We must constantly look at the world in new ways...

"Friendship is unnecessary,
like philosophy, like art . . .
It has no survival value;
rather it is one of those things
that give value to survival."
Jack Lewis (1898-1963) British writer

Aaliyah and my Christmas cactus

Taking pictures with a digital camera has it's drawbacks...
the timing for one, not easy when your subject can't hold their pose.
Aaliyah is making very pretty sounds on my piano,
it takes a lot of concentration and a little tongue.
This is what you get when you tell a 3 year old to smile.
This is the cactus that Lillian gave me. Lillian is
Aailyah's great grandma, however, Aailyah seems
to be a little confused about that. She thinks her
Grandma Linda is Lillian and that Lillian is Linda.

Oh, maybe it is confusing .

Lillian and her conspiring daughter Linda
were very sneaky about giving me this plant.
They even had me unknowingly pick out
the pot it's planted in.
I told Lillian I always wanted a Christmas cactus and she
took what I said to heart, snipped pieces of
her plant, soaked them in water for a few
months, then potted it and gave it to me for my birthday.

I've had the cactus for a about 4 months now.
It's a big responsibility...

We'll get an update of Aailyah and my cactus at Christmas time!

Healing flowers

When you take a flower in your hand and really look at it,

it's your world for the moment.

I want to give that world to someone else.

Most people in the city rush around so,

they have no time to look at a flower.

I want them to see it
whether they want to or not.

Georgia O'Keeffe

Let us open our leaves like a flower, and be passive and receptive. - John Keats

With a few flowers in my garden,
half a dozen pictures and some books,
I live without envy. - Lope de Vega

The Earth Laughs in Flowers- Ralph Waldo Emerson

This and That

Resume'

by Dorothy Parker
Razors pain you; Rivers are damp;
Acids stain you; And drugs cause cramp.
Guns aren't lawful; Nooses give;
Gas smells awful; You might as well live.

Don't worry, there is no hidden message here... I just like the wit of the poet Dorothy Parker.

The people who decide what signs to place on the road have no direct contact with me. However, I was not doing just that, as I passed a sign, going 72 mph that stated in big, bold letters to "Concentrate on your driving"

Not really concentrating on anything in particular - I could have been retrieving a message off my cell phone, looking through a stack of cd's piled on the seat next to me, watching a fly buzz and bang against the window, clouds in the sky. Any number of things might keep me from ever really concentrating on my driving. In fact, I never give driving a second thought when I'm behind the wheel. Even the sign itself proved to be a distraction as I thought about it for miles and miles wondering if any of the people passing me were concentrating on their driving. I watched people. My guess is no one is.

Turn the key, hit the gas and do everything but take a nap between driveway and destination. That's my approach. A scene from a movie comes to mind. The camera pans around a car as a family travels through the night to reach their vacation destination. Kids and dog are sleeping propped up against each other in the back seat, mom is leaning comfortably on a pillow tucked up between the seat and the window in the front seat, sound asleep. Then on to the dad, Chevy Chase, is behind the wheel, head laid straight back, mouth open and snoring evenly. This scene doesn't end well- screaming if I remember right.

I worked with an older lady many years ago who never married and never had children. She was always bringing pictures of her dogs to us. I thought she was nuts. Dogs in little hats and sweaters that we oohed and aahed over to be polite. Now I'm fascinated myself by Zoey, Jack and Tiffany. They are in a little training session and focused on receiving their treat. Maybe she wasn't nuts.

Restoring a 65 Chevy Impala

The Castle's

Stacy, Zoey, Scott, Jack

The welcome committee at the Castle house - no need to beware though,
Tiffany, Zoey and Jack are just big happy dogs!

Zoey and Jack never get tired of each other and

my reluctant daughter
poses for the camera. Dogs never sigh at you for wanting to take their picture!

Scott gears up to work on the 65 Chevy Impala that he is restoring.

There is a lot of sanding to be done.

This is some kind of hydraulic system in the trunk.

Is that a coffee can in there?

That reminds me of the Dogde Dart I drove when I was 19. I took it to a mechanic once because I was away from home and they were laughing and asked me who normally works on my car. I said 'My dad, why?' and they pointed to a coffee can that was serving some purpose with the engine. Ingenious! That's what I say!

See the sparks fly...

The man center in the shop.

Scott's derby car sits outside the shop.

Look not in my eyes, for fear

LOOK not in my eyes, for fear
Thy mirror true the sight I see,
And there you find your face too clear
And love it and be lost like me.
One the long nights through must lie
Spent in star-defeated sighs,
But why should you as well as I
Perish? gaze not in my eyes.

A Grecian lad, as I hear tell,
One that many loved in vain,
Looked into a forest well
And never looked away again.
There, when the turf in springtime flowers,
With downward eye and gazes sad,
Stands amid the glancing showers
A jonquil, not a Grecian lad.
--A. E. Housman

Chocolate chip cookies 101

What you need to get started - the KitchenAid really helps!
Put flour, baking soda, salt in a seperate bowl and set aside.
Cream your butter - use the real stuff for the best cookies.
Add sugar and beat it!
brown sugar too...
The key to the whole thing...good vanilla.
4 eggs...
now add flour mixture
finally the chocolate chips.
Voila' a big bowl of dough!
Chocolate chip bars.

Not nearly as tender and romantic as cookies,

but I discovered too late that my cookie sheets
are still at my daughter's house.

Habitat For Humanity

Paul - our crew boss and Brian taking a little break. Paul has been working on this house for seven weeks already. He spends time here after work evey day and the weekends. He relies on a multitude of volunteers to see this project through to completion.










Jack, Paul, Dennis and Brian - still smiling at the end of the day! Paul asked us to bring gloves, brooms, masks, patience and good attitudes. We had all of that in abundance!

We insulated the main floor of the house so masks and
gloves were an important part of our uniform.

Paul taught me how to use some noisy,
electric saw thing to cut out the windows.
It took every bit of strength I had to hold
on to it and not cut into the house.

I couldn't get over the great view and kept commenting on it to everyone, including Deb, the new owner. Might have been nice had someone clued me in that the couple is blind. Oh well, it's a great view and a lovely breeze from way up on this hill.

Dennis working hard up in the house while the rest of us take a break.

Lunch arrived and the tired crew takes a break. This is a great group of people and was a very rewarding experience.

The other Dennis - he's been working so hard
and has a kind word and smile for everyone.

Deb and her husband are
looking forward to move in day.

We learned how a house is wrapped. A pretty good wind is blowing at this point, which made this process a little tricky.

After a little trial and error they worked out a system - team work at it's best! The old saying "many hands make light work" comes to mind. My job was to help smooth out wrinkles and hand them staples...and so the nickname 'staple girl'.

The first corner was the hardest...

Paul checking on his crew below. We had an accident free day - Patti holds up the ladder for Brian. She also worked hard at getting all that insulation installed. The insulation material is pretty toxic stuff - itchy and scratchy too - so we needed a breather after that. Patti is wearing her mask on her head while she takes a coke break.

Our day jobs are sitting at a desk so we look pretty good out there. I thought we made a great team!

Thanks for inviting us for the day Paul. You are doing an awesome job an admirable service to the community! You inspire the spirit of volunteerism in all who work with you.