The Season...

And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow,
stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so?

It came without ribbons.
It came without tags.
It came without packages, boxes or bags.

And he puzzled and puzzled
’till his puzzler was sore.
Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before.

What if Christmas, he thought, doesn’t come from a store?
What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more?

* Dr. Seuss From “The Grinch Who Stole Christmas”

Gotta love Dr. Seuss for covering just about every

important topic there is in Life...
and, saying it just so!

Enjoy the Season!

'Tis the Season

Mid-December is here and we're into the holiday season.

Here in New England we had a major ice storm 5 nights ago that nailed more than a few towns around the area. We were fortunate in that all we got here was rain....but a mere 15 minutes away at our friends little place, "The Teapot Cafe" .... ice storm, trees down, no electricity...still...5 days later....right before the holiday season. (Dang! We were hoping to sell lots of gift shop goodies!!)

Lots of people still without electricity...living in the school gymnasiums; or maybe their own home...just no electricity, heat, cooking, showers, etc. That's gotta be tough.

But, I've never shared this one with you. My sister lives in Texas, outside of Galveston Bay area which got hit, big time, by a hurricane back in early September. She's lived there for over 30 years now, and yes, she's been hit with some hurricanes during that time, but apparently nothing like this past one....Hurricane Ike.

Knowing how to live in "hurricane country" for years now, sister Jo knows when these severe weather warnings come just how to elevate certain pieces of furniture; pack and store other household items; and, when the weather reports indicate that her area is up for a "Big One!" she's learned how to quickly pack-and-go.

And, that's just what happened during those early September days when the annual hurricane report was issued.....she packed and stored everything up high and away just before she fled the town for more inland areas at her son's home outside of Houston.

Well, Ike hit, and the days past...and continue to pass...the Galveston Bay area got wiped out during that storm...and, Joey, who lives inland from that area by quite a ways, hasn't been able to return to her house since then. Four feet of water...and, all the damage that that incurred...it took almost 2 months for someone to come by and declare her place "totalled." And, that's where she learned that having a "totalled house" takes a whole lot longer to take care of than other. Right from the start she's filed her living situation with FEMA, but every step along the way seems to take an extremely long chunk of time.

Apparently, over 400 households of people in her town have just up and moved out due to the ravages of this storm.

Joey is fortunate that she lived across the street from some folks who she didn't really know at all, but have a small over-the-garage apartment, and after spending almost 2 weeks at her son's place outside of Houston (which didn't have electricity during that time either!)...she moved into her neighbor's apartment.

We talk about once a week...and, as my every day life goes on and I hear of the assorted hardships due to ice storms or mundane life problems going on in people around me, I always have in the front of my mind what my sister must be going through....

that's gotta be tough.....

We've all had a snowstorm where we got socked in for a day or two.... but, at this point, she's looking at 3 months of not living in her own "home sweet home"....having to deal with FEMA regarding rebuilding it...and, realizing that she doesn't make much/any money back on her 30-plus year property ownership, if she doesn't put the money into rebuilding!

So, now she's dealing with architects and contractors to see if they can rebuild her place...and, hopefully make it "hurricane-proof" for a price that she hopes she can afford on her recently earned retirement pension.

Take a deep breath and as you let it out realize that your life is okay....perhaps even better than a whole lot of people. Be grateful for the roof over your head and the loving people in your life.

'Tis the season.....

Wisdom - Andrew Zuckerman

"Inspired by the idea that one of the greatest gifts one generation can pass to another is the wisdom it has gained from its experience, The Wisdom Project, produced in cooperation with Archbishop Desmond Tutu, seeks to create a record of a multicultural group of people who have all made their mark on the world. Presented against the same white space, all of the subjects are removed from their context, which not only democratizes them, but also allows for a clear dialogue to exist between them. In an attempt to create a more profound, honest and truly revealing portrait of these luminaries, the project encompasses their voices, their physcial presence and the written word. This comprehensive portrayel of such a profound and global group is an index of extraordinary perspectives."

Stand By Me - Playing for Change

This video clip is from the recent documentary -

"Playing For Change - Peace Through Music"

"a multi-media movement created to inspire,

connect, and bring peace to the world through music."

Seems like a good thing...

http://www.playingforchange.com/

Ace Painting

Ace working with one of his clients..

Be the paint, Charlie....Be the paint...

BTW...need a job...?!

How's that tongue working for ya...?

Loving the tie-dye...!!!

A Splash of Mermaids Fall '08

Sweet Champagne Cork Holder Craftsmanship by Meg!

Sweet treats from Pam...!

Yum, Sweet Cakes!

Sweet stories to follow...

Rays

I just love this photo, so I'm placing it here.
Apparently somewhere off the Yucatan Peninsula.

Rainbow Mums

Stumpy's about to get some company!!

This week I stopped in at this wonderful perennial garden farm in Carlisle, MA - Rainbow Mums and I know that I'll be going back there soon!

The owners, Kathy and Mark showed me all around and took all kinds of time with me to share ideas about what kinds of perennials might work well together and in what conditions....and just shared with me their deep love and tremendous beauty of their place!

Their main premise is to provide people with their own home-grown specialty perennials -especially concentrating on fall blooms. The "selling point" that got me was the large size of their plants and the most reasonable prices they sell them at! I don't have to wait 3 years for these perennials to fill in...they're ready to POP!, fill in garden space, and just beautifully catch your eye! They have acres and acres of gardens and plants to show you and love to share all kinds of good info and tid-bits about each individual plant.

The plants that I bought from them are just gorgeous and hearty/hardy (is there a difference between these two words?!), and are ready to up-grade my garden look and fullness in a minute (well, maybe a few hours...after all this heavy rain, I still have to put them in the ground!!)

Check out their website...better yet, take a field trip there and enjoy the beautiful grounds that they've created. They've got beautiful Hostas (yes, I've finally started to admit that Hostas are beautiful!); gorgeous Ornamental Grasses; Black-eyed Susans; Echinacea; Asters, Ferns, Mums, ground covers and so much more!


http://rainbowmums.com/index.html

I'll add some pictures from our place once they're all planted!

Stumpy

When we first moved here over 5 years ago there was a broken down chain link fence that surrounded the house. Along with taking care of almost everything else that we did on the inside of the house to make it more habitable (the toilet that didn't work; the shower that was only dribble-force for over a year; the paneling and endless layers of wallpaper that covered the bare plywood walls; and the list could go on and on...!), one raw March day Ace attacked the outside fence. With wire snips and a Saws-All, he got the unsightly chain link fence into smaller sizes, rolled those pieces up and stacked them on the side of the garage. He then took the Saws-All and went at the fence poles and their cement footings that held them into the ground. It was quite a chore.

When spring and summer finally rolled around I eyeballed the yard and thought about what to do with it. After years of putting in pretty nice sized gardens in the couple of places that we'd rented, I just shook my head and realized that any thoughts of gardening were going to have to be delayed until some major cleaning up took place.

And, that's just what I did the first three summers...I didn't put a plant in the ground. All I did was hack away at the side yard beside the garage where I had friend, Rob chainsaw dead tree after dead tree down, and even a few live ones. It was thick with brush and weeds and most of all trash...bottles, plastic bags, broken toys....just piles and piles of trash!

Whenever anyone asked me how my gardening was going, I'd always shake my head and say, "I haven't gotten to "creative mode" yet, I feel like I'm still in clean-up crew/destructo mode!" Even though I was cleaning up alot of the stuff, I still wasn't feeling the urge to plant anything or create anything new. Once enough of the rubble was removed I could slowly feel the vision for what was next.

The first step was to get some mulch dropped off....I mean a major truck load! I called Jack and Debbie and Jack had it piled up in that side yard the next day. It was a big pile! Everyone who drove by asked if I intended to cover our whole yard with mulch! Oh no, I had another idea...and soon, actually after another truck load and two summers of working it, I spread it all out in the area next to the garage. Once that was done and a few yard brush fires later to clean up the remaining brush, I could finally start to look to the front yard. Three years! (It was pointed out to me that in my zealous efforts to clear things out that I actually cut down my neighbor's dead trees and cleared brush in about ten-by-sixty feet of his yard! Ah well, he got some free property improvements!)

When I finally put my attention to the front yard I saw the real "Stumpy" for first time. That was the nickname that I chose to call this 4-foot tall and 2-foot wide stump that was left in our front yard. For some reason, whoever chose to cut it down left a sizable amount of it still standing. It looked awkward and out of place and I just couldn't focus on what my next step would be to spruce up our front yard until I dealt with Stumpy.

I thought about cutting it down, but that seemed an unnecessary expense at that time. As I continued to dwell on Stumpy's fate, it dawned on me that perhaps the best, most fertile soil anywhere in my yard was inside of Stumpy. One day I went out with my little gardening tools and just kept hacking away at the inside of this stump and, indeed, the soil was very peaty and once chopped up, somewhat light and workable.

As if in a trance, I added some potting mix to this peaty mixture and planted some seeds in it, just to see what would happen. Soon, my snow peas were coming up and as I excitedly tended them I decided to splurge on a couple more plants. Stumpy soon had a light green fluffy top of Artemesia (Wormwood), to which I added another more spikey blue-green ornamental grass...with all of the shelf fungus and other "things" that were starting to grow at the base of the stump as well as on the bark itself, Stumpy's "personality" was starting to take shape!! A sort of whimsical, quirky and goofy look, but much more presentable than being just a drab stump with nothing to do!

One day I found his face and decided to place it on him. All year round now, Stumpy has a different look to "his" personality. In the spring I eagerly await the new growth from last year to pop up out of the top of Stumpy. And, every summer now I place in some new and different plants to add to his seasonal look. In the fall he gets more of a harvest/autumnal look often with Chrysanthemums crowning him. And, in the winter, Stumpy bears through the elements, often covered with mounds of snow, but still managing to peek through and give passer-bys a smile! My eight year old neighbor, Virginia, loves to come by and check out what latest things are growing in or on Stumpy. She's even taken to calling him, Stumpy, too!

Slowly, but surely, the front yard will develop its own look, and Stumpy, if still able to stand (his bark is rapidly peeling off this summer?!), will be a part of that look. Whimsical, quirky, and goofy...but, certainly not your ordinary, drab-looking stump with nothing to do!

Fun in the Sun

We had a great week last week at a tiny little cottage in Humarock. Ace had just finished a big, long-term paint job and needed a break, and this last minute opening came up for a tiny beachside cottage. So we jumped at it.

We stayed right on the beach in a sweet little old-style cottage, falling asleep and waking up to the crashing of the waves just outside our sliding screen door.

The days were sunny, but the water was a tad brisk...like -immediately numbing to the ankles! However, on our last day the wind shifted from off shore and miraculously the temperature of the water was actually okay, so we dove in. (Okay, I didn't dive in...I never do, even when it's bathwater!) My friend Pam, however, who lives down there and is a "Professional Beach Queen", does, indeed just 1, 2, 3 dive right in!... I guess if you're used to diving in on New Year's Day as she and her son regularly do, it's nothing to just hop in in July, no matter what the temps...especially when you can come right back out and immediately warm up in the hot sun again!

Ace had his own "Cairns Festival." As you can see with the photos, he spent some time (or, meditation, as he chose to call it), perfecting his rock stacking techniques. By the end, I was calling him "The Ace of Cairns." One couple stopped by the cottage and asked about them as they examined his examples that spread across the deck. They admitted to sneaking up a day earlier and checking them out, then headed back to their cottage to share with their family this "fun activity!" But, they somehow weren't as successful as Ace in their methods, so they came back to take a second look and learn some tips from the Master! I don't think they quite saw it as the meditative experience that the "Ace of Cairns" did, they seemed to be approaching it more from an Olympic event...who could build the tallest one!

Our final night there we experienced one crash-bang-up thunder and lightning storm. For about a half hour we saw the storm moving toward us from the distance. Soon enough, lightning cracked all around us and thunder booms shook the tiny cottage. In the face of a storm like this, in a tiny little cottage, we felt pretty tiny too. At least we had the shelter of the little cottage to watch the show from and even as the power flickered on and off, we were in awe of it all.

Great walks every day, meditative cairn building, wonderful weather, relaxing beach time, glorious sunsets over the river, and the never-ending ocean right in front of us every day...ah, nothing like some time at the beach.

Algae Power!

http://www.valcent.net/s/Home.asp

I'm not sure that I fully understand what he's talking about or how they're doing it...but, I want to like what I'm hearing! A future energy source made from algae...and they can "control" the type of algae and exactly what level of power it can provide. (I think that's what I understood?!)

Valcent also has developed some vertical growth techniques for plants that could prove quite space efficient for growing vegetables.

They've even developed some skin care products from algae...

Ah, the lowly algae gets its day in the sun!!

I'm sure once you dig into their site you'll learn more than what I've shared here...I know I'm going to!! I understand they're from Vancouver, BC and El Paso, TX, no less!

You stock market dabblers can even check into their stock stats - http://www.valcent.net/s/StockInfo.asp

Out of the Mouths of Babes

Our beautiful friend, Brother Joe Kotula, just sent us this link...

powerful words...

apparently from 1992...

...

.

where is she today?....a force to contend with in the future?!

http://nbnl.globalwhelming.com/2008/06/15/severn-cullis-suzuki-un-speech-at-12-year-old-review-on-time-at-22-year-old/

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http://www.skyfishproject.org/

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The Beauty of Perennials

I finally got a chance to get back out into the yard and work on some of my gardening efforts from last year. As I was weeding some crabgrass out of the area on the side of the road where I'd planted an edging of Catnip and Hostas, I had to keep one eye out over my shoulder as cars fly up to this corner certainly paying no attention to any roadside gardeners.

During one quiet period when I was absorbed in cleaning up the unwanted crabgrass, I heard someone say something. I looked up and saw a woman walking by on the other side of the road. She was commenting on how lovely the flowers looked and asked if they were Lavender plants. Indeed the splays of light purple flowers that have blossomed on the Catnip do look pretty nice as they stretch out along the roadside. I explained to the admirer that, no, this was Catnip, and that I'd planted it there because I knew it would spread, as well as thrive, even in this lousy, sandy, side-of-the-road soil. I also said to her that, more importantly, I just want to cover all parts of our lawn with anything that grows well on its own, and therefore makes it less for me to have to mow! And, that was before all the talk about the price of gas going up, up, up! Now I've come to realize - for more reasons than just my sprawling catnip that I've become a perennial lover!

As she walked on, I thought back to my efforts of last summer working on the side of the road trying to make this patch of our property a little bit nicer to look at and provide us with an area that we wouldn't need to mow. I had to laugh at the number of times after all my days and hours of effort, I'd look out the window and see a car pulled over, tires crushing onto my bank of plants; or, last fall when the Town workers took down the big dying Maple from across the road and seemed to need to use our yard as their staging area...feet of the wood chipper planted firmly onto my bed of plants! The steady winter snows brought snowplow after snowplow down this road constantly pushing these heavy piles around, making me certain that my efforts with these plants was for naught. Even this spring Town workers from another department came to patch up the road at the corner, and apparently again needed this exact area to place their heavy paver while they spread new tar onto the road. Geesh, as if I hadn't placed these plants in tough conditions anyway...now all this!

But, inspite of all that rough mistreatment, my hardy Catnip and Hostas have survived, and are indeed thriving! I have to smile at the size of them, remembering I'd purchased the almost dying, dried out 6" plants for half-price and as I dug them in, shook my head with uncertainty while looking at the sandy soil that they were going into as I wished them, "Good Luck!"

.

Now, I'm happy to say that the heartiest of them has spread to over two-feet in diameter and the bees are delighted to swarm around their delicate little purple flowers. And, along with drawing some compliments from passerbys, I now don't have to mow that whole 40' x 4' swath! As I look out at the rest of the yard I realize that now I'm going to have to get out there and put in some more perennials to add to its beauty and reduce my yard and mow-time even more!

Jury Duty - So Close!

I got the notice back in February or March that I was scheduled for jury duty on Thursday, June 5th. At the time, I filled out the info that I'd be available and sent it back in without a second thought.

As the date grew closer I realized how close it was to my summer break and hoped that as in the past 4 times that I've been called to serve and perform this civic duty over the years that I'd get a free pass and get out early...or, as a couple of times, all cases were settled out of court and we all got to leave.
As this week unfolded, I noticed in the nightly news that they announced not just one gruesome trial that was about to start this week, but two. But, what are the chances? Or so I tried to convince myself... Besides there are several courthouses in MA where jurors are placed on many trials that unfold every day. However, I did watch closely the one particular case that is getting the most media attention...the Entwistle murder case. You might remember, it's the one where the husband, a Brit, is accused of killing his American wife and their 9-month old child in a nearby town. He has said that he came home one day to find them murdered in their newly rented home. He claims he panicked and took the next flight home to England where he stayed until authorities returned him to the states, where he now sits in jail awaiting his trial.

This trial...the one I was so close to getting chosen to sit on!

Say good bye to summer vacation, Jan!

A half a dozen or more media trucks were packed around the entrance when we all arrived at the courthouse sometime before 8AM. Right away I felt my body tense up. As we entered we were all submitted to a scan entry, just as in an airport. I was one of the "lucky" ten to twelve who was asked to step to the side for a special one-on-one wave of the scan wand.

After getting the all-clear I picked up my gear and headed to the line where we were to submit our paperwork. I handed over mine and was surprised that we didn't need to present an ID. Anyone could have taken my place, if they wanted to! After the paperwork, the officer directed me down the line to get my "Juror Number." From that point on I was #87.
Having grown up with a last name that begins with the letter "A", I've grown used to being called first for things...first in attendence, first in line, first up, first one to have to speak in class, etc. Interesting that I've never thought about how that could impact one's identity, but it actually is something that I've realized is a "part" of me...one of the "how come I am the way I am" things about me. Given the number 87, I was soon to realize how relieved I was not in the # 1 spot and that there were several other numbers before me!

I walked into the large sitting room and eventually about 200 people all congregated there. Multiple times we were told that we were not to read any newspapers or discuss any trials that we might be aware of. At 8:30 the head Bailiff came up to the front of the room, introduced himself and explained that this was "just a normal day" at the courthouse. There were 14 courtrooms and we could be assigned to any given case that was to be held that day (and, pay no attention to all those media trucks outside the window!). He then further explained the basic rules and regs about this civic duty and showed us the "intro to jurying video." When that was over he explained that normally the first juries aren't selected until about 9:50 - 10 AM....so, sit back and relax...or, at least, sit back and wait.

That said, at about 9:10, he announced that the first group of potential jurors was to leave the room - as he called numbers 1 through 100. And, yes, #87 falls in that group. Although, in the end there were not 100 of us...probably about 70-75. We were instructed to follow another officer and proceeded to pass several people working on laptops in the hallway, most of whom stopped to watch us proceed by. I heard a British accent as one chap spoke with someone on a cell phone and it dawned on me where we were headed. Another just held a cell phone up as we walked by and I later realized that he was probably taking photos.

We entered the courtroom where the judge sat facing us and the lawyers and defendent had their backs to us. The judge introduced the case to us and then introduced the lawyers for the Commonwealth and then the lawyers for the defense and Mr. Entwistle. I was seated about 25 feet away from the back of the defendent's head.

After learning some things about the case, we were all escorted out to a separate courtroom and issued a questionnaire about the case. We were to reveal what we knew of the case (though in answer to specific areas and very basic "yes/no" format with a few lines to elaborate). We also needed to indicate whether or not we knew any of the 100+ witnesses that were listed.

An hour passed after turning in our questionnaires and then the bailiff came in announcing that numbers 1 through 15 needed to report for an interview with the judge and lawyers. At that point I realized with a big sigh of relief that I was particularly glad to not be at the front of the line...very content to hide in the middle or back of the pack! I looked around the room and realized that there were 50 others who were probably feeling the same thing.

Another hour-plus went by and finally the bailiff returned asking for numbers 16 through 30 to join him. This happened a couple of more times over the hours as they called 31-45; then 46 through 65. Those of us left remained tense, yet released sighs of relief as each group of numbers was called.

It finally got to about 1:00 PM and after some people complained about not getting that lunch break that they told us we would get the bailiff who was "babysitting" us got a radio call that said they finally realized that they needed to give we "sequestered" folks some lunch. Sometime after 2 PM some pizzas arrived...those who were low on blood sugar jumped to the front of the line!

We finished eating and proceeded to sit some more. There was some chatter and even some clandestine checking of cell phones by a couple of folks when the bailiff was out of the room (maybe I'm not supposed to say that? Though they were never chosen, so it couldn't effect the trial...right?!)

Eventually we got the call to go downstairs...though to where, we weren't sure. They took us to some side room where we met up with about 12 other jurors who had spent time with us earlier and they, too, were just waiting to be called or at least informed as to what was going to happen next. They seemed a bit jollier a group...evidently had passed the time with one of them at the self-appointed role of "comedian" who'd kept the rest of them laughing. (I'd seen this guy's "shtick" when we were part of the bigger group and was easily tired of him...but, who am I to say...?!) I also noticed that this group was composed of mostly women in their 20's and 30's and just a couple of guys...so, this guy had a "captive" audience. It also made me realize what it would be like to be "sequestered" with a group of fellow citizens on an intense case like this. You know a case like this is not going to take the short 3 weeks that they suggested most cases last. I'm sure personality conflicts could develop and tensions could build when in deliberations with such an assortment of characters.

The next step in the jury selection process is to be called in and interviewed by the judge and both lawyers in front of the defendent and whomever else they allow in the courtroom. About 3 PM the bailiff came to the doorway of our room and once again announced, "May I have your attention please?" Usually he followed this up with, "Would numbers 65 through 80 please follow me." Anxiously we all sucked in our breaths.

"The jury selection is finalized. You are all free to go."

The 24 of us in the room all whooped for joy...releasing the anxious tension and stress that had built up in all of us all day. So much so, that the bailiff had to ask us to keep it down as the "unknown" room they had moved us to was adjacent to the courtroom, and they could all hear us in there!

I left realizing that I had psychologically braced myself for participating in this arduous, yet interesting exercise. I was ready to put myself in a juror's seat and learn some lessons while participating in our legal system. One of the statements that burned itself in my brain was, "In the US and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts a person is innocent until proven guilty. You must accept this as truth and only use the evidence presented in the trial to form your opinion about the case. Can you accept that?" (or something to that effect).

This is the type of high-profile case that has already been played out in the media, which was one of the reasons the defense lawyers felt they were not going to find any unbiased jurors. It will be interesting to see if indeed the DAs have enough evidence and can convince the jurors that Entwistle is guilty. I'll probably be following this case a little more closely than I would have otherwise.

And, I have to chuckle as I realize that I'll probably spend some of my much coveted summer vacation time following this case! Maybe to see how I would have felt or reacted to some of the evidence presented. Maybe just to learn more of how our system works in its intent to provide a legal system that is hopefully fair and just to all parties...innocent until proven guilty.

Sunday Snapper

We had quite the neighborhood gathering on Sunday morning. Leisurely sipping coffee and reading the Sunday newspapers, we noticed a small group of people clustered at the end of our street. As one of them moved to the side, we saw the large dark object in the street that they were all in stop-action and checking out.

Being early June and from the size and shape of it, I somehow figured it was probably a snapping turtle and I headed out to join our neighbors in this close-up view of this pre-historic looking creature.

I thought back to several years ago when I was a kid, remembering big female snapping turtles in late springtime arriving in our backyard, just hundreds of feet from the little pond that bordered our property. They looked enormous to me as one by one with their back legs they dug out these deep holes in our yard and proceeded to drop hundreds of eggs into each hole. As I grew older, it eventually sunk in to me in the summers, when we were rowing around in the little pond, merrily, merrily, merrily drifting about with our hands in the same waters, that these BIG snappers lived there too!

Though, we still rowed about diving our hands into the water to catch frogs and never really knowing to fear these big "snapping" creatures.

Life was but a dream.....

-----------------------------------------------------

Right away the little 5 year-old boy confirmed my thoughts and called out to me, "Look, it's a dinosaur!"

And, indeed, with its brown scaley tail, the jagged shell, and wrinkly neck, it did seem to look like something out of the ancient times of dinosaurs roaming the Earth.

It was so cool to see it pull up onto its legs as it got up to slowly walk across the road. The legs had backward-looking knees, or elbows, and the turtle waddled ever so slightly from side to side as she walked.

Of course, crossing the road was what everyone was trying to stop her from doing (like we knew better for her?!). We just didn't want to have a car come by and crush her as she returned from laying eggs, or whatever she was doing.

But, no one was quite up for picking her up and carrying her across the road either!

"Watch out! Their necks can stretch all the way around to their tail!" The boy's father claimed as he warned them to stand back.

"Their jaws are like vises, they can clamp shut on you and take off a finger," added another bystander as he poked her with a stick.

"You can tell how old they are by the notches on the back end of their shell." Neighbor Bob the Builder offered his two cents.

"What predators do you think they have...any?" Neighbor Randy piped in.

"I bet something like raccoons can find and eat their eggs, but probably humans and cars nailing them as they try to cross roads is their biggest predator!" I joined in with my thoughts on the matter.

We don't really know these creatures in our lives at all, yet we were all full of ideas as to all sorts of things about them. All of this made me wonder if some of these were indeed true facts, or just some hearsay passed along from generation to generation.

Gonna have to read up on them...but, in the meantime, I'm still not gonna try to pick one up...
they could snap a finger off , you know?!
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Update...
This morning driving in to to work I came upon two school buses stopped with flashers on in the middle of the road, not a house or student nearby. One of the drivers was out in the road poking a stick at a big, dark blob...finally, after waiting a few minutes, a "Brazilian Painter" (that's what it said on the van he jumped out of!), jumped out and picked up the turtle around the widest part of its shell, flipped it on to its back and dropped it. He picked it up again and did the same thing about 3 times, bobbling it across the road, finally landing it on the side in the dirt where it stood up, a bit dazed and started to assess if it was on the right side of the road.

Everyone was in the rush of their morning commute and sped by. I wished her well. Especially if she really wanted to be on the other side of the road...!

Krump'n

I'll occasionally give in to my classes on a Friday afternoon before the bell rings for the weekend when I know the regular Tech Ed projects/lesson just isn't going to hold their interest...actually, nothing often does at that point in the week. Being in a computer lab, I do have the option to let them visit other sites. I learn a lot from this...more than they realize.

Sixth graders love to visit their favorite game sites...usually some mild-mannered "Super Mario" or "WebKinz" games. It fascinates me that some of the girls at that age love to visit this paper doll, dress-up site where they put different outfits onto paper doll cut-out figures...some things never grow old, I guess!? My 7th graders, depending on what they're into will get into a little more sophisticated games. "I know, I know...no guns, shooting, blood and violence." They all know that rule by now...though I have to keep a close eye, as what doesn't have some of that these days?! (From "Webkinz" to blood and gore in the short little skip and a jump of one year!)

8th graders find their way onto MySpace which even though it's officially blocked by the school filter these kids are savvy enough to find their way around it. The latest entry point is something called "VTunnel". I quietly stand behind them as they navigate to their site and observe what pictures they've posted. Most are reasonable as far as how suggestive they look. However, I find the girls, especially the Hispanic and Brazialian girls, offer some rather provocative poses - lips all fat and pouty, chests out, shoulders and stomachs bare, and they've got the bedroom-eyes look down. All a mere 13 - 14 years old, mimicking poses that you see from any of today's latest teen music stars and movie heart-throbs.

I recently watched as some of the boys showed me some You-Tube videos that they've posted. Again, You-Tube is blocked from the school site, but these guys find their way around it.

They showed me a recent "Krumpin' Showdown" that they were a part of at some local Portuguese-American Club. Being in this population for awhile now, I actually know what Krumpin' is! (and I'm probably giving it far too many letters by spelling it that way...probably "krumpn"!) Anyway, the video showed one kid at a time coming out onto the floor and doing their moves...arms flailing, hands flashing "signs", legs bouncing and kicking to the rhythm of the hip-hop music in the background, and every now and then a little dive to the floor with some old-school break dancing moves. As each guy finished, a kid from the other team came out and countered with his moves. I couldn't really tell which moves were better than others, but every now and then the boys in my room watching would say, "Ooh!" or "Ahh!" or, "That's mad sick!"...all at the same time, so I took that to mean somebody threw down a good move (HA! listen to me!).

Apparently the term "krump" comes from - Kingdom Radically Uplifted Mighty Praise...and was developed in LA as a way to vent anger and help alleviate violence between neighborhoods and gangs. Not sure that my guys know where the name came from, I'll have to check in on them with that. But, the moves I saw them doing - arm throwing, chest thumping, kicking, poppin', lockin', and power poses, definitely made me think and feel like there was a battle of sorts going on. As long as in the long run nobody gets hurt, I guess it's okay. ..?

Of course, that said, one of the kids proceeded to show me what he feels is really the latest thing with them and that's some kind of all out fighting. Apparently called mixed martial arts, it has some rules...though, it seems more like no holds barred, everything goes. I couldn't look at that for very long...it is violent and yes, it appears that they do get hurt in the end.

Just relaying an observation of the world I work in and what's important to them...

Turkey Trot

We live in a town that used to be farms and wooded areas that in the past 25+ years has given way to being a comfortable bedroom community outside of Boston. (More than comfortable for some folks when you see them drive by in their 4 miles to the gallon Hummers and Land Rovers with big cargo carriers on top and "safari rhino guards" on the front-end of them...I mean really...is all this so necessary for the BIG wildlife we might encounter around our area?!)

Anyway, morning and afternoon commuter traffic hours fill up our roads earlier and earlier, as a normal 20-30 minute commute to or from the city can take as long as 1 and 1/2 hours if you don't get started early enough.

However, my commute to work is in the opposite direction, which is fine by me...through the towns, not the highways, is how I like it! It can cause for some snowy, unplowed terrain in an early morning snowstorm in the winter. Or, sometimes the road hazard of an occasional family of deer gracefully leaping across the road in front of me as I skid on the morning ice to avoid them. And, sometimes a traffic tie-up as we all try to navigate water at mid-hubcaps as the spring rivers overflow and turn some low-lying roads into small ponds.

Recent mornings however, I've run into another seasonal delay that I tend to forget about from season to season. The local farm tractors head out to the fields in the early morning to get them turned in time for some spring planting. I'm often still sort of "asleep at the wheel" in my early morning commute, so it took awhile the other morning to realize that this tractor was not going to turn off the road anytime soon. I resigned myself that my morning ride was going at a bit slower pace than normal...and eventually enjoyed the sights at the pace that probably was meant to be.

Finally, Mr. Farmer found his field and everyone in the line of slow-moving traffic behind him stepped on their gas pedals to make up for lost time.

So, there I was zipping on a curvy, woodsy part of my drive when the car in front of me swerved to avoid something. I couldn't tell just what - until I saw exactly what the problem was...a wild turkey nervously trying to dodge cars as it attempted to run across the street and the guy in the car in front of me swerving to miss it.

In the split second that I realized what we were dealing with, I slammed onto my brakes in time to look down from my driver's side window and see Mr. Turkey's red head right below me...not quite eye-level, but it was definitely the closest eye-to-eye that I'd ever had with a wild turkey! He was looking to me like - "Hey! I'm coming through here!" Though, my thoughts were more like, "I'm so sorry...for sure you're a goner and in short time you will be "one" with my tire tracks."

yuck...

But, just as quickly, I saw in my rear-view mirror that, (fortunately no one was behind me), Mr. Turkey somehow miraculously trotted behind my car untouched, and made it to his destination on the other side of the road!

And, so was my morning commute ... no safari rhino-guard needed...though a close call with some big local wildlife!!

Eastern Wild Turkey

Trip to Boston

We had a great walking tour of Boston's North End and down to the waterfront while the sun was still sparkling and just before sunset yesterday.

After stumbling down the old narrow cobblestoned roads of Boston's "Little Italy", we came upon one of our destinations -
"Pizzeria Regina" - a place for Boston's tastiest and original pizza pies...since 1926.

We weren't the only ones who had this idea as we waited outside in line for about 20 minutes. Every time the door opened to let in the next party a wonderful aroma drifted out to remind us all why we were standing out there and not giving up for something less than the best!

We were coached to be prepared to place our order quickly and ask no questions, as the brusque waitresses had no time to dally around in the tight quarters where they spend their workday. A couple large pizzas, beers and only one waitress sneer of inconvenience later, we were more than satisfied and headed out the door for the rest of our impromptu walking tour of Boston.

Off through the Paul Revere Park with the spire of the Old North Church peeking through the newly budding trees. Then down to the Waterfront where we slipped over to the New England Aquarium for a visit with the seals frolicking in the outside tank.

A brisk and delightful hour+long walking tour of this part of the city. Thanks to our friends Jeannie and Wade!

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Funny, people come from all over the world to visit here. We live in the area and never take the time to do little day trips like this...glad we did.

I Love a Parade!

I never knew the fun of a hometown parade until I moved up to this part of New England.

Something about celebrating Patriot's Day right in the heart of where the "shot heard around the world" happened.

People from all over the world flock to see the Old North Bridge and love to don the tri-corner hats that the Minutemen of old wore as they fought the Redcoats for their independence from England.

Sometimes I think the importance of all of that history is lost on people and even I get caught up in enjoying just the pure beauty of watching all sorts of people --- "be the parade!"

Kids on their bicycles come zooming by to let us know that the parade is coming...young teenage girls cluster together, sharing tunes, earbuds hanging between them and self-consciously giggling at some boys oogling them in the crowd...flags waving...young kids standing on the side of the road waiting eagerly for "The Parade!"....vendors, loving the warm sunny day that brought out a good crowd who are hopefully ready to buy, buy, buy...armed with inflatable Dora the Explorers, SpongeBobs, balloons, flags, plastic horns tooting, and pop-guns...lots of horns tooting and pop-guns popping...mothers pushing baby carriages in a flank of 5, chatting away, not realizing that they are now the parade for those of us on the sidewalk watching...old folks coming up to the edge of the curb with their chairs ready to get a front row seat. The sun is sparkling and in the distance we hear the rat-a-tat-tat of the drums and a faint trill of the fife flutes a-piping.

Here comes the parade!

Motorcycle-flashing police lead the way....

Local Minutemen with muskets in arm follow...

Boy scouts, Girls scouts....

US Navy Band members...

Special town dignitaries...

Militia troops from Wisconsin, New York and Virginia - no less?!

Bagpipers...

and, oh yes....the Redcoats...

"The British are Coming!"

The sun is shining...

Horns tooting and

pop guns popping...

Dora and SpongeBob float overhead...

the parade continues on...

and

Life is good....

: )

Mating Calls

There was finally a hint of spring in the air so I decided to walk to town to take care of my weekend errands. The sun was out, but that was about it for the "hint" of spring - the temp was only 40 degrees and there was a sharp breeze at my back.

I pulled my black beret down over my ears and forehead as far as it would go as I walked briskly about my business. I did stop for a brief moment to watch a pair of newly arrived robins flit about with each other in the still bare-leafed trees. A couple of grey squirrels were at the same business on the other side of the wooded area - one chasing the other, tails flashing as they jumped from limb to limb.

Ah, the mating rituals of springtime...even with the wind cutting down my neck, I had to smile at the thought that this long winter was finally looking like it was behind us!

Deep in my own thoughts I really wasn't aware of the character walking on the opposite side of the street. I heard something, but didn't pay much attention. When I heard a second loud whistle and a sort of "Yip!" I looked over and saw the guy whom Ace calls Rocky Raccoon and I call the Mongolian Dishwasher. We don't know him, but he looks Nepalese or Mongolian and often wears a turban-like towel around his head as he walks to and from his apartment and his job as a dishwasher at the local diner.

Today he had a dark beret-like hat pulled down low over his ears, sunglasses and a black coat and he was looking right at me as he stopped walking and once again whistled, following it up with his funny "Yip!" sound. As there was no one else around that he could be communicating with, I figured he must be acknowledging me, so I mildly smiled and nodded as I moved on with my errands.

It wasn't until I got home and told Ace the story, complete with details of how the guy was dressed. Ace started to laugh and said, "Well, look at you. Rocky Raccoon thought you were his long-lost twin - black beret pulled down, sunglasses on, black coat and boots...!"

And, that's when I realized that indeed I was dressed almost exactly like this guy and maybe that's what his whistling and "Yips!" were all about...either that, or remembering the robins and squirrels frisking around on my walk, maybe it's some sort of Mongolian mating call!!
Rocky you met your match!?

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Any other noted or not beret wearers to add to the list?!

Shel Silverstein

Did you grow up listening to and reading the stories and wacky poems of Shel Silverstein?
Remember "Where the Sidewalk Ends?" "The Giving Tree?" and "A Giraffe and a Half?"

Although Shel Silverstein died in 1999, they've put out a new publication of one of his earlier works. One great thing about this new/old work is his wonderful and wildly creative sketches are in color, not black and white as many of his works are. Silverstein's great humor and imaginative fun with twisting words and names around will delight you again in this new release - "Don't Bump the Gump."

Another great find that I'll bet you'll like is the Shel Silverstein website. It's animated, has audio and lots of fun things for readers of all ages to get a kick out of, turn a smile, and want to re-read again and again.

Click on the title above to get to that site and on the sidebar to find yourself back with Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout who would not take the garbage out, and lots of other fun and funny characters you may remember!
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April is National Poetry Month...write a poem for yourself for the fun of it!

Mary A. Ellis

Mary A. (Arhondy) Ellis

Mrs. Mary A. (Arhondy) Ellis, 89, of Haverhill, MA passed away Wednesday, March 12, 2008, after a brief illness at the Merrimack Valley Hospital in Haverhill.

She was born in Haverhill on March 13, 1918, daughter of the late Aristos and Elpida (Miserlis) Arhondy.

She was a graduate of Haverhill High School, Class of 1936 and attended Burdett College in Boston. She was employed at Polaroid as a secretary to Edwin Land and later the Mobil Oil Corp as an administrative assistant. Mary was active in the Women’s Traffic Club of New England serving as its president from 1973-74.

Mary loved to travel. She was an avid anglophile who over the years took numerous trips throughout Europe, Greece, Turkey, and parts of Asia. She was the wife of the late Christopher Ellis and is survived by her son Arthur C. “Ace” Ellis of Concord, MA. She is lovingly remembered by all of her nieces and nephews, their spouses, and their children.

Mary was a member of the Holy Apostles Greek Orthodox Church in Haverhill, MA. Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to attend the Funeral on Monday, March 17th at 10:00 at the H.L. Farmer & Sons Funeral Home, 106 Summer St. Haverhill, followed by a Funeral Service at 11:00 in Holy Apostles Greek Orthodox Church, Haverhill. Burial will follow in the Linwood Cemetery, Haverhill.

Fun in the Sun

I am so ready for some fun in the sun right now.

Ready for winter to pass on by and move into springtime.

Can't wait to see the buds fatten up, some little crocus and snowdrops pop up under the brown leaves, see some green all around and feel the warmth of the sun on my face.

And, who knows, we might even see Mermaids dancing the "Joy of Life" dance on the beach!

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Thanks to Mermaid Mari for the great picture...

http://www.sunrisegreetings.com/

Fleetwood Mac note - I remember meeting a guy who told us that he named his HS band - "Sands of Time"...

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is that right, Ric?!~

Phantom Plow Guy

After most of our snow finally melted this week, another storm blew in yesterday and we accumulated another 9-10 inches! Unbelievable!

But even more unbelievable to us is for the third storm in a row, while shovelling out from under the latest load, enjoying it but not exactly loving it for the seemingly hundredth time this winter...Phantom Plow Guy sweeps up to the end of our driveway, puts his plow down and scrapes away what would otherwise take a couple more back-aching hours of work for the two of us to take care of.

The amazing thing is, we have no idea who this guy is! I finally got a closer look today, because it looked like he was getting stuck and spinning his wheels while trying to make his get-away. I came around from the front of the house where I was shoveling to see if I could give him a hand. Awkwardly running through snow that was almost knee-high, I only could look up and wave at the tail end of his truck when his wheels finally caught some traction and he sailed off.

I shouted out a loud, "Thank you! You're the best!"

And, the old guy in the old truck gave a slight wave and smile, as he drove off.

Like I said, this is the third time that he's appeared and cleared out the end of our driveway. One time Ace tried to gesture to him that we'd like to give him some money, but he waved Ace off, again with a smile, as he drove away.

We realized that we've never seen him drive by our house on a regular basis. My theory is that he drives some other vehicle the rest of the time, but for storms he pulls out his old plow and truck and just drives around giving people a little boost in the otherwise drudge of the constant and steady shoveling that seems to have hit us this winter.

Another theory we've come up with is that this old-timer is "Old Concord." In his 70's, wearing one of those red and black wool hats with the ear flaps down and driving his old truck, a model from sometime in the early 1980's, we've entertained the idea that maybe he likes to drive around and give a helping hand to those of us who actually shovel out our own driveways. Unlike the many new-monied who have moved here and built their McMansions in this otherwise country town which Thoreau roamed and wrote about, we don't hire an arsenal of service people to help us survive here. We take care of our own lawn, laundry, gardens, snow-piled driveways, and assorted other life necessities.

Maybe this guy wants to let us know that he appreciates that?!

Whatever it is, it sure makes me appreciate that there are still some people out there in this day and age who willingly and easily lend a hand to a stranger. Makes me want to go out and do something that puts a smile on someone else's face like the one he left on mine!

Snow Day!

Gotta love a snow day!

In the end we probably only got about 8 of the 10-12 inches they predicted. What snow did come is sitting on boughs all sparkling white and making the branches hang quite heavily over sidewalks and the roads. It looks nice after the blackened old snow that was still in mounds from the past month. (We'll see how long I stay in this "sparkling snow" frame of mind!)

The best thing was that the - "No School All Schools" call came early Sunday night, so we got a 3-day weekend and I could sleep in!

Good day to set up the new writing/photo blog...and shovel out for more than a couple of hours...

: )