Oleta Adams, Get Here
When I was pregnant with The Peanut, we almost lost her at 2 and a half months. The ride to the emergency room was one of the longest of my life, and resulted in several weeks of complete bedrest for me. This song was my lifeline, the one that soothed me as I hit repeat on my CD player, the one I hummed to my belly as I prayed for everything to work out…the one I would sing softly as we waited for the next ultrasound. It was the first one she heard from me after my marathon labor, in the wee hours of the morning when even the nursing staff had settled into the front desk for the night, as I counted those tiny little fingers and toes again and again, not quite believing we had made it. And it is still the one she asks for in the rocking chair after a nightmare.
Some songs and some voices just hit you where you live. For me, this song was how I kept going through all of the rough days — and I listen to it now with a tear in my eye, thinking about how lucky we truly are. And I will love Oleta Adams for this gift forever.
It is so easy, in the day to day nastiness and heartache and frustration, to miss the things for which we ought to be grateful. Thought I’d share a few of the things for which I’ve been grateful this week:
– Penzey’s mulling spices. Toss some into a crockpot full of apple cider, a sliced orange, and a little sugar (if the cider is tart), and in a couple of hours you have a warm mug of heaven.
– My new DVD copy of A Room With A View. Yes, I know it’s stiffly acted in parts, and that the original Forster is amazing on its own, but I adore Simon Callow as Mr. Beebe, Daniel Day-Lewis as Cecil, Maggie Smith as Charlotte and Judi Dench as Eleanor Lavish. And the scenery…one of these days, the English countryside is calling my name. And so is Florence.
– The leaves have begun to turn. And we woke up to that crisp feel in the air this morning. This is my absolute favorite time of year, and in the next couple of weeks, the leaves will turn to the jewel-like tones of Fall. It won’t be as gorgeous as last year because we’ve been fighting through a bit of a drought, but the dogwood leaves have already started turning to that ruby red, and the cardinal pair has been keeping an eye on the berries to see if they are ready to be devoured. Have I mentioned that I love this time of year?
September has seemed awfully long for a number of reasons. So, let’s pause this morning for a little gratitude and a moment or two of exhale. Because, frankly, we have all earned it. What made you smile this week? Pull up a chair…
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Zed
Good Morning Christy!
Good morning, Christy!
Good Morning, Christy! Here’s some ‘mellow’ to go with that CuppaJoe…
Stairway to Heaven – Rodrigo y Gabriela
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNc5o9TU0t0
Morning all!!!
Wonder if this will get as much play as the Norman Hsu broohahah?
Rudy’s top fundraiser sole backer of California electoral vote initiative
Oh, wait, I forgot…. IOKIYAR.
What is making me smile? My hope that the MSM is wrong about Hilary Edwards and Obama being our frontrunners with their lets leave some troops in Iraq stance.
I’m betting that over Thanksgiving and Christmas familes get together and talk.
If only one family member spreads the word about the front runners keep troops in Iraq stance then the poll numbers should change.
Education is our friend in an internet age news spreads fast.
picking up my CSA share of organic veggies last night. it was the heaviest share yet – i don’t have scale, but i’d guess 25 lbs. what i am going to do with all of it? i still have left overs from last week!
On a dark desert highway…
Hotel California – The Eagles (acoustic live)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zyx-l7-_iUA
Good Morning, Christy and Firepups,
It’s cool and clear here in central Jersey. We had a cold front come through yesterday around lunchtime. No rain, just a complete [and welcome] change of air.
Mr. NJP and I had about 45 minutes of laughter last night, watching a couple of episodes of the Simpsons [season five: Burns’ Heir and Seymour Skinner’s Baddddaaaaassss Song] on DVD. We smiled a lot seeing a new play last weekend, StickFly, at McCarter Theatre in Princeton, where we have a subscription.
I’m still smiling at the CDs my husband and sister made for my birthday [Judy Collins, So Early in the Spring (a favorite from my youth), and Pointer Sisters (selections from several albums—that one is great for long car rides!)].
I’m smiling with the wonderful people in my knitting group. We’ve started our group project for charity: an afghan for Project Linus. And people are taking unwanted yarn from our group yarn swap to work on other projects: knitting caps and incubator covers for preemies, squares for the Keep Warm America project, blankets for animals in shelters, wool vests for children in Afghanistan. It’s all so inspiring!
After many, many weeks and months of health problems for Mr. NJP’s parents, we are exhaling a bit, after hearing some good news. Mr. NJP’s dad will be coming home from rehab [after a brief hospitalization] this week. Mr. NJP’s mom’s condition hasn’t improved, but it also hasn’t deteriorated, which is heartening.
This morning, I’m making a batch of romesco [authentic Catalan recipe friends sent to us after our trip to Barcelona last year], and heading off to the farmer’s market. Romesco sauce always makes me smile!
Have a wonderful day!
Work for peace, every day.
selise @ 6
Can you donate it to a local organization/food bank?
NJP!!!!!
Great to see you here. My best to you and Mr. NJP.
Millineryman @ 9
oh, absolutely (have done it before)… but, selfish me, i’d rather figure out something to prepare and freeze.
I was impressed yesterday with Mrsk8’s link to Square Foot Gardening. Really neat site featuringan easy way to garden.
One of my all-time favorite movies is The Secret Garden. This week I saw a great foreign flick (Italy) called Agata and the Storm about a bookstore owner, her architect brother and newly found family members. It was great.
Do this, don’t do that, can’t you read the…
Signs – Tesla (live acoustic)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ic90R6ZNaIM
John Malkovich made me smile when I watched this DVD
It’s a fictionized tale of man who impersonated Stanly Kubrick
Color Me Kubrick
Over the top performance by John.
Good Morning pups!
I get a smile for every chestnut I find that my burglarian squirrels didn’t! :)
Morning all — coffee is warm, and the air is cool. Good combo for fall…I think we got the same front that njprogressive did.
How is everyone this morning?
ccmask – I’ve done square foot gardening in the past, and it has worked wonderfully for us when I have. :)
Millineryman @ 14
He is soo good!
strange but good
Elliott @ 15
You do realize THEY ARE in the trees above you noting the action of what you’re doing. The NSA has nothing on them.
Good morning, Christy. I hope the Peanut is feeling better.
Our lives are a delicate balance. Live the best every day. Love as much as you are able.
Thank you for all the inspiration.
Millineryman at 18 — It’s true. The squirrels are taking notes and plotting a strategy to foil your chestnut gathering as I type this… *g*
Don’t tell me all my love’s in vain…
Layla – Eric Clapton (live acoustic in Japan)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qAlkN-r49pc
Let’s see now – I’m smiling pretty good here in Upstate New York. I made French Toast this morning – 9 grain bread, eggs, a little milk and cinnamon. MMMMMM. (sorry) We got that front yesterday also – but we got three separate thunderstorms which seemed to arrange themselves around breakfast, lunch and dinner – I have no idea how that happened. I’m finishing up a terminally cute baby sweater for the brand new granddaughter of a co-worker and I have to say that making baby stuff rocks. It’s teeny, finishes fast, and makes you feel really productive. Plans for the day include (drum roll) finishing up the alterations on my daughter’s bridesmaid dress and work in the garden.
Christy Hardin Smith @ 20
And I don’t buy the excuse that it was their tail that accidently bumped the acorn or chestnut that just happens to hit the head.
Off to prop sale at a local theater. I’m going to be a Prop Master for the very first time next month for Oliver. Bumblestaff sure I could find one of them….
Have a great day, and as always, Christy and everyone here, I do enjoy starting my Saturdays here.
Good morning all!
What made me smile is the change of seasons — cool nights and dry days all last week. Though this morning, not so much.
I met a sweet 6th grader this week as I was teaching his class for the first time. I noticed he was reading a book about Africa and got talking to him. He said he reads everything he can about Africa, especially Darfur. And then I wanted to know why such a big interest and he said it was because of his 5th grade teacher “Mr. D”…he called him. I will never get that sweet little boy’s face out of my mind, thinking that maybe, just maybe, this world will be alright after all. And thanks Mr. D wherever you are.
Millineryman @ 23
have fun!
Did you see Elizabeth Edwards ad about not waiting for tomorrow? She is so full of life.
As for me, I smiled this week when I went to Charlotte to see my Grandkids. Cole and Caroline are wonderful. Cole will be two and talks up a storm. He was born with a cleft palate and lip and is quite perfect now, so beautifully repaired.
Today in beautiful NE Iowa we take the family to Fort Atkinson, a fort built in 1840 to keep peace among two distinct Native cultural groups.
1840’s reenactments, a working blacksmith, soldier’s of the era, and ALL FREE.
My kids will buy a cheap toy that will make noise and hopefully break on the 15 mile drive home.
Here’s to warm apple cider and Autumn Glory.
That Oleta Adams song always reminds me of the Winter Olympics for some reason.
What made me smile last week? The twelve hours of NyQuil (knockoff brand actually) induced healing sleep. Cleared the worst of my cold away.
Sarcastic smile: Cysticfibrosis breast disease that is not a disease, in fact according to the internet is common in 60% of 30-50 year olds, yet gee, insurance won’t cover since not a routine referral for a mammogram. Next year I’ll go to the free county health clinic for a routine mammogram since student insurance sucks. But I must admit all the people at the student health clinic who were running around looking to help me with my bill were very pleasant on the phone (they aren’t exactly used to over 40 year old students I guess).
Or maybe it’s fibrocystic, yeah that’s it. Shows how concerned the doc was in letting me know about it, huh?
It makes me smile when I think of Mr. Graham, the Canadian journalist, saying “the Iraqis create scenarios for the Americans.”
When you live in a dictatorship, you get pretty good at painting the roses red, I guess.
This is a good project to raise money for orphan children in sub-Saharan Africa.
We (the volunteers who are working on it) need more artists.
There is a girl who plays a musical saw in the NYC subway and she has a pretty interesting & neat blog here. Good tunes too.
So thankful that everyday voices continue to gain in strength and stature through sites like FDL, encouraging positive changes on countless levels.
Hey, any of you gardeners know about Heirloom seeds? Is it true that if you plant a hybrid seed(from picked tomato) that it won’t grow well?
Also, today are the Vendy Awards. These awards are given to the best NYC street vendor. Video of finalists here.
I laughed and shook his hand…
The Man Who Sold the World – Nirvana (live acoustic)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=209ArurxVG4
My experience with that tomato issue is that the plant may bloom but no fruit sets. . .
ccmask @ 33
that was fun!
my daughter was inducted with about 20 other members of her junior class into the national honor society. especially because i know her circumstances, and what she’s had to deal with, that pleased me enormously.
what was really inspiring was hearing accounts of the seniors, completing their year-long induction, of their accomplishments and community service. way past anything i had achieved in my high school days.
ReneND @ 35
Heirloom seeds come back exactly the same as the ones you planted this year. Hybrid seed will grow but the fruit will be something else and not desirable. You cant save hybrid seeds.
Elliott @ 39
Isn’t that cool! I’ve been going to Kottee dot org everyday because they have the best links every day. It’s on the right hand column called “sites I’ve enjoyed recently”. I found the site last week and the links change sometimes twice a day. Good stuff to waste a little time between business calls.
ReneND @ 35
Considering the cost of seeds or a few plants, you really are better off buying seeds (or plants)for tomatoes, imo. There are so many varieties available!
Gooper problem-solving on display here…
Curly Kills a Clam – Three Stooges
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfYcMfBXd6Q
dmg @ 40
Congratulations!
snowbird42 @ 41
I heard all you get is junk. That isn’t very sustainable. Leave it to some corporation to come up with that. Scary.
Well, Tucker Carlson wondered if C&L, Atrios, FDL were the birthplaces for new ideas for the Dem party. I’ll settle for that.
Elliott @ 45
thanks, though it’s my daughter’s triumph, not mine.
this parent gig has all kinds of unexpected bennies.
actually, christy, thanks for this post. it reminded me to reflect in a way i hadn’t. much of the week was tougher than it should have been, but it also contained this great moment in my kid’s life and should be relished.
Good morning Christy and the rest of the firepups from Georgia. Not much to smile about this week in these parts. They have just declared the drought “extreme” and banned all outdoor water use with the exception of food gardens and it looks like a dry winter.
I did manage a smile and a good memory this week though. On Sunday I cleaned out the tomato bed and harvested nearly ten pounds of green tomatoes and even I can’t eat that many fried green tomatoes. I decided to make green tomato relish and as I chopped and simmered, packed and boiled all the pints of relish I remembered all the summers in West Virginia with my Grandmother and how she would try and preserve every scrap of food from the big garden and orchard. The old wood stove and the new fangled electric both going full bore with water bath canners and pressure canners. Tomatoes, beans, pickles of all types. In late summer the rows and rows of jars in the basement were a rainbow of brilliant colors and the very essence of summer just waiting to nurture you in the cold winter months. Those were days of hard work but today they bring me back to ground when the pressures of life in today’s world get a little much.
Autumn is what made me smile this week. I think, as do many, that Keats got it right:
‘Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness,
Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun.’
What made me smile this week
Lane Hudson and his letter to the FEC
and on Wednesday night paddling under the full moon.
dmg @ 40
Good times dmg!
dmg — That’s so wonderful. Congrats to you and your daughter. :)
I watched Akira Kurosawa’s masterpiece Dersu Uzala for the first time this week. For that, I am extremely grateful.
Where the skies are blue and the Government’s true…
Sweet Home Alabama – Lynyrd Skynyrd (acoustic ‘94)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48hOO5Ou3PY
Prospero @ 54
Amazing film.
Randi Rhodes made me smile. She is friends with Melissa Ethridge and has spent time with Al Gore more than once. She was with him a few days ago and begged him to run. She said she was crying when she asked and he didnt say no. So she told her listeners and a huge burst of excitement happened . This site got over 30k hits.
Take a look and sign if you want.
http://www.draftgore.com/
ccmask, and christy, many thanks.
am headed out, but this is why i always try to check in at fdl, especially on the weekends when there’s a bit less frenzy. does a body good.
old gold @ 50
nowadays, Autumn is pretty and all, but in the back of my mind, I’m thinking I’m gonna have to shovel snow soon. But as kids we had an absolute ball playing in the leaves. Laying out paths for fox chase geese, or laying out our houses, and best of all jumping in the huge piles of leaves we’d “construct”
I love raking leaves, hate the snow shoveling.
Good Morning;
I , too, am enjoying fall. As a regular cyclist the temperatures are so much more comfortable, and my route to work takes me through three parks, so the colours are wonderful.
What I’ve really been enjoying this week is watching Olbermann hammering O’Reilly and Limbaugh. I never get tired of it.
I smile when I read the FDL every day!
Three hours til kickoff. The Dawgs vs Ol Miss. Woof!
radiofreewill @ 37
And made my way back home. David Bowie, genius.
…played it ’cause we knew the Warden hated it…
Almost Cut My Hair – David Crosby (solo acoustic live)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSNLc8-gYtA
Just south of our new place is a bison ranch. We took our little one to see the bison, and watching him in awe of those big furry animals definitely brought a smile to my face. Then, when we stopped into their little store to purchase some meat for the freezer, the owner mentioned that on the other side of their house (from the bison) they had some horses – a stallion, a mare, and a little colt about ten weeks old.
Well, of course we had to go see the new colt . . . lots more smiles, all around.
I’m grateful that so far, next Sunday’s forecast is “mostly sunny” with only a slight chance of rain. That’s the day of my outdoor wedding, so keep your fingers crossed for me! I’m also grateful for the lovely family we are creating on that day. Or, more technically, the family we are publicly acknowledging that day. My future spouse, my daughter, and I already consider ourselves a family. Sorry about gushing, but I’ve never been married before, and I’m terribly excited!
I’m also grateful that we are studying familial relations and wedding terminology this week in the Spanish class I’m taking. Worked out perfectly! Hehe.
Finally, thank you Christy. I love waking up to you on the weekends. So glad the peanut made it, as I enjoy reading about her and your family so much. The song for me and my daughter, from well before birth, was Mining for Gold, by the Cowboy Junkies. I can still put her to sleep by singing it, and she’s 13 now. :)
What made me smile this week: dinner with egrDaughter here in San Francisco. After a few rocky teenage years we are getting along great. What a pleasure to visit with her!
this has been a bad week for me on multiple levels. Various forms of stupidity in the political sphere. The sports team I have cared deeply about since I was seven years old in a meltdown of epic proportions. My employer going public.
The fellowship here has been a source of comfort. Thanks to everyone, including the folks with whom I disagree on almost everything.
Wow! a pause. Sigh. A memory. A smile. A tear! Private. Burried but not lost. It’s a great glorious place.
(((((burns)))))
Christy,
Wonderful post. Although it pains me to think of the struggles you and Mr. RH had “trying for” the Peanut, sensing your joy in parenting reconnects me to the gifts in being a mother.
Am in Durham where the weather is beautiful.I love the idea that Emptywheel is a few blocks away at the law school conference on trying cases in the media. *g*
My “grown” daughter found her life’s work doing fulltime pro bono work at a law firm and now loves law school. She’s also met the love of her life in her class (sound familiar Christy?). Am here to help them pick out all the bells and whistles for the house they’re building. The best part for me is to see how just simply happy she is — plus I adore her fella.
We talked last night about how and where they want to raise their children some day. It’s hard to imagine my being a grandmother. *g* However, just love that these young people still feel such hope about our world and want to contribute.
BTW, they were telling me how charismatic and affecting just a simple conversation with Chemerinsky can be. Maybe it’s OK that he’s going to “the OC” and will be doing his good work among the Donald Brens of this world.
Good morning from L.A. Actually have the heater on here for the first time in a year, so fall must be making an appearance.
What is making me smile this a.m:
-kirk murphy reminding me yesterday of Lula’s, the funky, now quite gentrified, restaurant in Santa Monica we both remember when it was a paint-peeled beach dive. Used to walk over there barefoot, sandals in hand, from my apt. or after surfing. Great memories- thanks, kirk.
-This week is over- logged 78 hrs. working plus takehome work, so a fat pay packet coming next wk. Act Blue will get its share.
-Courageous men & women in Burma sending out news via the ‘net, risking their lives & liberty to let the world know of the outrages. I can only hope this cartoon posted on FDL yesterday isn’t the free world’s response to the situation:
Danziger: In Burma
Oleta Adams ’s song still makes me cry. We all have a story for this song. Thanks for the reminder.
Ken Burns doing the rounds this week, talking up his new documentary on WW2, which I’m sure is excellent.It got me thinking about this; which is still the definitive tv history, IMO. The “it made me smile” kicker is that it’s been reduced from $99 to $55! Damn you, Amazon Prime!
I am just happy that it is opera season again. We’re singing Samson et Delilah by Camille Saint-Saens, in French, and now that I am off-book, it is such a pleasure to sing it. The principals are in town, and we have a full day of staging, singing and acting coming together, and as they do, I find myself becoming a Hebrew slave in the land of the Philistines, seeing in my minds eye the prisoners in a production of Fidelio I saw in Florence several years ago; and then a Philistine, suffused with the beauty and fierceness of this world, until the temple of Dagon crashes down.
Not like my workadaddy life.
If you are having trouble smiling…
try this
http://www.moonshinepatriot.blogspot.com/
Despicable right-wing slugs being shown up for the hypocrites they are always make me smile.
I have question about a situation that’s got me so curious that I’m up at this early hour puzzling.
Can anyone here tell me if the term Caging refers only to illegal operations? Or is it merely an unscrupulous way of getting addresses?
This could be something very important?
I might be spinning, or I might be smiling, big.
ReneND @ 35
I get my seeds from Seed Savers http://www.seedsavers.org/ and have never been dissapointed
Prospero @ 54
Wow, i’ll have to look that up. I’ve always had an interest in his stuff.
Fall and Fridays always make me smile. The anticipation of food not yet eaten and games not yet played.
Going electric on next thread, but first…
Home Sweet Home – Motley Crue (acoustic live)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4rZW4MESXOU
lectric lady @ 79
Seed Savers is 26 miles from me and started right next to my alma mater.
I’m more than willing to visit since our children are being raised in an environmentally friendly manner.
I was awakened very early every morning this week by a barred owl’s wonderful call….makes me smile to think that even living in the city I can have the best of nature through an open window.
katherine Graham Cracker @ 76
“Chimpy & the Joker”. Ho Ho.
demi @ 78
From wiki:
Sounds like it can be both legal and illegal . . . good luck!
My best friend from high school days(class of 1961)and her husband stopped for a visit. We hadn’t seen each other since about 1968 or 9 and it was as though we had just been together yesterday. Great to spend a bit of time together. So good to treasure a long standing friendship. She enjoyed meeting the dogs she has heard so much about. They were mostly on their best behavior.
Thanks, PeterR,
At the risk of sounding like Al The Spook, I might have stumbled onto something while working a little temp gig.
I’ll put it this way, I’ve placed a call to Greg Palast.
lectric lady @ 79
Thanks. My new catalog is on the way!
What made me smile this week? So many things. We are sliding into an Indian summer here. My daughter, the kids in my classes, winter wheat going into the ground, getting ready for the cotton harvest, Lahoma, and on and on and…
Morning, Christy. When I moved to the boonies, I discovered Penzeys on line. I have used their double-strength vanilla in everything I could think of. The aroma is unbelievable. I use their vanilla beans to make a sinfully wonderful ice cream.
We recorded the ventriloquist Jeff Dunham: Spark of Insanity show off Comedy Central and watched it Tuesday evening. That was good medicine. I have an Eddy Izzard netflix DVD on the coffee table for viewing sometime this weekend. If I don’t take a break from all the bad political news once in a while I get really cynical and depressed. The deck is so stacked against us. I know that makes the victories that much more amazing, but it would really make my day to see the Democrats in congress do something besides roll over and beg for mercy.
Just last week I started having cool water from the tap. It has been my marker of when summer starts and stops here in AZ where the pipes are not buried as we don’t have a frost line.
We have had two weeks below 100 and my roses are starting to do their fall show.
Good Morning Everyone…
katymine,
You remind me that it is now safe to replace my worn out and heat stressed spring plants with some new geraniums. The downside is that our pool is too cold for me to swim in as of Wednesday. Thank goodness for the YMCA!
Couldn’t wait! “Keep your electric eye on me, babe”
Moonage Daydream – David Bowie (live)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otmN4mCFSp0
Christy!
What a beautiful post! There’s nothing as precious as a child. I remember when MiniRieszette was that age. She’s in college now.
I used to sing to her when I put her to bed. I can’t sing, but when they’re little they don’t know the difference.
katymine @ 93
Hi katymine,
what kinds of roses do you grow?
radiofreewill @ 95
I’m a space invader;
I’ll be a rock & rollin’ bitch for you.
radiofreewill
thanks for the juke, I’m collecting the links :)
katymine @ 93
Relatives in Scottsdale judge the end of summer from that, too. Blast furnace time appears to be over for a while. Have been reading last wk’s comments, & hope the next few days go well for you on every level, katymine.
Don’t know what’s making me smile but I bet I know what made Christy frown this morning. Something about a USF if I read correctly… ;})
What makes me happy…..ALL the wonderful support, suggestions and their own stories. The offers to ferry my elderly parents from Oregon and even if they were close enough to mow my lawn now that I am on “do not do anything strenuous”
Elliott – I have three climbing roses that go up my block fence, one called Jacobs ladder (multi color), peach colored & deep red. Under them I have about 10 little tea roses of various colors. In the front yard I went with a peppermint stripped cinnamon scented rose which makes the entrance smell wonderful. The others are in shades of the AZ sunset, lavender, apricot and flame.
Just another day in the ho-hummm adventures of George W. Bush. Our hobby horse prez who should be confined to a play-pen.
AP – Iraq’s sectarian violence claimed 18 more lives on Saturday, including six people killed when a suicide truck bomber detonated his explosive payload near a Humvee filled with Iraqi soldiers, officials said.
Christy,
A beautiful song. And, putting that song to the story of the peanut, it’s brings to my mind a favorite story I read over and over to my little ones: The Runaway Bunny.
That totally unconditional and everlasting love we parents feel for our wee ones, even as they grow up to big ones.
Here in LA, summer never seems to end, but we’ve already had some rain, and beautiful, gray clouds are “threatening” to bless us with more. Here, I have to curse the squirrles for taking ONE BITE out of each avocado before throwing them to the ground! Why don’t they finish one up before taking the rest? I’d be happy to share with them, but they’re little greedies!
Here’s another smiler: My 99 year old radical FDR Auntie saying to me last night: “kiddo, you’re not strong enough in yor viewpoints about the Republicans.”
Hit town like a freight train running…
Up in Smoke – Blackberry Smoke
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jkFGjgsD_N8
Oklahoma kiddo @ 103
in response the Congress will denounce the AP
snowbird42 @ 57
I did!, and left this impassioned plea:
Mr. Gore, we are witnesses of your epic life journey. We have watched the struggles, the anguish, frustration, anger of injustices, and loss of faith in us and rightfully so. We’ve watched you climb the mountains, and walked the less traveled paths, and choices made as roads diverged. Your ship had sailed into the eye of the storm and you faced the wraith of God and Man. Your endurance, strength, integrity, and courage has led you to this point in time. You are our Odysseus whose journey has been long and arduous. Now the hard work that lies ahead will test all that you have learned.
You will be the victor not only to the people you will govern but to the World. The hatred and deliberate destruction of our beloved country by the villainous pirates from the land of Milton Friedman have stolen from us to build the gold god on Wall Street. Our souls are scarred with shame, loss of world respect, uncontrolled greed, and World civilizations in ruins. Friedman’s ideological plan of capitalism slavery and eternal war has outlived it’s time. Mr. Gore, we hang our heads in shame. We ask you to lead us out of the wilderness and seek the world’s forgiveness.
Help us rebuild our country as our forefathers had envisioned, a Democracy. Mr. Gore, you can no longer hold back time as the new journey beckons. We await you to begin the restoration of our country and the fulfillment of your soul’s destination. We await your return to our shores.
From my favorite poet Aeschylus, “ In our sleep, pain which cannot forget falls drop by drop upon the heart until, in our own despair, against our will, comes wisdom from the awful grace of God.” Robert F. Kennedy
katymine @ 102
(((Good luck with your treatments, katymine!)))
Your roses sound absolutely gorgeous, I lov lov roses! The peppermint stripe cinnamon scent sounds interesting!
I got a sweet smile yesterday, I found a wayward violet blossom.
Oh so true.
I’m still learning how to use my laptop, and it takes so much time to correct my mistakes. It has limited my comments nearly everywhere.
But the thing that has got me through this month has been visiting FDL and dependable renegade. Sometimes commenting, mostly not.
The pups have such a lovely community and so supporting of one another. It makes me smile and often brings tears – but mostly good tears.
Thanks, pups.
In north Texas, we’re still waiting for any sign of fall. Hopefully, within the next few weeks it will arrive. In the meantime, this is the first, and my favorite, version of American Trilogy:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RiTjElq5Xjs
Is it true that Congress quietly approved more funds for the war? Someone said it yesterday but I can’t find an absolutely credible source that says so. Anyone know?
What made me smile this week? my boyfriend. it’s a little known secret that i happened to have snagged the best man in the world. who’da thought after so many years of trainwreck relationships? and my dogs. they make me smile and laugh each and every day. and bill maher, i laughed heatily at his new OJ rule.
those are good things to think about this morning as i continue recovering from the last 2 weeks of senate and house goings on on CSpan. not much to smile about there i’m afraid. i think Karen’s right ( http://www.lewrockwell.com/kwi…..ki192.html ). And so is Tom ( http://www.lewrockwell.com/cha…..ier88.html), and so is Bob (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bob-cesca/america-used-to-be-really_b_66370.html ).
Thanks for asking.
siri AT legitgov dot org
RockPaperScizzors @ 109
That gave me goosebumps. I am really emotional about this issue and agree that Gore must run. Randi also is saying that she will personally get this petition to him.
Rockin’ out the door, back tonight ‘pups!
Million Miles Away – The Offspring
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bamYBHYN3ME
That song, “Get Here” takes me back to the first Gulf War, when it was on the radio in Boston all the time. During the bridge, they played over greetings from soldiers in the field. Yeah, you would be driving and crying! If they brought it back now, imagine how hard it would be to hear for those with loved ones on second, third, fourth deployments.
Here in North Carolina we are also in severe drought conditions. It is a little cooler today, at least.
My 8 year old got glasses so he can see the board at school – and he looks like a little Chinese Harry Potter!
Sitting here at the beach in central California, crystal clear and blue. Fall really is the best time around here, no fog (no peeps either) just miles and miles of sand and shorebirds. The otters are out in full force too.
Hubby and I just sold our business and we spent all day yesterday planning our next phase of life (he used a wall chart and sharpie and I used PowerPoint :) I’ve been sad about selling but I knew it was the best thing for him so I’m trying to keep perspective and get excited about the ‘next thing’. And I think I’m getting there…
The plan is to move to the wine country and open a bed and breakfast so now we’re going to look for property. (We’ll worry about the money later!:)
For the gardeners: check out Copia’s raised beds in Napa (there may be pics online somewhere). they are gorgeous! That’s what I plan on putting on the ranch someday if we have one….they’re made of stacked flagstones/local stones and they are very large, with themes to each raised bed.
A lovely post and quite a week. This week will be the first birthday of my mother since she died last year. A woman of such gentle hands and heart. And I had “small” surgery on my face, but gratefully, accompanied by a high school friend, gently taking my mother’s place in a waiting room, and who laughed wonderfully when I noted my bandage that looks big as a “diaper.” Surgery is never really ’small’, is it? And last night, I was deeply grateful that Bill Moyers is still out front with a voice of truth even as we are being warned that our sites are on Iran: will we ever learn? I am so grateful for his wise and gentle and truthful voice. And this companionship through our troublesome journey. Small progress against the death penalty. Cool mornings even here in TX. Thanks for asking.
snowbird42 @ 115
Thank you. I just feel the past and current events have become an epic tale as written by Homer, Virgil, Tolstoy, and Tolkien. It’s as if we are living through the Iliad and The Odyssey. And we are awaiting for the unsung hero to step forward to lead us out of this disastrous Milton Friedman nightmare. The question is have we reached the climax?
Ok, I won’t be a downer.
What made me smile this week?
My 90yr old aunt. She was complaining to me that her neighbors weren’t friendly enough toward her. She said she sat outside for awhile and nobody came and talked to her. I said “what about your neighbor ‘Joe’, he’s usually friendly?” Her response:”OMG, he doesn’t shut up, I saw him coming and went in the house.”
chun yang @ 117
That may be one of the best side effects of the popularity of Harry Potter, that smart kids with glasses are cool.
Mini Rieszette got glasses at about that age. I told her I thought girls look really cute in glasses, which is true, but I would have said it even if it wasn’t.
“My 8 year old got glasses so he can see the board at school…”
Good deal!
Thanks for all the great music links this a.m., radiofreewill & all others. The FDL community. Like the sound of that…
Here’s a vid clip of Bessie Smith doing St. Louis Blues (St. Louis Woman) in an early talkie. I’m into the early films, since now work in film research & restoration, & this is so wonderful, for the speakeasy dance scenes as well as Bessie’s marvelous turn. Note the waiter spinning the drinks tray like a ball on his index finger. Good stuff:
Bessie Smith & Co- St. Louis Blues
Beautiful post Christy!
4 things this week that made me smile.
My very good friend has been suffering with horrendous symptoms for a few months, leading to a colonoscopy yesterday. Against all doomsday predictions by her doctor, she is fine, and the problem was benign and was very easy to fix. Lesson learned: even if it looks really, really, really bad…there is always hope.
I was sitting on another friends log cabin porch under the trees in the evening having a beer and talking…she suddenly jumped up screaming that she felt something really big crawling on her…I jumped up and we were both squealing. She got a flashlight and found the culprit…a tarantula! It turns out that a young man, who was her houseguest for a few months, prior to enlisting in the service, would sit out on that porch every night and play with the tarantula, so we figure it was looking for him.
On that same porch, we watched a squirrel repeatedly tease her dog by inching down a nearby tree…walking across the ground toward the porch, where her dog was lying, and chirping…closer and closer, until the dog leapt up and chased it back up the tree…over and over and over…we laughed so hard.
I just looked out at my garden and noticed that the hummingbirds are still here. They should be flying south any day.
I love Saturday mornings at the lake.
This community gives me hope that my children may live in a better world.
We have something precious here and I feel among family.
Thanks Egregious for your welcome to all prospective firepups.
Peace.
Good Morning Christy and Pups.
We gave one of our now-6-yr-old kitties a new toy this week, and she’s playing like a young kitten, cartwheels and all, then hiding it and coming to beg us to look for it with her. Ya just gotta smile, especially when either of the kits comes and simply wants a big long smooch. ;->
Another big smile this week: Sherrod Brown’s vote FOR SCHIP and AGAINST the Liarman-kyl amendment. I tried ta tell you guys… Now I don’t have to. Just watch him fly on strong wings. That’s a good Senator there, from day 1. imho, a-course. ;->
My honey, and our 2 “boys” make me smile, always, without fail. They are my treasure.
Bonus: they understand and appreciate my FDL fettish. ;->
I am happy for you, Mr. & Nrs. Redd, and for your precious Peanut. Thank you for all you do.
For all my pals and family on Oklahoma. And of course Lahoma.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v…..k&NR=1
Jim Clausen,
How very kind! Thank you.
I have to questions left over from being Greece and would like to hear your opinion.
1. Fresh eggs are not refrigerated, they are found in cartons on the shelf. The shells are harder than hell and thought I would never crack the eggs. I understand that is common in Europe and wondered why.
2. At tourist sites and at the museums, many of the Italian & French tourists do this posing thing like they are Vanna White, pointing to the antiquity or statue. This posing drove the museum attendant’s nuts at the National Archaeological Museum in Athens. They actually made people leave the museum if they would not stop. Any idea what that is about?
((((bhatten))))
selise @ 11
When you don’t want to craft a whole recipe or simply don’t have the time, just blanch the stuff, pack tightly (ziploc or such), LABEL (heh), & pop it in the freezer. Next winter when you have a few scraps of leftovers and no ideas for dinner, combine with some of today’s haul and some broth, even a can of great northern beans, or some rice or pasta, for some quick, scrumptious, homemade soup or stew.
Garnish with a little twizzle of herb or anything really fresh, and you’ll look like a regular Mahtha KosteyeraSTEWrt, with a fraction of the work. ;->
Marie Roget @ 124
Got an email about the clip. Watch the whole thing, jlk- guess you’ll be amazed by the depth & breath of it. Bessie’s last scene wraps it around. More info here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Louis_Blues_(film)
Europeans angry after Bush climate speech ‘charade’
http://www.guardian.co.uk/envi…..matechange
Jim Clausen @ 126
Beautifully said. I’d like to join you if I may. FDL Huzzah! and Thank You All.
Gratitude this week is easy. My son who’s been deeply depressed for six months has started therapy and meds — and is at last filled with hope. As am I. There is so little you can do for your children once they’re grown — but it sure doesn’t stop you from walking the floor.
(((MK’s Son)))
It is catching Egregious.
Congrats on your renewed relationship with your daughter!
Oklahoma kiddo @ 134
I also am angry. He even had the gall to wink and smirk, as if he invented the subject. There are no printable words in my vocabulary at the moment, worthy of applying to that [0].
What made me smile this week was going to a James Blunt concert in a tiny club and standing front and center, four feet away, to watch him sing “You’re Beautiful.”
Crisp, white cortland apples fresh from the farmer’s market, fantastically shaped gourds, zinnias and sunflowers, gladiola. I love this time of year too.
I’m grateful for Pull up a chair saturdays, and all the great tips. My week was enriched by books recommended here: Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert, Mountains beyond Mountains by Tracy Kidder and Notes from a Small Island by Bill Bryson, special thanks to those who recommended them.
Hi pups -
This week I’m grateful for my family, for the courage of my patients (who have so much to bear), for the courage of the Burmese people – marching and protesting as I write, and for the mutiny within the Burmese military….
a salutory lesson to all who live in nations where democracy and freedom are subordinated to those who go to work with guns on their belts.
It’s almost as if there is a tune coming from the page. Long ago, I loved the song “Come Saturday Morning”; still plays well. Thanks, Eg. and all.
carmen @ 140
Carmen,
I love Bill Bryson’s works. Thanks for the tip passed along among the community. My best to you.
What really made me laugh this morning was this joke a friend sent.
I bought a new Lexus 330 and returned to the dealer the next day because I couldn’t get the radio to work.
The salesman explained that the radio was voice activated.
“Nelson,” the salesman said to the radio.
The Radio replied, “Ricky or Willie?”
“Willie!” he continued and “On The Road Again” came from the speakers.
Then he said, “Ray Charles!”, and in an instant “Georgia On My Mind” replaced Willie Nelson.
I drove away happy, and for the next few days, every time I’d say, “Beethoven,” I’d get beautiful classical music, and if I said, “Beatles,” I’d get one of their awesome songs.
Yesterday, a couple ran a red light and nearly creamed my new car, but I swerved in time to avoid them. I yelled, “Ass Holes!”
Immediately Hail-to-the-Chief began playing with Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld on trumpets and Condoleezza Rice doing the vocal.
Damn, I LOVE this car!
The Harvest Moon, my daughter’s favorite time of the year, gave me some peace last night as we watched it from a playground in the dark.
Only yesterday morning I literally wept while thinking about the future that might be in store for her in this country.
carmen @ 144
Laughter. The best antidote to the blues. Thanks
SuburbanGirl @ 145
You have lots and lots of company here at the Lake. I hope that gives you at least some measure of peace.
We.Will.Not.Give.Up!
bhatten @ 142
And speaking of Come Saturday Morning: Muddying The Blackwater
New thread from Phoenix Woman.
Adie @ 132
howdy adie!
i just made another (smaller) batch of ratatouiie, which is now (mostly) in the freezer. that took care of my tomatoes, zuchini, eggplant and some of the onion and garlic.
i’ve got a bunch of small-med sized cabbages, carrots, lbs of potatoes (i’ve got about the last 3 weeks worth in my fridge), 2-3 lbs of tender beets and beet greens, celery, leeks, winter squash, swiss chard, some other green i don’t know the name of, basil and cilantro. oh, and a couple dozen bulbs of garlic (but that keeps pretty well).
which of these do you recommend for your method of freezing? i was thinking of roasting some of the potatoes, carrots, leeks, and quash in the oven with olive oil and salt today… but that’s not for freezing.
the beets and cabbage have me stumped (probably ‘cuz there’s so much of them!).
And that’s not to nmention the babe-a-licious Julian Sands and the adorable Rupert Graves running about in the altogether.
Here’s my LA Times “Dust-Up” with Andrew Breitbart in its entirety
David at 150 — Ooooh, Julian Sands. Now how did I fail to mention him — he’s such a hottie in that film. And the scene when they go to “have a bathe” is a gem. ;-)
I wish every American could see this beautiful video.
http://www.lucasgray.com/video/peacetrain.html
I hate it when anyone writes about counting fingers and toes. Our younger daughter (age 9) also was almost lost in utero, after amniocentesis (which showed all clear) resulted in loss of all the amniotic fluid, requiring weeks of bed rest that luckily did the trick. She was born with polydactyly of both hands (sixth finger) and both polydactyly and syndactyly of left foot (six toes but 3-4-5 joined, so the two feet are equally wide). Of course this was unrelated to the amnio problem, as we later learned; finger and toe buds appear much earlier than 3 months. But still it sets my teeth on edge whenever anyone talks about counting fingers and toes.
thanks for the reminder to enjoy the day–just lost a very close friend to cancer and needed to hear about the pleasures of the here-and-now.
Wow Christy,
That song made me delurk. This site has gotten me to cry, laugh, and get angry enough to call my Senators twice in one day — I can’t thank you enough for all that you do. Music can be such a powerful thing — and this song by Oleta Adams really got the tears flowing — in a good way. Thanks again.
Scarecrow @ 47
I heard David Shuster say that he was going to be doing Tucker on Mon & Tues next week. Yippee.
Hi everyone,
Christy, we chose not to have children, and I’m not especially religious, but I can tell you that there is nothing else I pray for more fervently than someone else who wants a baby. I’m thrilled for you, Mr. ReddHead, and The Peanut. I love that Oleta Adams song, too.
This was a good week. Two of my friends’ books debuted. I got some recognition. Plus, fall has arrived in the beautiful Pacific Northwest.
-S
selise @ 149
Here’s a nice little beet salad recipe:
Make a dressing: combine and whisk 3 Tbs. olive oil, 2 Tbs. rice vinegar, 2 Tbs. orange juice, and 1 1/2 tsp. orange zest.
For the salad:
-4 two to three-inch diameter beets, unpeeled, scrubbed, all but 1 inch of tops removed
-1 Tbs. olive oil
-salad greens
-1/2 cup walnut pieces, toasted
-4 ounces soft fresh goat cheese, crumbled
-Thin strips of orange zest
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss beets with the olive oil and roast them until tender, around 45 min, or to taste. Cool beets; peel and cut in 1.2 inch wedges.
Mix salad greens, walnuts and dressing in large bowl-toss. Top with the beets, and sprink with goat cheese and orange zest.
Enjoy!
Wonderful song, Christy.
What’s making me smile: well, some time ago a friend agreed to help me redo the screen porch at our house. We’ve lived her 21 years and never used it. After much work -sanding off FIVE layers of horrible green, black and grey paint –we discovered red oak flooring underneath. Then a LOT of sanding, coating with polyurethane — and more sanding & coating, times three –, and voila!, we have the MOST beautiful floor. Next, more framing.
About 10 days ago my son called: “Mom, they got me a press pass for the Washington game!!” He writes for the USC school paper, and usually covers home games. [Next year = away games.] So, much talk about flights up to Seattle, then hotel. I’m imagining him up there now, in the press box (so no problemo if it rains!). Game starts @ 5 Pacific Time. This is really heaven for him.
And now, after a morning of work, I’m going to settle in and watch a LOT of football!
Oh, and tomorrow I’m co-hosting a fund-raiser for Josh Zeitz, who’s challenging Chris Smith [Mr. Anti-Choice] in the 4th District of NJ. We already have 73 folks coming.
In a while, it will be fund-raising for “my” guy, Andrew Duck (MD-6).
Mauimom @ 160
Mauimom, we’re thirty miles east of Seattle, and held Husky season tickets for fourteen years. I’m so happy to know that your son’s in the press box today, and having the time of his life!
It’s overcast and chilly today — perfect football weather. The game’s being shown on ABC, so hopefully, everyone will tune in!
-S
Sleater-Kinney’s Sympathy is on topic.
Also my nomination for best use of the word “mommies” in a rock n roll song.
Julian Sands moved to Los Angeles shortly after A Room with a view premiered, Christy. When I lived in more or less the center of Hollywood I used to see him jogging by my house every day — shirtless.
He’s a terribly nice felllow, a really good actor and ONE FABULOUS BABE!!!!
beautiful song. just beautiful.
susan @ 153
kyl-leiberman, dick cheney and hillary clinton just luvvvv that video……….lotsa targets! lotsa targets! good times! good times!
David Olsen @ 31
Can you spell potemkin? Yes, I knew you could.
chun yang @ 117
Explain to me please, if Harry Potter and his friends have magical powers, then why doesn’t he fix his own eyesight.
Glasses are awful to have to wear. I hated them as a kid. Now I appreciate being able to see more than I worry about the annoyances. But, oh what I’d give to have the power to fix eyesight problems.
RockPaperScizzors @ 120
Change is made when the course ahead is obviously going to be more painful than an alternative and in some cases it has to be significantly more painful else the desire to ’stay the course’ and wait for a better day could hold sway.
But, in our society the pain has to be noticed and felt by those who have the great power. Anybody else who complains just “isn’t serious”.
So, when will the powerful be feeling the pain?
So far they haven’t felt much of the Bushie pain. They’ve been profitting like gangstas.
If some of the mortgage industry junk starts bankrupting more banks, then there’ll be some attempt at corrective action. But, whether it hits really big is yet to be known.
Security wise America is fine. Nobody can overthrow this behemoth. Only we could do that. We might be nuked, but that’s destruction and not overthrowing. We might face terrorism, but that’s just a pinprick and not overthrowing. We’ll certainly see political change, but that’s not overthrowing.
What will get the attention of the Rich is only economic pain, which is why the Bush adventurism is only a gain for some of them and no pain to the others who enjoy tax cuts.
Actually, they’re more likely to rebel against a Dem president who tries to fix things by calling for an end to the Bush tax cuts. See, they don’t care about fixing most things and the tax cuts would definitely annoy them.
Now, some companies which have problems with health care costs are beginning to notice. Many cities and states are noticing health care costs, but they’re not so powerful.
Health care costs and mortgage industry problems combined is significant, but certainly fixable…and that’s what the Rich most want from a Dem activist president and Congress. More than that and they’ll begin to wonder.
However, there are clearly problems to be fixed which aren’t economic, so there might be some nose holding and playing along to let Dems fix some of these other things so long as they primarily take care of the “real” problems the Rich face.
What we down here wonder is whether the Rich understand the seriousness of the growing disparity in wealth and what effects it could have if Dems aren’t allowed to address it with systemic structural changes.