No, I'm not dead or in a coma...

So what, you might ask, have I been doin' all this time since I obviously have not been bloggin'. Well, the answer is that my health problems worsened for quite some time and I have been tryin' to get to feelin' better. I was diagnosed almost 6 months ago with fibromyalgia...on top of the multiple sclerosis I already have. It's the fibromyalgia that has been kickin' my be-hind!! I have also been havin' some problems with my new neurologist and am thinkin' about changin' docs. Add to that, trouble gettin' Medicaid to pay for some of the meds and you can see why I just haven't had the energy to blog. However...things began to look up a short while ago and I am beginnnin' to want to focus on some of the things I've been meanin' to do. Like blog. And, work with the clay again...it's been about 9 months since I've felt like workin' with it and I'm findin' it difficult to get back into.

Also, Sebe (my son) has left home and gone to live with Cally (my brother) in Corinth, Ms. That is in the hills and his asthma is so much better there. He's actually able to run outside there...somethin' he's never been able to do much of here. He's also plannin' to attend college! He's to start slow with a couple of classes beginnin' in July and go from there!! I can't begin to tell you how proud of him I am!! It's not been easy for him...he had to drop out of high school at the beginnin' of the 11th grade due to health problems. He had missed 30 days or more every year but one up to that time, includin' the last 2 months of the 10th grade and when he had to be hospitalized for 2 weeks after the first week of the 11th grade, it was decided that he was just too far behind to continue. At the time I thought it was the best thing for him but I failed to understand that it might made him feel like a failure, and it did. He is on disability and really could just coast thru life on what he gets from the government...and he did this for a few years...but eventually he decided that wasn't enough for him and he got his GED and studied for almost a year on his own before takin' his ACT. It's an adjustment for me and Nanie and Pop with him gone, but we are all so proud of him and happy that he's workin' toward achievin' his goals!!

I have started a couple of endeavors with differin' amounts of success. The first is the harmonica! I had more than one reason for wantin' to learn...the first is that I'd love to be able to play with Sebe while he's playin' his guitar! Then, I also think it will be good for my breathin'...it takes a lot of breath control. I can play Oh When The Saints Go Marching In v-e-r-y s-l-o-w-l-y and that's about it so far. But I've got an instruction book and a cd and I'm pretty determined to learn. I'll let y'all know how it goes! ;o)


Nanie and Pop and I also started to learn some sign language. Some of Nanie's family are deaf and she's always wanted to be able to sign with them. Her dad knew how but never taught her. We began by learnin' one thing a night...so far, we can sign "Hello. My name is ________. What is your name? How are you?" We've been extremely lax lately but I'm hopin' we'll pick it back up
!

The other thing I've been workin' on is my garden/bird sanctuary in the back yard. My computer is set up by french doors that look right out onto this area and I wanted to be able to take photos of birds close up, so Nanie (my mom) and Pop (my dad) and I built a platform feeder right outside the doors. I recently was given a lot of planters and decided to start a container garden. I have more than 15 potted plants out there includin' 2 tomatoes. I've already gotten a couple of small tomatoes and they taste sooooo good!! All acid-y like they used to taste...like sunshine in your mouth!! I could eat them with cottage cheese every day if I could grow enough! I'm really enjoyin' this space and I water every day so get a bit of exercise that way...speakin' of which, today is fertilizer day. Guess I better go get busy! BTW, if any of y'all wanna see photos of the birds that I've attracted there or the flowers, go here. If you do, please leave me a comment or two so I'll know what you think!!

'Til next time...and I promise I'll try to write much more often...y'all keep smilin' and try to get outside and enjoy the beauty all 'round!! Smoooooches and hugs!!

Some things I've done and many things I haven't

I was at a friends blog, Argon One, and he had a list of questions that someone had sent to him and he wanted anyone interested to answer and post to their own blog. This ought to be really interesting since I have the most abysmal memory. Well, here goes!

01. Start your own blog -- Yes
02. Sleep under the stars -- Well, if this means have I camped then, yes, many times with my family. If it means sleeping without a roof over my head, I'm not sure. The memory thing, you understand. Not that I can recall.
03. Play in a band -- No, but I am teaching myself to play the harmonica...AKA harp, to those of us in the know. HA!...so, if you're in the market for a geriactric harp player for your band, give me a holla in about 10 years. I figure I might be somewhat proficient by then...as for now, I can play when the saints go marching in very slowly.
04. Visit Hawaii -- Nope
05. Watch a meteor shower -- Um, not that I can recall.
06. Give more than you can afford to charity -- Any time I give to charity, it's more than I can afford. :o)
07. Go to Disneyworld -- Yes
08. Climb a mountain -- OMgoodness, No!! I can barely climb the stairs!!
09. Hold a praying mantis -- No, but I've taken a picture of one from this far away. *holds fingers about a half inch apart*
10. Sing a solo -- Oh, no, and I never will!! Everybody can relax now.
11. Bungee jump -- Heck, no...I'm not a complete idiot! Apologies to all you idi...um...folks out there who have. Actually, I'm just kidding about the idiot part...I am not and never was that recklessly brave!
12. Visit Paris -- Nope
13. Watch a lightning storm at sea -- Nope. That one was easy since I've never been at sea!
14. Teach yourself an art technique -- Yessiree, bob!
15. Adopt a child -- Nope
16. Eat sushi -- Nope...Sebe keeps trying and I keep resisting...er, make that, contemplating it.
17. Walk to the top of the Statue of Liberty -- Nope
18. Grow your own vegetables -- Yep with very little success. My tomatoes are legendary for their small size!! It's very sad. *sniff*
19. See the Mona Lisa in France -- Nope
20. Sleep on an overnight train -- Nope
21. Have a pillow fight -- More than likely...I was young once and I had a rambunctious younger brother so it's definitely probable. I kinda like that...definitely probable.
22. Hitch hike -- Nope, too smart for that! Ha! More likely, too afraid!!
23. Look at the rings of Saturn through a telescope -- Nope
24. Build a snow fort -- Nope, I live in Mississippi, people!
25. Hold a lamb -- Nope, but I'm pretty sure I'd like to. Even more than that, I'd love to hold a baby pig!!!
26. Climb to the top of a lighthouse -- Nope
27. Run a Marathon -- Nope
28. Ride in a gondola in Venice -- Nope
29. See a total eclipse -- I think so
30. Watch a sunrise or sunset -- Sunset, yes...sunrise, doubtful!!
31. Hit a home run -- Nope
32. Go on a cruise -- Nope
33. See Niagara Falls in person -- Nope
34. Visit the birthplace of your ancestors -- Nope...don't even know where that would be.
35. Visit an Amish community -- Nope
36. Teach yourself a new language -- Not yet but I have a pc program to learn sign language
37. Have enough money to be truly satisfied -- Nope, but I'm pretty much satisfied anyway. Not that I wouldn't like to have bookoodles of money...I would...but it'll probably never happen so......
38. See the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person -- Nope
39. Go rock climbing -- Nope, I am afraid of heights!!
40. See Michelangelo's David -- Nope
41. Sing karaoke in public -- Nope and, again, I never will!! And, that's a promise.
42. See Old Faithful geyser erupt in person -- Nope...I think it should be obvious by now that I'm not much of a traveler.
43. Buy a stranger a meal at a restaurant -- Not that I can recall but I'd like to. I'm a little nervous of strangers...
44. Visit Africa -- Nope
45. Walk on a beach by moonlight -- Surely I have? If not, I'd like to.
46. Ride in a helicopter -- Yes, yes I have!!
47. Have your portrait painted -- Yes and I didn't enjoy it at all.
48. Go deep sea fishing -- Nope
49. See the Sistine Chapel in person -- Nope
50. Go to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris -- Nope
51. Go scuba diving or snorkeling -- Nope
52. Kiss in the rain -- I'd like to think so. It's sad if I did and can't remember it but it's kinda the story of my life. Now, don't get all teary, it's not that big a deal!
53. Play in the mud -- Most assuredly!
54. Watch a movie at a drive-in theater -- Yep
55. Be in a movie -- Nope but I did star in my Senior play...does that count?
56. Visit the Great Wall of China -- Nope
57. Start a business -- Well, yeah
58. Take a martial arts class -- Started to say nope and then I recalled that I signed up for one in college and attended at least one class before dropping it. Bad Mel!
59. Visit Russia -- Nope
60. Serve meals at a soup kitchen -- Nope
61. Sell Girl Scout cookies -- Yes, I was a real Girl Scout
62. Go whale watching -- Nope =(
63. Get or send flowers for no reason -- Probably. This is what I know I have done...picked flowers for someone for no particular reason except that I knew they would make the person happy!
64. Donate blood, platelets or plasma -- Nope, too many meds in my blood
65. Go sky diving -- Nope but my brother has. I rest my case about idiots doing this kinda thing! Hahahaha! Aww, just kidding, Cally! I'd never have the guts to do that!!
66. Visit a Nazi Concentration Camp -- No
67. Adopt a pet from a rescue shelter -- Yes, many! I recommend it!
68. Pilot an airplane -- No, I don't think anyone would want that!!
69. Save a favorite childhood toy -- I don't think I actually saved any...my mother gave all my trolls away!...but I started collecting trolls several years ago and now have over 5000!
70. Visit the Lincoln Memorial -- Nope
71. Eat Caviar -- Nope...ewww, fish eggs!!!
72. Make a quilt -- Nope
73. Stand in Times Square -- Nope
74. Tour the Everglades -- Nope
75. Visit the Viet Nam Memorial -- Nope
76. See the Changing of the Guard in London -- Nope
77. Drive a race car -- Nope! Race car driving + me = a recipe for disaster!!
78. Ride on a speeding motorcycle -- Yes, I actually drove one as a teenager. Oh, wait...you said speeding...that would be NO!
79. See the Grand Canyon in person -- Nope
80. Publish a book -- Nope but I've written several children's books and can no longer find them. We have a lot of junk in our house!
81. Visit the Vatican -- Nope
82. Buy a brand new car -- Nope. The only car I ever bought was a piece of cwap Gremlin...straight shift and no air conditioner or stereo. It did have an am radio. Yeah, the joy I felt in being a new car owner didn't last long.
83. Walk in Jerusalem -- Nope
84. Have your picture in the newspaper -- Yes...me, my chihuahua Jose and a whole buncha trolls! Musta been a reeeaaaall slow new day.
85. Read the entire Bible -- Nope
86. Visit the White House -- Nope
87. Kill and prepare an animal for eating -- Euwwww, not on your life!! I don't even like eating meat that much, I'm certainly not gonna kill something and eat it.
88. Hike the Appalachian Trail -- Nope
89. Save someone's life -- Yes!
90. Sit on a jury -- Nope
91. Meet someone famous -- Yes, Morgan Freeman
92. Join a book club --Yes, I belong to 3 now and have a ton of wonderful books I've gotten from them!
93. Own an iPod -- Yes, hard to believe isn't it?!
94. Have a Facebook page -- Yes, indeed I do.
95. See the Alamo in person -- Nope
96. Swim in the Great Salt Lake -- Nope
97. Cross country snow ski -- Nope
98. Hold a snake -- Yes
99. See DaVinci’s Starry Night in person -- Nope
100. Read an entire book in one day -- Yes, I am an avid reader! I've averaged somewhere between 3 and 5 books a week since I was a child. The day I don't read will be the day I'm in a coma or dead...I even read while I was in labor. I actually left my book in the delivery room!

If any of you should be inspired to answer these questions, copy and paste this into the comments section of this blog or into your own and change my answers to your own and let me know...I'd love to read your answers!

I'm not very good at this bloggin'...

Ok. Hard to believe my last post was in AUGUST. I really meant to do this more often. In my defense, I have had more (of the same) health problems, did a craft show, had a computer crash...so, see...it's really not my fault!! Yeah, right. Anyway, I'm gonna start again and try to do better.

Thanksgivin' came and went with nary a thing new or different. We didn't have turkey and dressin' or cranberry sauce or any of the other traditional stuff. We just ate the same old stuff. It was good stuff and I was thankful for it! But...the day after Thanksgivin' was pretty special. Sebe and I were invited to the home of friends in Collierville...I'm gonna call them The Perfect Family ('cause they are!). We met at their lovely home and went to Booya's for lunch. I had the biggest hamburger I've ever seen and a buncha big ol' fries...I couldn't eat but half of the burger and about 4 fries. It was really delicious...just far too much for me!
After lunch, we went to the beautiful Square in Collierville for an afternoon of photography! Yeah, boy, that was some kinda fun!! There was much to see and shoot there...it's a picturesque place with parked trains (some used now as restaurants) and antique shops everywhere. We walked all over and the high point for me was when we met this adorable Basset Hound. Her name was Pickles and TPFD2(the perfect family daughter #2) and I spent some quality time with her. Her owner was quite friendly and talkative and invited us to his home for leftover pie...I think he said they had 20 somethin' different kinds!! We had to decline (frowny face) because we were off to Barnes and Noble, the bookstore where TPFD1 works. I...ahem...bought a few books and, on the way out, we noticed that there were dogs for adoption. In Barnes and Nobles! I had no idea that adoptions were ever held anywhere but pet stores. We all fell under the spell of the most adorable terrier mix. She was no longer a puppy...a year and a half old...and seemed to be the sweetest pup imaginable. Think Benji but even cuter and a girl! Well, TPFM was very resistant to the idea of a new pup...they lost their last one about a year ago and he had been very ill for 3 years or so and she had been the one to tend to him the most. She and TPFF had sworn they wouldn't get another pup and have to go through this again. When they seemed determined to leave her there, I had to go outside and cry because it seemed to me that I could see in her eyes that she knew she wouldn't be goin' home with them. I know that's fanciful...it's just how I see things. Anyway, we did leave her there and it made all of us sad.
We went back to the house to eat pizza we'd picked up on the way (yummmm!) and, as we were sittin' around the table, the subject of the dog came up again. Eventually, TPFM was persuaded to give her a try and we went back to B&N and picked her up! It was so excitin'!!! The first thing she did when we walked in the house was teetee...on the carpet. Yeah. And, the second thing she did was poop. On the carpet! Yikes!!! I could not believe it!! She was put in the backyard for a short time and when she came back in, she began to explore her new home and get to know her new family.
Not long after the new pup came home, Sebe and I had to leave. We hated to have such a magical time come to an end but both of us were tired. We didn't get home til 12:30 and I felt absolutely awful the next day. I overdid it...pretty easy for me to do, feelin' like I've been feelin' for some time now...but it was worth it! I've read TPFF's blog and it seems they named the pup MOlly and have all bonded very closely with her. Especially TPFM!!! This makes me sooooo happy!! Apparently, she's now TPFP! And, all's well that ends well.

Brain damaged...an addendum

Honestly, I must have brain damage. I forgot two of my two very closest friends...Connie and Jean!! The first weekend of Oct. for the past fifteen or more years, I've been demonstratin' at the Pink Palace Crafts Fair in Memphis. The same group of folks have been there for a long time and we have become like family...some I only see at the show and some I see more often. Connie and Jean are in the latter category. I have been to Connie and Paul's house in middle Tennessee on more than one occasion and we talk on the phone quite often. Jean keeps promisin' to come stay with us for a couple of days but I'm losin' my faith in that ever happenin'! She did, however, meet Sebe and I at the Memphis Zoo a few months ago...much fun was had!! Some of the others that I only see at the show are Ann, Kevin, Shannon, Judy, Pam and Alene. I'm sure that I'm forgettin' others...don't be mad, it's just the brain damage!!

Friends. What makes a friend? Why are some folks just naturally drawn to others? The nature of friendship will, I suppose, always be a mystery...to me, at least. I don't have friends that I go and do things with and there are many reasons for this. First, I guess, is my nature. I'm very...um, some would say reclusive...I say easily able to entertain myself. Secondly, this illness limits what I can do. Thirdly, there's not much to do around here and not much extra cash to do it with!! All that said, I'd like to talk about the friends I have had in the past and have now.
July 28 was my birthday. I got a call from Colorado and, lo and behold, it was Kay Ann Mitchell...one of my very oldest friends! We grew up across the street from each other and went to school together from kindergarten through high school. I hadn't talked to her in about 10 years but the conversation was amazin'...it was like we had talked a week ago! We are both still much the same as we were growin' up. We did some reminiscin' and both of us thoroughly enjoyed ourselves!

Today I received a book in the mail from another dear friend...this one I have never seen in person. Her name is Shirley Ann and I met her on Dogster, a site where every dog has it's own web page and the conversations are between dogs via their human typists. It's a great place where most of the banter is good natured and like minded pups can form groups with others who share their interests. I've gotten pretty close to several women there and, if I had the money and the means, I'd go visit some of them. This is one of Shirley Ann's pups and Inky's best friend!! Her name is Beatrix and she is a rescued Boston Terrier/Boxer mix. She's a beauty!

Another really special friend is my cousin Joy. She lives pretty close to me and yet we almost never see each other...I guess we are both busy with our "stuff". Anyway, recently Sebe and I went to visit with Joy and her husband John and had a fun time shootin' pool and takin' photos. I shot the one of her cat Garfield wrestlin' with the kitty next door...he must have the patience of a saint!

Yesterday, another cousin and good friend, Barbara Dayle, dropped in and we had a great chat. We almost never get the chance to visit and she lives next door!! It's just a shame that the pace of most folks lives don't allow for a lot of visitin'!

Another person that I consider a close friend is the woman who cleans house for us every other week. Her name is Doretha and she and I have much in common. Plus, she is one of the sweetest people I know! The other day, Nanie was workin' out in the yard and Doretha and her sweet husband Robert saw her and stopped to help...this was after both of them had already worked a full day. If I didn't already think she was the bee's knees, helpin' my Nanie would have made me love her and Robert!

There are others I could write about but I think I'll save them for another time. Things are status quo here in the backend of beyond! Absolutely nothin' goin' on but that's ok...some of us like it that way!!

How to comment

I've had some folks askin' how to comment...well, you just click on the number of comments that a post has(ya know, down at the bottom where it says 0 comments) and it will take you to a page where you can write your comment. It took me forever to figure that out!! So, go ahead, leave me some comments!!! And, thanks to all who have!

Things I Learned From My Camera

Things I Learned From My Camera

1. Seen through the camera's lens, bugs are ART. Most of them, anyway.
2. Chihuahuas are fast!! But, with the judicious use of a few vienny wiennies, they can be talked into anything.
3. Cats are natural-born models.
4. Birds are fascinatin'. I had no idea!
5. Sittin' in a field of sunflowers can be fun!!
6. I love, love, love playin' with Photoshop!!
7. Unlike takin' photos of animals, takin' pictures of people is scary...they actually expect them to look good. You can tell I have problems with that one...this is the only picture of a person, taken by me, that I could find!
8. Goin' to the zoo is awesome!!
9. I found out that Rebel loves chipmunks. The hard way. Don't ask. You may be wonderin' what this has to do with my camera...if I hadn't taken such an interest in photographin' the chipmunks, I probably would never have been told about Rebel's doin's.
10. A lot of the ugliness around me looks, if not beautiful, at least interestin', through the camera's lens. I guess that's all for today. If you'd like to see more photos, go here.