The Nature of Beauty (wow, heavy, dude!)
I ride for a lot of reasons. I love horses. I love the workout. I love the people who love horses and hanging out with them. I love the feeling of learning a new skill, of working at it, mastering it, and even of learning that wanting it isn't enough, and that I have to work at it.
But I realized today, I think the biggest reason is that I feel really beautiful doing it. Totally, completely and wonderfully. At work I feel tough and competent, and with Bengals, well, they are concerned with other things. Doing the music shows is wonderful fun, I love the comedy, connecting with people, making people happy. I am so shy, and on stage, I'm another person who isn't shy, who always knows what to say, or if not, who cares, play another song. But it's not about being beautiful.
Riding, I feel every bit of beauty I've ever seen in my head. If that makes any sense. I know I am dressed to the nines in the most beautiful riding clothes ever, and my horse is a 17 hand black (stallion, of course) champion. And we are getting ready for the World Universe of All Championships. But it's more than that. And less. I feel beautiful, like everything I've ever wanted.
I've always thought that beauty had nothing to do with what you looked like, but rather how you felt. I am glad to know that I am right in this. Yes, yes, I know I look lovely, and fine, and have GREAT purple hair but I am talking about something else. Want to be really beautiful? Find something that makes you feel that way. And you are, and will be.
There, enough of my thinking out loud. Here's an unexpected picture. Nope, not Cabel. Pearl. Eerie tho, eh? Trainer Mel and I (well, my Boss) acquired White German Shepards the very same month, unbeknown to the other.
And this, because I know the Birdchick will be very proud of me, taken after I got back from the stable today. Not one bird, but THREE. A Palliated Wookpecker, a Cardinal, AND some sort of small grey bird! I knew I should ave entered her Guest Blogger Contest!!!!
Love and Beauty,
Lorraine
160 Comments:
First yayyyy.
gorgeous horsie
I think I understand totally what you are saying. You are doing something you love, in partnership with a beautiful animal. It is a thing of beauty, a fulfilment of dreams.
Two white German Shepherds! wow.
You do look beautiful Lorraine, especially in the one with the white GS.(I got a bit distracted. My fingers were falling all over themselves at the prospect of being first)
You haven't said anything about being sore for a long time. It shows. You look so relaxed and confident up there.
I am impressed that you know the names of those birds too.
Oh, I am sore alright. Totally freakin sore, can hardly move. That was what the bath was for.
Feels great. Being sore.
Horsie!!! I love horses but have never had a chance to spend much time with them.
In the pictures of you on the horse you do look beautiful, but then again you do in the pictures of you playing music. I've always thought beauty is related to confidence and bearing more than features, too :-)
Oh, I really am in the right place, I'm horribly shy, too. I'm guessing that doesn't extend to the phone for you, though, since I would assume you have to make a lot of calls when you're working.
And I only see 2 birds in the photo - the woodpecker, and either a female cardinal or the other bird on the longer feeder. Where should I be looking for the third? The woodpecker is gorgeous!
-Toni
Oh, never mind, I found the cardinal on the feeder in the far left! It's amazing what you can see when you click to enlarge the picture.
*walks off muttering about old eyes*
A wonderful post to read before sleep, and to contemplate for a while. Thanks, Q.
lovely shots! Glad to hear you are feeling so beautiful inside! That's a true addiction that is good for you!
Back from my mom's...i'm behind an entire post and hundreds of comments?! CRAP!
The horse post is amazingly beautiful. I love it.
I'll have to try to catch up on all this tomorrow, i have stuff to get out of the car and then sleep.
I ran into a girl from high school who made my life hell. She was so incredibly mean that i'd make myself sick so i wouldn't have to go to school. I saw her at lunch on saturday, she was so happy to see me and gave me a big hug. I faked being happy to see her but all I was thinking was that I was glad she looked like crap.
I am so petty! There are some things that I just can't let go.
With that, i'm off to dash through the rain to unpack the car.
oh wow. horsie pictures are awesome!!
beauty is more than features, you are correct.
Strangely enough, it does feel good being muscle-sore. You know you've done something good.
I find stretching afterwards really helps.
Chantrelle, I love bearing a grudge. Sadly, I am at the age where I could really torment them, but I am no longer in contact with the grudgees anymore and no real contenders have stepped up to take their place :(
Glad she looked like crap :)
I know how you feel, Ms. Fabulous. I feel beautiful when I dance. I dance for myself, not for anybody else. :)
Is the gray bird, perhaps, a nuthatch? I guess we'll have to wait to find out. :)
Hard not to smile when you're sitting on a horse, isn't it?:)
Great shot of that huge Pielated woodpecker. I've never seen one come in to a feeder before. We always saw (and heard!) them out on trail rides. That pretty little grey bird looks familiar to me but I can't think of what it is.
Ariandalen, that's how I feel about dancing too.:)
Good spotting on the Nuthatch, I couldn't remember what they were called. (and now I won't drive myself nuts trying to remember;)
Funky woodpecker!
Crumbs comment got posted before i finished...
I meant to say: nice horse and so weird about Pearl.
I am so glad that riding does make you feel so good. it puts a smile on my face.
Loveley pictures!
this is mostly a ticky box comment - will be back to comment properly later.
DG I dodn't see the cardinal either - only found it after reading your comment, but I'm not sure I'm ready to blame age, yet!
Q, I really like what you say about feelin beaufiful - it's so true, and maybe one of those times that the way you fel on the inside, and the way other epople see you on the outside, match up!
Chantrelle, that made me smile. I'm glad she looked lke crap, too - Karma will always come back and bite you! I got a Facebook request recently from someone who bullied me and generally made my life hell atschool, and who I haven't seen or spoken to since - I've not done anything about the request but there is a small, petty part of me that wants to accept just briefly so that she can see that I have lots of friends, then un-friend her again. . .
Also very happy this morning to see Amanda Palmer stole my pictures ;-)
How awesome it was Marjorie, to see your alter ego named as the source of the photos!
More pretty pictures!
Lovely way to start a Monday that's shaping up to be not-so-hot.
Phiala, sorry Monday is not looking good. Good vibes coming your way.
Sally - it's fortunate that I saw (I think Vampi pointed it out)this morning at home, and not here after I got to work, beacue I was doing a little Squee of excitement and I would have got funny looks had I Squeeed in the office. (Also we had to break bad news to people tday, so Happy Squees would have been inappropriate!)
Great pics, Lorraine, and love your comments on beauty, that transcending feeling of connectedness-i envy you feeling that way on a horse, i was always too nervous. and lucky you on a pileated woodpecker -i've never seen one, tho my neighbors have one at their feeder regularly, and so does my husband in Virginia (he likes to gloat over that. humph.) and chantrelle, so happy she looked like crap, that brought a smile to my face, I had some tormentors too and find it hard to let go of the ill will I bear towards them.have a good monday all!
Morning all. Excellent description of beauty...reminds me of the Navajo Blessing Way prayer.
Beauty is being fully present in the moment and loving it.
On a not so lovely note, don't you think my 9am patient might have known a little earlier than 8:05 that she needed to cancel her appointment because she has an interview for a job. Of course, it gave me a chance to catch up on comments here!
Oscar thoughts from last night...I loved that Milk won for both screenplay and Best Film. And I loved what the screenwriter and Sean Penn had to say.
Overall, I was less irritated by the whole thing than i can remember being. Usually, DD and I watch to diss the clothes, but even most of those were not too bad. Liked whoever it was who was wearing the 60 year old designer dress. Points for vintage!
And I agree Hugh Jackman is impressive...the opening number was fabulous. Sings, dances, great eye candy. Why, the man is an entertainer!
No Worries, Dabbler, you can therapy US for the hour! Hee-hee, we need it!
I thought those were yours , Marjorie, I'll tell her you were glad, and how much you all liked the blog, it will make her happy.
How does one spell that dran woodpecker? I knew spellcheck was wrong, but I couldn't figure it out?
They are very rare at feeders, this guy has been around all winter tho..
You are up early.
Duh... Sorry. Sean Penn got best male actor, Slumdog got Best film...and I was moved by the joy on the director's face as he watched members of the production team get their awards...And the fact that he bounced like Tigger, because he had promised his kids years ago that he would if he ever won an Oscar.
Lots of humanity in the people who won this year. I think that was what I liked.
Of course, the exhaustion from 16 hours of costuming over two days may have decreased my critical facilities just a tad. :-)
Morning Lo, I thought you were therapying me!
Chantrelle, you ought to have faked not knowing who she was then saying "WOW, I really didn't recognize you...The look concerned and say "How are things....You ok?"
THAT would have been payback.
(I've done it with people I didn't like, tho I don't remember anyone from high school)
Morning Dabbler, Morning Quiche!
I suppose it's a sign of progress that your client told you at all that she wasn't coming..
Q, I'm not going to speculate on the spelling of woodpeckers (Although I am very impressed that you have woodpeckers coming to the feeder, they always seem slightly exotic to me, even though we used to have one in our garden, way back when. (It was the green kind, not the red kind)
Oh, and Good afternoon to NAthalie - I didn't see you there while I was typing.
I am up early. It's the only way I can get in a ride today. If I go and GET Cabel and bring him to the stable with me (Yes, I had thought on this not being the best idea) and then go straight to the vet for his checkup.
I don't want to miss Ride.
I am going to ride (Sadly) Anna Montana today. I want some practice in a western saddle cantering and Tessa has a really rough canter, and I am getting a little scared trying to ride it out, so we go back a few steps.
Dab, everybody therapy everybody, it will save on time and money
have said for years, best thing that coul happen would be that...out of a job cause not needed! Could make my living some other way. Hmm...Making Crow masks! or something...
World would be a better place.
'everybody therapy everybody' - I'm now imagining group thearpy session of fiends ..."So, when did you first get this urge to sniff other people's brains..."
BTW, Q recently read your piece about the forms for entering therapy and couldn't decide whether to laugh or cry. So well written, and so ridiculously true. What IS my professions thinking? Nothing in that set of questions about your experience as a human...just nonsense.
Hope you enjoy your ride this morning. Has Cabal met Pearl before?
Also keeping fingers crossed that Cabal meets expectations and get s the all clear from the vet.Did you see Boss's tweet about missing him?
*waving from the meeting room*
I think I could use some therapy. Chocolate therapy.
Thanks Dabbler! As soon as I read them I was pretty sure it would go no where, tried two of them who both seemed more interested in what I did for a living, and BOTH said "Have you thought about journaling?"
Firgured I could figure out what was wrong on my own, seemed pretty clear.
I remember one asking me about the knots I felt like I was tied up in and hwo I should write about them, so I wrote "Knots" I think the poem is there, took it in and she looked at it, said very nice, but did you write in your journal?
Cabel has met Pearl. She is kind of wary, he's a big goof and doesn't get IT, and she doesn't know he, uh CAN'T.
Cabel won't be running lose today.
Hi Nathilie, I love it that you can wave from a meeting in ROme.
Everybody will therapy everybody and Dabbler, you won't be out of a job, you can run the thing.
Must look at some other things for a moment...
ACK! Melissa just called and it seems one of our your riders, Mckenna, (She plays violen too!) she's the one on Rommy in the pic, totalled her car on the way home last night! Just hit an icy patch.
She is ok, has some staples in her head, but can you chatter her some love today to read?
She wants to know how to get blood off her ipod.
AND the mares got out last night of thier pasture ! (NOT me, I check three times on the gate, it was a side gate that was bent)
SO they are back but all sweaty, but no riding this morning for me.
Good morning! I love the post Lorraine. The wonderful thing about your beauty comments is that beauty (in this case) goes hand in hand with confidence. The combination is magical. You're lit from within.
I'm having so much fun, but my feet are dog tired and my legs are rubber! We ended our day at The Park yesterday with a ride on Space Mountain, which is an indoor roller coaster ridden in the dark. The rock music booms and stars pulse around you as you bullet, blind, through space. I screamed my tonsils out. So cathartic.
My phone keeps dropping blogger whenever I try to comment in Disneyland, but the virtual conversation is (as always) either entertaining or informative.
Yay to Marjorie on the international photo credit!
Eek! Poor McKenna! I'm glad she's not seriously hurt, but how scary! Healing thoughts and virtual (gentle) ((hugs)).
And all of the mares were out? I'm glad the were retrieved, but can't help smiling at the fun they must have had if they came back all sweaty. Out, running through the snow in moonlight, as fast as you want. No rider to tell you how or where. No constricting saddle. What an adventure they could share if they talked.
Oh Poor McKenna and poor Melissa & mares. There's never just one diaster at a time, is there? Get well soon.
I don't know about blood& i-pods - wetwipes, maybe? (I woner whether it's a frequent question for Apple customer service?)
So sorry you will have to miss your ride, too.
Sigh...Some therapists seem to leave their commonsense at home. Did you journal, indeed. Hmph.
Off to run in circles...love to all.. and better days to those who need 'em.
Crumbs. All that waking up early for not much. More time for tea, I suppose?
Blood on iPod... Damp soft cloth should do it. Or a friendly vampire with a serviceable tongue.
Adventures all around, good and bad. Good wishes for everyone!
'everybody therapy everybody' - I'm now imagining group thearpy session of fiends ..."So, when did you first get this urge to sniff other people's brains..."
But why is that a BAD thing??? *giggle*
I'm trying to organize a dreadfully busy week, and reading comments instead, which will NOT help with the three manuscript deadlines this week, nor the overdue review paper, but is much more interesting than any of the above.
And, I have had very good news, at least via rumor. We have a dollar theater (second-run) with 3D capability (???), and it WILL be getting Coraline 3D in a couple weeks. Hooray!
I'm still mad at the new theater, the one that said it would have the 3D equipment installed in time for the Jonas Bros.
But I WILL be able to see Coraline in 3D. At least according to rumour...
And yes, I did notice the mixed American and British spellings. :) Another interesting side-effect of international friends.
I desperately need more coffee, and to get going on these manuscripts. Erck.
Well, it's not all bad, the not riding I mean, not Mckenna, here I am up and dressed and chores done, all before nine and I don't need to leave for work now for an hour, so I have a surprise free hour!!!!!!
Tea indeed!
Can someone remind me to bring home more proper English tea for tomorrow? I am down to the last couple of bags and will whine about that if I forget tomorrow...
Now you have time to chat, so of course, we all disappear.
tricky we are in that way...
I re-confirm that the little grey bird is a nuthatch! Can't tell whether it's a white-breasted nuthatch, though, or a rose-breasted. Rose-breasted nuthatches have, obviously, a rosy blush on their breasts.
I know what you're all thinking, and you shouldn't. Shame on you.
I can't believe you're getting pileated woodpeckers coming right up to the feeder! They don't do that! They never come out of the deep, dark woods! (At least, not round these parts, they don't.) Clearly you've been working some kind of woodpecker voodoo.
Hooray for horsies, and feeling beautiful! I'm glad you posted that. I think I've been needing the perspective without really knowing it. So thanks for that!
That therapy essay made me laugh, too. :) You know what helps? Ask about the therapist's orientation-- and by that I don't mean gay or straight, their theoretical approach to counseling, i.e., cognative, behavioral, Freudian, Jungian, whatever. I like Jungians. The guy I went to years ago was Jungian (though I think there may have been some cognative analysis mixed in there, too). Basically it meant that we did a lot of talking, and a lot of making sense of past and present experiences, and then we did some positive-reinforcement hypnosis stuff. It was good. I felt like he was listening, and that I was beginning to understand than before, which in turn gave me some strategies for coping better. And he didn't insist that I journal, or make collages. I friggin' hate collages.
The point being that certain therapy techniques are going to work beter for you than others, and sometimes it takes a while to find the person using a method that fits you.
Hmm. I seem to be a bit more emo than usual this morning.
HOLY CRAP. I just saw the thing about McKenna and the head staples. 8[
I say again: HOLY CRAP. I am glad she's okay!
That Method cleaner stuff is good for getting out all sorts of things. That, or Formula 409. Don't spray it directly on the iPod, you understand-- just get some on a rag and rub, rub, rub.
I am full of useful information today.
*passing the chocolates*
Hmm - I wonder what you have to do in Woodpecker Voodoo? Drll small holes into voodoo dolls, instead of the usual pins, maybe!
Phiala, I never said the sniffing brains was a BAD thing. A little unusual, maybe, but not bad.
And Yay for transatlantic spelling.
Getting differenctly oriented psychologists as expert witneses on the same casde can be fun, too, if you've nothing better to do. .
OF COURSE you all dissapere now that I have time!
Jess, we do have sort of an Ace in the hole as far as Birds go, the Birdchick is in charge of, has set up, runs and works her magic on the feeders.
I remember one day she said she wanted to show me something cool, and we went way the heck off into the woods, and stopped, and she said ought to be around here, and made some what they call fishing sounds, and she said "Yup, listen I can here it, THERE!" and there was this BEAUTIFUL black and white and yellow bird, forgot what it was, but it was there, and she found it.
No need for any more therapy on my part. Get five Bengals, three of them abused. They will teach you what is important.
Jess, surely you are always full of useful information? (Just more apposite to the situation today...)
Not disappearing. Reading in snatches between bills. I hate asking people to pay me.
And they probably do not like to pay you, so fair is fair.
Sadly true. Mostly they are not even happy to see me..
Ooo-- it's time to play Guess That Bird:
Golden Crowned Kinglet? Sound familiar?
Or it could have been a Yellow-Rumped Warbler. They're black, white, and yellow. Or a Common Yellowthroat? They're not very black or white, though.
Probably not an American Goldfinch. They're everywhere but way the heck off in the woods. At least, I've never seen them out there. As far as I know they like prairie and shrubland.
There's also the Prothonotary Warbler. They're pretty dramatic.
We now return to your regularly scheduled non-birding comments. :D
Crap. Let's try that again:
Golden-Crowned Kinglet
Common Yellowthroat
I'm not sure I believe in the Prothonotary Warbler. It sounds ingherently improbable.
I think actually that's a robin with jaundice
It is not a jaundiced robin! ;P It is a Real Bird, proven by ORNITHOLOGY.
Well, if you say so. [remains privately unconvinced]
Nope not any of them. I'll look in the bird book when I get to work, which is happening shortly. It was STRIKING every colour separate.
Weird. I went to visit Lear and Mab and I had gievn them the mush can food instead of the chunks food, which I thought everyone liked.
Mim would not eat it today tho Magic and Venus did, but Lear, (Not Mab, I know, she only eats dry) had PILED all his toys, including the long furry thing which he curled around the plate on top of the plate.
When I took them off all the food was still there.
Seemed clear. I got him a plate of chuncks. EG's need SO much more. My heart is as wrapped around him as Magic I think. He looks so worried all the time.
I saw a pileated woodpecker in Seattle last spring, in a forested ravine. It was blasting the heck out of a snag - dust and chunks of bark flying every which way, really impressive!
As for iPods, my brother accidentally sent his Shuffle through the wash once. Said it worked afterward and was quite clean, but that he didn't plan to do that regularly. ;)
Snow is piling up here, but it's not terribly cold out. Very pretty snow (and covering all the dirty roads). Looks like perfect stuff for building snow people later.
This is a great post and great things to Think On.
McKenna -- so sorry to hear of your accident. Take care and get well.
My friend Mark (who is also godchild's father) is an artist. He calls his blog In Search of Beauty and this is a link to a video he made asking people "what is beautiful in your life".
Look around his blog and web site and you will find fun surprises. I think the ability to see the beauty around us is a big part of being able to see/feel the beauty in ourselves.
Fiends are one of the Beautiful parts of my life!
Ah. Light bulb goes off. Having beauty in one's life is therapeutic. Horses and cats are both Beauty.
Chunks always win over mush!
Poor Lear. It's surprising that the big boys are the nervous ones. Boy cats in general are supposed to be solitary-- maybe they're feeling hyper-aware that there are all these other cats around in a relatively small area, and there's not really anywhere to get away to? That's just a guess, though.
Hmm. There's a Scotts Oriole and a Hooded Oriole, but neither of those live in Minnesota- unless it got there by a fluke. Or maybe it was a Baltimore Oriole, but yellow for some reason?
We need Birdchick. Of all the times to go swanning off to Guatemala! :D
Truly there is beauty everywhere.
Loved the comment about feeling beautiful while riding. I sometimes feel beautiful while doing yoga, but hadn't really thought it all the way through to it being about the doing something you love - thought it was just the poses :-) But the light bulb came on!
As for sniffing people's brains, I do it all the time. If I was a cat, I'd want to be sniffing rear ends, but as I am not, brain sniffing seems like a more socially acceptable way to interact!
Lorraine -- I wish I could think that quickly on my feet. Instead I'm probably just going to get request from her on facebook. But I like the idea of accepting and so she can see how many friends I have and how cool they all are ;-)
it's raining here and since I was gone all weekend I have mounds of laundry and dishes to work my way through... so I'm on here talking to you guys.
Marjorie -- I saw that AFP used your pictures, that was awesome!!!
Chantrelle, You'll have to let us know when you do it! We can leave fabulous notes on your wall and be extra scintillating! :-)
now would be a good time to start name dropping foodporn interviewees, etc. ;-)
the girl's "best friend" from high school just friended me, but the evil wench hasn't yet.
in so many ways I am still 16.
didn't I say I had laundry and dishes? Must do them!! make me leave the computer!!!
GO! NOW!
Ticia, you have a wonderfully evil mind and I love it!
*claws under the door*
Okay, life is calming down a bit. Glad everyone is mostly well.
Any time someone does something that connects them with the divine inside themselves, they're beautiful.
i wanna say that bird is a nuthatch. http://identify.whatbird.com/obj/362/portrait/White-breasted_Nuthatch.aspx
but i'm not familiar w/your regions birds.
i have today off; going to put some good use to it!
Enjoy your day off, Stacy.
Q, is it too early to remind you about teabags?
Back from the vet!
No, not going to tell you. What would I blog about tonight if I did?
I think you can stop rminding me about tea, thanks tho, Nathilie is e-mailing me every half hour, and the tea is now in my handbag...
Back to read comments in a moment...
Chantrelle, Living well is the best revenge. No More 16!!!!!!! You are beyond this!
Jane, you make me laugh! I think you belong with us! New fiend! She said "Sniff Cat Butts!"
Hey Dread Val! Thought those were your claws! Welcome back, hope the minions aren't driving you nuts!
And THANK YOU for the lovely package!!!! She is the perfect one, and now sits on my desk!
Just got a fun e-mail, and got to call Boss, it's always fun when I can surprise him!
(no, I am sure he will tell you)
Ah, I can see I am home again.
Jane, this is the magic of Fiends, if I am here, they scatter. No idea why, I am not that scary.
Well, maybe I am, but that is no excuse!
i'm still here, just watchin Big Love until i have to pick up Ben :)
Aaaand I'm just moping today, and thinking there's a balance there to strike - not to be a bummer and not lurk, either. :)
Have also been thinking it's hard to say "Bug Glove" and without saying Bug Love, which happens to sound like Big Love.
In and out, mostly out, but I SWEAR it isn't you, Lorraine!
Just trying to get my head above water with all these *&#($*& deadlines. And the other zillion urgent things that keep appearing.
Send water wings!
A couple of years ago I ran into a former schoolmate while Christmas shopping. He graduated a couple years ahead of me, but we went to a small school. We had been in choir together. He said that he had been thinking about me, then related that his wife had terminal skin cancer. The first time she was diagnosed with skin cancer he had fallen into a deep depression, so much so that he was hospitalized.
Why had he been thinking of me? During the course of therapy, he realized that in high school he had bullied me. He wanted to apologize, and ask for my forgiveness. Without hesitation, I forgave him, and I did have to say the words, "I forgive you."
It was a very uplifting experience to offer someone forgiveness. It relieved him of a burden. In easing his life, I eased my own.
All this to say, people can, and often do, change from whom they were in high school.
Ariandalen - that's a really inspiring story. And I'm sure lots of people DO change - (although I have had personal experience of a few who hadn't changed a bit, too)
FabLo, not scattering, just suppertime and feeding of Cat....
Woodsman Hans is sad because he has no followers on Twitter. None, he says. No one foloows me.
I asked if he Twittered anything, and he said ne. So he just tweeted and asked if he did, would he gets followers?
I know it isn't me, hee-hee, I mean, if you didn't like me, why would you hang here??? But it IS funny..
Adriandalen, very cool!
I'd be happy to follow the good Woodsman, but I can't find his account :(
Very excited to hear that you will have tea AND milk tomorrow!!
Well of COURSE we would follow Hans, if only we knew how to find him.
Fiends need to know about these things!
WoodsmanHans
Ok, no one has time for this but it is really funny, go to F my life.com
( http://www.fmylife.com )
People post the really F**cked up things that happen, and it is really funny...
Funny, I searched for woodsman and didn't find him. But he has followers now.
Once again, Lorraine saves the day!
I will follow Hans!
I thought it was me killed the thread!
Just finished my daily 20 minutes focused on a school project. I do this with a friend daily (some days twice with two different friends)and I am always amazed at how much I get done when I have this clearly committed time. Makes me happy. Wee!
Off to check out fmylife and hans on twitter!
You're welcome, Quiche! I hope Computa manages to preside over your computers and keep them free from tea and other woes. :) She is weathered, but I think that makes her more effective.
Hey, I was talking about you yesterday when Hair Police came out to LA; Wendy and Carol worked on my hair, and we agreed about your fabulousness. I now have proper dreads again AND stripey hair, inspired by your stripeyness! :)
I will go add Hans to Twitter. Seems only fair.
Hans has 6 followers now. All waiting, with bated breath, the next tweet.
Good to hear you got to surprise Boss (Happy surprise, I assume)
See y'all in the morning. x
OOh. 100th
Phew, just took forEVER to catch up.
((((McKenna))))youch. Staples in head sounds like a torture device.
Now, toy go back and look at all the birdies and links.
OK - 101 comments? Y'all are killing me!
Did someone already say Nuthatch?
Evening, Fiendom.
Words that will get me through my teenage years in one piece.
Everyone said nuthatch.
I never get to be first.
It is indeed a monday. I am famished, and the only one here to cook dinner is me. How fair is that? Off to cook. I'll be back eventually.
Finding Beauty. Nice quest to start on.
OMG, i just found out Leonard Cohen is going to be playing in oakland in april...i'm so excited! I hope i can get tix.
Can I go home now please? I haven't found the water wings though...
inspired by boss's tweet, ben and i just had hot cocoa. :)
Now I want hot cocoa.
I too am now following Woodsman Hans, and look forward to the Household Handyman Hints which he will no doubt post. Particularly those regarding the repair of warped shed doors.
Hello, Jane! :)
i highly recommend it.
Cocoa? Or repairing shed doors?
That does sound yummy, but as per yesterday's discussion, followed by today's excessively large number of hours at work, there is no milk in the house. :(
I would suggest tea as a sub but tea is not really the same as hot chocolate cocoa.
i was drinking tea all day...it's necessary...cocoa is a treat :)
Most definitely.
Where'd everybody go?
Home, I hope. Finished supper, and then fell asleep, to be awakened by a telemarketer (automated) who blathered about my car warranty being up. The car is 6 years old. It's been out of warranty for years. And paid off. What do they want from me?
Oh, right. Money.
Ahk, telemarketers.
I'm here, Fiends. Not for much longer, though. I've been flitting onto and off of the computer for four-minute periods for the last several hours. Storytime in the morning, rehearsal for community talent show in the mid-morning (Will and I are doing "Give My Regards to Broadway" together; he's so cute!), babysitting in the afternoon, Chinese lesson in the evening.
I love that you are learning Chinese, Emily - do you plan to go there someday? I've have friends and relatives who have, and all have enjoyed it, and none of them knew the language.
Talking of things of beauty...have a look at this dust storm, which was near Broken Hill last year.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95tmYmeHf84
If anyone can tell me, I'd love to know why it was in that particular shape
See you all in the morning! Now that I've figured out how to take you to work with me :-)
From now on Masked Emily shall be officially known as Masked Renaissance Emily! :)
Siri - that car warranty thing is a known phishing scam. Hang up on them if they call, tear up the postcards if they send them. Bad, bad mojo.
This is what I'm thinking. I did hang up on them...
My favorite thing is during baseball season (1st game, Wednesday afternoon) - I have the radio next to my chair, and there is some fierce feedback from the cordless phone. I get a telemarketer call - I put the phone next to the radio, and ignore it.
They don't call back.
Oh, and Good night, Jane.
A book I love, and once gave to a much loved friend and we promised to talk about it but never did, is Elaine Scarry's "On Beauty and Being Just." It is amazing. And yes, Q, I think you understand the idea of beauty very well. I love what you wrote. And the pictures, of course...
Speaking of needing therapy, I am in a strange place where I keep writing comments and then erasing them because really, who wants to read what I write? And when y'all have been nothing but sweet -- it's something effed up in my head, obviously. I think it might be a combo of schedule and self-imposed lonely. I seem to be doing much but accomplishing little, and too much goes untold and unnoticed.
And no doubt I will wish I had erased this one as well...
i do that a lot as well.
And I think, i'm writing too much about myself, maybe i need to comment on everyone else more and then i post anyway because I, well, I don't know why.
And see, now I've posted about myself again. ;-)
Don't worry about what you say here, this is the most welcoming, accepting group I've ever encountered!
very glad you did not erase BA!
Doing much and accomplishing little is a way I feel often!
Thinking no one wants to hear what I have to say happens pretty often too. It is something worth fighting IMO!
The book - On Beauty - sounds v interesting (I didn't actually get the computer turned off yet).
I'm glad you didn't erase your post. Shall we do a book club and read it?
Indeed, this is a most welcoming group!
Why is it that I feel I'm the only one in the whole world who does that?
You've been inspiring BA. You acually got me to post :)
That was really kind of you to share.
and Hi Jane
I also forgot to say - Sal, that dust storm was just amazing. I've been in a sandstorm, but it was nothing like that. It was more like gritty fog.
BA, glad to know I am not alone in wondering why on earth anyone would want to know what I'm blathering about! And vary glad you didn't erase and slink away. You are one of the posters who first drew me out of lurkdom, because I need to respond to your comments about your home bound kid...
So keep talking, will ya?
Book club!!
See, nothing but kindness! Y'all are the best. Thank you. You help so much more than you know or I can express...
(Hi Jane, a name I love btw, and it is a wonderful book, and I would adore to talk about it with someone else sometime! One of the most amazing parts of it explains how when we embrace what is beautiful and work to protect and love it, we see other things which perhaps aren't quite as perfect or quite as beautiful but which share qualities with the beautiful and so are as deserving of our protection and love -- it's really a great book.)
Home now!
Will get to work on new post NOW.
(no Venus, I must write the Fiends!)
And Sally, that dust storm is terrifying... I kept thinking: "Why are they driving TOWARD that thing...turn around!
Took a few mintutes to catch up and can't remember what else I wanted to respond to...
Must sleep. Both DH and DD have the flu thing. Maybe I had it first and won't succumb. Hoping.
Oh, yes..welcome Jane, and quick healing to McKenna.
Night, all. skritches for kitties. I met a most likly Bengal, or at least part ALC kitty yesterday, on a leash on a lap. Very lovely and shy, and sort of pale buff, golden with stripes. An SPCA rescue!
I do that, too, sometimes; over worry what I'm posting. So - since so many of us do so, we should all stop worrying about it now, yes? ;)
Sally - I've wondered about the shape of dust storms, too. It reminds me of the wall cloud you get in a tornado, and my first thought is, it takes on a slightly different shape than a wall cloud because it contains sand rather than water. But why oh why did the people DRIVE INTO IT!?!?!?
But this is me thinking out loud. Maybe DG can ask her Weather Man. :)
Advice for telemarketing calls... play with this while I write:
10. When they ask "How are you today?" Tell them! "I'm so glad you asked because no one these days seems to care, and I have all these problems; my arthritis is acting up, my eyelashes are sore, my dog just died..."
9. If they say they're John Doe from XYZ Company, ask them to spell their name. Then ask them to spell the company name. Then ask them where it is located. Continue asking them personal questions or questions about their company for as long as necessary.
8. Cry out in surprise, "Judy! Is that you? Oh my God! Judy, how have you been?" Hopefully, this will give Judy a few brief moments of pause as she tries to figure out where the h-l she could know you from.
7. If MCI calls trying to get you to sign up for the Family and Friends Plan, reply, in as SINISTER a voice as you can, "I don't have any friends ....would you be my friend?"
6. If they want to loan you money, tell them you just filed for bankruptcy and you could sure use some money.
5. Tell the telemarketer you are on "home incarceration" and ask if they could bring you a case of beer and some chips.
4. After the telemarketer gives their spiel, ask him/her to marry you. When they get all flustered, tell them that you could not just give your credit card number to a complete stranger.
3. Tell the telemarketer you are busy at the moment and ask them if they will give you their HOME phone number so you can call them back. When the telemarketer explains that they cannot give out their HOME number, you say "I guess you don't want anyone bothering you at home, right?" The telemarketer will agree and you say, "Now you know how I feel!" Say good bye - and Hang up.
2. Insist that the caller is really your buddy Leon, playing a joke. "Come on Leon, cut it out! Seriously, Leon, how's your momma?"
1. And first and foremost: Tell them to talk VERY SLOWLY, because you want to write EVERY WORD down
I second dan's vote- Book Club!
Also, hello everyone!
Sally - you are such the fashion woman - all the fashion gurus are saying that Sarah Jessica Parker's "girls" were too out there last night - and they were afraid of a "Janet Jackson" moment.
You called it last night - you are so hip.
BA, I see from your profile that one of the other books you love is To Say Nothing of the Dog! I love that one, so much that I read it aloud to DH on a car trip. He loves it, too.
Nice tips for the telemarketers :-)
Lorraine, no.5 has to be my favourite :)
And you're right about Sarah Jessica's girls. How are the so spherical at her age? Even with rigging?
And yeah. Dan book club would be good. We just need someone to organise it.
Grace - we love you, and you never blather. Well, no more than the rest of us.
Remember this is the safe place where no one does harm.
Except for that whole spicy brain thing.
I put the book on my wish list at B&N. I have a gift card to spend...I may push the button to buy, and then we can talk. The library doesn't have it. What is this world coming to?
(And the claws under the door scares me, sometimes. I am never expecting it.)
"No one expects the Spanish Inquisition!"
"Get the Comfy Chair!"
"Not the comfy chair!!!"
And the fluffy cushions....
DG!! - go look at Sally's link 22 or so above this - isn't your Husbeast the Weather Guru?
Siri proclaimed:
Remember this is the safe place where no one does harm.
Except for that whole spicy brain thing.
Okay.
When have spicy brains harmed anyone? ;)
I mean, besides my mockingbird mouth overloading my killdeer ass? ;)
I'm just saying, Arian, that sometimes, late at night, when it's all very dark and quiet, I hear "spicy brains, mwahahahaha."
And I shiver a bit.
Of course, that could be the voices in my own head..... couldn't it?
::batting eyes innocently::
Why...yes, yes it could.
CX
Telemarketers. I think #3 there is my favorite. You should additionally check when they eat dinner. ;)
I usually hang up the moment I hear that pause, the one that tells you someone's using a computer to dial your number.
And a family friend likes to talk to them for a very long time, asking all sorts of questions, then when they make their closing statement, he tells them no, but thanks for answering all his questions. And oh aren't telemarketers polite then!
Fods you all make me laugh. I adore you.
Ok, Book Club, I can do a post on it once a month, but I am sure not the person running the show. Figure that out your ownselves.
It was Dans idea, but Jane started it. Just saying.
Oh, new post is up.
Lorraine - I think I'll need to print out your ideas and post them by the phone!
Hubby has always been really good with the telemarketers. Once he let the guy go through his entire spiel, listened patiently, and then said, " I'm not interested in that, but you sound cute!" It totally threw the guy for a loop. Hubby continued to get more, well, graphic with his requests... it ended with the guy saying, "that's not in my job description."
Our housemates and I were laughing hysterically through the whole thing!
Hello everyone.
I've just got back from the dentist -took an hour and a half to get sufficent anesthetic to tooth. Apparently I have a very solid jaw. In the end the nerve had to be blocked.
I think I know how to swallow, but its very hard. My face and throat are numb.
Siri - me hip? Wow. Like really WOW.
freaky cake
so i've never had a child, never had a baby shower. if i ever get pregers, please promoise me no one will make m a belly boobie cake like this. omg ugh.
and posting because several comments thought the hand looked somewhat othermotherish. made me laugh
Vampi - that is just plain gross. Urgh indeed.
I cannot imagine the scene as the knife cut into the cake.
one of the comments mentioned how sometimes they put a stuffed animal in a balloon in the "stomach" so the mom to be can birth the cake. i mean, i am with out words other than ugh.
I was curious for a mo, but vampi, you've convinced me not to look. :) How are you woman?
work is busy. i'm glad i have a job, but it's busy season and review time. the cake really is hilarous. miss the fends. i've been reading, but too tired to comment much.
lo new fiends, it's getting mighty spicy here:)
I got one of those car warranty calls a few weeks ago. I started laughing and hung up. My car is a 1990! Warranty? Hah!
When I was in New Mexico, they would occasionally cancel schools and even close the interstate due to dust storms.
As for blathering, we all do it! I only feel a bit worried when I go on at great length about something technical/pedantic. But I figure nobody HAS to keep reading if I'm boring. :)
Okay, back to things with deadlines.
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