A Heart Broken

 

I was sitting here trying to get motivated to work on my movie scripts.  Two of them. So I turned on my record player and started playing records. Everything from Henry Mancini, Neil Diamond, The Pointer Sisters (for my work out) and migrating to the Beatles. The Beatles ’65 album was great. The nostalgia thing was going well, so, I dig through my collection for more.

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Isn’t it great when you can listen to an album and get transported back in time, even to a time perhaps you shouldn’t have?

There are great times in the past and maybe times best left in the past. This may have been one of them, but then maybe not.

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I sat here smiling at A Hard Days Night, remembering the time a bunch of us kids got into a friends ’53 souped up Chevy ala “American Grafitti” to go to a drive in, ala “Grease”.  I sat in the front with my friend and I do mean just friend. We piled in several others into the trunk of the car to sneak them in.  Once we got situated, they’d pop out the back seat.

Then a series of songs came on and I was overwhelmed.

Have you ever had your heart broken and have the pain be so excruciating that you think you could die?  Well, that’s what I was experiencing now. How can an album do that?  How can one song especially do that?

 

I was at first in so much pain just now, I could’t explain it.  I didn’t know what the how was I just knew it was something that happened in the past. Then it all came gushing forth.

As I listened to this song it was as if I was transported back to that time and the tears began to spill and fall and it was all I could do not to blubber. My heart was broken all over again. I had loved and lost, not once but twice in a row in just one year and I remember feeling lost and oh so unloved. For awhile, I was that kid again.

I’d not only lost love but now I was pregnant. I remember fretting about how I would tell mother.  I was pregnant and no father. I knew what she’d say. It was my fault – I was “no good”, “a tramp” nad “who’s gonna love you?” “no decent guy would have you”!! It was true, I was unlovable.  It couldn’t have been more agonizing.  But, I would had to face the music alone. It was the 60’s and good girls didn’t get in “trouble.”

My mother was pregnant already with my little brother and now to drop a bomb like this.

I managed to keep it hidden until well into my second trimester until my brother was born, then braced myself.

I was an embarrassment to my family, a disgrace to the church and my young man gone.  People wouldn’t even acknowledge my existence. In the church I belonged to at the time, not even God loved me. No shower was thrown. They couldn’t show acceptance. To throw a shower would send the wrong message to other teens.  No balloons, no banner or congratulatory responses. I was shunned until her arrival like she was a disease.

I would do my exercises and listen to music and cry. More often my tears were more in query. I so wanted a boy to treat me like I saw them treating other girls. Special.  I never had a boyfriend go to bat for me. No, my “boyfriends” lasted a couple of months and then they’d throw me away like yesterday’s garbage.

What was wrong with me? Why couldn’t anyone love me?  It had to be me. I’m not good enough, I’m the scourge of the earth.  I’d go to the delivery room with a scathing mom who in the end transferred any love she was capable of having to my child. She would claim her as her own.

If you’d seen or known me then you’d never have known the weight I was carrying because that’s what I do.  I survive. I hide the hurt and the pain inside and keep on truckin’. Inside I was feeling such pain you could not have imagined but it all worked out.

At the time, I would reconcile myself to love and being loved by my beautiful daughter. She was gorgeous and she was mine. No one could take her away.

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Thanks for listening y’all.  I must be in a mood.

Eventually, I was reconnected with the lost love that gifted me my daughter and we are now good friends and… at 45, I finally found my true love and a very good friend in my husband.

It had never occurred to me then that all those years of physical and emotional abuse as a child had created a very needy person. I did, in time learn that I am lovable and now I feel like Sally Fields when she won her Academy Award, and burst out with “You like me!”

So even though I had an nostalgic meltdown, which I’ll chalk up to perhaps aging, I must confess,  I have a great hubby, a supportive family, friends and blog community so truly now, I am blessed with no complaints. It’s all good.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Other Woman

A long time ago, too many to count, I lost my first husband to the other woman.  It was sad and I was miserable but I got over it.

I moved on far quicker than I imagined I could.  How and why?

Well… for one, it was the third time.  In my mind, I’d reasoned that a man that strays is not a man worth crying over.  If you take him back  (and I did twice before) then he’ll continue to stray.  What incentive is there for him to remain faithful if you keep taking him back?  Is it worth the heartache?  Not at all. Besides, I had two daughters, what kind of message would that be sending them?

So, I moved on and was eventually okay with it.

Then I married a younger man and he had women pal friends. Oh boy!  They were friends before I came along, so why worry about them.  I found it incredible that there was not more to their relationships.  When he and I started dating, he talked of them often, it was always “Jenny” this or “Pam” that.  So, of course, I thought perhaps there’s more there than I realize?  Hmmmm.

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Jenny was the pretty one and his “favorite” climbing buddy. She was always available to go on trips with him and he loved having someone to climb with. On occasion it puzzled him that her husband had no problem with her gallivanting off alone with a single guy.  In the early stages of our relationship when we were just friends, I ignored any speculation. Easy peasy. Not my problem.

One summer, I took a climbing trip with my rock-climbing buddies and he went trekking with  Jenny and I thought perhaps Pam,  another one of his regular climbing partners, but he reminded me how the two women didn’t get along so it wasn’t likely they’d pair up with him. Could it have been jealousy?  No telling.  It was kind of funny actually.

In the meantime, my guys, ( I was with three) helped me set up my tent on a mound not far from theirs so they could keep an eye out for me while giving me some privacy.  I loved it.  I know little about my BF’s trip, but it didn’t matter.  We were after all only dating then.

Off track for a moment here. Now, for those of you unfamiliar with climbing in general, let me inform you that not all climbing is technical, meaning requiring ropes and harness.  In fact climbing routes have numerical classifications depending on their difficulty, so when I refer to “rock” climbing, then I’m letting you know it is more difficult or as some say “technical” which requires rope and harness pretty much all the time, except for the brave soul, and there are some who free climb regardless of it’s difficulty, but that’s not me. The hardest climb I ever did was a 5.10a (US) which I thought pretty tough,  but for a more experienced climber, probably not. When I refer to climbing fourteener’s, I mean peaks of over 14,000 feet in altitude, these may or may not require ropes at all, although it is possible. In fact, there are peaks of less than 14,000 feet, such as the Trinities in Colorado where you’d like to at least have the option of using ropes if necessary, which some in our group did. Later I questioned my own sanity for not having been one of them.  Most guidebooks will tell you if there is a probability of needing them depending on your own caliber of expertise. There are some heights and areas that although not necessarily difficult are so exposed that they can make you feel a bit woozy, so it then becomes more of a precaution than a necessity.  BTW, For me exposed means straight down or with very little to break your fall, should you fall. In cases like that you could get “sewing machine leg” which means your legs tremble uncontrollably from the tension and trepidation of taking the next step.  That can be especially true on lateral climbs but not so much on the vertical ones.  It somehow feels different.

 

Back on track. As our relationship progressed, my BF and I began going on trips together with his friends.  Mine were not backpacking climbers, so it was just me that migrated to the mountain climbing group.

I was a greenhorn when it came to this distance climbing.  While rock climbing required leg and arm strength with enough stamina to hike into the climbing area, climbing 14ner’s required more long distance stamina and in rare occasions, decent technical knowledge.  Usually in rock climbing, the places I went to required minimal trekking in and most areas, you could practically just drive up to get to them, like the City of Rocks in Idaho.

Climbing 14ner’s was tough in a different way.  I was always out of breath from the altitude… until someone cued me in on a trick.  But before I learned it, these new group of “friends” frequently left me in the dust while they practically ran up the mountain, found a spot to take a break and wait for me to catch up.  As soon as I’d get there, they’d put on their packs, wait a couple of minutes for me to take a swallow of water and maybe, if I was lucky, I’d get a bite of a granola bar before they’d be ready to head out again. I learned quickly not to bother sitting down because as soon as I sat down they’d be up, which was just as well because my legs would start congealing and it would be all I could do to get moving again if I sat too long.  Fortunately, I did get stronger. But that was at first and boy did Jenny enjoy being the queen bee in those early days.

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Even my BF (hubby) didn’t wait for me.  I remember half the time wondering why he was my BF.  It pissed me off because he’d be of with “her” or “them” and I was struggling behind.  I’d have to remind myself how I grew up at sea level and I was considerably older learning all new stuff to do. (I’m nearly 50 in those pictures above) It was all new to me so I was determined and at the end of the day I was glad of it.  I really loved getting to the top of peaks and seeing God’s creations in all their magnificent glory.  Not to mention testing my own strengths and tenacity. Getting left behind while Jenny, him and the rest of the gang were way ahead was quite motivating as well.

On one of the earlier camp outs, Jenny and I were off by ourselves and she tells me how she just can’t understand how he could fall for someone like me.  (Bitch!)  Without malice, I ask what she meant by that.  Her response, was… “you’re old-er”.. . Yes, that can’t be denied I am years older but she didn’t know how much older so her stating it cued me in on how she felt about him and how I was the interloper.

Huh!

I tell my BF and being a guy, a rock could land on his head and he’d never notice, but he laughed and said, “No way, we’re just friends. We both just like to climb.”

Riiiiight!

Then he adds, “besides, she’s married.”

No matter, I kept my eye on her because although Pam was a possibility, as a single woman, she never made any claims or try to mark her territory.

So, I used the principle of keeping your enemies closer and asked Jenny to go climbing on a trip my BF had done several times before and that she had failed on two other occasions, so it was good chance for me to have a partner and her to try again.  Gladstone sits between and near Mt. Wilson and Wilson Peak.  It pretty much required an early morning start, so like at about 3 am I’m up and a little later, pick her up. Soon we are headed out from home and arriving as early as possible and starting the actual climb at daybreak.

picture by John Kirk

We did Wilson Peak first then proceeded to head up Gladstone.  Unfortunately, it started snowing about then.  At first lightly and then suddenly humongous flakes begin coming down quickly.  It was an early autumn snow which was surprisingly wet, so note the foreground in the picture and the rocky ridge?  Well compound that with wet snow that because of the cold will freeze.  We get through about a third of the way and each step becomes progressively more tenuous.  I suggest we turn back. She says no, “she’s failed twice before and just can’t turn away again.” We went on a bit further until the snowfall escalated. In just a few minutes the places we’d passed earlier were completely white. It was my first attempt and though I felt for her, I wanted to see another day and wouldn’t continue.  Plus each step we took became slipperier as we progressed.  Getting there was possible, but the return?  When we turned around to come back, we both looked up to see what looked like giant alien stick figures materializing on the east face of the saddle where the snow had collected, across from Mt. Wilson.  It was like a sign from God.

As it turns out, we barely made it to this old mining shack we’d passed going up the mountain and took refuge there. It was still far from our vehicle, but until it abated some, it was a safe haven.  We worried it wouldn’t stop and we’d be stranded there overnight and I made calculations of what we had in our packs that could get us through the night. In light of that we made the decision to go for it. As it was, it was dark when we got off the mountain (remember, we started out initially at 3 am)  Sadly, it would be midnight before we drug our sorry bodies home.

I didn’t climb with her again.  Without sounding sexist, I observed that the climbers with more sense were generally guys and I trusted my hubby’s judgement best of all.  Some time later Jenny, would get a divorce and surprisingly, she did drop hints here and there which confirmed what I’d said.  Was he disappointed? I  asked.  Had she been free, would he have given her a second thought?  He was honest and said he didn’t know. The truth is, it was actually Pam he’d been more attracted to, but only because she was always up for a trip, other than that, he didn’t find her that attractive and she was so dang radical that he’d pretty much nixed her out as well.  As for my queries about Jenny’s climbing passion being more akin to his?  He said “No”, she wasn’t that great.  Yes, sure she liked to go out but he questioned her motivation because,  in retrospect there were times when she went on climbs with him that she failed the ascents, bailing halfway up. Her reasons were complaints of nausea and headaches, which to be honest, if you don’t adequately hydrate at those altitudes, it can be a problem.  As for abandoning climbs? Well, I too,  abandoned climbs before and in both instances I was with a singular other woman and both times it snowed heavily. I’d also heard stories my BF told me of times he should have and didn’t and how it could have been fatal. Then there were the news stories of people getting caught in blizzards and ending up dead or lost for days. It happens.

As for Jenny, I felt sorry for her because even though she remarried, it didn’t work out well for her that time either. From then on out, she climbed less and less but then so did we.  Age has a way of catching up to us, but for as much older as I was than they, I outlasted them all.

Oh, as for the trick I learned to survive the altitude and breathe easier?

Aspirin.

Bayer Aspirin Regimen Low Dose 81mg, Enteric Coated Tablets, 300 Ct

2016/2017 TAG

 

Hi my friends!

How are you ?

2016 is officially over on the entire planet and 2017 is here to tell us “Hello everybody!!” While we are still struggling with the realization of the dreams and desires that have not come true in the past 366 days, let’s start fresh.

So my friend, theguywhoalwayssaysno , thought to create an amazing: 2016/2017 TAG

What do you think of it ?

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I know you are already in love with this TAG, I can hear you all now.

Surely I’m not the first to send a tag, nor will I be the last, so do not start unnecessary arguments about who had the idea first, but have fun and that’s it.

It’s the first TAG that I’ve ever done, so we will learn together the rules and everything else:  I want to know all your secrets, so I’m super happy and fomented. ( lol)

EVERYONE CAN DO THIS TAG🙂

So, let’s start!

RULES:

  • Use the image that you find in this article.
  • Mention the blogger who has chosen you.
  • Answer the questions, below.
  • Mention 9 bloggers/friends and let them know through a comment on their blog.

Nutsrock, Badfish, londoner18, Roberta Pimentel, Richardo, Quill & Parchment, Calensariel, Notewords, Bunkaryudo.

 

QUESTIONS:

  • Describe your 2016 in 3 words.
  • Write the name of 2 people that have characterized your 2016.
  • Write the most beautiful place you’ve visited in 2016 and why you liked it so much.
  • Write the most delicious food you’ve tasted in 2016.
  • Write the event which has marked you more of this in 2016 (even global event).
  • Write the finest purchase you’ve made in this 2016, and if you want link a photo.
  • Write 3 good intentions for this 2017.
  • Write 1 place you want to visit in 2017.
  • Write 1 plate/food you want to eat in 2017

My Answers

  1. All is forgiven
  2. Two people:  My two independent daughters, Andrea and Tina. (They count as one since they share many of the same qualities and are the embodiment of me), and Julia Pajot – A music film composer from France who stayed with me this year and enriched my life in more ways than she knows.
  3. Laguna Beach – We could see kayakers in the water; see north and south beaches, plus ships and islands in the distance. Very pretty.
  4. Lunch at https://www.facebook.com/ChiguaclePlacitaOlvera/

5. Surprisingly, the deaths of Debbie Reynolds and Carrie Fisher. Not because they meant very much to me, so much as that mother and daughter would die so closely together. (I’ve heard of spouses doing so but not mother/ daughters) It is a reminder of how fragile one’s life is and how nothing is guaranteed.

6. I don’t do extravagant but – A bathrobe for my hubby. He’s never owned one before and after 25 years I only just learned that.

7. Three good intentions:  a. Take control of my eating habits, (ie cutting back on sweets) b. Finish and promote my own personal screenwriting works. C. Complete a successful adaptation of one of my fellow blogger’s amazing stories. (To be kept under wraps until further notice.) Wish us success!

8.  I used to travel a lot but haven’t in many years.  I would love to visit somewhere outside this country, other than Mexico. Will this be the year?

9. Foods to try. Hmmmm… I don’t know of anything I haven’t tried. Perhaps a local dish of wherever I get to go? Nothing specific comes to mind other than that.

Aaaaand it’s done!

I really hope you liked it my friends!

And now it’s YOUR turn: ENJOY IT!

TAG:Christmas  t(h)ree 

ciliegina's avatarArgentoblu

Questo TAG devo farlo immediatamente perché altrimenti non vale più! 😁😁

Ringrazio la carissima Oriana, http://www.oriana75.wordpress.com che mi ha invitato a giocare, che oltretutto è la ideatrice del TAG , le mando una galassia di baci. Poi cito le regole che sono semplici e poche:
1- Ringrazia chi ha creato il TAG e chi ti ha nominato, taggando di entrambi l’articolo del tag dell’albero di natale (questo, per intenderci).
2- Pubblicare tre foto di alberi di Natale o presepi: il proprio, uno dei tre a scelta tra quelli di chi ci ha nominato spiegando il motivo e citando la fonte e la foto di un albero di Natale visto in giro, nelle piazze, da un vicino di casa spiegando anche in questo caso dove si trova l’albero e perché lo abbiamo scelto.
3- Fare gli auguri ad almeno 3 amici invitandoli a giocare a questo tag.
Nessuna regola sull’immagine del…

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What is Christmas?

What is Christmas?

It is something to  consider when the focus off and on for some waivers between gift giving and receiving.

The most memorable Christmas I can recall and one I’ll never forget, was one I had with my sister not that long ago.

I know everywhere around the world, somewhere, there are people celebrating Christmas. What a joyous time of year it can be.

WHAT IS THE WHY?

With it having become so commercialized, we all struggle with having to remind ourselves of what it’s really about. It is a time to be reminded that over 2000 years ago we were given the best gift ever, the promise of a new King, our redeemer, Jesus Christ.

It wasn’t a baby Jesus that would bring about our redemption, but the grown up Jesus fulfilling a promise to His Father that would change our lives. But lest we forget, it had to start somewhere.  Though the exact date is unknown,  his humble birth came around the time we now refer to as Christmas.  He was our gift first with a promise.

Do we remember?

CHILDREN AND GIFTS –

I’ve read many posts that remind us that it isn’t the gifts that make Christmas. Is that what we are teaching our children?  How do they see Christmas?

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Is it a tree with lots of sparkly lights or the presents under it?

I remember one year I took three gifts for each of my grand daughters to my daughters house for Christmas.  It would be the one and only time we would celebrate with her in laws. As I came through the door, my grand daughters came running up to me and gave me an immense hug and said, “I love you grandma Jo!”  We placed our gifts under the tree to open later, for when the other grandparents arrived. They were late and of course, the girls were getting antsy waiting for them to show.

After some time, their father relented because well, it was Christmas morning!!

Excited, the girls opened our gifts first. The oldest got a Barbie, a coloring book and crayons. The younger one an age appropriate gift. My boys were still young at the time and I’m guessing they probably got Z-bots or Transformers, since that was the rage at the time. (There was 12 years difference between my girls and my two boys.)

They thanked us and gave us each a big, warm hug.

Just about then, the other grandma shows up and the girls rush over and say, “What did you get us?!”  Not hello, or Hi grandma, just “what did you get us?”. Grandma is followed in by Grandpa, who is loaded up with a boatload of gifts, making several trips and I’m not exagerating. The grandma says, “This is only part of them, the rest are at our house under the tree for when you come over later.

The girls then proceed to tear into their gifts excited at first, but after the first two Barbies and/or outfits, package after package is ripped open and the item thrown to one side as they moved on to the next one, barely looking at any of them. My boys just stared in shocked amazement.  Besides dresses and other girlie things, there was a total of 13 Barbies for each grand daughter. Yes, thirteen! They were barely six and three years old and as she said, that wasn’t all the gifts!

I was nauseous. How would my grand daughters ever learn to appreciate anything much less the reason for the holiday? That was the last Christmas we attended with the other grandparents. We would from then on take turns for either Christmas day or Christmas eve.

LESSON LEARNED –

My boys are now grown and so are the grand daughters.  My one son has a family now and last year we visited them in Texas.  It was February and I noticed several Christmas gifts still wrapped on the window ledge. I looked at him quizzically.

He said, “Mom, they got way too many gifts last year. I didn’t want them to do like the girls and not have a sense of gratitude.  We let them open a few gifts at Christmas and save the rest for later. It is their reward for extra good behavior (he smiles), it’ll be awhile.”  Smart man. Remember, this is February and there were still several unopened gifts, I can’t imagine how many they started out with. Thankfully, that Christmas many years ago had left it’s mark.

CHRISTMAS OR NOT CHRISTMAS –

Because it has become so popular and commercialized, there are people who don’t even believe in Christ that will celebrate  Christmas or some semblance of Christmas. Does it matter? To some Christians, it probably does.  For others, it only strengthens their resolve to stay focused on what it really means.

My mother in law, for example, claims to be an atheist and celebrates with lights (no tree) the winter solstice. I know she’s not alone in this, I’ve heard others make the same claim. She is quick to remind me that for her, it is the winter solstice.  I could make a big fuss and lose the relationship we have and never get a chance to “win her without a word” but I choose not to.  For now, it is what it is.  She’s a good person and a good mother in law and in time, who knows? I can only hope, by my example, that one day she will come to believe.

SOMETHING IN COMMON

One of the things I found interesting is that she and my sister who is a Christian, have a commonality when it comes to gift giving. They give from the heart.

IT’S ALL ABOUT THE HEART-

One of the best Christmases I ever had, was one I celebrated with my sister while living in Alabama. I’d moved there with my hubby to take care of my aging parents who were no longer married to each other and living in separate homes. Actually, mother was in a facility for a short time in Tennessee until I could bring her down after my step fathers demise. At times, it had gotten to be too much for me with mother’s Alzheimer’s and dad with cancer. I was going back and forth handling both their financial and medical needs, still working and going crazy doing it. Di and I were in contact regularly during this time and I guess I was sounding pretty wore out.  She says, “Jo, if you need me to come, I will.”

I didn’t want to put her out. She was single and her sole source of support. I couldn’t promise her a rose garden (or maybe it was, thorns and all) and it meant she’d be giving up her established job to help me.  Each time she asked, I hemmed and hawed until one day, I realized I wasn’t  “Supergirl” and said, “Yes, I need you.”

She packed up and quit her job, leaving sunny Florida for northern Alabama in what felt like one week!

She took the day time shift and I would do nights. Hers was more difficult. The estate would pay her some, according to what the courts would allow. It wasn’t much but she was okay with that.After paying the bills she brought with her, there wasn’t much left over plus she had no time to spend it anyway. Needless to say, that Christmas, money was tight.

I had bought her a scarf, a warm hat and gloves because Alabama can get cold.  Even though it’s “south”, it isn’t Florida.

I opened my gift in a decorated brown paper bag. In it was a couple of pencils, a handmade card and an orange.  I cried. It was the best gift ever!!!  It was so “Little House on the Prairie”ish (if you’ve read the books, you’d understand).  My heart overflowed and she was delighted.OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

So what is Christmas?  I see it as a continued opportunity to share our love.  It’s a reminder of the greatest gift of all.

It is giving to others with the same unselfish love that was first shown us. The love God showed when he sent his son to us. The self sacrificing love Christ showed in giving up his life so that we might live.

Christmas is about giving of self, giving when we think we have nothing to give. Teaching our children that the best gifts are those that come from the heart.

LOVE COVERS ALL

Di’s coming to help saved my life. I had a mini stroke shortly after she arrived. It may have been a release from the stress I’d kept bottled up those three years trying to do it alone. Perhaps her being there allowed me to collapse, knowing she would take the reins until I was better.  Together, we got through it and when one of us was down, the other would lift her up and so it went until both parents passed. There is no greater love than the love that causes someone to pitch in when they have little more to give.

CALIFORNIA to FLORIDA

I’m in California and she is back in Florida now and it hasn’t been easy for her. At our age getting reestablished can be tough, but her kid’s and grand kid’s are there and that means the world to her. They shared her with me for awhile and even though I’d love to have her here, I know how much it means to have your kids close by. I miss my kids and grands and Christmases with them with all of us in four different states and none of us that close. At least she gets to see her kids regularly.

What can I say?  The love I have for my baby sister is abounding and I miss her. I love you sis and I thank God for giving you to me!!!

That’s us in costume. Di may be shy but it was she that talked me into belly dancing after mom died. Oh what fun we had.  We made and accessorized all our costumes with yard sale material and gems (of course). Later, I would follow and support her in her art.  Art was an outlet that came out of her stress. She began using pen and crayon to entertain mother. Her first few were on scraps of paper, but I was so impressed with her work that I framed some and the next thing you know we’re doing art shows.  We are a team.

I am including two links that I’d love for you to visit.

http://dbeattycrayonart.blogspot.com/search?updated-min=2012-01-01T00:00:00-08:00&updated-max=2013-01-01T00:00:00-08:00&max-results=6

The above has her version of our story with mother. Keep in mind, our stories may vary slightly. She wrote hers closer to the actual event, whereas mine is by memory which is now six years past.

I highly recommend her  book “The Importance of Thomas”. It is a heart warming story about a small kitten that came into our lives on Christmas Day and his role during an unusually hard time for us. Now available through Amazon.

Thanks for following and a heartfelt and MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!

 

Started in the Mailroom

What a great commentary. He speaks of many truisms about the difference between racism and how people talk, which are not necessarily the same. How one’s attitude has more to do with success than race.

Neelabh's avatarNeedull in a haystack

startedinthemailroom

This needull tells the inspiring story of Roy Ratnavel, who fled the Sri Lankan civil war, started in the mail room and is now fairly successful senior employee at CI Financial.

Roy was living with four roommates in a cheap apartment in the Toronto suburb of Scarborough. “They got one newspaper, the Toronto Sun—just for the Sunshine Girl—we never read it,” he tells me. “But that night, I flipped through the job listings, and there was one that said ‘Office Help Needed. $14K.’ I applied—even though I didn’t even know what ‘K’ meant.” His offer letter, dated February 16, 1989—twenty-seven years ago—now sits in a frame above his desk. Reports of discrimination against hard-done-by immigrants make headlines, and rightly so. But it is also important to celebrate the millions of newcomers who are living the Canadian dream.

The complete story

Jonathan Kay — The Walrus

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Yes, they Do over near Tucson AZ -Badfish

Huh?

December 15, 2016

This is too funny.

I was getting all these “likes” and an unexplainable “Huh?” from BF for the above Title (comment) posted five days ago and I didn’t know I’d written it.

Some time ago I’d replied to Badfish on someone else’s post and didn’t realize that I’d done so as a “post”, so here I am looking at all these likes and wondering why the reaction to my reply.  It wasn’t that interesting. Really.

Now, I also know why Badfish responded as he did…

4 thoughts on “Yes, they Do over near Tucson AZ – Badfish”

I guess the truth is not everyone reads our blogs as well as we imagine they do ( I notice that with me, the ones I read most often are ones that don’t arrive in multiples on any given day, it’s just too hard to keep up with three or four from the same source.)

I’m sure some of my readers were wondering what the hell I might have been smoking when I wrote the headline and not following it with anything.  They probably had no clue nor understood what this one was all about.  Thank you for indulging me.

The truth is, it proves that unless we have a catchy title that draws one in for the read or are exceptional writers, like Badfish, we may not get our blogs read all the time.

Badfish and I go back a very long way as some of you may already be aware and I must admit his blogs are exceptional and few, which is a good thing. It gives me a chance to look forward to the next savory dish.We have, now and again, had a great deal of fun bantering and alluding to our relationship in our blogs. Why not, what are friends for?

 

However the above comment was mis-written and one that I later on corrected and sent, but only now discovered, never realizing or knowing the reason he hadn’t received it in the first place was that I’d “blogged” it in a title instead. (I did later resend it as you can see above)

Actually, the only thing that existed prior to me adding this little blurb was just the title.

By the way, the title was in response to his query about ostrich farms and where one is, in Tucson, AZ… at the base of Picacho Peak.

File:Picacho Peak.JPG - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

So there you have it, the rest of the story.

 

Yard Sales and Swaps

I remember when I was a young newlywed, I bought everything new.  Mother was all about keeping up with the Jones’.  Fortunately and unfortunately for me, my first husband had means. I had my own card and I could buy what I wanted, when I wanted. I traveled everywhere, many times just me and my girls or my girls and I, but occasionally with him. It was great on so many levels because I never worried about money.

I didn’t start out that way though. Although I grew up acquiring mother’s expensive tastes, I was also stigmatized by how she and Dad were always at war over money and her extravagant expenditures. I’ll never forget the first time my husband gave me a wad of cash and told me to go out and buy something. cash A few hours later I’d return and hand it all back to him, not being able to spend it. I would get literally nauseous buying anything. So for the first few times, he’d go with me to shop. It still made me nauseous because in those days (the 70’s) $100 for one skirt was outrageous.  Unfortunately, in time, I did get used to it.

After the divorce all that changed.  I was back to normalcy. Yes, I still liked nice things, always will, but I couldn’t always afford them and it really hurt emotionally to exceed my budget. Then there was that gut wrenching feeling I got worrying about how I was going to pay for the stuff if I overdid, which I did way too often. Truthfully, it was a harder habit to break than to acquire.

What had to happen was, this girl had to change her way of thinking and it took awhile. For one, you know that nauseous feeling I used to get spending? Well, I got it again, only now I was feeling sorry for myself having to settle for other people’s junk.  Yup!  That’s how I was. I had to go through a big attitude change.

So here’s a tip: It’s okay to save money. It’s okay not to go crazy buying things you-can’t- afford! Now I’m used to doing things this way and I love it.

Let me show you how I save money and make my home modestly awesome.

Although I’m focusing on the home here, I do find and buy designer clothes at yard sales and consignment stores as well. When I buy new, I look for the bargains.

I have a retro chic look  in my home and I’m good with that. Most of the time people come over and admire a piece and/or jewelry or accessory to an outfit and will ask.”Where did you get that?” Most of the time they already know, but I smile and say, “Yard sale”.

First of all, let me clarify. I do NOT buy undergarments or pants at yard sales. I do not buy beds or used couches. Anything that has been or could possibly have been in contact with someone else’s hoochy does not meet mine. PERIOD!

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAThere is also no buying of electronics. This comes from past experience and not worth the risk. Every once in awhile, I’ll break that rule.  Like when a retired couple planned on moving into a motor home to travel the country. From them we bought a good many things, including approximately 2,000 vintage books and magazines for about $400 give or take. They had owned a book store at one time and had a garage and house full of cool books and mags plus several bookshelves which were included in the purchase. We still have a garage full of books and we’ve already more than doubled our money back on what we spent without even making a dent in the inventory.

With scrupulous shopping, I can often find quality items that were once pricey at retail, for little money.

One of my first awesome buys many years ago were these old vintage poster prints for $10.  I had them framed (three of them) for close to $400. (Don’t tell my husband).  The previous owners were a wealthy family who’d traveled the world, so anything is possible.  I’ve not been able to locate a thing about the artists, so they may be worth nothing or worth thousands.  Who knows?  They are priceless, to me anyway.

We once came across a woman,  who was moving into a small high rise condo in Nashville with a deadline to be out of her recently sold home. She gave us pretty much every valuable item she wasn’t taking with her for $25.00!!! We had to make several trips back and forth filling our van at least three times, to pick them up.  We resold many of the items, but it was a literal steal.

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A numbered print of Balboa Park in San Diego

It took me awhile to learn how to shop yard sales, but its so worth it. Just think, the money you save can go for trips and other fun things.

If we aren’t shopping yard sales, we go to swaps and flea markets.  My hubby buys bicycle stuff, jerseys and parts and resells a good many of these on eBay. My yellow bike was a steal at about $20!

I bought my solid oak desk and file cabinet cheap.  Granted, I had to sand and stain them, but where else can you purchase all of that for under $25? (Not counting labor of course). The movie memorabilia fits my screenwriting themed retreat and I even got a larger than life Oscar statuette to boot.

And crystal. I love crystal, but you also need a cabinet for them.  The first cabinet, I inherited from mother, the second my hub found for $15. Within each are crystal, Lladro and china pieces, some of which were mothers and a piece my daughter picked up while traveling with her Badfish dad and various other pieces from estate and yard sales.

Some mid century modern end tables for the living area, (my yoga mat), deco items, like the hand carved bowl under the TV, pottery plates, (I’m a collector of funky candle holders), the fall door wreath, two large glass vases (pictured), and a TV stand plus many other items were all yard sale finds. Many are barely used and some still in their original packaging and never opened. The dog, a Papillon, was found and free. I’m told that if we had papers on him, he’d be a thousand + or so. Too bad lost animals don’t come with papers tied around their necks.

The dresser, we got one day when we were unloading a storage unit in Alabama.

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The Ethan Allen came from some guy who asked us if we’d be interested in buying his storage unit. We said, we’d take a look and I about had a cow because it was more like a barn full of furniture and then when my hub made him a ridiculous offer and the guy said yes, I about fell over.   There were several Ethan Allen items, headboards, dining sets and cabinets plus many, many antiques.  A few were not in good shape because the dampness had warped the drawers, but many more were redeemable. I kept the Ethan Allen dresser and a few other things then sold off the rest. Unfortunately, I have a kitty who thinks she can open drawers to climb in and has left her marks in her effort, but… OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

The shower curtain was brand new in its original package. The rest was purchased here and there but all are quality items. The jade good luck frog and potpourri, I bought brand new.

The best thing is my style cycles in and out. Since little is invested in any given piece or pieces, if I tire of them, out they go and something else takes its place. Nothing comes in without something going out.

From the bathroom to all my other spaces, there you have it.

Living on a dime and proud of it.

Discovery Challenge: In the style of MOISES LEVY

In Oceanside where I live, we have a pier.  It was told to me that it was the longest pier,  but it’s not. I think someone got it confused with the Ocean Beach pier, which is only the longest in the county at about 2,000 ft. whereas Oceanside’s Pier is 1,942 ft. Pretty close. No matter, it is still cool. In fact, if you can, catch it at different hours of the day and seasons, the varied exposures and settings can be truly amazing, whether you shoot in color or black and white. At the end of the pier stop by Ruby’s for great hamburgers and milkshakes. I go for their cones. Yum!

Two blocks from the pier, each Thursday, we have a market day. In the morning there is the Farmer’s Market, presenting produce from local farmers. In the evening is the Oceanside Sunset Market, offering foods from all around the globe, artisan booths and music and the local bars remain open for imbibing should that be your choice.

Oceanside also boasts as being the location where several films have been made. The “Top Gun” house is still there, though looking pretty shabby. 007’s Diamonds are Forever was filmed there and at the pavilion located at the pier’s base is where the “Bring It On” cheer leading finale was filmed.

That’s our Oceanside.

pier

Today’s featured picture is done in the style of Moises Levy.  Then, one could perhaps say it is like Alin Ciortea, who is actually more famous for his nudes.  I mention two, more to introduce you to new artists that are known for their black and whites. Alin is from Romania and Moises from Mexico.

http://www.moiseslevy.com/index.php?accion=biografia

Please check them out:

This week, publish a post in the style of a writer or artist you admire, or in the style of another genre. You don’t have to write about politics or current events to give this a try — you could just as easily:

Publish on any topic you’d like, but with a new lens — who knows what you might reveal?

The pier at dusk and shot further back, closer to it’s entrance which gives you a better perspective of length and me walking my dog with the pier in the background. Fun times!