Here's last Wednesday's picture:

This is what it was cropped from:

DebR got it correct again this week, "Rooster comb?" Carmen made me laugh by saying "Your ex's heart. ha ha ha."' but I want to know who "Seurat the Dot" is!

So this week...

what is it?

Because a few of the cool kids are doing it, I signed up for NaBloPoMo, too.

Fussy says: "No matter what you post - pictures, poems, observations, critiques, or bald-faced lies -- the hope is that the act of putting something of yourself out for the world to see every single day will make writing become a more fluid, natural, and integral part of your day.
A personal blog is a mirror, and just for one month you'll be able to capture an image of yourself every day while creating a time capsule of the good, the bad, and that time you pissed off your mom by updating your blob [Fussy said blob hahahah; Freudian slip regarding all the eating going on at Thanksgiving?!] during Thanksgiving dinner.
Plus, think how happy your regular readers will be, knowing they can get a reliable dose of your brilliance thirty days in a row. That means weekends, too, my friend."

So without further ado, here is my first November post:

I put this up on the door to the conference room at work yesterday; the powers that be decided a Halloween Pizza Party and costume contest would be fun; prizes were awarded (gift certs to Starbucks, Borders, etc).
I contemplated dressing up in my vampire wig, goth makeup and all black clothing, but decided to pass on that. My costume: the cool devil horns that I'd purchased in Salem last Sunday.
Unfortunately, not ONE person in any of the other offices in this six floor building dressed up. The Cafe help didn't dress up...the maintenance staff...no one. So it felt a bit odd...not that feeling odd is unknown to me!
The costume winner was a relatively new guy in the office who dressed up as Kip Dynamite (I didn't know who or what he was supposed to be...I just thought he was a sleazy 70s guy...hell, I didn't even recognize him!).
I also have a bit of regret about not going to Salem last night...it's just so cool to see the people that go all out in their costumes, but I did have a great time at Grendel's, so it's all good.

1. Thanksgiving! It's pretty much lost it's orignal meaning for me...I think Thanksgiving and I think FOOD!
2. Speaking of Thanksgiving, this year--no muss, no fuss, just pure enjoyment at my cousin's lovely home :-)
3. Speaking of my cousin, she turns 48 on the 17! Taadaa!
4. My friend Pat turns 49 on the 6th, finally catching up with me.
5. Two days off of work with pay. Woohoo!
6. The stores really began their Christmas decorating, so pretty!
7. Finally get to meet this chick!
8. The preview for Harry Potter and The Order of the Phoenix will be in the theater!
9. I sit for my new tattoo :-)
10. Azzy's in town for a conference so I get to see her AND hopefully her pictures from her Paris trip!
11. Say it with me...no.more.ticks.
12. Lots and lots of apples.
13. fondofsnape.com celebrates it's first birthday...today!

NaBloPoMo, day 2:

****LOST SPOILERS BELOW****

1) I cannot BELIEVE they killed off Eko (wasn't his brother creepy?!) and 2) um...season finale next week? HUH!? The damn show just started! Can you hear my screams of rage and frustration echoing (oh, you didn't see THAT coming did you?) down the hills and into the valleys? Thank [insert diety] I still have Heroes...and Jericho, Supernatural and My Name is Earl, just for some laughs. Altho...Jericho...eh. The show is kind of predictable and I don't have much invested in any of the characters except for the farmer dude, his sister & the IRS chick.

Last night the forecast was for rain starting early in the morning...so I thought I'd get up a bit earlier to take Wolf for a walk. Fortunately...or unfortunately, the rain had already begun when I got up so I turned on my bedside lamp, grabbed another pillow and snuggled in for a bit of reading. Is there anything more comforting than being nice and warm and cozy in bed, propped up on a couple of pillows while listening to the rain fall outside? Wolf doesn't agree, he made it clear that a nice long walk would be comforting, he has to PEE, he doesn't CARE if it's raining. In fact, I distinctly heard him say, "get UP you lazy soandso"!

Ok, I did absolutely horribly at the RIP Challenge! These were the books I was going to read:

1. Murder Most Scottish, an anthology (I did read a few stories out of it, tho, just not the whole thing!)

2. The Vampire Lestat by Anne Rice (mmmm...Lestat, tho I liked Louis more in the movie)

3. Roald Dahl's Book of Ghost Stories (same as #1, I read a few of the stories)

4. A Delusion of Satan: The Full Story of the Salem Witch Trials by Frances Hill (this one I couldn't find at the library)

5. Vampires: The Greatest Stories, a compilation of stories. (ditto)

I finished only one book on it...and it was a book I'd already read, The Vampire Lestat by Anne Rice. However, I DID read a fantastic new book called The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield, which Carl so wonderfully reviewed here. Two books out of five is pretty damn pitiful for someone that ADORES reading.

Carl, can we have a movie challenge next time? ;-)

Don't you wish you could just sail away sometimes?

Courtesy of Megan:

1. On the highway are you a passer or the one being passed? Almost always the passer, I drive pretty fast.

2. Overall are you an aggressive driver or a passive one? Neither, I'm a safe driver!

3. What's your biggest driving pet peeve? People who drive too slowly, too timidly and people who step on and off the gas (looks at ME)...

4. Do you enjoy long road trips? Totally!!! Got iPod will travel! I wish I had a GPS navigation tho!

5. When was your last one? hmmm...I drove to Burlington VT a couple months ago, that was kinda long. I used to drive back and forth to VA on a regular basis...but now it's usually to Rochester NY to see Betsy or to Jamestown NY for Dr. Binky's Annual New Year's Eve party.

6. Where are you driving to this weekend? Boston ... and who knows where else I'll end up!

and you?

A friend of mine sent me an interesting email recently. She said: "Just wanted to tell you that I woke up from a dream about you feeling a huge sense of "ok, everything is going to be alright now". Don't know what that means, don't remember the dream, just that I felt very worry-free about you."

Which led us, in a typical meandering fashion, to the following conversation:

me: speaking of doctors and House, you watch that show, right?

her: not regularly, I love it though, I think House is hot.

me: I, of course, can't stand the show, but he was on SNL last week and he was a funny funny bastard!

her: don't you think he's good looking?

me: no, he's ok looking, i just HATE the character! so frickin' mean

her: I think that's what makes him so hot

me: yeah, well, you go on your masochistic lil way honey ;-) I'd prefer a man who is a bit nicer...say Professor Snape :-)

her: SNORT

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An excerpt from a interview with Alan Rickman in a French magazine, Total Star, back inApril/May 2005 (it's a rough translation from French to English):

TS: Did some fans address you with loathsome remarks?

AR: In fact, very little did. What is splendid is that people in general adore Snape. He is sarcastic, stubborn, etc, etc. But he is also fascinating. I have a lot of fun impersonating him, I take immense pleasure in playing someone so ambiguous.

Drove to New Haven, CT yesterday to participate in a surprise party for my cousin, Maribeth. It was planned and put together by her sister, Mel, who did an OUTSTANDING job!

Maribeth thought she was going to enjoy a nice turkey dinner with Mel and her family and their parents, and instead, she got a bit of a surprise in the form of her daugther, my Dad and me!

Since lots of us in the family are shutterbugs, tons of pictures were taken! Unfortunately, my camera decided to have a headache, so I'm letting him rest a bit, then I'll try to download the pictures I took (96 LOL). In the meantime, here's one by Mel and one taken with my other camera:

Cousin Mel captured this shot of Dad & her mom, Rosa (they're first cousins), reminiscing over a photo album:

Don't they look happy?

A full moon accompanied us on the long drive home:

do some parents cater to kids? Have you guys seen the Pizza Hut commercial with the harried Dad, rushing into the house and tossing various fast food bags at his kids? The first time I saw it, I was dumbfounded!

When I was growing up, my brother and I ate what my parents ate. My mother didn't cook us separate meals! While we might not have liked everything she made, we were exposed to a wide variety of foods and liked at least one thing each meal. For example, I didn't like lima beans or peas and would gag when she made them. I'd pick them out of my tuna casserole or whatever it was and set them aside. My mother didn't punish me for not eating them, she didn't put them in a bowl and force me to eat them later, but neither did she leave them out when she was cooking the meal. When did parents become personal chefs for their kids? And more to the point, why?

I noticed this phenomenom at my cousin's surprise party. The kids didn't sit and eat turkey and mashed potatoes and squash and broccoli and stuffing and cranberry sauce with us. Know what they had? Chicken nuggets and mac & cheese (ok, I had some of the mac & cheese, but I still enjoyed the rest of the meal, too). My cousins and my brother and I would never have thought to NOT eat a meal like this, especially at Thanksgiving. In fact, we looked forward to it! It was a tradition! Apparently, these kids don't take after our side of the family LOL! I did notice that MB's daugter, Amanda, at least tried the plum pudding, instead of making fun of us for eating it (it's kind of a weird thing, an aquired taste, I guess). I find it strange that people don't at least taste something new...but I won't make fun of 'em for it...mostly ;-)

It's not mac & cheese or peanut butter? Then I'm not eating it! Hmmmph!

It's so awesome to have friends that can do things on the spur of the moment. I'm lucky enough to have two friends like that, Megan and MaryEllen. Don't think that either one of them are not busy chicks, either. Both have 2 hour commutes each day, both have what amounts to part time jobs (Megan's got her design business, ME's a competitive ice skater), both have lots of responsibilities. But...that being said, both are also adventurous fun lovers!

So when I was invited to join some friends at their annual Florida vacation, I jumped at the chance! That they told me to invite Meg & MaryEllen made it that much sweeter!

Now...here's my question! Anyone know how to get discounted 2 or 3 day passes to the theme parks there? Ideally, I'd like to get a 3 day park hopper pass which goes for $237.00; I'd settle for a two day pass. I'll be there the beginning of December.

I'm so excited! The parks will be all gussied up for Christmas! The first and only time I've been to a theme park at Christmas time was Tokyo Disneyland Park in Japan, and it was just beautiful. Plus...they've added an animatronic Captain Jack Sparrow who speaks to the POC ride...I think I'll be taking that one a couple times. Ahem. It was always my favorite anyway: yo ho yo ho a pirates life for me!

Here's last Wednesday's picture:

This is what it was cropped from:

Although many of you said "lips" "lip prints" or "lichen" the only one to put it together was Lisa who said, "Lips made from lichen! " Carl simultaneously made me laugh and retch by saying "I suspect you recently told your boss to "kiss my ass!" and that this is the microscopic proof that said act did indeed occur.".

So this week...

what is it?

I've seen this on a couple of blogs and I love the art on these cards. I'm, of course, the Moon :) Let me know if you do this one so I can see your card!

You are The Moon

Hope, expectation, Bright promises.

The Moon is a card of magic and mystery - when prominent you know that nothing is as it seems, particularly when it concerns relationships. All logic is thrown out the window.

The Moon is all about visions and illusions, madness, genius and poetry. This is a card that has to do with sleep, and so with both dreams and nightmares. It is a scary card in that it warns that there might be hidden enemies, tricks and falsehoods. But it should also be remembered that this is a card of great creativity, of powerful magic, primal feelings and intuition. You may be going through a time of emotional and mental trial; if you have any past mental problems, you must be vigilant in taking your medication but avoid drugs or alcohol, as abuse of either will cause them irreparable damage. This time however, can also result in great creativity, psychic powers, visions and insight. You can and should trust your intuition.

What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.

I'm going to open this up to you readers...does it sound like me?

Mental problems? Low self-esteem aside (which isn't a mental problem in my case but stems from...well never mind, y'all will just say SHUT UP), no. I also don't think genius is a part of my life, nor poetry. Visions and illusions, on the other hand...well...yes. I certainly am going through a time of emotional and mental trials or upheavals, in more ways than one, and I don't know who I can trust, in fact, my intuition tells me "hidden enemies, tricks and falsehoods" isn't far from the truth. As for abusing drugs or alcohol...I certainly drink more than I used to, but I don't drink every day, and I don't do drugs. And yippee for great creativity...I hope that happens, in regard to my photography, which of course, my hidden enemies will snicker at ;-)

1. Passion: "...blend of intense florals including jasmine and vanilla"
2. Vanilla Fields: "...a blend of warm, rich vanilla and soft, white jasmine"; reminds me of my friend Gaylen
3. Tresor: "...a blend of lilac and apricot, with lower notes with amber and musk"
4. Tabu: "...a blend of rich rose, orange blossom, jasmine, vetiver, oakmoss, amber and musk"; wore this in high school, my mother HATED it
5. Toujour Moi: "...a blend of sandalwood and vetiver, with a floral touch and musky undertones." I liked it cause it came in a unicorn shaped bottle, and no, that wasn't last year, shut it!)
6. Calvin Klein's Obession: "...a blend of vanilla, amber, orange blossom, oakmoss and other oriental spices"; you know how some scents just flip you back in time? This one does it for me. I can't smell it without thinking of my first love, Michael.
7. Anais Anais: "...a blend of cedar, leather, blooming gardenia, jasmine, and lily of the valley"; ahhhh, memories ;-)
8. Liz Claiborne's Reality: "...a blend of rose, white lily, sage, vanilla, amber, jasmine, carnation and a hint of peach"; reminds me of my friend Betsy very much
9. Lou Lou: "...a blend of rich spices and flowers, with notes of amber"
10. Laguna by Salvador Dali: "a blend of light florals and soft exotic fresh oriental spices"; I found this in a store in Tokyo and fell in love with the scent...AND the bottle!
11. Aqua Di Gio: "...a blend of fresh floral, sweet pea, jasmine"
12. Angel: "a blend of vanilla, sandalwood, and patchouli, accompanied by fruity notes of fresh citrus, melons, peaches, and plums"; why this smelled like fresh pine trees the first time I got a whiff of it in a Sephora on the Champs Elysees in Paris is beyond me!
13. Snape: "...my concoction of 50% Angel and 50% Tunisium opium (VERY smoky)"; it's usually what I wear now.

I'm going to talk politics...run away!!! But come back, cause then I'm gonna talk about Lost!

When I got home from work Tuesday night, there were two empty beer bottles on the kitchen table (my precious Yuengling!!!). Now...neither Wolf nor Max has the ability to open a beer without breaking the bottle, so I figured it had to be Dad.

I said hi, walking into the living room...and he looked like his best friend had died. "Dad!", I said, "What's wrong?" His reply? "I'm watching the news, and it's not good...not good at all." You see, Dad's a Republican.

Fast forward to Wednesday night. Rinse, lather, repeat (minus empty bottles of MY damn Yuengling). He's convinced that with liberals in high places bad things will happen. I asked, "Dad...did any bad things happen with Republicans in office?" His answer? Silence. Stubborn bastid ;-)

Normally, my Dad and I are alot alike...but in this instance the apple fell far, far, FAR from the tree :-)

You Are 0% Republican

If you have anything in common with the Republican party, it's by sheer chance. You're a staunch liberal, and nothing is going to change that!

How Republican Are You?

I'm scared by people who answered even ONE thing positively in that test. *shivers*

You Are 48% Democrat

You aren't a full fledged Democrat yet, but it's likely the party that fits you best. You probably consider yourself an independent Democrat. You usually support the party, but you also think for yourself!

How Democrat Are You?

Ok, done with politics. What did you think of Lost last night? How STUPID are the others that they didn't know Jack would do what he did? Damn, Sawyer and Monica Kate are hot! He's just such an adorable badass!!! Look north? What did THAT mean? And what WAS the story Jack told Kate when they first met?

Off to walk the dog; Thursday Thirteen is below!

I missed last Friday, but I'm back! Random and Odd says: "Show me what is a yes, no or maybe in your house."

1. YES!

Yes, I'm done; yes, I would like some more...of whatever you're having! And make it snappy!

2. NO!

There are no zombies allowed in our house, too scary and they cause such a ruckus!

3. MAYBE

Max is thinking: "Maybe Wolf will allow me to eat this...and maybe he won't. Maybe he won't notice...hmmm"

Megan is off on a wonderful weekend getaway with her man and she's asked me to bring you the Friday Fill In. Without further ado, here 'tis:

1. Do you have any plants?

2. Do you like any of the Starbucks holiday lattes - Pumpkin Spice, Gingerbread latte, Mint Mocha, etc?

3. What magazines do you subscribe to?

4. If you could grant one person one wish this upcoming holiday season what would it be and why...

5. If you had a magic wand what would be the first thing you'd use it on?

6. What are you looking forward to most this weekend?

This week, these questions are brought to you directly from the brains of Heather (1-3), Michelle (4) & Krista (5).

1. I have one inside, it's a christmas cactus that is OVERWHELMED with blossoms at the moment.

2. I love the Pumpkin Spice, Gingerbread, and the Maple lattes...with soy milk...yum!

3. Not a one! But people have given me suscriptions to Entertainment Tonight & Cook's.

4. Tough one. Just one person? Hmmm...I'd grant my own wish that I could grant everyone's wish!

5. My face!

6. Getting another tattoo :-)

I need a mentor. There. I've said it. I've been thinking about this for awhile, but far be it from me to ask for help. No, I'd just rather ... well, let's not dwell on the negative, shall we?

I was asked to photograph two weddings in September, which I happily agreed to do. I didn't want to charge either couple anything as I wanted to use the photos to build up my portfolio, but both brides gave me money. And I was QUITE unhappy with the way the pictures turned out. Both brides say they like the pictures...but I think they're being nice.

A few other assignments were photographing children of friends of mine. Again, I didn't like the way the pictures came out, altho one Mom ordered copies and says she truly liked a few of the pictures (I don't expect EACH picture I take to come out...5 out of 20 isn't unrealistic, I don't think), but one of the other moms...well, let's just say she's looking for another photographer for her child's holiday pictures LOL!

The funny thing is...when I'm NOT trying...I get good shots! This one, for example, is adorable (to me):

I'd love to sit down with a professional and get some tips. It's not so much composition as it is lighting, altho some might take issue with that, too.

But...where to find a mentor? Any ideas?

"A soul that sees beauty may sometimes walk alone." -- Johann von Goeth

I'm used to walking alone. It's not a bad thing, it allows me to open up to things I might ordinarily miss because I'm too busy talking or whatnot.

Today, I'm off to get another tattoo. Some would say I have enough already or perhaps MORE than enough...but I don't get or not get tattoos for others, I do it for myself. I do it to mark milestones, to acknowledge a passing or simply because I've fallen in love with something.

I'll post pictures of it tomorrow...or maybe tonight...wish me luck!

I want to thank all who commented yesterday about mentoring. I appreciate your offers and ideas more than you know!

It was a gorgeous day Saturday and I felt bad we were keeping John from a nice long ride on his Harley...but I think we entertained him sufficiently, not to mention feeding him and keeping him on track with a coffee (we were there from noon til about 6:30!).

Here's our tattooist, John, working on Mo's tattoo; Mo was entertaining him by reading him bits from Cosmo LOL!

And here is Mo's newest tattoos!

John again, working on my tattoo (photo by Monique). His friend, who shall remain nameless, stopped by a couple times, but I think we scared him off!

My newest tattoo; of course, I named him Fawkes ;-)

Here's John working on Monique's tat

And finally, Monique's newest tattoo

Mo's appointment was about 3.5 hours long and the poor thing was in pain through most of it (she got her tats on her lower back), but toughed it out! Braver than me, I swear.

I arrived about an hour into her work, and just hung out, taking pictures and talking and running out for pizza and looking through John's extensive collection of tattoo and art books. He suggested a flower on my foot for my next tattoo...but I fell in love with this guy:

Isn't he just so adorable?

He's a silly baby dragon named Sebastian (I think) and he's making scary shadows in the light from the lantern. It's from a drawing by Amy Brown, she does the most amazing fairy drawings I've ever seen!

Round about 3:30, it was my turn. Didn't hurt hardly at all, but I made pain faces so Mo wouldn't feel alone ;-) I think it took John about an hour and a half, maybe two, for mine.

Last up was Monique...her tattoo was ... well, maybe it's too personal, and if she wants to say, you can read about it over on her blog :-)

I love the way the lion looks in this picture...to me, he looks wistful, looking towards the future but thinking of the past. What does he look like to you?

Another question: Do you rely much on your intuition? Maybe rely is the wrong word...do you believe in your intuition? I...am aware of mine, but sometimes I bury it or push it to the back of my mind, because at what point does intuition cross over into paranoia?

Recently, though, my intuition about being disliked [hahaha I wrote dislicked first] or unaccepted by a certain person was confirmed by a hateful comment on my blog. Yeah, yeah, sob, poor me, whatever. I'm not complaining in the least. EVERYONE is entitled to their opinions, and they are free to say whatever they like, however wrong they might be (that's a joke, you know). It's not like I didn't know how this person felt, but sometimes, it's still a shock to have an intuition so strongly confirmed.

Do you sensor much of what you write before you post it or are you one of those that believes you can say what you like because it's your blog? My blog is pretty much how I am in real life. I say what I feel, occasionally sensoring, but sometimes sticking my foot in my mouth. What person hasn't done that? You say oops, apologize and move on, if possible. Sometimes, it's NOT possible; sometimes you must sever the bond that connects you to a friend or family member. That's when I look back...missing someone despite knowing that severed bond is not accidental, but necessary.

* Receiving an email that answers a question you had in your heart in a positive way - check
* Getting soaked leaving work - check
* Meeting a friend after work - check
* Having a good dirty martini - check
* Seeing a movie ["Stranger Than Fiction"; love when they're talking about anarchy and the Clash is playing in the background LOL] that makes you think, laugh AND warms your heart - check
* Getting soaked again running to the car after the movie and still laughing about it - check
*Finding out when you get home you got a gift in the mail, picked out specially for you - check
* The ability to enjoy the little things in life when it seems there's not much to enjoy - priceless

What made you happy yesterday? What are you looking forward to today?

Here's last Wednesday's picture:

And this one wasn't cropped at all.

JG, who is owned by TWO shibas, got it right immediately! She said, "the back of a cat - like with it's head down?" Yup, that's it! I thought you all would either see a) an animal paw or b) a makeup brush, which is what I thought when I first saw the picture I'd taken LOL! But you lot are much smarter :-) Practically everyone got it correct, good on ya!

So this week...

what is it?

Bailey and Diane

I've always been a pet lover, but there have been times when I'm ashamed to say I haven't taken very good care of the animals in my charge. I won't go into detail, but there you have it.
For a very long time, I only had cats in my life. Cats are easier to take care of, they use a litter box, you can leave them home alone relatively safely as long as you put out two big bowls filled with water and food. So when my life was busier, when I was much more interested in being out and about as often as I could, cats were fine.
But now that my life has slowed down a bit, I find myself owned by two dogs. Yes, owned. I'm lucky enough to have someone to take care of Max and Wolf when I go away, or make spur of the moment plans for after work, but it's still tougher. MUCH tougher! I think about them more often, if they're ok, did my escape artist (Wolf) manage to break free, were they fed, is there enough water for them, are they having fun? Dogs LOVE to have fun! Wolf adores a good game of tug of war and he'll run after and retrieve certain of his toys til he (or more likely you) tire of it.
I notice when I am home, Wolf positions himself near me. And when I come home, usually I'm greeted at the door by both of them, although the last few times, Wolf was sleeping hard upstairs and didn't hear me til I started walking up the stairs. This worries me! Is he getting deaf? Is he sick? Or is it just the rain?
How about you? Do you have pets? Do you think cats are easier? How about chickens? ;-)

Max (foreground) and Wolf

1. Pumpkin Soup, from The Joy of Cooking...one word...YUM!


2. The BEST potato salad ever, from Julia's Kitchen Wisdom; Jack said so, therefore, it must be true!


3. Spinach with Sesame Dressing, from Japanese Cooking: A Simple Art. A refreshing way to prepare spinach!


4. Sweet Simmered Dried Shitake Mushrooms, from The Japanese Kitchen. Oh, man...so good!


5. Marinated Chicken Tatsuta-Style, from At The Japanese Table. All the things in this recipe are readily available in most major grocery stores. Amazingly delicious!!!


6. Sweet Potato Casserole, from The Cotton Country Collection. I've made this every year since I got the book...my brother always asks...are you making that sweet potato thing this year?

7. Baked Whole Pumpkin from The Frugal Gourmet. If you like pumpkin pie without the crust, this is for you! Plus it makes a great presentation...you can use smaller pumpkins and serve each person individually.


8. Sue Riding High, from Wild Women In The Kitchen. If you like chocolate, you'll like this!


9. Poached chicken, from Nantucket Open House Cookbook. Try it...it's the most delicious way to cook chicken for salad EVER!


10. Jambalaya, from Celebrate San Antonio: A Cookbook. Let me tell you a little story about this recipe. I made it once for a guy I was dating...and he told my roommate that the "things" in there looked like vag!nas ("things" being oysters). No wonder "men like it" ROFLMAO!


11. Tweed Kettle, from Scottish Cookery. Thought it'd be haggis, didnae ye! An interested way to prepare salmon.


12. White Mountain Frosting (every time I've typed "frosting" tonight it came out either"frontong" or "frostong"...wtf?), from Betty Crocker's New Picture Cookbook. My first ex-MIL made the BEST freakin' cakes and she always made this frosting!


13. Tilly's Banana Fritters from "100 Years of Family Recipes & Memories 1890-1990", which was compiled by my Auntie Rosa. Tilly was my Dad's mom and my favorite Grandmother (shhhhhh). If you can read while Auntie Rosa wrote, you'll see why!

Today is Laura's [edited for content]th birthday! I've gotten to know her (and Deb) better over this past year and am glad to have done so! She's kind and caring and cute and cooks up a storm, so I hear! I'm looking forward to hanging out with her (and Deb!) down in Florida for a few days of R&R and tanning and shopping and oh...maybe riding over and over and over the Pirates of the Caribbean ride.
Laura, I hope you have a great day filled with love and laughter and lots of presents!!!

Rose Quartz Crystal

Recently, a blog friend of mine offered to send me a rose quartz crystal to use as gemstone therapy. She thought it might help with something I was going through. I said sure! Can't hurt! So she blessed the rose quartz in the Atlantic Ocean on a Sunday; she said it was a really beautiful, magical day with the sun shimmering on the waves. She let the crystal air dry in the sunshine and sent it off to me. I received it a few days later and put it to use that night. She recommended I lay down flat on my back and place the stone on my heart, letting the energy from the stone seep in.

She told me that "the soft, pink-colored light of the rose quartz encourages gentleness, tenderness and love. It envelopes your soul in loving vibrations that heal the wounds of your heart caused by hardness, lack of consideration or carelessness, and opens your soul so that it is able to give and receive love more freely. It teaches you to accept and love yourself, and opens your heart for all expressions of love and tenderness within yourself, in others and in all Creation. It makes you receptive for the beauty of music, poetry, painting and other art forms and enlivens your imagination and creative power of expression.

You know...it can't hurt and if it might help, I'm all for it! Plus, I believe that if YOU believe something, it will work (or come true); those vibes of positivity are wonderful! And whether or not you believe in such things, just the thought that someone cared enough to want to ease my pain...eased my pain!

From Crystals and Jewelry:

Rose quartz is known as the "love" stone...it's a stone of unconditional love that opens the heart chakra to all forms of love: self-love, family love, platonic love, and romantic love. The high energy of quartz gives rose quartz the property of enhancing love in virtually any situation. In turn, this lowers stress. All in all it is a very soothing and happy stone.

Emotionally rose quartz brings gentleness, forgiveness, compassion, kindness and tolerance. It raises one's self-esteem and sense of self-worth. It helps balance emotions and heal emotional wounds and traumas, even grief, bringing peace and calm. Rose quartz removes fears, resentments and anger. It can also heal and release childhood traumas, neglect, and lack of love, in part by enhancing inner awareness. It can help with reconciliation with family and others. Overwhelming or unreasonable guilt is eased by rose quartz.

In the psychic and spiritual realms, rose quartz is often used to attract love, and for love spells. It is also used to ease the process of transition in dying. Rose quartz can be helpful for dream recall and dream work.

Physically, rose quartz is used in crystal healing to benefit the heart, the circulatory system, fertility, headaches, kidney disease, migraines, sexual dysfunction, sinus problems, throat problems, depression, addictions, ear aches, slowing signs of aging, reducing wrinkles, spleen problems, fibromyalgia, and reaching one's ideal weight / weight loss. Rose quartz is also helpful and protective during pregnancy and with childbirth. It is also sometimes said that rose quartz is helpful for supporting brain functions and increasing intellect.

05:17 PM - Comments (8)

Random and Odd says: "November is National Epilepsy Awareness Month and in honor of that, here are three things related to seizures...purple is the color for National Epilepsy Awareness Month!"

1. Something you seize

I seize these often and lovingly...I try to make them last, but they're oh so yummy!

2. Something that shakes

This is Wolf at the tail (no pun intended) end of a shiba shake! (not a recent picture, not only has it NOT snowed here yet, knock on wood, it's been downright tropical...and for New England, that's VERY weird)

3. Something purple



I was playing around with this in photoshop the other day ... which one do you like better?

Today is my cousin's 48th birthday! She's the sister I never had...the GOOD cousin to my BAD cousin, the light to my darkness, the ... well, you get the picture! Speaking of pictures, that's her on the right, me on the left and my brother in the middle.
MB, I hope you woke up this morning and started celebrating right off the bat! I'm looking forward to seeing you tonight...and I have a little something for you...actually, a couple little somethings!

I've always had a thing for vampires. Ghosts...too phantasmal; mummys...too wrapped up; goblins...well, what IS a goblin, anyway? Vampires have a kind of sexy thing going...lips and teeth on skin, the biting, the swooning after the bite; it's kind of sexual, isn't it? Did you see Frank Langella (read the first paragraph under "Career") in Dracula? Antonio Banderas as Armand in Interview with the Vampire (Johnny Depp almost played Lestat in that movie...can you imagine?). Have you read Charlaine Harris's Southern Vampire Mysteries? Or Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles? Or how about Colleen Gleason's Gardella Vampire Chronicles? I'm sure there are other examples out there that I'm missing, but you get my point. Vampires are HOT!

I usually like to dress up for Halloween as a vampire of some sort:

scary clown vampire


gothic vampire


Snape's vampire mistress
When I dressed up as a gothic vampire, I bought a set of fangs that you could mold to fit over your teeth. They stayed in place for exactly two seconds...and it made me think...hmmm...I should ask my friend and dentist, Kim (aka Dr. Binky), if she could fit me with fangs (removable, of course). I finally remembered to ask her recently and this is how the conversation went:

Me: Kim, can you make me some vampire fangs? ;-) "
Not batting an eyelash, she replied: "You know, I probably could make you vampire fangs, although that is not a request I get everyday."
me: "I'm here to spice up your life!"
Kim: "Everybody needs a spice up their lifer!"

FINALLY, I've learned the purpose of my life! I won't cure cancer, create world peace or solve life's thorniest issues...but I WILL spice up your life!

Any takers?

November 8, 2006

November 10, 2005...

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

Better mood tomorrow, I promise!

"Blessed are they who have the gift of making friends, for it is one of God's best gifts. It involves many things, but above all, the power of going out of one's self, and appreciating whatever is noble and loving in another." - Helen Keller




"To have a good friend is one of the highest delights of life." - Ralph Waldo Emerson




"There is nothing on this earth more to be prized than true friendship." - St. Thomas Aquinas




"Each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born." - Anais Nin




"We are all travelers in the wilderness of this world, and the best that we find in our travels is an honest friend." - Robert Louis Stevenson


The many faces of friendship!

I'm so very thankful for my friends...life would dull indeed without them! Thursday, I met Megan for a drink and afterward we wandered the mall. She spread good cheer wherever she went; amazing the power of positivity! Friday, I met my cousin, her husband & her daughter for a birthday dinner in Concord, NH; I think we all had a good time! Saturday, Michelle and I met for an impromptu movie (Running With Scissors, such a disappointment) and quick bite; while at dinner, poor Michelle got an earful of my woes. Today, Krista and I saw two scary movies from "HorrorFest - 8 Films To Die For"; Wicked Little Things and The Hamiltons (vampires!) while eating a nutrious and delicious supper of a hotdog (me), nachos (her), popcorn (both) and for dessert Reece's Pieces (her) and a chocolate wafer bar (me), washed down, natch, with two HUGE medium diet cokes. Don't go to the movies on an empty stomach!

Until recently, while driving, I mostly listened to my iPod, either music or books. What's changed? Christmas music, y'all! Hey...I can say y'all, I loved (and lived) down south for a couple years. Ahem. Anyway, a local station, Oldies 103.3, is now all Christmas music all the time...or at least until after Christmas. My top 15 Christmas songs (not in any particular order) are as follows:

1. The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting) - Nat King Cole
2. Skating - A Charlie Brown Christmas Soundtrack
3. Silent Night
4. Mele Kalikimaka - Jimmy Buffett
5. It Came Upon A Midnight Clear
6. Santa Baby - Eartha Kitt
7. Dance Of The Sugar Plum Fairies
8. Santa Claus is Coming to Town - Bruce Springsteen
9. Christmas Wrapping - Waitresses
10. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
11. Jingle Bell Rock - Hall & Oates
12. Father Christmas - The Kinks
13. Santa Claus and His Old Lady - Cheech & Chong
14. The First Noel
15. River - Joni Mitchell

It's coming on Christmas
They're cutting down trees
They're putting up reindeer
And singing songs of joy and peace
Oh I wish I had a river
I could skate away on...

What are your favorites?

My cousin and I received an email from a friend today; this is what she said:

Okay, here goes nothing. Janet, several times over the past year I get a picture of your mom in my head. This morning it was a barrage of words and then driving in the car clear as day she directed my thinking, I had to write it down because she said she didn't trust me "one whit" to remember it all. The messages are kooky but I have to give them to you. She said there was a chance you would close off and not talk to me so I almost didn't do this, as a matter of fact I am trying to talk myself out of it now. She wants you to call me to have me tell you about all these "slides" and she wants Maribeth on the phone in cause you hang up on me she wants to be heard all the way through. I'm sorry, I don't know what else to do about this. Here are my notes I wrote driving in the car this morning. Look at them and see if you want to call me. It is supposed to make you guys happy. It made me laugh at some parts, she's very direct. Surprisingly I was really nervous about getting it right. Again, I'm sorry to upset you, but there have just been too many coincidences the last few days to make me ignore it.

Now, before you go shaking your heads (I see you and you shaking your heads now), bear in mind that this person, like most of my friends, is NOTHING like me. She's career oriented, extremely driven, a no-nonsense type of person.

So, to hear this from her gives me pause.

Maribeth replied, in part:

This sounds so much like Uncle Betty. Thanksgiving was such a big deal for her and for us. All my Thanksgivings growing up were spent with her and Jan and the family. I have the SLIDES! Yes, when my folks went into their small apt, I got all the slides. I wonder if we look we can find some Thanksgiving ones from years gone by.

And the first thing out of my mouth was:

"...you remind me so much of my mother in that you don't understand me in the least LOL! WHY would I not talk to you? I think it's GREAT!!!"

She had an urgent sense of having to talk to me (and Maribeth), to make sure she "passed on the message"; and once the conversation was over, she had a profound sense of relief.

Maribeth...I think we need to set a place at the table for Mom this year, after all!

Have any of you ever had something like this happen to you?

Here's last Wednesday's picture:

And this is what it was cropped from:

MissMeliss got it correct! She said, "It looks like something made of milk glass to me..." The rest of you, with your vibrator guesses? ROFLMAO! You all made me laugh!

So this week...

what is it?

I bought this Christmas cactus for my mother last year...but didn't have a chance to give it to her before she passed away.

Usually, I have a very brown thumb when it comes to indoor plants...but as you can see, this one has flourished! I thought it had died or was very close to it last spring. Instead of throwing it out, however, once it got warm enough, I just put it outside by the basil & rosemary and basically forgot about it. Imagine my shock when I noticed it had not only died, but was blooming furiously!!!

I brought it back in the house a couple of weeks ago, and repotted it yesterday. Hopefully it will survive the repotting and my brown thumb and go on to ... remain a living memory.

Thirteen Things I'm Thankful For
(me and 2 gazillion other T13ers LOL)

1. ...new friends and old! Happy Thanksgiving!
2. ...the fun I had traveling this year--Georgetown & DC with MaryEllen last January; the cruise I took in Feb with MaryEllen, Maureen & Kim; the trip to Toronto in May to see the Lord of the Rings play; getting some new, improved memories of VA from my trip there in June with MaryEllen and visiting Mo's new house in the Northeast Kingdom, aka Vermont in August.
3. ...the fact that Mom is at peace...and having fun, apparently!
4. ...being able to spend Thanksgiving with Maribeth!
5. ...getting my new camera :-)
6. ...the concerts I got to see this year: John Fogerty, the Pretenders, Dr. John, Leon Russell, Enter The Haggis, BNL and a gazillion bagpipers at the Glasgow Lands Scottish Festival out in Northampton, MA
7. ...being able to mend a pretty big rip in the fabric of friendship with Megan
8. ...the comments on my blog...as well as the people who leave them!
9. ...healing and positive thoughts
10. ...my new tattoo!
11. ...discovering Aveda Comforting Tea
12. ...creating a new signature scent, which I named "Snape"
13. ...as I said last year, I'm still thankful, strange as this may sound, for each and every experience I've been through in life, good and bad.

Happy Thanksgiving! I bet this is the one kitchen appliance that gets the most work on a day like today! And those of you that have electric stoves, well, you know what I mean!

We've had a great day so far; delicious food courtesy of my cousin, great company, and a couple of nice long walks with the dogs! We're taking a break before dessert ;-)

Hope you all that celebrate Thanksgiving are having a fantastic day! Do you have traditions you like to follow each year, or do you play it by ear?

Above are my two favorite pictures from yesterday...my cousin MB and her young friend, Em, who fell in LOVE with Wolf...and I mean in LOVE! MB and hubby had such a great mix of folks yesterday...older, younger, some healthy, some fighting to remain so, interesting all!

Today, I think I'll clean, and possibly set up the Christmas decorations...and tomorrow, head back up to my cousin's (sans Wolf, sorry, Em!) so we can go to a craft fair.

Today, I think it's cool enough not to have to worry about ticks, so the dogs and I are off for a nice long walk in the woods. Whatever you do today, braving the crowds, shopping or just relaxing, I hope you have a great day!

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Time =

"A Unique Time"

Three "time[s]" in one picture, can you spot them?

"Time[s] Square Alliance"; "Difficult time[s] lay ahead, Harry"; "Remember your first time..."