Category Archives: Miscellaneous

Happy Labor Day to You All!

Weather in the Tries: We will have mostly sunny days, with the highs ranging from 79 to 87. The good news is, it is cooling, and the last couple of mornings, on the early walk with the Big Chihuahua, it actually felt a bit like Fall is knocking at our door.

The bad news is, when Fall falls, so do the dried zombie leaves who attack small dogs to eat puppy brains. 

I dated a guy back a few years, and at lunch one day, he asked me what my favorite season is. I had to think on that a minute or two, and then I answered, “Whatever season I’m in.” Too much of a good thing isn’t all that great—but I do, truly, like all the seasons. And think it marvelous that I live someplace where I get all four of them!

I have finished my chapbook, Saying Goodbye to Thomas. I had planned on waiting a bit to do that, but one of the publishers I wanted to send it to was closing the door to submissions, so…

A great big Humongous Thank You to those of you who read or are still reading. I can make changes/corrections and or additions to it right up until the contract is signed.

A follow-up on last week’s introduction to the OP’s mug shot. There have been several bits seen or heard here and there, that the Sheriff of Fulton County needs money, lots of it. AND FULTON COUNTY OWNS THE MUG SHOT OF THE OP! I wonder if Fani Willis will add a new charge to the indictment—infringing on copyright. I wonder if the County can claim all the money already raked in from the sale of the merch? As well as what comes in later? Stay tuned. It ought to get even more interesting.

I received my Jury Summons a couple weeks ago. Called the jury hotline and I get to stay home this week. Need to call in on Friday to determine about next week. I’ve been called four or five times, but never seated on a petite jury. One time, a week after receiving my summons I got a registered letter from the County telling me to disregard the earlier summons that I was on the next Grand Jury! That was fun. We didn’t have to decide the guilt or innocence, just let the DA know whether he had enough ham for the sandwich.

I am feeling better, I’m submitting work. Wrote a funny poem about my pup and submitted it to a contest. Sent a funny 200 word short story to a magazine, and have submitted Saying Goodbye to Thomas to two possible markets, and have written a third market. The third one is not open to unsolicited manuscripts, but they published one of Thomas’s books, so I thought they might be interested in at least reading mine. We’ll see. 

Speaking of Labor Day, my stepmother went into labor and had my sister on Labor Day. Not this labor day, one a few years back 😉

And I take my first Death Doula class on September 11th. How’s that for irony? Every Mon & Wed, for 2.5 hours for 8 weeks. That’s one of my many gifts from Thomas. A way to help others. A doula is a midwife. I imagine we’re all familiar with the Birth Doulas, well, I want to help people at the end of their life. Help them, and their families to have/witness a good death. 

Here are two photos I took while with Thomas. The black and white one is of a hazel tree. I wrote a poem about it raining even when it wasn’t. The flicker at the suet feeder was quite the ham. She (Thomas said she was a she) seemed to enjoy posing for Thomas. Have way too many shots of the suet feeder and birds and squirrels arguing over it. The suet feeder was right outside Thomas’s window. The Hazel tree was at the edge of the lawn, also out his window.

Have a marvelous week. The Brave Dog says to eat your Wheaties so you can help defend small dogs everywhere from the soon to be expected invasion of dried zombie leaves that love to attack and devour puppy brains. Sammy says puppies need their brains so they can protect their humans. Wait. What?

A Bit of This, A Tad of That

OK, I promised something lighter after the last two, and here we go…

Numero uno.

Do you like the old Grade B (or worser) horror flicks? If so, have I found a site for you. Friday Night Frights on YouTube. Go to the right arrow and start with Episode #1. the first ones are in the five-minute range and are a hoot. The later ones actually have movies. I haven’t made it through the movies. Yet. But here’s the trailer. Full disclosure here, I’m friends with one of sound people who has been training me to do my podcasts. Grab a glassa, a bowl of popcorn, and enjoy.

Number two.

(Hey, I only took the first class of Spanish on DuoTrope!)

I had another poem accepted. Quill and Parchment, an online lit mag that publishes the first of each month. Russian Sage is in the August issue. Please, do stop by, read the magazine, leave a comment. Click on the photo to enter the site, then scroll to enjoy. If you’d like to leave a comment, use the Contact Us form at the bottom of the page.

Nummer drei.

(Yes, I actually lived in Germany for a couple years. Pronunciation: Nummer dry. I can order something to eat that isn’t more difficult than, oh, say, “kraut und wurst” which is really kraut and best, and I can order bier. Boy howdy, can I order bier. I can even sing (??) the bier song— In Munchen steht ein Hofbrauhaus hause, eins, zwei, sofa … I may not spell it correctly, but I’ve had bier there.)

I had an email the other day from some web developer wanting to help me improve my business, and FOR ONLY $500.00 a month, he would do it. Second best laugh I’ve had in a while. I was still getting emails from Team Other asking for my money at that time, but when they got up as high as nine per day, they got sent to Junk. After all, I can only take so much humor in these trying times. Of course, I know the actual Team Other isn’t sending any of these out, which makes them funnier, it’s all done electronically.

Numero quatre.

(French. Isn’t Google wonderful? I haven’t a clue how it’s correctly pronounced. Even with my hearing aids I can’t quite hear it. I also don’t have a clue how to get the accent marks in.)

Big Brother is Alive and Well. Well, maybe that should be clarified as Big Computer is Alive and Well. I sent one of Team Other’s emails to a friend, who in turn sent it on to another friend. Now, neither my friend nor I are on Facebook, though I’ve been thinking about rejoining. So, Other Friend is on Facebook, and as soon as she received the forwarded email, she started being inundated by ads from Team Other. I think I’ll continue to stay off Facebook. That was one of the reasons I left, actually, and don’t think I want to go back on.

Numer piec.

(Polish. I think it’s pronounced Numer pee aitsch. It has two accents I can’t load.)

Here’s a photo I took this past spring—21 Apr 20) of two mule deer, I’m guessing a doe and her yearling calf. The ‘beach’ they are on has been underwater for the last couple months. I’m surprised deer live on the island as people walk their dogs there and let them run free. They are supposed to be leashed while on the island, or in the park.

They look pretty hungry, actually. That was the only time I saw them, though one of my neighbors said she’d seen them several times. 

I love my apartment, and the view. It’s truly never the same from day to day. And when the weather is nice, and the boats and kayaks and paddle boards cavort, it changes by the minute.

Helu ‘eono

(Number six in Hawai’ian.)

A bit of nice news. I subscribe to Atlas Obscura, for Curious People. The definitive guide to the world’s hidden wonders. It’s been free since before I found it. I comes daily, with photos and short articles about anything from old gas stations to Dracula’s castle. Then, they started asking for paid subscriptions, one of the benefits being a rate break on the trips they sponsor. Since I have no intention of taking the trips, and since I can’t afford subscribing right now, I was beginning to feel somewhat guilty keeping my subscription going. And then an email came in stating one of the other benefits of a paid subscription is no ads. As long as I use the free subscription, I get ads, a slightly fuller wallet, and a clear conscious to enjoy. I even asked if I was reading it correctly, and they actually responded and said I read it correctly. If you haven’t checked out Atlas Obscura, please do so. It’s great fun. Unless, of course, you have no curiosity. But, if that’s the case, why are you reading this blog?

Now, wasn’t that an interesting post of bits and pieces? Kinder, gentler than the previous ones? And you may even have learned a thing or two. Isn’t that exciting?

Show your love; wear your mask. Show you care for your family, your friends, and your neighbors. Show those nasty old flowers you don’t care for their pollen. And y’all come back next week, same masked time, same masked place. The coffee is always on, the biscotti are home made, and we’ve always got time for a coffee break and a visit. (And, we’ll be socially distanced, so you can remove your mask. 😉

Auntie Lenora