, wandering around the ship, checking out the show in the Orpheum Theater and tasting the drinks (killer xxxdirty martini!!!).

Monday we docked at Key West from 7 am to 2 PM. We'd booked a bicycle tour which was quite fun, especially when the Key West native shouted from his car, "Are you trying to get killed, you morons?" Love it! Stopped at a bird sanctuary, a park, a hotel & a pier for photo ops and some coconut milk straight from the coconut (not creamy like what you get in the store, it's a clear liquid, not very sweet, but refreshing).

Tuesday was Cozumel, where we'd booked a bike / snorkel tour. Poor Cozumel had been devastated by Hurricane Wilma in October of 2005. The docks, the shopping area, the palm tree tops...all gone. The water, tho, was clear and perfect for snorkeling. I saw lots of fish and one great big HUGE stingray with leopard spots. It was just beautiful, gliding through the water, slowly flapping it's wings. Amazing!

That evening we headed to the disco, where I was appalled at the behavior on the dance floor. Simulated sex (get a room), bitchy young 20-somethings (oh, get up and dance, go ahead!), and tons of crew members keeping an eye on everything. Bummer. Apparently, it got even more blatant the next night when some guy had his pen!s out and some girl (Mo & Kim swear she was under 18) took off her top; they said she looked totally stoned...not drunk, either, but high. Not that there's anything wrong with that...but, hmmm...

Wednesday was Belize City. The tour we'd arranged pretty much sucked and the poverty deeply disturbed me. We rode on an air conditioned bus for an hour and a half through the countryside and...it's just so sad.

That evening, we had dinner at Chops Grill. It was an extra $20, but oh man, was it worth it! The filet mignon I had was melt in your mouth delicious, and the assistant waiter cracked us up. It was supposed to be oh-so-formal, but he kept it interesting. That night was also lobster night in the main dining room, so I went down with ME at our seating time (8:30) and ate some pineapple while she had her lobster. Unfortunately, it was kind of not well done, more like lobster sushi, which was fine by me, but she did NOT like it, which was sad, as that girl LOVES her some lobster tail!

Thursday was a day at sea. I hung out at the solarium all day, occasionally cooling off in the salt water pool, but mostly I lounged and read, read and lounged and didn't burn, amazingly enough.

Friday was back to Ft. Lauderdale, where we got up at 7, had breakfast and wandered the ship. Gave me more time to take some photos while we were waiting to be called to disembark. Off to the airport, where we said goodbye to Mo, then Kim. ME and I had lunch together and she waited with me til my plane was ready. She left last and was I GLAD JetBlue had changed my flight from a later one to the one that left at 4:20.

Krista picked me up at the airport, dropped me off after extracting a promise to pick up some furniture with her next Saturday in Plymouth (payback!) and that's it!

I have to say, I'm not all that thrilled with the ship we were on! I enjoyed the Carnival Cruises much more! Having said that, I had a great time!

Some highlights:

- the hot stone massage...pure bliss!
- dinner at Chops
- the stingray
- finishing two books (Garlic and Sapphires : The Secret Life of a Critic in Disguise by Ruth Reichl and The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls) and starting a third (The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion) (more about this book in a future entry)
- the far off lightning storm was spectacular!
- each night we kept the balcony door open a bit and were lulled to sleep by the sound of the ocean and the gentle movement of the boat. More bliss!
- the hot dancer (what a 6-pack!) and his look-a-like, who was a guest on the cruise (mmmm, mmmm, mmmm was heard alot from me; a couple of times, Kim had to wipe drool from Mo's mouth after she spied the dancer or his twin)
- singing "You're Beautiful" by James Blunt, every. single. day. and laughing (course I heard it yesterday and was immediately BACK ON THE CRUISE).
- having a tan in March ;-)
- wearing flip flops every day, all day

I read, in Joan Didion's book, The Year of Magical Thinking (which was recommended to me by three people after my Mom passed away), a passage she quoted from Emily Post's 1922 etiquette book, of what one goes through after the death of a loved one:

"Persons under the shock of genuine afflication are not only upset mentally but are all unblalanced physically. No matter how calm and controlled they seemingly may be, no one can, under such circumstances, be normal. Their disturbed circulation makes them cold, their distress makes them unstrung, sleepless. Persons they normally like, they often turn from. No one should ever be forced upon those in grief, and all over-emotional people, no matter how near or dear, should be barred absolutely. Although the knowledge that their friends love them and sorrow for them is a great solace, the nearest afflicted must be protected from any one or anything which is likely to overstrain nerves already at the threatening point, and none have the right to feel hurt if they are told they can neither be of use or be received. At such time, to some people companionship is a comfort, others shrink from their dearest friends."

I talked about this recently with my friend, Diane, who lost her Mom when she was in her 20s. Diane said almost the same thing, that "...none have the right to feel hurt if they are told they can neither be of use or be received."

I'd find that very hard to deal with, DID find it very hard to understand when one of my best friends lost her father suddenly. Her husband called me to tell me about it, and at the time, I was hurt. Now, having gone through losing my mother, I completely understand. I didn't call her on it, I was just there for her, but that's just me.

Two people that used to be friends of mine thought that the appropriate time to either end our friendship or to complain about their lot in life was during or just after my mother's memorial service. That, of course, is their perogative, but I find it insensitive, cold, callous and uncaring. I just hope when they go through something as traumatic as losing a parent that they have warm, caring, unselfish friends to see them through it.

They'll need it. I did, and I'm thankful to my friends who understand that it's not all about them, 24/7.

While on the cruise, the subject of what I wanted to do for my 50th birthday came up. We talked about Hawaii or Scotland or Paris...and today I saw THIS!

It incorporates my love of Scotland with my love of Harry Potter; what could be more perfect? I'm serious, now. I've started budgeting for it, putting away, til the end of June 2007, about $205.00/month. Break it down to weekly - $52.00 or daily - $7.35 and it looks so much better!

Who wants to go?!

"...Hogwarts-style banquet at Edinburgh Castle..." *faints*

Did anyone watch the new tv show, "Sons & Daughters" last night? I was shocked and surprised to see Max Gail; most of you won't know him, unless you watched Barney Miller. He's aged (haven't we all), and it looks good on him. Dee Wallace (among other things, she played the mom in the movie Cujo) played his wife; they're well matched.

The show is interesting; my favorite character was the 13 yr old daughter with braces, glasses and attitude to spare. She overheard her parents talking about not having sex and says to her mom: " No offense, mom, but I'd rather kill myself then be in a relationship where sex isn't the number one thing." (altho how a 13 year old can determine that is a bit strange). The brother in Kiss makeup? Hmmm...weird.

And dang it, I missed The Unit (hehehe) last night; it's President Palmer's Dennis Haysbert's new show; mmmm, he's such good eye candy! Anyone see that? Was it good, bad, indifferent?

...the 9 songs at 9 on Backspin were:

Madman Across the Waters - Elton John [this was Elton at his best]
Every Picture Tells a Story - Rod Stewart [ditto for Rod]
Baby Blue - Badfinger [funny name for a band lol]
It's Too Late - Carole King [my fav song by her is Jazzman]
Tupelo Honey - Van Morrison [I love this song, it's sad & lovely]
Chicago - Graham Nash [haven't heard this one in a LONG time]
Bargain - The Who [not a band I ever really liked...but then I would've said that about Zeppelin, too, prior to 2001]
Mercedes Benz - Janis Joplin [only song I can sing from memory]
Can't You Hear Me Knocking - Rolling Stones [eh...Stones...eh]

Charles's flashback: Cross-eyed Mary - Jethro Tull [Jethro Tull is such a flashback LOL]

***You Are a Dreaming Soul***

Your vivid emotions and imagination takes you away from this world
So much so that you tend to live in your head most of the time
You have great dreams and ambitions that could be the envy of all...
But for you, following through with your dreams is a bit difficult

You are charming, endearing, and people tend to love you.
Forgiving and tolerant, you see the world through rose colored glasses.
Underneath it all, you have a ton of passion that you hide from others.
Always hopeful, you tend to expect positive outcomes in your life.

Souls you are most compatible with: Newborn Soul, Prophet Soul, and Traveler Soul

What Kind of Soul Are You?

and the nine songs at 9 were:

Everybody Wants To Rule The World - Tears for Fears
I Drink Alone - George Thoroughgood
Take On Me - Aha [adore the video]
Voices Carry - Til Tuesday [one of my co-workers, who was also a friend {I photographed his wedding!} 'borrowed' this album and would NOT give it back LOL! I never did get it, either]
Slave To Love - Bryan Ferry
Running Up That Hill - Kate Bush [Oh. my. God. How this song reminds me of going through the divorce w/Blake. Wow.]
Fortress Around Your Heart - Sting [ironic this song was after Kate Bush.]
Rockin' In The USA - John Mellencamp

I missed the 9th song today. Normally I stay in my office with the door closed but duty called...dang. Anyway Charles' flashback song was Give Blood by Pete Townsend.

Y'all doing anything fun this weekend? I'm meeting up with a couple friends for BBQ tonight, and then we're going to see a Neil Young cover band. Saturday I'm gettin' up at the crack of frickin' DAWN to drive to HELL and back picking up furniture for Kristaloo, then we're going to see a scary movie, The Hills Have Eyes. Sunday, the highlight will be going to see (FINALLY) The Libertine (what, you haven't heard of it? Not surprising...), which is Johnny Depp's latest. He plays John Wilmot (1647-1680), second Earl of Rochester, a free thinker, unrestrained and immoral, for whom sex and drinking was most fun.

And deaf to nature's rule, or love's advice,
Forsake the pleasure to pursue the vice.
To an exact perfection they have wrought
The action, love; the passion is forgot.

Most of the reviews agree that Depp's performance is one of the best of his career. I've been looking forward to seeing this for quite some time. It was made in 2004 and for a variety of reasons, just now released nationwide.

Last week this time I was at the airport, waiting for Kim with ME and Mo, anticipating this:

This week? Probably this:

But it's all good, I'm alive, I had a great weekend.

Ended up going to see The Libertine with Krista & Michelle Saturday afternoon. Ohmygoodlord can Johnny Depp act!!! It's a hard movie to watch for many reasons; a few are it's dark and sad and from time to time hard to hear what's being said, but...O.M.G.

Today I went to Nashua at 8 (A.M.!!!) to get tires for the car. They didn't have the size they'd assured me they did in the brand I wanted, so they gave me a different (better) size of the same brand at the same price as the lesser tire. Score!

Walked around Target while the tires were getting done, and found a gazillion things I wanted to buy (clothes, a shelf for the bathroom, flip flops) but walked out with only one thing (a sympathy card that said what I wanted it to say that I'd been looking for for quite some time).

Went home, got the dogs and took them for a walk in Carlisle. Ticks be damned; I LOVE that place. It's so peaceful and mmmm, it smells so nice out in the woods.

Then I drove BACK to NH (get a brain, chickie) to pick up some pictures I'd had for sale that didn't sell, came home, watched Goblet of Fire (definitely my least favorite of the 4 movies so far) and am now making rosemary chicken for dinner.

Course I want a carrot!!!

Crunch, crunch, crunch
[Oh, and see that card in the background? And the bit of the framed picture behind it?]

The inside of the card; Dad made it for me and gave it to me when I got back from the cruise. Maybe getting back was my monumental achievement; maybe COMING back was!

drawn by a roving artist in Montmartre while I was sitting at an outdoor cafe

I bought this angel to go next to my Mom's picture, urn and bouquet at her memorial service; it's made by Willow Tree and she's called Angel of Remembrance.

I heard American Girl by Tom Petty this morning on the way to work, and it flashed me back to ... well, Japan, of all places.

I lived on the six floor of Hakata Towers on Yokota Air Base.

The apartment was beautiful and brand new, we had 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a washer & dryer and 2 balconies with great views.

One day I was out on the balcony, thinking about things when American Girl came on the radio:

It was kind of cold that night
She stood alone on her balcony
She could the cars roll by
Out on 441 Route 16 yeah
Like waves crashin' in the beach
And for one desperate moment there
He crept back in her memory
God it's so painful
Something that's so close
And still so far out of reach

I'm wondering if you know who "he" is.

While listening to that song this morning and thinking, it occurred to me that my new friends don't know much about my past, and maybe that's as it should be. Does it have any bearing on my present? Sure, all actions have causes and reactions, right? But is it important in the long run?

Hmmm...

Borrowed from Empress

You see many things through the eyes of a child.
Meaning, you're rarely cynical or jaded. [disagree]
You cherish all of the details in life.
Easily fascinated, you enjoy experiencing new things.

How Is Your Inner Child?

the 9 songs at 9 were:

Jesus Is Just Alright - Doobie Brothers
Take A Walk On The Wide Side - Lou Reed
Honky Cat - Elton John
Long Distance Runaround - Yes
Sandman - America
{some weird parody spoof of Rod McKuen's poetry}
Roll Over Beethoven - Electric Light Orchestra [awesome violin!]
Melissa - Allman Brothers
Big Brother - Stevie Wonder [knew it was Stevie by his voice, but can't say I've ever heard this song before]
Angry Eyes - Kenny Loggins [this is the type of song I totally remember Charles playing...the middle goes on and on and on and you almost forget what you were listening to and then the lyrics come back and you go...oh!]
Chuck's Acid Flashback: The Messiah Will Come Again - Roy Buchanan

A friend of mine emailed me this quote today and I absolutely LOVE it:

"I live in the present. I only remember the past, and anticipate the future. I love to live."
- Henry David Thoreau

From Potter's Realm:

The many moods of Severus Snape:

Snape, excited:

Snape, crossdressing:

The Facts of Snape:

My Dad has such fond memories of this house; he had wonderful summers there, swimming in the ocean, running over the rocks, eating meals at the picnic table in the back yard, sleeping on the porch. I vaguely remember going there as a kid...if memory serves it was down a dirt road.

I found this picture, a water color done by my grandmother's eldest (? Mel, MB, is that right?) sister, the one who doesn't have anything to do with the family, while cleaning out Mom's bureau. Figured Dad would like to have it framed and so that was one of his birthday presents this year.

He loves it :-)

and the 9 songs at 9 were:

Warrior - Scandal
Chain Gang - the Pretenders [huh. My favorite song by them was Precious, closely followed by Tattooed Love Boys, but you won't hear them on the radio anymore]
All She Wants To Do Is Dance - Don Henley
I'm Goin' Down - Bruce Springsteen
The Old Man Down The Road - John Fogerty [he just does it for me, yum!]
Lights Out - Peter Wolf
Here Comes The Rain Again - Eurythmics
Panama - Van Halen
Time After Time - Cyndi Lauper

Charles' Acid Flashback: When Doves Cry - Prince. Dude...if that's a flashback, then I'm a ladybug. Puhlease.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, correct? Today's picture on the Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire desk calendar, positioned, on my desk, front and center today for maximum viewing pleasure, is of Professor Snape.

Alan Rickman portrays Professor Snape in such a way as to make Snape extremely attractive and compelling, or maybe it's just me.

But I doubt it :-)

I forgot to add this Snape-ism to my post yesterday, it's also from Potter's Realm:

Snape, needing chocolate:

and the 9 songs at 9 were:

Conquistador - Procol Harum
People Are Strange - the Doors
2000 Light Years From Home - the Stone
Strawberry Fields - the Beatles
Jennifer Juniper - Donovan
The Wind Cries Mary - Jimi Hendrix
Go Ask Alice - Jefferson Airplane
Knights In White Satin - Moody Blues
Holiday - the BeeGees

And Charles' acid flashback: Behind Blue Eyes - The Chieftans & Roger Daltry

In medieval Ireland, mushrooms were thought to be umbrellas for leprechauns...I think the leprechaun using this one was scared away by Wolf moments before I took the picture ;-)

Anyway, have fun tonight, and have a green beer for me!

Borrowed from Mar:

You're 45% Irish

You're probably less Irish than you think you are... But you're still more Irish than most.

Wow! Did you ever have one of those days, even tho you're glad it's Friday, you're a bit sad for whatever reason? Well, I was having one of those days...until I got home and noticed I had a package from my Secret Spoiler! First off...it was addressed to "The Wonderous Janet Mylastname", which made me laugh :-)

Inside was a gift certificate for iTunes, an assortment package of Tazo Teas [as it says on the box; "2 filterbags each of ten captivating teas: Awake, Calm, China Green Tips, Earl Grey, Tazo Chai, Passion, Decaffeinated Tazo Chai, Wild Sweet Orange, Lotus and Zen"...yum!], and two packages of Harry Potter candies, Fizzing Whizbees and Drooble's Best Blowing Gum.

('scuse the unironed cloth I used to photograph the stuff on)

She (or he) also enclosed a card, and that more than anything cheered me up:

The outside is pretty, eh?

Here's the inside:

Now that made me smile :-)

Thank you SO much, Secret Spoiler! You're the best :-)

She (or he) also crumpled up some desk calendar pages as packing material, which I uncrumpled to read, and was glad I did (and after I read 'em, I'm pretty sure my secret spoiler is a she LOL)!

Some that really cracked me up:

Tuesday, Feb 7: Note To Self. There were 3, but I liked this one best: If you don't take care of yourself, no one else will.

Wednesday, Feb 8: Today's To-Do: Take yourself on a dinner date. ROFL! First it said: Glam it up, get your freak on, and head to the hippest bistro you know. Then it gave 4 instructions; the one that made me laugh hardest said: Slink into a candlelit corner and pull our your compact. Make eyes at yourself and whisper about how the candlelight makes beautiful bonfires in your ocean-deep eyes. AHAHAHAH! Can you imagine?

Thursday, Feb 9: Snip 'n' Save: Saying No Without Saying No. Again, there were 4 examples. My favorite? She asks...Is it cool if I date your ex? You say...Go for it! I'm just happy that you're not hung up on size. Like it really matters! Um...er...BWAHAHAHAHA!!!

Monday, Feb 13: Bad Girl Gift Guide. Among other things, If he gives you a book, he wants to be the headmaster and school you. hehehe, school me, baby!

Tuesday, Feb 14: Today's To-Do: Celebrate V. Day! This one said...and I swear it's true: Ways to celebrate my vagina, and then some blank lines where you could write stuff in...ROFLMAO!

Thursday, Feb 16: Today's To-Do: Practice dance therapy. I know a few folks that might could benefit from this, so I'm posting the whole thing!

Some mornings - no matter how bad you've been - it just happens. You wake up on the wrong side of the brain and feel like caca. You can go back to bed or suffer your own evil mood all day - or do a self-intervention and dance yourself happy! Forget about your morning routine, crank some favorite dance tunes and slowy begin to wiggle. Then dance around the room until you feel your butt start to giggle. Keep dancing for as long as it takes until you've got a big smile on your face and the boogie in your butt. It's your bad girl power point and it'll keep you charged throughout the day. And honey, shake it, don't break it!

Good advice, don't you think?

A few days ago, two guys at work were interviewing someone over the phone in the conference room and as I sit right next to the conference room, I can hear most of what they're saying. The woman they were interviewing apparently had a dog that barked, cause I could hear one of the guys say do you have dogs? As soon as he said that, I thought to myself, "she's going to say she has a shiba inu."

She says, "yes, I have 3 dogs." The same guy says "Wow, three dogs! What kinds are they?" She says, "I have an adopted greyhound", then something else I couldn't hear and ... "I have an adopted shiba inu."--Isn't that WEIRD!

They MUST hire her :-)

Dead leaves just hanging around

I saw lots of maple trees with buckets attached...and got to watch a bit of how the sap becomes maple syrup!

the boys :-)

WOW! It's not every day that I get 45+ comments! Thank you so much, Michele, for making my humble little blog the site of the day. I don't know if I've ever told you, so I'm telling you now: I love your blog! It's fun, and fun is high on my list of priorities, don't you know ;-) It's interactive and crazy and one of the most enjoyable sites on the whole internet!

I'd also like to thank each and every one of you for the kind comments! I'll be replying personally in the next few days...I just wanted every to know how much I appreciated it.

Of course, irony played a huge role in my day today--I had a migraine, was out sick from work, and it hurt my eyes to even look at the screen, which is why I didn't answer right away! Murphy's law, yes?

Here's a picture I took today, hope you enjoy :-)

I'm irrational, I know. Probably paranoid as well. But...it takes every fiber of my being NOT to run to "that coffee shop" and TEAR my photos off the wall. Here's what I think:

- They're not great photos, they're just pictures that would be in anyone's vacation album
- People are laughing at me behind my back about me putting pictures on the wall...in a PUBLIC place
- I'm an idiotic MORON for thinking they were good enough to be on that wall
- I want to go home and lose myself in some tv show/movie that requires nothing of me but to lay there and watch

I've already pissed off a co-worker talking about it, trying to get her to say what I feel, which is they shouldn't be on the wall.

Who the hell am I to think ANYONE would want to buy my stupid pictures? Seriously, I'm freaking out.

And, dammit, I forgot to listen to Charles this morning!

MaryEllen sent these cocktail napkins to me the other day...in an envelope addressed as follows:

Janet H. Christ-Mylastname, M.D.

I can only imagine what the post person thinks!!!

My blog was featured as site of the day recently on Michele Agnew's blog (thanks, Michele!!!). I wanted to show my appreciation to those that commented, here tis:

1. First was Mamacita, who is also a Snape fan!

2. Next was Heather, who I miss very much

3. Malinda777 liked my photos, which makes me smile.

4. mar said she's never seen buckets on trees; click here to see why it's done!

5. margalit's also from the Boston area

6. Jamie stopped by and liked the doggies!

7. Linda stopped by and renamed me Judy!

8. And Karen continued the trend :-)

9. Michele with ONE l was next and laughed at my new name ;-)

10. Leanne said she liked the maple shot; coming from another artist, woohoo!

11. Jennie thought my pictures were beautiful! I like Jennie! We share a favorite movie, Jennie; I also love Spirited Away!

12. Azzy commented next; we used to work together and shared a love of Lord of the Rings, men in uniform and the ocean to name just a few things. I miss her!

13. Kenju, who is a florist, wife, mother, grandmother stopped by, too! Where does she find the time?!

14. Shannon, who lives where she can get Yuengling anytime she likes, liked Wolf best--so do I (don't tell Max!!!)

15. Lilred, a life-long fun seeker (my kind of chick!) thinks my dogs are gorgeous! Me, too!

16. Heather came back to congratulate me for being Michele's site of the day! Thanks!

17. Juggernaut put the words fantastic, your and photos in a sentence...I LIKE her!

18. Carl V. stopped by and as usual said terribly nice things. He has a fantastic blog and a beautiful family :-)

19. Laura, who I FINALLY got to see a picture of, and OMG she has the most beautiful hair came by next.

20. intuitivewoman, who has a picture of a lightning bolt on her blog, also thought my dogs were beautiful :-)

21. chelle, who shares an obession with Stephen King with me; plus, the girl loves flip flops!

22. Courtney, whose blog, Midvale School for the Gifted, is also the slogan on one of my most favorite t-shirts!

23. Susan, who'd like to adopt Wolf (afraid you'll have to fight that one out with a certain someone ;-)

24. Krista, who I didn't think liked me in the least, and is now a good friend and fantastic artist

25. Cin, who asked me what I thought of Shakespeare's Trollop; must admit I put it down unfinished. I loved Charlaine Harris's vampire series, tho!

26. Another Michele with one l, who, ewwww, talks about spiders on her blog, YUCH!

27. Then there's DebR, who is addicted to shoes and who shares my love of the movie, Groundhog Day. She also likes tarot!

28. My cousin, Maribeth, told me I was getting far too popular...it's only cause of Michele Agnew!

29. Ash, whose friend did a cruel thing to her and then would not tell her why, which also happened to me recently, altho that person did tell me why, eventually. Ash created a beautiful piece of art from her experience.

30. Leigh, who inspired me to buy a new camera, altho, in my paranoia, I still think she secretly laughs behind her back at me (kidding) (kinda) (mostly) ;-)

31. Paige, whose comment was brief and concise and who writes beautiful poetry on her blog

32. archshrk, whose blog quote: "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose" is very inspirational to me and who is also a damn good photog (look at that cloud picture!!!)

33. Michelle with TWO l's, aka smoochie, who accompanies me to Grendel's and helps me hang my pictures. What would I do without you???

34. killired, who has the cutest lil minpin!

35. Thumper, who recently “celebrated” the cat’s birthday...hey, why not? I know someone who has a tattoo of Thumper (the bunny, not the blogger) on her posterior...just sayin'!

36. Nina, who's from the neighboring state of NH and lives in the peace and quiet there. I'm jealous!

37. Colleen, whose blog I discovered awhile ago and who used to live up around this neck of the woods, but also now lives in the peace and quiet (but not in NH)

38. Then Carl V. came back when he discovered I was Michele's site of the day!

39. Debby, also known as Laura's better half, stopped on by and made me smile

40. Joe, whose blog I'd never seen before, and who is a political consultant, stopped by, too

41. T's a cutie I know from Deb & Laura. I keep meaning to take a picture of a sign for her, and damnit, I'll do it tomorrow, I swear!

42. Jen asked, "What kind of camera are you using and do you have any photography training?" I've got two cameras I'm using nowadays, a Sony DSC-717 and a Canon 20d; I don't have any formal training, but I was married to a guy who went to the Mass College of Art and he taught me what he learned...

43. OceanLady, who thinks my dogs are buff...if by buff you mean in shape? HAHAHHAA!

44. atpanda, who is also of the opinion that Alan Rickman is awesome AND she likes Dogma (GREAT movie!). I hope she had fun cruising around my site :-) I know I'll visit hers, she's a photography student!

45. peri, who also shares my fondness for gardening, travel, photography and cooking

46. Lauren, my co-worker who I introduced to the world of blogging. She gives me pep talks about my photography and wants to buy one of my pictures :-)

47. Last, but certainly not least, Gina, who inspired me to get my Sony DSC-717, and who is an AMAZING photographer!

I took Dad to get the taxes done Tuesday; it's one more thing that he and Mom used to do together that holds strong memories for him. He thanked me for taking him and for gathering the papers together; it's something Mom used to do. In fact, she paid all the bills, handled the money, etc., etc.

Guess who's doing it now?

Guess who kinda sucks at it?

Guess who needs to grow the fuck up and get with the program?

A friend called me today for some emotional support. She has to make a very hard decision regarding her husband, in fact, probably the hardest decision of her married life. She has to decide whether to keep treating his ultimately fatal illness or to let him go. If she decides to keep the treatment going, his quality of life, which was absolutely horrible before, will be even worse. If she lets him go, she has to deal with the guilt of that. This woman has been through so much in her life; since I've know her, she's become a cancer survivor, nursed her adult son back to health after a horrible accident and now this. Some prayers, kind thoughts, what have you, for her peace of mind, please?

I sold my very first picture today:

8x10, white mat, black frame

Recently, I donated these two in a double frame to a charity auction in NC and it went for $60:

or maybe it was this one:

Yesterday, I donated three pictures to the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute/Jimmy Fund fundraiser a friend from work is involved in:

This one in a 4x6 white mat, black frame

This one in a 5x7 white mat, black frame

This one in an 8x10 white mat, black frame

And I'm thinking that someone saw this one:

at the coffee shop where I have some pictures hanging, because I got an email today from a representative of a company that offers resource guides to pregnant women. She asked me if I had an interest in advertising my company in their guide which will be available in high end OB/GYN offices in and around Boston and the surrounding suburbs and will also be placed in prenatal kits.

Breathe deeply...

Seen at Erin's:

My next pet will be named...I probably won't have any more pets after Max & Wolf, given my age and given how long dogs & cats live

This weekend I plan to...have a drink with Pat, go out with Krista & Michelle Saturday and possibly take the dogs to the beach...and work out...and take Dad to breakfast.

Breakfast was...a bagel with lowfat cream cheese

Last night at 8pm I was...putting the finishing touches on some mac & cheese, and getting ready to watch My Name is Earl.

I deal with stress by...getting upset, then getting over it; working out would be the better solution

I forgot...to go to Michelle's jewelry party last night! I'm so sorry!

I took this picture in April 2002....c'mon spring!!!

MaryEllen's husband passed away today. He was ill for quite some time, and she was lucky enough to have been able to talk with him before he passed.

Dan's titles through the years were son, husband, father, Vietnam vet, cop, and landscaper, friend, and oh, Dr. Let me explain: when MaryEllen first showed me a picture of him, I thought he looked like a young Dr. Smith of "Lost in Space" fame, so the next time I sent her a letter, I addressed it to Mrs. MaryEllen Lastname-Smith. Dan, of course, got the mail that day and wanted to know why I'd addressed the letter that way, ME explained and he thought I was crazy ;-)

Dan was a good man and I'll miss him.

God, I'm so gonna have a hangover tomorrow:

technically this is pre-Ned feeding us drinks:

and the following are all post drinsk:

Some drunk guy

And that's all I got to say about that!

When these little flowers begin to show up in the yard, I know the forsythia isn't far behind!

- got a new haircut, short & sassy, thanks to the lovely Q!

- On the new (SO EASY) way to Michelle's Saturday, I saw a police car behind me...he passed me, and then I stopped for a red light. He then did a U-turn up, and once I took the left, got behind me again. I stopped at the next red light, and he pulled up in a gas station parking lot right next to me on the right...and looked at me. I was like...sigh...OK, I'm going to get pulled over...which I did as soon as I made the right when the light turned green. Expired registration, no seatbelt. He asked where I was going, and I said to a friend's house. He asked if the friend had a computer and if I had a credit card. I said yes and he told me to go straight to her house, do not pass GO, get online and renew my registration immediately...oh, and buckle up, please. Very nice :-) phew!

- rented a couple movies, but only watched one: Flight Plan, with Jodie Foster, Sean Bean (Boromir! Give the ring to Frodo!) and Peter Saarsgard (so creepy!). It was ok...very slow going at first.

- am sick of being told what I can and can't talk about...

- jewelry class begins tonight!

- Ray Davies tomorrow!

Anyone who wants to buy a new puppy, please, PLEASE read this post. In fact, pass it on to anyone you know who might be considering a puppy or kitten from a pet store. Hell, post it on your blog if you feel strongly enough about this issue.

I do.

If you're not trying to better the breed, please don't breed your dogs. There are SO many animals out there just waiting for you to adopt them. Animals that are given up because their owners don't have time for them anymore, they've remarried, had kids, moved to a place that doesn't allow pets.

Please.

Both my dogs are adopted, and were neutered soon thereafter. Your dog or cat doesn't need to have sex one time, or to give birth one time to know the joys of motherhood. C'mon. Seriously.

Who knew it was so hard to hand saw a straight line through a piece of copper? Oh, my aching hands! The instructor said to ask our significant other to give us a hand massage when we got home; Wolf tried, but not having opposable thumbs, he gave up and just licked my hands.

The class was interesting, we'll get to make a few pieces, a couple rings and either a bracelet, necklace, pin or earrings.

Hey...as long as I don't have to saw anymore!

There's something so sad about seeing such an old home destroyed by fire...

Join the Reeves Elementary PTO for an evening of shopping! A wide variety of cash and carry or orderable items will be offered from various home party reps, crafters and local businesses.

When: Thursday, March 30th
Where: Holiday Inn Select (next to Showcase Cinemas), Woburn MA
What time: 6:30-10:30 PM

Raffles and cash bar! 100% of the proceeds benefit the playground fund.

Come on by!

***I'm not in the PTO; a friend at work is!***

Last night, Krista and I met up at the Rock Bottom Brewery, had some delicious mac & chicken & cheese and steak tips, accompanied by a couple of beers, natch, and headed off to see Ray Davies at the Orpheum.

Hmmm...well, the Orpheum is a beautiful old theater that has fallen on hard, hard times. It's like the old Comm Avenue Grand Dame who is house rich but money poor and things are falling apart. It has a LOVELY ceiling:

and is desperately in need of renovation. It's a shame they (whoever "they" are) don't do anything about this.

Ray was...ok. He was Ray, meaning he was demanding, impatient, took too long to start, took too long of a break, played too many songs off his new CD and not enough old ones for my taste. Although...the ones he DID do were fantastic! 20th Century Man (1st song on my iPod), Sunny Afternoon & Low Budget (LOVE that one, hadn't heard it in years) were a few I particularly like. He did look like he was having a good time, tho and the fans LOVED him.

Review from Boston.com

Seen over at Crazy Thoughts by Chelle:

The rules:

List seven songs you're into right now. No matter the genre, whether [or not] they have words, or even if they're any good, they must be songs you're really enjoying right now. Post these instructions in your blog along with your seven songs, then tag seven other people to see what they're listening to.

* You're Beautiful ~ James Blunt (I just love his voice)
* Dirty Little Secrets - All-American Rejects (one of the best videos I've ever seen!)
* She Will Be Loved - Maroon 5 ("tap on my window" reminds me of the old Aretha song, Until You Come Back To Me
* I Do The Rock - Tim Curry (Interesting explanation of the lyrics here)
* Such A Night - Dr. John (...sweet confusion under the moonlight...)
* Kiss On My List - Hall & Oates (they are NOT Wuss rock!)
* Tattooed Love Boys - The Pretenders ("I shot my mouth off and you showed me what that hole was for." Hmm...wonder what Chrissie means by THAT!)

Like Chelle, I'm not tagging anyone...if you want to do it, go ahead (you know you want to). It was interesting to me that there are no Zeppelin songs on the list!

My Dad took these!

Fire guts historic home
By MATT MURPHY, Lowell Sun Staff
03/28/2006 11:34 AM EST

Flames tore through the second floor and attic of a 19th century home in the town's Historic District yesterday morning leaving three families homeless.

Firefighters responded to reports of smoke yesterday at about 11 a.m., when they found the white, three-family home fully engulfed in flames.

Built in 1857, it only took minutes for the fire, which started on the second floor, to rip through the wood-framed house as firefighters battled flames that had penetrated the roof.

"You can't imagine how this feels. I don't know what I'm going to do. There's nothing left they tell me," said resident Donna Sperry, crying in the arms of her elderly neighbor's daughter.

Sperry lived in the two-floor apartment at the back of the house for less than two years with her daughter Courtney, 15, and her son, Joseph, 18.

Fire Inspector David Dumas spent all of the afternoon at the house trying to determine the cause. He planned to return this morning to collect more information, but said the department was treating the fire as "suspicious."

Only two people were home at the time of the fire, and no one was injured.

Firefighters determined that the blaze started outside on the second-floor porch, but Dumas would not comment on a probable cause.

The fire quickly spread from the the rear of the home into the attic, where it raced toward the front of the house, Fire Capt. Tom Benrimo said.

Eleanor Rankin, 79, was in her first-floor apartment when she began to smell smoke. Walking outside onto her porch, Rankin looked up and saw heavy plumes coming from the upstairs apartment.

"She's OK. She's just a little nervous about what's left in the house, and she's lost all her prescriptions," said Rankin's daughter, Jane Johansen.

Johansen teaches world history at the local high school and rushed to her mother's side after receiving a call at school.

"That's not a call you like to get. I'm just happy that she's all right and no one was hurt. She'll come live with me now," Johansen said.

Joseph Sperry was also home when the fire broke out, though he declined to speak with The Sun.

The blaze drew a crowd of spectators yesterday afternoon as motorists passed the scene, some stopping to take a look.

Donna Sperry embraced her daughter, Courtney, as she came rushing down the street from the high school, both dropping to their knees in tears.

Their only look of relief came when firefighters emerged from the house two hours after the fire started carrying the family's two cats, which were uninjured.

Returning from work, the tenant of the third apartment looked on in disbelief wondering what had become of his belongings.

Air Force Capt. Scott Hall's first thoughts drifted toward his wedding photos.

"My wife is out of town and she's getting ready to deploy to Iraq. I don't know if I can tell her this," Hall said, his eyes transfixed on his apartment windows.

Dumas and Building Inspector Milton Kinney both said the house would likely be condemned and would need to be either torn down or significantly remodeled.

"These old buildings. They go quick. This is probably one of the oldest houses in town," Kinney said.

Next-door neighbor George Mylastname stood outside his home holding a camera as he watched firefighters chip away at the roof. His small blue ranch bears a plaque that reads "1813" for the year it was built.

He said neighbors call the now-charred white house the Mitchell House, after the family who once owned the home.

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